In Which I Answer 20 Questions Because It’s Something Fun To Do

/ Ally Bean

I haven’t done anything like this in a long time, so why not change it up? After all, variety is the spice of life blogging. Therefore today I’m answering 20 questions I found on View from the Back who got them from The Life And Travels Of Mrs Suvi. 

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Your most memorable fancy dress costume?

• A few years ago I wore a purple cocktail dress with silver sparkly trim to a black-tie business event that was a horrible affair. I was physically and emotionally uncomfortable the whole evening: my dress was tight & my feet hurt while I was standing in a room filled with status-seeking people cursed with negative energy. I vowed to never do anything like it again– and I haven’t.

Which social media platform do you use the most?

• WordPress

Favourite season?

• Autumn

If you had to choose the beach or mountains, which would it be?

• I’d choose the beach because I like walking on sand, looking at the waves, searching for shells or driftwood, BUT I choose this with the proviso that I can visit the mountains whenever I want to.

What can you play very well?

• Candy Crush Soda Saga

What kind of cheese do you like?

• All non-stinky kinds

Life goal?

• To put things or ideas or people together. Metaphorically speaking I see puzzle pieces everywhere and want to make the picture whole. Or maybe I see tesserae everywhere and want to make my own mosaic. In either case I put things together.

How many cities have you lived in?

• I’ll answer this by defining cities as metropolitan regions, thus my answer is 8.

What language do you wish you could speak?

• Spanish

What can’t you stand?

• A mocking tone of voice. The idea that education is of no value. Green peppers.

If you have an hour to kill on your hands, what would you do?

• Depending on the situation I’d: go for a walk;  read a book &/or some blogs;  play a game on my phone;  or become a lounge lizard watching the people go by.

Your favorite routine?

• I’d say it’s showing up to my blog at least once a week, usually on Tuesday, and talking with everyone in the comments. Like I’m doing now. *Hi!*

When do you become hyperactive?

• When I’m forced to travel by plane, often leaving the house before the break of day, I become hyperactive with worry about locking the house and all things related to the hassle at the airport. It makes me crazy until I’m sitting at my gate.

Text message or phone call?

• Text message

Your most precious treasure?

• I like things, but as for precious treasure I’m not sure any one thing would rate that designation. I mean, any thing I have can be replaced so how precious is it really?

Your latest foreign language mistake?

• I probably mispronounced some French word. The few I know trip me up when I try to say them.

What’s the best therapy for you?

• A glass of chilled dry white wine sipped while gazing into nature

If you could be a fictional character, who would you be?

• I rather liked Piper in Charmed. She could make a great meal, stop time in order to decide what to do next, and vanquish evil when necessary. Plus she married her true love. All-in-all, she’s my kind of badass.

Where would you like to travel?

• Dreaming big here: UK. Ireland. Italy. Hawaii. Australia. NZ. Vietnam. South Africa. Argentina.

Where did you meet your spouse/partner?

• We met in college. In fact, this past Valentine’s Day we received a card from our alma mater telling us that we are among about 2,000 couples who met on campus. Of course the Valentine’s Day card was also a solicitation for monies making the card less lovable, but the factoid was interesting.

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If you decide to do this on your own blog please link back to this post so I can go read what you wrote. Deal?

165 thoughts on “In Which I Answer 20 Questions Because It’s Something Fun To Do”

  3. I better get my vacation act together. And I agree the only “treasure’ in my life is you. Things can be replaced. I liked you answers, and I promise never to force you to another “formal gala” ever again (your having supplied more detail in your answer than the question required led me to that conclusion – tee-hee).

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Love all your answers, especially the reminder that “memorable” doesn’t always mean “positively memorable.” Sometimes I feel like the only person who remembers the negative in my family. When certain siblings or ex-stepparents chime in with, ‘wasn’t that trip/ birthday awesome,” I become Cassandra of Troy, cursed to remind them of the accompanying horrors (only it’s a reminder of history, not a prophecy).

    Sometimes I am envious of those who only remember the positive.

    Like

  10. Nice and informative short rundown of the Ally Bean we may not be aware of.
    We have a lot of similar answers Ms. Bean. Must be why I enjoy reading your blog so very much 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Your favorite routine?
    • I’d say it’s showing up to my blog at least once a week, usually on Tuesday, and talking with everyone in the comments. Like I’m doing now. *Hi!*
    Your favorite routine?
    • I love your favorite routine!!

