One of my girlfriends recently told me, “I’m letting myself have a BMM this week — a Bare Minimum Monday. I just need it after the weekend.” We all need a soft landing or a slow pitch every now and then. I say lean into the BMM because Lord knows we often have “Absolute Maximum” Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays…!
This icebreaker post is one such way to ease into the week. Pure fun. I always love reading your answers. (You can see prior posts here, here, here.)
Onward —
+Preferred pizza order.
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell?
+What question do you wish someone would ask you?
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate.
+Dream car.
+Food you associate with your mother.
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like.
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments.
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments.
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten?
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you?
+Something superstitious you do.
I’ll go first!
**********
+Preferred pizza order. I love when Neapolitan-style pizza places have broccoli rabe and sausage on the menu — honestly, anything with sausage. From a more standard parlor: classic pepperoni.
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? Right now, my vote would be “Peaches” from the new Super Mario Bros movie because my children have over-played it to the point of madness. But more longterm, I cannot stand “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison (and I LOVE Van Morrison — that particular song just makes me cringe) or anything by that band Owl City.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? Probably something about writing. I could talk forever about it.
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. Air fresheners.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. In general, I prefer scented cosmetics/beauty products — I know “unscented” is usually considered a selling point, but I like something fragranced, even subtly, like the terracotta powder from Guerlain. I know it’s such a turn off for others!
+Dream car. One of those little red or green Porsche Boxsters from the 90s.
+Food you associate with your mother. Mango, English muffins, Crispix cereal, coq au vin.
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. Cooler ranch doritos. Really any chip, even the super-artificially-flavored ones.
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments. If someone has the answer to this, pls alert me ASAP. I cry all the time and have never figured out how to turn off the waterworks. It’s a joke in my family.
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments. Thinking of something terribly boring and specific, like converting measurements from tablespoons to ounces or miles to KM.
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? I had a girlfriend in college who studied abroad with me and then we amicably went our separate ways after — no real reason, no hard feelings, just different friend groups and majors and, eventually, cities. She was so funny and smart and observant and I felt instantly that I could be my truest self around her with no judgment. She seemed to find me funny, too — we laughed all the way through Lyon together. I think of her far more frequently than our relatively short friendship might suggest. She was (is) a bright light. I miss you, Emily!
+Something superstitious you do. I’m not superstitious per se, but I am a fan of rituals and routines. For writing, I need a tidy office, clear desk, and no music at all, and I prefer to sit down in the morning to put pen to paper.
Share your answers by copying and pasting the questions above into the comments!
Shopping Break.
+I think I might pull the trigger on one of these mesh Longchamp bags. They’ve been popping up all over the place! Love.
+Just ordered this striped button-front sweatshirt. I wish it had a collar instead of a hoodie but SO good. Throw on with white jeans or a pair of shorts.
+Adore this new pattern from Minnow.
+Everyone’s favorite lamp, on sale.
+These folding sling chairs are surprisingly sturdy/chic looking for the price.
+Cute beachy dress.
+For organizing your pool bag. These mesh bags are also great for goggles/pool toys, or for collecting shells!
+This mini caftan is on sale and the pattern is irresistible.
+An ultra-chic pet bed!
+FUN Fendi bag.
+Funky-fun shorts from Tory Burch.
+This skirt is SO good.
+I love the look of a French kitchen with lots of copper pots and bowls hanging from the ceiling.
Can’t resist a round of Icebreakers, even a month late!
+Preferred pizza order — my partner is very good at making homemade pizza, and I love when he does a chorizo-and-blue-cheese pizza. Also, one of our regular pizza spots (which makes wood-fired pizza) serves a “not-pepperoni” with sopressata and hot honey that is really good.
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? — So many choices, but the first that comes to mind is “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter, which was unfortunately ALL over the place during the year I lived in Paris (in the grocery store, in TV commercials, etc.) I heard it enough during that year to last many lifetimes. lol!
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. — I saw this below, but air fresheners are at the top of my list! This hatred was definitely sown by my mom, who also cannot stand highly artificial scents.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. — Époisses?
