Friday Five: 12/18

Morning Routine!

1. What time do you usually wake up on weekdays?

Anytime from 7:30-9:30, depending on what I have to do that day.

2. What about weekends?

Saturdays, usually between 8 and 10, again, depending on what I plan to accomplish. On Sundays, if I'm the organist that weekend, I get up between 6:30 and 6:45. Otherwise, it depends on which church service I have to be at!

3. What do you eat for breakfast?

Lately, usually cereal, sometimes a bagel. I really love egg and cheese on a bagel or toast, but I haven't done that in a while.

4. Do you take a shower at night or in the morning?

"Morning." But if the first thing I have to be out of the house for is afternoon piano lessons, sometimes it's in the afternoon.

5. How long does it take you to get ready?

Drawn-out morning with shower, then breakfast and reading blogs, and eventual make-up and hair-drying: up to a few hours. Usual morning with no time in between bathroomly tasks: about an hour. Early morning with shower: as short as 30 minutes, especially if I don't blow-dry. Early morning without shower: 15-20 minutes.

It takes sooooo much longer to get dressed with this giant bump. It's so awesome when my aim is good on the first try with undies and pants.


And now you are all extremely edified. You're welcome!

Friday Five: 9/18

Fantastic! A sensitive-topic-for-me Friday Five on a day when I'm already feeling down in the dumps. What fun!

1. If there was one thing about your body you could change, what would it be?

I have to pick one? Okay, I wish my body were more fit.

2. Would you rather lose 10lbs or 10 points off your IQ?

Um, duh. Who would pick to lower their IQ? Unless they were truly worried about being underweight, which is a pretty fictional idea to me. Anyway, I would rather lose 10 pounds... or 40.

3. When you look in the mirror, are you happy with what you see?

Sometimes. It usually depends on if it's a full-length mirror or not.

4. Have you ever dyed your hair?

Yes. I'm currently going back to my roots.

5. How often do you weigh yourself?

Now that I'm pregnant and outweigh my husband, never. I allow myself to be weighed at the OB's office. In the past, it was far too often, up to 2-3 times a day. Hopefully in my postpartum life I can find balance and go to once a week or so.

Friday Five: 8/21

1. What time of the day is your favorite, and why?

Early morning, when everything is nice and peaceful. I rarely experience this, however, usually opting for more sleep.

2. What's the best time to take a walk, and where to?

Mid-evening around 7pm. Lately I've been walking to a nearby park with a playground set among some trees. I can make a nice loop along some trails through wooded areas. Walks like this remind me of why we moved to this neighborhood.

3. When can you work best?

Nighttime. I'm a total night owl. I was up painting last night till after 10pm. (Don't worry, I was doing the ceiling with a roller, the windows were open, a fan was running, and it was nice and breezy.)

4. What to do on sunny mornings and stormy evenings?

Sunny mornings: sit out on the deck with a nice book or magazine. Stormy evenings: cook a warm meal then curl up on the couch.

5. When you look outside right now, what do you see?

All I have to do is look above my computer screen to see the tall trees that line the creek behind our house. Sometimes I see cardinals, blue jays and yellow finches giving me avian primary color lessons. Unfortunately, this view is occluded by our terrible windows, which we hope to replace next year.

Friday Five: 7/31

1. How often do you clean your home?

Embarrassingly seldom. I vacuum up to once a week in the main rooms, and I clean the bathroom when it starts to disgust me. Same with dusting. Everything else is kind of seasonal.

2. What domestic chore do you hate?

Cleaning the bathroom and laundry. Erich is really good at laundry and always impresses me with his folding skills.

3. What domestic chore do you enjoy?

I have always like vacuuming, and I especially enjoy it since we splurged on a Dyson after we got married. It can make even the horrible carpet in our new house look not-super-bad.

4. Do you own a washing machine or go to the laundrette?

I have never lived in a place that didn't have its own washer/dryer, with the exception of my dorms in college, when the worst I had to do was drag it down to the basement of the building. But I saved a lot of my laundry for when I was home anyway.

5. Do you iron underpants and/or bed sheets?

Never have, never will. I probably iron less than once a year, and when I do it's one unavoidable item. That's what dryers and wrinkle-releasing sprays are for.

