Blue Roses

1. What was the first band you saw in concert?
Technically, Kurth and Taylor in June of 1997, but that was a tiny little thing. First big concert was Backstreet Boys that August.

2. Who is your favorite artist/band now?
Ugh. I hate choosing favorites. I suppose nsync would have to be my answer. LOL I certainly focus the most on them, download most songs from them.

3. What's your favorite song?
I have so many, I don't know where to start. Becuase, Dave Clark Five. Just Like Romeo and Juliet, The Reflections. I'm trying to think of the ones that I NEED to stop and listen to. LOL Eleanor Rigby, the Beatles. Fire and Rain, James Tayor.

4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
The saxophone.

5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why?
Elvis, I think. He seemed like such a complex, talented man. I'd certainly love for him to sing for me.

Posted by Rina at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Do you like talking on the phone? Why or why not?

Not at all. I hate calling people especially. And if I don't have caller ID, I freak and don't want to answer. I know, I'm weird. LOL I like knowing what to expect, and it's hard to not see people's reactions. Which doesn't mean I *can't talk on the phone - Erin and I have talked for hours straight. I think Jennie and I have had some long calls, too. It's just not my favorite thing.

Oh, and when calling to order, like, dinner or something? I seriously have to write down everything they could possibly ask. Yes, that includes my name. I've blanked before. <.g> This goes for calling to ask questions, order things, talk to people at work, everything. If I can script out my part, I'm a happy camper.

2. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?

Mom. LOL She called in the middle of my nap, and I don't think I was very coherant. She did most of the talking. My part was, "Hello? Hi. Yeah. Love ya." <.g>

3. About how many telephones do you have at home?

Two here in my apt - my cell phone and the land line. The land line doesn't always work, though, and I can only get one call out every few hours. I can usually receive calls fine, though. (When Kate lived here, there were 5 phones for the two of us. LOL Two cells, one each in our rooms, and one in the kitchen.)

At home, there's 4, I think. A cordless with a base in the living room, a cordless with a base in my parents room, ditto one in mine, and a 2 line regular phone in the kitchen. (So that's one per level, except two on the top floor.)

4. Have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? What happened?

Nope, can't think of anyone.

5. Would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an e-mail or a letter? Why or why not?

I guess it depends on who it is, and why I'm trying to get in contact with them. 9/10, I'd prefer to e-mail, but I know that's not always the best course of action. <.g> Sometimes I actively want to call people to chat - usually my mother, Jennie, or Erin, although I'd love to be able to chat with Krissy, Karey and a few others.

Meanwhile, canNOT believe it's 6 already. Guess that's what I get for taking an almost 4 hour nap. LOL

Posted by Rina at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been awhile since I did one!

1. What was the last song you heard?
My Heart Only Knows What it Feels - Brad Maule

2. What were the last two movies you saw?
My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Chamber of Secrets

3. What were the last three things you purchased?
Panera, JC's single, birthday card for Jennie

4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?
Study for Arch, read Poli Sci, clean the bathroom, go see a dance performance

5. Who are the last five people you talked to?
Mom, Sheila, Brent, Victoria, random person I held the door open for.

Posted by Rina at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Work is kinda getting done. In, you know, a way. LOL Meanwhile.

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero/heroine? Why?
Jem! Oh, man, I adored her. She could sing and ran a home for orphans and was in a rock band! What wasn't to love? (Although admittedly, I found myself following Kimber's path over Jem/Jerrica's. Sidekick syndrome? LOL)

2. What was one thing you always wanted as a child but never got?
I don't know, man. From what I can remember, all I ever wanted as a kid was books and a video camera. I got the video camera when I was 9, and people never saw a problem giving me books. Any music or dolls I wanted, I saved for and bought myself.

3. What's the furthest from home you've been?
Germany! Summer after freshman year in HS, my first year of taking the language. I would love nothing more than to go back, honestly. It was beautiful there.

4. What's one thing you've always wanted to learn but haven't yet?
Knitting! I want to knit. I'm starting to quilt now, but I want to knit things. And sew dresses in a 1940s style. But I'm starting slow. <.g>

5. What are your plans for the weekend?
Homework, for the most part. Work on some stories. Prep things to mail on monday.

Posted by Rina at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. What are your hobbies?
Reading and writing, mostly. I love investigating and learning about old time Hollywood.

2. Do you collect anything? If so, what?
Well, I suppose nysnc merchandise. LOL Along with XF and Buffy stuff. I have a coin collection and a doll collection, too...my dad's best friend is a pilot, and he brought me back stuff from all over the world.

