Ok… so this is *way* longer than a blog post oughta be.
Every once in a while I’ll get an email or a Facebook note with a huge list of things about a friend (which I usually enjoy reading) and it’ll usually include some sort of request to reciprocate. I just filled out my first reply to one of those and thought I’d share it with you here. (I’m behind on posting and haven’t yet finished up any of the other posts I’ve started. Also, I just started working third shift – a temporary setup – recently and won’t get time to do much else before I have to leave for work tonight. The good news is that I slept 8 hours during the daytime today – which from what I hear is very unlikely – especially for those just switching to this schedule.)
I usually like to include a picture with each blog post. I almost didn’t do that this time, but then remembered a photo that I’d recently posted to Facebook which got some fun comments there. This was taken just after getting up in the morning, and as you can see – I’m not much of a morning person.
Hope you enjoy however much of this you end up reading… it’s kinda long. If you want to respond just post your answers in a comment to this post. I got this list of questions from my friend/roommate Scott whose words about these things when explaining it to another friend this evening was “it gets passed around kinda like a virus…”
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I have the same middle name as my dad: Paul. He’s Bruce Paul, and I’m Jonathan Paul. I think that’s pretty cool.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
I’m not sure honestly. It was probably during a really good movie.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Not so much. I can live with it though, but type pretty much everything these days – except for sometimes when I’m writing in a journal.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Don’t really usually go for lunch meat. I’m not much of a guy for sandwiches.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Nope. Maybe someday. 
)
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I think so. Unless that other person I happened to be was the sort of person who doesn’t like to be friends with people like who I am. In that case, it seems very unlikely.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Uh. Yeah. I don’t think I use it often… ok, maybe I do. Not sure about that really. I try to not be mean about it though.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes. However, I almost lost them after missing like a month and a half of school at one stretch due to strep throat. Doctor thought we could wait a few more weeks, and it cleared up and I’ve been fine since.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Not sure. Some doctor friends tell me there’s too much risk of ankle/joint injuries. I have jumped off a building a couple times in Auckland, NZ, but that was when I was tied to a steel cable. I’d love to jump out of an airplane sometime though – provided I had a parachute strapped to me.
NAKED?
No, being naked in public – particularly strapped upside down to a big rubber band – doesn’t seem like an attractive idea at all.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I always have a hard time coming up with favorites. I like variety, so if I ate a “favorite” too many times, I’d probably start to hate it. I tend to like things that are good for you and taste good.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Not usually.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
See number 10. I often gravitate toward the fruity flavors and like the nicer brands lots better than the cheap stuff.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
I haven’t noticed what I notice first. Let’s see… Probably attitude, demeanor. Do they seem open or closed? Do they seem kind? What do they seem to think about themselves?
15. RED OR PINK…
Depends completely on what it is. Pink roses are great. Red was my favorite color growing up. Now for many things it’s blue.
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Remember the favorite thing? It applies to “least” as well.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
I miss my whole family while I’m out here in Seattle. I get to see my brother and sister-in-law (and soon to be their son) the least because they live in Chicago, so in a way I miss them the most.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
I’d love to hear back from any or all of them, but I know how much time this takes to fill out and how seldom I do that myself. Let’s see… this is my first.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue jeans. Bare feet.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The sound of the fan on my laptop and the tick of the clock on the wall. Other than that – the sound of silence.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Silver or black or sky blue.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Favorites? Too many to list. Not sure in that case if they can still be categorized as favorites…
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My best friend’s girlfriend Diana – who was on my best friend’s mobile. She’s a brilliant sleep specialist, and I needed some serious help with advice about a moronic schedule I had the last couple days.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yes, all of them.
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Almost never watch sports. I saw part of the Super Bowl a couple years ago, but my favorite part is always the commercials.
27. HAIR COLOR?
Used to be bright shocking white. Gets darker the older I get, but it can still get pretty light in the summer if I get out in the sun some.
28. EYE COLOR?
Blue – just like the other six people in my immediate family.
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope. Just started kinda needing glasses last year when I turned thirty, but I hardly wear them.
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
“Thai.” I copied and pasted these questions from Scott and liked that answer well enough to keep it. However, I’d get sick of Thai food if I had it too often. )
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Definitely *not* scary movies.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Not sure. It was probably on Netflix.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Black.
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Yes. As I get older though, I’m starting to favor Summer.
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Get back to me on that one.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Don’t know who I’m going to tag yet. Even if I had a list already, it’d still be hard to say.
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
See #37.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Too many for me to remember. A bunch of books about writing mostly.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Mouse pad? A good optical mouse doesn’t need a mouse pad. When was this list written?!? )
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
“I don’t own a TV.” Liked Scott’s answer on this one too – and it’s an accurate answer for me as well.
42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
I love music, and listening to people talk about the things they love.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
“Beatles.” Again, Scott’s answer. It’ll do.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
I’m not going to do the math, but it’s probably someplace in Australia or Asia.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I wanted to write a great sarcastic answer to this one, but I’m still in to much of a sleepy fog at the moment to pull that off.
46 WHERE WERE U BORN?
At a free clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
“Everybody’s.” Thanks, Scott.
48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
See 35.