Five Questions Friday

Yah! My favorite day of the week... Friday! Mostly because I get to irritate Eric with questions. I don't know why he still has not gotten used to this every week. He's a slow adapter.

What is your favorite movie?
Eric: To Kill a Mockingbird. I remember being home sick one day when I was twelve or thirteen and was flipping through the channels and came across the opening scene where she's looking into the cigar box. That memory, and the movie, just stuck with me ever since.

Do you scream on roller coasters?
Eric: No, I’m a dude.
(editor’s note: I have never been on a roller coaster with Eric, but there has been many times I came around the corner in our home and he let out a little scream. So I think he’s lying, and he would be flailing like a 15-year-old girl.)

In the song Yankee Doodle, is he calling the pony or the feather “macaroni”?
Eric: The feather.

Do you shampoo your hair first in the shower or wash with soap?
Eric: Shampoo first.

Do you dance crazy when no one is looking?
Eric: That’s a dumb question. 
(editor’s note: He dances crazy in public so it does not matter).

Mom asks Five Questions Friday

Yah! It's time to ask Eric five questions. But since it is Joanne's (Eric's mom) birthday, I gave her the honor of asking the questions. We took her and Bruce (Eric's step-dad) to an Indian restaurant in Concord, NH and I brought my Power Puff Girls notebook and pencil to write everything down.

Mom: What is your favorite basket to make?
Eric: How can I favor one basket over the other? I do have a few baskets that I dislike weaving. Or rather, I do not look forward to weaving. But I'll leave that for another week. So, I would say that the first basket of a new design is my favorite to weave since I cannot wait to see it finished.

Mom: What is your favorite ethnic food to eat?
Eric: Since Lynne's favorite is Thai food, I will have to say that. But Indian food comes in a close second.

Mom: What was your favorite place to visit?
Eric: While teaching classes?
Mom: Yes.
Eric: Well, there are so many places I look forward to going. I don't think I can narrow it.

Mom: What's your favorite city you've been to?
Eric: Again, there are numerous cities I really like. But if I had to pick one, I would say Chicago, because we get to visit Lynne's sister and spend time with the nephews and then we take the "el" into the city and have a great time. Me drinking the local beers and Lynne enjoying the martinis.
(editor's note: of course the nephews are in bed! They're not out bar hopping with us!)

Mom: What is the best vacation destination you like the best?
Eric: I don’t really have a regular location. We like to mix it up. But what I enjoy the most is camping with Lynne. It's so peaceful and we get to "unplug" from everything and just enjoy our time being outside and doing whatever we want like hiking, checking out other people's sites, stoking the fire or napping!

Thanks Joanne! Great questions!

Five Questions Friday: Sad Day in Green Bay

Yah! I get to go annoy Eric with my five questions. And now is a good time because I can hear him laughing at something downstairs.

I can hear you upstairs. What are you laughing at?

Eric: I just watched a video on You Tube.

Ooh. Is it a funny dog video?
Eric: No! It's called "Sad Packer Fan."

Oh, a Packers fan being sad? I like it already. What's it about? 
Eric: It's a short homemade video. Two sisters are in the car riding home from I think a bar, after Green Bay loses to the Giants in the playoffs.

How do you know she's a Packers fan?
Eric: I think the big piece of cheese on her head gives it away. You gotta watch it. It shows the passion that the Green Bay fans have for their team. And not to wear sparkle nail polish?

Sparkle nail polish?
Eric: (In his slightly annoyed voice because I'm asking too many questions) She thinks they lost because her sister told her to put sparkles on her nails. Just watch it!

How do you know she was driving home from a bar?
Eric: Are you asking all these questions because it's Friday? Go watch the video!
But I was supposed to ask you a few embarrassing questions this week (by requests).
Eric: Too bad. You'll have to wait until next week (as he turns on the sander).

Okay. So I watched the video. It's very short—just one minute long. And it is funny! The video is below if you want a good laugh too!

