ABOUT BARBARA |
ABOUT JOHN |
| Q: What time do you wake up in the morning? A: 5:30. I know, it sounds crazy but if I don’t get up then, I won’t make it to the gym, so I wake up every day and work out before I start the day. Q: Gold or silver? A: Silver all the way. Q: Favorite TV shows: A: The Office, Lost, Pushing Daisies, Survivor, Top Chef, Heroes, Chuck, Ugly Betty, Arrested Development Q: What do you have for breakfast? A: Depends on the day, anything from a protein shake to an egg sandwich or homemade oatmeal muffins. Q: Who would you hate to be left in a room with? A: A serial killer, Dennis Rodman or Bobby Flay (he’s just so cocky) Q: What inspires you? A: Charity, unselfishness, someone who stands up for what they believe even when it’s not popular. Q: Beach, City or Country? A: Beach Q: Summer or winter? A: Spring, actually. Q: Favorite ice cream? A: Breyers White Chocolate Q: Buttered, plain or salted popcorn? A: Salted only, cooked in peanut oil. It’s so yummy! Q: What characteristics do you despise? A: Lying, entitlement, chauvinism, arrogance Q: What is your favorite lie to tell? A: “I’m almost there” or “I’m on my way” when I haven’t even left the house yet. Q: What is the one person, place or thing you can't say no to? A: John, Hawaii, Dark Chocolate Q: What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you? A: When I had surgery on my knee several years back, I had to wear a splint on my left leg for quite a while and I drove a standard car at the time. A girl I didn’t know very well offered out of the blue to switch cars with me for a few weeks because she drove an automatic and I could drive that one even with the splint on. I always thought that was so very nice. Q: If you could do something crazy right now, what would it be? A: Cut off my hair. Q: If you were to choose a new name for yourself, what would it be? A: Penelope Q: If you were given an extra $10 in change at Walmart, what would you do with it and why? A: Give it back to the cashier, that’s an easy one. I don’t need to feel guilty over a lousy $10. Q: What’s one of your worst habits? A: Being late. Q: If you were given a million dollars and 24 hours to spend it in, (no depositing it in the bank or investing it) what would you buy? A: A huge new house and laser hair removal. Q: Why were you given your particular name? A: I was named after my nanny in England Q: What is your favorite food? A: It's a toss-up between cheese and chocolate. Q: What is your favorite book? A: I love the Narnia books, the Harry Potter books, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Gone with the Wind. Q: What is your favorite candy bar? A: Twix, but I only like the cookie part so I always cut off the caramel and leave it for someone else to eat. Q: What is your favorite cookie? A: Thin mint Girl Scout cookies. It’s a rite of spring to buy a couple of boxes of those. Q: What is your favorite sport? A: Golf Q: Have you ever seen a Broadway musical? A: Yes, several. The most recent was Wicked, which we saw a couple of years back on the way home from a trip to Hawaii. It made it way easier to leave the island knowing I got to see Wicked. Q: What are three adjectives which describe you? A: Loyal, passionate, humorous Q: Have you ever had a pet that was not a cat or dog? What was it? A: A couple of tree frogs that we thought were both boys until they started mating. Q: What was the last song you sang when no one else was around? A: “Particle Man” by They Might Be Giants. That is a song that gets stuck in your head like nothing else, and I find myself putting the most random words to that melody. Q: What are your favorite sports to watch A: Basketball and, um, well, just basketball. Q: Which single store would you choose to max out your credit cards? A: Williams-Sonoma Q: What do you do most often when you are bored? A: Read the news online Q: What scares you? A: The bird flu Q: What is the best day of the year? A: Christmas or the 4th of July Q: Would you rather be exceptionally smart or exceptionally good-looking? A: Smart, any day. Q: How would you describe your underwear drawer? A: That is a weird question. Q: What is the silliest prank you ever played on someone? A: In college, my roommates and I lived across the street from a house full of guys and they were really into the theater. One day they brought home this huge white statue that had been a prop in a play. It was a 6’5” white plaster Greek goddess, and they kept it on their front porch. One night, we were bored so we dressed in black and went and stole the statue and ran it two blocks down the street to some other guys’ apartment, and