The Survey in Day by Day

Have you ever flown first class?

Yes.

Would you rather read books or magazines?

I don’t have a preference. I just read.

Have you ever seen a shooting star?

Yes. I believe Nicholas is nearby when shooting star appear in the sky.

Have you ever had your cheek pinched by a relative?

I’m Italian. With an Aunt Jenny.

How many times a week do you wash your hair?

5 or 6, depending on humidity.

Do you own any plaid pants?

Good Lord, no! If you’re a girl, they make you look fat and if you’re a guy, well, way to chase the girls off, dude.

Have you ever had food SO bad in a restaurant that you sent it back?

Yes.

Can you touch your toes without bending your knees?

Yes. Straightening back up can be challenging with my arthritis, though.

Do you talk in your sleep?

I don’t know. I’m sleeping. I’m sure I have. Everyone does.

Have you ever fallen off a horse?

No.

Can you pick things up with your toes?

I could certainly grab something and curl my toes around it and drop it in a basket. Could I bend my leg so I could grab the object from my toes with my hand? Probably not. I don’t think I’d even try with my sense of balance. The whole thing sounds like a broken hip to me.

Have you ever locked yourself out of your house?

No. My car, yes, my house, no.

Have you ever worn bell-bottoms?

Oh, yes! At one time, it’s about ALL I wore.

If you are a girl, do you get bad PMS, or is it not so bad?

Oh, honey, those days are over for me. LOL!

Would you rather have your shirt be too long or too short? What about your pants?

Longer on the shirt (cover that butt!), shorter on pants (I mostly wear flip flops or flats).

Are you the type of person who can shake insults off easily, or do they tend to stick around in your brain & bother you?

It’s said that negative comments are so devastating that it takes 10 positive comments to counter balance it. I don’t dwell on insults, but some hurts are not forgotten. I don’t see much reason to be that way, so when someone does a Mean Girl move on me, I’m surprised, but I also think less of the person, even though I don’t let on. People who deliver deliberate insults are toxic, so I try to cut them off pretty fast. But people should also be wary of being TOO sensitive, as well. A suggestion that you change your hairstyle, for instance, does not automatically mean that the person making the suggestion thinks your hairstyle is AWFUL.

Do you like clothes with ruffles on them?

No. Too fussy.

Do you think you’ve gotten better looking or uglier with age?

Let’s see…. Wrinkles, aging spots, sagging skin, FACIAL HAIR WHICH IS NATURE’S WHIMSY (not that it bothers me or anything), jowls…umm, yeah, my looks have suffered the curse of age, but oh, I am so much wiser now and truly, truly, truly, I tell you younger women, it’s okay not to be a great beauty. Be the woman you love: be generous and gracious and smart and curious and creative. Radiate good. And then it won’t matter what you look like. Everyone will look at you with love. Trust me. This works.

Have you ever seen a bracelet made of soda can pop tops? Have you ever made or worn one?

I remember making pop-top necklaces during the summer when pop-top cans first came out.

Have you ever done cocaine?

Why would anyone answer a question like this? If I had, I wouldn’t incriminate myself and if I hadn’t, I’d feel insulted. It’s like asking someone if they’ve every committed a robbery!

What are you going to do after this?

Bed!

Are you wearing jeans?

Yep.

Where did you buy the shirt you’re wearing now?

Over the internet.

Has anyone ever called you a whore?

Not that I know of and if they did and I knew about it, I’d punch his lights out.

Who were you last in a car with?

My husband.

Has anyone told you that you have pretty eyes?

Yes.

Are you in a good mood right now?

Sure.

Is there anyone who you think you deserve an apology from?

Yes. It won’t happen and that’s okay.

Have you ever played the guitar?

Nope.

Could you handle living together with the last person who you talked to on the phone?

No. It was a customer! LOL!

Do you ever take your anger out on others?

Sometimes.

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

Nope. I hope I never completely grow up.

Where’s your phone right now?

The cell phone? Probably in my purse, needing me to reload minutes or charge the fool thing. The landlines stay in their usual places, do not beep at me, try to send me digital messages, or make me swipe.

Have you ever liked someone older than you?

Oh, yes. {sighs} I adore older men. Just adore them.

Are you the oldest child?

Second oldest out of 5 (one is a step brother). Only one still alive. It’s so strange when all your siblings are gone.

Would you rather be called honey or baby?

I’m not a honey/baby kind of girl.

Was the first person to text you today a boy or a girl?

I have a text waiting for me? Great. Just great. One more thing to do. I don’t like texting.

Is there anyone who doesn’t like you because of something you did?

Probably.

Do you have any bruises?

Not right now.

Did you mean ‘i love you’ when you said it last?

Yes.

I bet you’re talking to someone right now aren’t you?

No. I bet you’re a little needy if you have to ask that question.

Who was the last person you cut out of your life intentionally?

A girlfriend of 40+ years. I couldn’t get past it when she said in a snooty voice that she thought Nicholas deserved prison for becoming an opioid addict. As he struggled and finally achieved sobriety, her attitude was clear: she no longer liked him and felt free to express that. She forgot that this is my SON (she never had children) whom I loved, very, very much. When Nick’s thyroid killed him, she tried to express condolences, but I just couldn’t get that hurtful statement out of my head. As I wrote earlier, people who deliver deliberate insults are toxic, so I try to cut them off pretty fast.

If your doctor told you TODAY that you were pregnant, what would you say?

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”!

Is there someone who pops into your mind at random times?

Sure.

Honestly, what’s on your mind right now?

The trivia show question just asked on the TV.

When was the last time you went in the opposite sex’s public bathroom?

Never.

What are you wearing right now?

Clothes.

Have you had the chicken pox?

Yes. And measles, German measles, and mumps, too. I was born in the 1950s.

Did you buy something today?

Groceries and mixing bowls.

Can a boy and girl be friends without having feelings for each other?

Of course. Well, I suppose they must feel friendly with each other, but I assume the question is can a boy and girl be friends without having ROMANTIC feelings for each other and THAT answer is “of course”.

What’s your favorite color?

Blue

What are you doing for your next birthday?

I’m going to Norway and seeing fjiords and northern lights. I’m so excited.

Were you happy when you woke up today?

Actually, more like anxious. But I wasn’t Unhappy. I’m content enough when I wake up, but I wake up running a to-do list through my head, so some days, I feel a bit more stressed. Tomorrow morning, I’ll wake up a little less stressed because today I learned that a customer has dropped his check in the mail. I roll the anxiety off by praying as I go about my morning, which puts things in perspective (“Aw, poor baby! The woman who sits in her Third World Country tent doesn’t have the luxury of a customer! Be grateful.”), so while I don’t necessarily wake up happy or unhappy, I’m content enough.