i am...

1. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be? - i rather like it when mike calls me because it usually means he has something important to tell me. well, i guess sometimes he says rather unimportant things, but it's still comforting.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? - always. i hate it when people just leave them in the parking lot--especially on a windy day.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? - it depends on whether i know the majority of the people. for instance, right now i am spending the weekend in a log cabin with a group of people i don't know all that well. i'm contributing to the conversations and laughing along, but i'm not nearly as talkative as i am around my own friends; THAT it just madness. i make a real effort to always be a good listener, no matter where i am or who i'm with.

4. Do you take compliments well? - i think so. i rather appreciate sincere ones, and i have no problem doling them out, so it's nice getting them in return.

5. Do you play Sudoku? - i still don't know what that game is all about. i keep seeing it in stores and it looks like something that would make my brain hurt. i'm sure i would grow bored of it quickly, so no plans to play it in the near future.

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? let's be honest here. are you kidding?! i freak out if i get mud on my shoe.

7. Do you like to ride horses? - i rode a pony once, or rather i sat on one. i think i was 6 or 7. that was the end of that.

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? - i took tennis lessons for two summers, but it wasn't exactly camp. and then there was that one summer i made the mistake of going to bible school for a week with my brother and one of his friends. not camp per se, but just as terrifying.

9. What was your favorite game as a kid? - probably SORRY. i'm a vicious competitor. then mall madness came out and it was all downhill from there.

10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you go for it? - a hot sexy person is pursuing me now and he's almost married...to me!

11. Have you lied to get out of a date? - nope. my dates were few and far between anyway, so lying just would have been stupid.

12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you? - yes, as long as they weren't a devout christian. i'm just so far away from that line of thinking, it would never work. that being said, i much prefer someone who is non-religious and more spiritual.

13. Do you like to pursue or be pursued? - when dating, i liked being pursued. when eating, i like being the pursuer.

15. Do any songs make you cry? - i find that touching songs never make me cry every single time i hear them. they usually just give me goosebumps and make me very wistful. most david gray's songs have this effect on me. listen to "this years love" and see what i mean.

16. Are you continuing your education? - not in the formal sense. but i think i am getting a great education at my job since i'm basically learning how to teach more effectively every day. montessori is cool like that because your first couple years are basically a mentorship.

17. Do you know how to shoot a gun? - no, but mike is dying to teach me. (bad choice of words?)

18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed? - michael.

19. How often do you read books? - often. or rather i always have one i'm working on, no matter how slow the process. right now it's "the art of happiness", by the dalai lama.

20. Do you think more about the past, present or future? - definitely the future. i try with all my might to live in the moment, but i'm forever focused on what's coming so i can be prepared for it. while occasionally it's great to live in anticipation of everything because it heightens the experience, most of the time it's rather painful. it all just leads to more worrying.

21. What is your favorite children's book? - "the giving tree", by shel silverstein.

22. What color are your eyes? - greenish/hazelish.

23. How tall are you? - 5 foot 8 inches. i kinda wish i was taller!

24. Where is your dream house located? - probably hawaii. but in this fantasy life, i would have to take my family and close friends with me so i wouldn't be too far away from them. otherwise, i would just sit around and cry under a palm tree.

25. Do you have a secret fetish? - i really like funny men who smell good. humor and cologne should be the name of an actual fragrance. i would be so rich.

26. Have you tried sushi? - yes and surprisingly, i love it. it is truly addictive. i love that it fills you up and is so healthy.

27. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth? yes, and i would love to do it again because the last time, the shots had super-high contrast and looked all blown out.

28. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden? - on mike's birthday, february 6th.

29. When was the last time you were at Church? - at sid & heather's wedding. i only ever go for other people's events. i always feel so uncomfortable.

30. Where was the furthest place you traveled today? - last night we arrived at deep creek lake, about 3 hours away from home. as of today, the farthest i've gone is up the stairs and back down to the bathroom.

31. What was your favorite job? - i'd have to say my first year working at starbucks. as the company continued expanding and the rules starting changing, it became less than fun. but that first year was golden. met some amazing people, really opened up a lot socially, and discovered who i was. it was the perfect post-college job.

