25 Random Questions: Featuring @lolagetslife

I met this vibrant woman at a DC Blogger meetup in Washington, DC.  Immediately taken back by her presence, so when I thought of who to interview for the second installment of 25 Random Questions, she came to mind right away.  She has her own blog, Lola Gets Life, and you can follow her on twitter @lolagetslife.  Here goes...


1. Tell me about yourself.

Native Washingtonian, but Ive also spent a great deal of time in Northern California, Southern Illinois, and New England. Old enough to know what to do, and still young enough to do it. Former historian, aspiring event planner. Minor cat lady. Collector of ish, including books, teacups, crystal, cut glass and sterling silver. I have way too many purses, bags and diamonds. As outgoing as I can be, I'm also quite shy. I can be a very nice person, a tad brash at times, but I really strive to treat others the way I’d like to be treated. And still manage to have a little fun now and again.

2. What’s your favorite movie?

Honestly, I’ve never been a very big movie person. I see more when others press me to, lol. I prefer international and art house films, but due to brokeness, I haven't kept up with them in the past few years. Some of my old faves have been:

Ferris Buellers Day Off - this used to be my all time favorite movie, but now I just wanna kick him in the face.
Sixteen Candles (ok I know I'm going to hell for that one)

My favorite director of all time is Zhang Yimou - before he started doing those Matrix-esque martial art flicks (boooo!)

3. As a child, what was your favorite thing to do during recess?

Recess? Damn. I loved to play that game that involved four kids, a medium sized rubber ball and four squares within a square...you had to bounce the ball in a clockwise fashion to the other player, and if that player missed, you earned a point. I don't remember how high up the scores went before the game ended though. And wall ball. Kinda like racquetball, but with a medium to large sized rubber ball. Apparently, I love hitting large rubber balls. Don't read anything into that though. Please.

4. Have you ever second guessed yourself? Tell me about it.

All.the.damned.time. Recently, I was taking a test at the end of one of my classes at GW. You know the right way to take a test right? You go through the entire thing and answer all of the questions you definitely know the answer to. Then you go back and work on the ones you're questioning. Then you go over the entire thing again. During the third phase of this test, I changed the answers to two questions I answered in the first phase. Well, turned out I HAD THE RIGHT ANSWERS THE FIRST TIME! And, thus I failed the test. Sigh.

But Ive found that with most things, even if you initially chose wrong, you can still go back and right things. For the above test, I get to take it again, but this time online and with a open book. Score!

5. Peanut Butter. Chunky or Creamy?

For peanut butter, I prefer the chunky versions. I don't exactly know why. I just find it adds another layer of texture to your sandwich. I especially like it with whole grain bread or tortilla with a banana sliced on top.

6. Middle of the night or Morning sex?

See, this kind of question I don't like. Because you're assuming I'm having or have had relations recently, and can actually give you a valid response. Booo! My asshole answer is I have no idea because it’s been so long since I’ve had both that I can’t qualify the two for you. But, if pressed, I’d say middle of the night, because that's the last time I did have sex, lol.

7. When you hold hands with a guy do you lock fingers?

Yes. Not every time, but yes I do.

8. Do you prefer to wear heels or sneakers?

Here again, I don't like the choices. I only wear tennis shoes to work out in, so...what should my answer be? I wear flats most of the time because of my disability, but the shoes I wear most often (before this spring) were about 2 inches high.

9. Will you watch baseball, and iron out a quickie during the seventh inning stretch?

Baseball has to be my least favorite sport because it’s never ending! Ok, so I'm exaggerating, but dude, those games linger on and on and on... But yes, I’d watch with you AND be down for some seventh inning nookie. Whether that's day, night, middle of the night, or in the morning, lol.

10. Do you ever feel like you want to move to get away from family, or are you a family person to the heart?

Well, I'm in a unique position because most of my family - in this city - have died, so I'm one of the only ones left! The others are far off cousins I’ve only barely met. I'm toying with the idea of moving to be with my family, but I think that might actually make my brains ooze out of my ears, so I'm not there yet, lol. And yet, I’ve never considered myself a "family" person.

11. What’s the most uncomfortable thing you’ve ever had to tell a man?

Uncomfortable? I’ve been told I have no shame - quite often - so there’s not much that would make me uncomfortable. But if I had to pick one thing, I’d say it would be talking about money, specifically my financial situation. I don't like letting folks all up in that business.

