Flashback Friday

Girls' Trip to Clearwater, Fl - Summer '09

Links On a Wednesday Night

Happy Hump Day to all of you 9-to-5ers out there, and Happy Friday to me!  Boy, oh boy, have I got some things planned for my weekend.  A car wash, some advisement and a possible eye exam are in my near future.  Goody goody gumdrops indeed.

[Warning- Random] As I type this, I am trying meatless chicken tenders for the first time.  My analysis:  tastes pretty darn close to the real thing.  Quite delicious actually.

Anyway, here are a few little links I've collected over the past couple of weeks and would like to share:

Lana Del Rey premiered her glamorously controversial new music video for "National Anthem" today featuring A$AP Rocky.

I'm loving this victorian-esque bedding from IKEA.  Our bed is in serious need of a makeover these days.

I've always thought of myself as more of a city girl, but the small town life has been appealing to me lately.

This carnival-themed birthday party is the cutest thing I've ever seen.  I can't wait to do something like this.

These alternative movie posters are too cool!  Most are even more visually striking than the originals.  I made the one of Hitchcock's The Birds my desktop background :)

I've been obsessing over mid-century style furniture and home decor the past few days.  It will be so nice to decorate a house when we finally get one!

I'm looking forward to making this, this and this in the kitchen someday soon.

Lastly, these are a few blogs I've been especially enjoying recently: one, two and three.

"The Star" Presents MUSIC MONDAY

I was the "Star" employee today at work as part of Employee Appreciation Week.

Not going to lie - I'm pretty proud of myself.  I have worked hard for a year and a half, and it's so nice to finally be recognized and to know I'm making a small difference for people.  Now, topic change!  My Music Monday this week is a lovely cover of the beloved Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last A Long Time" by dream pop duo, Beach House.  Close your eyes, imagine you're sinking into the white sands of a beautifully abandoned beach and enjoy these slow-churned, dreamy melodies.

Summer Lovin'

"And if you're scared of the future tonight,
We'll just take each hour one at a time.

It's a pretty good night for a drive,

So dry up those eyes, dry up those eyes.

Because the radio will still play loud,

Songs that we heard as our guards came down.

Like in the summertime when we first met,

I'll never forget, don't you forget - these nights are still ours."

The Gaslight Anthem

It's lame, but I just now (like today) started listening to The Gaslight Anthem, and I don't for the life of me know why.  I am so surprised I never gave them a chance before, especially since I've always been an Against Me! fan.  I am a stranger to myself sometimes.  Their songs seem like good summertime songs - the lyrics are angsty, youthful and tell cute little stories of love and heartbreak.  Is there really anything better?  No, there isn't.

Ahhh, yesterday Jason and I got our sushi fix down in good ole San Marcos, Texas at Japan Latino.  I got my usual Sex on the Beach roll, Jason got the Seafood Dynamite roll and we each treated ourselves to Sakeritas.  Yum!  My mouth is watering, guys.  I could seriously eat sushi every single day.  

Some things I'm excited about right now:

1.  Eating sushi again ASAP  :)

2.  Moving on with my life, and refusing to let this post-college/pre-successful-adult-life chew me up and spit me out.  I will make something of myself!  This economy will not keep me down.

3.  PORTLAND next month with my best friend, Jessica.  I've already started piecing together a tentative schedule of events.  Planning ahead and looking forward to something keeps me sane.

4.  Looking into possibly doing something fancy for mine and Jason's three year anniversary.  I mentioned staying a night at the Driskill or maybe a resort on Lake Travis.  Basically, whatever we can afford when the time comes, but it will be extra special and full of love nonetheless.

Catch-Up Post

Hello, kiddies.  Yes, yes, never fear, my heart still beats.  So sorry I've been a bad blogger this past week.  I'll use my worn-out excuse of work being crazy.  In all seriousness though, I had two four-day periods of vacation from work which was SO nice, but it made it all the more rough getting back into the swing of things, and the hotel experienced a gas leak earlier in the week which meant no hot water or hot food in the restaurants for guests.  So, as you can probably imagine, it's been a touchy week full of comped rooms and free meal vouchers.  Thankfully, the leak was finally repaired and inspected yesterday afternoon so the gas is back on and all is well in the world.