    Your most precious treasure?
    • Would my dog count as a treasure? If not, then I would say The Mighty Benjamin Franklin, no doubt about that.

    What’s the best therapy for you?
    • I have several because I need a lot of therapy time! Sunshine would hit one on the top of my best list.

    If you could be a fictional character, who would you be?
    • I’m stuck on this one. I absolutely don’t know! You gave me something to pounder for today, Ally Bean.
    I do think this would be a fun icebreaker when chatting with a new person, acquaintance, stranger… I will try to remember it.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Fun questions! I love the beach too, its my “Happy Place!” My husband and I have always wanted to go to Ireland, hoping that day will come! We would love to just travel the world, (If we didn’t need any money to do it!) 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Well, after reading that you don’t care for a mocking tone of voice… I am now very happy that communication here is through typed words only. Do they even make a mocking emoji? If they do, I’d love to include it with some of my comments…

    Liked by 1 person

    • evilsquirrel13, I don’t know my emojis well enough to answer your question. I’d guess there’s one that indicates mocking. If you find it I’d use it sparingly, no telling who might take offense. Best to err on the side of kindness.

      Like

  16. I refuse to get into any brawls fighting over stinky cheese but I’ll take the Swiss please. I had a long elegant “granny dress” in the 70s. I enjoyed that and wore it as a Halloween costume decades later. Booking my flight to Tahiti!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kate, I like Swiss cheese, too– but I’m sure there’ll be plenty to share. A granny dress you say? I remember that look. Did you have a floppy-brimmed hat to go with it? And maybe Jesus sandals on your feet? No doubt you looked great then, and on Halloween, too. What a good use for an old dress.

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  17. I love learning things about people – this is a great way to do it – your answers were great!! The last time I wore anything formal was at a Hamilton musical event in Denver. The dress was soooo big I am pretty sure I could have added a pole and turned it into a tent. I kept stepping on it going up and down the stairs. I almost broke my neck! It was classic. Dry white wine and cheese of ANY kind are my faves. I once took a french language emersion trip to Guadalupe where we took 4 days of French classes – we weren’t allowed to speak a lick of English. I asked the teacher if she had a boyfriend – at least I thought I did – turns out it was something about a sexual position. I wanted to die. lol. Ah, the joys of life 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Pam, I hesitate to do posts like this one but do so because they start conversations like no other posts do. There’s a topic for everyone in a post like this.

      I love the image of you wearing a “tent” to a formal event. I mean not really wearing a tent, but I get what happened to you. Glad you didn’t fall.

      A language immersion class sounds great in theory, but I’m sure I’d make some sort of embarrassing mistake, too. Did you ever read Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris? It was all about learning a language all at once. Very funny memoir.

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      • I actually learned a lot in the class and think it is one of the best ways to learn a language. We got lost driving to the airport and were able to navigate directions with the Avis counter! You should try it! It is very humbling I have to say. Of course I cannot speak a lick, given we didnt practice when we got home.

        When Sean saw the dress, he was like, wow thats a lot of fabric. lol

        I have not read the book but will add it to my reading list. It’s getting long. I have vowed to spend some time reading this week and limiting my social media.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Katie, yes the card from the alma mater gave us pause. Seemed nice on the surface of it, but really kind of contrived in reality. Yes, I’d like to travel to those places, but maybe it’ll be armchair travel.

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  20. Ireland and NZ are on my list too! I love Beechers cheese and Cougar Gold, both of which are sharp white cheddar and are native to my area. If you ever come through SeaTac airport, there’s a Beechers store there. I’ve gone away from wearing dresses, although I did wear one for my daughter’s wedding, and also for a Mormon friend’s funeral. Otherwise, I can mostly be found in casual clothes! I enjoy reading these kind of posts because they help me know you better. To me, that’s one of the goals of blogging.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, I’m not familiar with either cheese you mention. Different regions, different cheeses. I rarely wear dresses either. I had to wear one to that awful event, but since then I’ve lived in less uncomfortable clothes and shoes.