12. Are you a dark or light liquor girl?

Lola is a teetotaler! I don't consume intoxicants other than caffeine, chocolate and things that prescribed to me (see disability above) and I haven't for 11 years. I’ve never had a problem with alcohol, I just stopped seeing the point of drinking.

13. If you hadn’t voted for Obama, who would you have voted for?

I might coulda maybe voted for John McCain if he hadn't taken such a hard right turn during the campaign. I agreed with a lot of his policies before he started running, but catering to the idiotic white right took all of that away from him.

14. What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?

The sunset on the island of Tobago.

15. You’re tired after a long day but your man is horny. The cooch or the smooch?

And yet again, a situation I haven't encountered in a long ass while. Um, if I was just tired, I'm quite sure I could fit in some kind of coital action. Now, if I'm tired and I'm having a bad arthritis day, well, he might just have to deal with a kiss.

16. Best gift you’ve ever received? Given?

I really like giving gifts. It causes me a lot of stress when I'm broke, but I do enjoy thinking of people and getting creative with my gift giving. This past Christmas, I gave my friend the True Blood Season 2. She already bought the first season and let me watch it at home, so I thought this would be a great follow-up. Plus she got to watch it together with her boyfriend when he visited from Iraq. And some years ago, I knew an older white male coworker loved the Navy Seals, so I got him a VHS copy of a documentary about them. He loved it!

As for receiving, most folks don't take the time to figure out what I’d really like, so they just stick with the basics: chocolate (which I LOVE!), something with a cat on it (WHICH I HATE!). One of the best all time gifts I’ve received are gift certificates for spa pedicures at Celadon Spa. THOSE things cost $75 and are the BEST EVER! But I couldn't afford them when I was broke. So my friend was looking out for me by making sure I could still pamper myself even though I was broke.

17. Hair pulled or ass smacked?

Now this is a good question! I’d say hair pulling for a few reasons. One, I like to be restrained and that's a good way to do it, spontaneously even. Don't get me wrong, I like getting my ass smacked, but there are soooo many variables that make that potentially problematic that's its best not to do it unless you know my body well.

18. What’s the nastiest thing you’ve ever done in bed?

Nasty good or nasty bad? Wait, what? Lol. I think my all-time, hands-down "nastiest" thing I’ve ever done was prostrate massage with my ex husband. I can’t believe I just typed that.

19. Big, small or not at all wedding?

At this time, I’d probably say smallish wedding. I'm really liking the idea of a non-traditional ceremony. But that would depend upon the groom and what his wants/needs would be.

20. How do you feel about Kobe Bryant?

In my life, Kobe is kind of a non-issue. I don't like some of his past actions and am a wee bit miffed that he’s not suffering more as a result, but hey, money and maleness can get you just about anything in this world. Grrrrr. But I don't think of him much, lol.

21. If I paid you, would you strip in my living room for a living?

You'd pay good money to see the same person do the same thing over and over again?? I wonder what Mint would have to say about this?? Lol. This is one of those things that Id only do if I wanted to. So, yeah, no.

22. In high school, where did you see yourself in life?

In high school, I thought I’d be where my grandmother(s) & mother were: married with children and something for me to do so I wouldn't be bored, paid or unpaid. Hell, it worked for their generations, why wouldn't it work for me?

23. What’s your favorite thing to do for your man?

*Sigh* Here we go again. Yet another "what would you do for a man" question...dammit, he ain't a Klondike bar, so why the need for all the specifics?? Lol. Just the basic "make him happy" deal. And that's what one has to figure out, what will make a specific man happy. And that ish varies, you know? Sometimes I think the biggest gift one can give a man is the space to let him just be.

24. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I have absolutely no idea. I don't do "plans" like that. In my experience, life throws so much ish at you, you never really know where you're going to be at any given time. But I will say that I’d like to be successful in at least one area of my life in the next five years. Now, whether that's career or family or residence I have no idea. But I’d like to say at least one.

25. What are your words to live by?

Wow, there are so many: Fake it til you make it; it ain't tricking if you got it; the game is not to be told, it is to be sold; if you say yes, your chi also says yes. Ok, I'm teasing (just barely). There are so many different phrases and sayings I think of to get through the day. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

I think the one phrase that ultimately gets me through any and everything is "Allah is the best of planners." The idea that God has planned every inch of my life is somewhat comforting (and some would say fatalistic). All I have to do is figure out how to make the best of things once they happen.