Random Fives: Groups of five questions about you, chosen randomly.

1. What was your biggest challenge this past week? Dealing with my bad foot.

2. What was your biggest accomplishment this past week? Managing to get all my grocery shopping done, without forgetting anything.

3. What was the most exciting thing that happened in your life this past week? Seeing classic cars in Lake George.

4. What one thing made you the happiest this past week? Being able to buy a pot of Golden Cheryl mums for my balcony.

5. What one thing made you the saddest this past week? Me.

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1. Have you even attended a training certificate course or an adult educaation programme? yes, I have a Culinary certificate, and I've attended heavy equipment (construction vehicles), stable management, and flower arranging courses.

2. Are YOU currently in school (any level)? No, dropped out in late 2005.

3. Did you attend a state or public school? Over here, a state school is called a public school, and that's what I attended--tho' when I was in my very early teens, I did after school tutoring at a private (public) school.

4. As far as formal education, what level have you completed? 2 year AA degree in Liberal Arts/Humanities, plus nearly 3 years towards my 4 year degree in communications.

5. What are your thoughts on the cost of tuition for colleges and universities? Would take too long to talk about here. In the early 2000's, Bush did three very bad things in regards to college tuition: first, he cut aid to college, second, he cut financial aid programs, thrid, he made it totally impossible for people to include student loans in any bankruptcy proceedings AND, made it EASIER for lenders to go after student's pay checks, homes, possessions, etc, if they can't pay, AND student debtors also risk being turned down for housiing assistance and other vital necessities, under Bush's pro-lender, anti-student borrower plan.

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1. Where you live, what kind of weather (or weather-related tragedy) do you fear the most? Tornadoes.

2. What kind of weather do you MOST enjoy? cloudless days, no humidity, and temps in the low to mid-70's.

3. What kind of weather do you LEAST like to walk or drive in? Freezing rain or worse--ice storms! Scary stuff.

4. What is the scariest weather-related experience you've had in your lifetime? I was out snowshoeing on a bright sunny day, without a hat or sunglasses, and started to actually go snowblind--my vision got all red, and my eyes began hurting so bad, from the snow-glare, that I literally couldn't see--thank God I was in the field next to our house, and could guess my way home--took a while, but thankfully I was so familiar with trees and sounds and where everything was, that, once I calmed down I was able to find my way across the ditch next to our house, and from there finally bumped into the garage. (My sight cleared withing a half-hour of going indoors and lying down...but--maybe 'cos no one else in my family was at home at the time--I was well scared, let me tell you! I never told my parents about it...in fact, this is the first time I think I've ever mentioned it to anyone.

5. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? No. I have been in two moderate earthquakes though, here in northeastern New York--but other than knocking some things off desks and stuff, nothing bad happened...the closest things to natural disaster for me, would be the three days we went without power, during a freak blizzard in early October, back in the mid-80's, which dumped a foot of snow on the region--while all the leaves were still on the trees...hence the massive power outtages...couple of people died during that storm, from fallen trees.

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1. What ONE thing would you like to accomplish before the end of the day? Getting all the washing up done.

2. What one goal would you like to attain before the end of the month? Have some money left over, so I can go to a play or to see a film.

3. Are you a "to-do list" writer? If so, do you stick to your list and cross things off as you complete them? Hardly ever, mum was big on lists, I tend think they are self-defeating, when you can't/don't do everything (or anything) on the list. I do sometimes keep reminder lists, or shopping lists, though.

4. In general, how tidy and organized do you feel you are? If you've ever seen Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple," I'm very much an Oscar Madison.

5. Which ONE surface in your home do you have trouble keeping clean? The gas cooker! I don't know WHAT that surface has been treated with, but it's hell to clean...never stays clean for more than a day or so...and very stubborn with letting loose the dirt.