we put it standing at the front door so when they left for the day, they would open the door and see a huge white statue. The theater guys thought that the other guys stole their statue, and they were a little miffed at them and went to get it the next morning. We laughed about that one for a long time, and one night, several years later, after we had all moved away, we were visiting each other one night and of course, reminisced about the night we stole the statue. We wondered if the statue was still there, so we all piled in the car and drove to the theater guys’ house. Sure enough the statue was still there, so we stole it again, and drove it across town to the same guys’ house we left it at the first time, even though they had moved and were in a completely different place. Then we left it on their front porch again, rang the doorbell and hid in the bushes. They just looked like they were in shock when they saw that same familiar statue there after all those years. Two funny things about this story: The theater guys automatically assumed that the other guys had stolen their statue again and called them first thing the next morning to pick it up, and the other guys were just like “Yeah, she’s here, you can come get her.” The other funny thing is I told John this story after we got married, and as it turns out, he was living across the street from the place where we left the statue the second time and actually saw it on his way to school. Q: What is the weirdest thing you will ever admit to having done in the past? A: Stalking a boy I liked Q: Coke or Pepsi? A: Neither, I hate soda. Q: What is your favorite book you read as a child? A: Narnia Chronicles Q: What was your first car? A: Renault Alliance Convertible. It was a pretty bad investment. Q: Have you ever gone toilet-papering? A: Of course, who hasn’t? Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? A: I’d actually really like to go to New Zealand and Australia Q: Ever gotten ultimate revenge on someone? A: Yes, but only by living well, which they say is the best revenge Q: Four Jobs I've had in my life: A: McDonalds Manager, Telemarketer, Software tester/designer, Teacher Q: Four Movies I Would Watch Over and Over: A: Gone with the Wind, Count of Monte Cristo, Spiderman, Pirates of the Caribbean (first one only) Q: Four Places I have lived: A: Holland, California, Arizona, Mississippi Q: Things I am looking forward to this year: A: Going to Maui, My wedding anniversary (it’s just so fun every year), Expanding my business, Learning to rock climb Q: What CD is in your CD player right now? A: Who listens to CDs anymore? But Jack Johnson is playing on my iPod right now. Q: What spice or seasoning is your favorite? A: Too many to choose, but top favorites would be cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, coriander, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice. Q: What's your birthstone? Would you change it? A: Whatever stone is in December, and I would absolutely change it. December babies get gypped on presents because everyone combines birthday and Christmas presents. Q: If you had one day to live, what would you do? A: Spend it with John. Q: What kind of shampoo do you use? A: Biolage Q: Favorite pizza? A: Either my homemade pesto pizza or my homemade Hawaiian pizza. I also am a sucker for Round Table Pizza, and since there is not one in my current home state, every time I see one while I’m traveling, I have to stop and eat there. Q: Favorite vacation place? A: Probably Hawaii. Q: If you had to sing Karaoke, what song would you sing? A: I Will Survive Q: Favorite fruit? A: Grapefruit and strawberries, if they are sweet. Q: Do you play video games? A: Only on my blackberry when I am stuck somewhere and have nothing to do. Q: Do you like chocolate milk? A: I used to, but I don’t drink it that much these days. I like hot chocolate better. Q: Ever been sky diving? A: No Q: Favorite reindeer? A: Blitzen Q: Do you wear slippers? A: Only when it’s really cold. Q: Plaid or polka dots? A: Plaid Q: Favorite meal your spouse makes? A: John is a dang good cook, so that’s hard. I love his curries and stir-fry. Q: How many cavities do you have? A: None! Q: Favorite salad dressing? A: Balsamic vinaigrette Q: What spicy food do you like? A: I love Mexican food, especially anything with chipotle, and I’m a sucker for some really good buffalo chicken. Q: Ever been surfing? A: Windsurfing, but not actual surfing Q: Favorite cheese? A: Fresh Mozzarella Q: Favorite magazine? A: Fine Cooking and Cooks Illustrated Q: Nicknames? If you have any do tell. A: Babs, Babsi, Tabs Q: Writing