30 question e-mail swap-getting to know you better

1. Dogs or cats? To be honest...Both. I grew up loving cats not dogs and that's the opposite for my husband. Dogs for him all the way. But after the husband and I were married, we had a houseful of cats but then we had to move from our home and our only option was an apartment so we had to re-home the kitties. Then, we got our own house and my husband wanted a dog this time around so we got one (Dixie) and soon after he figured she was lonely and needed a companion so...here come Hunter and Scout (brothers they are) and of course, we didn't fix the girl and she had puppies so we now have a total of 4. They are: Dixie, Hunter, Scout and Shelby, who by the way, is the baby of the bunch and a product of previously mentioned litter. And since we do not have children, they are like our kids. So, to make this shorter...dogs are the choice for now. I can't imagine my life without the mutts we have. they are my sunshine. Maybe when we are older we will go back to cats because they will be easier to maintain in our golden years.
   
2. Do you mind if your pets sleep in bed with you? I used to mind when we had cats, I couldn't stand the thought of them being in the litter box and then crawl around on my bed and I did everything I could to keep them out of the bedroom but now that we have dogs...the first dog (Dixie) we were able to train her to only lay at the foot of the bed and luckily she is the only one that likes to sleep on the bed. And all 4 do have their own beds but like human kids...at one point or another, they end up in the bed occasionally for a minute or an hour but not that often.
   
3. Are you or anyone you know worried about losing their job? I just lost my job on February 11, 2009. I worked at a retail store full-time and I had a feeling that something was going to happen. I just figured it wouldn't be as soon as it was. They let 3 of us go that day. They offered us a severance package but now they are giving all 3 of us the run around on getting that started. We are almost to the point of taking it to a higher level. I have exercised all options at the store level and am already frustrated with the whole thing.
   
4. Extend your left arm all the way out, what do you touch if anything? The computer tower
   
5. Are you a saver or spender? I used to be a spender but over the last several years I have learned to be thrifty and frugal when I do spend any money. I try to NEVER pay full price for anything.
   
6. Do you believe in kids having chores? Although we do not have any kids yet, you better believe that when we do, the kids will have age appropriate chores to help them learn how to be responsible and how to develop time management skills.
   
7. When writing a letter, do you prefer to hand write or type? I prefer to hand write them but lately my handwriting has gotten so bad that I have started to type some of them.
   
8. Ellen/Oprah or Regis and Kelly? I like Ellen the best but Oprah is good sometimes. I can't stand Regis and Kelly. I didn't like Kelly when she was on Dance Party USA back in the late 80's/early 90's.
   
9. Do you watch The Bachelor? If so, is this the best season you’ve seen? I have never seen the show so I can't comment on this subject.
   
10. With postage going up soon, will that change your swapping habits? The change in postage will not affect my swapping habits any more than losing my job last month did. Thankfully I have discovered the E-mail swaps and I have participated in more E-swaps over the last few weeks than I ever thought I would and they have actually turned out to be more fun than I had imagined. To me they offer a more personal insight on the great people at Swap-bot that I am fortunate to have "met" and swapped with.
    
11. Have gas prices gone up a lot where you live? Not lately. At the highest, gas prices reached $4.00/gallon but they went down considerably and it went as low as $1.49/gallon and now for the last few months it has been ranging from $1.80-$2..05/gallon.
    
12. Can you touch your toes, without bending your legs? No, my arms are too short. LOL Not saying that my legs are too long or anything but still, the answer is no, not without bending.
    
13. What’s the temperature there? Right now it is 44 degrees.
    
14. Do you prefer to walk around barefoot in your home? Socks? Shoes? socks or slippers right now...we have hardwood floors and keep the heat low so it is still a bit too chilly to go barefoot (my preference)
    
15. Are you a night owl? yes, I am and I am trying to change that.
16. On how many hours of sleep can you function? I need at least 4 hours to be able to do basic tasks.
    
17. Do you own or rent? I am renting to own. We are buying the house from my Aunt and Dad. It was my grandparents and they were the original owners.
    
18. Which was your best birthday ever? How old were you? I think my best birthday was my 13th. We were on vacation in FL for Spring break and we went to Disney World during the day and that was cool enough but later that night I was surprised with tickets to a Prince concert. I was so very happy!
    
19. Do you prefer baths to showers? The other way around? Both? I can't remember the last time I had a bath. Showers are what I am stuck with. Maybe if I had one of those Spa like whirlpool tubs I would take baths but I don't :(
    
20. Finish the sentence-on my last vacation I went to _____. Mackinaw City, MI What a beautiful place! you can see the sun rise and set on the water!
    
21. If you have a great day who is the first person you tell? My husband Jeff
    
22. If you’re a Mom which is the best part of being one? If you’re a Dad, answer the same way? I do not have children yet.
    
23. Humidity or heat? I would take heat over humidity any day.
    
24. When you were a bride did everything go the right way on your special day? No way! Mother nature made sure of that! Darn tornado! I could write a book on everything that went wrong that day. But...the weather eventually subsided and we were married a few hours later than planned, there were a few clothing changes(all the guys had wet shirts from moving the flowers and chairs) and some guests decided it was too risky to travel to our town and they missed the entire event, and we were married indoors (at our small hall) instead of the beautiful no refund-rented gazebo at the park but it was all OK and worked out eventually and this July we are celebrating 10 years of marriage!
    
25. Which are/is your favorite magazine(s)? Woman's Day, Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, People
    
26. Are you reading a book right now? If so, what’s the name of the book and the author? I just finished the "Conspiracy" by Jasmine Cresswell
    
27. Am I boring you with these random questions? No way! I love these E-swaps! They not only allow you to be honest about your own life but they give you a better understanding of your partner(s) life and about other lifestyles/cultures!
    
28. How much time would you say you spend on Swap-Bot daily? depends on the day...sometimes 10-15 minutes just to rate swaps received and other times I go and search for the latest and interesting swaps for hours on end.
    
29. Do you prefer e-mail swaps to mailing swaps? Or both? I like both but since I lost my job last month, I have had to find another way to indulge my hobby without going broke!
    
30. Do you clean your house or have someone come in to do it? I clean up the house but my husband helps out sometimes. I do wish I had someone come in to clean for me. They might do a better job than me. We aren't dirty, just cluttered.
    

***And now for the BONUS questions for a HEART***
1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would
it be?I have never been there but I would love to live in Hawaii.
Whenever I see it on TV or in a book or on a postcard or picture, it
always looks so pretty, warm and relaxing.
2. Are you allergic to anything? As far as I knew I had never
been allergic to anything but a few years ago (when I was 33) I
finally had my first bee sting so it was a little scary waiting to see if I
would have a reaction to it. Some people in my family have to carry
the EpiPens just in case of a sting but not me. So, I am still not
allergic to anything!
3. Have you ever had any broken bones? I had been break
free until I was 33 years old. I was getting ready to go to work and
somehow my hand was shut in the truck door and that caused a few
of my fingers to be broken. I was told I was lucky that I had small
hands because my entire hand could have been
broken worse than what did happen. This injury also cause the first
stitches I ever had as well. Nothing like covering all the bases huh? I
guess that year/age was not very good for me. LOL
4. What is your favorite comfort food? Tacos hands down!
Then maybe Pizza loaded with cheese, pepperoni, ham and
mushrooms!
5. What do you like to swap? postcards are my favorite but I
also like to swap notcards, keychains, stationary sets, memo pads,
magnets, bookmarks and recipes.