I think I mentioned before that I was traveling to Houston last weekend to see my mom and sister and help Nana continue to settle back into her house.  It was a fun little sleepover, as we all stayed a couple of nights over at Nana's.  She had an outpatient procedure Friday morning in which they administered a small electric shock to her heart hoping to cure her atrial defibrillation (abnormal heartbeat).  All went well with the procedure and she was back home within a couple of hours.  Saturday, I went over and celebrated my dad's 45th birthday with him and some family at Carrabba's (his favorite restaurant).  Then that night my dad, Rebecca (stepmother), my grandparents and I went out to Jason's Deli to celebrate Father's Day.  I hanged around with my dad and Rebecca on Sunday for a little bit.  We went out for breakfast and some grocery shopping before I made the drive back over to Austin.

I hope everyone is having the best week, and I promise to not leave you hanging that long ever again!

Here are some pictures from my little trip to Houston:

Micah (sister) and I

Me circa 1991

My dad's birthday dessert platter!

Happy Birthday, Dad

Pad Thai Recipe

Top of the evening, folks.  I thought I would take some time tonight to share one of my newest favorite recipes - Pad Thai.  This has always been one of my favorite dishes at Pei Wei and other various Asian restaurants, but I had never attempted to make it on my own, or any Asian dish really, until just recently.  The ingredients always seemed super foreign to me (duh) and I thought I would have to shop at specific little weird markets to find the stuff.  I mean, come on, what exactly is fish sauce?  It sounds, looks and smells disgusting, but when mixed with a bunch of other flavors, it's actually quite delish.

So, I'm going to share my personal recipe with you that I adapted from this base Pad Thai recipe I found on Allrecipes.com.  This recipe makes about four servings.

Pad Thai
Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb. total)
10 oz rice stick noodles (prepare as per package instructions)
olive oil
minced garlic
3 eggs
6 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
12 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp peanut butter
sesame oil
soy sauce
hoisin sauce
crushed red pepper
paprika
cayenne pepper

Toppings:
green onions
lime juice
cilantro
crushed peanuts

Instructions:
1.  Pour about 2 tbsp olive oil in a large stir fry skillet or wok, and saute chicken breasts with minced garlic until lightly browned and cooked through.  Remove chicken and set aside.
2.  Add about 1/4 cup olive oil to the skillet/wok, heat over medium-high heat and cook the eggs until firm.
3.  Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and return to the skillet/wok.  Add prepared noodles, along with the rest of the ingredients to taste.  (Note:  This is definitely a taste as you go type of dish.  I just started throwing stuff in a little at a time until I achieved that taste I wanted.)
4.  Served in bowls and top with squeezed lime wedges, chopped green onions, cilantro and crushed peanuts.
5.  Enjoy!

Ashley & Cameron's Wedding/College Reunion With My Girls

This past Saturday Jason and I made the four hour drive through the sketchiest areas of Texas civilization to a little place that is mighty proud of their tomatoes - Jacksonville, Texas.  Along with my good friends Emily and Rachel and Rachel's boyfriend Adam, we stayed at the No.1 rated hotel in Jacksonville, the Holiday Inn Express.  It was pretty swanky, I must say.  I digress.  The reason for the trip and the ritzy hotel stay was for our sweet friend Ashley's wedding.  In college our little group of girlfriends included myself, Emily, Heather (who I've mentioned before), Rachel, Ashley R. (the bride) and Ashley W.  Throughout the three and a half years I attended Texas State, there were others that would join our group for a short while, but these are the friends that truly matter, the ones I know I will keep in contact with.