hand? A: Right Q: Do you make your bed everyday? A: Pretty much, unless I’m running really late! Q: Do you talk in your sleep? A: Unfortunately, yes. John loves to egg me on and tries to get me to answer all kinds of questions while I’m asleep. Q: If you were an animal, what would you be? A: Tough one—do you want to be cute or powerful? If cute, I would probably be a Bison Frise or a Chihuahua and if I wanted to be powerful, probably a hippo, because let’s face it, a hippo can take on almost any animal and win. Q: What did you dream you'd be when you were growing up? A: I actually didn’t have any career aspirations when I was little. Odd. Q: Who is your favorite super hero? A: Spiderman, with Wolverine as a close second. Q: What's the most childish thing about you? A: I get really clingy when I’m tired and I just want John to take care of me. Q: Who is your favorite Star Wars character? A: Han Solo, he’s just so sassy Q: Would you rather be stranded on an island alone or with someone you hate? A: Probably with someone I hate because you can always learn to get along, and at least there would be lively conversation and debate. Q: Would you rather get even or get over it? A: Get over it. Q: Would you rather always get first dibs or the last laugh? A: Definitely the last laugh |
Q: What did you have for breakfast? A: Granola with Kefir Q: What are your favorite TV shows? A: Pushing Daisies, Lost, The Office, Arrested Development, Heroes, Man vs. Wild, Planet Earth, Blue Planet, The Croc Hunter, and Letterman Q: Favorite pizza? A: Barbara's homemade pesto with crispy pepperoni, olives, and fresh mozzarella - it can't be beat. Q: Favorite vacation place? A: A small tropical island 2-hours ferry ride off the coast of Java. You can walk around the entire island in 15 minutes, and it has three cabins staffed with servants and cooks. There's unlimited snorkeling, fishing, water sports, exploring, and dining. It's probably the most beautiful place I've ever visited on planet earth. Q: Favorite restaurant? A: Our visit to Padovani's http://padovanirestaurants.com/ in Honolulu has to be the best restaurant experience I've ever had. Chef Padovani is a master of his craft. It looks like Padovani's closed in 2006 though, and he has since moved on with a new restaurant called Elua http://eluarestaurant.com/ which is also in Honolulu. I'll have to give that one a try someday. Q: What was your first car? A: It was a 1969 Ford Pinto Runabout (sport model) in mint condition. It looked like a short Mustang and had a copper colored paint job. I bought the car from a family friend for $10. The car ran like a dream for years and got great gas mileage. I used to drive it to the beach every once in a while and drove it in a flood with no problem. It smelled like coconuts and looked like coppertone sunscreen. It definitely was the best $10 I've ever spent. Q: First crush? A: Her name was Season. We were four years old. She was hot, and she had a cool name. Q: Favorite teacher? A: My middle school Art teacher (Jean Barefoot) was probably my favorite. She was so passionate about art that it inspired me, and she gave me the confidence to try new things. She took our class on a field trip to New York. We dined at famous restaurants, visited famous artists in their studios, and went to Broadway shows. It really defined a fundamental part of my life. Q: Do you have any pets? A: Not currently. But, my favorite pets have been Chameleons (Jacksons, Senegal, and Veiled). I've also had dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, snakes, frogs, fish, birds, and my family had a slow loris named Cebastian when they lived overseas. Q: Have you ever broken a bone? A: I might have broken a toe once. I dropped a glass salt shaker on it, and it was kind of scary looking, but we didn't go to the emergency room because they can't do much for broken toes. So, I don't really know if it was broken. Other than that, I've had a pretty break-free life. Q: Do you have a favorite flower? A: Yes - Hibiscus. Because it's pretty and has a good flavor. Q: What can you cook? A: A lot of traditional and commercial Asian and Italian meals. Some French and Latin American as well. Healthy food - and I make a healthier version of the classic American cheeseburger that beats the pants off of the stuff you get at In-N-Out (believe it or not). Q: If you had to sing Karaoke, what song would you sing? A: Probably something comical like BNL's "If I had a million dollars" because it's already kind of funny and hard to mess up. Or, I would try to find a really intense song with a lot of drama, and then I'd butcher it like