What’s the trait you value most about yourself?
Honesty. I try to always be as open as I can. What you see is what you get.
What’s the trait you value most about yourself?
Honesty. I try to always be as open as I can. What you see is what you get.
What could you do more of?
Grab a book and read for hours. I read at bedtime mostly and rarely beyond that time. Used to be I would never put a book down.
What things give you energy?
A good hike, walk, or bike ride helps keep the mental energy strong so does a good nap.
Getting lost in music helps to keep my physical energy strong. Losing yourself in a song just creates a vibe that makes your body feel alive.
Eating the right foods too. Healthy options fuel me much better than junk food but I do love my junk food. I can’t lie about that.
What’s your all-time favorite album?
Jimmy Buffett’s Floridays or Fruitcakes. Those two immediately jumped to mind. Love both of those albums. Fruitcakes helped to launch my Parrothead Fandom and I have been a Buffett fan ever since.
What would your life be like without music?
Empty. I do not go a day without listening to music. It helps in so many ways. It lifts you up, helps you relax, helps you to be in the moment, passes the time, and many more reasons beyond that. I’d be lost without it.
How do you celebrate holidays?
We usually only decorate and dive deep into Halloween and Christmas. We enjoy putting up decorations and watching movies that represent either one of those holidays. Most other holidays we take it easy and relax and enjoy the time off from work and the school routine. Thanksgiving (we live in the U.S.) is spent with family close by but travel is never part of our holiday plans. Too busy. Better to stay home.
What are your favorite types of foods?
Cinnamon Rolls.
Pizza.
Cereal.
Broccoli – love it roasted with garlic and olive oil.
Cornbread.
Oatmeal.
And there are others but the mind is blank. Trying to cut back on the sweets as I age but anything sweet is also a go to for me. Hard to resist.
How often do you walk or run?
3 to 4 times a week is my goal. I don’t always meet that but that’s what I try to do.
Do you see yourself as a leader?
I stay home with my kids and that leads to a lot of leadership type moments. You run the house – choosing dinners, when chores have to get done, keeping everyone in line for school, etc. – so you kind of have to be in charge. Everyone is looking up at you for whatever they need. In that way I do see myself as a leader even if leading isn’t always suited to my personality.
What’s your favorite word?
Bombastic.
Use it often when something is loud and aggressive. I think I misuse it often but it’s a fun word to say.
Describe your ideal week.
An ideal week: Taking another trip back to Key West and walking everywhere. No car. No commitments. No stress.
An ideal week 2: A deserted beach and plenty of time to walk beside the waves or lounge in the shade.
An ideal week 3: As I get older this is starting to appeal more to me than anything else – a hike or bike ride in nature – by the beach or in the mountains. Making sure my feet and legs move every single day.
Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.
I have been lucky to have traveled furthest from home at least 3 times to the Czech Republic. I remember a train ride through the country, away from the tourist areas, my brother is fluent in Czech, talking out loud in English and having everyone staring at us. I don’t think most of them had heard English before.
What brings a tear of joy to your eye?
A beautiful sunrise over the ocean. Just makes you feel so good to see a sight so beautiful.
Why do you blog?
Simply put: it’s a creative outlet.
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?
Reading.
I try to find time to do this everyday. Turn off the phone and the distractions and read. Helps me get better rest if I do this at night.
What TV shows did you watch as a kid?
Scooby Doo came to mind immediately. Probably where my love of horror and scary things originated. Saturday morning cartoons were a thing when I was a kid. Enjoyed many of them in the 70s and early 80s. Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers are very early memories too.
Lots of 80’s Sitcoms – I turned from a kid to a teenager in that decade. Consumed many of those now classic shows. Night Court, Golden Girls (funny even as a teen), Cosby Show, Perfect Strangers, Family Ties, Who’s the Boss …. and on and on it goes.
My dad got me into Sanford and Son and to this day we still quote that show.
Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.
Superman
Got back to the theater recently and absolutely loved the experience this movie gave me. Felt like a kid again. And it was my daughter’s first time at the movies. Nice to give her that experience.
What are your top ten favorite movies?
When I think of a Top Ten it’s practically impossible to make a list like that and I won’t. I will throw out some I return to often.
Star Wars OG Trilogy (technically one long movie strung together over all three)
Indiana Jones (all of them)
Evil Dead, Scream, Psycho, and Friday the 13th – I can watch any one of those in any franchise and enjoy them.
Batman Begins – favorite Batman movie
Hereditary – freaked me out
Ghost Stories – The original Haunting, The Changeling, Poltergeist, Hell House LLC
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Halloween – 1978
And on and on it goes . . .
Ten is impossible for me. I love movies. Especially horror ones, find them extra tasty, so I usually watch them over others.
What brings you peace?
A long walk.
A hike in nature.
A good book.
Watching a movie.
Getting lost listening to music.
Anything that helps me destress and recharge my mental battery. That’s how I find peace in a stressful world.