Wednesday, March 06, 2013

One Hundred Years

This post has been in the works for months now.

I slowly chip away at it, after stealing it from Erik.

Too much to fill out at once - or  maybe my ADD kicks in and I just lose interest. But I figured it was always something to post when I wasn't in the mood to be creative.

But then I read these answers and you kind of have to be creative to get through writing them, let alone reading them.


1. Are you young at heart, or an old soul? I was told at 17 I was too young to be that cynical.  I'll assume I was old - though not sure I have a soul. 
2. What makes someone a best friend? A person who will put up with good and bad times.  Thick and thin.  But someone who gets you - understands you and has a fucking good sense of humour. 
3. What Christmas (or Hanukkah) present do you remember the most? I can't think of one 'the most'. I can think of one the more recent. 
4. Tell me about a movie/song/TV show/play/book that has changed your life. When Debby Boone released "You Light Up My Life", I just.........ahhhh, I can't go through with this farce.  I can't think of any media that has changed my life. 
5. Name one physical feature that you like about yourself, and one you dislike. My calves are not bad. 
6. Would you like to reconnect with any friends you've lost contact with? Maybe one or two, but not enough to go out of my way - it just seems awkward. 
7. What's more important in a relationship: physical attraction or emotional connection? I once asked a guy out who was indignant that I did it based on looks.  We were at a gay bar at 2:00a.m., we weren't discussing Nietzsche. Of course it was based on physical....physical attraction....a chemical, chemical reaction.  Emotion is key, but physical attraction kind of has to be there to a degree.  But eventually, it is the emotion that keeps it together. 
8. Name a movie that you knew would be terrible just from reading the title. Anything with Part IV (or above) in title. 
9. What holiday do you most look forward to? Arbor Day.  I look forward to the day's off, not the holiday. 
10. How is the relationship between you and your parents? We are just fine. 710 and I see them most every Sunday. 
11. You've got the TV on, but you're not really watching. What channel is the TV on? Chances are it's on HGTV or FoodTV
12. Name a song that never fails to make you happy.  Oddly enough, the Lovemakers "Love is Dead".  It just has a great vibe. 
13. You know at least one person named Michael. Tell me about him. 710's best friend from high school. NIce guy.  Great sense of humour. 
14. Have you ever read the "Missed Connections" on Craigslist? Have you ever posted one, or wanted to? I've seen them.  I've never written one, and as far as I know no one has ever written on looking for me.  {sigh}
15. If you could pick anywhere to live the rest of your life, where would it be? It has to be warmer than Cleveland and has water.  Not like a stream, but a real body of water. 
16. Can money buy happiness? Yes. It can buy happy moments, and if there are enough happy moments, I'd be pretty happy. 
17. Do you drink? Smoke? Do drugs? Why, or why not? I've been known to partake in alcohol.  I don't nor have ever smoked.  Drugs - no longer.  No longer.  At least that doesn't come from a formulary pre-approved from my third party administrator and PBM.
18. Is there anyone close to you that you know you can't trust? You don't have to give names. I hope not.  Anyone I can't trust I've pretty much jettisoned. 
19. Where was your favorite place to go when you were a little kid? Cedar Point.  Or the lake near my parent's house. 
20. Have you ever spent a night in the hospital? Many. It started the day I was born....   ...but I've had any number of surgeries that have kept me anywhere from 1-8 days as an inpatient. 
21. Do you enjoy being with only one or two friends, or with a large group of people? It usually goes to about six.  After that I find people can't have decent conversations. 
22. Do you like the type of music your parents listen to? Do your parents like the type of music you listen to? I'm not sure my parents have bought music since Glenn Miller disappeared. I'm sure my parents do not care for whatever I listened save if I'm playing Ella Fitzgerald. 
23. Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever bullied anyone else? Yes, I'm sure.  We bully enough to keep people from picking on us.  Those days are long gone.  I don't get bullied, nor do I bully. 
24. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Ryan Gosling.
25. If your partner wanted to wait until marriage before having sex, would you stay in that relationship? I don't buy a pair of shoes without trying them on. 
26. Do you believe in a god? Eh - I kind of do.  Not the Bible g-d.  I don't believe in the organized religion of their g-d. I don't think it works like that. 
27. Of all the social networks in the world, why use Twitter? My Blobby1 Twitter account has languished for years.  It's just not that important. 
28. What's your favorite hashtag to track? #Blobby.   What?  There can't be a #Blobby?
29. Would you call yourself/your family "middle class?" Upper middle class?  
30. Name a TV series you didn't enjoy until after it ended.  Green Acres ?   I really don't know.  But with Eb and Ralph and Arnold - what's not to love?
31. Have you ever bought a product from an infomercial? From a store, but "as seen on TV" -  PedEgg.  I admit it. 
32. If you could give up your car and never have to drive again, would you? No. I like to drive. I mean, if we lived in DC or NYC, the car would be gone in a second.
33. If you go back to one point in time to give advice to yourself, when would you go and what would you say?   Probably when Boston's debut album was out - I would have told myself to save the $7.99. 
34. What's your "quirkiest" habit? I count things. 