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1. Are there any weird food fetishes or paranoias you have? Feel free to list as many as you like. Mushrooms--can't stand 'em. Not to taste, smell or look at, not in any way, shape or form--get 'em away from me! Bleh! Oh, and I thoroughly dislike fresh fruit--except apples. But I'll eat tinned peaches and sometimes tinned apple sauce. I also don't like some fresh veggies, like cucumbers and celery. And, while I'll eat tomatoes in tinned form, or breaded and fried with some brown sugar--I cannot stomach fresh tomatoes...the cafeteria lady forced me to eat a fresh tomato once, and was rewarded with me puking all over her shoes...haven't been able to stomach a fresh picked tomato, ever since.

2. When you were growing up, what ONE thing did your parents always remind you of, when it came to meal time (or cooking)? Mum was very keen on dinner table manners, and I have a long list, but the number one thing, I think was "chew with your mouth closed!"

3. When you were a child, did you play with your food? Sure. I used to pretend my French fry (chip) was a boat, and the the little pool of ketchup on my plate was the sea, and made boat noises as I "sailed" the chip through the ketchup with my fork--which of course got a cross "don't play with your food!" from my mum. Oh, and we used to throw strands of cooked spaghetti on the kitchen ceiling, to see if it would stick--mum was very put out with us for doing that...can't imagine why...

4. As a child, what was your favourite school lunch? Oh, that's hard to remember. But, I seem to recall being very fond of the Welsh rarebit--that was a flavoured cheddar cheese sauce served on saltine crackers. Yummy!!!

5. When you were growing up, what one meal do you remember as being your favorite? Yankee Noodle Bake---it was a very simple casserole of wide egg noodles, mixed with slices of hot dogs, tinned peas, a tin tomato soup, a squirt of French's yellow mustard, and onion powder or chopped onions, that mum baked in the oven.

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1. Do you do your own laundry or does someone else do it for you? I don't think anyone's done my laundry for me, in at least 10 or 15 years, if not longer.

2. Do you laundry at your home or a laundromat? No washer/dryer, so it's launderette.

3. Are there certain articles of clothing that you need to have dry-cleaned on a regular basis? I do own some clothes that need dry cleaning--but because I can't afford it, I either do my best not to wear them too often, or carefully wash them in the machine.

4. How often do you do laundry? Is there a certain day of the week that you consider "laundry day?" "Laundry day" is whenever I have a free day, feel well enough, and have the funds enough, to do the washing. It's usually the weekend...sometimes every week, sometimes every two weeks, sometimes once a month--depends on my budget and my health.

5. Do you iron your clothes as you pull them out of the dryer or do you wait until just before you wear the clothing to iron? The latter...I'm a terrible procrastinator...and, I detest ironing.

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1. How many times a month/year do you see the sunrise? If I'm up, I will look at the sunrise, so quite a lot.

2. How many times a week/month do you see the sunset? Ditto, every day if possible.

3. Do you go out at night and "gaze" at the stars? When I lived in the country, all the time. Here, only sometimes, they aren't as visible here in the city.

4.Do you like going outside during a thunderstorm to watch the lightning? No.

5. Have you ever watched a meteor shower, or seen a shooting star? Oh yes, I've been 7000 feet up in the Rocky Moutains, watching the Persiad shower all night long-one of THE most amazing things I've ever witnessed! You could literally HEAR them!! And once, in my hometown, I was walking through someone's back yard late one night, and was startled by a bright golden flair that whooshed just over my head--since there was absolutely no one about--trust me I was standing near a septic tank's leach field...I figured it was a shooting star--it was, I later found out...one that was unusually low to the ground, too.

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1. Have you ever been in a play? Yes, several times, in small parts.

2. Have you ever given a public speech? I had to take public speaking for my communications degree, plus I've given college presentations for groups ranging from 8 to 500.

3. Have you ever read poetry aloud to someone? Yes, participated in poetry readings both in English class, and at two open poetry sessions at the college's poetry night.

4. Have you ever been interviewed by a journalist? Yes, several times.

5. Has your picture ever appeared in a newspaper? yes, a couple of times.