+Dream car. — I have never been a huge car person, and my current car is a very basic small SUV that is fairly ubiquitous. I have never really understood spending a ton of money on cars! Can’t imagine that I ever will.
+Food you associate with your mother. — Her signature chocolate mousse; butternut squash & sage risotto; these spinach balls that have been her go-to party appetizer for years; Italian Wedding soup; Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond (actually, any ice cream!); Devils on Horseback (stuffed dates wrapped in bacon). My mom is a wonderful cook and I have SO many amazing food memories with her and related to things she’s made!
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. — Trader Joe’s send-up of Chex Mix. I have to refrain from buying it so I don’t have the urge to eat a little bowl every afternoon.
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? — Forgotten, for sure.
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? — I had a friend during the tail end of college that I met during the summer before our senior year, and we lost touch after graduation. At the risk of sounding too Gen Z, I really vibed with this person and we connected on a bunch of different levels. It always seemed like the timing was just off in terms of cementing our friendship into something longer-lasting. However, they got back in touch last year and it’s been really nice to reconnect!
+Something superstitious you do. — I feel like I was much more superstitious as a child (when I had a terrible fear of loved ones dying and actually wore tiny angel pins on my clothes that were there for the purpose of protection — !!) However, I do still have a sort of private mantra that I repeat whenever I feel I am entering a dangerous situation (90% of the time, this applies to air travel)
LOVE these. Ugh, “Bad Day” is horrible!! TJ’s Chex Mix is a good call!!
xx
+Preferred pizza order. A Detroit style pepperoni pizza with a pesto drizzle and lots of red pepper flakes for a kick!
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? Anything Kings of Leon.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? I love being asked for very specific food recommendations in DC. Anything where I can express my very particular thoughts/preferences, hah!
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. The smell of mushrooms cooking.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. Nail polish.
+Dream car. Something utterly gorgeous and completely impractical as I mostly get around via walking/biking/Metrobus. So this would be a vehicle purely for joy and some leisurely scenic drives…perhaps a vintage convertible with some beautiful cream colored leather and wood paneled interior and a hunter green exterior?
+Food you associate with your mother. Oh my, so many, especially as my mother cooks and bakes very seasonally, so every time of year conjures up different memories. Cottage cheese, beets, poppyseed cake – can you tell my mother is Ukrainian haha! Baked goods of all kinds, she always had something freshly made on hand growing up, I don’t know where she found the time but she did. Good quality bread with lots of salted butter too.
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. Doritos, cheetos, hotdogs off the grill on a summer evening.
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments. I need all the tips, I have no way to not cry at inopportune moments.
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments. I need all the tips here too! If something is about to set off my laughter there’s truly no way I can stop it. In fact, it gets even worse the more I try to tell myself not to laugh.
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? Forgotten.
+Something superstitious you do. I’m not superstitious, but I do like routines and setting myself up properly before doing something, i.e. opening a notebook to a fresh clean page, having the right pen, etc.
HAHA Kings of Leon. I am loving all the “hell songs” — this would be such a horrific playlist if we strung them all together. I love all the foods that remind you of your mother. (Sidebar: We lived in Ukrainian Village in Chicago and visited a couple of really authentic spots — we loved that cuisine.) So interesting what these “food memories” reveal about our moms!
xx
I love the idea of Bare Minimum Monday! Honestly I feel like I need a Bare Minimum Tuesday too. We are on the nth round of viruses cycling through our household and now I caught it, ugh.
+Preferred pizza order: Classic Margherita, wood-fired, thin crust, lots of fresh basil.
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? Any extreme heavy metal.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? I honestly can’t think of one right off the bat! I feel absolutely fortunate to have enriching conversations with the close friends I talk to regularly, and the topics reflect our “multitudes”, as you say.
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind: same — air fresheners, especially in cars. And honestly anything that’s overpowering, especially when you have no choice in moving away (e.g., strong perfume/aftershave on someone in a plane).
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate: I’m not sure if other people really hate this, but I love the smell of garlic browning/crisping up in olive oil. It’s the Filipino in me!
+Dream car: I honestly don’t think I have a “dream” car… I love what we have currently!
