Friday Five

I'm back from my glorious vacation and will tell you all about it but first: Friday Five.

This week's questions brought to you by Janet, one my friends from high school.

Yes, one of the rare ones who has managed to remain in my life though we went to separate universities and now live in separate states. What makes Janet so special you ask? Well, I could tell you about all the times we didn't get anything out of Sociology or AP Government because we were too busy laughing. Or I could mention hers was the only graduation party I attended. I could go on and on about our mutually excellent taste in music and our similar ties to a small town in New Hampshire. 

But what it really boils down to is Janet is the only person who has ever convinced me to go in costume to a midnight release party. Yes, I was Moaning Myrtle (complete with a plastic toilet seat) drinking butterbeer at the library at midnight when the last Harry Potter novel came out. Yes, there are photos. No, you can't see them. 

And that kind of friendship, well, it just lasts. 

(1) What was your favorite make-believe scenario when you were a child? 

I must confess my sister takes the cake when it comes to imagination. She would come up with the most fantastic adventures that would last for days, all inspired by our favorite books. There was a small patch of trees behind our house in Tennessee and for those three and a half years, it was a magical combination of Narnia, Terabithia, and ancient Egypt.

But my favorite scenario was one we played over and over again even before the mystical forest.

Armed with only a bountiful collection of old-fashioned nightgowns, a very used olive green carpet bag, and a small patchwork quilt, Eva, Sam, and I were poor orphan children from the 1900s, forced to wander the streets in search of work and lodging.  We couldn't sleep until we'd earned enough to buy our bedding. "Please, sir, can you spare a tuppence?" We knew we were on the road to wealth when we had each earned enough to have our own pillows. Then when the privilege of rest was finally upon us, we'd lay on the floor under the old quilt and argue over who got to say "ding ding" (signifying it was morning and time to wake up). 

When it was my turn, I always waited an extra long time to say "ding ding" because it was my favorite part of the game to lay on the floor doing nothing. Already at such a young age, I was a motivational force to be reckoned with.

That or the grocery store. My mom would save all empty cans, jars, boxes, and cartons until we had quite the stock of pretend foodstuffs. And then we would set up our grocery store with our plastic cash register and charge exorbitant, ever-changing prices. "356.98 for Cap'n Crunch? But yesterday it was only 17.99! Preposterous!" Well, when you're the only pretend store in town, you can charge whatever you want.  We were savvy to the rules of the free market, even then.

  

(2) Is flossing overrated? Why? 

As any dentist worth his salt will tell you, no. It's important for the health of your enamel and gums, blah blah. Well I hear you but I'm just too lazy to do it every single morning and night. I do it often enough to make it plain that I'm not storing away for the winter everything I've ever eaten between my teeth but I don't worship at the altar of dental floss. Gross, I know. But sometimes the truth is hard to hear. 

(3) Assuming you stay 100% safe and healthy throughout, where would you prefer to travel: India or China?

India. Hello, the food is amazing. And it's gorgeous.  And since you promised near-invulnerability, I may even bathe in the Ganges.

(4) What would you miss most about the internet if you woke up tomorrow and it did not exist?
The ease of communicating. Because let's be honest, I do not have the phone numbers and personal addresses of every single one of my contacts. And even for the ones I do, do you know the time and money it takes to reach Switzerland? Yeah, thanks Internet for taking care of that.

(5) E-reader or book?

I could be a snob and pretend I don't see a use for e-readers. While I will staunchly defend the printed and bound written word based on smell and feel alone, I do recognize the value of an e-reader. But only when traveling or living in another country where English books are hard to come by. Other than that, you will always find me book in hand.

Thanks Janet! As for the rest of you, answer these in the comments and submit your own questions so I may grace them with my answers. 

Happy Friday!