Saturday 9: You’re My Best Friend

1. Outside of your romantic life, do you currently have a best friend?
If I had to choose one person, I’d say it’s Cousin O’Cool – I think I’ve mentioned this before but despite my being eighteen years her senior, she is like my big sister. She’s smart, wise, funny and tells it like it is to me. If I were doing something seriously dumbass, she’d be the one to call me on it. (And I’d listen.) I can whine to her, be 12 with her and generally just be myself with her and that is a good feeling. We were close when she was little (she was like my own child) and then went our separate ways while she was in college and have since come back to being close again. We share a history and I know I could trust her with my secrets. (Plus, she’s going to let me call her baby Bella if I want. Just not in front of Duty or he’ll wig the hell out!)

2. Regarding your future, what is the best thing you could hope for?
That I retain my amazingly good health until my last day. I’ve been blessed with a strong constitution and rarely get sick. I think I take it for granted though I try not to. It’s my wish to keep that health as long as I can.

3. Have you ever helped out a friend with basic needs, like rent or food? If yes. what did you do?
Yes, I have. I prefer to do it on the downlow because it’s not something that I want to draw attention to. When Spirit nudges me, I respond. Here’s my most vivid example:

I often visited my mom in the nursing home and on sunny days would wheel her outside to get some fresh air. This one day I took her outside and she asked me to go to CVS and get her something. Odd request but she just wanted to sit outside while I ran the errand. On my way to the store, there was this young woman standing on the median strip by the light with a sign asking for money. She looked so … exhausted and sad. Everything about her screamed the word DEFEATED to me. It was a warm day so I ran into the store, got mom’s stuff plus a big bottle of water for this woman and some extra cash. I put the stuff in the car and then walked right over to her, with arms wide open and just hugged her for about five minutes in the middle of all this traffic going up and down the road. She cried in my arms, told me she and her kids were in a shelter from a domestic abuse situation. I just held her for as long as she needed me to. Gave her the money, gave her the water and told her she’d be okay. She pulled herself together, said thank you and I went back to my mom. My Guides told me not to speak of the event and it was three years before I was given the okay to mention it.

I know, as sure as my butt is on this couch, that I was sent there, at that moment, to do that work. I didn’t even know what I was going to do … I didn’t plan to hug her or anything. I just listened and acted. My Guides know that I will do that so when stuff like that happens, I just go with it and trust that I am where I need to be.

4. If they re-instituted the draft (for both genders and your were of age) would you go, or would find some way out of it?
I don’t know that I’d have anything to offer but I’d get ordained and go as a minister. Helping people is what I do best.

5. Tell us one thing you wish you hadn’t let yourself do.
Oh for fuck’s sake. ONE THING? ONE? THING? heh I wish I had not gained back the weight after I did the Master Cleanse last year. I feel bloaty and fat and very unhappy in my body.

6. Tell us about the last time you bragged.
I don’t like to brag but I’ll say yesterday when I congratulated myself right here on this blog for making it to the gym five days in a row.

7. What area are you wisest in?
I loved Gal’s answer and it seems to fit: “Other people’s lives. I’m a savant, able to solve everyone’s problems but my own.” THIS. in spades. Also, I’m really good at conversing with Spirit Guides. REALLY GOOD at it. heh

8. Tell us about something that happened that at the time made you “full of yourself”.
I think finishing the Master Cleanse last year (12 days of it!) and losing 15 pounds made me feel as if I could conquer the world.

9. Has there ever been a time that you wanted to try something in the bedroom, but were afraid to ask?
Nah. Back in the day, I was pretty vocal about stuff.

Saturday 9: Your Smiling Face

1. No matter what’s going on in your life, what always makes you smile?

Snuggling with kitty Sophia, holding babies, getting email from people I love, dancing

2. What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told?

Oh good Lord – I’m not putting that out here for all the world to see.  I will, however, admit to opening Christmas packages ahead of time for many years when I was a child and then lying my ass off about it when I was caught. I don’t do it any more (that you know of).

3. Do you hold a grudge?

Nah, it takes too much energy. I can nurse small ones occasionally, though. 

4. What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

I worked for T. Rowe Price back in the day in an area where we computed portfolio performance by hand. (This was before the advent of computers, kids.  Circa 1988) The co-workers were bitchy, I was out of my element, I was put on probation for making so many mistakes (truth be told, I don’t know how I got the job or why because math never was my strong suit) – I cried and cried and cried and felt like I was in prison.  It was awful.