      It’s interesting that you mention you like these kinds of posts. I’m hesitant to do these, feeling they’re too self-centered to be of interest to others. But back in the day we did lots of lists like this, didn’t we? 🤔

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  21. But… but… stinky cheese deserves to be loved as well.
    And I have to laugh because I read your answer incorrectly on the fictional character.
    I read, “She would make a great meal” and thought, damn. How hungry are you?
    😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • Rivergirl, well I tell you what, you can love all the stinky cheese you want… over on your side of the room. Your misreading of my answer is funny. Piper is a witch who is doing good, not one who tastes good.

      Liked by 1 person

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    • Deb, yep. I don’t know what possessed me to say “yes” to going to an event like that one, but it was the last time I’ll do that. The trapped feeling was awful, as were most of the people I talked with. Zen-Den excluded of course.

      Liked by 1 person

  26. I picked out the romantic parts of your informative (Wheeee!) post. Apparently your college campus is doing a better job of matching up couples that last than eHarmony . . . or, Match.com

    Solicitation? I’ve noticed some realtors send out “cards” on Thanksgiving instead of Christmas, perhaps to make them stand out. Huh?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marian, you raise a good point. We’re a match made based on no computer algorithms or speed dating events. We met the old-fashioned way, a girl down the hall in my dorm introduced me to the guy who she was studying with.

      We get Thanksgiving cards from businesses now, too. I think it’s because controversy swirls around Christmas, but everyone still agrees on Thanksgiving. The business doesn’t want to potentially offend you with the *wrong* wording inside the Christmas card.

      Like

  27. Glad I chose today to drop in and see what you were up do. I’m with you on the gala stuff and for relaxing with wine and nature, although I like dry red mostly (except when it’s really hot in summer) and dark beer as well.

    janet

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Great questions, and I loved your answers. Although I didn’t attend many dress-up occasions while I worked, I certainly don’t now that I’m retired. I do have a memorable fancy dress, though. Many years ago, I was charity store shopping with my mother-in-law (the queen of second hand) and tried on a sparkly dress priced at $15. It fit like a glove (back when that was a good thing) and even though I didn’t have an upcoming event, I had to have it. I wore it multiple times and always received compliments on it. Best $15 I ever spent.

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  29. I have the same post travel anxieties and end up spending hours double-checking everything. Luckily I’m married to someone who doesn’t mind getting to the airport early. Having worked at one time (when dinosaurs walked the earth) as a model, I hate getting dressed up.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jan, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who finds getting to the airport anxiety-producing. Z-D just throws some things in a bag never worrying about a thing. How does that happen?

      You were a model, you say. Now that’s something unique. It makes sense how for you getting dressed up is something you’ve left behind in a different life.

      Like

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  32. What can’t you stand?

    • A mocking tone of voice. The idea that education is of no value. Green peppers.

    In a world full of tripe, monkey’s brains, eel, rattlesnake, etc. . . . how did you decide to pick on a peck (or piece) of pickled (or unpicked) peppers? 😆

    Liked by 1 person

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  36. I think I’m going to borrow this meme, as I am struggling to get into a routine writing again. Perhaps some prompts will help.

    And although things are usually light with this sort of thing, I am afraid I’m going to be serious a moment.

    I mean, any thing I have can be replaced so how precious is it really?

    That’s the way I thought until I was burglarized last summer. For some things, it remained true. I didn’t care about the television or most of my camera equipment. Hell, they stole a broken camera. My binoculars only made me mad because I didn’t discover they were missing for a month or two afterward, when I wanted them for something.

    I discovered that I couldn’t just replace jewelry. They gave me a fair settlement and had I wanted to spend all that money on jewelry that I really don’t wear that often, I could have physically replaced some. But while I could have bought pink topaz studs, they were my mother’s pink topaz studs and I couldn’t replace them. And I found, and bought, a garnet heart which was very close to the one my father bought me when I was, I think, 18, but it didn’t replace it. In the end, I bought a few things I will wear and I may pick up something interesting here and there in the future because I couldn’t replace my favorite jewelry at all since, well, I simply can’t find it. I even contacted the manufacturer of one piece and no, they don’t make them anymore and don’t have any in storage.