Friday Five: 7/3

This is the first halfway-decent Friday Five I've seen in a while.

Randomosity!

1. It's the last night of the world, and you've only just found out. What five things will you do in these final hours?

eat something bad for me, update Twitter with something witty, listen to Bach, talk to family, and cuddle with my hubby

2. How do you feel about our American Flag's design?

I wish they had kept the unicorns, horseshoes, moons, and other lucky charms, but it's decent, I guess.

3. What pets have you had?

Hmm, let's see. The first pet I remember having was a goldfish. We had four goldfish, for each of us four kids. I think we set them free. We got a yellow lab named Ernie (Ernestine) when I was eight, and she lived to the ripe old age of almost 13. My family got another yellow lab named Lucy when I was 19, and she's now 7. I still think of her as "my" dog, because she's the closest thing to a pet I have right now. I also had a betta fish named Henry sometime around the age of ten. He croaked. And during my freshman year of college, my roommate and I each got a goldfish from Walmart. They were both dead within 12 hours.

4. What was the last activity you wore a wristband for?

Pretty sure that was the Miller Brewery tour in Milwaukee in May. That was when we went to the Cubs-Brewers game, of which I have many photos but I never did post about it. :(

5. What song changed your life?

And this is the clunker question. It's just stupid. Can I just say music "changed my life" and leave it at that? Well yes, I can, for this is MY blog.

Happy Fourth, blogland!

Friday Five: 4/17

What is your favorite food from each food group?

1. Bread (Grain) Group:

Bread, doy. Oh, and corn! I love all kinds of corn and things made from corn, like corn on the cob, scalloped corn, and cornbread.

2. Meat (Protein) Group:

My new favorite protein is quinoa, but that makes me sound uppity. So, I'm partial to a good steak.

3. Vegetable Group:

raw bell pepper, any color, but especially green

4. Fruit Group:

banana and mango

5. Sugars, Fats and Oils:

Can't go wrong with a little EVOO. And I'd like to say jelly beans, but I've had a few too many of those lately. Thanks, Easter Bunny!

Friday Five: 3/27/09

1. Would you return to high school life for a week? Why or why not?

I'm going to answer this question first by not answering it. I have had several dreams in the past year or so that I'm back in high school. Only, unlike in high school, I have a car, I drive to school, and I've already finished high school. Usually I'm thinking, "Gee, this will be a breeze since I've done all this before!" But then I'm inexplicably late, I can't figure out/find my schedule, and then I realize this all stupid because high school is OVER. So I give/wake up.

I would return to high school life for a week because I like memories and it would be fun to temporarily transport myself to a different time of life.

2. Who were you in high school?

A younger, thinner, blonder, less mature version of me. Shy, kind of a loner.

3. What was your favorite high school hangout? What did you do there?

My friends and I went to the Barnes & Noble in downtown Naperville all the time. We would usually listen to music and find all kinds of stuff to look at.

4. What were your favorite three songs in high school?

My favorite Broadway shows to listen to were Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Miss Saigon, followed by Jekyll & Hyde in a close fourth. I was into shows and hadn't really realized that I wasn't defined by the music I listened to and therefore could casually listen to the radio.

5. What was the craziest thing you did in high school?

Probably silly downtown hijinks. I don't know--I wasn't very crazy by usual teen standards.

Friday Five: 2/27

1. What tastes best covered in chocolate?

My new favorite is the Trader Joe's spiced mango chocolate. It's got mango on the inside, and hot pepper on the outside. Sounds weird, but it's so good!

2. Why do you eat chocolate the way you do (or don't)?

Because it's yummy. And the dark stuff has all the antioxidants, oh yes. That's why I try to include enough of it in my diet. Plus red wine.

3. Do you know how chocolate is made?

I had to read the book Like Water for Chocolate in CORE class my freshman year at Valpo. I know it's a long process involving things having to be exactly the right temperature. So, to answer the question, no, I don't.

4. If you knew you would live 5 years longer if you never ate any chocolate again, would you give it up?

If someone could prove to me that chocolate will lead to my demise over a five-year period, I would give it up. Otherwise, I reject this question on the grounds that it is stupid.

5. Have you ever had carob?

Not on purpose.

Friday Five: 2/6

Hodge Podge!

