Random Dozen meme #2

Second Cup Lid- Linda hosts this getting to know you meme. Click on the doughnuts in the button to link up.

1. Tell me the absolute best way to watch a movie.

Big screen t.v., surround sound, huge comfy couch, fluffy down pillows (at least 3), thick, cotton hunting socks up to my knees- not too tight around the top, prescription glasses, super soft blanket, teeth brushed, no snacks. I don't have a big screen t.v. or surround sound and my couch isn't real deep, it is saggy and old. I have one feather filled pillow. I do have the socks, the glasses and the blanket. (oh and I don't mean to imply nothing else should be worn, I think flannel two piece loungewear is quite mandatory) I ask too many questions during movies; my family isn't too keen on that, but they love me, so they put up with it. Truthfully, 9 times out of 10, I fall asleep during the first scene.

2. Do you ever think about your own funeral? If so, do you have specific ideas about how you would like it to be?

I definately do not like to think about my own funeral. I think about how maybe nobody will be available to attend it. I think about the possibilities of what might be said about me there and figure it'll be over before it starts. I have a friend who has hers all planned out with songs picked out and everything saved on her Blackberry, so whoever has to deal with it will have it easier. I think that is amazing! I figure I'll slide on outa here with just under the same fanfare with which I slid in.

3. Are you more of a giver or a taker?

I really want to say giver here. I think being a giver is the right answer. Not sure though. I don't take other people's stuff. I do take a long shower and a long time to get ready to go. I give a lot of people who live with me a hard time. Not on purpose, but I kind of drive everyone nuts without really trying. My mom always said, "I give you an inch, you take a mile." I think that was a bad thing. I think I was supposed to be happy with the inch. On a scale of 1 to 10 with give at 1 and take at 10- I might be at 5, give or take a few.

4. Vacations: planned activities and schedules, or play it by ear?

I like to look up where we're going, find all the fun places to explore along the way, figure out which relative lives nearest, so we can stay for free- get the whole thing planned out and then play it by ear. Drives I.T. batty. Again, I do not do this on purpose. There's just this innate characteristic, perhaps in my gene pool, that sparks spontaneity at inopportune moments.

5. What is one often overlooked item in your home that needs to be cleaned regularly?

There's a dead fetal pig in a vacuum sealed, plastic bag on the science shelf in my bedroom. We dissected a shark and a turtle one year instead. The bag is dusty. I don't dust the science shelf often enough. Having a dead, fetal pig in a vacuum sealed bag in your bedroom is just one of the many perks of homeschooling in a house with inadequate cupboard space. If while you're sleeping, the spontaneous urge to study muscles, bones and capillaries awakens you - boom, there you have it, a dead pig and a scalpel at your bedside.

6. Name a cause that means a lot to you.

The Churro Education Fund. One year in college Outside the Box had a roommate from Churro,Kenya. He was concerned for his friends back in the village, who did not have enough $ to stay in school there. Outside the Box told him they could probably start a fund of some sort and raise $ for the kids in his village, so they could stay in school. With God's help,they did it! You can read about it here: Sorry, I regretted including the site, as it had too much personal info, so I deleted it, but if you are truly interested let me know and I will e-mail you the info.

7. Do you eat a regular old peanut butter jelly sandwich, or do you customize it? And by the way, jelly or no jelly?

I like all natural, crunchy-the jar that lists only peanuts under ingredients on the label. You have to store it upside down, so the oil rises to the bottom. I like homemade jam best (not sugar-free), but my favorite in grade school was store bought grape jelly. When I was in 9th grade, I was in a geology club. We went on a canoe trip and there I learned to like peanut butter and cheese sandwiches. At lunch we were allowed "2 cheese, 1 meat and all the peanut butter you can eat" I can still hear Mr. Fowler bellowing out that rule. I guess it's how he made ends meet.

8. If we were having a conversation in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

I would try to do some reverse psychology and stare you down to make you feel uncomfortable. If that didn't work, I'd disappear.

9. Do you have an elaborate bedtime routine, or just the basics of tooth brushing and jammies?

Oh goodness. I have an elaborate bedtime routine that includes making sure the kitchen is cleaned up (I cannot sleep if there are dirty dishes in the sink), 25 minutes of teeth brushing, 20 minutes of face washing with Dove soap for sensitive skin, hypo-allergenic lotion application, thick 100% cotton, hunting socks, flannels, stocking cap if it's cold like it is tonight, specific down pillow and a special Floam pillow that Pilgrim gave me one time, super soft blanket, lots of covers, reading, the final bathroom run, prayer- the list just goes on and on....I eventually get to sleep, but it's always such a short night. I've already told my kids, if you have to put me in a home, just be sure somebody there knows I need this drill. I cannot sleep if I don't follow all the steps and if it gets to be nursing home time for Heidi, I'll prob'ly need to make room in the routine for finding my teeth. Who knows?

10. Have you ever regretted something you wrote on your blog?

Oh probably. I think I deleted a couple of pictures, because I feared a predator and I took down a post or two after I put it up. I try to be careful what I put on the blog. I would never want to offend anyone or hurt anybody's feelings. Never.

11. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a famous person or celebrity? Did you agree?

Well, when I worked in the admissions office after college graduation, one co-worker swore I looked like Diana Ross. I never quite understood that, but she swore it was so.

12. If you were going to dedicate a song to a loved one or friend, what would the song be and to whom would it be dedicated?

Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goalposts of Life dedicated to my dad. He still sings it. Google the lyrics, you'll find them.