Aaaaannnndddd....Picking up where we left off:
Onairelav asks: "When are you coming to visit?! ;) What's your favorite coffee? What's your favorite thing to do on a Saturday morning?"
Question one: If I had my way, TOMORROW! But, sadly, it will probably be a while before that happens. Although, Billy and I were talking about taking a trip to Louisville to visit my incredible grandmother. I don't know if it will actually happen, but we were talking about it.
Question two: My favorite coffee to make at home is Starbucks French Roast. It's an "extra bold" blend that manages to be crazy dark, yet still not bitter. If our Super Wal Mart happens to be out of French, though, I'll buy the Italian Roast, though that one tends to be just a touch more bitter. You must understand, though, that when I make coffee, I don't even measure. I just dump enough grounds in the maker to be sure it's crazy extra strong. My old boss joked that you can chew my coffee. But I'm a big fan of cream and sugar, so the bolder the coffee, the more I can taste it through all of my accoutrements.
Question three: My favorite thing to do on Saturday morning (assuming I don't have to work) is this: Wake up to no alarm, turn on the TV. Watch TV for a few minutes, then go downstairs and make coffee. Bring the coffee back upstairs and crawl back into bed. Smoke my first cigarette of the day, coffee in hand, while watching VH1's Top 20 Countdown and Best Week Ever. After I've been sufficiently lazy, I like to do laundry and clean up a bit, then get in the shower, get gussied up, and go shopping. But, if I'm off on a Saturday, I rarely leave the house before 2:00 in the afternoon. Billy works on Saturdays, but, if he didn't, you could just add some couple activities to the morning I described.
Scoot asked: "Why did you stop emailing me?"
Because I'm a horrible bitch. No, actually, Mr. Scoot, I recall the email ceasing when they revoked our internet privileges at my old job, then it started, briefly, when I got to my new job...And then it just...stopped. I think, as two mature adults, we should agree that we share responsibility for the stopped emails. Or, back to point A, I'm just a horrible bitch.
Bodidarma asks: "What's it like to be 25?"
Awesome. Seriously awesome. I love this age, but I was never a hanger-on to my youth. I think finally being in mid-twenties is right where I want to be. I like getting older, no longer being subjected to comments like "You're just a baby," or "When you're older." I mean, I still get those, but being twenty five lets me make assertions with some degree of authority. I love it.
Paul asks: "Do you believe in God? If so, do you pray often? What is your idea of heaven? If there is a God, and He/She is responsible for all that is good in the world does that mean He/She is responsible for all the bad things (famine, war, floods, diseases, etc.) in the world? Once a person dies do you think they have the ability to affect a living persons life? On a lighter side: Crest or Colgate?"
Wow. Okay. To begin...Do I believe in God? Yes, I believe that there is some force greater than us out there. Do I believe it's an old white man with a long beard in a flowing robe? Not necessarily. It could be a woman, it could be any race. It could be anything. No one knows - or will know - until we see it for ourselves. I was raised with no particular religion; My dad is Methodist, my mom is Orthodox. I was christened Methodist, and we went to Orthodox services a few times. But I went to a Baptist school for a period of time (we were in the south - there are a lot of Baptists there), and our family never really went to church. We were raised to make our own choices and to figure out what we believed for ourselves. As a teenager, I was baptized Mormon, for all the wrong reasons. I fell away from that not long after I started. I guess my problem with any and all organized religions is the idea that doing something can send you to HELL, unless you go and talk to some old guy in a church, confess your sins and act out the redemption he assigns you. Who is he, really, to be making those calls for me? In the LDS church (that's another term for Mormon, for those of you who don't know), the boys - BOYS! Twelve years old! - are priesthood holders, and allowed to give blessings. At twelve. And when I asked why the girls weren't allowed to be priesthood holders, I was told "Women can bear children, they're close enough to God already." To which I responded, "Well, I don't know about you, but I'd prefer get a blessing from someone close to God." I was not popular in our church. And I hated the way the boys got to learn about being priests, and I was stuck doing arts and crafts and trading recipes with the other women. I hated the assigned roles. I think that every religion has its redeeming qualities (for instance, the sense of unity and community in the Mormon church is like nothing I've ever seen. If you want to see a group of people band together for someone in need, check out the local LDS ward. They are incredible. And their emphasis on family and spending time with loved ones is truly incredible...), and I would never criticize anyone for believing what they've chosen. I just don't think that church-going religion is for me; My relationship with God is my own, and I don't feel I need to visit a certain parish, or donate my money to a specific chapel, or show up every Sunday for him/her to know I believe. I don't pray often, but I certainly don't pray only in times of trouble. I'm very conscious of NOT calling on God to bail me out of trouble. I could never stand people who claimed to not believe until they were in a bind, and then they found religion, praying, "God, just get me out of this and..." and then they make a string of promises they don't really intend to keep. I hate that. So I pray when something goes really well, as thanks. I pray when someone passes on. I pray when I feel powerless, not for help, though. Just to pray, to get in touch with the notion that I can't control everything. I don't really have an idea of heaven. I joke that being the only girl among (at least) thirty gay men is my idea of heaven. I joke that eating all the chocolate I want without gaining an ounce is heaven. That shopping with no credit limit, and no responsibility to pay the bills, is heaven. But, honestly, truly...I have no idea. I don't think about it much. I guess I'll find out one day. Yes, I think God is responsible for all the good and bad. I think s/he gives the sour to appreciate the sweet, I think s/he keeps the cycle of life as we know it going. Diseases, famine, floods...They keep life moving. I believe that we're always evloving. I don't believe that people were just created one day, I believe that we evolved from something...But I believe God created the first amoeba that split and went on to become us. As far as someone affecting another person's life after their death...I'm not quite sure what you mean. Do you mean ghosts? Spirits of those that have passed on? Yes, I believe that; that sometimes we're visited by great-grandparents and old friends whose time here is over. But, more so, I believe that they affect us by remembering who they were, what they believed in, what they stood for, and what they'd want you to do in any given situation.
