Question of the Day #471

Dear Cold,

I do not appreciate the way you've invaded my brain and made it fuzzy. Because of you, I couldn't remember A5's chicken parm sandwich, chicken penne, jalapeno poppers and chips and guacamole last night, resulting in unhappy customers and a teeny weeny tip.

You've made my nose run, caused coughing eruptions, burning eyes and cloggy ears. And I won't even start about the damage you've done to B. I really wish you would go away.

So please do.

Love,
Suzie

If you could write a "later!" letter to somebody or something, what would it read like?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #470

Random either / or questions for you:

1. Apple or orange?
2. Walk or bike?
3. Shower or bath?
4. Summer or winter?
5. Day or night?
6. Call or email?
7. Girl or boy?

I'll put my answers in the comments. What about you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #469

E Money came up with a great question: What band or artists' music do you enjoy even though you personally despise them?

He gave the great example of Kanye West. I mean seriously, who doesn't break out some moves at the first notes of "Gold Digger"? And who doesn't want to punch him?

I'm going with that microphone stealing obnoxious rapper. You?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #468

Yesterday was amazingly gorgeous in LA. In 80 degree sunshine, I met up with L and K to play on the beach. After my walk home, I read on the deck for a while then drove to B's.

Before I left, I posted "Suzanne Casamento just applied sunblock for her drive with the top down," as my Facebook status update.

This morning I found 17 responses. Most about snow and how friends were jealous and freezing in other parts of the world. That got me thinking about how the grass is always greener on the other side.

So I admit, I think my summer weather in February rocks. But what fabulous things am I missing out on in your neck of the woods?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #467

This question is brought to you by the letters L and D:

What made you proud today?

I'm proud of B for being cheerful and sweet even when his head is killing him and he was up coughing all night.

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #466

B and I just go back from the farmer's market. There were cRaZy veggies there. Amazing kale and gorgeous greens. I scooped up a couple bunches of broccoli rabe, some red, purple and white baby potatoes and the sweetest oranges on the planet.

Then I picked up what I thought was a parsnip, but it turns out it was a daikon radish. The seller cut off a piece for us to chomp on.

"That's way better than a regular radish," said B, who wasn't particularly in love with the radishes I roasted with root veggies last week.

The daikon radish was sweeter and milder than a traditional radish. I liked it.

What new food have you discovered recently?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #465

B and I watched a good chunk of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies last night. It was amazing to watch as 82 countries came together.

Things that struck me:

1. Team Japan waving not only the Japanese flag, but the Canadian flag. A lovely tribute to the host!

2. Pakistan's one athlete. The fact that Pakistan is competing for the first time, right now, is pretty amazing. It shows that the Olympics is about so much more than sports.

3. The Georgian team. I wanted to cry for them.

4. The music. The music was really lovely.

We feel asleep when Nelly Furtado and Brian Adams hit the stage. (NOT the music I referenced above. I was referring to the actual score.) It's on the DVR, so we will watch the rest later.

What did you find interesting about last night's opening ceremonies?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #464

After work last night, Big Tom and I went to get some pizza. We call him Big Tom because he's big. He gives the biggest, best hugs. He says what he really thinks and he says things right when they hit him. Like, "You're so pretty." It comes out of nowhere, like he just noticed at that very moment. And it makes me feel really pretty. And he listens. And for such a youngin', he makes a lot of sense.

Like sometime around 1:00 AM when he related a story about how someone, trying to comfort him after a friend's death, said, "I know how you feel."

"That just made me want to say, 'you have no idea how I feel. And you know what? My problems are bigger than yours because they're my problems.'"

That hit me like a rock. Isn't that the truth?

My problems are bigger than yours because they're my problems.

I'm going to remember that the next time I decide to compare my life to someone else's in an attempt to tell them that they'll get through whatever they need to get through.

Sometimes, it's better to just listen. And Big Tom is really good at that.

Who do you go to when you need someone to listen?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #463

It's everywhere. Giant red hearts. Chocolates. Roses. Teddy bears with plushy hearts attached. In the supermarkets, at the mall, in the florists' windows.

Evidence backs up what some of my friends say about how Valentine's Day is too commericialized. But I love the idea of setting aside a day to shower loved ones with love. Call me a sucker or a hopeless romantic. But why wouldn't I want to do that?

How do you feel about Valentine's Day?

xoxo,

Suzanne

Question of the Day #462

In just a couple days the 2010 Winter Olympics will commence. When I was a kid, I remember watching figure skating with my mom and being amazed at how the athletes moved. I'm still amazed and really look forward to enjoying this year's competition.

What Olympic sport are you looking forward to?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #461

Little J has her own language. When someone mentions something they should have kept in the vault and the silence gets prickly, she sing songs, "AWK."

When she's in absolute agreement she says, "Totes b'goats." (Her version of "totally.")

She calls dinner "dins" and men "the mens" and if someone is drunk, they're "crunkfaced." (And you better believe I put that one in my latest draft.)

I am learning to speak Little J. Even though it's totally confusing and I feel like the dinosaur old lady trying to be cool.

At least I know enough not to wear skinny jeans at 37.

