20+ QUESTIONS

I'm apparently on a narcissistic binge with this blog, so why not go over the top? Here's the familiar question list that everybody emails everybody else. How many times have you been emailed this list?

What is your favorite color? white

What is your favorite scent? coffee

Where is your favorite place to vacation? Orlando or Gatlinburg. I enjoy the traveling experience about as much as I enjoy the destination. I love taking the Amtrak or piling in a car with friends.

Do you collect anything? I collect story ideas - and other creative ideas for projects and pictures. I was collecting old records, but I've given it up.

Do you have a favorite tv show? Not anything worth endorsing. I find myself watching TV guide's channel more often than not.

Are you crafty? If so, how? In the elementary art teacher kind of way. I'm interested in getting better at photography and graphic design (think magazine, not scrapbook).

Do you have kids? No.

Do you have pets? I miss my dog and pony - and the horses, cats, goats, and ducks I grew up with on the farm. Now, I have a hamster, a bird, and a fish that live in my classroom. It's not the same.

What kind of movies do you like? I like movies that make me think, or that take me to a time and place outside of my own reality. I'm on a foreign flick kick this summer.

What kind of music do you listen to? Old records from my parents or from the thrift store - they are so relaxing.

What kind of books do you like to read? I like character-driven novels and children's books. I've been exploring creative nonfiction.

Do you have a favorite magazine? Yep. I love reading the essay at the back of time magazine. Dalton Ross's Hit List in Entertainment Weekly is reason enough to subscribe to an otherwise hunk of junk mag. Business 2.0, Wired, and Mental Floss are great.

What is your favorite weekend activity? Throwing a small party for friends ranks right up there with sleeping the entire weekend away. Second place goes to a day trip to New Orleans.

What kind of work do you do? I teach.

What do you do for fun? I learn.

First name? Michael

Were you named after anyone? Mom's Uncle Pat.


Do you wish on stars? No. Just birthday candles.

When did you last cry? Last week when I watched the final episode of Wonderfalls.

Who's your favorite cartoon/comic strip character? Linus

What is your favorite lunch meat? turkey

What is your birth date? December 21, 1974

What is your most embarrassing CD? The "Little Orphan Annie" broadway soundtrack.

Do you have a journal? Yes, a blog and a traditional journal.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Probably more than I think I do.

What are your nicknames? "Pat Pat"

Would you bungee jump? You betcha'

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No.

Do you think that you are strong? Jesus gives me strength.

Shoe Size? 12 wide

Red or pink? red

What is your least favorite thing about yourself? I can be a little stiff, but I try hard to over come it - so I don't thinks it's terribly noticeable.

Who do you miss most? Can you miss someone you've never met? I think I miss my wife and kids the most.

Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back? n/a

What color pants and shoes are you wearing right now? black pants with bare feet

What are you listening to right now? an ad on TV

Last thing you ate? a waffle

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? neon green

What is the weather like right now? hot!

Do you like the person who sent this to you? I like everybody...there's that sarcasm again

Favorite Drink? milk (gross, huh?)

Favorite Sport? hockey

Hair color? black

Do you wear contacts? Yep.

Favorite Food? breads and sweets

What was the last movie you watched in a theater? Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

Favorite Day of the Year? Christmas

SCARY Movies Or Happy Endings? Scary movies WITH happy endings.

Summer or winter? Winter

Hugs OR Kisses? Hugs

What Is Your Favorite Dessert? chewy cookies

Who Is Most Likely To Respond? n/a

Who Is Least Likely To Respond? ditto

Living Arrangements? A longsuffering, I mean longstanding friend, Terry, and I share an apartment for a year until he marries next summer.

What books are you reading? The Nondesigners Design Book

What's On Your Mouse Pad? I'm on a laptop - no mouse.

What Did You Watch Last night on TV? an old movie, "Presenting Lily Mars." It wasn't that good, but I was too out of it to get off the couch and go to bed.

Favorite Smells? bread baking

Favorite Sounds? crickets chirping and frogs croaking on a cool summer night while I lie on the chaise lounge on the screen porch...piano solos are great, too.

Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles

What's the furthest you've been from home? Kenya

Do you like your handwriting? no

Last person you talked to on the phone? Josh

The first thing you notice about the opposite ? women with great smiles always catch my eye

Do you have a special talent? of course; everybody does!