I was totally and completely tone deaf but totally serious about a singing career. Then, I could make the best of the worst on a show like American Idol. Maybe I'd even get my own album deal - who knows? Q: Favorite toy from childhood? A: Probably a toss-up between my Classic Transformers, He-Man toys, Star-Wars, or GI Joes. Q: Favorite fruit? A: I really like oranges, guava, nectarines, surinam cherries, cherimoya, papaya, mango, lemons, limes, baby bananas, peaches, apricots, clementines, apples, pears, plums, pineapple, wild blueberries, mulberries, boysenberries, currants, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and pretty much any other edible fruit. The only one that I really haven't liked is durian which is kind of an acquired taste - not my favorite. Q: Do you play video games? A: Yes, about once every two or three years, I will get a game for my computer and play it until I beat it. Then, I'll retire it to a shelf never to touch it again. Q: Favorite country to visit? A: That's a hard one. I would probably have to say Indonesia, but Costa Rica is a close second. Q: Ever been snow skiing? A: Yes Q: Ever bungee jumped? A: No Q: Ever been to Japan? A: Yes Q: Plaid or polka dots? A: Plaid Q: How many states have you lived in? A: 4 Q: Ever been horseback riding? A: Yes Q: Favorite fish? A: Mahi Mahi (otherwise known as Dorado), Ahi Tuna, Salmon, and Tilapia Q: What is the taste in your mouth right now? A: Pineapple Q: What is your favorite ice cream flavor? A: A lot of people think that this is sick and wrong, but I really dig the wasabi ice cream at one of the sushi places we like to go to. Q: Have you ever eaten spam? A: Yes, I used to have pan-fried spam in sandwiches when I lived in the south. But, I have also had it in musubi in Hawaii. Q: Favorite Character in one of J.K Rowlings books? A: Definitely Hagrid Q: Ever taken a cab? A: Yes - quite a few. Q: Name something you are obsessed with. A: art, animation, design, business, lizards, quail, martial arts, survival, food, cooking, computers, technology Q: One Pillow or two? A: Three Q: Snooze button or Jump straight into the wall? A: Jump into the wall if not the ceiling Q: Do you Dream? A: Who doesn't? Q: What is the weirdest dream ever you've had? A: Probably one where I dreamed that I was eating fuzzy peaches and woke up with a really fuzzy polyester blanket in my mouth. Q: Do you snore? A: Yes, and sometimes in public when I fall asleep in class or in church. Q: If you were an animal, what would you be? A: Probably a flying fox (fruit bat). Q: If you had 3 wishes from a genie, what would you ask? A: Infinite wishes, the ability to undo and redo anything, and sweet strawberries the size of watermelons Q: What did you dream you'd be when you were growing up? A: An artist Q: Who is your favorite super hero? A: Batman - Because he is not an alien, a mutant, or anything weird like that. He's just a regular run-of-the-mill human who spent his life improving himself and utilizing all of his resources to accomplish his goals and help others. Also, he has good morals but isn't a complete goody goody. He's a good balance between the light and the dark. Q: What's the most childish thing about you? A: Probably the fact that I have a natural tendency towards mischief and pranks. I also like to chase animals, explore, and watch Animal Planet. Q: Would you rather live without music or live without T.V.? A: I'd definitely rather live without TV. Good music is essential to life. Q: Would you rather have a beautiful house and ugly car or an ugly house and beautiful car? A: I absolutely would prefer the beautiful house and ugly car. You spend way more time in your house, and you can share it with many more people. Q: What is the strangest food you ever ate? A: Probably chicken toes, pig brains, a chicken head, or a fish head. Q: Would you rather have 3 eyes or webbed feet? A: Webbed feet for swimming Q: Would you rather find true love or 1 million dollars? A: True love - a million dollars is so temporary but love endures even if you've lost it. Q: Would you rather have x-ray vision or bionic hearing? A: Vision for sure. I really value images over sounds. Q: Would you rather be able to hear any conversation or take back anything you say? A: Super hearing is way better! Plus, it would really help with business and investing. Q: Would you rather end hunger or hatred? A: I would rather end hunger. If everyone was well fed, I think people would be nicer to each other naturally. Q: Would you rather kiss a jellyfish or step on a crab? A: Depends on the crab, and depends on the jellyfish. I've been stung by