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I just booked flights and a rental car for my birthday week in December. I considered traveling somewhere new, or to a place I want to revisit, but decided to just go to Mom's house. If the weather cooperates (i.e. no snow), I can take a day trip to Tahoe. My sister will come up part of the time, I'm sure. We can do some housework if I feel like it. I can veg, and hopefully forget work for the week.

1. How often do you attend live theater performances?
Rarely. It was highly unusual that I saw two this year.

2. Local community theater or professional theater productions?
professional

3. Which do you prefer: dramas or musicals?
musicals

4. Have you ever participated in a theatrical production, whether acting, singing or tech?
A production of Snow White in 1st grade that was recorded and broadcast on the local cable access channel, where I was a rabbit. In high school, I took drama as an elective, so we put on a play for that.

5. What was the last play or other staged production you attended?
Beauty and the Beast in June, and Phantom of the Opera in September.

1. What is your favorite soup?
Does gumbo count as soup? It first came to mind because I used to have the Campbell's Chunky brand chicken and sausage gumbo soup fairly often. If not, then a hearty chicken noodle with celery and carrots in it.

2. Have you made your favorite soup yourself?
I've made gumbo a few times. I've also made broccoli cheese soup.

3. What is your favorite dessert?
Cake, with not too much frosting.

4. Have you made your favorite dessert yourself?
Many times. But baking is my hobby, so...

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream or other frozen treat?
My favorite ice cream flavor is the one I am craving in the given moment.

If not for other people posting the Friday Five lists, I'd never see the questions anymore. They aren't being posted on LJ, and I can't find the community on DW.

1. What is your favorite vegetable?
Broccoli. I also love corn on the cob, peas, carrots, cucumber, avocado. Vaguely related, but I love going to the Whole Foods salad bar about once every two months.

2. What is your least favorite (or most disliked) vegetable?
Less a particular vegetable and more mushy, overcooked veggies. Or canned veggies that are not nearly the color they ought to be.

3. How many half cup (one deciliter) servings of vegetables do you eat on a typical day?
Sadly, none. I don't eat nearly enough vegetables.

4. What is your favorite fruit?
Raspberries, cherries, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, the rare good apricot.

5. What is your least favorite (or most disliked) fruit?
Cantaloupe! That stuff is nasty. Mealy apples, rock hard and/or flavorless stone fruits, the plum variety with purple skin and yellow flesh.

1. Books or movies?
I read more books than I watch movies, but I enjoy both. I prefer to read most books before seeing its movie adaptation. This dates at least back to Jurassic Park.

2. Indoors or outdoors?
I'm indoors most of the time. It's too hot to be outside for long periods, but life, errands, etc must be done. On the other hand, in the evenings, I'll often go outside to see the sunset or look for the moon in the sky. So, I like outdoors, but spend too much time inside.

3. Morning person or night owl?
Night owl by nature, but I do a good impression of morning person since I arrive so early to work. On weekends or days off, however, woah to anyone who wakes me up before I'm ready.

4. Online messaging or physical letters?
I mainly communicate online, but miss the days of writing letters. I have some postcards I should send out. I love the idea of Postcrossing, but lack the discipline for it.

5. Dragons or unicorns?
Young me would say unicorns. Now, no preference really.

1. What would you do right now, if money were not an issue?
Quit my job. (This week at work sucked less, but still.)

2. What would you do for the next three years, if money were not an issue?
Travel.

3. What is bringing you the most joy right now that requires little or no money?
Looking for the moon in the sky. Taking pictures of the moon, and sunsets.

4. What types of things do you find enjoyable that require no money?
Audiobooks from the library. Podcasts.

5. Is there anything you've been meaning to do for a long time, but put off because of money?
Renovating the bathrooms, or getting my kitchen cabinets painted.

On Friday, I was talking to my sister during my lunch break, telling her that I was stressed by the amount of work I always have. She basically said well stop stressing. Sigh.

This morning, I was sitting in a break area before my shift. Two people near me were talking about a third person on their team that one was helping get in control of her workload. I guess the one who got help told the other that she had stressed all weekend. The helper told the the stressed teammate that she needs to "turn if off" when she clocks out. Sigh.

Last month in office, some of my team and my manager were saying you just have to stop thinking about work at the end of the day, and not worry about it. Sigh.

IF IT WERE THAT EASY, WE WOULD HAVE DONE IT AGES AGO.

Some people absolutely are the type who just don't care, and anything rolls off their back. And then there's me, and people like me, who can't turn it off. Am I working on it? Yes. Lot of prayer, journaling, and reminding myself I can literally do nothing outside of work, and worrying won't get my tasks done. Do I still wake up an hour before my alarm some days? Yes. Do I still think about it? Yes. Am I working on coping skills? Yes.

But please, for the love of sanity, do not tell an anxious person to just stop worrying. Now we're anxious and a little pissed off.