1. What activity can you not believe you survived in your childhood?

My family's favorite story is how I almost got mowed over by a car on a mountain road while on vacation in CO when I was five. I LIVED, get over it. :)

2. What activity can you not believe kids get away with today?

The insane amount of texting they do, including all those skanky kids texting naked photos of themselves around their high schools.

3. If you could be anyone else in the world live or dead, who would you choose to be?

Just a better version of myself. I'm getting pretty good at it, so I wouldn't want to throw that away.

4. A lot of people think they've been in love at 15 or 16 years old, do you think you now look back and think you were a stupid kid or do you believe that you were old enough to know what love is?

Ha, this sounds like it was written by a college student or something. When I was in my mid-teens, I was a stupid kid and I knew it. Therefore, I felt brilliant and superior for my knowledge of my stupidity. I never once fancied myself in love. I knew love meant getting married and all that, and I couldn't imagine marrying anyone in high school.

5. Do you think it is possible to remain in love with someone you once loved, but haven't seen in a year? (sic)

I wouldn't know. I suppose it would depend on the kind of year that passed. Otherwise, n/a.


Headed to Galena this weekend!

Friday Five: 1/30

Way too long, no post. I'm trying to come back to you, internet.

1) How would you define beauty?

This is a very vague question that seems to require a detailed, nuanced answer that I just cannot provide right now. I'll just say I know it when I see it. It usually has to do with grace, poise, and low levels of self-awareness.

2) What is the best quality a person can have?

Honesty and two feet planted firmly on the ground. And a good sense of humor.

3) What is the worse quality a person can have?

Arrogance.

4) What makes up your perfect match?

Erich and I have always been able to converse easily. He wasn't turned off by my biting sarcasm when we started dating and he gets my sense of humor. If he has trouble understanding my mind, he doesn't give up until he has a clearer picture. He cooks for me, he runs errands, he provides for us, and, most importantly, he has strong faith. I am a better person because he is in my life. He's my as-close-to-perfect-as-possible match. :)

5) Have you met this person yet?

Obviously.

Friday Five: 12/12

This week's Friday Five is a good opportunity to share what a typical week in the life of Susan is like. Keep in mind, however, that I'm not usually this lazy. The increasing darkness of winter and me feeling a bit under the weather makes for more naps and laziness than usual.

1. What did you do on Monday?

I got up late (a theme for the week). I'm on a bad sleep schedule. Anyway, I ate breakfast and read a zillion blogs in my jammies until about 1pm, when I showered and got ready for the day. At 3:00, I went to the first of two piano lessons taught in the students' homes. I was done around 4:20 or so and went on to church, where I used some free time to plan some music things and write my regular blurb on the Hymn of the Day for the church bulletin. Then I had two more piano students from 5:15-6:15 and then I directed the bell choir 6:45-8pm. I went home, and Erich and I made a quick stir-fry dinner, we did devotions with our new Treasury of Daily Prayer, watched a little tv, then went to bed too late (another theme for the week). I hate when we're not even leaving the dinner table until almost 10--that makes it hard for me to want to go to sleep before 1am.

2. What did you do on Tuesday?

Tuesday I had high hopes of finally Christmasizing the house, but it was not to be. The early part of my day went about the same as Monday, and I headed over to church around 3:15 to teach piano students from 3:30-8. I had one break from 4:00-4:30. Teaching for more than four hours straight always wipes me out, and it makes for more late dinner, late devotion, and late to bed. Yuck.

3. What did you do on Wednesday?

Wednesday was our own private Turkey Day. Erich had gotten this idea to roast a turkey. We've never roasted a bird or made gravy before, and this was a good chance to practice. And Erich really wanted some lunch meat. Why not get it from a bird we roasted ourselves? So in the afternoon, I prepped the turkey. I was kind of looking forward to it, and then I had to laugh at myself when I actually opened the package and thought, "Aaaaugh! A dead turkey!" I got over it, salted the inside, buttered the outside and filled it with chopped onion and celery. I finally got to use a really nice roasting pan I got from a bridal shower! And into the oven it went.