Ashley's love story is a bit of a fairy tale in that she married her high school sweetheart, Cameron.  He is a wonderful, generous fellow, and I just know they will live happily ever after.  I couldn't be happier for them, and at the same time, I am completely jealous of them because right now they're on their honeymoon in the Bahamas!  Finally someone's going someplace else besides Jamaica for their honeymoon.  The wedding was so classy and tons of fun, especially when all of us girls hit the dance floor together and Rachel forced the deejay to play "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne!  I'm afraid that's probably our trademark song from our college days, but it's still fun nonetheless.  It was so wonderful to see both of the Ashleys!  It had been way too long.  We would like to all get together again someday soon because it's always such a blast.  At the wedding reception while we were all bumping and grinding and doing "The Wobble" I lost track of time, and it all ended way too soon.  Next thing I knew, it was Sunday morning, and Jason and I were back on that boring country road back to Austin.  I know I whine and complain a lot about not having friends nearby, but I feel so lucky to have the friends that I do - near or far, they are the best friends a girl could have, and I wouldn't trade them for all the cupcakes in the world.

**Please excuse the quality of these photos.  They were taken with an iPhone because I forgot to bring my camera, of course.

MUSIC MONDAY

I would never call myself a die hard Radiohead fan.  I'm definitely a fan, but I wouldn't pay more than $50 to see them live.  My dad actually got me into them back when I was in 7th or 8th grade, and music was gaining more and more importance in my life.  I was looking through his CDs and I had heard of Radiohead before but had never listened to them, so I asked him if I could borrow Hail to the Thief.  He said sure I could, but he didn't think I would like it because it was "pretty experimental."  At this time I think my favorite bands were probably Good Charlotte, New Found Glory and Saves the Day.  So I said "whatever, Dad.  I can handle it," and sure enough I really liked it and bought the rest of their albums.  

"House of Cards" is probably my favorite Radiohead song.  It usually takes a few listens before I fall for a song, but not this one.  I was immediately weak in the knees at that first chord.  Such a beautiful, pure song.

I'll be back later today with details and pictures from my weekend.  Cheers!

Young-Life Crisis

Being in your twenties is a funny thing.  Basically, you're at your peak, physically speaking (for most people), you have more energy than you will in decades to come, your whole life is ahead of you with so many possibilities and opportunities, but it's also a very difficult, sometimes traumatic time.  It's frustrating when older people go on and on about how jealous they are of you and your youth and they encourage you to travel and "see the world."  Let me tell you, I would love nothing more, but I have to pay rent and bills each month which pretty much swallows up each and every paycheck I receive.  I'm slowly starting to save, but it's hardly anything because I need every cent I make.  So I won't be rushing off to Europe for months at a time.  Sorry, guys.  Looks like you won't get to live vicariously through me in the manner that you wish.  The way I see it is that I have all the years ahead of me to travel and see the world, but right now I'm just trying to find myself and simply get by.

I've never been a "live in the moment" kind of person.  I am super anxious all the time, and I'm always anticipating the next adventure.  This makes it difficult for me to enjoy things as they happen because I am constantly looking forward to the next thing.  Sad, I know, but also very true.  Lately, I've been peeking back into the past at certain times when I know I was really happy and trying so hard to remember exactly how that moment felt - what I could see, what I could smell and hear and the people there with me.  This isn't to say I'm not happy right now and I'm trying to remember what it is to be happy.  No, no.  I am very happy with how things are going for me.  I'm young and in love and I live in a beautiful, cultured city with lots of great sights and food.  It's just sometimes comforting to remember little moments of pure joy.

I was reading something the other day when I came across the question "where is home to you?"  The answer is the physical place/location where you feel the most comfort and happiness.  For me, it's probably Nana's house.  I've been going there for the past twenty-three and half years.  It's where many of my earliest memories take place.  I remember specific times of being over there.  The kitchen curtains open, natural light pouring into the room, the just-mopped floor still damp as the ceiling fan works hard to dry it, the faint smell of cleaning products and cigarette smoke, the theme song of The Young and the Restless coming in from the living room...

Nana is finally back in her house after mostly recovering from her heart surgery last summer.  She bounced around to different areas of the hospital before staying with my aunt Kandace for about six months until she felt comfortable enough to move back home.  Hopefully I'll get to go see her back at home, the way things have always been and should always remain.

It will be nice to be back in that barn-like house.  It will be nice to be home again.

