You all had so many awesome questions—here’s Part 2 of the questions left on the original post(s). This will conclude the Q & A, but seriously, fellow bloggers—if you want to THINK, this is a great way to generate material.
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Have you ever written a post, published it and then felt “uh-oh, I shared too much this time”? Or one that has caused problems in your “real life”? What did you do about it? — from Sarah F.
This is where I reveal what a boring blogger I am and say NO. I am ridiculously careful about what I choose to share. I have written before about my Unbloggables and I tend to stick to those pretty hard and fast. Seriously, I have my parents, grandma and goodness knows who else reading (possibly students, co-workers, etc.) so I am really careful. Sometimes, there is more that I’d like to say, but I firmly believe that no blog post, as hilarious or cathartic as it may be, is worth upsetting those close to me. I want this to be fun, not a stressful thing. There are definitely posts where I’ve felt exposed, but I’ve rarely had a negative response to honesty.
What’s your favorite cold-weather beverage? — from Tabitha
I am a coffee ADDICT. Cold, hot, I don’t care—I just love it. My favorite fancy drink is a nonfat, stirred, caramel macchiato or a nonfat white mocha. Yum. I want some coffee right now, just talking about it.
Favourite song or movie? — from Margarita
There is no way I can pick just one. Seriously. I can give you my top 15,000 maybe. In another post. Suffice it to say that I love music and have an iTunes chock full of a ridiculous amount of songs. As far as favorite movie, I think that Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are my two favorites. I prefer to watch them back to back, with someone I can have deep conversation with afterwards, because those movies make me think about the Big Questions.
Have you ever had a near-death experience? — from That Kind Of Girl
Oooh, FANTASTIC question! The answer is YES! My first year of teaching, I was driving to work and my front right tire blew out. I spun out of control, across traffic in the middle of a very busy street. I crossed the median into oncoming traffic, and traffic STOPPED, a total miracle. A car that had been headed my direction had to BACK UP OFF ME so that I could open my driver’s side door. Seriously. To be in rush hour, spinning and nearly dying was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced. I was in the middle of a rough patch, and holy cow that turned me around quickly. It seriously felt like a wake up call to LIVE and ENJOY and LET GO. I get chills just thinking about it.
How do you come up with SO MUCH MATERIAL for good story-telling? Does your life ever feel mundane? Are you ever all like, “I wish something epically stupid would happen right now so I can blog about it”? — from Andrea
Ha! First of all, this feels like a compliment-question, because I think that I lead one of the most boring lives EVAH. Seriously. I am one of the most mundane people I know, but I do try to find inspiration like it’s my job. And since epically stupid stuff happens to me all the time, I try and blog as much of it as I can. The rest comes from me making the little moments and things that I think about somehow sound semi-compelling. Sometimes, it’s surreal that ANYONE cares about my little internal monologue here, but I’m glad you guys do! I think that blogworthy stuff happens to EVERYONE (and more often to other people!) but I am always cognizant of trying to find an angle that will make it work for me. You’d be horrified if you knew how much time a day I spend recalling events and thinking, “Hmmm…can I blog that?!”
Who is your favorite comedian and why? — from Ally
I am not a huge live comedy person, though I do like going to the comedy club occasionally. Other than that, I’m a HUGE sucker for the Chapelle Show and Jim Gaffigan. I think they’re both absolutely HYSTERICAL. Dave Chapelle’s Prince skit kills me every time, and I laugh every time I see a Hot Pocket thanks to Jim Gaffigan. I don’t know what it is, but those dudes slay me.
If you had to pick one post that essentially defines you, which one would it be and why? — from Mandy
Gah, hardest question EVER! I wish I had a simple answer or one post that defines me, but I don’t think I do. I think that my life experiences make me really unique, especially at age 26—I’ve been through a lot, and seen a lot, and grown up a lot. I think that the post I’m most proud of is this post that I wrote about getting through a difficult time. It didn’t have the most comments, or the biggest response, but I think that what makes me proudest of it is that I could write such a list at all—that I’ve been through a bad time, and lived to tell about it, and have hopefully helped others thrive as a result.
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Seriously, those of you that asked: THANK YOU! You’re the best, and this was so fun!
Happy Wednesday!



















5 Comments so far
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The biggest thing that jumps out at me from this set is your near death experience — wow! Scary, wake-the-hell-up stuff. It’s amazing when people come out unharmed from accidents like that. Makes me think of this blog post I read last year. http://www.mattnicolosiblog.com/index.cfm?postID=251
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By Ally on 01.20.10 7:28 am | Permalink
Wow thank you for sharing!! This was amazing to read! And I’m totally with you – I can give you a top 15,000 songs too, but never just one
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By Emily Jane on 01.20.10 8:09 am | Permalink
Oh my gosh, that’s an INCREDIBLE near-death experience story! Jeez. It’s straight out of an action movie. Glad it was a clarifying experience, though — near-death situations can be so helpful in forcing us to figure out what’s really important!
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By That Kind of Girl on 01.20.10 8:53 am | Permalink
I think you have quite the talent for making the everyday sound super exciting and adventurous. You pass it off like no big deal, but I don’t think you realize just how awesome you are at it.
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By Mandy on 01.20.10 9:06 am | Permalink
Wow, great questions and responses. Blogging really does make people more reflective. We could just let moments pass us by but instead, we stop and try to find meaning in them.
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By michelle woo on 01.20.10 11:47 pm | Permalink
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