Crest, totally. Gel, not paste.
Anonymous asked: "What is your favorite post that you've written?"
As a little back story, my favorite part of this blog is having a chronicle of my life. Most of my relationship with Billy is here - from meeting, to our first date, to how I felt about him, to the day we said our "I love you"s - and I love that I can go back and remember what it was like in the beginning. And some of the hardest times in my life are here, too. It's hard to narrow it down to a favorite post because they're all so personal to me (obviously). Each one is a snapshot of me, that very day. I love that.
But my favorite? I guess I'd have to say Baggage Claim. Not because it was scathing, but because it was honest. And I felt freed after I wrote it.
Cheetarah asks: "Isn't it so much easier to answer questions, rather than think of stuff on your own? Okay, let me think, let me think. What do I want to know. What's the longest you've ever been single? I ask that because I'm perpetually single and from your blog it seems like you're a relationship girl."
NO! It's not easier! These questions take time. :)
The longest I've ever been single (not counting high school and the like, because that doesn't really count) was almost a year; the time between Tom and meeting Billy. And, though it wasn't that long of a time in the grand scheme of things, it was a long while for me. And being single was actually pretty eye-opening for me. I'm so independent now, more than I ever thought I would be. I'm used to my space and my time and my life being all my own. It was an adjustment to fall back into the relationship swing. But my relationship with my single status was love-hate. I loved finally discovering me. I hated that, for a long span of time, I couldn't find anyone I wanted to share that me with. It's nice, finding your complimentary person, someone who lets you be you, and wants to be a part of you. And I am a relationship girl. I love being in love. I do. I can't help it.
Doug asks: "If you could invite any 5 people from the past to dinner, who would they be and why?"
One: My great-grandmother (my mother's grandmother). Because the stories of what she's done, seen, experienced in her life are incredible. I'd love to chat with her. Two: My late friend Roland. Because I miss him, I love him, and we'd be able to share some laughs together. Three: Abe Lincoln, because he was ahead of his time and fought for what he believed was right. Four: My other great-grandmother (my father's grandmother). Because I knew her when she was alive, but I don't remember her. And I'm sure she was extraordinary. Five: Vincent VanGogh. Because I love his art. Something that beautiful comes from a man who is either extremely crazy (as some would argue), or just extremely gifted - a misunderstood genius. Some people think he was gay, some believe he was sick, but most believe that he was talented. I'd love to meet him.
Ok! So I've answered it all! Marriage, kids, religion, toothpaste, coffee! You know pretty much all there is to know about me. I hope you still like me. ;)
To everyone who participated...Thanks for playing with me!
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8 comments:
i looove these interview posts...and i always forget to send in questions of my own!!
I agree--this was a great series of posts! Maybe do it again sometime?
These were great! Thanks for taking the time to so throughly answer each and every one.
I love these posts too, and i want Sarah to ask you a question! I was trying to think of a good question, especially seeing as you wrote such good answers, but I'm like you with your commenting on other blogs - I didn't want to just ask a question for the sake of asking a question... I did think of "do you think you'll give up smoking?" but now you're done you don't have to answer that!
thanks for the answers! I appreciate the honesty. I've always wondered what it's like to do the committed relationship thing. I wonder when you've spent a lot of time being in something, when you're single do you just know inside that it's not going to be forever? As you can see, relationships fascinate me.
I wouldn't be adverse to answering a few more. I had fun...And I'm glad no one was irritated by my long-winded answers. I do love to talk..Or, uh, write, as it were.
Editter, I think I'll give up smoking eventually. Just not right now. When I'm ready, I guess. (Isn't that what every smoker says?)
Cheetarah: It's hard to say. I would say that, more appropriately, you just hope that it's not going to be forever. Not that there's anything wrong with being single by any means, but when you're accustomed to being a part of something, you sort of long for that comraderie again. Or, at least, I did. And in being single, of course I missed the physical aspect of relationships - the kissing, the hand-holding, the affection - but I also missed the little things. Like having someone to call when something terrible or wonderful happened. Being told I look nice. Being taken out to dinner. Feeling like a lady. I don't know. It's probably just me. But it was the phone calls and the sense that someone was there that I missed. And I hoped that was just around each corner.
(Did that sound as desperate to you as it did to me?)
Oh - I only asked you because I thought you wouldn't just say what every smoker says! ;)
I did not mean to imply any bitchiness on anyone's part. My question was merely my way of saying "I miss emailing with you." You're right that we both have..um...time issues.
Things should settle down for me in a few months (once that annoying court thing I have coming up is over). Hopefully then you'll have time to email again as well!
s.
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