5. What would be your dream job?

I’d love to do Spirit Guide readings, spiritual coaching and teach others to access that ability within themselves.  That and, of course, follow Cookie and Hal around the country.

6. What is the happiest event you’ve experienced?

Passing my Series 7 test (stock broker’s license) was a pretty damn big deal for me.  It took me a couple tries to get it right but I did it.  Also, fitting into size 10 jeans a year after gastric bypass surgery. I looked good and I knew it. It was great.

7. What is the saddest thing you’ve experienced?

Understanding that it was Lauren’s soul’s wish to leave this earth and knowing that I had no ability to stop it or go in her place.  (I tried bargaining, oh yes I did. Many were the nights I talked with my Guides begging them to take me instead. They told me it doesn’t work that way. But I would have gone without hesitation or regret. If I could go back in time and make that deal, I would do it this very moment. (I’d kiss all my pets and post a note here to let you know.)

8. Do you tend to exaggerate or underestimate?

Well, I tend to drama it up a bit because I’m emo like that.

9. List the cars that you have owned. Give us just a few words about each one.

As a senior in high school, I drove the family station wagon that had only am radio – yes, I listened to am radio and the warblings of Andy Gibb on my way to school. 

Next up was a 67 mustang convertible that my idiot uncle talked me into buying. It was always breaking down or crapping out. It was a piece ‘o shit car but for about three seconds I looked good in it.

Then no car for quite a while.  That was fun. (not)  Metro buses and a mom who will come fetch you were lifesavers.

My aunt kindly bought me used car (an escort with no air conditioning. That was a sweatbox – good God!) This was totaled in an accident soon into my ownership (not my fault at all – crazy ass teenager rushing to get home before curfew flew through five lanes of traffic on a red light and hit me broadside.) and I was once again left without a car.

Which brings me to my beloved Geo Metro – I ran the hell out of that car and loved it to pieces. One of my co-workers called it the “crazy clown car”. 

After that was my Ford Taurus which I loved to pieces also.  Great car.  Hated giving that one up.

Second to the last stop was my Toyota Carolla which I also loved but Duty made me trade it in for a Prius.  I like the Prius (and it was in the Good Liberal’s handbook as the only car I should be driving – heh) but I loved my carolla. 

Saturday 9: Should I Stay or Should I Go

1. Have you ever been on a date and you had to tell the person to just go away?
Not while I was on the date but I have had ones that I wished were over more quickly than they were. Once I got into meeting people from the online world, I didn’t have that issue overly much.

2. Do you wish you were someplace else right now? If yes, where?
I’d like to be at a spa of some kind, getting pampered, rubbed, pedicured, and finish the evening with a glass (or 30) of wine. Might you know where I can find such a place?

3. Do you have any pet peeves?
More like do I NOT have any? That’d be the quicker answer, I think. I do have some quirks, yes. Off the top of my head, I CAN NOT STAND people standing by my desk having a chat fest. Move your ass over to the corner. I also am not fond of know-it-alls who try to make others feel stupid. Then I worry that I am one of those know-it-alls. Can someone reassure me I’m not?

4. Tell us about a guilty pleasure of yours.
Just one? Poots. I like eating the crusts of leftover slices of pizza. I’m like a little rat who likes to gnaw on them and will steal them from any piece I see around.

5. If you could change places and become a celebrity, who would you’d like to be?
Hmmm … I’d like to be Michelle Obama – she’s a strong, intelligent woman, accomplished in her own right. I have a feeling she’d take no shit. I like that.

6. What do you consider your biggest talent?
Besides conversing with people’s Spirit Guides, you mean? I think my ability to communicate in writing is what I’m known for, at least in my family. (I’m also quite good at deciphering someone’s feelings through their words but that’s probably the empath part of me working.)

7. Do you have a favorite actor/actress that is not a big star, yet they are your favorite?
Not really – Cookie isn’t an actor so I can’t claim that and Sparkela is already somewhat well known, so can’t claim that. I did, however, love Prince before ANYONE had ever heard of him. Does that count?

8. Name your five favorite rock bands of all time.
I don’t think I have five – but I’ll try: U2, Steely Dan (not really a band but close), Heart – that’s all I’ve got for now.

9. If you were to start a new relationship (for whatever reason), how much of your sexual history would you share? Would you resort to lying?
I’d share whatever I deemed appropriate. I have no diseases or other pressing medical issues and would happily share that but otherwise, I’d share on a “need to know” basis.