TMI, The Quiz Version

I seriously should be marking papers right now, but because I'm a big whiny procrastinator and because the catch phrase of the day happens to be "I don't wanna!", I'm going to go ahead and allow myself to be interviewed by a total stranger instead. (Hey Michelle, this is your fault..:) Oh! And if this guy turns out to be a stalker... well let's just say (shaking fist in your direction, biting lower lip).)
Safe or no, I don't want to grade and am apparently willing to risk bodily harm to not have to*, so here goes:

1. If you could spend a day with any living celebrity, who would it be and why? It depends. Wait. No it doesn't. Bono is the answer here. We need to talk about changing the world. We need to discuss me working for him in Africa - the Red Campaign, the One Campaign, etc. We need to talk about the fact that he does work effectively within the confines of "evil" capitalism (Mark say nothing) and that he actually gets things done, as opposed to simply talking about doing things. I want to learn about diplomacy and about meeting presidents and peacekeepers and even meeting those who are in opposition to his efforts. Of course I want to talk about music and poetry and the fact that he owes me the "One" dance. I want to talk about his faith, and how it's grown/changed, especially in the face of seeing the things he has seen.
(yes I am a true and loyal Bonophile.)

2. If you could spend a day with any living music celebrity, who would it be and why? (See the hyperventilated, pre-teen sounding, googly-eye answer for #1)

3. What place have you visited that has effected you the most and why? Chicago in the late 90's. This was probably the first mission trip I ever took where I actually got my hands dirty. I'm not talking about building churches or painting houses or that sort of thing, because I had done all of that before. On this trip I was actually forced to see things (other than extreme poverty) and actually be in uncomfortable situations without passing out a pamphlet or setting up a Sunday school . In Chicago, I wandered through Cabrini Green and got told to get my "white honky ass out of their neighborhood or [they] would shoot", even though I had just painted an apartment there. I went clubbing in the seediest dives in the gay district and sat and talked to people about their lives without offering anything to them but my company. (Meeting people where they're at). I stood in the business district and asked people what they needed prayer for that day (and it turns out that people needed to be asked that question). I visited a Krishna temple and a mosque for the first time and realized that the people there were not "enemies" because they prayed differently than me; they were lovely, and offered me cookies and kool-aid. In Chicago I slept on a cockroach infested floor with the lights on so that more of them would stay away, and was sincerely grateful for the place to crash.

I realized in Chicago that if I wanted to be any sort of humanitarian, I had to get the hell out of Six Flags Over Jesus where people all spoke "Christianese" and always knew the "right way" to pray. Jesus didn't hang out in those types of places. He would've been in the dark places.

There is where I realized that I simply needed to start loving people and building community.


4. Who’s the closest friend you ever had in your life thus far? That's hard. Friendships are all very different and valuable. Obviously Rich knows more of me than anyone else, but I can't discount my earliest/longest friendships (Jen, Lisa, Amy); and then there's Christine, whom I can't remember not knowing, though rationally I think it's only been 4 years.

5. How did you get into Blogging? Lisa, the blog Queen of America (and Jen too). We needed to keep in touch better.

6. Are you an athlete? If so, what sport do you play or have played? I danced for half of my life - ballet, jazz, modern dance. For a while I thought that I wanted to be a dancer, but I somehow got distracted..

7. Favorite movie and why? This is too hard. I really love Waiting for Guffman because it makes me laugh; Christopher Guest is a genius!

8. Favorite song and why? Today? I'm listening to a lot of Ani DiFranco lately, and Garbage, and Poe; anything girl power right now is my favorite song.

9. Most romantic date you’ve ever been on? When Rich and I were poor and couldn't afford to exchange gifts or go out to eat (for the love of God, he was selling his plasma to be able to afford his $25 rent and Ramen), he picked wild flowers for me and arranged them in an old bottle. We spent the evening in front of a wood burning stove and..

10. What is your favorite car that you have owned? Stealth! 1984 gold Buick Century (Aw yeah) with a baseball sized hole in the hood. She screamed every time she turned a corner, which is how she got her name. Damn belts! This was a character building experience..

*I even thought about stabbing my own eyes out with a pencil since that might actually feel better than actually reading some of these jewels