+Food you associate with your mother: Ripe jackfruit (we had a tree growing up). And roasted chestnuts during the holidays. Suman, which is Filipino sticky rice cooked with coconut milk (my mom also adds ginger which adds a great zing), rolled in banana leaves and steamed. We eat it hot from the steamer with a pat of butter and muscovado sugar. And flan! She makes the smoothest (no air bubbles whatsoever!), not overly-sweet nor overly eggy flan.
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like: Cheetos white cheddar jalapeno or flamin’ hot.
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments: I wish I had one!
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments: I wish I had one too — I still remember how I tried so hard to stifle giggles when my comedian brother would crack a joke at church. Now I think I just press my lips together inwardly as firmly as I can, but it doesn’t always work and I worry it would make me snort instead!
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? With the knowing that my loved ones will remember me, I don’t mind being forgotten by others.
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? A friend I met at grad school. She radiates such joyful energy that her eyes look like she’s constantly smiling even if she isn’t. She was from Turkey, and she would invite a small group to her apartment for a Turkish breakfast. She is an excellent cook. She taught me how to make dolmas from scratch, and also the combination of watermelon and feta before it became trendy.
+Something superstitious you do: Knock on wood. And this one I borrowed from my husband — tie a knot in a cloth (like a scarf/handkerchief) when you can’t find something. I believe he has a mantra to go with it (which I don’t know, and probably should learn).
PS: Jen, I don’t think I see your answer to the question on infamous vs forgotten!
I am LOVING all of the food memories you associate with your mom. It reads like poetry, and reveals so much. Love.
You are right that I skipped that question — I decided I thought we’d all answer the same way (“forgotten”?) and thought I’d removed it. But the answers have been interesting nonetheless!!!
xx
100% agree on air fresheners! I’ve had to cancel Uber/Lyft rides if they have them since they aggravate my asthma and make it so hard to breathe.
+Preferred pizza order. Anything that doesn’t contain anchovies!
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? Hello by Adele. I cringe even typing the words.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? This is a toughie! Maybe what would you like to do? Most of my friends are planner types and they usually decide on restaurants, etc.
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. Signature scents of stores. Walmart and Target come to mind.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. Chlorine. Brings me back to my childhood and the Cape Cod weekend getaways my parents would take us on during winters. It was such a treat to swim in the hotel indoor pool despite frigid temps outside.
+Dream car. Not particular over make, but love an interior lined in a butterscotch leather with great stitching and a wrapped steering wheel.
+Food you associate with your mother. Pastry. My mother always had fine pastries on hand to offer guests. She would have a leftover piece the next morning with her tea for breakfast.
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. Mincemeat pie or tart. Preferably served warm with vanilla ice cream.
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments. Lifetime member in the crybaby club here! Even tearing up over commercials and happy segments on the Today show. I’ve tried every trick including pinching the skin between my thumb and finger to no avail. Find the harder I try the worse it is so I’ve learned to let myself be and take pride in the fact that I’m an empathetic and sensitive soul.
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments. Hopeless here too. The mute button helps greatly!
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? Forgotten and only remembered by those that matter most.
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? Many come to mind. Mainly colleagues I’ve worked with and lost touch with when we moved to different roles. Grateful for them being in my life at the time they were and the experiences gained, but miss the laughs and good times.
+Something superstitious you do. Avoid black cats from crossing my path.
Ooh signature scents in stores is such a good one — that drives me crazy, too. Hotels have them, too, and they always vaguely annoy me! Ha! Good call.
Love all my fellow crybabies! Glad to know I’m not alone!
xx
So glad I’m not the only one who is annoyed by Adele’s music! I admit she is talented but her songs are not for me.
Same and nice to be in good company! Tran-Siberian Orchestra is a close second. I love their Sarejevo song and couldn’t wait to attend a live concert. I was ready to poke my eyes out midway through. Torture! They all have so much talent, but not for me, ha!
Yes! Talented artists can still be bothersome/annoying!
Ooh, loving all the nuanced responses!
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? “Everything Is Awesome,” from the Lego Movie. Apologies in advance.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? Stealing the babysitting one, for sure! Bueller?