3. Is there a hobby you're interested in, but just don't have the time/money to do?
Cross stitching, believe it or not. LOL Any kind of sewing, actually. But my friend Lissa cross stitches all the time, and it looks like so much fun. She's gotten me a little starter kit, a little Christmas wreath, which I started, but never finished. It seems that I spend so much time on the computer, I don't have time for much in the way of offline hobbies. I'd like to try and work on that.

4. Have you ever turned a hobby into a moneymaking opportunity?
Nope. But I bet I could make some extra bucks if I started selling my XF and Buffy stuff.

5. Besides web-related stuff (burbs, rings, etc.), what clubs do you belong to?
NSSHLA, the student speech and hearing association. LOL A few other professional groups, too. But those really aren't clubs, are they? Hmmm. Uh, nysnc fan club. (Fat lot of good THAT did me.) Gilliangels/NWGA. (Which I need to get off the ground...Kate, you're August, you know. And you never even joined. LOL) Can't think of any others. I'm not a very clubby person. Never have been.

Posted by Rina at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. What's your favorite TV show and why?
Um. Hmmm. <.g> I suppose Buffy. Or West Wing. I love both shows, but I never really quite remember to watch. I'm better with WW than Buffy, though. As to why, let's see.

Buffy: Kick ass characters, witty writing, realistic portrayals, fun twists on reality, Willow and Tara, Spike. <.g>

WW: Blow-me-over writing, idealistic and realistic characters, conversations I get happily get lost in, amusing situations, moving situations, ideas that make me think and start researching to learn more.

2. Who is your favorite television star?
Probably Gillian Anderson. I adore her.

3. What was your favorite TV show as a child?
Square One and Jem. I watched religiously. I still remember the Jem ep that played the morning after Josh stopped breathing in the middle of the night and we had to rush him to the ER. It was my least favorite, too, of course. <.g> But I loved the show...had the dolls and books, started to play piano to be like Kimber, wrote stories about them, everything. And as for S1, it was such a brilliant math show. I got through HS algebra thanks to them. I still adore Mathnet. I wish they sold episodes of that show.

4. What show do you think should have been cancelled by now?
X-Files should have gone away 2 years ago.

5. What new show do you hope escapes the axe this season?
I liked American Embassy. I think that's the only new show I watched.

Posted by Rina at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If Kate can do the Friday Five on Thursday, I can do it on Saturday. LOL I couldn't login yesterday, so there.

1. If you could eat dinner with and "get to know" one famous person (living or dead), who would you choose?
I think Jon Stewart. <.g> He reminds me so much of my friend Eric, and I therefore think he would be a lively, intelligent, hysterical dinner partner. Lance could also be fun, but honestly, too many expectations on my part. Jon would just be plain awesome.

2. Has the death of a famous person ever had an effect on you? Who was it and how did you feel?
I cried when both Princess Diana and John Kennedy, Jr died. I sobbed when Jimmy Stewart died. It was just so sad. The first two, they were so young. And Jimmy, I'd just loved him all my life. He was the nicest, sweetest man around. Right up until he died, if you walked by his house and said hello and chatted with him, he would sign things, he would take photos, he would even invite you in for lemonade sometimes. He was a class act.

3. If you could BE a famous person for 24 hours, who would you choose?
Hmmm. If I am them, I get their skills, right? Because I would say Allison Janney, who plays CJ on the West Wing. She's tall, she's beautiful, she works with Brad Whitford and Rob Lowe, not to mention Richard Shiff and Martin Sheen and everyone else, she says the amazing words of the brilliant Aaron Sorkin, and she does it with great style and breathtaking talent. I would love to be her for a day.
Okay, another idea that flitted through my brain was Britney. LOL Could be fun being a size -2 for a day. And I wanna see if Justin is a good kisser. <.g> Those are really the only two perks, though. I still go Allison. I'd just maybe adlib a kiss or two. LOL

4. Do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? Who?
A lot of people have said I look like Aly Hannigan, who is Willow on Buffy and Michelle the flute player in American Pie. Well, we did have the same hair cut and style for years, and it was red. LOL

5. Have you ever met anyone famous?
I've been trying to think about this. I've met a number of senators and congresspeople. I was a page on the senate floor for a day in 7th grade, and brought the wrong guy coffee. (Hey, they all look alike, all right?) I've seen Lance in person...he was the brightly colored speck with the huge ass necklace. <.g> Basically, I've met a lot of famous-in-some-fields people, and I know a lot of people who have met people. Kinda sad. LOL

Posted by Rina at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since I don't know when my first Friday Five was, and I have too many archives to go searching through, I'm stealing Krissy's first one. <.g>

Where were you born (city or state or just country)?
Oak Park, IL, just outside of Chicago. That's where the hospital was, anyway. LOL Don't know why there, since we lived on the very outskirts of downtown then, but there ya go.

