No need to worry, Newdawn, that this thread will be here forever -- we all know this forum self-destuctes every few months and loses all its history pages.... And nothing here compares to the chronic oversharing i do IRL anyway.... How old are you? 43 going on 60 Are you in love? I'm trying hard to remember what that felt like... Are you married? No How many times have you been married? None. I was engaged once though. I don't know what I was thinking, either... What type of medicine do you take? Mostly hypertension, statins, BPH, and pain relievers Ever had an operation? Hernia repair, minor stuff after injuries How many children do you have? None. I hope. Do you think you could ever have an affair even though your married? I'm single, but I already have with a married woman. Her husband was a controlling, abusive jerk that constantly threatened her and smacked her around. I have no moral or ethical qualms whatsoever. What architectural style is your house? Generic 1950s cheapo duplex Looking around your house what have you collected the most? Dust If you could change your name what would you change it to? I can change my name if I want. I've polled my friends on this. First name staying put though. Favorite style of room? A wood-paneled lounge room with a wet bar, or a nice keeping room for guests with seating and tables everywhere Favorite city? London. Or the north shore of Oahu. Favorite cookie? Chocolate chip, preferably with pecans How many soft drinks do you drink in a day? And what brand? 2 or 3, Coke, Cherry Coke, or Dr Pepper. Also like Moxie which is hard to find in most places. Real sugar only please. Favorite style sofa? Love seat with recliner Are you over weight? I could stand to gain a few pounds. Short or long hair? For me, short, because it's easy to keep neat and dries quickly. But I like longer hair on women. When is the last time you were flirted with? A few months ago When is the last time you made love? Last month, but in the true sense of the phrase, two summers ago. Do you have any addictions? cheese, Ambien How many fireplaces do you have in your house? none, unfortunately How many lamps do you own? About 8. Only one nice one though. I'm a recessed-lighting guy Would there be any situation where you would kill your parents? This question was asked on a job interview, I promise. No. I had genuine reason to fear they would bump me off though when I was a teenager Have you ever smoked cigarettes? Only once. I hated it, fortunately Have you ever smoked weed? Yes. World's most overrated recreational drug. I get a better buzz from Ambien. One of your favorite singers / One of your favorite groups? I have too many to select just one. How many mirrors do you have in your house? I don't even own a full-length mirror Do you look at yourself in the mirror often? No What kind of car do you have? VW Rabbit. Awesome car. How many miles do you have on your car? about 45,000 When is the last time you went out to dinner? Last night Where did you go to dinner? Can't remember the name; it's the diner near where I work out sometimes Are you happy? Only on rare occasions Could you REALLY say you truly know yourself? Yes Do you like parties? Yes, as long as they revolve around socializing rather than alcohol Do you like to give parties? Yes, although the preperation and cleanup can be exasperating Favorite holiday? Christmas What color is your hair? Dark brown What's your favorite decorating blog? Don't read any How many sofa's do you have counting love seats and porch/deck furniture? One. That's all that will fit in my apartment! Favorite day of the week? Saturday, of course Favorite television program? Friends. A brilliant soap opera masquerading as a sitcom, its spot-on portrayal of more-than-friends, not-quite-lovers amorphous relationships resonates with me unlike anything else on TV. Did I mention it's also fall-on-the-floor, bounce-off-the-walls funny? Would you like to be rich or famous? I've gone out of my way to avoid any inkling of fame all my life. I want only enough money to live comfortably Are you rich? No What do you consider rich? Lots of close friends and interesting experiences. Not lots of money. Would you rather have a luxury car or a killer stove? The car. I already have a Gaggenau halogen cooktop, the best there is. Do you enjoy out of town company? Yes Do you like to travel? Yes, once I've arrived at my destination. The traveling itself gets tiresome. Do you still have childhood friends? A few from my teens Did you go to college? Yes What magazines do you subscribe to? Nothing anymore, I just read them online. Do you have any friends that are gay? No, but wouldn't avoid someone for that reason Would you consider yourself liberal or conserative or middle of the road? I lean leftward on social issues, rightward on economic ones Are you an introvert or extravert? Wildly extroverted, although you'd be hard pressed to know that if you've only seen me this last year Do you like to wear high heels if your a woman? I'm not a woman, and I don't think they look good on them either. And they're ridiculously uncomfortable and impractical and probably bad for your feet. Flats all the way for me. Do you like to wear belts? I prefer elastic stretch fabric around the waist. Belts are uncomfortable and unyielding. What is your dress size? I don't know, i've never worn one. They don't look good on men. Would you consider yourself a good friend? I've been told I am; I'm reluctantly starting to believe it Do you like sex? With an enthusiastic partner, immensely. With someone who begrudgingly "puts out", not at all. Do you live in a small town or large town? Fairly large When is the last time you had a alcoholic drink? Cabernet a few days ago. It's hard to sneak in a drink when all my rx meds say "don't take with alcohol" Do you think you have sex appeal? Only if I work hard at it Have you ever been arrested? Not yet. But I've been lucky. What is more romantic, candles or the light from a fireplace? The fireplace. What religion are you, if any? Not religious How many television sets do you have in your house? 3 How many books would you say you read in a year not counting magazines or newspapers? 15 Do you like your next door neighbors? Yes. They've changed often though, and I miss my old ones When people first meet you (after two hours) what do they notice besides your looks? That I'm very perceptive Favorite flower? Whatever my girl likes best. Yes, I do pay attention! Would you rather spend Thanksgiving with Barefoot Contessa or Paula Dean? Never heard of either one When you see people kissing in public (not on the cheek) do you look away? Yes, although I think it's cute and heartwarming as long as they're away from a crowded area. But excessive PDA in public areas is distasteful. One woman I knew thought couples that always see the need to hold hands or hug or smooch whenever others are around, often are making up for what they don't have when they're alone together. I think she's right. Would you be more attracted to a extremely weathy man or an incredable drop dead gorgeous man? If your a man, change the sex. Probably the drop-dead-gorgeous woman. But I like a deep, sultry voice even more than great looks. If you had your choice and money was no object, what type of house would you buy? A moderately-sized first-floor condo in the crossroads of the city Are you gay? No, it squicks me just thinking about getting it on with another man. Not that there's anything wrong with that... Can people tell what region you are from your voice? Evidently not. I've been asked if i'm Canadian. Even British. Are you a grandmother or grandfather? I'm not even a dad Do you want to have kids one day? Never. I'd would remind me of my own childhood and cause unpleasant flashbacks. I'd consider fostering a teenager to adulthood though. Who fascinates you on GW? You can only pick one. I can't remember everyone, or who's still here. On this forum, i'll go with redbazel or runninginplace, they seem to have the most in common. Also the ones already named. (I can't pick just one of anything) Pool or fireplace? Pool. I love water Would you rather go to the show or rent a movie? I love going out, but tiredness usually results in renting What profession would you really like to be in? Advertising maybe. Or music/record production Do you have any regrets? Too many to mention Do you know how to change a tire? Yes, have done it many times. How many languages do you speak? I'm working on English Has your husband or wife ever embarrassed you in front of other people? Yes or No? Not married, but my SO never has Are you honest? Yes, brutally sometimes, except to people who lie to me. (how could you answer this "no"? If you did, you'd be honest by saying that!)

