You ask, I answer (part 2)

OK, here it is, your eagerly awaited part 2.  I was going to wait a little longer before posting it, but I have way too many other things to blog about to put it off any longer.  I loved all the questions.  Thanks for making me think. :)

Caroline asked:
 
Will you run another marathon? Definitely.  My first was a great experience.


How old were you when you got married? 19 the first time.  29 the second time.


Did you have a big wedding?  Not huge, but good sized.  Both times I had 4 bridesmaids (in fact, despite the 10 years between the two weddings, three of the four bridesmaids from the first wedding were in the second), both times we had lots of family there.


What makes you mad? something you cannot tolerate?  Relentless negativism.


Unlimited budget: where do you go on vacation? 

 I'd take the entire summer and visit state and national parks all over the west.  I'd take my bikes, my running shoes, and someone who would actually ride and run with me.  I'd also love to go to Egypt.






Who would you like to meet?  Greg Mortensen (of Three Cups of Tea fame) is inspiring.  I think he'd be a neat person to sit down with and just listen to.  I'd enjoy meeting any of my blog friends in real life.  Really, anyone who I could sit down and have a good conversation with would be great; I don't feel any need to meet any stars or politicians or anyone like that, though.


What poster was on your wall when your were a teenager?  A hot, shirtless guy on a bike.

Chris K and Anne wanted to know about my husband...Does he read my blog? What does he think of it?

He doesn't really get it, especially the community aspect of it.  He tends to respond to my excited follower count by saying things like, "When you get to 100 followers can we start a church?"  He tends to be a little a lot more private than I am, so I try to respect his privacy and not overshare details that he'd be uncomfortable with.  I know he has read it, but as far as I know it's only been either when I ask him to read it or if it's come up on a google search he's done (like when he was searching for some information on our mud volleyball tournament). It also annoys him because I'll spend half the day doing something and "the other half" writing about it, so I try to balance his legitimate need for a wife who's present with my enjoyment of writing about the things that I'm doing.

Chris K had several additional questions.  You might notice a bit of a theme:


1) Don't you think Jill asks silly questions?


I thought Jill's questions were insightful and thought-provoking, just like all the other questions I got. :)

2) Do you feel sorry for Kovas' wife?

I think Laima can hold her own.

3) Who is smarter - you or Kovas?

This is a toss-up.  Clearly, me, because I stopped at 3 kids (no disrespect to the munchkin); on the other hand, Kovas has figured out how to get people to give him gear and food, while I'm still buying my own clothes. 

4) Who is smarter - your youngest kid or Kovas?

Since J is both smarter than me and smarter than his teenage brothers, and anyone who has a teenager knows that they know everything, he is by default smarter than Kovas.

6) How did you get so Super - were you born this way or developed it?

I was born Super.  In my early years, my super powers included being able to compel my extended family to gather around for impromptu ballet recitals (I never took ballet, but this didn't stop me). 

 I continued to be super through high school, when I knew what I liked (boys), knew what I wanted (boys), and knew what I was good at (school. Not boys).

The boy I got turned out to be more of a lump of kryptonite, though, and when we were together we did (or he did) what he liked, what he wanted, and I was eventually convinced I wasn't much good at anything.  Really, even after I married the second time, I ended up doing what my husband wanted to do, this time because, having been poor and taking care of little kids for basically my entire adult life, I hadn't had an opportunity to figure out what I liked anymore.  The first time I rode my bike more than 15 miles and survived was (to mix metaphors) like breaking a spell.  Having something that was ME and "my thing" outside of being a wife and parent was life changing, and I'm not exaggerating in the least.  When I decided to trade "I could never..." with "I wonder if I could..." I finally regained my Super.

7) (via twitter) Who is a better speller? You or Kovas?

Mee.  Cleerlee mi spelink iz betttter.  Wi doo yu assk?

ajh asked:  Do you ever wish you taught something besides Spec. Ed. and what would it be?


My ideal teaching job would be half days, teaching reading only.  The thing that's so awesome about special ed is that, if you're good at your job, you have the opportunity to make an enormous difference in your students' lives as well as the lives of their children.  The thing that sucks (besides the paperwork), and it's one of those things that shouldn't matter but still makes me feel like crap, is that typically at Christmas and the end of the year the regular ed teachers go home loaded down with gifts and I'm lucky to have one gift.  Sorry if that sounds superficial.

How is it going with your clipless pedals?

I just got them and they're in the box until one of my friends can put them on my bike. Great! My friend Wade put them on for me Monday night (yeah, I'm helpless like that) and we rode for 24 miles.  No falls, and I felt so much faster!

What scares you?

The thought of riding with clipless pedals. :) Mountain biking downhill. The thought of mountain biking with clipless pedals.  Doing new things.  Not being able to protect my kids from bad things that could happen to them.

Marcia asked:  Why did you start your blog?

I originally started blogging on Yahoo360, and I'm not sure exactly why or how.  It was mostly about my family and camping trips and more a journal than anything else, but I loved making a few online friends, some of whom are still my friends 5 years later.  My husband at one point had told me that he thought I should start writing again, and my blog right now is where that takes place.

XLMIC asked: Can I still ask a question or two?  Yes.

Do you wax or shave your legs? I see you are a hard core cyclist who gets munched by the road so I know you must do one or the other.  I shave, but not because I'm a cyclist.  I do because, with my dark hair, I look like a yeti if I don't, and I don't want to scare any little kids.

Do you wax or shave any place else? Yes

When you are really sad, is there something that can bring you back up? What is it?  Sometimes I need to take a little bit of time and wallow, but I always feel better after a run or a long ride.

Is there something that ALWAYS makes you laugh?  My friend Lindsay.  The Kovas-Chris K banter.  When my 18 year old son comes up to me, looks at me very seriously, and says "poop".

How would you characterize your sense of humor? Dirty

Johann wanted to know what international race I'd like to do.  I'm going to be very unoriginal here and say Comrades, since I don't really know of any others.  The race in Born to Run sounds pretty amazing, too.