Questions from Jo

Since I think I win the "Most Inconsistent Blogger in the World" award, and I currently find myself with 5 free minutes, I thought I'd take my friend Jo up on her challenge and answer the questions she posed on her blog.

Officially I should be passing this on by follow the rules listed in Jo's post, but I'm not much of a pass on-er, so I'll post some questions at the end and leave it to the little group of family and friends who read this blog to decide if they would like to share their answers!  Besides, my friends have already tagged most of the people I know who blog. ;)

So, here are my answers:

1.  What is your favorite 'crafty' thing to do?

Currently it's knitting.  As you saw on my previous post, I've resumed my attempt at learning to knit after a one year hiatus, and so far I'm pretty pleased with the results. I find knitting relaxing, and I seem to be okay enough at it now not to get frustrated with the results of my efforts.  I'm looking forward to learning to purl and make designs down the road.

2.  First CD you owned?
Ace of Base's "The Sign" album.  Haha, good times.

3.   Do you parallel park or drive around the block?
 Parallel park, but really I should probably say "make my husband drive."

4.  Favorite subject in school?
That would be a toss up between Science/Biology/Environmental Science and English.  I suppose most of you would tell me I should pick science since that's more aligned with where I've ended up in my career, but perhaps it goes back to the way I would describe myself in college: artsy science geek.  I love Shakespeare and English classics, poetry, young adult fiction,  and writing in general.  And I won awards for both subjects when I graduated from high school, so I'd say my teachers will back me up on the duality.

5.  Do you have any phobias?
Penguins (Doo-be-doo-be-doo).  Elevators.  Skyscrapers.  Enough said.

6.  Do you prefer to take the picture or be in them? (or both!)
Most definitely take.  I do not consider myself photogenic.  But I also would rather take photos of nature than people...so perhaps the answer is neither?!  I have been saying that I want to take more pictures of Dave and me, but I clearly have not been very successful.  Whoops!

7.  What is the strangest talent you have?
I have this strange internal calendar.  I can often tell you what day of the week a particular date is months in advance, or I know mine and Dave's plans on a particularly weekend even if they are not noteworthy.  I always seem to do a lot of scheduling in my jobs, so I guess it crosses my personal and professional skill set!

8.  Furthest you have traveled from home?
Let's see, I'd probably have to get into Google Maps to tell you for sure which place is the farthest, but I've been to Thailand, Malaysia, Bali, and China, as well as Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

9.  What is your favorite movie genre?
Hmm.  I guess romantic comedies for something light and fun, but drama for more staying power.  I tend to feel most impressed by films that push boundaries, often those that start as independent films.  It really depends on my mood, but I'm definitely one to watch things over and over (as Dave will attest).  I always appreciate great cinematography, and as with literature I enjoy character development.

10.  Name one person you'd like to meet and why?
That's tough!  I've been fortunate to have some amazing role models and mentors who I know personally.  For a historical figure, I'd love to meet Queen Elizabeth, since I'm fascinated by Elizabethan England and she was such a strong and influential woman.  Someone alive today...hmmm...it probably sounds cliche, but I would love to meet the President and First Lady.  I think it would be fascinating to talk to them about what's happening in the world today and the challenges they face.

11. What drives you to succeed? 
Good question.  Wow, that's hard to answer.  I think I'm strongly self-motivated, in that I have high expectations of myself.  Certainly I'm motivated by my love of nature and my belief that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of the environment.  Connected to that I would say that as an environmentalist I have to remain optimistic, and in that sense I'm motivated by a belief in the goodness in people.  Likewise, as an educator I'm strongly motivated by my students (and mentees).  I chose education because it's the only career path I've found that keeps me motivated to be my best - I want to be a better teacher and produce better programs for learners, and I feel a great responsibility and accountability in teaching.

Okay, questions for those who would like to participate:
1. What is your first memory?
2. What is your favorite "guilty pleasure" song?
3. What would you chose for your last meal?
4. If you could have a swimming pool filled with anything you wanted, what would you chose?
5. What are you currently reading?
6. If you could go on a one-day vacation right now, no strings attached and no travel time involved, where would you go?
7. What is your "special place" (open to your interpretation)?
8. If money were no object, what kind of home would you chose and where would it be located?
9. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning?
10. What book do you think everyone should read?
11. What is your goal for the year 2012 (one thing, that above anything else you want to accomplish)?