2009! 300 Posts! Interview!

Well, this is an exciting day for my readers! It's New Years, it's my 300th post, AND I am answering some questions from one of my favorite bloggers!

2008 was a banner year, I'd say. Highlights include
Winter:

• Shoveling until the end of time
  
• Skiing in Northern WI
  
• Snowshoeing
• Finding Trinity

Spring:

• Not freezing as much
• Watching lake Mendota rise almost 2 feet
• Hatching the 'teaching English plan'
• Becoming majorly involved with a great group of people at Trinity
• Singing in a choir again
• Visiting friends in Seattle!
  

Summer:

• Static Monkey's wedding! Friends! Fun!
• Getting my TEFL at Midwest Teacher Training Program
• Not working
  
• Concerts on the Square
• Farmer's Markets
• First trip to Chicago
  
• Moving in with a stranger and her dog
• Visiting my family in Georgia
• Camping in Door County with Hoofers
  

Fall:

• Applying to jobs worldwide
• Trip to Kansas City
  
• Having an interview at 2am in my previous place of employment
• Being hired via email
• Moving out of the stranger's house
• Going away parties
• Moving to Russia to teach English as a Foreign Language
  

It's winter again, but most of it will be in 2009, so we'll wait on those highlights. My life looks completely different now than it did in January 2008, its much more demanding and challenging, which is totally what I was looking for a year ago, I was bored then.

Did you look back on your year? Has much changed for you?

NOW! On to the Interview!!! The Maven at Stay At Home Mayhem posted an interview on her blog and offered to interview anyone who asked (as long as they do the same, including posting rules and all that jazz), so I emailed, I asked and I received! So, without further ado...

1. If you could change one thing about life in Russia, what would it be?

• Um, gulp. One thing? There are so many though! Ok ok, I guess I would have to pick The Food. Every single thing here is different from what I am used to - I guess except the pasta, dried pasta is dried pasta everywhere. But, what I would give for a hamburger without unidentifiable 'bits' in it from Carl's Jr, real lettuce - not cabbage disguised as lettuce, following from that a SALAD. An honest to goodness salad with dressing (which they don't have at all, salad dressing). Doritos, Oreos, Diet Coke (not coke light... it has a really different flavor), hummus, cream cheese, fresh vegetables that arent half rotten when you buy them, the list goes on and on.
• A close second would be not having a clothes dryer. Drip drying your clothes pretty much sucks.
  

2. Is Wisconsin famous for anything other than That 70's Show and cheese?

• Not really. We are the country's #1 producer of cranberries though. I believe we drink more brandy than any other place in the country, maybe more alcohol in general. It gets awfully cold? Other tv shows were set in WI though, like Happy Days. Apparently we are known to have quite the midwestern accent, but I say that Minnesotans are worse, unless you go up by the UP of Michigan... then, it's debatable.
  

3. Have you ever used your knitting powers for good (like maybe hats for orphans, or something pretty for The Maven), or purely for evil/selfish endeavors?

• Well, I guess I've never donated my creations to non profits or anything, but I have also never kept anything I have ever made. I have made scarves for presents, blankets, and I attempted a hat once. (ok, fine, I kept the hat, but mostly cause it was way too big for me and I have the biggest head out of everyone I know. Ok?) I am a quite slow knitter, so the list of actually completed projects is pretty short.
  

4. Name three songs that remind you most of the 90's, then tell us why they do.

Ah, the 90's. I was 6-16years old in the 90's. In that time, My dad went to war for a year, my parents were divorced, middle school happened (shudder) and I moved at least 3 times. It was quite tumultuous.

1. Cotton Eye Joe would have to be on the list. Many a Middle School dance was not complete until this song was played and I had hooked arms with friends and SWUNG in circles. Good times.
2. Man on the Moon by REM. This was part of a permanent soundtrack to playing in our 4ft deep, above-ground pool in the summer. There are a set of probably 10 songs that, when they come on, I immediately am back in our pool, clinging horizontally to the ladder, pretending to be caught in a tornado.
3. UR by Alanis Morissette. Actually, anything by Alanis Morissette from the 90's could be on here. This song, in particular reminds me of that time because because it was probably my favorite song for years, I even had a shirt from her website that said 'precious UR', thanks to Artichokes. I wore it unabashedly.
   

5. You're a teacher now, but what would your inner child have wanted you to pursue as a career?

• I wanted to do something with medicine when I was little. For the longest time I wanted to be a veterinarian, but what country girl doesn't at some point? I spent whole days memorizing dog breeds from a book I checked out from the library at least a dozen times. I surprise myself now when I see a dog and I'm like 'That's a King Charles Spaniel' or 'Look, a German Wirehaired Pointer!' I'm sure I wanted to be a writer, an actress, and a singer at some point. I was not really interested in planning my future career in earnest... this is why I am still confused about what I want to be, and thus, ran away to Russia to avoid making decisions. It's worked so far. :)

So, that's that!

Here are the rules if you want to participate in 5 Questions.

1. Request an interview in the comments of this post, leaving me your email if I don't already have it.
   
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You can then answer the questions on your blog.
4. You should also post these rules along with an offer to interview anyone else who emails you wanting to be interviewed.
5. Anyone who asks to be interviewed should be sent 5 questions to answer on their blog. I would be nice if the questions were individualized for each blogger.