Anyhoo, do you know anyone who speaks their own language? What weird words have you had to decipher lately?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #460

Today is B's birthday! B-DAY! As I like to call it.

"How would you like to celebrate your birthday?" I asked a week or two ago.

"I don't know," said B.

"Would you like to go out for a birthday dinner? Or would you like to stay in?"

"Let's stay in," he replied.

"Okay. What would you like for your birthday dinner? Do you want delicious mac and cheese or those yummy lamb chops or..."

"Short ribs," he said.

"Short ribs?" I confirmed.

"Yes, short ribs." B drummed in the seriousness of the decision with several head nods.

"All right then. We'll have birthday short ribs," I said.

The man obviously knows what he wants. So I'm about to head to the supermarket so I can begin slow cooking short rib birthday perfection.

If it were your birthday, what would you want for dinner?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #459

Colts or Saints?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #458

One of the things I enjoy about Facebook is that without it, I would forget that the rest of the continent is on ice. Some of today's friend status updates are, "Snowed in," "Heading out to shovel," and "Snow day! Time for a movie marathon ."

This of course, made me curious, so I went to www.weather.com and saw that on the U.S. map, only 10 states do not have severe weather advisories.

Wow. Who says Facebook isn't useful? I am now aware of the national weather.

What do you find useful about Facebook?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #457

So after my fabulous agent read some pages I've been working on, she gave me some comments that flicked on a high voltage light bulb in my brain. I'd been struggling with my main character's story and feeling frustrated with her for not just coming alive and running away with it.

What I didn't realize was that the timing was all wrong. Not the timing of me writing it, but the timing of the story.

So I'm psyched to be on a totally different course.

When have you been relieved to change course?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #456

My friend L posted this status update on Facebook last night: "Has gone one month without eating a burrito...amazing."

I have gone one month (sadly, actually more) without hiking.

What have you gone one month without? (Not necessarily this past month - we're talking ever here.)

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #455

When I lived at Mansfield, I kept a mental list of everyone's food dislikes and allergies. GB hated mushrooms (until I made him roasted mushrooms that he now gobbles like french fries) and wasn't a big fan of lamb. Polly was allergic to shellfish. So was Rob, who also suffered from a nut allergy.

When I planned dinners, I planned around these allergies and others.

Do you have any food allergies? If so, what are you allergic to?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #454

Last night I had horrible nightmares. When I got up to go to the bathroom at 12:30, I'd already been stung by a zillion bees. By 4:00 AM, while vacationing, I'd been peeped at, stalked and attacked. And at 6:20 AM, someone was in the bedroom - I swear I heard footsteps - and I woke doing that trying to scream and move but you can't because you're dreaming thing.

In the past, I've had nightmares when I'm really stressed. But right now, I'm not particularly stressed. (Knock on wood.) In fact, I see no reason whatsoever for crazy nightmares. (That full moon is gone, right?)

Do you experience nightmares? How often? What kind? What do you do to shake off the awful feeling in the morning?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #453

My computer is driving me cRaZy. B gave me a nano for Christmas an every time try to install the latest iTunes on my laptop, my computer goes haywire. It's been installing forever.

My laptop recently got a virus. Then a few months ago I had another one and the Geek Squad did a system reboot. Before that the keyboard died and I had to get that replaced.

It's about four years old. Maybe it's time to get a new one, but that's financially laughable. (Can you hear me cackling from there?)

What about you? How long do you keep computers before you replace them? When is it time to get a new one?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #452

Last night the full moon was AWESOME. The sparkle and glow makes me think of werewolves and howling at the moon and wacky behavior brought on by the pull of the moon.

I didn't experience any myself, but Lisa D. has been having very vivid dreams the past couple nights and we're wondering if the moon may be to blame.

How does the full moon affect you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #451

I was lying in bed and thought of a great question. Then I got up, went to the bathroom, got my banana and a Diet Coke, turned on the computer and forgot the question.

I can't even remember what subject matter it dealt with. Was it a story with a question tied into it? An "if" question? An either/or? Five random questions?

I'm only 37, but I feel like my brain is slowly dissolving. I have to write lists or I leave the supermarket without the key ingredient I went there for. Stories people tell me evaporate. I forget things I have to do.

How do you feel about your memory?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #450

I'm out of bananas. The first thing I eat every morning is a banana. So now, I'm off to the supermarket.

What's the first thing you eat every morning?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #449

This morning, one of my friends posted an article on Facebook about a group of Bostonians who are going on a pub crawl wearing Snuggies.

Which reminded me of the time my friends and I went to Cafe 50's to enjoy the "Half Off if You Wear Your Jammies" promotion.

What's the weirdest outfit you've ever left the house in?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #448

Five random questions:

1. What are you wearing?
2. What project/task are you procrastinating over?
3. What's the last thing you ate?
4. Who is the last person you talked to?
5. Who is the last person you Facebooked?

Here are my answers:

1. Jammies
2. Tally's Story
3. Banana
4. B
5. Tuttie. I put a Happy Birthday wish on her wall

How about you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #447

If someone gave you $10,000 today, what would you do with it?

(This may sound conservative, but I'd save it. For me, cash has been hard to come by lately.)

xoxo,
Suzanne