Incubation Nation

For my Hundredth entry, I asked for my readers (all 5 of them) to ask me anything they wanted to know. Thanks to everyone who asked me questions, this was really fun!!

LoriD asked

Have you always lived in Buffalo or are you just drawn to the lake effect snow?

Yes, I have always lived in and around Buffalo. First of course, because this is where my parents chose to live, but as an adult, because we actually like it here. I don’t mind the cold or the snow (much) at all. We have great weather most of the year—it’s been in the 80’s up until today. The only thing that really bothers me is not being able to park on the street from November ‘til March. I’m a FREAK, (I know!!!) but I love to drive in the snow. And secretly, during our EPIC October storm last year, you know, the one where we lost power for 4 days….I had a blast. We pulled our mattress in to the living room and all slept there huddled around each other, lit the stove with matches, ate dinner, slept and even showered by candlelight….and when I needed sanity, we just drove down to Butler, PA to see my brother and SIL. I guess what I’m saying is even when it is really bad, I don’t really mind.

Tessie said “I want to know what you were like as a kid.”

I was extremely talkative (can you believe it?) and from what I understand talked at a very early age. I was also overly sensitive, to an extreme that I have never seen on any other child. You couldn’t even look at me the wrong way or I would burst in to tears. And forget trying to joke with me about anything. This, of course got better as I got older. I’ve loved to sing for as long as I can remember, and have vivid memories of sitting in my bedroom, singing at the top of my lungs.

Mommy Daisy asked:

What kind of work do you do?

I work for one of the largest banks in the world, in the mortgage department. I manage 17 associates who handle escalated issues that regular customer service associates can not handle. In addition, my group is responsible for paying, or not paying as it may be, claims for a high profile mortgage campaign we are running. This gets sticky, because once they say no, I’m the next step. I’ve had call for action news reporters from all over the country call me to try and make things right for concerned citizens. I run several projects and initiatives and represent our area in planning of associate activities—you know to make them feel valued (barf) On top of all of this, I also record my company’s automated system. (Welcome to Big Bank! To continue in English, press 1) You wouldn’t think this was a daily job, but things come up every day where we need to make changes or fixes. One of my favorites is “Due to inclement weather in the Buffalo area, our center is closed today.” The worst part was recording every number through 99 along with hundred, thousand, million, billion, and all of the letters. The recording though, is my favorite thing about my job.

Is that what you’d really like to do?

In a nutshell, no. I’m very good at what I do and that does make my work enjoyable- This is what allows me to spend countless daily hours out here in the bloggosphere. Office politics, however, are not my cup of tea. I’m not the type of person to kiss your ass in order to get what I want. I’m more about earning it….sometimes this doesn’t pan out, and its garbage. I talked with Ed recently about how maybe I’m not happy here and it came down to “what would I like to do instead” and the truth is, I really don’t know. So for now, here I am.

Did you go to college? If so, for what?

I did go to college. Initially, I was going to be a music teacher. Music was what I’d always done, I was really good at it and it made sense. Then like I do with most things, I got bored. I added the boredom to being really horrible at playing the piano and the fact that I would have to transfer far away to complete my degree, I dropped out of the program. I changed my major to elementary education and went with that for a while—again, got bored. Ed and I were living together by then and I decided that it would be more beneficial to work 3 jobs so I dropped out for a semester. I went back, but I could just never get in to the whole “school thing”. After waiting about 2 years, I went back again, this time to a different school and started majoring in business. I worked full time during the day and then took classes for about 3 hours a night and it was excruciating. I stuck with it though, and went for 2 semesters before I got pregnant with Eddie. I didn’t feel like I could balance work, school and being a mom, so I finished the classes I was taking and that was it. In all, I have about 5 years of college, and a ton of credits, about a 3.0 GPA, but no degree to show for it.

The Flying Mum asked

I know your secret desire is to be a rock star, any other wishes as yet unfulfilled?

Hmm, this is a tough one, because being a rock star, or even just being in a band, would be the greatest for me. I love to sing and harmonize and all around perform. There are 2 other things that I would love to do though. One is being an interior decorator. I took a home interiors class in high school and I LOVED it! The thing with that career line though is that you have to be creative, which I am not. I’m all about copying other people’s designs but I couldn’t come up with anything myself. This coupled with the laziness I’ve mentioned is why my own walls are all but bare, and I why I don’t even have curtains, just blinds. The other would be to own a bakery or candy shop. The thing about the bakery is that I suck at cookies. I can do cakes and pies, but my cookies always come out like crapola. I would absolutely love to learn how to make candy though and have some sort of custom candy shoppe.

