I'm a slayer, ask me how.

1. How do you beat the summer heat?
A/C and staying inside. Shorts at home, skirts at work. SANDALS! I swear, if my feet get hot, I just feel gross. And also cold cold water. Or iced tea. Man, I should make some iced tea...

2. Do you have air conditioning?
oh heck yes! I mean, we try not to abuse it but once it hits those 90+ days, it is on, thank you very much, Maryland gets to hot+humid.

3. What’s your idea of the perfect summer day?
Today - mid-80s but not humid, slight breeze to keep the air moving and cool you off while walking around or hanging out.

4. What’s one thing you always seem to do every summer whether you want to or not?
Visit my in-laws LOL. And get sunburned. I'm better at not getting sunburned than I used to be but I feel like there is at least one spot I forget every year and I end up with a bit of pinkness.

5. Are you ready for the summer?
Not really. We sorta skipped spring this year. Well, it got rained out. I hope the days stay mild. Today is LOVELY.

1. Do you make any kind of art or craft? Please share.
Probably the closest thing I have would be making icons, which I was starting to do again a few months ago and lost my groove again! UGH! Even bought Photoshop Elements and everything! Mostly it is just poor time management on my part.

2. Would you rather make art (paint, sing, play an instrument) or observe someone else’s art? Why?
I loved playing Rock Band with my friends and singing on that, it was just really cool to rock out together. Not the same thing, I know, computer game, but I imagine that is what it must feel like to perform music with a group. When I was a kid, I was in band and there is a thrill to creating music with a whole team. I do miss it, but I really wasn't very dedicated to it after high school.

3. If you could be really good at any creative endeavor, which would you choose to be really good at?
I've always enjoyed doodling. Would be nice if I had a bit more training but I still like to draw every now and then for fun, mostly to amuse myself. It would be nice if the pictures in my head translated to paper a bit more LOL.

4. Do you prefer recorded performances or live performances? Why?
This is a tough one! I love the polished sound and complete package of recorded music. The artists putting it together exactly how they want it. But live performances have a whole different kind of energy and you get to be a part of the show, in a way, when the band has you clap or cheer. I think it depends on my mood. I love going to concerts but I also love cranking up the tunes in my car.

5. Did you get any kind of art education in school?
I started playing flute in 3rd grade, I think. Just part of my elementary school, an optional thing you could sign up. Got to skip class to go to the music lessons room. I also had in-school art classes up through middle school.

Today's thefridayfive questions:

1. Did you enjoy your senior year of high school?
I did! Our old band director left, who had a rivalry with the drama teacher, who also left which meant I was able to do band AND drama club without the extra IRL (and frankly immature) drama of that feud. I was drum major of the band so I got to be extra bossy. I remember dressing up for all of the pep rally week...I should probably scan some photos to share. It was a pretty good year. I just went through a bunch of cards I got when I graduated, from friends and family, and they made me feel pretty good.

2. Did you have a senior trip (high school) and were you able to go on it.
I don't think there was an official senior trip and I had no desire to go to Ocean City during "senior week". My friends and I, ever the nerd, drove out to Shenandoah National Park and camped out for the weekend. Full on roughing it. I remember hiking one day and not really factoring in that we would need to hike back and while we were trying to find our way to the campsite, I started singing Disney showtunes to keep my mind occupied. It's amazing any of them wanted to be my friend after that. We also go our first flat tire experience, my friend Amanda actually changed a tire!

3. Was graduating (from either high school or college/university) a big thing with your family or just another day? They made a big deal out of it but it wasn't like I was the first person in my family to reach the milestone. It was expected of me - both high school and college. But my Grandparents drove down from Maine to attend so that was extra special. I don't remember much about the college ceremony, but I wasn't as engaged in college life since I commuted. High school was a bit more emotional because I knew so many people there.

4. What were you looking forward to the most after graduating from either high school or college/university?
I don't really remember. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen with my life after high school except that I was supposed to go to college. In college, I guess it was moving out with my then boyfriend (such a stupid move, but go back in time and try to tell 21 old me any different, I dare you...**facepalm**)

5. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your graduating self?
Don't move out with this guy. Be yourself for awhile, find yourself first. You got this.
...also, you are skinny AF and pretty hot.

Be warned: I'm working on a digital photo program for work and part of me wants to scan ALL my photos to keep them safe...this makes me want start scanning all the photos from my senior year, which happens to have been 20 years ago EEK! WTF! NO!

Join in the fun @ thefridayfive

1. What is your least favorite part of Spring?
The rain. So much rain. I know April showers bring May flowers, but after this long, wet, winter I just want sunshine!

2. What is your most favorite part of Spring?
Temperature is warm enough for walking! Tim and I take walks after work around our neighborhood and I just love that bit of time together. Fresh air, exercise, and just meandering for about 30 minutes.

3. What is the latest good book you've read?
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells, book 2 of the Murderbot Diaries. LOVING THIS SERIES OMG! Now I'm trying to pace myself as they are very short and there are only 4 volumes so I've set aside book 3 for some other TBR pile books...but I'm so tempted to just pick it up and read it over the weekend.

4. What are your plans for this weekend?
My brother is coming over for dinner tomorrow. He ships off next week for his first deployment as a sailor in the Navy. He goes to San Diego first, but by Christmas he will be in Japan. I am so jealous and also so very proud of him. He did really well in both Boot camp and Information school. It will be nice to see him tomorrow because I have no idea when I will see him again.

5. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood?
I dunno, let me ask Alexa (we've asked her this several times and it is hilarious to hear her say the answer back...I'm happy our robot overlords will have a sense of humor!)