32. Do you like mustard? - love it. especially honey mustard from outback. i drown my chicken in it.

33. Do you prefer to sleep or eat? - oooooh, what a tough one. both are necessary and fulfilling. i guess i'll settle on eating. it is the one thing i consistently look forward to.

34. Do you look like your mom or dad? - more like my mom, for sure. although as i've grown older, we look less alike than we did when i was a kid.

35. How long does it take you to shower? - 10-15 minutes.

36. Can you do splits? - no. i'm the most inflexible person you'll ever meet...in the physical sense anyway.

37. What movie do you want to see right now? - "zodiac" and "reign over me". should be seeing them both soon. if you want to come with me, say so.

38. If you could fast forward your life, would you? - definitely not. never. no way. i may constantly think about the future, but the idea of rushing through things and not savoring the present scares the shit out of me.

39. What did you do for New Year's? - spent the evening at the swoboda house. it was pretty low key and uneventful.

40. Do you think The Grudge was scary? - if by scary you mean ridiculously horrible, then yes.

41. Could you relate to a character in Mean Girls? - relate? no. there is nothing affiliated with lindsay lohan that i will ever relate to.

42. Do you own a camera phone? - i am actually a new camera phone owner. i just upgraded and though i couldn't care less about the camera, it's one of the features.

43. Do you have an "ex box" with pics and letters from past lovers? - i do. but it's still at my mom's house and it doesn't have a whole lot in it. like i said, i don't have an expansive dating history

44. Was your mom a cheerleader? - no, although the thought of that is mildly amusing.

45. What's the last letter of your middle name? - s.

46. Do you like your middle name? - i love it. it's my mom's maiden name and i'm the youngest one in the family with it. i'm keeping it even after i get married.

47. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? - i strive for atleast 7 hrs. during the work week. i'm usually pretty good at sticking to that.

48. Do you like care bears? - i used to. they don't really do all that much for me anymore, especially since they re-designed them. their faces just don't look the same today!

49. What do you buy at the movies? - a ticket.

50. Do you know how to play poker? - yup.

51. Do you wear your seatbelt? - yes, although sometimes i don't put it on immediately.

53. Anything big ever happen in your hometown? - sadly, not that i can recall. pretty quiet here in good old timonium.

54. How many meals do you eat a day? - 3; i'm well-balanced like that.

55. Is your tongue pierced? - nope and it never will be.

56. Ever meet anyone you met on myspace? - no, i don't meet people on myspace; i keep in touch with people i already know.

57. Do you read myspace bulletins? - yes, usually.

58. Do you like funny or serious people better? - what a lame question. next!

59. Ever been to L.A.? - no, although i was scheduled to go a couple years ago. there are other parts of CA i would rather see first.

60. Did you eat a cookie today? - no, but i should have!

61. Do you use cuss words in other languages? - no; i'm satisfied with the english ones.

62. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? - i be the thief!

63. Do you hate chocolate? - wow, two lame questions on one survey!

64. What do you and your parents fight about the most? - well, i don't really fight much with my dad because i hardly talk with him about anything other than happy, superficial things. i think if we did fight it would be about family issues and how he's changed in the last 2 years. my mom and i actually haven't fought in a while, mostly because i know how to talk to her more effectively now. not living at home, growing up, and learning to see things through her eyes without letting frustration get the best of me has really helped our relationship.

65. Are you a gullible person? - sometimes. but my friends love that about me because i'm the source of their jokes. see what a service i do for you people!

66. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy? - nope, just the husband i (almost) have.

67. If you could have any job what would it be? - there are so many i fantasize about. today? a professional party planner.

68. Are you easy to get along with? - i honestly think so. i'll give anyone the benefit of the doubt when i first meet them. it's when they start annoying me that i seem harder to talk to.

69. What is your favorite time of day? - around 7:30 or so every night when dinner is over, the leftovers are put away, i'm in my pajamas and snuggling up with mike on the couch watching mindless television and laughing about nothing special. that's life to me.