35. What is "normal?" Are you normal?  I'm normal enough.
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? .  I might just do it - especially if they have a good quality of life for those 10.  
37. What is one thing you could never forgive? Anyone who abuses animals.
38. Would you rather be in a relationship after the honeymoon period ends, or be single? 
I don't think you get to the meat of the relationship in the honeymoon period. That is all fluff, unicorns and rainbows.....and fights.  I like the post-honeymoon phase.
39. Is it possible for guys and girls to be just friends? Yes. This isn't When Harry Met Sally
40. Where do you and your friends go to hang out? Most likely one of our houses, a wine bar or a Mexican restaurant. 
41. Write the first sentence of your obituary.  "What can you say about a 25 year old girl who died?"
42. What is the best TV theme song ever? Easy. "Green Acres".  Possibly the first theme song sung by the stars of the show. 
43. When you were young, what would you dream you would be when you grew up? I wanted to write for 'Billboard' magazine.  It is a shadow of its former self.  So am I. 
44. When you're alone in your own home, do you walk around naked? Not really.  Maybe to get from point A to point B, but I don't make a habit of it being unclothed. 
45. What gets you out of bed in the morning? A paycheck.  And to let the dog out. 
46. Do you want to have more friends than you have right now? Eh. I think I'm good. 
47. What part of the past year sticks out in your mind?  Losing a cousin.  It was heartbreaking.
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? I wouldn't keep my current job.  I'd scale back on what I did. 
49. Could you be in a long-distance relationship? If you're in one, what makes yours work? With as much as I travel for work, aren't I in one already?  But no, I need more connection than that. 
50. What's the best route to your heart? From an artery that runs up my leg where they insert a catheter and inflate a balloon. Or just through the chest cavity.  OR - you could be nice and funny and love animals. 
51. Have you ever met someone through the internet, then met them in real life?  Yes.  You've seen my blog meet ups. 
52. What is your favorite sport? To watch: baseball.  To participate in: darts? 
53. What has been troubling you lately? My job.  Don't ask. 
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? No. It turns out I didn't like girls and I liked beards even less.  And they didn't pick my write-in suggestion for prom theme: "Cruel to be Kind". 
55. What do you use more often: your intuition or logical reasoning? It is a combination of both, but Myers-Briggs will tell you logical makes up my profile. 
56. Do you know what makes you happy? Family.  Husband, cat and dog.  But my family is also my cousin and my friends. It all means nothing without them. They make me smile and laugh.
57. Tell me about the last book you read. I reread The Hobbit.  I'm currently reading Parallel Lives - a biography on Blondie. 
58. What is the nicest compliment you've ever been given?  You're not as mean as you look. 
59. Who was your first crush? Outside of guys my sisters dated - which I don't think really count - his name was Gene S.  He was a year behind me in high school.  As far as I know he didn't know I was starry-eyed over him.....that I know of.  I didn't put his full name here on the off chance he'd Goooogle himself and find this bit of information. 
60. Do you believe that there is life on other planets? There is estimated 100 sextillion stars in the universe and an unknown number of planets.  Yes there is life out there.  The bigger question would be - with such an expansive place, it's not IF it exists, but how it would ever fucking find us. 
61. Predict what your life will look like a year from now. I don't see much of a change in the next 365. Both sets of parents are getting older, so there is always concern around that, but that's about it. 
62. Often, people will ask how your last relationship ended. I want to know how it began. It was 1984, and we ended up working together for a few evening in a row. I knew immediately, but we didn't start going out until 1985.
63. Where is your favorite place to go out and eat? Eh - I like to keep it simple.  Lunch is different than dinner. I do like Panera, I'm not ashamed to say. But for dinner, I like a local Mexican or Argentinian place. 
64. What is something you want to change about your current situation? I am restless at my job. I don't mind the travel, but there has got to be something that isn't just putting out fires all day long.  ....and I'm not a fireman, so.....the 'fire' is a metaphor. 
65. Early bird or night owl? Both. I hit the sheets around 11p and usually up by 5a.....with several awakenings in between. 
66. Are there any childhood possessions you still hold on to? There really is not.  I'm sure I have trinkets somewhere in a box in the attic, but.....I don't know what's in that box. 
67. Give me an unpopular opinion you have. There are certain cases where the death penalty applies.  I was ok with Timothy McVeigh.  There was someone who was forced to drink drain cleaner at gun point - I was ok with that one too.  I'm ok for death to anyone who abuses animals and pets. 
68. What was the last song that was stuck in your head? You wouldn't believe me if I told you.  "Bill" from the musical Show Boat.  It looped through something days ago and it's been stuck with me. I've never seen the show, I don't know who sings it, but......yet it's there. 
69. Where do you live? Be as general or specific as you want. Cleveland, OH. That's as specific as I want. 
70. Do you believe in giving kids medals and trophies for participation? Not only do I not, I'll go one better (?).  Don't award winners - just appreciate the fact that people show up to play.  
