Know & Tell Friday

I was going to read Heather and Reese's answers to their questions over at Kickin' It In Crazyville before I answered these myself, but I was afraid it would affect what I came up with myself. So I'm going to answer, and then go back and read what fun stuff they had to say. You do the same.

1. If a five-dollar bill magically appeared on your doorstep at the beginning of the day, every day, what would you do with it?

First I would try to find out who left it, because that's the Nancy Drew in me. After I got over the initial shock and bought my kids ice cream from the ice cream truck a time or two, got myself a venti White Chocolate Mocha from Starbuck's a time or two, got Hubby a venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbuck's a time or two (he'd be with me), I'd find a meaningful use for it. We sponsor one little girl right now through World Vision, and with $5 every day, we could sponsor five more children.

2. Tell us about your favorite teacher from elementary/middle/high school.

I had a lot of favorite teachers in elementary school. I was kind of a teacher's pet. My favorite was probably Mr. Polich, my 4th grade teacher, because he let me go out in the hall with my best friend, Kim, and practice for the school and district math olympics. We'd make up hard math problems just for fun. Sick, huh? If you haven't read my blog before, I'm the oldest child, Type A, perfectionist, OCD...a very left-brain kind of girl. And I'm originally from the South, Arkansas to be exact, so I can call myself a girl.

My favorite middle school teacher was my 7th grade science teacher. He ate fried worms in class. It was not Mrs. G.r.z.y.b.i.n.s.k.i. Do you know how many sentences I wrote in study hall with her name in them for talking? The fact that I can still spell her name without blinking should be a good indicator.

My favorite high school teacher was probably a tie between two different teachers. It was not my 10th grade geometry teacher but was my 12th grade Algebra II teacher. They were the same one. I had an attitude adjustment between the 10th and 12th grades. You had to know him to love him. The other one was a teacher I had for several business classes.

3. If you could make one person disappear for good, who would it be?

Only one? Based on the current news events, I'd say Mugabe in Zimbabwe. Even rhymes. Or the North Korean president Kim Jong Il. I don't know if it still is, but you should read this article about North Korea being the worst country in the world. Most people know it's bad, but most don't (or didn't) know it was the worst. There's so much in the news about other countries and about the only thing we see about them is the nuclear stuff.

4. Do you believe in fairies?

I do not believe in fairies, but I do believe in angels.

5. What era is your favorite for music?

The 80's is my favorite era for music. My kids just look at my husband and me so strangely when we hear a commercial or we're walking through a store and we just start singing along. And we're not singers. Hubby is better than me. My sister and my cousin were gifted with the beautiful voices. And I mean beautiful.

I still have a penchant for a little disco in these bones though.

6. Have you ever, or would you ever, have cosmetic surgery?

I have never had cosmetic surgery. I make it a rule to say never, because I always end up doing it then. I don't see that I would ever have a reason to have cosmetic surgery. I don't think we should mess around with what God gave us just to try to look better. I think when people have medical reasons, or have scarring from burns, that's a whole other story.

I could currently qualify to have cosmetic surgery on my stomach. I have a separated abdominal wall from my last pregnancy (eight years ago), but unless I develop a hernia, I'm not willing to risk major abdominal surgery. It's not worth the risks. I want to see my kids grow up.

7. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

My first name is a doozy! I've had to explain the stinkin' thing my entire life. My mom's middle name is Kay, so I'm Kayren (long *a* sound) instead of Karen. It's pronounced just like it's spelled, but it's been butchered so many ways I've lost count.

My natural father that divorced my mother (after he saw me one weekend of my childhood life when I was six months old when he returned from Viet Nam) gave me my middle name. Now yes, I have issues, but no, that's not the reason I despise my middle name. Louise. Yes, Louise. Ugh!

So now that you've had the lenghty explanation of my name, what would I change it to if I had to? Not if I wanted to, but if I had to. You know, as much trouble as my name is, this is not something I've ever thought of. Who would I be if I wasn't me?

I don't think I could legally be Sweetness, my husband's nickname for me. I've always liked the name Mary, and I knew someone I really liked with that name. I had a really good friend named Jaclyn in the third grade, and then of course there was Charlie's Angels to make me really like that name. I had a hamster with the name Jaclyn, so I think I wouldn't pick that one for myself. Kate is another name I really like, not Katherine or Katie, because I'm not a kid anymore, just Kate. Nice and simple, but pretty. And my initials would stay the same.

I'm Kate.

Kate signing off.