Little Bitty Update

Hi there, friends.  Hope everyone had/is having a super Thursday.  Mine started off pretty icky, but I have since recovered thanks to Jason and Maeby's hugs, blue cheese salmon burgers, sweet potato tots and The Innkeepers.  I wasn't sure how I felt about the horror flick at first, but the more I think about it, the more I like it and realize how clever the story really is.  It's written and directed by Ti West who also wrote/directed one of my favorite films, The House of the Devil.  I enjoy his retro style, and the videography is mighty admirable as well.

After six days of work in a row, I am a free lady for the next four days!  Needless to say, I am thrilled, and I'm even more excited because this weekend I get to have a mini-college reunion with my favorite ladies at my dear friend Ashley's wedding on Saturday!  I am so happy for she and her future hubby, Cameron.  They are the absolute sweetest, cutest couple, and the perfect match for one another, hands-down.  It's going to be a fun-filled weekend for sure.

Some other things I'm happy about include Bass Drum of Death's current U.S. tour that will be bringing them to Austin soon!  They are currently working on their second studio album and released a catchy new track this afternoon.  Listen here.

Also, my upcoming getaway to PORTLAND with my bff, Jessica!  It is 100% official now because I finally purchased my plane ticket.  There's no going back now!  Look out, PDX, we're headed your way.  The Northwest is about to get a little bit sassier.

Lastly, Jason popped the news that he really wants to attend the Sasquatch music festival next year, which I am most definitely not opposed to.  So far we've been to Austin City Limits, VooDoo Experience and Coachella.  Why not add Sasquatch to our list?  Of course, this is assuming we live past 2012.

Well, kiddies, bed is calling my name.  I am in great need of some serious rest.  Enjoy the end to your day, however you may choose to do so.

xoxo

Playlist Post: June 2012

Hello, dear friends.  'Tis the season for another playlist!  I have realized that my "music mood" is ever-changing, which is fine I suppose; it's just a bit humorous - at least to me.  It's also very frustrating sometimes when I'm in the car or relaxing at home, and I can't think of anything I want to listen to.  I usually just end up shuffling my starred playlist on Spotify, which leads to me skipping countless songs before I finally find one that feels right for the moment.  For instance, I'm not really feeling rap and hip-hop lately.  Although, I do think there are maybe two rap(ish) songs on this June playlist.  I'm thinking my summer will be filled with a lot of dream pop, art rock, noise pop, surf rock/pop and my new favorite genre, shoegaze.  Ahhh, this playlist just makes me wanna let loose, breathe deeply, wear my hair au natural (gettin' crazy up in here) and put on some bright fuchsia lipstick.  I hope it has the same, or a similar, effect on you!  Enjoy.

By the way, I opted to exclude the playlist.com embed due to the lack of songs and/or artists from my playlist.  Sorry, guys.  Luckily you can find all of these tracks via Spotify, if you use it.

1.  "Five Seconds" - Twin Shadow
2.  "You Girl" - Sissy & the Blisters
3.  "Let's Build a Home" - The White Stripes
4.  "Moon In My Mind" - Frankie Rose
5.  "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above" - CSS
6.  "Oblivion" - Grimes
7.  "Default" - Django Django
8.  "On To The Next One" - JAY-Z
9.  "Back Of Your Neck" - Howler
10.  "Boy In Lust" - Bleeding Knees Club
11.  "Goin' To The Party" - Alabama Shakes
12.  "Sixteen Saltines" - Jack White
13.  "You Wish You Were Red" - Trailer Trash Tracys
14.  "Bone Broke" - The White Stripes
15.  "Pin" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
16.  "Black History Month" - Death From Above
17.  "Unless You Speak From Your Heart" - Porcelain Raft
18.  "Freeheart Lover" - Ghostland Observatory
19.  "Good To Go" - Yelawolf & Bun B
20.  "MindKilla" - Gang Gang Dance
21.  "Dancing On My Own" - Robyn
22.  "You Can Have It All" - Yo La Tengo
23.  "Troublemaker" - Beach House
24.  "Starpower" - Sonic Youth
25.  "Leader of the Pack" - Sleigh Bells
26.  "Tchiki Tchiki Tchiki" - Make The Girl Dance

100 Questions

1.  Are you young at heart, or an old soul? Definitely an old soul.  I worry constantly, cannot stay awake past 11 p.m. and love to make casseroles.

