Tagged

I was tagged by La Cremiere over at Living it Up (she had some great answers to this, you should take a peek).

1. What is the stupidest mistake you have ever made with money? Hmm. I'm quite frugal most of the time, but I sure would like to be refunded for every bad movie I've ever seen. My Super Ex-Girlfriend comes to mind.
No, seriously...
The ex and I put most of our wedding-gift money into his vehicle. I didn't know til a bit later that his dad still held the title, and that created a big problem for us when they had a falling-out. Long story. Not gonna go there.

2. Do you think taxes are unfair or do you think it's your civic duty? I've got no problem with taxes (sorry, Scott), but I'll admit I get pretty peeved when I see crumbling sidewalks, gaping potholes, and poorly educated children.

3. Do you take risks and possibly turn your life upside down for new opportunity? Not on a regular basis, no; I'm far too boring and predictable for that. But I've done it and have no regrets. I moved to this city sight unseen, and moved in with Richard after a whopping two months of dating (we're coming up on our 6th anniversary), so I know that sometimes those instinctive (as opposed to logical or emotional) decisions can be the best ones you'll ever make.

4. Are you the alpha in your household? Er, no. The rabbit is. Then Richard, then me. But only because they're too cute to resist. ;)

5. Do you compromise with your significant other or does someone always get their way? We always joke that the other person gets his/her own way, using a line from a Jim Carrey movie: "OK, let's do what yoooouuuu wanna do!" (*dripping with sarcasm*), and since we say this often, I think we compromise a lot.

6. What curse word do you use most often? Dammit. It's a complaint and a request all rolled into one wordish configuration of letters. Much handier than sh**, which is merely a noun, or f***, which is multipurpose but rather overused, and far less specific than son-of-a-bitch.

7. Do you easily change your mind or are you dead set on most issues? I'm only dead-set on a handful of issues, really. Aside from those, I'm open to change if there's enough solid, persuasive evidence. As an example, I used to think Mother Theresa was the sh**. Then I found out about her support for the Duvalier family and other criminals, her mission's record of atrocious "health care", and her willingness to take cash from just about anyone (even if was obtained illegally, as in the case of Charles Keating's donation). Painful as it was, I had to admit to myself that she was, well, kind of a bitch. Yes. I just called Mother Theresa a bitch. Sue me.

8. What famous person would you like to trade places with for one week? Ack. That's a weird question. I'm thinking of all the chaos in Being John Malkovich. Just 5 minutes in a celebrity's body can permanently change a person's life...think what could happen in a week! I'll stay in my own skin, thanks. It's not perfect but it's mine.

9. If you could go back in time and tell one person off, who would it be and what would you say? Believe it or not, no one. I told off the few people who deserved it, and the people I would've told off when I was younger I've just come to pity.

10. Were you a good student or did you do just enough to get by? HA HA HA. You've seen that movie Rushmore, where the kid is into all these activities but is basically a dunce? That would be me. It's not that I was stupid or didn't want to learn. I was just a bit slow (especially in the math department), a total perfectionist, and a depressive to boot. Sometimes I didn't care, other times I couldn't concentrate. Sometimes my mood lifted and my grades would be OK for a while, but they inevitably slipped by the end of the school year. I never learned the shortcuts used by successful students: I couldn't skim the reading material, I had to digest it all word-for-word; I would spend 70 hours on a project that required 2 and spend 2 on a project that required 70; I was petrified of asking for any kind of help or explanation. And I was stubborn. When English teachers insisted I switch over to the MLA system of notation and abandon footnotes, I still inserted some footnotes because I like footnotes. I've overcome most of these issues. What can I say? I'm a late bloomer.

11. If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out on their own, what would you tell them? Learn to cook. You'll never meet your nutritional needs at Denny's or the 7/11.

12. Are people basically good and honest or are most people opportunistic and predatory? I think we all have our bad sides. No one is good and honest all the time, and few are opportunistic and predatory 24/7. Generally, most of us seem to make an effort to be good as often as possible.

13. Is there somebody you wish you could go back and apologize to? No, I can't think of anyone (not for any major reasons, anyway). I'm an apologetic person by nature. I've probably apologized for things that I shouldn't have. But if I felt compelled to apologize for even the smallest slights and mistakes, I'm sure my list would be just as long as Earl's...

Now who shall I tag? I think... Wandering Coyote (take your time, I know you're moving), Laura, and my dad.