71. What was the longest car ride you've ever taken? Columbus to Provincetown.  I swore it took forever.  Or maybe it was from Toronto to NYC.  That sucked too. 
72. Have you ever taken part in a protest? A few. One was protesting the 1991 Gulf War.
73. Would you ever use an online dating service? Sure.  I'm a modern girl, Iggy!  ...I'm all for integration.  Oh - wait.  But yes, I would.  
74. What is your ethnic heritage? German.
75. Describe a person that inspires you. I can't think of anyone specifically. I guess I'm not much for being inspired by people these days. I'm getting more cynical the older I get.
76. If you earn minimum wage doing what you love, would you? Yes, I think I would. I make more now, but I'm not a happy man when it comes to work. 
77. Do you believe in luck? Yes - how else do you explain the lottery winners?  But for most, luck does not exist. 
78. Describe the last time you were very angry at someone. I can recall - I'd just rather not say. 
79. Do you want to live until you're 100? No. No. No and NO.   But my genetics are against me.  My father is 92, his mother was 94 - two uncles are currently 92 and 94.  I'm kind of fucked for getting out of this early. 
80. Do people change? If so, how do you keep a relationship together when both of you start to change? Change in human behaviour is difficult and rare, but not undoable.  BUT, I will say, as s couple, to survive, one must change.  I've learned to modify my behaviour when I get angry at home - I no longer go silent for days on end (oh yes, I'm THAT guy.....or was). 
81. Have you ever risked a friendship by telling someone you liked them? Not knowingly.  Years and years after knowing Morty, I reminded him I asked him out shortly after meeting him and he turned me down.  Not only did he turn me down, he doesn't even remember me asking.  Story of my fucking life!
82. Would you rather be alone doing something you enjoy, or doing something you don't like with your best friends? I'm good being alone. I like my friends, but not enough to, you know, you go see a musical with them. 
83. Do you practice what you preach?  Oh g-d, probably not. 
84. If you take precautions to stay safe, do you ultimately act more recklessly? I wear my seat belt and then speed.  It all evens out.  I'm still alive. 
85. What do you value more in a significant other: Attractiveness or intelligence? Attractive people who are stupid are just ugly. 
86. Are you hard-headed? Oh lord yes!
87. Have you ever laughed uncontrollably when it was socially inappropriate? To the point where my sides hurt.  So, yes!
88. When have you felt most alive?  Can I get back to you on that?
89. Would you prefer to live? A city? The suburbs? The countryside? The mountains? Until we had the dog, I would have said I preferred the city - not that we lived in the city before Petey.  But I don't think it would be fun for him or us to walk him on the sidewalks and pick up his poop from the curb. Yet, when all is said and done, I can see us moving to a major city some day.  But we like our suburb currently. 
90. Do you often skip breakfast? I never skip breakfast.  Well, that's not true. When I travel for work, I rarely eat b'fast. At home, I always eat it. 
91. How do you know what true love is? .No good answer. It's different for all, but I think when you have it, you just know. 
92. Would you want to know the exact date and time you were going to die? Sure.  Why the fuck not?
93. Where is "home" for you? Wherever I am with 710, the dog and the cat. 
94. What song best describes your life right now?  Alison Krauss & Union Station's "Lie Awake".  Sleep has been better for me, but still, overall, elusive. 
95. Do you want to be perfect? No, but it's a curse.  
96. What have you never tried, but would really like to someday? I've tried but never come close (or even remotely remotely remotely close) to being truly able to play guitar and/or piano.  But as for something I've never tried??  I dunno - not really wanting to sky dive or anything.  I guess I'll go with: Ryan Gosling. 
97. How do you express your creativity? I'm not sure that I do.  I wouldn't say in my blogging, but I'm not sure I have any other outlets.  I don't garden or decorate, so...........
98. Describe your neighborhood. I'd call it a little liberal enclave. Only a few streets where most everyone knows each other.  I'm the email administrator for the 'hood, letting folks know of events, comings and goings, lost pets and crime waves.  I could cure cancer and people would still call me 'the email guy'.  The rest of the neighbors know us as "Petey's dads".  There are worse things they could call us. 
99. Name something you only liked because it was popular.  Cocaine?
100. Give me the story of your life in six words.  Birth. School. Work. Death.  Yeah, it's only four, but the Godfathers only used those four.

5 comments:

Jonny said...

Egads...you must've have done this when you were sick and stuck on the couch. I mean, je t'adore, but I got bored less than 1/3 of the way thru. Who's got the time for this stuff? I mean, besides you...sick...on the couch...with absolutely NOTHING on t.v. and you've already masturbated 3 times that morning....and ate all the Cheeto's.

anne marie in philly said...

your sense of humor comes through in this meme.

#4 - cheeses, what a horrible song!
#24 & #50 & #54 & #96 - bwhahahaha!
#41 - OMB, "love story"!
#43 - interesting

Cubby said...

I liked your answers.

Birdie said...

Pretty impressive survey. You're a dartist? It's been many years, but I used to be decent. I still have my darts around here somewhere. We'll have to play a few "friendly" games. :D

Erik Rubright said...

Woo hoo! You did something I did! The meme, that is. And probably a few answers to your questions as well.

#60 - You know humanity is pretty frakin' noisy. They'll hear. And if they're smart, they'll blow up our planet to put in a bypass.