1. Do you enjoy reading?
Very much so.

2. What is the first book you remember reading?
The Bible, since we memorized verses in preschool. But I don't know if that's the first book I read, just the one I remember.

3. Who is your favorite author?
Maybe Jane Austen. Long ago I loved Michael Crichton and John Grisham. Nowadays, if I really enjoy a book and see a new release by the same author, I'm likely to read that also.

4. What is your favorite book?
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte.

5. What is the last book you read and the first you'll read next?
Last book was You With the Sad Eyes - Christina Applegate. Currently reading Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romney

1. What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A marine biologist, a whale and dolphin trainer at what was then called Marine World, a veterinarian, and then I had no idea when I started college and had to choose a major.

2. What is your proudest accomplishment so far?
I have no idea. Maybe finally having the courage to leave teaching with zero plans of what to do next.

3. What is your dream job?
It used to be something like a travel reporter, basically getting paid to travel and review places. Really, I just wanted the travel part. I'd still like to travel, but don't know how that would be a paying job.

4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
*Hopefully* somewhere close to retirement. If I don't talk to a financial planner, that might not be the case.

5. What does it take to make you happy?
Iced coffee, getting enough sleep, my friends.

How many times a day do you . . .

1. Brush your teeth?
Once or twice. If I'm working from home, I'll often skip the morning. I floss at night, so I have to brush before that.

2. Shower?
Once, before bed.

3. Check your E-mail?
My main email, 2-3 times. Work emails as I see them come in. My other addresses when the notification dot irritates me enough.

4. Check LJ? (or DW?)
At least once a day, and will refresh a few times throughout the evening.

5. Eat?
As many times as I get hungry.

1. Did you get an allowance as a kid, and if so, how much was it?
Nope.

2. How old were you when you had your first job, and what was it?
Babysitting since around age 10. First job that required an application and interview and paid a real check was the holiday season at Macy's. Just tidying and occasionally getting something from the stockroom, no sales.

3. Which do you do better: save money or spend money?
Ehh depends on the day. Actually I'm better at saving. I still spend on things I don't need, like books and coffee, but I'm not out of control.

4. Are people more likely to borrow money from you, or are you more likely to borrow from them?
Borrow from me. I hate asking for money. I helped a work friend with an unexpected expense recently, and due to her life pretty frequently dealing her blows, I don't think I'll be paid back in the near future, but I don't care. She has enough going on and not much extra cash.

5. What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?
1 - my condo. 2 - a new air conditioner.

1. If you had to participate in one Olympic event, what would it be and why?
Trampoline gymnastics. It's about as close to flying as a human can get.

2. What is the one song you always sing along to?
Killing Me Softly, Are You Gonna Be My Girl?, Friends in Low Places, Immigrant Song, Careless Whisper, Bohemian Rhapsody, anything by Journey, and so many more.

3. Do you wear a seatbelt in the car?
Yes. The only time I leave it off is when I am driving from one area of a parking lot to another. Fun fact: I remember when seatbelts became a law. Google says the law was enacted in 1986 in California, but it was somewhere around 82-83 that my parents started making us wear them.

4. Car, SUV or truck and why?
I've only had cars, which are fine. But I'm leaning towards an SUV for my next car, simply to be higher off the ground and not have my bumper hit all the curbs when I park.

5. Are you a good/bad driver? Explain.
I am a good driver in that my only accidents were in 2001, and 3 speeding tickets (one camera, one for not knowing I was back in Tucson city limits, and one was a speed trap (one of 3) coming down the mountain where the officer told me he was going after another person but somehow he got behind me). I am aware of other cars, don't tailgate, and I'm not a speed demon. I also work in auto insurance, so would prefer not to end up in the scenarios I hear about at work.

1. What were some of the smells and tastes of your childhood?
Vintage Lip Gloss (which is now available again).
Minute Maid fruit punch, Kool Aid
Bricks of flavored popcorn. I don't know WHAT flavor(s) it was, but I thought of it the other day, and wonder if it still exists. The only place I remember getting it is the skating rink.

2. What did you have as a child that you do not think children today have?
Squeez It drinks - which came in plastic bottle-shaped bottles. IYKYK.

3. What elementary grade was your favorite?
4th with Mrs. M. SO many reasons that I'm sure I've written about in a previous FF post.

4. What summer do you remember the best as a child?
A single one doesn't stand out, but I remember different trips, whether family vacations or going to camp.

5. What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self, and at what age?
You are fine as you are.
Running gets easier, i.e. you'll build endurance, if you actually keep at it

1. What's your favorite TV network?
Since I mostly watch YouTube, I'd have to say NBC (for Seth Myers and SNL clips) or Comedy Central (for Daily Show clips).

2. If you could create your own channel, what would it be?
My YouTube algorithm. Basically programs on cooking, architecture, cute apartments, NYC, interesting vloggers, and weird trivia.

