An Interview, subject me.

I’ve been interviewed. I took the challenge from blogger Sarah, and she sent me the following questions to ponder and answer...

1) What is one food you could not live without?
CHEESE. Hands down. I love it all. I love trying new cheese about as much as trying new wines, and pairing the two is divine. Sharp white cheddar is a fave. I have also grown to like blue cheese & gorgonzola very much. Smoked gouda is gooda (hehe) and for me, you can’t miss with swiss, especially gruyere. Yum. But I’m also not a cheese snob, give me a reduced fat stick of string cheese and I’m also good to go! The ONLY cheese I’ve come across that I am not a huge fan of is feta.

2) If you had the ability to cure one disease/illness/affliction in this world, what would you choose, and why?
Wow. Just one? Ok, I think that there is a lot of attention on physical disease & illness, but there is a scary silence around mental illness. I would love to “cure” depression, anxiety and any personality disorders… those afflictions that so many of our neighbors, friends and family may be dealing with, yet we may never be aware. Curing these common afflictions would not only leave millions of individuals to lead a better life, but would result in a stronger, more productive society as a whole.

3) Where do you find inspiration in life?
I have always been attracted to people, places and things that are different from me. That scares some people, but it inspires me for sure. For me, new settings bring fresh perspectives. I like to pick the brains of people who have lived where I have never lived, or visited where I have never visited. Accents also fascinate me, as well as regional dialects. I like speaking to people with opposing views from me because it either fires me up & affirms my beliefs or makes me take a step back and challenges them, but either way I am renewed and invigorated. I also am inspired by people with talents that I do not have, like musicians (though I have never picked up an instrument) and artists (though I can hardly paint-by-number), etc. because, even if they don’t make me pick up a Guitar or become the next Van Gogh, they do inspire me to be creative in my own right.

4) What is the funniest thing you have ever experienced?
I think everything is funny. I know it’s a cop-out, but this is a hard one! I laugh easily. And often. I was actually voted “Best Laugh” in high school, lol. (see!) I also can laugh at myself quite easily, making it hard to recall truly embarrassing moments in my life, because I’m rarely mortified. I do have one funny story AFTER the fact. Once, I had to have the Heimlich maneuver while on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in L.A. I was on the job, shooting a TV commercial and I choked on a piece of beef. The act of choking = not funny. The events that ensued and the entire story looking back on it = very funny. Since photos of the real Heimlich Maneuver are not funny, here is a useful and less scary dog-version:

5) What is your favorite tradition from your childhood?
One of my favorite childhood traditions is when we used to go apple picking, go to the pumpkin patch and also when we used to go cut down our Christmas tree. I don’t know if I’m allowed to lump those all into one category, but my memory throws these in the same basket so I think it counts! There is something about going outdoors in the cool weather as a family that makes me smile when I think of it. And the festivities that ensue when you arrive home with your goodies is the best part: mom making apple crisp, dad helping us carve a jack-o-lantern and of course trimming the tree as a family. As we got older (I am the oldest of 3 sisters), we ate less hand-picked apples, got our pumpkins from the grocery store and eventually bought a fake tree – maybe because we got busier or maybe because us girls appreciated the outings less as we got older, but now I have fond memories of those younger years.

Thanks for making me think, Sarah! And hopefully you all learned something you didn't already know about me. If anyone else wishes to continue this trend, leave me your email address and I'll send you 5 questions, too.