Ten on Tuesday (vol. 6)

1. If you could change anything about your physical appearance, what would it be?
I would get lasik so I wouldn’t have to wear contacts. As it is, I’m too scared to get that done, so I’ll remain a contacts/glasses wearer.

2. Is there a habit in others that you find annoying?
Yes, but they’re typically things I’m guilty of as well. For example , I do not like it when people are late, but I’m routinely late and perpetually “working on” being punctual. One thing that annoys me that I don’t think I’m guilty of, however, is the habit of not RSVPing for parties that require an RSVP. I also think it’s rather rude when people don’t write thank you notes, but I don’t let it get to me.

3. What is your favorite recipe using ground beef?
Tacos. Simple and delicious.

4. What was your favorite book as a kid?
Hmm, I don’t know if I can pick just one, but looking back, I know these were favorites:

• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
• the Berenstein Bears books
• the Arthur books
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

5. Did you work as a teenager and if so, where?
Yes, I worked for a little over a year as a waitress and malt maker at a 50s-style burger joint near my parents’ house. After that, I worked for a year or more at a small retail shop that sells knick knacks. I worked on the floor as well as in the back unpacking, pricing and controlling inventory. I was mainly just working on college during my final year as a teenager, but I did work as a waitress for 3 months during the summer at my favorite restaurant in San Antonio.

6.  Did you work while in college and if so, where?
See above. I also had 4 internships: as a staff photographer at the campus newspaper, as a PR intern at a non-profit radio station, as a PR intern for Edelman (an international PR agency) and as a PR intern at a film production studio. I’m still a bit bitter that PR/comm interns typically don’t get paid. That was a lot of unpaid work!!! (and it didn’t pay off in the job search)

7. When you go to sleep do you like total darkness or semi? When you go to sleep do you need quiet or is some noise ok?
Before I got married, I could deal with quite a bit of light, and I still can. However, I have taken on John’s habits and much prefer total darkness now. As for noise, I need complete quiet. I wake at the littlest sounds.

8. When doing laundry, fabric softener or not?
Normally, I would say “definitely fabric softener.” However, this question prompted me to research fabric softener a bit. From here on out, I plan to still use fabric softener on most loads, but I will omit it when washing towels.

9. Open toed or closed toed shoes?
In Texas? I’d wear open-toed shoes every day except those 2 days that are below freezing. In Germany? I’d recommend almost always wearing closed toed shoes. However, I have been known to wear flip flops when it’s 40 out. I get weird looks, though.

10. Would you rather be blind or deaf?
I really can’t decide, and I hope I never have to be deprived of beautiful sunsets, gorgeous starry nights, my family’s faces, the sounds of cicadas in the heat of a Texas summer, an orchestra playing The Planets, or my husband/future children/family’s voices.

11. Dangle or stud earrings?
I prefer dangle, but I pretty much only wear studs (because I don’t have a lot of universal dangle earrings – most are outfit-specific).

12. Bottled water or tap?
For cooking? Tap
For drinking? Only bottled water. I can tell the difference.

13. What do you put on pancakes?
It depends on my mood. I like just butter or just butter and powdered sugar. Other times, I’ll add some fruit or syrup.

14. On a long trip would you rather drive or fly?
It depends where I’m going. If there are a lot of neat places to stop off or if it’s a particularly scenic drive, I wouldn’t mind going by car, but if it’s absurdly long with a so-so route, I’d rather fly. (Cost is also an issue, of course!)

15. Do you prefer classic old movies or new? 
I typically prefer older movies. Oftentimes, I don’t see anything great about newer movies. Note: I include my 80s favorites as “classics” even though they probably aren’t yet labeled as such. Or are they??