Sunday Stealing: Conversation Starters

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Bev Sykes of the blog “Funny the World” is your host.This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. (Past hosts include: Our first - Judd Corizan, Mr. L, Kwizgiver and Bud) Cheers to all of us thieves! 

Stolen from: Two Drifters

Right, on with the questions, provided, as always, by Bev at Sunday Stealing.

1. What do you think is the greatest television show of all time?

How about two?

• “Modern Family”
• “Madam Secretary”

2. Would you rather win a Nobel Prize or an Academy Award?

Unless one comes with money, I don’t need to win either. I don’t think either fit with who I am. I don’t have the knowledge or ideas for physics, literature, chemistry, medicine, peace, and economics. Academy Award? I’m not drawn to the limelight. I hide from it. I don’t see myself as an actor, producer, director, maybe a writer.

3. What one food would you banish from this earth if you could?

I would banish super hot, hot sauce. What is the point of them? To prove how tough you are?

4. What’s the scariest story you’ve ever heard?

I don’t know that I’ve heard it yet. I hope I don’t hear it November 3rd.

5. Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

I met Rosie O’Donnell at a Michael’s book signing. Several times I met Folk-Rock singer and songwriter, Melissa Ferrick. I met Green Bay Packer, Bart Starr and Miss America 1973, Terry Anne Meeuwsen, at Southridge Mall.

6. What’s something you’ve done that most people wouldn’t know or guess about you?

I moved from WI to IL because the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” drew me there. Before moving I had quite a few Ferris Day’s. Actually some people who know me, know about it.

7. You’re strapped in a rocket ship about to go to the moon. Are you thrilled? Or terrified?

If the rocket ship is about to go to the moon, then I’d be terrified. I’m afraid of heights.

8. What is the correct way for toilet paper to sit on the holder?

Tail behind. Makes it less likely my cats will unroll it.

9. Talk about a mistake you made, or something you regret.

The last job I had. When you interview for a job and the people interviewing you (each separately for the same job) and they all repeatedly say “we are like family”. RUN! Run away as fast as you can. These people were awful. Homophobic, rude. They tried so hard to fire me because they didn’t like that I was gay. That was the bottom line, they did try to discredit my work to have a legitimate reason to fire me. I was called disgusting. I was screamed at repeatedly. When I tried to report it to my manager, I was screamed at by them too. I’m no longer there. 

10. What would be the best gift I could give you?

The gift of friendship. 

11. What makes you feel better when you’re sad or stressed?

A hug from my daughter. Because of the lockdown at her group home I have not gotten a hug from her since March 22nd. The governor extended the lockdown for congregate living places until June 30, and it could be extended again. Nursing homes are considered congregate living places. Until nursing homes get the spread of the coronavirus under control, I think the order may continue.

12. What is the most romantic movie you’ve ever seen?

I have two. “When Harry Met Sally” and “Casablanca”.

13. What is the worst date you’ve ever been on?

I have had quite a few.

• Lumpy Rutherford. This was a date in my previous life. This guy told me he looked like a combo of Billy Crystal and Bruce Willis. Ah no. He looked like a grown up Lumpy Rutherford from “Leave it to Beaver”. We were going to have dinner and watch the all star game at his mom’s house...where he lived. His mom and brother were home. I didn’t know this was a “family”date. I didn’t stay long. He had my...our...entire life planned out. EVERYTHING! I feigned illness and left.
• The Canadian. She insisted on flying in for a date. We had chatted for months online and on the phone. We exchanged photos. She had wanted me to book a hotel room for her. I didn’t do it, and it was a good thing. I picked her up from the airport. She looked me up and down over and over and was really angry. Apparently she didn’t like what she saw. We exchanged photos, so that was puzzling. We went to Navy Pier, she disappeared, apparently to change her return flight. When she appeared she said she was taking a cab to the airport. I ended up driving her back. She wouldn’t talk and appeared to be really, really angry. When she got out of my car, she threw at me the flowers and teddy bear I got her.  
• The just broke up with her long term partner and shouldn’t have agreed to go on a date with me on Valentines Day girl. She shouldn’t have brought her bff on the date either. Every topic, no matter how I tried, it triggered a memory of her partner and she’d start crying uncontrollably. Her bff was there to console her. Then the “date” wouldn’t end. After dinner they wanted to go dancing at the club down the street. I feigned illness and walked home. It was a really, really long walk.

14. What is the glue that keeps couples together?

Of course there has to be love. But the glue that keeps couples together is their sense of humor. If you can both find the funny in anything, you can get through anything together.

15.  What was your first crush.

I’d rather not say. This was in my previous life. He was my 6th grade crush. At the time I was too young and stupid to know that you don’t tell a friend the name of the person who you are crushing on. By the next day at lunch it was going around the lunchroom. I was mortified.

16. When did your parents talk to you about the birds and the bees?

I don’t specifically recall a talk about the birds and bees. (Or birds and birds, or bees and bees.) I just recall the talk about Aunt Flo.

17. What is your greatest achievement?

I would like to think it was all the advocating I did for my kids when their mental illnesses struck. My daughter in particular. Her break was bad, but she eventually came back from it, went on to live in a group home, then a part time job, and very soon an apartment.

18. Were you close to your parents growing up?

I was very close to both of them. More so my Mom. I was always my Dad’s gopher when he was working on his car, or some project. I would get whatever tool he asked for and give it to him. I held the work light. Stuff like that. We really didn’t “talk” like I did with my Mom, but we were close. I was very close to my Mom. I watched her cook, clean, do laundry, and we watched the soaps together. “One Life to Live” and “General Hospital.” We talked a lot. I learned a lot about her family, a little about her growing up.

19. What was the most life-changing event you’ve ever experienced?

Having children. 

20. Have you ever had a falling out with a friend? What happened?

I had a weird falling out with my childhood bff. I was 1 year younger. When she became a sophomore and I was a freshman she told me we couldn’t be friends. Sophomores can’t be friends with freshmen. Not just at school, in the neighborhood too. This was brutal. We were friends since our parents had their homes built. Since I was 4 or 5 years old. Both my Mom and her Mom tried to intervene, but my bff was no longer my bff. Around 1995 word got to me that she had a malignant brain tumor. I was told by a neighbor that she wanted to talk. By this time I lived in Chicago and had a 1 year old and 2 year old and my husband (in my previous life) was in and out of the hospital. I had made plans to go, but couldn’t because of his hospitalization. Sadly I never made it. I was able to attend the funeral. Since the sophomores can’t be friends with freshman I have found it very difficult to make friends.

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