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. A decade and change of anosmies has faded many of my scent memories but horse manure never bothered me as a child (maybe thanks to repeated readings of The Midwife’s Apprentice??)
+Dream car. Bottle green MG, baby! But public transit is pretty sweet too.
+Food you associate with your mother. Bouillabaisse (Christmas eve tradition), extra mustardy vinaigrette, and slipping crystallized ginger into all manner of unexpected places
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. Tomalley! More apologies in advance.
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? To echo some of the above responses, it would depend on the cause! Infamy for standing up for bodily autonomy if the current rollback of rights continues? I’d be honored!
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? Two of my best, brilliant childhood friends moved away in middle school — one is now a marine biologist in Saint John and the other is a vinter living fully off the grid in the Shenandoah Valley with her partner and two children. Neither have social media and I’m not sure the latter even has email, but I’m so in awe of both of them from afar!
+Something superstitious you do. Knock wood, constantly!
OMG, yes “Everything is Awesome.” Which will now be stuck in my head the rest of the day!
Bueller!! Haha!!
Also, your two childhood friends — wow. I want to write novels about them both.
xx
What is a bottle green MG? I’m curious!
Also, glad to have a fellow infamy warrior ally (for the right reasons/causes of course)!
+Preferred pizza order. A very specific but delish from my favorite little local Italian restaurant- mozarella/shaved parm/EVOO/prosciutto with a mountain of arugula on top.
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? Anything by Nine inch Nails has always felt like the soundtrack to hell in my opinion. It has always given major ick and made my skin crawl.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you?
I love talking about art history and books I’ve read. Im always happy to engage when either of those topics come up!
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. Baby powder scented deodorant or any scent from bath and body works.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. Salt marsh mud- smells like summer.
+Dream car. Once upon a time an old Jeep wagoneer woody. But truly I’d prefer to just live somewhere more walkable.
+Food you associate with your mother. Watermelon- I can’t think of vacation or summer party where she didn’t manage to have one cut into wedges.
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. Cool whip- it’s so nostalgic and reminiscent of being a kid.
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments.
Woof. I’ve certainly had to deal with this as I work with cancer patients. Even though my composure muscle is pretty strong from daily use, I have a trick when I feel myself starting to crack. I sing the star spangled banner in my head. It requires just enough distraction to keep me from dissolving. I have found it works in and out of my workplace.
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments.
There’s no hope for me. I am a lost cause with church giggles. I’ll make a terrible scene if I don’t bolt when I feel it bubbling up.
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten?
Definitely infamous- many a villain turns romantic character with the passage of enough time-like a pirate for example. I’ll take my chances with infamy rather than obscurity.
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you?
I had a coworker that was SO fun. Somehow the same quirky people and events caught our attention. We had ridiculous, almost sister-like, nonverbal communication. You know when something bizarre is happening and you can just catch your sister’s eye……and you both know what you’re *talking* about. That was us. It was the BEST and I think about her all the time.
+Something superstitious you do.
I always hold my breath when driving past a cemetery or graveyard.
These are SO delightful — I feel like I could talk about each of your answers for hours. I really want to try that pizza, first — love anything with a mountain of arugula on top. And co-sign on baby powder scent — horrible. I’m going to try the Star Spangled Banner trick!!
xx
I’m going to try your Star Spangled Banner trick next time I need to cull my tears. Thank you for sharing the tip!
Agree — this is really helpful!!
Trick to prevent crying: touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth. I learned that trick in a business school negotiation class… it works!
Definitely going to try this!
Going to keep this trick in my back pocket for future reference. Thanks for sharing!
+Preferred pizza order. White pizza always without gorgonzola.
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? I might get hell for this, but probably Adele. I can’t explain why but her music irks me.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? I always love to talk about travel- either past or upcoming. Note to Magpies- would appreciate any recommendations for Lille, Bruges & London. I’m in the early stages of planning a trip for 2024. I’ve been to London but Lille and Bruges will be new to me 🙂
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. Peanut butter! Makes me nauseated just writing the words.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. Can’t think of any. I’m very smell-averse and most scents aggravate my asthma.
+Dream car. Is no car an answer? I love public transit and walking. If I have to have a car, then whichever one comes with a driver is my choice.
