Filtering Life

No this is not an IBS story related to my colonoscopy. One of my cyber chic friends, Sarah, a.k.a. Whoorl, very cool and sassy mama, ( who also breed the cutest little boy giant mate for Chloe) was offering to interview her readers but there are rules to this little blog game…stay tuned at the bottom if you want to participate.

Ahhhmmmm…let me clear my throat.

1. How many states have you lived in and which was your favorite?

Let’s just say I was really really familiar with an 8 month long winter growing up my first 9 years in Battle Creek, Michigan and then from age 9-18 in Syracuse, NY. I have been in the Blue Ridge Mtns. of Virginia for the last 13 years and LOVE the “normal” 3-4 month long winters, although I wish we got a little more snow during those few months. By far, Virginia is my favorite state I have lived in, beautiful, 4 amazing seasons, love that the moutain view is everywhere around here, you are only 4 hours from the ocean, 3.5 hours from DC, and a nice midway point on the East Coast. I have been to 37 out of 50 states (sorry mid-west states, you haven’t convinced me to visit you yet!) I would REALLY REALLY REALLY love to move to either an oceanside city or up to New England (Boston for my husband). OF course the cost of living is about 5 times what VA is…but a girl can dream can’t she?

2. How many times do you normally wake up at night?

Oh lawd….cue violins. I didn’t need to be pregnant or have a newborn to be sleep deprived. I can do that on my very own, thank you very much. I will spare you all the mundane details. Bottom line, I have some pretty severe spinal degeneration (thank you gymnastics…so NOT worth the lifetime of pain, you don’t see any gold medals on my wall…) So since I was about 19 years old I have never slept through the night. (small tear) Not even doped up on muscle relaxers. I am up a minimal of 3 times a night sometimes as many as 20. Anyone feeling sorry for me yet…you should! You have no idea what a gift it is to have uninterrupted sleep. You are blessed I tell ya…BLESSED!!!! I have come to grips with this, even though a few times a year I have a total meltdown about the pain and sleep deprivation. Again, I am married to the worlds best sleeper, so it is only all the more cruel. He always apologizes….which is actually funny…why should anyone apologize for sleeping good? I guess it is his only way to console me or get me to stop whining. Anyone want to donate to the California King mattress, Sealy style for Ryan and I? Taking donations.

3. What is your dream career?

HANDS DOWN….I would love to be a travel critic. Travel the world seeing the most amazing places, shows, restaurants, local dives, meeting people, experiencing different cultures, holidays and celebrations all the while documenting my travels through the lens of my camera. Man, my heart is racing just thinking about this. Why couldn’t I have an old, decrepit, but rich relative that is going to leave me millions so the three of us can get on the road and explore this amazing planet? Are you rich and want to put me in your will? Email me, I promise to dedicate my travel book to you and name my next child after you.

4. What is your favorite flower? Why?

This is kinda hard, because flowers are definitely like art, the colors, patterns, shapes, they all speak to me. Ryan knows better than to ever show up at my door with red roses. They have their place in the flower world, but are completely unoriginal (sorry if I offended anyone with that) I love bouquets because of the eye candy of sight and smell. I am a huge peony fan because they have the most amazing smell, the blooms are huge and romantic looking. I would love to grow some peonies. Gerber daisies make me smile, hydrangeas are pretty amazing with their blue, purple, pink and white hues. I don’t know if there are many I don’t like unless they smell like butt crack…I will just appreciate them from a distance.

Last but not least on our mind blowing interview….

5. Only one for the rest of your life - brownies or ice cream?

Geez! That is like picking between Ryan or Chloe…are you kidding me?! Both bring such goodness to my mouth and keep me in my current size of jeans. If it really really came down to it…..brownies, no ice cream, no brownies…yeah brownies. Turtle brownies. Chocolate and caramel…..can’t regret that.

Thanks Whoorl, I wish I had Taylor Hicks here to sing, “Do I make you proud”…but I don’t.

Okay ladies and gents…..here are the rules. Listen up, pencils down, please pass your Scantron to the left.

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me” or just comment about my rapier wit.
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions. No promises that they will be mind blowing, earth shattering or even original.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions and link to me.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions and thus the merry-go-round of laughter and tears goes round and round.

For those of you who asked about the tutorial for pillow making…it is coming, I promise. It is like the freshman seminar of sewing, not even college level….you can do this novice sewers!

Please visit my husband’s blog. He only blogs about 4 times a year and we like to celebrate this monumental occasion by pretending we have been waiting on his wit and comment. He did come up with a stunning discovery sure to evoke shock and awe. Way to go Ryan!