jellyfish a lot, but not the killer ones. It isn't that bad compared to what a large crab might do to your foot. But, there are some jellyfish that can kill you with one brush. So, I guess I'd need more information. Q: Would you rather own a ski lodge or a surf camp? A: Surf camp!!!!!! Q: Would you rather have one wish granted today or three wishes granted in 10 years? A: One today. Who knows what can happen in ten years. Wish for infinite wishes of course! Q: Would you rather write the worst book in history or record the worst song in history? A: I would love to record the worst song in history. It could be worth a lot of money. Q: Would you rather get free chocolate for one year or free potatoes forever? A: Free potatoes for life - especially if they're fingerling potatoes or different gourmet varieties grown on local, organic farms. Q: Would you rather bake cookies in cooking class or do art projects in art class? A: I would probably like to do art projects in both classes. Q: Would you rather spend the day surfing the internet or the ocean? A: I can honestly say I'd rather spend the day surfing the ocean, and that means a lot. Q: Would you rather be an actress/actor in a big movie or the director? A: Definitely would rather be a director of a big movie. It's a little easier for them to avoid the paparazzi. Q: Do you normally go the safe route or take the short cut? A: The safe route. Q: What are you wearing today which is most reflective of who you are? A: Cargo shorts and a dark gray v-neck t-shirt. Q: Choose a unique item from your wallet and explain why you carry it around. A: A card with the shoe sizes of my family members written on it - just in case I want to buy shoes or sandals for them when I'm on vacation. Q: Share one of your most embarrassing moments. A: Once when Barbara and I were in a prank war, she slipped a panty-liner into my wallet without my knowledge. When we were at the store, the cashier asked me if I would like to pay with cash or credit. I normally don't carry much cash, but I just happened to have put a twenty in the wallet that day. So, gleefully I replied, "I'd love to pay with cash!", and I pulled what I thought was a crisp new bill out of my wallet and handed it to the cashier. She looked down and immediately began to laugh. Barbara laughed out loud and almost fell on the floor. Then, I looked at what was in my hand and I let out a distinct shriek with a look of shock and horror as my face flushed beet red. That made them laugh even more. I finally got the matter straightened out, but I have to say it was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. Q: If you were given a million dollars and 24 hours to spend it in, (no depositing it in the bank or investing it) what would you buy? A: A sweet house with a huge kitchen, a greenhouse/sun-room large enough to grow citrus trees with a swimming pool in the center of it, a nice big photo studio, a design studio, warehouse, and a lot of land with trees and waterfalls. OK, that would probably cost a lot more than a million these days, but it would still be really nice. Q: Have you ever seen a Broadway musical? Do you like theater? A: Yes, I've been to my fair share of Broadway shows. I like anything creative. Q: What is the strangest thing you ever did? A: When I was younger, our dog went to the vet to get de-wormed. Soon after, my sister noticed that a worm was leaving the puppy's body through the typical exit. We removed it with a paper towel, and grossed my Mom out as we flushed it away. She had to go get a phone call, but told us to watch for signs of any additional parasites. Then, I got a twisted idea. I grabbed some spaghetti noodles and cooked them in the microwave in a flower vase. Then I took a perfectly cooked noodle and dipped one end in cocoa. Holding the noodle with a paper towel, I ran over to my poor mother, shook it, and shouted, "We got another!". Then, as she was freaking out, I dropped it into my mouth and ate it. She shook uncontrollably and screamed "Gross-gross-gross-gross-gross!". I laughed so hard, I fell over. But, it took my mom a while to recover. When she told her friend what happened, her friend made me promise on my life that I would never teach her kids to pull pranks like that on her. Q: Have you ever gone toilet-papering? If so, tell us. A: Yes, I used to go a lot with my friends when I was younger. One time we accidentally toilet papered a drug dealer's house and got shot at. One of the guys got bullet holes in his car, and some of the girls got held at gunpoint but later were released. I think that might have been the last time I went. |
