Answer Me This

Since I've been lacking inspiration lately, I'm going to join a meme and I think I might even link to it, which would be a little unusual for me. We'll see if that works...Here goes!

1. What time do you prefer to go to Mass? 

I go at 7:00 a.m., which on Sunday mornings is as painful as it sounds by the way of getting up, feeding cats, coping with this hair and driving the five minutes it takes to get there. I will go to a different church at 4:30 on Saturdays sometimes, if bad weather is coming or there is some reason Sunday morning won't work.

I like the early, early show because there aren't a lot of people there compared with other services. I get distracted easily, so 7 a.m. keeps me from ... being distracted.

Oddly, my boss goes to church here and as fate would have it, he and his family sit directly across from me. We're both too stubborn to move from our "place" and there aren't many people to hide behind.

2. Would you rather be too hot or too cold?

Easy answer: too cold. The reason is because you can always put more clothes on, but there are only so many clothes you can take off and still be legal in most settings. I like running in the heat, though. When I was in Antarctica, I wore 40 pounds of clothing and still got cold!

3. How many brothers and/or sisters do you have?

I have two brothers: Mike and John. John is older than I am, but he passed away in 2001. Needless to say I miss him very much. I hate losing people who remember the day I was born.

Mike is the middle child and as Army brats, he was sometimes my only friend. He looked after me and fed me, which makes him sound like a saint. But he also chased me around then rolled me up in an itchy wool blanket and terrorized me in other brotherly ways. Yes, I've forgiven him. I think he's pretty neat.

4. If you were faced with a boggart, what would it turn into?

A boggart is a person's worst fear. Let's skip the obvious and go with something not actually terrifying because all those choices make me queasy. How about a faceless person in a seat behind me constantly rattling a candy wrapper?

5. Barbie: Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Since I stopped playing with Barbie by late 1975 (I think), I guess I'm out of the debate. But I liked playing Barbies and I got to play with my Aunt Karen's when I was at Grandma's house. Aunt Karen's Barbie and Midge were original dolls with the striped bathing suit and the blue poodle skirt. I thought that was pretty cool even then. My mom made clothes, bought me clothes and sucked up Barbie shoes in her vacuum cleaner. I had the plane - got that for Christmas either 1972 or 1973.

It's tempting to think that it was all so innocent back then, but she was still too busty for her own good. She was a tarted up teeny bopper back then, now they have made her an adult with a career. Not sure which is worse, but when I was a little girl, she was just a doll in my eyes. I suspect that to many girls today, she's still just a doll. We talk about too much in front of children now and if my aged relatives had any issues with Barbie's ... image, shall we say ... they probably wouldn't have discussed it in front of me.

6. If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say? 

I will prepare myself for this event from the below options:

1. Stuff your pockets with Kleenex during Holy Week. Is that just me?  
2. Talk to your mother.
3. When in doubt, don't.
4. Learn how to shake hands. 
5. Don't go to sleep with chewing gum in your mouth.
6. It's not about you.
7. Pay down debt and put money away.
8. Wear a slip because in any sort of light, everyone can see your business.