    But those are things. A few months later I was trying to find Mom’s very old clutch style jewelry boxes and they were gone, along with Mom’s baby bracelet, a fancy (bot not working) checkbook pen that she got as a young woman, some odds and ends like a telephone brooch that I played with as a child. Absolutely none of it has any material value and absolutely none of it can be replaced. When I put the stuff back in the trunk, cleaning up after the swine, I hadn’t noticed they were gone.But it killed me later.

    On the other hand. There were so many things that could never be replaced that they didn’t take. And they didn’t destroy things just because they could. Precious things like the china and dolls my mother made or her paintings. Or the shelves and cabinets my father made. I would have wanted to get them out of a burning building long before I cared about the jewelry. They can’t be replaced. The 6 boxes of photographs and slides and movies that I haven’t looked at since I got here – someday I will get around to sorting and scanning them. But I’m glad they’re still here.

    And although it’s a small house, it took hours before my friends found my cats. No one knew if they’d run out while the burglars were there or what might have happened, but they came out from hiding eventually. They would come before those other irreplaceable things in case of fire.

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    • Zazzy, what a horrible experience for you with the burglary. I can imagine how overwhelming and confusing it would be to have that happen, then to realize some of things taken, while like you said of no monetary value, were things that meant something dear to you. And to have this realization roll on for months, well *meh*. Jewelry is always emotionally tricky to lose, whether stolen or when you lose it yourself.

      Do you know why your house was the target of the attack? I don’t know if that knowledge would help me accept it better, but maybe. So sorry to read about this.

      And by all means answer the questions on your blog if you want to. I agree that sometimes simple things like these questions can be the prompt you need to get going with your writing again.

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  38. Deal. Maybe I’ll want to do something fun soon.

    I am aghast that you don’t like stinky cheese. In the event of your visit, I shall lay out the cheddar and Gouda and I promise, cocktail hour here is come as you are.

    I totally relate to the travel hype, too. Except I’m like that EVERY SINGLE MORNING. Eek!

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    • joey, I’m sorry to disappoint you vis-à-vis my cheese preferences. But I cannot lie so I had to answer the question honestly. I do appreciate your willingness of overlook my cheesy transgression and that you peoples do the casual attire. Me too, no formal wear ever again.

      Every morning you get hyper leaving the house? My condolences, but I get it. Oh yes I do.

      Liked by 1 person

  39. I like your answers Ally. The travel aspirations I have are similar to yours. I always thought all the French I took as a kid in Canada, then in college, would help me to be able to get around should I ever go to France. Ha! I couldn’t trill my Rs and it’s been since 1978 since I took that last class (conversational French where we were not permitted to speak English once we stepped inside the classroom). I remember very little of all that French and occasionally (very occasionally) I am able to decipher some tidbits of French in an article or book I’m reading, that’s about it.

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    • linda, I only know the words & phrases I know in French because my mother and her sister occasionally used them. They were more comfortable speaking the language, but me? I can read and sometimes decode French words on the page thanks to being an English Lit major in college. Lots of olde English is French language adjacent.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Ally – my grandfather grew up in Quebec and insisted that the Parisienne French we learned in school was wrong and corrected me every time I tried to show him what I learned. I was young – we began learning French in grade school in Canada. I learned more in the class where we had to speak only French, but I rarely admit to studying French all those years as I might embarrass myself. I learned more about the English language by studying French, but at least we don’t have the masculine and feminine words to learn. A person learning English has to deal with the words which are similar but different meanings – that is tough. P.S. Hats off to you for understanding olde English – I never understood Beowulf even with CliffsNotes.

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  40. As I was reading about your discomfort with the purple cocktail dress, it reminded me of what the actress who plays the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel recently said about her corset-related injuries and how she’s now struggling with deep breaths. Ouch. I’m writing this wearing sweats and thinking: Not. Worth. It. 🙂
    Did the business dinner at least pay off business-wise?

    Like

    • Endless Weekend, I wasn’t cinched in with a 1950s corset but with Spanx, the evil great grandchild of those old girdles. I had difficulty breathing but whether that was because of the dress or the toxic atmosphere in the room I dunno. As for the payoff regarding the business event… well, no in the moment, but yes in the long run.