Five Questions Friday: What Are You Doing in the Workshop?

I take many (many) breaks during the day to go downstairs and let Chance out. While he's digging up the back lawn, chasing squirrels or barking at the neighbor's two German Shepherds, I visit with Eric (and bug him as much as I can). What annoys him the most lately? Yup. You got it. My five questions series. So I decided to see what he does all day and do some official documenting. (To see larger image of photos, click on the pic).

What are you doing?
Eric: I’m making mini splint.

Why?
Eric: Because, without these weavers there will be a lot of unfinished baskets at the Georgia Basket convention next month.

What are you doing now?
Eric: I’m sanding some brown ash materials that I’ve already prosessed down into ¼” strips.

I should know this by now, but I don't. What is that machine you’re putting it through?
Eric: It’s a drum thickness sander. I use it to sand the Ash down to the right thickness.  I haven’t had this tool for very long and I’m still learning what it can do.

What are you doing now?
Eric: I am measuring the material's thickness with a Micrometer. This tool measures in 1000th of an inch increments. I’m looking for a finish thickness of 12 to 14 1000th of an inch for my mini weavers.

That's Cool! Let's measure the dog's ears when he's done outside.
Eric: Uhm... NO.

What are you doing now?
Eric: I’m grabbing a piece of Ash that has been soaking.
(editor's note: do not drink the water after materials have been soaking in it. That would be gross.) 

Okay... now what are you doing?
Eric: Aren't we done yet? I think you've asked more than five questions.

No. This is the last one.
Eric: I’m going to cut the width of the weavers. You see, this tool has a bunch of razor blades separated by tiny spacers. If I carefully pull the splint through it, it will slice my weavers to the width I need.

That's what Eric has been up to today! Now I need to let the dog in and get back to my own work. (Next week I'll try and ask him some embarrassing questions).

It's Time For "Eric Answers Five Questions Friday!"

Eric, you have been transported to Bizarro World where you can only choose one from each of the following:

Eric: Oh no... it’s already Five Questions Friday?

Shhhh. Stop being difficult.

Favorite Late Night TV Host?
Eric: Conan

Favorite Classic Rock Band?
Eric: The Rolling Stones


Favorite Sports Team?
Eric: Patriots because Football rules!

Favorite way to Travel?
Eric: Well... when I can actually get you on a plane, then it's flying via Southwest. But I want to know where the free drink coupons went! And they could drop a few of the comedy routines.

Favorite Reality TV show (Other than American Pickers)?
Eric: I will have to say Work of Art (a show on Bravo that documents a competition where artists compete each week to create art that critics will judge) for the pressure they are under and to see who perseveres. My only issue with this show is that early on in the new season I skip a few episodes. I usually don’t get hooked until they have weeded out some of the not-so-good artists. 

**FYI - The image of the tv is from my stock photo library, originally purchased from 123rf. All images on this site are created by me or Eric. If they are not, then they are purchased from stock houses. I have been an Art Director for a very long time and have built up a library with thousands of purchased images. Lifting imagery from other websites are a no-no unless written permission is received from the author.

Eric Answers Five Questions Friday.

Have you ever gone cow-tipping?

Eric: No, I can safely say I have never done that. But I have wanted to, to see if it’s really possible.

What is your number one pet-peeve?
Eric: People who are on their cell phone before they even pull out of their parking spot at a shopping center.

What pet-peeve do you not like that I do?
Eric: Currently it’s you and your “asking me five questions” every week.
(He's such a whiner...)

What do you think is my pet-peeve that you do?
Eric: There’s a lot of them.
Pick one (with a sarcastic tone).
Not loading the dishwasher properly.
(editor's note: He is correct about that!)

What did it feel like to win the Shuffleboard Tournament
and take home the Talbot Cup?
A big relief that your dad and Hil did not win for a third time in a row! I can also now take that off my bucket list—Win the family shuffleboard tournament. Next on the list is the Brady Gaga Championship and trophy in my hands next year!
That's going to be hard since I always kick your butt.

