I don’t actually own this shirt.  I just took a photo because I thought it was funny and wanted to poll people to see if it was fitting?

For Mother’s day, B gave me a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe for my birthday.  I started to get sick the day we left, and in hindsight I should not have got on that plane. We planned on hiking and biking and we pretty much spent the weekend in the hotel room with me feeling physically like complete shizzz, and seeing the area through a starkly tainted illness filter. B worked and I creeped out to watch five weddings on the shore of the Lake below our balcony. My ears didn’t unplug for five days. Ah well, the vacation universe balanced itself. I guess Spain was just too much fun. When we got home on my actual birthday the kids had decorated, made me a really cute video, bought me some very nice gifts, got me flowers and Lelu ordered me this honey almond delicious cake, that I pretty much ate myself over the next week.

1.Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

I know you all think I would say Chris Martin and maybe I would, but assuming dinner guest means hosting in my home and me doing the cooking – that could be way too much pressure.  So my second choice would be an even tie between Jimmy Fallon (I agree with Aub) and Adele.  

 

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

Only posthumously – for writing the most profound philosophical blog ever published about living the best life possible, finding meaning and joy and inspires people to change their lives. Everyone has an existential need for some kind of immortality, right?

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

Yes, I actually write down a sort of outline so I don’t forget certain things to say especially if I am nervous, planning to voice a complaint or trying to convince someone of something. 

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

Sleeping in until 8 (that seems the perfect amount of sleeping in), waking up with B in a beautiful new city to explore, on a bike in the morning and a vespa in the afternoon with all of my kids, they are all happy, laughing and kind to each other without a single note of tension, stopping at charming little restaurants and eating amazing food for every meal, ending the evening with a private acoustic concert with Coldplay, Adele and Mumford and Sons outdoors on a lawn under a clear star filled sky with my friends that I personally invited. 

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

This morning when an Imagine Dragons song came on I sang to myself.  I guess I kind of sang to the whole audience through all three concerts. 

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

I think I’m smarter than I was at 30 and I would never give up my life experiences that I continue to gain knowledge so I’d say body.  

7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

On my 100th birthday after I blow out the candles, eat cake and dance to Altered Images Happy Birthday song at my party with all my descendants, I go to bed and pass on in my sleep

8. Name three things you think you and your spouse appear to have in common.

A devotion to our kids well-being and happiness.

Loyalty to each other.

Hard-working

9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

Everything

10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

I think this is a butterfly effect type of question. I’m not sure what the fall out would be if I changed anything and I like my life right now. 

11. Take four minutes and tell your life story in as much detail as possible.

I was born the 6th kid, 5th girl in a family in Utah with nobody around to welcome me but my mom and the hospital staff.  After the 7th kid/6th girl was born we moved to Arizona. Another sister and brother were born.  We lived in Tempe until I was 16 and then moved to Mesa. I worked a lot of jobs: babysitting; Dairy Queen; Peter Piper Pizza; Swenson’s Ice Cream; the movie theatre. I bought a really cute little MG midget. I attended and graduated from both Cosmetology school and high school in 1986. I didn’t like doing hair. I moved to UT for a bit. Then I moved to CA for awhile. I worked at a law firm.  I moved back to AZ, gave birth to a beautiful perfect girl. Worked at another law firm.  My perfect baby picked out her dad and I agreed.  We moved back to CA.  There I gave birth to a big healthy handsome full of personality boy.  We took a big risk and moved our little family to UT to start our own business.  I worked there until we added another beautiful perfect girl to the family.  A few years after that I gave birth to another beautiful girl and handsome boy together.  I don’t remember the next two years very well.  We sold the first business around the same time B started another one.  Life speeded up and those twins went to school all day. I made a lot of treasured friendships. I ran a few half marathons and one marathon. We’ve done a lot of traveling and seen a lot of really cool things. I went back to college at the U of U to study philosophy, a few classes at a time. I kept the MG and restored it. I need four more classes to graduate. Graduation Day is May 4, 2017!!

12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

To make every person I come into contact with feel better about themselves when they walk away.

13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

If I’ve learned the lessons that I’ve needed to learn from the experiences that have come my way so far.  

14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

Finishing college and I am doing it – very slowly. 

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

I’ve written three different answers and could write more so I don’t think I can say anything is the greatest, but I’m pretty proud of the way I handled a few major trials in my life in an honest, ethical and authentic way and come out wiser. 

16. What do you value most in a friendship?

Friendship for the sake of friendship and nothing else. Humor!! Empathy. Sorry that’s three but I value them all as deal breakers if they are missing. 

17. What is your most treasured memory?

Oh my I have a lot of treasured memories. A few are: Bringing Aub into the sealing room. Master D coming down the escalator home from his mission. Lelu playing a duet with Chris Martin.  The twins eating and spreading powdered sugar all over the kitchen floor freshly bathed in their pajamas as one year olds. Eating raspberries in Drumnodrochit with B. 

18. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? 

I think I’d be in a perpetual state of planning and creating moments and memories with B, my kids and everyone I love and writing down every possible bit of random theories, advice and stories that I’d want my kids to know.  I’m pretty sure I’d become obnoxious. 

19. What does friendship mean to you?

No one says it better than CS Lewis: It gives priceless value to my life.

20. What roles do love and affection play in your life?

I didn’t think up these questions and this one seems very abstract to me.  Love is the reason for living.  Affection is the way I express and interpret that love. 

21. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

I’m not sure if anything is too serious – but there are always things that are too raw or sensitive to joke about but maybe after some time it can be joked about it.