3. What TV show did you watch as a child, that you wish they would bring back?
Some shows that I did rewatch as an adult were pretty cringe, such as cartoons like He-Man and Thunder Cats. I was high school age when it was originally on, but I loved Pop Up Video on VH1.

4. What show have you always hated, and wonder why they ever made such a dumb show?
This is one of those questions that I know I've got an answer for, but cannot remember.

5. What TV show's seasons would you buy on DVD?
I own all seasons of LOST, which I bought as soon as they came out each summer. I also have Northern Exposure, seasons 1-7 of Doctor Who, and China Beach.

1. What's one of the nicest things a friend has ever done for you?
The first Christmas I couldn't go home to California (2017), Natalie came over while I was out to dinner with another friend and put up a Christmas tree for me, with a few ornaments, and also a couple strings of lights. I walked in the door to see it and was so surprised. I still have that tree and the lights.

2. What's one of the nicest things a stranger has ever done for you?
I hope I can remember an answer to this before it's time to post.
Came back to this question, and I can vaguely remember something. Grrrr my memory sucks sometimes.

3. What is a trait in another person that you instantly admire, and that draws you to them?
If they like something that I like, and we can geek out together.

4. What is a trait in another person that instantly repels you, and prevents you from forming a close relationship with them?
Pretty much anything negative. Rudeness, complaining, bad attitude.

5. Time to vent: tell us about something rotten someone has done to you.
Intentionally vague here, but 7th grade.

1. Did you vote in your most recent applicable election? (If you're not yet old enough, do you plan to vote in the future?)
There's an election on Tuesday, but it's local measures and not seats being run for. I'll most likely vote.

2. Have you ever protested or attended a march?
I've been to 3 this year, and I'll go to more.

3. What political issue is the most important to you?
Bringing sanity back to this country. Regime change. Doing what helps the citizens, not the billionaires.

4. Are you a member of a party in your country? If so, which?
I've always been independent.

5. Do you ever plan to run for office?
Nope.

1. What do you see when you are looking out of the window closest to you?
Parking spaces and the detached garages.

2. Who was the last person coming into your room?
My friend Karina.

3. What is the most predominant color around you?
The walls are painted in a shade called Shoji white. On my bed is a salmony, dusty pink quilt.

4. What is right behind you?
pillows and the headboard

5. What is on today's calendar sheet?
I called in sick to work, otherwise that's what I should be doing at this moment. My other plans for today were cleaning the house and watching the new episode of The Great British Bake Off.

1. How long ago did you join LJ (or DW)?
LJ in September 2005. DW I don't remember, maybe 2017. I think it was one of the the mass migrations or when people thought LJ was dying.

2. How did you find out about LJ (or DW)?
LJ I found out about from

ewanspotter, who I met on an ER (the TV show) mailing list on AOL. She started talking about Lord of the Rings, and I kept commenting anonymously until I got an account. My other friend

mercuriehg I soon found out was also on here. Both have long since abandoned LJ.

3. If someone introduced you to LJ (or DW), is s/he still on your friends list?
Ooops, just answered that above.

4. Have you introduced anyone to LJ (or DW)?
I know I told at least one person about it, but they didn't join. I mentioned it when she asked me what a blog is.

5. Is your LJ (or DW) public or friends only, and why?
It's mostly friends only, and has been since around 2007.

1. Do you consider yourself to be a good housekeeper? Why or why not?
85% yes. I'm generally clean and try to clean as I go, but there are some chores I hate and put off.

2. Are there any household chores that you enjoy doing? If so, what and why?
Organizing. I like having a place for everything and knowing where to find it.

3. Which household chore frustrates/angers you the most?
It doesn't anger me, but mopping is the most frustrating. I have brown, wood-look tile in my kitchen and living room. It absorbs dirt, so even if it looks clean, white socks will tell the truth. Also, right after I break down and finally give the kitchen a good mop, water droplets will again show I didn't get it all.

4. When doing household chores, what do you do to make them seem less of a "chore"?
Small, preventative measures help make bigger chores easier. I wipe water droplets off the counter and sink immediately to prevent hard water stains. The dining room table is more of a collection point than a place to eat. If there's stuff on the table, I see it often and know it needs to be put away. But, better to have one pile than stuff scattered all over.
While actually doing chores, I'll have a podcast or audiobook playing, or have a movie or YouTube playing on TV.

5. Which chore do you find yourself doing most often, and why?
Putting things away. Laundry. Groceries. Dishes. Whatever has come into my house. Things I've taken out to use.

1. What is your favourite fruit?
Raspberries, and a good pear on the rare occasion I can find one.

2. What is the last book you read?
Holy Ghost Mama by Sherri Lynn

3. Do you like any of your school photos?
I liked my high school sophomore year photo. That was also the school ID that I lost when my wallet was stolen.

4. Do you ever blow dry your armpits to get the deodorant to dry quicker?
I use solid deodorant, so no.

5. What was the last film you watched?
Captain America: Brave New World

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