Megan's Questions

So Megan asked me a few questions.

What romance book made you realize you wanted to keep reading in the genre?

Hmmm. Probably Highland Velvet by Jude Deveraux. I was embarrassed to have bought it, embarrassed to have liked it, but I wanted to know more about Steven's brothers. So I had to go back and buy more of hers. At least there was one author in that sea of clinch covers I could recognize.


If we ever got to meet in person, on your turf, where would you take me? Would you be as shy as I am?

I'd probably take you to the Tea Room in town. It's all decorated in reproduction hand silk-screened Victorian and Craftsman wallpaper. The owner's husband used to be mayor of the town. I'd end up complaining that there isn't any decent Indian food around, because I'd have preferred to go for Indian. We might end up on the day trip to Berkeley to see the sights there. (Look! A homeless person!) (Sorry. That was mean, but I do live in lily-white suburbia which is disturbing at times.) You want to visit the Husband's butcher store? That's fun too.

And no, I wouldn't be particularly shy in my own home town. But I promise to slap my hand over my mouth if I start babbling along out of a misplaced fear that we won't be able to think of a topic of conversation and Megan might think I'm just dim because I can't converse and Oh My God this is all MY fault and ::SLAP::


What made you decide to start blogging? How has it changed your life?

I had been posting on message boards, but I don't buy enough new releases to keep up with the conversations, and then I found Smart Bitches, and then I started reading Maili a lot. She convinced me to get my own blog. (Maili--the knitted heart IS coming, I swear. My first stab at it was about 6-8 inches across--trying to shrink it down a touch.) I'm not sure why I decided to blog--it seemed like a good experiment I guess? A way to get me writing more? (Course now I spend a lot of my "writing" time checking out blogs.)

Changed my life---em. Let's see.

OK, having thought about that for a bit, I think it's relaxed me somewhat. I have a lot of opinions, and since I'm publicly elected, I have the opportunity to spout off every few weeks, and let people know what they are. But on the other hand, I'm constantly having to frame my opinions as arguments. Which gets tiring. Sometimes it seems that I'm in a "grouundhog day" cycle at times where I'm "defending my life" over and over and over. It's almost impossible to say, "I think this is a good idea, but I'm equally impressed with that idea over there." (I'm on my fourth education reporter in 2 years for the local newspaper, which doesn't help either. Now I start laughing before they've even finished asking the question. Don't you know what I think on that issue? No? Here. Let me give you the back story AGAIN.)

So blogging allows me to put out whatever it is that's on my mind and just own it, crabbines, frustration, and all. Which, I'm sorry to say, probably does not make for an enjoyable read all the time. But it balances me.


If you could change one thing about your school system, what would it be?

I would encourage the High School to set Educational Excellence as its primary goal and standard.

I am so sick of hearing that since "not every kid is going to go to college" then we can cut upper level French. I am so sick of hearing that "student safety is our primary concern." Really? Safety? Wow, I didn't know that all those teachers with all those degrees were only there to keep the kids safe. I am so sick of hearing opinions such as, "Every child who comes out of High School needs to have completed Drivers Ed." I'm not running a driving school EITHER.

I'm not in any way trying to say that all of those things aren't good, but we do NOT focus on getting the average kid into college. It seems as if only the very tippy top tier of kids are encouraged to apply to private colleges or attend four year universities. Everyone else, from the low A average kids straight down to Cs and Ds are lumped into the "Well, not everyone goes to college" group.

And what KILLS me about this broad brushstroke style of career counseling is that we don't even offer a viable vocational program either. I don't care if you don't go to collge; lots of my relatives didn't. But you should have SOME skills when you graduate, not just woodshop. My argument: Every child should be prepared to attend college even if they choose not to start. And the ones who do not go on to college directly from High School should be prepared to immediately enter the workplace with viable career skills upon graduation.

Been saying that for three years. Getting nowhere. One of the VPs even asked for "a personal apology" after I restated that opinion/argument at a Board Meeting because I had "insulted his staff by suggesting that they couldn't teach." Huh? I'm complaining that the ADMINISTRATION, as in YOU, Mr. VP, don't place enough emphasis on providing a quality education, as provided by the teachers. This is why speaking in public is so exhausting. Blog, blog, bloggity, blog.



And what is your favorite kind of nut?

Cashews.

Although I do enjoy Pecans from time to time. Very unclear as to what the controversy surrounding the correct pronounciation is all about. I think that if I'm baking, I use pecans, but if I'm eating out of hand then it's cahsews.

I guess the better plan here was to just pick one nut, use one word, and go with it. Damn, the simple answers just seem to elude me.

Edited to add: DUH! It's a meme! Sign up in comments for me to post five personalized questions for you to answer.