      Liked by 1 person

    • philmouse, thanks for joining in here. I like making sense of things, putting things together– more in the abstract theoretical way than the engineering perfectionist way. I mean, don’t ask me to pack the trunk of the car for a trip. Who knows how that stuff fits together! But give me ideas, people, furniture– and I’m good to go.

      Like

  42. What fun Ally Bean! I read it yesterday but responding only now .. VERRRRY glad to see that South Africa is on your list of things to do. We’ve got the beach just down the road, some beautiful mountains a little further away but in sight from the balcony, some EXCELLENT local wine and cheeses and much much more! So, what are you waiting for? Speak to Zen-Den and come! Comfortable accommodations here at my home also; private bedroom ensuite, leading out onto garden and pool … books galore ….

    Liked by 1 person

    • Susan, you live in paradise. That’s what you’re telling me then. Sounds wonderful and should we ever get it together to travel overseas, I’m sure we’ll love South Africa.

      Doing this list of questions was great fun because answering the questions took my mind in so many different directions. And my answers have started conversations that are going a lot of different directions, too. Didn’t anticipate that.

      Liked by 1 person

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  45. It’s so fun to read your mosaic-like answers – your thoughts are a puzzle full of delight! Cheers to you and all the pauses in life that make you go “Hmm … that’s interesting, what’s the word in French/Spanish/American for a stranger in the grocery who doesn’t know his veggies or why do people dress up in uncomfortable clothes anyhow, we must be able to breathe to enjoy our food?” Your sense of humor always makes me smile. I wish I had time to spare to answer your questions and join in on the fun – I trust my random comment here will suffice this round, eh?

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  46. I enjoyed your answers, Ally! I’m with you on the non-stinky cheese! I also am a texter by choice, though I have a phone conversation with my parents every week because they wouldn’t text to save their lives. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    • L. Marie, the cheese question has been one of the most controversial among my commenters. I find that hilarious. If you’re looking for something to use on your blog and you want to get a wide assortment of comments, this is the ticket. People gots lots to say about my answers, their answers… life. 😊

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  48. Hi ally – I might try and do these questions later on my blog (doesn’t seem to be a time requirement)
    And my fav Thing you said was how some folks don’t see the value in education. – whew – a trend with some groups is to dismiss education and especially higher ed.
    I know this is not new – the rich dad poor dad books from decades ago purported that education is not a good path to making money and only presented one side or a very narrow view!
    Don’t want to ramble – but education is not only about earnings and income – it is about being sculpted and chiseled and improved from the process – bringing this new version of self to the world that Makes society better!!
    And that reminds me of how you said precious things can all be replaced – hear, hear! Stuff comes and goes – but relationships and experiences fill
    Us and linger. And education also stays with us – when fancy cars and houses can be fleeting – a degree is lifelong to be enjoyed in many ways!
    —
    And wishing you a good day amiga

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yvette, my late mother always said that a college degree is the one thing no one can take away from you. Once you’ve earned it, you’ve got it. I agree wholeheartedly with you about how higher education does more than fill your mind/get you a job, it shows you a way to understand the world and improve yourself.

      Therein is the fly in the ointment though; some people don’t want to make the effort to improve themselves and resent those who do so. I’ve been on the receiving end of that distain a few times, this being a conservative part of the country you know.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yeah – I do know
        And my pet peeve is how expensive the everyday state schools have become –
        I don’t mind big state schools or fancy colleges being expensive – but the local
        College and stat universities are so over priced and I think that is why some
        Folks walk away – they can’t see the rerun on investment even if we do try and tell them about intrinsic and soul satisfying stuff

        Liked by 1 person

        • You’re right about all of this. I don’t blame people for not wanting to get up to their eyeballs in debt in order to earn a degree that may, or may not, help them make money in the future. Granted we know there’s more to the college experience than just learning stuff out of books, but many people can’t grasp the value of that so they dismiss the idea of college entirely. Seems sad to me.

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    • Erica/Erika, I had fun writing my answers to these questions. I used to do things like this often, but got away from it, although I don’t know why. My life goal has always been what I wrote here. When I focus on it, it seems to guide me to make good decisions. The next time I get the chance to have a therapy session, I’ll toast you, my kindred spirit. Feel free to do answer these questions on your blog if you’re looking for something to do.

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