Plan? A vacation? Like, in advance? None of this, "Hey guys, let's drive to Vegas!" while drinking in a bar and we wake up in a budget hotel with the smell of cheap purfume in the air and our wallets empty? :) Interesting concept. Although I may be too old for it, I'd like to try out this, back-packing through Europe idea. And like all good hitchhikers, you have to "Always know where your towel is." (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

If you were on a deserted island with one other person (living or non-living), who would it be?

My soul-mate. I'd not get bored with plenty of entertainment around.

What is your ideal mode of transportation? Not necessarily the most practical. ;)

I'd like to be able to wish myself anywhere -- or fax myself... but going with technology that's available -i'd settle for a helicopter from point a to point b... alas i have to settle for my feet or the bus :D

What are you wearing right now?

I'm wearing a pink and turquoise striped 3/4 length t-shirt and some jeans. Oh, and underwear. I really should put some socks on because my feet are cold.

Describe, in detail, a piece of furniture in your house.

We have a beautiful marble table that my parents found in a barn stuffed full of old antiques. As a family project, we sanded and re-stained the base, and worked very hard to clean the marble top. We got it when I was 12. My dad was a widower 12 years later when he married again and gave me most of the household furniture. I took it with me to Kansas. Then back again to NC, then into our first family household as a married couple, then to another apartment, then to our first home, and now to Northern Virginia, where it sits in the hallway. It’s a stunning table, oval, about hip high and maybe four times the size of a football.

Are you participating in lent?

I am a bad Catholic, so no.


What is blooming in your yard right now?

melting snowbanks
brown grass
dead looking trees
no sign of life yet but it was like spring today...

What are you looking forward to?

Snowboarding next weekend! Chicago the weekend after that! Not looking forward to the cold though.


Do you usually spring clean?

hehe...why?

have you ever been to Malta?

No, but the hubster has. He loved it.

What is your favorite movie?

Groundhog Day is worth seeing again ;)

Do you like to eat beef in stews or in slabs? Stir fry vs steak.

I prefer my beef to be of good quality and walked slowly thru a warm room -- stews are ok on occassion but generally the beef is too overcooked for my tastes... I also prefer a good steak over stir fry for the same reason - -stirfrying cookes the beef too much.

What do you like on your hamburgers?

I like cheese (blue, chedder, whatever), Relish, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato

What was the oddest film you ever sat through?

Tomatoes and ketchup only. Maybe cheese if I'm feeling daring. :D

EDIT: Ok, nevermind... the oddest film I sat through was Pi. Creepy and weird.

What is your favorite thing to wear?

The one that comes to mind is the new version of Moulin Rouge. My wife wanted it, and I didn't know the story line or anything. It was... surprising. Other than that, The Collector.

On elementary age athletics, are you of the "everybody gets a prize" mind or the "learn from agony of defeat" mind?

Learn from defeat starting in Grade 4.

Kindergarten to grade 3, it should be about having fun, getting exercise and learning how to participate in sport.

Are you getting ready for St. Patrick's Day yet?

yup - have a bunch of beer in the fridge... and am anxiously awaiting the company that I will be having for st patricks day... and have something suitable green to wear.... just need to find some green stuff to die the toilet water with and pretend like it's chicago :)

How much coffee have you had so far today? planning on any more?

Toaster: My favourite thing to wear, at this moment, is a Ben Sherman zip up sweater that I bought on Boxing Day.

Ben: Is it St. Patrick's Day already? I don't do much for that day anymore... I might wear green if I remember (it should be noted that my last name is the most common last name in Ireland).

Mal: I haven't had any today. I gave it up for Lent. I did have two cups of tea though.


Do you think educational policy should be dictated by the local community or by larger state (i.e. state or province)?

Education is too important to be left to the locals. You need the Big Dog's helping at every turn.

That, and you don't get a huge disparity from province to province or state to state.

If you had the opportunity to travel to the moon, but it meant a year away from your family, would you do it, just to be the first Civilian up there?

Hell yes!


What is your favourite vegetable?

hell no..........i gotta lot of shit to do here on earth yet.



are your windows covered with drapes or blinds?

*damn*


veggie = peas baby.......

Favorite veggie; mushrooms... or tomatoes - no wait that's a fruit... or eggplant... or zucchini - or snap peas-- pretty much anything except brocolli... i hate brocolli..

windows are covered with blinds...


Overhead lights of table/floor lamps -- why...

I like a good combination of the two...

Overhead lights so I can find something when I am looking for it (my house is dark) and smaller lights to set the mood.


What kind of roof does your dwelling have?

The kind with asphalt shingles.


What was your favorite class in high school?

There were many EVENTS in high school in each class that were awesome,

But I'll have to say Physics. I had a good teacher and all my friends took it too.

Ever torn a muscle? Which one? How?

blew my shoulder ligaments all to hell my grade 12 year of football........2nd last game.

i never got to play in the final.

3 operations later........all is good now.



car or truck?

Truck. I find it to be more versatile to my needs. My wife has the car, and that's what we use when we go someplace as a family. Other than that, I use my truck as my everyday conveyance.

What is the oldest thing in your home? (yourself excluded)

We have a writing desk that has never been officially appraised, but from all the research we've done, we can tell that most of it dates from the late 18th-early 19th century. There have been some additions to stabilize it through the years. We found it in the same barn we found the aforementioned marble table.

Who do you think will die in the next season of The Sopranos?

I don't know.

I think Paulie and Sil might go, but not by Tony. I'd like to see someone go valiantly.

What was your most memorable Christmas / Birthday gift?

The Vespa I gave my wife for Christmas a few years back. Long, long story.


What is your favourite soup?

Crab bisque, Osso Buco.


Where on the net did you like to surf in the late 90's?

The first website I really got hooked on back in the day, was Aintitcoolnews.com. I really enjoyed the scoops and candid reports from movie sets. After a couple of years though, I became disenchanted with the crowd there. Too self important, and too demanding. I think they've lost the ability to review a film with open minds and without self-serving expectations.

Have you ever seen something you weren't supposed to, through a neighbour's window?

I have. I was walking home one night and looked up to see a naked woman in the lighted window above... It was only a brief flash, but I'm sure I saw it.


Have you ever been to sea?

I lived in nyc for close to 15 years, and had a telescope for most of that time... YES... I saw plenty... :D

can you keep a secret?

Yes, yes I can keep a secret.


Have you ever been to sea?

No, Cap'n, BUT I'VE BEEN BLOWN ASHORE!!!


Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


What is your favorite joke?

My current favorite joke:

President Bush was visiting Brazil on a goodwill trip for their support in the war. At one point, he was asked if he had heard about the deaths today of four Brazilians.

He looked confused for a minute, then said, "how many is a brazillion?"

Did you fantasize about any of your teachers when you were in high school, I mean other than them dying messily?

We had this English teacher.... oh man, she was hot. I got into Shakespeare to impress her. I never got her, but I've still got Shakespeare!

How did you and your Sig. Other meet?

I ordered her from the catalog.

No, seriously.

Actually we met because her office’s fax machine was in the room next to my office.


If you could eliminate one disease in all its forms, which one would you eliminate?