Second Wind

[Warning: Long Post]
This is post numero dos for today, this must be a Personal Best. Agnes has pulled me out of the blogging rut by tagging me. Agnes, by the way, has some inspiring photos of her most recent knitted works. Go see them. The woman has been knitting for only a year. That blows me away.

Here are the questions. Along with some answers.

TEN YEARS AGO:I quit my job and started graduate school full time. I had applied to 3 schools, was accepted by all, offered a whopping $30K scholarship to UCLA but turned it down to go to my beloved alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was so happy to do something completely of my own choosing, my own will and desire. Graduate school was a heady, fullfilling time of my life.

FIVE YEARS AGO:My relationship with Karl was getting rocky. I had begun working in a new subsidiary of my company and it was just like a start-up. I had no idea what I was doing, my love life was on its way to disaster and even though company stock was spirally downwards I bought a new car. I thought nothing would ever be as difficult as that year.

ONE YEAR AGO:I was getting ready to cut loose on my sabbatical with only a couple of weeks left at work. I had spent months planning a very full schedule in which I was home for only 3 weeks. My sabbatical consisted of hopping on a plane to Australia (Brisbane, Coolangatta, Cairns and Port Douglas) with a friend and my brother; hopping on another plane to New Zealand (with Karl, to drive the entire perimeter of the South Island), hopping on a plane to Las Vegas, hopping on a plane to North Carolina and Massachusetts for Christmas. I love airports.

FIVE SNACKS:Do I really have to say? This is so embarrassing. Karl says I am not one to eat healthy snacks. No wonder I have to run 5 days a week.

• Andy Capp Hot Fries


• Cheeto's


• Shrimp Chips (especially the kind you can buy at Asian supermarkets, they are multi-colored and puff up when you throw them in a pan of hot oil)


• Cape Cod White Cheddar Popcorn


• strawberries

FIVE SONGS I KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO:

• Crazy by Patsy Cline


• In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel


• Leaving Las Vegas by Sheryl Crow


• Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around the World by U2


• Superman by REM

FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO WITH $100 MILLION:

• Buy a resort home for my parents in the Philippines and buy them in new house in Chapel Hill


• Buy resort homes for me and Karl in New Zealand and Whistler, BC


• Share the wealth with my brothers and set up trust funds


• Contribute to charities


• Travel all over the world

FIVE PLACES TO RUN AWAY TO:

• Kauai, Hawaii


• Bald Head Island, North Carolina


• Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand


• Vancouver, BC


• Yosemite National Park

FIVE THINGS I WOULD NEVER WEAR:

• Fur


• White platform sandals


• A Corset


• Edible Undies


• Body Piercings

FIVE FAVORITE TV SHOWS:

• Law and Order


• Sportscenter


• CSI


• Sopranos


• Nigella Lawson (she's funny and sexy while she cooks...my heroine)

FIVE BIGGEST JOYS:

• Being able to travel


• Writing about whatever comes to mind


• Being fit, healthy and safe


• Being with Karl


• Friends/Family

FIVE FAVORITE TOYS:

• My cameras (they count as 1 entity)


• Knitting stuff (also an umbrella category)


• My road bike


• My laptop


• My heart rate monitor

OK, OK...Cyndi, Linda and Violet, consider yourselves tagged. This is a long one, though, so don't feel obligated. I know you're all busy.

Enjoy the week, happy knitting!