+Food you associate with your mother. Waffles with homemade strawberry sauce. She would make these often for me as a child (and still on occasion as an adult). I was a horrifically picky eater and this meal would satiate me.
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. Drawing a blank on this one but will revisit if anything comes to mind!
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments. I would love to learn from other Magpies. I only cry when being chastised/reprimanded/scolded at work. My eyes stay dry at weddings, funerals, and pretty much everything else.
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments. I do my best to avoid eye contact and do some deep breathing. If I have to laugh, I’ll try to step away or at least turn my head into my shoulder.
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? This depends on what that ‘bad’ thing was. Did I make a careless mistake while young and reform my behavior, never causing true harm to anyone but myself? Was I associated with some scandal but never actually involved? Ideally, neither of these happens, but I like to think I’d use my platform/voice to elevate those who have fewer opportunities to do so and would speak about social causes and other issues that matter. Maybe I’d even write a book!
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? Most of my friends/acquaintances who are in the past are in the past for some reason or other. While an occasional person might pop up, I really try to focus on my current friendships and relationships. I’m too busy to focus this much time on someone else. How do people do it all? I don’t have a husband, kids or pet and can barely keep track of my life as it is!
+Something superstitious you do. I still kiss my fingers and tap the roof of the car if I go through a yellow light.
I love all of these answers! Especially the public transit preference and waffles with strawberry sauce!!! What a sweet treat.
xx
Wow these are tough! Here’s mine…
+Preferred pizza order. Anything with veggies, really. My favorite local spot does a really good eggplant pizza.
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? Rude by MAGIC! Youtube at your own risk.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? “What would be easiest for you?” As I’ve mentioned before I’m recovering from the first of two surgeries and while a lot of friend and family members have stepped in to help, I notice there is often a lot of assumption as to what I need at any given moment. Just ask, and I will tell!
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. I tend to find a lot of fragrances in general to be really overwhelming.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. A slight twist on the questions, but I don’t drink coffee or eat bacon, yet I really enjoy the smell of both! They’re nice cozy morning smells.
+Dream car. Any car that parks itself.
+Food you associate with your mother. Burned toast. Lol. Specifically burned toast that’s had much of the burned parts scraped off.
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. I love trash stuff like Cheetos, sour cream and onion potato chips, etc.
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments. I wish I knew a trick!
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments. Deep nose breathing.
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? Forgotten. Not really one for the spotlight, me.
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? Friends who I’ve lost touch with who don’t use social media. There are so many people who we lose touch with but still know what they’re up to because we’re connected on social media, but those who stay off the platforms are really such a mystery! What ARE they up to??
+Something superstitious you do. I tend to cross my fingers unconsciously when I am wishing/hoping for things.
Oh my gosh – I love this question: “What would you be easiest for you?” Going to tuck this away for related situations. Thank you for the suggestion!
xx
i i purchased that Longchamp bag the second it launched a couple of years ago. i am a longchamp hoarder. it was the worst. stuff falling out all the time. trying to put stuff in was difficult. i took it on an overseas vacation. the minute i arrived home i dropped it off at a resale store. it is the only purchase from longchamp that was disappointing.
Oh NO! Thanks for the intel! I am reconsidering my enthusiasm.
Thank you, friend!
Yay this is fun! I’m home from work today because I’m under the weather, and this was fun to take time to think about 🙂
+Preferred pizza order. — I prefer plain ol’ cheese pizza, but sometimes I’ll spring for a margherita pizza or a white pizza.
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? — “Somebody that I Used to Know” by Gotye. This was super popular when I was in high school and was on the radio constantly, and I would change the radio station immediately.
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? — hmmm this is hard. My self-confidence was really shaken last fall, and I wish someone would ask me about that: How/why was your self-confidence hurt? What can I do to help boost your confidence in yourself?
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. — Honestly, a lot of perfumes smell the same to me. I was with my Mom at a nice perfume store recently and she would spray different perfumes and ask me what I thought, and I thought they all smelled like cherry cough syrup.
+A smell you love that other people seem to hate. — I wouldn’t say I love this smell, but formaldehyde never bothered me like it did my classmates. On dissection days in biology, the entire school building could smell like formaldehyde, and I never had a strong reaction to it.