2.  What makes someone a best friend? Complete trust, true honesty, someone with a great sense of humor, but knows when to be serious, how to listen and you know will always be there for you.

3.  What Christmas (or Hanukkah) present do you remember the most?  I think I was five or six when I got a My Size Barbie from Santa.  That pretty much made my life.

4.  Tell me about a movie/song/tv show/play/book that has changed your life.  I don’t know that any of those things have really “changed” my life, but both the films “Mammoth” and “Babel” really helped to change my perspective of the importance of third world problems and good communication.

5.  Name one physical feature that you like about yourself, and one you dislike.  I like my hair, I hate my legs.

6.  Would you like to reconnect with any friends you’ve lost contact with? Yes, some friends from high school that I deleted from Facebook during my post-college mass deletion phase.  I really regret that.

7.  What’s more important in a relationship: physical attraction or emotional connection? Emotional connection, for sure.

8.  Name a movie that you knew would be terrible just from reading the title.  The Human Centipede.

9.  What holiday do you most look forward to? Halloween and Thanksgiving.

10.  How is the relationship between you and your parents? I have really good relationships with both of my parents, especially my mom who I’ve always been very close to.

11.  You’ve got the TV on, but you’re not really watching. What channel is the TV on? Food Network.

12.  Name a song that never fails to make you happy.  “Well All Right” by Buddy Holly

13.  You know at least one person named Michael. Tell me about him.  My grandpa’s name is Michael.  He’s a pretty interesting guy who comes from a pretty interesting place.  He was in the Air Force, he eats really fast because of that, and he’s been very generous to me my whole life.

14.  Have you ever read the “missed connections” on Craigslist? Have you ever posted one, or wanted to? I have overheard my old roommates reading them and talking about them, but I’ve never read them myself.  I've never posted one.

15.  If you could pick anywhere to live the rest of your life, where would it be?  The Greek island of Ios, but in all honesty, that won’t happen because I really just want to be close to my family.

16.  Can money buy happiness? No, but it sure helps out a lot!  Money problems are the pits.

17.  Do you drink? Smoke? Do drugs? Why, or why not? I drink occasionally, don’t smoke and don’t do drugs.  I enjoy fine wines, beers, and margaritas.  Smoking killed my Pop.  And drugs are bad.

18.  Is there anyone close to you that you know you can’t trust? You don’t have to give names. Yes.

19.  Where was your favorite place to go when you were a little kid?  Nana and Pop’s house.

20.  Have you ever spent a night in the hospital?  No.

21.  Do you enjoy being with only one or two friends, or with a large group of people? Just a small group.

22.  Do you like the type of music your parents listen to? Do your parents like the type of music you listen to?  My dad has pretty good taste in music; he’s the one that got me into a lot of classic and 90s rock.  My mom listens to pop and rap music mainly, and I enjoy some of that stuff too.  My dad likes the music I listen to, but my mom won’t even give it a chance.  She just makes fun of it, haha.

23. Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever bullied anyone else? I have been bullied, but I’m thankfully not “friends” with that person anymore.  And, no, I have never bullied anyone.

24.  If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Jason’s goat cheese mashed potatoes with caramelized onions.

25.  If your partner wanted to wait until marriage before having sex, would you stay in that relationship? Of course.

26.  Do you prefer cooking or eating out? It depends on the night.  I enjoy both.

27.  Of all the social networks in the world, why use twitter? Because it’s a fast, easy way to get a lot of information at once. It’s way better than watching the news.

28.  What’s your favorite hashtag to track? Don’t have a favorite, don’t use hastags too often.

29.  Would you call yourself/your family “middle class?” I’m probably lower-middle class, but I would consider most of my family to be middle class.

30.  Name a TV series you didn’t enjoy until after it ended. Six Feet Under.

31.  Have you ever bought a product from an infomercial? Surprisingly no.  Although, I’ve seriously thought about too many times.

