Lazy blogging

Thanks to Gabrielle for this meme...

What were you doing ten years ago?
Let’s see, January 1996 I was still in college…my second-to-last quarter at UC San Diego was just starting about now. I was living in a three-bedroom townhouse in La Jolla, with my friends Brittney and Meredith. Unfortunately I have no idea where they are now, or what they are up to. Last I heard Britt was working with autistic children in San Diego, and Mer was going to grad school in upstate NY. Anyway, I had just returned from Fall Quarter at Dartmouth, which was an incredible experience. It was my second plane trip ever, and my first (and so far, only) visit to New England. I was in awe of the landscape...the foliage was breathtaking, and then of course the first time it snowed I was beside myself. The history classes kicked my butt (Two B’s?? How dare they?!) but it’s Ivy League, after all. Back in So Cal things were easier. I think around January is when I started volunteering at a local middle school, in preparation for applying to teaching credential programs. We know how that ended up.

What were you doing one year ago?
One year ago I was living in Playa del Rey, right near the LAX airport. It’s funny the amount of noise pollution people will put up with to be near the beach. I loved that my commute was only 5 minutes, but I did not love that I had to sell my condo and practically all my furniture in order to cram myself into a single bedroom. I was working for the Josephson Institute of Ethics as an instructional designer and editor. I loved the work, both in terms of the actual tasks I performed, as well as how it was all driven by our mission. I loved my department. You could not ask for a brighter, funnier, kinder bunch of guys. The only snag was the king, as he liked to call himself.

Five Snacks You Enjoy:
1. Baked Doritos, nacho cheese or cool ranch flavor
2. Cheez It Twisterz, cheddar and more cheddar flavor (they taste like Kraft mac & cheese!)
3. Honey roasted peanuts
4. Hershey kisses, mint flavor (only available around the holidays, alas)
5. String cheese (but only if it’s firm and dry; mushy wet string cheese is gross)

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
I love singing along to my favorite artists, so picking just five songs is hard.
1. 10,000 Maniacs – Headstrong
2. Natalie Merchant – Not in This Life
3. Alanis Morissette – Hands Clean
4. Kelly Clarkson – Beautiful Disaster
5. Sarah McLachlan – Answer

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Quit my job. Wait…
2. Travel. In style.
3. Buy a house.
4. Furnish it.
5. Get massages three times a week.

Five Bad Habits:
1. Spending too much time on the computer
2. Staying up and sleeping in too late
3. Not picking up after myself
4. Saving everything like a packrat
5. Being too critical of myself and others

Five Things You Like Doing:
1. Reading blogs (see #1 above)
2. Taking pictures
3. Checking my change for state quarters
4. Eating out
5. Road trips

Five Things You Would Never Wear or Buy Again:
I’m going with “buy”
1. a L’Open pass (tour bus in Paris)
2. a chicken cheesesteak sandwich from Rick’s at Reading Terminal in Philly
3. Mediaworks cable tv/internet service
4. a Kia Rio (okay, so I didn’t buy it the first time; renting one is warning enough!)
5. Red Heart “plush” yarn--it takes forever to make a scarf!

Five Favorite Toys:
1. Computer & the internet
2. DVD recorder
3. Digital camera
4. iPod
5. Knitting needles

Five People I’m Tagging:
1. Tammie
2. Gabrielle
3. Kathy
4. Teri
5. Larry