Front Page Survey in 2021

1) What’s the story behind your diary username?
When I started my OpenDiary back in 2001 or 2002, I wanted a pen name that wasn’t my actual name and landed on Adira. It’s allegedly of Hebrew origin and means strong I think.

2) Name five of your favorite pig-out foods?
- ice cream
- salt & vinegar chips
- cheese
- olives
- pizza

3) Have you ever had a makeover? Nope. I did have my makeup professionally done for my wedding, but it wasn’t drastic.

4) Have you witnessed death?
Yes. I have been with a few pets at the end, and I was with my mother when she took her last breath almost a year ago.

5) The longest time you’ve stayed out of the country/where?
I traveled with a missions group three summers in high school - once to England, once to South Africa, and once to China & Hong Kong. Each time I was out of the country for 5-6 weeks. I don’t recall which trip was the longest anymore, it’s been thirty years!

6) One thing you’re grateful for?
My husband. He’s my person, I’d be pretty lost without him (especially with how stressful this whole “parenting teenagers” thing has been).

7) Your favorite high school memory?
Musical theater/show choir

8) The most insane thing you’ve done for love?
Moved 700 miles away from my family with a man I’d only been dating for about six months. Totally worth it though, since we’ve been together more than twenty years now.

9) Describe your dream wedding?
My actual wedding was pretty cool - we got married on the beach, with a bunch of friends and family there. I bought my dress on ebay for $99 because I wanted to do that on my own rather than deal with my mom’s expectations. I don’t recall what we ate or anything like that, but it was fun and we got to celebrate us with all the important people in our life.

10) What do you want to be doing at age 60?
Fuck, that’s way closer than I want to admit. My kids will (hopefully) be fully launched by then, and hopefully I’ll still be doing library work and loving it.

11) Your first memory?
I remember going to pick out an Irish Setter puppy with my parents. They said I couldn’t possibly remember this as I was only about 2 1/2, but I swear there was a room with red carpet and the mama dog didn’t want us near the puppies.

12) Favorite quotes?
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. (Terry Pratchett)
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. (Douglas Adams)

13) The school picture you buried in your bottom drawer?
My senior prom photo. My mom’s hairdresser accidentally gave me a beehive. It was truly awful. But I still had a fun night.

14) Any weird preferences?
I can’t stand catsup. I’ve been told that’s weird.

15) Name one thing you will never understand about the opposite sex?
The need to control women’s reproductive rights?

16) Name a non-food guilty pleasure you have bought for yourself?
I honestly don’t know. I feel like everything I buy this time of year is for the house or for a gift.

17) Any weird sleeping habits?
I toss and turn a lot while falling asleep, but I don’t think that’s especially unique.

18) Your worst flaw?
I can become absurdly frustrated when dealing with things others consider minor.

19) Your favorite song right now?
Spotify says my most frequently played song in the last year was Take On Me by Aha. I don’t know that it’s my favorite, but it does always make me happy.

20) Your favorite movies?
Blazing Saddles, The Princess Bride, While You Were Sleeping

21) If there were one word left to use in the English language, what would it be?
Fuck (thanks Lis, I couldn’t agree more!)

22) Your typical sleepwear?
Shorts & a tank top.

23) What’s in your closet?
Clothes, laundry hampers, miscellaneous stuff that I’m not sure where else to put it.

24) The first five things you would splurge on for yourself if you were a billionaire?
- a really big house. We like where our current house is located, but the house itself has issues, so maybe we’d just tear this one down and rebuild.
- Vacation in Europe. There are so many places I haven’t been (or haven’t been in years), and I’d love to go back with proper travel funds.
- a boat, and staff to take care of it. Not too big though, it would be nice to take it out without a huge crew.
- a personal trainer, because my lazy ass needs someone to make me exercise.
- I don’t know what the fifth thing would be.

25) one thing everyone thinks about you that you know to not be true?
I really don’t know how to answer this one. I’m sure people who don’t know me make assumptions based on my tattoos or my weight or something else, but I’d like to think people who know me have a feeling for who I really am. I do think there are some coworkers who would be surprised to know I’m an atheist, but that’s because they’ve never asked and I don’t bring it up unless someone asks directly.