32.  If you could give up your car and never have to drive again, would you? No.

33.  If you go back to one point in time to give advice to yourself, when would you go and what would you say? I would go back to the time of the aftermath of my first serious breakup, and I say, “He’s not worth your tears and pain.  You will find someone much much better.  Just get over it and move on NOW.”

34.  What’s your “quirkiest” habit? Making strange, small noises all the time, or bursting out into random song throughout my day.

35.  What is “normal?” Are you normal? Normal is a highly subjective desciption.

36.  Someone close to you is dying. You have the choice to let this person live for 10 more years, but if you do, you cause the death of 10 strangers. You don’t have to see them die. Do you take the offer? Yes.

37.  What is one thing you could never forgive? Someone physically hurting my brother or sister.

38.  Would you rather be in a relationship after the honeymoon period ends, or be single? Be in the relationship…there are few things more fulfilling.  The honeymoon stage always goes away, then you move into a deeper, more respectful love for one another, and nothing can match that.

39.  Is it possible for guys and girls to be just friends? I don’t believe it’s possible.  I’ve never seen proof of it.

40.  Where do you and your friends go to hang out? I don’t really have friends that live close by anymore, but we used to hang out at each other’s houses/apartments, coffee shops, music venues, bars, and the like.

41.  Write the first sentence of your obituary. Kassie Lanae Kitchen passed away this morning at the age of 102 in her favorite white rocking chair with her cat in her lap.

42.  What is the best TV theme song ever? Alfred Hitchcock Presents

43.  When you were young, what would you dream you would be when you grew up?  I first wanted to be a dance teacher, then a pharmacist.

44.   When you’re alone in your own home, do you walk around naked? No, sometimes without pants, but that’s the freakiest it gets.

45.   What gets you out of bed in the morning? My alarm buzzing in my ear.

46.   Do you want to have more friends than you have right now? Not necessarily, I just wish the ones I do have lived closer!

47.   What part of the past year sticks out in your mind? Moving to Austin, our trip to Las Vegas, getting to see my friends.

48.   You win a scratch-off lottery game that gives you $2000 a week (after taxes) for the rest of your life. Do you keep your job? No, I quit immediately.

49.   Could you be in a long-distance relationship? If you’re in one, what makes yours work? Nope.  I know some can, but I am not one of those persons.  I have tried it a handful of times, and it always ends disastrously.

50.  What’s the best route to your heart? A man that can cook and be silly.

51.  Have you ever met someone through the Internet, then met them in real life? Yeah.  Weird.

52.  What is your favorite sport? I don’t enjoy playing any sports myself, but I like to watch baseball, but only if someone I know is playing, like my brother.

53.  What has been troubling you lately? My job and my financial situation.

54.  Did you enjoy your high school prom? If you haven’t gotten there yet, do you look forward to it? If you didn’t go, why not?  My HS prom was so overrated!  My friends and I planned for it for an entire year leading up to it, and it was so not worth it.  However, we did drive down to the beach right after, and that was a blast!

55.   What do you use more often: your intuition or logical reasoning? I’d like to think I use a little of both.

56.   Do you know what makes you happy? I know some things that make me happy.  I’m sure I have yet to discover others.

57.   Tell me about the last book you read. Well I’m currently reading The Help.  It’s awesome. It’s weird to read the book after you’ve watched the movie though; the book gives so many more details.

58.   What is the nicest compliment you’ve ever been given? My boss once told me that he’s admires my confidence and he knows I must have been raised well by great parents.  He is right.

59.    Who was your first crush? Doug Garner in first grade.

60.    Do you believe that there is life on other planets? Yes.

61.    Predict what your life will look like a year from now. Hopefully, I’ll be making fat stacks of cash and living the good life somewhere nice with my love.