Eric Answers Five Questions on Friday.

Are you wearing socks right now?
Eric: Yes.
What was your favorite Cartoon Character as a kid?
Eric: Fred Flintstone
Do you have one as an adult?
Eric: No.
Do you prefer the winter or the summer?
Eric: Summer
What sport did you enjoying playing the most in High School?
Eric: Hockey
How about now?
Eric: Well, since we're heading down to our Annual Shuffleboard Tournament, I would have to say Shuffleboard!
Yeah... Don't get too excited... I hear the 'Dog Squad' is favored to win.

Eric Answers Five Questions on Friday.

Me: Which would you rather have, 1 million dollars or me? 

Eric: You. 

Me: 10 million dollars? 

Eric: You. 

(editor’s note, I’m seriously doubting his intelligence)

Me: Do you think butterflies remember life as a caterpillar?

Eric: What kind of question is that? Uh... no.

Me: Apple Juice or Orange Juice? 

Eric: Apple Juice

Me: When was the last time you were pulled over by the cops? 

Eric: Years ago. 

Me: If you instantly turned into a woman for a day, how would you spend that day? 

Eric: Crying and watching the Hallmark Channel.

Update to "Five Questions."

We had a lovely dinner with Eric's Mom Joanne and Step-Dad Bruce tonight in downtown Manchester. Joanne read yesterday's blog post and added some valuable information to the 'Favorite toy' question.  It seems that Eric's recollection of running into a car was a little more serious. That incident, as she recalls, frightened her half-to-death as little Eric came running to her yelling "I hit a car" so she thought the car was moving and hit him! Turns out, he needed stitches after driving his favorite big yellow Tonka truck into a parked car. (Yes, the car was in deed parked.) So it wasn't just a little bump on the head as he recalls. It was a frantic drive to the hospital emergency room fearing he split his head open! Ah... childhood memories. Reminds me of my own incident when I was rushed to get stitches. I was at a Halloween party when some redheaded kid pushed me down onto hard concrete. Breaking my fall was my arm, but right on top of some fake costume fingernail tips (not mine). One of those deadly tips sliced right into my elbow. So my Dad and 'Big Fat Buddy' (we called him Big Fat Buddy because his name was Bud and he was big and fat — hey, it was before political correctness) took me to the emergency room. I still look at that scar as if it's a badge of honor. If you did not get some kind of scar when you were a child, you were not living!

Eric Answers Five Questions.

I have always been annoyingly inquisitive. My mother remembers that I used to ask many questions over and over and over again when I was a chatty child. That has not changed. Especially when Eric and I are driving to a workshop and we're in the van for 16 hours. I revel in asking him random, insignificant questions. But, he does not enjoy answering them so much. Usually after the tenth inquisition, he pretends he cannot hear me. Nonetheless, I decided that I would regularly feature a "Eric Answers Five Questions" post. This will help when he complains that I'm ridiculously interrogating him — I can simply counter with "It's for the Blog!" 

Me: What was your favorite toy when you were a kid? 
Eric: Easy. My yellow Tonka dump truck. But one day, I ran my truck into a parked car. That's how I got that bump on my head.
(editor's note... he gave me a demonstration)

Me: If you could only eat one food item for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Eric: I would say Peanut Butter since you could survive on that.

Me: What is your favorite color?  
Eric: Blue
(editor’s note... boring! I'm surprised he didn't say yellow)

Me: Have you ever eaten a crayon?   
Eric: No. But I have eaten clay.
Me: On purpose?  
Eric: No. When someone shoved it down my throat in High School during art class.

Me: What were you doing 3 hours ago?  
Eric: Responding to your brother on the Fantasy Football Smack Board and making you dinner. Stop asking me questions.
Me: Until next week.