Survey Time!

posted 22nd January 2011    Written by: Renee    CATEGORY: All Posts, Creativity, Inspiration, Renee, Season 3, What I've Learned

1.    What do you miss most about being a child?
I’m not a person who longs for her childhood.  I mostly remember catty girls, crushes that went nowhere, and my parents’ divorce.  I think I always wanted to grow up.  But the one thing that reminds me of being a child is my Maltese, Holly. She was a gift from my grandfather when I was 2 and we had to put her down when I was 18. We grew up together and I miss her terribly.  I dream about her a lot still.  Whenever I see a little Maltese nowadays, my heart gets all fuzzy.  I don’t think I could ever adopt another one, because no one will replace my Holly dog, but I can’t imagine adopting anything other than a little tiny terrier.

2.   What’s on your bedside table?
A mess. A couple bottles of lotion, the controls for our electric blanket, a candle, an old issue of Real Simple, a lamp in the shape of the Eiffel tower, a stapler, a bunch of jewelry I take off before bed, and a glass of water. Oh, and a clock/radio that makes weird noises when our phones are too close to it, so we just keep it unplugged. Awesome.

3.    When was the last time you were giddy with happiness, lost in one of those can’t-hold-back-a-smile kinda moments?
I was baking Christmas cookies and had the house all to myself. I turned up the Christmas tunes and when “All I Want For Christmas is You” came on, I went full-on Risky Business–dancing in my socks, sliding around our wood floors, singing to my cat (who was extremely unimpressed).  Of course, a glass of merlot was involved, but it was unadulterated joy. The cookies turned out pretty great, too!

4.    What are you most looking forward to in the next 6 months? (Besides reading awesome Season IV Bloggers!)
My husband and I are traveling quite a bit in May. My sister-in-law is graduating, so we’re flying out to Tacoma, WA to see her commencement, then we have a wedding in Charlotte, NC the next weekend… so we decided to fly from Washington to North Carolina in the middle of the week. It’s our vacation for the year, so hopefully we’ll get some alone time, even though we’ll be staying with friends.

5.       What’s your hell like?
I would have an incurable runny nose in hell. I would be eternally washing dishes with my high school PE teacher while we listen to the dulcet tones of a bad children’s choir. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I would be forced to eat black licorice. Also, it would be snowing a lot.

6.       What’s your heaven like?
A plate of warm rice krispy treats would meet me at the pearly gates and my cozy home would have a built-in tap for all varieties of Leinenkugel’s beer. I can order breakfast any time at heaven’s diner where I share pancakes once a week with Mary Tyler Moore, Gloria Steinem, JFK, and Mother Teresa. My closet is filled with amazing boots and sweaters from Anthropologie. Private concerts on the beach are held nightly, with rotating sets from Josh Groban, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah Bareilles, and the original Broadway cast of Phantom of the Opera.

7.    What’s the biggest lesson you’re taking away from the past 6 months with Stratejoy / how has the experience changed you?
Blogging for Stratejoy was the perfect extension of the Joy Equation. This gig forced me to sit down once a week and examine some of life’s big questions whether I wanted to or not. And that’s an amazing gift.

8.    What song lyrics fit your life, right now, at the beginning of this brand new year?
“It’s been a long December and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.” – Counting Crows, my first cassette tape bought with my own money

9.     If you had a time machine, what place and time would you travel to and why?
I would travel to New York City in the 1960s. I’d become either a journalist or a flight attendant. I would be at the forefront of the feminist movement while experiencing all the incredibly fashions of that era. Also, the Beatles.  Yes.

10.    What is something that not a lot of people know about you that you wish more people could know?
I’m a really good cook, but only my husband knows that.  Also, I was voted Most Musically Talented and Best Thespian in high school.  Also also, I do a fantastic Sarah Palin impression, but she only comes around at parties.

11.     What surprised you the most about 2010?
Grad school and my ability to apply myself more than I ever thought possible. Furthermore, the opportunity to teach a couple undergrad courses and how that has uncovered a passion I never knew I had.

12.     What’s the best present you’ve ever received?
For my 24th birthday, my husband bought me a brand new Schwinn cruiser that I’ve named Lady Jane. She’s beautiful: peach in color, detailed with purple and red flowers. I’ve added a basket, too. I ride her to work in the summer, which has garnered quite the fan club. The boss’s brother said, “That bike makes me want to be a woman!”

13.      Imagine your life was being made into a movie. What would the title be? Who would you pick to play you? What would the theme song be? How about the little trailer blurb for the advertisement?
My movie, Tenacity, would star Tina Fey. All the critics would be impressed to see Tina turning over a new leaf, no longer stuck in a Liz Lemon character, but finally realizing her dreams and going after them with tenacity. Of course, she does so with biting sarcasm and fantastic comebacks. It would be Ms. Norbury’s version of Mean Girls, complete with wacky students that she challenges to participate in speech competitions, but we would also see her home life where she never cleans and talks to her cat a lot.  Jason Robert Brown, my favorite Broadway composer, would compose the score and write an incredible ballad that I would record personally for the radio.

14.      Dream Job?  Dream Home?  Dream Vacation?
Me: “What’s my dream job?”
Husband: “I thought you wanted your own travel show.”
Me: “Ooohhh, yeah, that is my dream job.”
Husband: “You could be the female version of Anthony Bourdain.”
Me: “Nice. I am pretty acerbic.”
Husband: “Yeah.”
Me: “You weren’t supposed to agree with that.”

Dream job: A travel show that allows me to eat a TON of seafood and ice cream and stay in incredible beachfront hotel rooms and meet intriguing people and go to fancy award shows in pretty gowns.
Dream home: An old house in a historic neighborhood with lots of character and bold colored walls. Multiple fireplaces. Exposed brick. A basement bar. My own office/library. Lots of windows for sunlight. Tons of counter space in a giant kitchen. A backyard vegetable garden. Located within walking or biking distance of shops, bars, restaurants, and cafes.
Dream vacation: Free. Sunshine. Margaritas. Spa day. Gourmet food. Snorkeling.

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Comments (3)

3 Responses to “Survey Time!”

  • Molly_Hoyne_Mahar Says:
    January 24th, 2011 at 6:08 pm

    Always love knowing more about you. And how you and hubby talk. And those Counting Crows…. So wise. XO

  • Alisha Says:
    January 25th, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    Ummm…I think we need to see a video of that Palin impression! Love that song by Counting Crows. I sing it every December :)

  • Renee Says:
    January 26th, 2011 at 10:38 am

    Alisha! A video used to exist. I even posted it to my blog on Halloween 2008. Unfortunately, I deleted it when I started working for The Man. :-(

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