62.    Often, people will ask how your last relationship ended. I want to know how it began. Well I’m currently in a relationship, and it began in beginner bowling class at Texas State.  On the first day, I saw this tall, handsome guy who seemed oddly familiar, but I just couldn’t put my finger on where I knew him from.  I thought maybe I had seen him play a show at some venue, but the truth is, I didn’t know him from anywhere, and I hadn’t ever seen him before.  Call me crazy, but I got a quick glimpse at the future and the universe was telling me there’s something special about this one. I guess he felt the same.  Cha-ching.

63.    Where is your favorite place to go out and eat? Ooh, I like too many places.  Probably Japan Latino, my favorite sushi restaurant ever.

64.    What is something you want to change about your current situation? I want to make more money, live in a cute little house, and not have to work.

65.    Early bird or night owl? Neither.

66.    Are there any childhood possessions you still hold on to? I have a yellow Barbie boom box that has a button you push and crazy funk music from 1993 blares out of it.

67.    Give me an unpopular opinion you have?  I hate Harry Potter.

68.    What was the last song that was stuck in your head? “Tongue-Tied” by GROUPLOVE

69.    Where do you live? Be as general or specific as you want. I live in an apartment in Austin, TX.

70.    Do you believe in giving kids medals and trophies for participation? No, a winner’s a winner.

71.    What was the longest car ride you’ve ever taken? A family road trip from Houston to Breckenridge, Colorado.  It was only supposed to be like 17 hours, but there was a blizzard and it ended up taking us 25 hours straight.  We did not stop except for once at Denny’s for breakfast at 5 a.m.  It was very strange.

72.   Have you ever taken part in a protest? Yes.

73.   Would you ever use an online dating service? As a last resort.

74.   What is your ethnic heritage? Scottish, Irish and French.

75.   Describe a person that inspires you. My Nana.  She is strong, hilarious, confidant, and the sweetest person on the planet.

76.   If you earn minimum wage doing what you love, would you? Probably not.

77.   Do you believe in luck? No.

78.   Describe the last time you were very angry with someone. It was work-related, and my brain was shaking I was so mad.

79.   Do you want to live until you’re 100? As long as I’m not hooked up to some machine and my mind still partially functions, yes.

80.   Do people change? If so, how do you keep a relationship together when both of you start to change? Yes, people constantly change.  You just have to accept that person for who they are all the time.  Be open to their changes and continue to love them just the same.  I know it’s easier said than done, but no one ever said relationships were easy.

81.   Have you ever risked a friendship by telling someone you liked them? Yes, and we dated and it ruined everything.

82.   Would you rather be alone doing something you enjoy, or doing something you don’t like with your best friends? I’d rather be alone.

83.   Do you practice what you preach? Most of the time.

84.   If you take precautions to stay safe, do you ultimately act more recklessly? No, I’m always safe.  Not a risk-taker in the least.

85.   What do you value more in a significant other: Attractiveness or intelligence? Intelligence.

86.   Are you hard-headed? About some things, yes.

87.   Have you ever laughed uncontrollably when it was socially inappropriate? Yes!  Haha, that’s the absolute worst feeling ever, but also one of the best at the same time.

88.   When have you felt most alive? Seeing shows on Broadway in NY, and staring out into the horizon as far as I can see when I’m at the beach.

89.   Would you prefer to live? A city? The suburbs? The countryside? The mountains? Either countryside or mountains, but close enough to a city so I could go enjoy it when the mood strikes.

90.   Do you often skip breakfast? I used to all the time, but I eat breakfast most days now.

91.   How do you know what true love is? When you're in it, you just know.

92.   Would you want to know the exact date and time you were going to die? No way, Jose.

93.  Where is “home” for you? Houston, TX

94.   What song best describes your life right now? Can’t think of one off the top of my head.

95.   Do you want to be perfect? Perfect is boring. And non-existent.

96.   What have you never tried, but would really like to someday? What’s holding you back? Traveling to other countries.  Money is holding me back.  Flights aren’t cheap.

97.   How do you express your creativity? Writing.

98.   Describe your neighborhood. Quirky, clean, environmental, fairly safe, nice.

99.   Name something you only liked because it was popular. Beanie Babies.  Dumbest trend ever.

100.  Give me the story of your life in six words. Birth, fun, school, love, graduation, work.