In Which I Respond to My Interview Questions

Well, I'll get right to it since I have a lot to write and it's after midnight...

To Answer Suze's Questions:
1. We were not only band geeks but flute-playing band geeks in middle and high school together. What was the best part of band (if any) and the worst? Don't hold back :)
I was going to write something else, but I just spared you all the torture of looking into my twisted psyche and I'll give an answer that is only part of the truth: I loved being wrapped up in the music, in having it take over my mind, body and spirit and letting me help craft something that is beyond the everyday drudgery of life. Music can manipulate emotions, can take you into realms in your heart and soul you didn't know existed. That's what I loved about it. I also loved being in the flag corps. I got to be a physical embodiment of the music. I love to move to music; I can't sit still. That was awesome.
What did I consider the worst part? All the cretins who were only in band because they thought it would be an easy "A". I used to get so mad when we'd be working on something, and it was nothing but spitwads flying, people obviously not practicing, etc. Then I got to the point where I didn't care anymore, because it was obvious the band instructors didn't care enough to make the students care, etc.

2. Name one aspect of Texas culture you have absorbed, whether you meant to or not.
The pronunciation thing. Back in Kentucky, I would use Anglicized pronunciation no matter what. Down here, I'm starting to learn the proper TexMex pronunciation. One thing I'll never do that they do, though, is call my son or daughter "Daddy" or "Mama". That drives me nuts.

Oh, and I listen to a LOT more country music now!

3. What's the nicest thing someone's done for you lately?
Today, two women I don't know came up to me in church and prayed for me to have the strength to forgive myself, love myself and have the strength to stop dwelling on mistakes I've made in the past, and instead look ahead and live for the future. All they knew was that I came up during prayer/fellowship at the end of the service. What's awesome (and I mean that as "awe inspiring", not some gnarly thrasher-speak) is that I didn't say what I was coming forward for, just a request for prayer on an unspoken subject.

4. If you saw Bill Gates drop a $100 bill, would you keep it, or give it back to him?
I'd be sorely tempted to keep it (I mean, c'mon! He's Bill Gates! He's got so much money he won't miss one measly bill!), but then my conscience would point out that an omission of telling him he dropped it is the same as a lie, so then I'd have to give it back (drat!).

5. If time and money were no issue, what hobby would you pursue with the most enthusiasm?
I have to choose one? Okay, if I didn't have to split my focus between work and school, and had all the time and money in the world, I'd start collecting degrees. I'd keep going back to college over and over again and get different degrees - archaeology, anthropology, sociology, drama, art, music, Russian, American Sign Language Interpreting, musical theatre, dance, latin, english, egyptology, library science and information processing, medieval history, women's studies, early childhood education, law, psychology. Shall I go on with the list of things I would study? And while I was a student, I would audition and be in every theatre production they have. I miss acting!

To Answer Animal's Questions:
1) If your dream job existed, what would it be, and where?
That's a really tough question! As of right now, my career goal is to be Director of Children's Programming in a public library setting. This way, I get to use my acting skills when I put on readings and performances for children, I get to make them think about new things (What would happen if an elephant sneezed?), and I get to introduce them all the all the wonderful books and words that exist in the world. The only thing better than that would be to write the books myself.

2) You get to sit front row at the concert of your choice; who are you going to see?
Any concert? There's a lot of great music out there, dude! But I think for pure entertainment purposes and so I could marvel at their inventiveness, it would have to be STOMP. The only thing better would be if STOMP teamed up with Savion Glover. Now THAT would be cool!

3) What do you dread the most about Jamie's teenage years?
The first time he works up the courage and enough anger at life in general to blame me for the fact that he's grown up without a daddy. Oh, and trying to teach him how to shave.

4) Give a short list of discs you'd want if you were stranded on a desert island.
Well, assuming I'd actually have some sort of power generator that I could actually listen to them, I'd choose - Green Day, Phantom of the Opera, Jekyll and Hyde: The Gothic Musical Thriller, Carmina Burana, Sugar Land, The Dixie Chicks, OK Go, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, baroque music in general, The Cranberries, Metallica, Chicago, Steve Taylor, Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, The Ramones, Concrete Blonde, David Bowie, Les Miserables, Gershwin, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Brian Setzer Orchestra/Stray Cats, Cyndi Lauper, Thompson Twins, Duran Duran, Guns N Roses, Poison, Velvet Revolver, Cole Porter, U2, Simply Red, UB40, Celtic music in general, Eminem, Beastie Boys, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones (classic stones), Twisted Sister, Shakespeares Sister, Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Skid Row, Live, Pink, Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Beach Boys, Beatles... oh, wait, you said a SHORT list, didn't you?

5) How did you first develop your relationship with Jesus?
In little fits and spurts. I'm still developing it, actually. I have a problem with being able to love myself and forgive myself enough to think anyone else could find me significant enough to love. But I'm learning. So I guess you could say I'm still learning to open my heart enough to let Him in so we can have a relationship.


If anybody wants me to interview them, drop me a comment here and I'll try to squeeze in time to oblige you. (Oh, and some of you are getting questions even if you don't ask for them!) But for now, it's after 1 a.m., and I have to work tomorrow (today?).