I was expecting one student at 4:00. The mom called at 3:56 to cancel. GRRRR. I had to forgive her though, since the student was actually in the hospital.... (Mysterious.) Since I was all dressed up with no place to go, I took a quick trip to the bank. Deposits are a big ordeal for me. I usually let my checks accumulate for the month and then go deposit them all with a live teller. It's just much simpler than the ATM since I have approximately 9,154 checks, including reimbursements for Christmas piano books. Anywho, making bank deposits is good for my brain since I add about 20 numbers by hand. And I'll have you know I didn't make any mistakes! After the bank, I stopped at my mom's to borrow a platter big enough for a turkey. Very important.

Erich got home around 5:30 and we pulled the bird out shortly after. It wasn't thoroughly done, but the breast was, so we sliced some of that. I mashed some potatoes (still getting good at that, which is hard without a potato masher), and we made some gravy, which was delicious but didn't look right--since the turkey wasn't done, it didn't drip enough gravy-goodness. Dinner was yummy but our work was not done. We popped in A Christmas Carol and finished roasting the turkey. When it was done, I made more gravy (practice) with the pool of juice--it had too much flour but it was still quite good. Erich sliced the breast for sandwiches and pulled apart all the extra little pieces and leftover parts of the turkey and got to work on making stock. AND I dragged up all the Christmas decorations from the basement and Christmasized the house! I'm getting way too used to having energy from 3pm-12midnight. Hmm.

4. What did you do on Thursday?

Sleep in, shower, nap. My life is hard. I think I did more than that but I can't remember. I had two out of a regular three piano students from 4-5. I looooove that my Wednesday and Thursday piano students come to my house. Erich accidentally came home an hour early because his computer clock changed when he connected to a substation in PA. But that was okay because it gave him plenty of time to get the turkey curry ready. YUM. And we were able to have a leisurely dinner and devotion before our very long choir rehearsal from 7-9. We couldn't watch our recorded TV until after the Bears threatened to lose but eventually won. So at least it was worth it. And Kath & Kim, The Office, and 30 Rock made it worth staying up way too late again.

5. What are you going to did you do today?

Erich took the day off to travel down to Louisville for a college friend's wedding. He left around 10:15, and I left around 11:00 to meet up with my mom. I had an EPIC DAY with my mom.

First stop, eye doctor so my mom could correct her contact lens order and get her new glasses adjusted. She dropped me off at a store downtown N-ville, where I scored an awesome gift. I walked to the eye doc to meet her in time for the the receptionist lady to break her glasses! And she didn't have her new contact lenses yet! So I drove my blind mother back to her house so she could put in her old contacts. Then we were finally on our way! Destination: new strip mall in Naperville. Nordstrom Rack, Loehmann's, World Market, and Home Goods. Boom, boom, boom, boom, awesome shopping. We also stopped at the new Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck), took in samples, looked at all the beautiful food, and ate from their awesome and extensive deli/salad bar. Yum! From that strip mall we went on to Border's and Linens 'n' Things. I'm now at their house eating Chinese food.

Good day. This post is really long now, isn't it? Okay, bye!

Belated Friday Five: 12/5

1. Do you like the look of your country's currency (bills and coins)?

I don't dislike the look. But compared to other countries, they're pretty boring. On the other hand, currencies from other countries always seem more exciting because they're different.... In conclusion, I was happy to come home to regular old dollars after 4 months in Europe five years ago. They're a part of home. :)

2. Regardless of their actual value, do you like bills or coins better?

No matter what currency I'm working with, I enjoy trying to keep as few coins as possible. Europe uses many more coins than we do: their smallest bill is €5. Then they have coins for €2, €1, .50, .20, .10, .05, .02, and .01. I like the 1- and 2- Euro coins, and I feel it's kind of a shame that bigger coins like that haven't taken hold stateside. Kind of. Anywho, usually prices in Europe end with a nice round 0. Except in the grocery stores, when it's normal to end with a random number of cents. Therefore, in my months studying abroad, I got very adept at having my change out in my hand, ready to get rid of as many super-annoying .05, .02, and .01 coins (the copper ones) as possible. It was a triumph whenever I had none in my possession. No matter what country I was in and whose language I couldn't understand, I could give exact change at a grocery store. It was so fun to go to Spain this year and get rid of Euro coins again. It's the simple pleasures, folks.