You are old when you visit you old home place and find a mobile home parked next to the yard, the house is being used for storage and a chicken roost, there is no trace of your grade school, the old highschool building has big crack running from the foundation up to the roof line and it is in danger of forced closure due to lack of funds for the teacher's pension fund, the church you and your parents attended was closing it doors for good, the business section in the town has failed, all the country stores are gone, and everyone's a stanger. The only viable business is the funeral home and it has plenty of business. The gas station you worked at as a youth has changed owners and brand names at least 6 times. And most everyone you knew in highschool are retired! Sadly, you find your social life revolving around funerals.

"Aren't you supposed to leave the energy-saving, non-incandescent bulbs *on* for at least 10-15 minutes?" No. Fluorescent lights of any type should not be flipped on and off often, so they're not a good choice for blinking lights, but the have to leave it on for 15 min is basically another old wives' tale. That said, even incandescents generally last longer if you're not flipping them on and off. I have CFL in my bathroom, basement, garage, outdoors, even in the ceiling fan and are on and off a lot. I believe in turning off lights when you leave the room. I converted over about 15 years ago and have replaced a total of 2 or 3 bulbs.

We planned ahead for this when we built our retirement home four years ago in the resort area where DD (our only) and DSIL have settled by building a duplex with them that preserved privacy between households but allows easy access when wanted Although we are hopefully still years away from needing help, it has proved to be mutually beneficial to both generations. First, housing costs in this area are very high and even though the kids both have good jobs and are hard workers, because the build was primarily financed by the bank of mom and dad they have a nicer home in a high end neighborhood than they could otherwise afford. Second, we are available to help with DGS, age 4, when they need help (and they absolutely do not take advantage of this!). Because the kids both work full time, they sppreciate that I cook for all of us most weekday nights, it gives them more time with their son and I appreciate their help cleaning up after dinner. Built in dog sitters when one generation is traveling. DH and DSIL share yard duties DSIL can fix anything! While the ”kids” may seem to be getting more benefit right now, to us having them and DGS next door is priceless and and, in the normal course of events, we will need their help more and more as we age. If life doesn’t follow the normal course, we built with potential resale in mind and one or both sides can be sold. Fortunately, it has turned out to be a very good investment because we purchased the lot while the area was still recovering from the 08 bust and built before the current building frenzy raised prices so much. Anything can happen in the next twenty or thirty years, but at present I believe we have our bases covered nicely.