Diagonally Parked in a Parallel Universe

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite fruit?

Tomato

Soup
Who is someone you consider as a great role model?

My mother. She is always happy, positive and kind. She never has an unkind word to say about anyone and goes out of her way to help others...Unfortunately, I'm more like my father.

Salad
If you were to spend one night anywhere within an hour of your home, where would you choose?

The Park Plaza Hotel on Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida. There is an old hotel with a balcony that the rooms open on to.

I've always wanted to make surprise reservations for my husband and myself at the hotel. Then, I would have him take me to dinner there and after a long, leisurely dinner, I would excuse myself from the table. I would dash upstairs where I would already have the room set up (champagne, etc.) and get myself ready. Meanwhile, down in the restaurant, in lieu of a check, I would have the waiter present my husband with a room key.

Main Course
Name something you do too often.

Procrastinate. I wonder if I could procrastinate on procrastinating? Wouldn't that be like a double negative?

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I really like ___________ because ____________.

I really like slapstick comedy because it makes me laugh.

      

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What do you consider to be the ultimate snack food?

Right now, it would be ice-cold watermelon, preferably eaten in bed at 1:00am. When I'm feeling really "bad", I love Ruffles potato chips with onion dip.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), about how popular is your last name?

In Florida, a 1. In Italy, it would be significantly more popular.

Salad
Who is your all-time favorite sitcom character, and why?

Bill Cosby. I loved his sweaters.

Main Course
Do you shop online?  If so, name some sites you like to browse for goodies.

Why is it that I HATE to shop...unless it's online? Amazon, Jackson and Perkins, EBay, almost any yarn shop. Like the salad course, I'll think of 10 more later!

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I think __stupidity_ should be __outlawed__.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Name something you think is “the best.”

Traveling to far away places.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 highest), how stressed are you today?

1 - I get to spend the whole day in my garden. As my sign says: "An hour in the garden puts life's problems into perspective."

Salad
What kind of cleanser do you use to wash your face?

Mary Kay's TimeWise® 3-In-1 Cleanser (Normal/Dry)

Main Course
Tonight is a blue moon!  What is something that you believe only happens “once in a blue moon.”

My husband might have a different answer, but since it's my game I'll say: Go a whole day without my 5-year-old crying about something that's not worth crying over and my 16-year-old being snarky.

Dessert
When was the last time it rained where you live?

Too long ago! Lake Okeechobee's burning due to our drought, but it's supposed to rain this weekend. Hurray!!!!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is your usual bedtime?  Do you like that, or would you rather it be different?

Usually about 10pm. I wish I didn't have to sleep because there's so much I want to do, read, paint, plant, see, experience!

Soup
When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more?

I have a pretty big mouth that's full of opinions. In fact, if I took half of the advice I gave, I'd be in great shape all the way around. I do receive a lot of advice though. Especially in the form of "Okay-ya" from my  15-year-old  daughter. I keep forgetting that these are the years where she knows everything and I'm merely the taxi driver.

Salad
Describe a memorable meal you've had.

This is so difficult because if there's one thing I remember it's memorable meals. I can go back as far as a Chinese meal my parents brought home to me when I was about 12 from a Chinese freighter that was transiting the Panama Canal.

Probably the most memorable (I'll remove delicious from this) meal I ever had was with my husband in Boca Raton. We went to Morton's Steakhouse which is incredible! It's also incredibly expensive because everything is ala carte. I had ordered the Gran Marnier Souffle for dessert the moment we arrived at the restaurant because I knew that it had to be ordered first due to the prep time.

After we ate our fabulous steaks and drank our very expensive wine, we were ready for dessert. It never came. We told our waiter that it was okay, no worries, and just to remove the charge for that from the bill. We had had such a nice evening it was no longer important. The next thing we knew, the maitre'de came over and said, "I'm very sorry to hear about your experience and I don't want it to affect how you feel about Morton's Steakhouse. If I can serve 100 people to their satisfaction, I should be able serve everyone. Because of this, your dinner tonight is on the house." I'll never forget those words.

With that, he walked away, leaving us sitting there with our jaws on the table. My husband looked at me and said, "Did he say what I think he said?"

I said, "I think so."

We stood up very nonchalantly, left a huge tip for our waiter, picked up our doggie bag which was shaped like a swan of course, and strolled to the door. Looking over our shoulders to make sure no one was following us with bill in hand, we ran to the car and got out of there!

That would have to be my most memorable dinner!

Main Course
Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something.

There are many, but one that affected me the most would be Stephen Kings' It. I am still afraid of the sewer!

Dessert
What is your favorite type of fruit juice?

Fresh "squoze" tangelo juice from my mother's tangelo tree. The nectar of the gods.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What does the color pink make you think of?

Pepto-bismol.

Soup
Name something you thought you had lost, but later found.

My sanity.

Salad
In 3 words, describe this past week.

Worrisome, peaceful, painful. (It's been a weird week.)

Main Course
What are you obsessed with?

Trying not to be a control freak. (Is it a control issue if I'm obsessed with it?)

Dessert
What kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear?

None. I always smell like roses! (Written with tongue firmly planted in cheek.)

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it?

I have a scar on the top of my right toe.

I remember this so vividly:

We were living in Balboa Heights in the Panama Canal Zone. I was somewhere between kindergarden and third grade. I was walking barefooted with my left foot on the sidewalk and my right foot in the grass. There was a deep trench between the sidewalk and the grass that was about 2 inches wide. I guess it was the way the sidewalk was edged. Anyways, my toe caught the edge of the sidewalk and the rough cement edge peeled back the flesh on the top of my toe.

Maybe this is why I don't go barefooted very often anymore.

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle?

Being born to a 'normal' middle-class family. Having seen several third-world countries, I just think "There for the grace of God go I."

Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves.

Howie Mandell in Deal or No Deal.

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")?

Boonce for spoon.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought _American Idol_____ was __stupid____.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make?

Ed McMahon saying "You've just won the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes!"

Soup
Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.).

Mostly sunny punctuated with severe thunderstorms.

Salad
What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects?

The older I get the more well-versed I am in how little I know. I should have quit when I was 16 and knew everything.

Main Course
Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read?

This is difficult because while I may remember something, that doesn't mean that I would or could put it to practical use or completely understand all the nuances of the material.

That being said and assuming that I could read an infinite amount of material in one day, I would first read the three volumes of my Master Gardener's Handbook so I will be able to answer all the questions once I begin my volunteer work. Then I would read the Photoshop CS2 Bible so I could get the most use out of that program. Lastly, I would read all the books in the Missing Manual Series pertaining to my iMac. That way I would have a chance of figuring how to get this monster to print on the network printer!

Dessert
If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it?

I would name my candy HocusPocusFocus. It would be a hard, white candy that's shaped like a football. It would have a fresh, clean taste that would make my mouth feel happy. The candy would take no less than 30 minutes to dissolve. While sucking on this candy, I would have enough focus to complete any given task and then, Hocus Pocus! just like that the job would be done.