I Love The Smell of Surveys in the Morning

New house rule:  No more Bones marathons before bed.  It makes you have super weird dreams, and you will wake up at 4 a.m. all freaked out.  Especially after you knock the floating shelf off the wall, scaring both you and the cat.

The upside to this is I can catch up on my blog reading, and therefore see that the darling and entirely too funny Taylor, my bloggiest of blog friends, tagged me in a post full of super fun questions.  And you know how I like a survey.  So, here we are, kids, blogging in the middle of the night.  With no one to blame but myself.  And Emily Deschanel.

But on to Taylor's questions...

1. What is one food you detest?

     This is really a whole family of food because I have consistency issues.  I detest oatmeal.  And Jell-O.  And Cottage Cheese.  But I like pudding, because it comes chocolate-flavored.  But chocolate-flavored oatmeal would be gross...unless it was a no-bake cookie.  Then it would be awesome.  But probably not as good for you, which surely explains why it tastes better.

2. What is your perfect day?
      Yesterday was pretty perfect.  I had lunch with my girls, got presents, added another friend, went to a winery I'd never been to, and heard a great band.   (I bought a t-shirt and the CD.)  It would have been absolutely perfect if Casey could have stayed with us. 
       A close second was Friday, where I got to watch "my boys" experience winning state.  It made me cry, and I am not someone who does that.  Actually, when it comes to sports, I am someone who does that.  But whatever.  I am so proud of them I could just burst.

3. If you could take a vacation next week, where would you go?
    Funny you should ask that Taylor, as I am technically on a "fall break" right now.  If I could be anywhere, I would be at the beach.  Any beach.  But I especially love Folly Beach in South Carolina or Gulf Shores, Alabama.  (See also here.) Oh and Puerto Rico was pretty freaking awesome.  (See proof below)

4. What are five of your favorite blogs?

In the People I Don't Know In Real Life But Love Anyway Category:  

• The Pioneer Woman -- More accurately, I want to be her when I grow up.
• Ministry So Fabulous -- Amy Beth loves big hair and pink, and was my very first blog friend.
• Jennsylvania -- Jen Lancaster is wickedly funny!  And a little too much like me in some ways.
• matt, liz and madeline -- Matt's story sucked me in.  His writing and adorable kid have kept me there.
• The Lumberjack's Wife --  Because she started this whole question thing.  And she comments on here all the time.  And she's hilarious.  And awesome.  (Hi, Taylor!)
• these are the days - Jenna and I, we're like peas and carrots.  Actually, we are more like peas and more peas.  Us single girls have to stick together.

In The People I Know In Real Life But Love Anyway Category:

• A Life In Ordinary - Because she's totally a better writer than I am.  Probably a better teacher too.  And when we were in college, she would regularly let me snore on her trundle bed and dye her hair. 
• Losing 150 - Jay is losing weight.  And taking about how loving Jesus fits into that.  And he's really funny and wise.  (And that's exactly how he is in real life, too)
• Sing! - She's admitted that she is, in fact, a bad blogger.  But, she's a very busy girl, with the teaching music and getting married, and teaching voice and getting married.  And we have been known to drive half an hour on a whim just for cookies.  (In college, it was Cherry Limeades.)

 5. What are your thoughts on The Facebook?

      Though some friends have chosen to shun The Facebook, I still have a warm place in my heart for it.  It's a fun place to put up my photos (no apostrophe) and to see what my former students and friends who live far away are doing.  Though I do believe that some people should keep their personal business to themselves.  The Facebook is not the personals.  Or a place to stick it to the people you don't like, veiled or not-so-much.  To sum it up, The Facebook is not the evil scorge or somewhere you should spend all of your life.

   

6. Are your parents technological goobers, like mine?
     My parents try really hard.  My dad is pretty savvy, but he might break things on the first try.  My mom really wants to learn.  Sometimes, it goes okay (she can email with the best of them) and some things need a little more instruction (see iPod loading or The Facebook)

  

7. If you had to choose between losing 15 pounds forever, but never wearing makeup again OR having perfect skin but putting on 15 pounds permanently . . . what would it be?
     Decisions, decisions.  If I have to keep the 15 pounds permanently can I still lose the weight I currently need to lose?  Because if that's the case, I am totally keeping the makeup.  I really like makeup.
 

8. What is your best recipe?
     I am not a cook.  I do make a pretty easy and yummy cheesecake and here's the recipe:
               3 pkgs. cream cheese, softened
               3 eggs
               1 c. sugar
               1 tsp. vanilla
               1 Keebler (read already made) EXTRA SERVING graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 450.  Mix sugar and cream cheese until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix some more.  You can add other things too (peanut butter, chocolate chips, etc).  Pour into pie shell.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 250 for 30-35 minutes until the middle doesn't jiggle.  Cool, then put in the fridge (it's best served chilled).  You can make a yummy hard-shell topping by melting mini chocolate chips and heavy cream in the microwave and pouring it on the cooled cheesecake. 


I don't know that anyone really loves surveys as much as I do.  But, if you do, feel free to answer these questions.  Or you can answer the Pivot questionnaire questions.  Or you can write your own questions.  Or write a bucket list.  But it's after 5 in the morning, and I should probably just stop for now.

Thank you, Taylor.  This was awesomely fun!