+Dream car. — I’m not a car person at all, though I have been casually searching online for cars knowing that I’ll need to buy one in the next year or so. I’m searching for something that is a small-ish SUV (so I feel safer when I drive on the highways but can also fit down some of the narrow one-way streets in DC) that has a back-up camera (so I can parallel park) and that is reasonably priced but has less than 60k miles on it.
+Food you associate with your mother. — unsweet black ice tea, Whole Foods’ Sonoma Chicken Salad
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. — mayonnaise, canned tuna fish
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments. — I just tell myself I can cry later in the day when I get home.
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments. — It’s easy to make me smile and laugh, and sometimes I catch myself smiling without realizing it, so I have to actively think of keeping my mouth straight. If I have a drink, it can help to take a sip of it!
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? — Forgotten, I guess. I don’t like the idea of being forgettable, but the idea of being remembered for doing bad things is even worse.
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? — Molly, a girl I know of because we went to the same university and she had a blog. I never met her in real life, and her blog no longer exists, but I always thought she and I would be friends because we seemed to have a lot of similarities. Sometimes I think of dm’ing her on Instagram to tell her how much I enjoyed her blog, but I haven’t yet.
Co-sign on the Gotye song — really can’t stand that one!
Sorry to hear about your confidence shake-up — let’s build you back up! Just from your answers alone, you seem smart, funny, insightful!!
And – you SHOULD DM that chickadee from your college! It will mean the world to her, I’m sure 🙂
xx
I am not a car enthusiast but I absolutely adore my Mazda CX-5. It has a backup camera and I got the ‘heads up’ package that displays my navigation, speed limit, etc. in the front window as a projection. It is incredibly helpful. The display screen also always shows the upcoming street (e.g. 12th Avenue), even when not in direction/navigation mode. It is easy to drive, can fit a decent amount of cargo, and gets great gas mileage. I live in a city and primarily do stop/go vs. freeway driving and get 24-27mpg. My car is 5 years old so they probably have even more features now. Happy to answer additional (non-technical) questions about the car if you are considering it!
Thanks for the rec, Melinda! My father has had a Mazda sedan for 12-ish years now and he loves it – it drives smoothly and has never had any maintenance problems. I’m less familiar with the CX-5, but I’ll need to check it out!
Highly recommend!!! I will say that oil changes are more expensive compared to other cars I have had (even pricier than my mom’s fancy Acura) because they use a specific type of oil. It’s worth it but my oil changes are closer to $90 than $45 if that is a significant factor for you.
+Preferred pizza order. Ham, mushroom, and black olives
+What song would be playing on repeat in hell? Anything by the Barenaked Ladies. With a side of “Let it Go”
+What question do you wish someone would ask you? “When can I babysit?”
+A smell you hate that other people seem not to mind. Rose scented candles/lotion/etc.
+Dream car. Something classic and muscle-y like a Chevelle
+Food you associate with your mother. A fruit cup! She frequently serves a ramekin of cut up fruit when we go there for dinner. My husband gets a kick out of this 🙂
+A food you feel like you should hate but secretly like. I’ll go with one adjacent to yours – sour cream and cheddar Ruffles
+Trick for preventing yourself from crying at inopportune moments. I’m not a huge crier so I don’t have any tricks up my sleeve
+Trick for preventing yourself from laughing at inopportune moments. Usually this seems to happen when I’m with a friend – so my trick is to not make eye contact with my partner in crime.
+Would you rather be infamous (e.g., famous for bad reasons) or forgotten? Forgotten for sure! Would not want generations thinking badly of me!
+An acquaintance or friend from the past that you think of frequently and wish you knew more about — who is it? Why did he/she stick with you? Last year, I would have said the group of friends I lived with my last semester of college. I wasn’t in touch with any of them (besides seeing fb posts a few times a year) but I have a framed photo of all of us in my basement and would think of them when I saw it. I decided to organize a reunion – 20!years!! since we were housemates! – which we had with our families last august. It was such a hit that we have another reunion planned for next month.
+Something superstitious you do. Knock on wood!