Well, it took me about two hours, but I got through all of your posts! Sorry for the drive-by "likes" and random comments that were later answered in posts I had not gotten to yet! You were all VERY CHATTY! That, and I haven't checked my LJ/DW at work as much because of all our computer shenanigans and this *threat* that the IT department is watching. Tim and I are thinking about buying some cheap little Chromebooks we can take to work with us for personal stuff, like email etc.

I tried to watch the Jim Carrey show Kidding but I'm just not in the mood for that level of darkness right now. I need things that feel like they will have a positive ending or some kind of optimism. A friend at work really liked it so I watched the first 3 episodes to give it a try but I just wasn't engaged.

ANYWAY, about to head to bed, but a few of you posted the thefridayfive questions and I want to start doing that too!

1. Do you make up a dinner plan for the coming week?
HAHAHA no. I'm usually stare at the freezer the night before, maybe two nights if I see something I want to thaw out and it will take longer, but that is about as far as I get.

2. Do you make up a shopping list and stick to it when shopping?
YES! I use the AnyList app on my phone to make shopping lists. I love it because you can also use it for recipes so you can all the ingredients from a recipe to the list really quick. But I am AWFUL at sticking to my list. I mean, I buy everything on the list, but I tend to slowly wander the store and look for any deals on things we use on the regular, like pasta or meats. I'm awful at this, so I try to not go to the store more than once every two weeks.

3. What is one thing that you always buy, but never put down on a list?
I put bananas on the list, but I don't really need to. I know we always need bananas because Tim and I take one to work and those bunches aren't very big!

4. Is there anything that you always think you are out of and come home with it to discover you already have a year’s supply on hand?
This week it is EGGS! I had a memory of making hard boiled eggs awhile ago and how that used up half the eggs...I failed to remember that I bought TWO dozen eggs the next time I was at the store...and today, eggs were on sale again so I bought another two dozen. So, yeah, we are having egg sandwiches for dinner one night this week.

5. Do you get your groceries delivered?
Nope. Hard to justify when the store is across the street from my work and there is another one right around the corner from my house. Plus, I buy a lot of fresh fruits and veg and I like to examine it first because I've had too many questionable items and I don't know how much the delivery services examine, say, the box of cherry tomatoes for bad ones in the mix (I saw one in the store today with MOLD on it!!!!).

thefridayfive's questions for today:

1. Do you like to swim? I do, though I don't do it very well. I actually took "Swimming" as my gym credit in college, which meant I just spent an hour swimming laps in the pool twice a week and got credit. I never had any formal swim training but I always loved hanging out in the pool as a kid. My Grandparents had a pool in their backyard when they lived in Florida and I spent many summers there. Then when I got older, my mom got us a membership to the community pool and I would bike down there during the summer and spend all day splashing around.

2. Do you prefer salt or fresh water to swim in? Hm, probably pool water because it's easier to wash off than salt? I dunno, I'm not a beach person so I have spent more time in pools than ocean.

3. Have you ever snorkeled or scuba dived? I snorkeled when I was in Australia, off the coast of Cairns, I think need the Great Barrier Reef area...or something, it was 1998 LOL. And then I did a little snorkeling in Bermuda too.

4. What is your favorite beach food? Hm, didn't really spend a lot of time at the beach. My favorite pool food that I would buy from the little shop during "Adult Swim" was the chocolate eclair ice cream bar. I still associate those with summer time.

5. What does your favorite beach towel look like? It's my Star Wars one that turns into a bag when you're done. Very hand for carrying the wet goggles and such home afterwards.

1. Is there someone on your friends list that you haven't met in real life that you love completely? Hm...I dunno, I have a lot of people I really like but I don't know if I can profess my complete love for anyone I haven't ever seen or met LOL. :)

2. Have you [wanted to] date someone on LJ? uh, well, I initially signed up for LJ because my then-boyfriend was using it. Otherwise, no one I can think of was my type :)

3. Have you met someone/wanted to meet someone from LJ? Who? YES! I've met jellibean, faeriesfolly, and lostacanthus! I NEED to meet duncatraand plumxxjam someday! And I have several other IRL friends who lurk on my LJ but I knew them before LJ. :)

4. Who have you known the longest from your flist? Hm...probably jellibean, faeriesfolly, and spitefairy, though she doesn't post anymore on here :(

5. Who are you closest to? bittertwee and lostacanthus are probably my BFFs on LJ and IRL (convenient, yes?)

Friday Five: Regrets

Do have any regrets? Who doesn't? I think the longer we live, the more time we have to look back and second guess ourselves or see other paths we could have taken. But I do have a few regrets that were huge fuck-ups that could have been avoided if I had just used my brain.

If yes, then what's your biggest regret? ugh, something so stupid I'm still not ready to talk about it on here. So dumb. Like, beyond dumb. But the second regret would be not forcing my ex-boyfriend to get help sooner back when we were living together. I was far too passive in that relationship and I let his alcoholism, his depression, and his gender issues slide by and he just got worse and worse and it's hard to forget those nights at the hospital. If I had done something sooner, like told his family, maybe things wouldn't have ended quite so tragically.

If you could, would you ever go back and change anything? Yeah, though it would be hard to convince 20-year old me to listen, I'm sure. Though I guess if me from the future came back and said "STOP IT!" I would be freaked out enough to do so. Yeah, and the dumb thing I would stop myself from doing completely. But we all do stupid things when we are in bad places.

If you could, would you go to the future to see where your decisions have taken you? SPOILERS! Plus, if movies and tv have taught me anything, it's that knowing too much about the future can usually lead to everything falling apart and changing that future.