My Answers to Julie Nipp’s Chain Forwarded Email, “Getting to Know You 2007”

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:15

2. Diamonds or pearls? No jewelry, I lose it.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Charlotte’s Web.

4. What is your favorite TV show? The Odd Couple.

5. What did you have for breakfast? Stawberry-banana smoothie with flax seed, yogurt, and OJ with pulp.

6. What is your middle name? Lin. Spelled just like that.

7. What is your favorite food? Salted peanuts in the shell, maybe. Like at baseball games. Or cured meats, olives and salty cheese.

8. What foods do you dislike? Desserts -- cakes, cookies, candy, ice cream … blick.

9. What are your favorite chips? Salty tortilla chips with fresh salsa.

10. Favorite CD at the moment? The Crane Wife, (The Decemberists), and Charlie Parker: Verve Years (1952-1954).

11. What kind of car do you drive? Oh, that’s not fair, I am so not telling! A. has a BMW and sometimes I drive that, it’s all you need to know.

12. Favorite sandwich? For years and years it was grilled cheese and bacon with tomato. The best diner sandwich you can get on the east coast, but I’m not there anymore so I guess BLT and French dip if I make it. Though Wildwood in Mac comes close to my exacting standards.

13. What are characteristics you cannot stand? Slow-turners … people who slow down too much when they turn … and also people who don’t pay enough attention to me, I can’t stand that.

14. What are your favorite clothes? Black. Black clothes. I’d wear black all night and all day because it’s easy.

15. If you could go anywhere on vacation where would you go? Good God this thing is long … I don’t know, Borneo.

16. Where would you want to retire? Passaic, New Jersey. Ha ha, kidding. Bosnia.

17. What is your favorite time of day? Night.

18. Where were you born? Seattle

19. Favorite sports team? I don’t know … Yankees, I guess, to keep peace in the family.

20. What is your favorite sport to watch? Baseball with A., he makes it very intellectual, explains all the nuance.

21. Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke.

22. Beavers or ducks? Who cares? (Full disclosure, I was a Beaver.)

23. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night. Owl.

24. Pedicure or manicure? Pedi

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to tell us? Howard’s coming over to set up my treadmill Monday.

26. What did you want to be when you grew up? A checker at Safeway, I liked all the buttons.

27. What is your best childhood memory? I don’t know, kittens and thunderstorms.

28. Ever been to Africa ? No.

29. Ever been toilet papering? Nope.

30. Been in a car accident? Yes.

31. Favorite day of the week? Friday.

32. Favorite restaurant? Bistro Maison.

33. Favorite flower? Gerbera Daisy.

34. Favorite ice-cream? Nothing. Yuk.

35. Favorite fast food restaurant? Burgerville.

36. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Once. So?

37. From whom did you get your last e-mail? NetFlix.

38. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I don’t like stores. Or credit cards.

39. Bedtime? 10-ish, I guess. Or sometimes 2:00.

40. Last person you went to dinner with? A. He had New York strip Steak with gorgonzola, I had the cioppino.

41. What are you listening to right now? Some dumb HGTV show A. was watching and left on when he went in the other room.

42. What is your favorite color? Blue.

43. How many tattoos do you have? None.

44. What are you going to do when you’ve finished this? Eat some ice cream and count my tattoos.