R13

Here are 13 random inquiries, courtesy of KevBayer:

1. Share one random item that has special meaning to you.
It's hard to pick just one, since I've never discarded anything and every object has some sentimental value, from action figures who were “alive” to me when I played with them as a child to little buttons my ex-girlfriend gave me back before we had started dating, when I liked her but thought she'd never go for me. I guess if I had to share just one, I'd go with my favorite sunglasses just because of all the events we've been through together.

2. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet?
Trick question; I do not keep shoes in my closet. There's probably a pair of sneakers in my basement that I use when mowing the lawn that could be anywhere from 5-10 years old, and one even older durable pair of boots I only break out for paintball once a year. The regular shoes I wear every day, normally kept by the door on my way out of the house, are almost a year old, which is close to the normal lifespan of standard everyday shoes.

3. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety?
I did not. The last time one of the mothers in my office was selling her daughter's cookies, I think I went with chocolate chip, or plain with fudge stripes.

4. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to?
No, and probably not, unless I was trying to impress a lady.

5. Were you a responsible child/teenager?
If you were to ask my parents, probably not. If you were to ask me then, I would have said yes. I did my homework, I've never done drugs, and I didn't drink until my Senior year of college. I probably could have helped out more around the house though, and as an adult I try to make up for that and do what I can, when I can.

6. How many of this year's Oscar-nominated movies did you see?
Looking through nominees in the various categories from 2010, I saw NINE films, four of which were in the “Best Picture” category. I bet you can guess which ones....

7. If you're going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done to yourself?
I have no problem having blood drawn, but as a safety precaution I've always chosen to look anywhere other than the tube in my arm. Occasionally at a blood drive I'll look at other people in the room and it doesn't make me feel faint, but I have a feeling if I saw the same thing happening to myself my reaction might be different. I might be fine, but I figure I shouldn't chance it.

8. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
I like Friday, because it represents the longest time between leaving work and going back on Monday. Saturday mornings are nice outside of band season, but the afternoon is usually broken up by going to church with my mom. Sunday is also a day I might have a music gig, if I'm not taking care of the lawn at home or at my dad's other property. But on Friday night, I can stay up late, and eat whatever I want, and not have to stress about what I have to do the next day.

9. Do you miss anyone right now?
I anticipate missing my mom's cat Cubby. He's still on antibiotics, and is actually walking a little better, although his front legs seem to be giving him trouble. His appetite is gone and my mom has been feeding him with an eyedropper, and he's still not urinating without veterinary assistance. When he does walk, he seems to want to go in corners or under furniture. The antibiotics might yet do the job, but based on past experience, I've seen these signs before. He never cared for me like our other cat, and always squirmed when I tried to pick him up, but I still see the tiny kitten my mom brought home 14 years ago, and I've cried a few times at the thought of what may be about to happen.

10. Do hospitals make you queasy?
I'm fine with hospitals, having plenty of experience spending time there, either for myself or my parents. The one thing in hospitals that does make me nervous is IV lines. I'm so afraid of stepping on one and giving someone a fatal air bubble, even though I know there are safeguards built in to regulate and prevent that. I was really uncomfortable in the first room my dad was in after his heart bypass. He had several IVs with antibiotics and saline solutions, a trach-tube helping his breathing, a line in his neck going directly to his heart, three tubes draining blood from his abdomen, and a wire in his chest attached to a portable pacemaker. Every time my mom got too close I'd warn her to watch she didn't step on any of the tubes. It doesn't make me queasy, but I do get extremely nervous, and the beeping of the monitors doesn't help.

11. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?
I never would max out my card, but if I were to do so anywhere, Best Buy would be the best bet, with Target a close second.

12. Are you true to the brand names of products/items?
I could care less about brands, for the most part. There are a few electronics brands that tend to be my first choice based on good past experience, but I don't buy any one brand exclusively. And I really don't care about clothing brands at all.

13. Which is more difficult: looking into someone's eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone's eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels?
The former, unless the latter part of the question literally is asking about a he/she...