What was the question? Oh yeah. I like coins because it's more of a game and a fun exercise in getting rid of pennies. :)

3. What is your favorite foreign currency? And why?

Think I'm going to say Euros? Well, I do like them because I enjoy that I know the currency, and the bills and coins are kind of pretty. And it's fun to look at the coins and figure out which country they were minted in as they all have different designs. So I guess you're right, I'm going with Euros. Borrring!

4. Do you collect coins or bills? Elaborate.

I have a small collection of coins, but they're more leftovers from countries I've visited. I'm sure if I dug through all my stuff I could find a bicentennial quarter or two, and I know somewhere I have a Columbus 500th Anniversary half dollar. But, I can't say I collect coins, and certainly not bills.

5. Do you think human society could make do completely without money? Explain.

Absolutely not. A group of 20 people living self-sufficiently on a farm? Maybe. But money is just something we need to make society work.



Obligatory link.

Friday Five: 11/21

Feelings...

1. What made you happy this week?

Erich did a big grocery shopping trip. I've been a little under the weather and it meant a lot that he just made a big list and bought a bunch of food, including planning a bunch of meals. Thanks, honey!

2. What made you sad?

I honestly can't think of anything. Yay for no sadness!

3. What made you angry?

The computer program that records TV for us keeps malfunctioning, and once again our Thursday TV shows didn't get recorded. For various reasons, it's probably only worked once for us this fall season.

4. What are you looking forward to in the next week?

Thanksgiving! One of my favorite holidays. This year is Erich's extended family, and it's going to be a crazy huge gathering. My favorite!

5. What are you not looking forward to?

Erich has to go to Mexico City next week, Sunday through the wee hours of Thursday morning. I am NOT looking forward to this.

Friday Five: 11/7

Another Friday Five taken from the archives. Yay, blog fodder!

1. What type of hair do you have? (Thin, Normal, Thick, Frizzy, etc.)

I would call it "normal." Right now it's kind of split-endy and in need of a trim.

2. What color is your hair currently?

I've heard myself called a redhead a few times recently. This makes me uncomfortable because I just don't see myself as a redhead. But, since Clairol Natural Instincts "Mahogany" turned out to be quite red for the first week or two, I guess I'm kind of a redhead. I've been searching for the perfect store-bought dark brown coppery shade, and I think I'm closing in on it. I have come away from the salon with really good hair color, but that's too expensive to do all the time.

3. What colors have you dyed/highlighted your hair?

My natural color is a blondish ashy light brown. In high school I got honey blonde highlights around sophomore and junior year. I let that grow out from senior year through most of college. Then I got the itch to do more with my hair. Junior year of college I had a long perm, which was kind of cute sometimes, but I'll probably never do that again. Then senior year I had a revelation: what if I dye my hair darker?? OMG that could be so cute! And alas, ever since then I've always had a hair color that is to some degree darker and redder than my natural color.

4. If you could dye your hair any color, what would it be?

Well, I think I've covered what color I actually want my hair to be. But if it weren't for my skin tone (yellow undertones), I'd try shades that would, in reality, look really awful on me. Like platinum or strawberry blonde, or jet black. Maybe I should just experiment with wigs.

5. What is your hair's length?

LONG for me. I've been growing it out since just over a year before the wedding, so over two years now, and it's now halfway down my back. Did I mention I need a trim? Sometimes the length is annoying, but I like it. It helps my face not look so round. :)

Friday Five: 10/24

This is last week's Friday Five, because today's is pretty dumb.

1. If you could be an animal, what would you be and why?

I've always thought I'd like to be a fish. Sure, they're dumb, but they get to swim around all day. Maybe a dolphin would be better-- they're smart, and they're always having fun.

2. If you could mate two animals together, which would you pick?

I presume that if they mated, they would produce offspring that would be a cross between the two. That's the point, right? Not the actual mating part? ;) I'm going to steal my idea from South Park and say an elephant and a potbelly pig.

3. What would you call the offspring from #2?

Ummmmmm... a bellyphant. It would be small, of course, so as to make a good pet.

4. If you could change an animal's colors, which would you pick and which colors would you use?

I wouldn't mind seeing my family's yellow lab, Lucy, as a bright pink. I think that would fit her personality.