What is your favorite number?
I don't know that I have one. It was 13 for a long time, because of BSC, but 17 is jumping out at me now.

Vanilla or chocolate?
Vanilla...I'm allergic to chocolate. <.g> So while I love it, it kills me.

What section of a bookstore would I find you in?
Every bit of it. LOL I tend to start in the mystery section, move to nonfic-history, then literature, then YA (for Buffy!), and then wherever catches my fancy. But those are the ones I always hit.

What kind of mattress do you have on your bed? soft? firm? water?
Firm. I cannot stand mushy mattresses. My mom's is all mushy and I complain every time I'm in there. <.g> I like my mattress to be like a rock, thank you very much. LOL

Posted by rina at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy Friday!

1. What's your favorite vacation spot?
I don't tend to go to exotic places. <.g> I suppose my favorite spot I've been to is the Chesapeake Bay, last summer with the Gangster Babes. I love the Wisconsin Dells, though, and my family goes every year for the RTS reunion. So I guess those places are top in my book.

2. Where do you consider to be the biggest hell-hole on earth?
I've never been to a bad place, I don't think. The closest I suppose I could come would be to say Hannibal, MO based on the fact that it's so out in nowheresland that they don't even have an ABC station (horrifying to a 12 year old watching evach ABC soap), and most of the places close by 7, but I loved the place at the time, I love it now, and I still want to go back.

3. What would be your dream vacation?
Prince Edward Island. I've been wanting to go there since I was 9 years old and saw Megan Follows in the Anne movies. I loved the descriptions in the book, but I couldn't believe they were real until the movies. When I saw it was just as lovely now, I was in love.

4. If you could go on a road-trip with anyone, who would it be and why?
Erin, definitely. Gosh, that would be so much fun! I love spending time with her, and us in a car is just hysterical. Even knowing where we're going gets us lost. <.g> We'd see a half million things we never intended to. LOL

5. What are your plans for this weekend?
I'm gonna interview Krissy and Eric, finish my Lambs story, work on my Basez story, unveil a fun little project I've been working on this week, and if I'm feeling ambitious, do a reading for 386. LOL In otherwords, I'm going to have a fun, relaxing weekend if it freaking kills me. LOL

Posted by rina at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Friday Five! Yay!

1. What was the first thing you ever cooked?
Wow, I have no idea. It would have been a long, long time ago. What I first remember making, though, is peanut butter cookies with my great-grandmother. She moved back to Chicago, from California, when I was about 5, and she is known for her PB cookies. Everytime she came over, we would make them. This year, I made some for her for Christmas. <.g>

2. What's your signature dish?
Um, pear-lime jello, probably. LOL Also homemade mac and cheese...it's kinda similar to Krissy's sehr yummy recipe, but not quite. I make the jello for every holiday and get together my family has, and usually the mac and cheese anytime I'm home over a weekday.

3. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn't work, etc.) Describe.
HA! LOL! I am the queen of cooking disasters. There was the time I read the Stovetop Stuffing box wrong and put in too much water and too little stuffing mix. (I mixed up the columns.) Oh, then there was the classic time I was making homemade rice pudding, left the spoon in the pot while I checked something, and came back to melted plastic accenting my pudding. And the time I made jello, but I didn't, because I went to dump out the hot water into the sink, and, uh, forgot that I was in my new house and not the old one and dumped the water into the stove. Because in my old house, all I would have had to do was turn a bit and dump, but of course my new kitchen was set up differently. <.g> I know there are lots more over the years, but I can't remember them all. LOL

4. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal?
Hmm, I don't know, actually. I'd love to know how this one hotel restaurant made the most amzingly delicious stuffed french toast. With perfectly cooked bacon, and juicy sausage, and I want MEAT, damn it. LOL

5. What are you doing this weekend?
Studying. <.sigh> I have the 376 exam on Wednesday and artic on Thursday. I did get 4 of 5 chapters on the study guide done last night, though, which should help. Now to learn diacritics and phonetic processes and that binary chart. But the test is only 40 questions! I don't know how detailed she wants things. But yeah, I'm considering commandeering the DVD player downstairs and watching movies while I study. Oh, and ice dancing starts tonight, which is very exciting. It's not going to be the greatest of weekends, but it'll be over and that will be good. <.g>

Posted by rina at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)