I’m headed to New Orleans for the Blathering on Thursday and a few of the other attendees put together this questionnaire so those of us who haven’t met in person before can get to know each other a little better. The questions and my written answers follow after the video, for those of you who can’t or don’t want to watch the video. (It’s not a transcript, just a written version of the Q&A.)
1. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging because I desperately needed a distraction from all the stress and anxiety of law school. I missed my high school and college friends terribly, so it started as a way I could keep in touch with them now that we lived all over the place. I used to blog several times a week, sometimes even multiple times a DAY, back then. I didn’t keep all those posts when I moved my blog over to WordPress last year, but I did save them on my computer.
2. What’s your favorite TV show, now and of all-time?
Now: Parks and Recreation, Parenthood
All-time: Friends (I am fluent in speaking in Friends dialogue), West Wing
3. What’s your favorite adult beverage?
Margaritas! They are like grown-up lemonade, which is my favorite non-alcoholic beverage. (I really should have gone to the Blathering in Austin last year.)
4. Who are you leaving at home? (Husband, kids, etc.)
My husband, Adam. But I don’t feel bad about it because he’s left me home while he’s traveled to: a baseball trip with friends to California, a baseball trip with his dad and brother to Florida, a bachelor party in Vegas, a work conference (that I swear is less work, more play) in San Francisco, and a four day concert event in NYC. All of these trips were THIS YEAR, people.
Okay, I feel a little bad, because it will be our anniversary weekend, but we’re going out to fancy dinner the Monday after I get back, which is our actual anniversary anyway.
5. What are your holiday plans?
We’re having some college friends in the area over for Friendsgiving the weekend before Thanksgiving. We then drive up to Adam’s family in Connecticut early Thanksgiving morning and say there until Saturday morning. Then on Saturday morning, we drive to my parents in NY until Sunday. Then we drive home (which will suuuuuuuck with all the holiday traffic).
Adam’s family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, so we do that with my family. Christmas Eve, my mom’s side of the family comes to my parents’ house for dinner. My immediate family then does Christmas morning at my parents’ house, late morning/lunch at my dad’s parents’ house, and dinner at my mom’s sister’s house. I basically see everyone I’m related to in that 24 hours span and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
6. Where were you born?
Louisiana, actually. But we moved when I was really young and I’ve never been back.
My old firm’s website used to list where were born in our bios and I once got a call from a recruiter for a firm in Louisiana asking if I was interested in “coming back home.” Sorry, home is and always will be New York. (State, not city.)
7. Best vacation you’ve ever taken?
Vieques, PR. It is the best beach vacation you will ever take. We went with a group of friends and it was just after a particular stressful period of my life and I NEEDED that trip. I just let everyone else plan everything and went along for the ride. (I also plan to do that in New Orleans… I’m just going to let others make the decisions and I’ll tag along.)
8. Are you better in larger or small groups?
Smaller groups. But not too small… one-on-one is much more intimidating than a group of four or five, where I can sort of ease my way into conversation. Too small, and I’m forced to show my awkwardness really early.
9. Three things the attendees might not know about you…
One: I made gift baskets during my Christmas breaks from college and can make a mean three-tiered fruit tower. My boss had very high standards and expectations, so I will point out all of the flaws in the sub-par ones you see in the standard grocery store. (Also, don’t give fruit baskets as a holiday gift. Maybe a get-well-soon, but for the holidays? CHOCOLATE.)
Two: I am awesomely good at Tetris. I beat the game on a Nintendo DS while waiting to vote back in 2008. (30 levels, in case you’re wondering.) (Also, the Game Boy version didn’t actually have a top level to beat and I got to level 33 on that one as a teenager.)
Three: I’ve slipped on a banana peel not once, but twice, in my life. Both times, in school hallways. But I now have the ability to spot a banana peel on a sidewalk from far away. Once you’re on the lookout for them, you’d be surprised how often you come across them.
10. What book are you going to read on the plane to the Blathering?
I currently have The Art of Fielding out from the library, but it is a huge hardcover, so if I don’t have room I’ll just end up bringing a couple of magazines. I also tend to just pass out on planes, so I probably won’t get much reading done anyway.
11. Share anything else you’d like to!
My twitter name (stefcia) is pronounced: steph-cha. It’s the Polish diminutive for Stephanie, which my great-grandmother used to call me as a kid. Completelyirrelevant was too long for twitter, so that’s what I came up with. I go by Steph or Stephanie interchangeably. I will introduce myself as “Stephanie,” but really have no preference between being called Steph or Stephanie… just not Stephie. *shudder*
And here’s a link to the accent vlog I did last year.
Completely Irrelevant 