5. If you could make one animal extinct, which would you pick?

Rabbits--the wild kind that eat everyone's gardens. I don't think they'd be missed. Also, Canadian geese. At least let people shoot them! They're such a poopy nuisance.

Friday Five: 10/10

For the second week in a row, the Friday Five questions are really stupid, so I decided to dig through the archives for a better set. Here we go...

1. Do you ever wonder if the way you see things visually aren't how other people see them?

I used to wonder that when I was about 13. Like, what if my yellow was someone else's green? If I borrowed someone else's eyes, would colors be flip flopped? Dark would be light, etc.? I don't wonder that any more. I think everything is what it is. However, I do have a red/green deficiency, so when some people see a dark hunter green, I often see brownish greyish blackish color. It's not really a big deal.

2. What kind of sounds are the most annoying?

The ones that no one else can hear, but I can because my ears are so sensitive. The other day I was at Kohl's and some lady was pushing around a cart, that SQUEAKED... CONSTANTLY. And she seemed to be following me around the store. I was with my mom, who could hear it when it was close, but not when it was farther away. I heard it everywhere. That is very annoying.

3. When walking through a store, do you shop with your hands by touching/feeling the texture of things?

Yes, I must admit I do, especially with clothes. I try to touch only if it's something I think I might try on. If it's too scratchy or thin or just the wrong texture, I won't bother.

4. If you could only smell three scents for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Erich in the morning after a shave, outside air in the autumn with freshly fallen leaves, and roast beef in the oven.

5. What sorts of things do you savor when eating them?

Generally food items. You know, if I find myself munching on chalk or something, I usually don't savor that. (j/k--no, I do not suffer from Pica.) I am most likely to slowly chew and let soak into my tongue a gourmet meal, something that either cost a lot of money or was obviously something very well prepared and deserves to be savored. I'm trying to work on savoring all my food and not eat mindlessly.

Friday Five: 9/26

Questions from here.

1. Who is your favorite author?

It's hard to pick one, but I'm going to have to go with the classic Jane Austen. I haven't read all her books, but I do love Pride & Prejudice, Emma, and Sense & Sensibility.

2. What is your favorite book/series?

Besides to my favorite Jane Austen books, I confess that I love Harry Potter. I've read the series countless times and am thinking about reading it again soon since I'd finally be able to read all seven books straight through.

3. Who is a book hero you most wish to be like?

This is SO HARD! [That's what she said.] I'm currently reading The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, so that's freshest in my mind, but I don't want to be like anyone in that book. I've always felt an affinity with Elizabeth Bennet from P&P, so I pick her.

4. Who is a book character that you envy?

This question is suspiciously similar to number 3. I suppose I envy Hermione Granger because she's brainy and can do magic.

5. Which book do you wished you lived in?

I don't really want to live in any particular book, but I would love to be able to visit a few. One that comes to mind is Sarum by Edward Rutherford. I'd love to go back thousands of years ago in England and see what early civilization was like. I'd have to be able to take my modern consciousness with me and be able to come back, of course.


Sorry if this was a bit boring. I couldn't really get into the questions as much as I would have liked. Another excuse: my mind is a bit foggy because I'm currently under the influence of Benedryl. Some kind of bug bit me on both my ankles last week when Erich and I went out for our anniversary. On Tuesday my little red bumps turned into giant, itchy, swollen red welts. I'm still trying to decide which is worse: the drowse of Benedryl or the insatiable hunger and resulting weight gain I'd get from the steroids my doctor would prescribe me. So far the Benedryl's not doing much. Hmmmm.....

Friday Five: 9/19

I'm going to try this. It's like getting to do a mini-meme every week. Yay, cookie-cutter blog content!

1. What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I wanted to be a teacher or a waitress when I was very young. Then I went through my artist/architect phase before I realized at about age 11 or 12 that I wanted to be a musician of some kind.

2. What is your proudest accomplishment so far?

If I have to narrow it down to one thing, the answer is easy: my marriage to my really super wonderful husband.

3. What is your dream job?

Stay-at-home mom. Really. With teaching piano and playing organ on the side. Basically, a promotion from what I'm doing now.

4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope to have a bunch of kids and a house with my husband.

5. What does it take to make you happy?

Okay, this is a pretty vague question, so here's a vague answer: If I feel respected and safe, I'm happy.