I’m Such a Survey Slut

Questions swiped from , who credits . Answers purely mine.

1. WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR LJ USERNAME?
It's a variation on the spelling of 'zenobia' which has been my email ID and online nic since about 1993. It was taken when I started my LJ.

2. NAME FIVE [5] OF YOUR FAVORITE PIG-OUT FOODS.

-Braeburn apples and extra sharp cheddar cheese (together)
-Rice pudding
-Thin/crispy crust cheese pizza
-Bagels and cream cheese (no fruit flavors, that's just wrong)
-Sushi

3. HAVE YOU EVER HAD A MAKEOVER?
Yes.

4. HAVE YOU EVER WITNESSED DEATH?
No. And I won't attend open-casket funerals, either. But that's because I don't like seeing people I love looking like wax fruit.

5. WHAT'S THE LONGEST TIME YOU'VE STAYED OUT OF THE COUNTRY/WHERE?
A week in Baja Sur over Christmas.

6. ONE THING YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR, TODAY.
That the sun has come up. Every new day is a gift.

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY?
Freshman Shakespeare Trip.

8. WHAT IS THE MOST INSANE THING YOU'VE DONE FOR/TO YOUR LOVE?
I moved to South Dakota, and stayed for three years.

9. DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM WEDDING.
I had it. A humanist ceremony, my grandmother as ring-bearer, no fuss, no angst, just love. And chocolate.

10. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE DOING WHEN YOU ARE 60?
Living at the beach, writing a lot, and gardening.

11. WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY?
The sound of foghorns at night.

12. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE QUOTE? WHAT IS IT?
Sappho: “If you are squeamish, do not disturb the beach rubble.”

13. MY FIRST HEARTBREAK HAPPENED WHEN I WAS …
… 4, and I was dragged away from being able to see my grandparents every day, when we moved from NJ to CO.

14. THE SCHOOL PICTURE YOU BURIED IN YOUR BOTTOM DRAWER?
Is somewhere in my mother's storage unit, I think. I liked it. I wore a pink tie-dyed blouse and a very cool straw hat.

15. DO YOU HAVE ANY WEIRD PREFERENCES? WHAT ARE THEY?
Um…I like peanut butter and banana sandwiches? Sexual preferences, I'm not at liberty to reveal without first asking . Oh…I prefer that bras don't have little bows (as in ribbons) in the center.

16. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
They seem to have a tendency to start a compelling project about five minutes before a meal, or an appointment. This boggles me.

17. WHAT DO YOU BUY WHEN YOU BUY YOURSELF A 'GUILTY PLEASURE' THAT ISN'T FOOD? WHY?
Books, stationery supplies, hats, and greetng cards.

18. NAME ONE CHARACTER IN A BOOK YOU'D MOST WANT TO BE.
Mmm. When I was little I wanted to be Jo March or Harriet Walsch. Now…mmm…Anne Hastings (from the old Allen Drury novel) or Cleo Spearefield (from Spearefield's Daughter). Or any of the women in an Anne Rivers Siddons novel, but only for a few days.

19. IF YOU WERE FAMOUS, AND WERE TO BE A GUEST ON A TALK SHOW, WHOSE SHOW WOULD YOU CHOOSE? WHY?
I don't even /watch/ talk-shows. But I fantasize about telling Martha Stewart to pull her hair out of her face

20. OMITTED

21. DO YOU HAVE ANY WEIRD SLEEPING HABITS?
Cool air temp, heavy covers (not necessarily warm, but heavy), and white noise are all things I require. And I don't like sleeping at other people's houses.

22. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FLAW?
A combination of naivete, shyness, and being judgemental.

23. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG RIGHT NOW?
This changes too often.
But “Stars and the Moon” and “Vienna” are perennial favorites, as is “Someone Like You” from J&H

24. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES IN THESE CATEGORIES: HUMOR, ROMANCE, DRAMA, ACTION, HORROR?
Humor: A Fish Called Wanda
Romance: Chocolat
Drama: The Lover (European Version)
Action: The Fugitive
Horror: Shadow of the Vampire

25. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISNEY SONG?
Colors of the Wind.

26. DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM HOUSE.
Weatherd wooden house, driftwood gray, though it would probably have been slate blue, originally. Lots of windows. A turret of some kind, and a widow's walk. On the coast. A fireplace and a gourmet kitchen are essential, as is a truly indulgent bathroom.

27. YOUR TYPICAL SLEEPWEAR:
I have an amazing array of sleepshirts and pajamas, but they're really lounge-wear. Let's leave it at that.

28. WHAT'S IN YOUR CLOSET?
Clothes, hats, shoes, lots of shoes, a bunch of boxes that is supposed to move out of the closet, and a couple stray swords.

29. WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU'VE EVER WORN IN PUBLIC?
An antique Kimono

30. HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR WALLET RIGHT NOW?
$76.91 USD and $150 MXP

31. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF SHOES?
Black suede flats, slightly raised heels, slightly pointed toes. Bought them when I was 18, and have had them re-soled three times, and thinking of doing so again. No other shoe has made my feet feel so happy, since my fire-engine red Reeboks fell apart.

32. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR LIFE?
Lots of little things that are meaningful only to me.

33. HOW WAS YOUR SENIOR PROM?
Boycotted it, and went to Cayucas with friends instead. Great weekend, except for the fishhook in my toe.

34. TELL US ABOUT ANY OF YOUR BIRTHDAYS.
When I turned nine, my mother did a theme with the number nine, including a nine-fairie. When I turned 30, she had just moved to Baja, and sent presents to arrive every day for the week surrounding it, but most of my birthdays were horrid as a kid, because it's in mid-August, and no one was ever around.

35. WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT LOOKING AT OTHER PEOPLE?
I get the biggest kick out of people who have no sense of place. Like couples who think it's completely appropriate to have loud arguments in restaurants. But I still think like a drama student, so I watch to pick up how they walk/move/stand/gesture etc.

36. WHAT ARE THE FIRST FIVE THINGS YOU WOULD SPLURGE ON IF YOU WERE A BILLIONAIRE?
-Pay off all debt for self and immediate family.
-Hire a really good CPA to keep me sheltered from scary taxes
-Start a couple of businesses I've always dreamed about
-WRITE

37. WHAT IS YOUR DAILY BEFORE-GOING-TO-BED RITUAL?
Fill water glass, fill humidifier, plump pillows, general personal hygiene-related things, calling in the dogs, and putting goop in my eyes (now), before LASIK, about a half hour of reading once my conctacts were out.

38. WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST/FUNNIEST NICKNAME ANYONE HAS EVER CALLED YOU?
I've never been one to acquire nicknames. In fact, I hate them. I think people should be called what they wish to be called.

39. NAME THREE [3] OF YOUR FAVORITE CARTOON CHARACTERS
I honestly don't watch cartoons. (No, not even anime)

40. WHAT ARE THE MAGAZINES YOU READ ON A REGULAR BASIS?
Ms., Writer's Digest, Coastal Living, and Sunset (I know, I'm so disgustingly domestic)