Q&A

I don't usually get picked to do these kinds of things, but who doesn't need a reason to blog?  Thanks Kayla!

1. Post these rules.

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 things about yourself/your life .

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them that you've tagged them.

Nate and I at the Lincoln Park Zoo...Beavers live behind us.

1. I am cheap.  I think "frugal" is the nice way of putting this, but I fully recognize my cheapness.  If I think that I can make something for less than it costs to buy it, or turn something else into it, that's usually the route I'll take.  So far, this hasn't proved to be a bad thing, with two notable exceptions:  Deodorant, and furniture building.  Furniture building may be attempted again later...but only after I get more than a few nails and a hacksaw.
2. I live in Chicago now, and I'm kind of in love with it.  The sites!  The public transportation!  The walking to the grocery store!  It's all been amazing.  I know lots of people who don't love it, but I am not one of them.
3. I actually really loved where we lived before this too, which was the exact opposite--utterly rural and pretty isolated.  I tend to just be pretty happy wherever I'm placed geographically.  I'm not certain that I could say that if we lived in Nevada, or on the Salt Flats.
4. We moved a whole lot when I was growing up.  I can remember at least 17 moves, and those all occurred after I was at least 2.  A lot of people seem to think that this might have been a great hardship on me, but I think I developed some valuable skills.  I'm pretty good at being the new person somewhere, and I learn to quickly adapt to an environment.  While I liked it, I don't really plan on repeating the same pattern in my adult life.  Guess we'll see though...
5. My initials used to be NLF, which is really close to NFL, and about every 7-8 years, my birthday is on Super Bowl Sunday.  Up until we lived in TN, the team who's state I was living in when the Super Bowl fell on my birthday would always win.  That means nothing, but I always thought it was interesting.
6. I told a few friends once that I was in the witness protection program, and that's why I moved so much.  Then, I started wondering if it was actually true, and looking for signs.  It wasn't.
7. We grew up not believing in any of the holiday/childhood fantasy characters.  No tooth fairy, no Santa Claus, no Easter Bunny.  In 2nd grade, my sister and I set some traps for Santa, just to see if he was real (because all our friends believed), but he never tripped any of them.
8. My siblings and I used to play, "McDonalds Drive-through" with our bunk beds.  We almost never actually ate at McDonalds, but we thought we were cool.
9. My parents used to say that they thought I would end up on a cruise ship as an activities director because, especially when it came time to clean, I would always say, "Hey!  I know, Let's play a game!" The games usually had highly involved rules, and they also usually ended up making bigger messes than they cleaned.
10. I had a closet love of the Spice Girls growing up.  
11. I really, REALLY love peanut butter.  This pregnancy, it didn't matter how I was feeling.  Peanut butter was ALWAYS good.

Katie's first birthday

1. What is your favorite book?

I got to listen to a lot of books while I was working late-night custodial last year, and one that really stuck with me is Someone Knows my Name.  The story is equal parts depressing and sad as heroic and amazing.  Well worth the read (or listen).

2. If you got to choose a superpower, what would it be?

Does Super Wealth count?  Isn't that Batman's super power?  If not that, then I'd take the ability to breathe underwater.  I've always liked to swim, and that would be awesome.
3. Would you ever consider plastic surgery for yourself? What would you have done?

If you asked me this in high school, the answer would be, "Not a chance!"  Now, I'm less sure.
4. What is your favorite kind of cheese?

It's kind of boring, but I love, LOVE super sharp cheddar.  Also, Mimolette.  For my birthday in 2010, Nate bought me an international cheese sampler from the fancy section of the grocery store.  It was delicious.
5. How do you eat a Reese's peanut butter cup?

Just boringly.  I do have preferences as to how they come--I really like the miniatures, and the regular sized ones, but I don't love Reese's Easter eggs, Christmas trees, or any of those things.  I think the filling to chocolate ratio is all wrong.
6. What was your best subject in school?

I was pretty universally good in school.  I really particularly enjoyed History.  A friend and I wrote a musical in European History entitled, "Dictators the Musical."  It will, without a doubt, never see the light of day again.
7. If you could live absolutely anywhere (and take your family and friends with you), where would you live?

I would love to spend a couple of years in Europe.  After that though, I don't really know.  Chicago is looking pretty good so far...
8. How do you feel about snow?

I love it at Christmas Time, and through January.  By February, I'm kind of over the magic, and when Snow shows up in March, I feel a little bit affronted.
9. Did you have any nicknames growing up? What were they?

My maiden name is Frost, so there was a lot of "Frosty" in elementary school.  High school I was just "Frost" and that always sounded pretty awesome.  to Kayla, I was "Ms. Micoe," as a result of what the adorable southern elementary students called me at the After School Program I worked at in High School.  

10. What size shoe do you wear?

I wear a 9 in most shoes, but sometimes an 8.5 in flats.  This seems to be the most popular size...at least when things go on sale.
11. What is your favorite thing about yourself? (can be physical, personality, whatever)

I'm good at making things work, and doing things that need to be done.  I'm also pretty handy.  I like that I've got some of my dad's fix-it type skills...even though he can do things that I definitely can't.  

One Time, I went on a 25 mile hike.

Ummm...as far as tagging people goes, I have no idea who's left that reads this that might be interested.  So, please, if you're interested, answer the following questions:

1.  What's your favorite color? Why?

2.  Do you have any physical item left from your childhood that you hang on to?

3.  What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

4.  Is there something that your younger self would be shocked that your grown-up self does?

5.  Paper or Plastic?

6.  Mexican or Italian?

7.  Do you do anything "crafty?"

8.  Where do you get most of your recipes? Do you cook at all?

9.  Digital books or paper?

10.  Do you have a fear that you think is silly?
11.  Houseplants or flowers?