Misty asked:

1. You said you liked to sing. What do you like to sing? What kinds of musical things have you done in the past? Do you play an instrument as well?

I love to sing EVERYTHING! Songs from the radio, TV jingles, made up songs to the kids…..you name it—my best friend used to joke that I even sing in my sleep. One of my all time favorites is Handel’s Messiah which is an amazing classical chorale piece. Broadway show tunes are also a must. I have them on in the car almost constantly. On the opposite end of the spectrum though, I love singing any of Alanis Morisette’s songs, Meatloaf’s power ballads and the harmony parts to Simon and Garfunkle tunes.

In high school I was in the symphonic chorale and show choir, and had chorus parts in Once upon a Mattress and Hello Dolly. I was also chosen for our All-County Chorus several times. In college I was in the Swing Choir and Chamber Choir. After college, I was in a local community chorus for a while, but the schedule became too demanding for something that was supposed to be recreational. So right now I am not doing anything musical and it kills me.

I do not play an instrument, though I’d like to buckle down and try the piano again, or maybe even the guitar.

2. Do you have names picked out for any future children? What kinds of names do you like?

Do I have names? DO I HAVE NAMES??!! (That’s a yes…) I don’t have any set in stone names. Ed and I both like Olivia and Cally. I like Grace (Gracie), Morgan, and Jenna for girls–Olivia Grace is my #1 girl’s name at the moment followed closely by Jenna Skye (which is the exact name that someone I used to work with named her baby girl, but I don’t really care!!). Boy’s names are really hard for me, but I really like Eric and Andrew….both solid manly names. My # 1 boy’s name used to be Sebastian, but we used it on the cat, so it’s gone now.

3. How much TV would you say you watch a week? What is your absolute favorite show?

I’m sad to say that the amount of time I spend in front of the TV is dwindling. There’s just so much to be done. Not including the Seinfeld reruns I watch religiously before bed each night (or Dora and Diego), I’d say it’s around 2 hours a day, depending on the day. I’m fickle about my ABSOLUTE favorite sow though—usually it’s How I Met Your Mother or The Office. Right now I’m totally in to Damages (does anyone else out there watch this show?) and I can’t wait until Jericho comes back on. My favorite show of all time, like EVA— Dawson’s Creek. Hands down.

4. If you could do anything for a vocation, what would it be?

Based on my answer about my job and my unfulfilled dreams above, I’d have to say I’m not sure at all. Probably something musical, maybe something with kids. Maybe I’d teach kids music? That might be fun.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where do you think you might want to live?

Based on the places I’ve been, I’d have to say New Hampshire. I’d love to retire and just hole up in the mountains somewhere. I really like where we live now though, and I wouldn’t be opposed to living anywhere that was warm and delicious the whole year round.

6. Name 5 things you would do/buy if you won the lottery.

I should start by saying that to win, you actually have to play, and I never play. But lets pretend that I did play and won a huge amount of $$. First, I would quit my job and of course pay off all of my bills—that’s just common sense. I would have our house remodeled and then rent it out (to keep it “in the family”), because even remodeled, I think I would hate it. I would build a new house with a huge kitchen and state of the art appliances and plenty of space for the kids to play and grow up—that has separate in-law quarters. I would donate to a charity that helps abused and underprivileged children and then I’d do something completely frivolous, like send Ed to NASCAR driving school or spend a week with friends only, no husbands allowed, at a luxury resort somewhere in The Bahamas.

7. Why do you blog?

I Blog mostly because I like to write. Part of me is a bit voyeuristic though, I mean, how neat is it that people from all over the world can catch a small glimpse in to my life, and I in to their’s? I kept a blog for 7 years at another site, and actually made some very good friends that I still keep daily contact with. I’m kind of a social retard and don’t make new friends easily out in the real world—I tend to say the wrong thing and people think I’m super weird, or don’t say anything at all and people think I’m a bitch. (Life is so hard after high school.) It’s nice to have a connection with other moms and people both similar to me and different who I normally wouldn’t get to know.