Q&A round one.

Ok, here goes.

Dustin asked:
You've been blogging for awhile now it appears. What have you learned from writing your thoughts online?

I've always been a writer... and a talker. From blogging for over two years, I have most assuredly learned how to better write for my audience. But that's just the beginning. I've also learned that no matter how honest you want to be, there is always going to be some kind of self-censorship going on. In my particular case, it's not out of any desire to protect myself, because I am the same person in text as I am in life. I have found that more often than not, when I censor my words, it is to protect those for whom I care most... And to conceal the identity of certain people I write about, because most people are not nearly as honest with themselves or the rest of the world as I tend to be. (I don't mean this to self righteous, but it's just how I've observed things to be.)

I've also learned that I totally abuse the ellipsis (...) and I totally overuse commas.

Have you said anything on here that you regret?

Simple answer. No.

Have you met anyone from doing this?

I have not yet met anyone in person, but I do feel like I have gotten to know my readers, and I do have an offer to meet Jen on Memorial Day weekend, which would be kinda cool.

Why are you unemployed right now?

I am unemployed because I worked for a VERY SMALL (only 5 people, including me) real estate firm, and I was the only salaried employee. The boss figured that the brokers who all worked on commission could just step up their work to include aspects of my job, and therefore eliminate my position and my paycheck. So basically, I was downsized.

Why didn't you invite me out on monday night?

Because the commute from California to Chicago would have taken up entirely too much of the celebration time... But you're welcome to come out with us the next time!

And finally, why must I scroll down to read all of this?

Because I am guessing you are using a craptastic browser like Internet Explorer that doesn't display my page correctly. It shows up perfectly in Mozilla Firefox, and Firefox is a far superior browser, so look into it!

The Idle Receptionist queried:

If you could only eat one cheese for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Only one cheese? I am a cheese junkie! I can only pick one?!?!

If it can only be one, I'm going to have to pick a basic cheese so that it can be used in cheesy variations... I guess mozzarella. (Because let's face it, a grilled limburger sandwich doesn't sound at all appealing.)

Also, Ms. Bah'tendah, what is your fave drinky?

My favorite drink varies by mood, and by bar (because different restaurants use different recipes!) I'd say that the cocktail I gravitate to most, (roughly 70% of the time) would be what we bartenders jokingly call a "Cape Cod," the rest of the world refers to it as a vodka cranberry. (Top shelf, of course.)

Brenda Love inquired:
What is the stupidest thing you ever did or said?

Wow... Ok. I'll go with the stupidest thing I've ever said.

The stupidest thing I have ever said was actually to my mom when I was roughly 10. I said that I hated her because she wouldn't let me do something that was probably stupid anyway. I think that was the ONLY time I ever told my mom I hated her, and I regretted it the instant it rolled off my tongue. That was the stupidest thing I ever said, because it was a total lie, and it hurt my mom at the time. And we all know, I love my momma!

Jennifer wants to know:
What is your fulfilling, keep for a lifetime dream job?

If I could actually support myself while doing it, I would like to be a professional artist, but since I live in an era where art is not highly appreciated and supported, I have to think of factors like how I plan on supporting myself, and (god willing) a family... So in a realistic setting, I'm going to be a clinical psychologist who just paints on the weekends.

If you had to spend 6 months in a foreign country, which would it be?

Italy. I've been there, it's FABULOUS. And while living there for the 6 months, I'd take little excursions to all the other wonderful European countries!

What would you do if you won a million dollars?

Because I am practical, this is pretty easy. I'd pay off my student loan debts, I'd buy a sweet ass condo here in the city, I'd pay off my mom's house, get her a new car, and take her on an extended European vacation, and I'd put the rest in the bank, and go back to work. Of course I could be a lot more selective about my job when I've got a nice little nest egg to live on.