turn the key

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After training in religion, you seem to have gone in a different direction. Are you mulling out paths, or are you on a different path these days?

The trajectory of your romantic life was both poetic and intriguing. The cultural differences inherent in dating someone from far away seem to me a factor. To what extent do you find/not find this to be true?

Do you work full-time now? Is it in a hospital setting?

If you were to go to an inexpensive part of the country and buy a home, what kind of area would you like it to be in? What amenities are important to you in a town?

What are three books you've read which really mattered to you? Three movies? Three meals?

Meditation and thought. Hope and sadness. Self-awareness and opaqueness. What works best for you to get your personal bearings in life? What is your process of dealing with decision-making?

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-I am mulling out a new path, but I have no idea where it is going. I am patiently waiting for enlightenment.

--Culture is a big factor, but it is also one of the things I enjoy about it. I learned a lot about how to negotiate through a different culture in my first marriage, and that training has served me well here, so far. There are a few unexpected surprises, but expecting that things will be different and going with the flow makes it a lot easier.

--I have been working full time for about a year now, in the ICU that is like my second home. I started there as a student, and although I leave periodically, I always end up back there.

I love being a bedside nurse--I am good at it, and find it very satisfying on a number of levels. Taking some time away from it every few years seems to renew it for me.

After I get back from my trip, I will be teaching in the nursing program again for a couple of semesters, so will be away from it for a while.

--I would like it to be a place with trees, water, and friendly people. When I was traveling across Canada a few years ago, I spent some time in a little town called Warkworth. One of my LJ friends lives there, and he often writes of it, calling it "Nanookville". It is a small town with a little main street, a diner where everyone gathers to have breakfast, and a couple of interesting little shops. Of all the places I visited, it was the closest to what I envisioned as a place to move to.

--they are calling my flight now. I thought I would have plenty of time to finish this, but I made the mistake of flying out of LAX, and have spent the past three hours in line.

I will return to it when I get home.

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turn the key

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I know you have a degree in theology, but what formal education do you have in music? How many years of piano lessons did you take? How many people have you given piano lessons to? Given the politics of church organ work, why does it continue to interest you? If you were given the task to create an alternative way of ministering with music, what might that be? Would you play piano tunes at nursing homes? Would you help with a community music promotion? What would you do?

Is your daughter still living with you? Has she turned into a giant fly, terrorizing the city? What did you teach her that you're most proud you taught her? What did you learn when you were a little older than she is now that you wish she could learn now?

How have you adapted to the giant cultural shift inherent in the particular geographic location shift you did? Have you found it hard to make/keep contact with friends? Has the economic downturn affected your family?

What craft thing, if any, do you do really well? If you had to run a booth at a crafts show, what would you sell?

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turn the key
(your queries always inspire me.)

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No matter the profession, everyone has the dilemma of writing for pleasure/writing for fun/writing for work.

When one writes on-line content for compensation, the dividing lines get a bit more tricky. What steps do you take to try to separate paid weblogging or other on-line writing endeavors from general endeavors?

If you could write whatever you wish and sell it, what would you write?

What kind of formal education did you get? What kind of further formal education would you seek, if you had but world enough and time?

You're given a task which you must complete. You're to create and honcho a viral campaign in support of a cause for social good. You're to use your writing skills, your internet networking skills, and you're to seek out people with skills you don't have to assemble a massive viral 'net marketing campaign to promote a cause or charity. The cause or charity must be grass-roots rather than a national institution.

What cause or charity do you pick? What skills do you bring to the table? What skills do you need to use/make friends to acquire? What is your business plan to make this assigment work?

What wisdom did you think you had at 17 that you see now at a slightly more advanced age that you perhaps instead lacked?

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turn the key

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Describe for me how Canberra and Perth differ. What is the difference in vibe, in climate, and in "feel". What is the restaurant scene like in each? What outdoor things are nearby to do in each?

If you wish to have children, how many do you wish to have? If you choose to have any, do you think you'll be a better "boy mom" or "girl mom"?

What is A.'s field of specialty?

When you sing with your singing group, are you an alto or a soprano? What song does your group sing that you like best?
What song do you not sing that you wish your group would sing? Did you take ever take singing lessons?

Do you think that gender has been helpful, harmful or neutral in your chosen career?

Tell me about the consulting life. What is your new carer path like?

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Done! Thanks for coming up with such great questions.

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turn the key

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You travel so much, with such an interesting-sounding set of job tasks. Yet I feel I really don't have a good idea of just what you do. Elaborate?

What is your favorite place to visit for fun? For work?

What languages do you speak?

What crafty thing, if any, do you do best?

If you opened your own internet sales site or etsy shop, what would you sell?

Does the different in faith background between you and your spouse make much of an impact in your day to day? In your dealings with his family? I remember you writing a bit about your family and such matters.

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You travel so much, with such an interesting-sounding set of job tasks. Yet I feel I really don't have a good idea of just what you do. Elaborate?

I am pretty much a Jill of All Trades. I spend a lot of my time writing proposals and reports. I also represent the organization with donors and institutions like the World Bank and the UN. But mainly I sit in front of my computer. Except for the trip to Honduras and Nicaragua, I travel to attend meetings.

What is your favorite place to visit for fun? For work?
I love living in DC. I love San Francisco - we spent our annual leave there while we were overseas. For work...hard to say. I have a soft spot for Lyon since it feels like my second home.

What languages do you speak?
French mainly for work, but I don't think I'm at the point of being able to blog in French. Studied Japanese and Spanish but I really can't say I speak those anymore.

What crafty thing, if any, do you do best? I like making greeting cards and postcards. I enjoyed quilting the one time I did it.

If you opened your own internet sales site or etsy shop, what would you sell?
Hmmm...Muslims for Obama thongs! :)

Does the different in faith background between you and your spouse make much of an impact in your day to day? In your dealings with his family? I remember you writing a bit about your family and such matters.
Our daily habits are pretty much the same. We don't drink alcohol or smoke, so those are the two biggies. M drinks tea. Very rarely does he break out the coffee maker. I'm more active than he is. Since we moved to the US he's only been to the mosque for big events like Ramadan. My father is still not happy about my decision to marry a Muslim but he's been against every decision I've made. Mom likes M a lot. I think she's just relieved that I'm not wearing a burqua!

Thank you for your benevolent curiosity, your thoughtful questions, and for the opportunity to answer.

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Sure, why not? Turn the key.

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Did you ever have a job in sales when you were younger? What did you sell? How about in food service? Did you ever wait tables? I washed dishes at a Danver's, back when they had Danver's.

If you had to choose between going skeet shooting and going to a tractor pull, which would you choose?

What is your favorite small Texas town, and why?

Where are each of your grandparents from originally?
Did you spend any of your Summers in interesting places?

How do you feel about this whole job thing? Is there an action plan in place?

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Have you ever been to Portland? I saw a map of the Portland regin recently, and, in the river nortwest of the city, there is an island big enough to have a lake on it, with an island in the lake! I thought that was pretty neat.

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i love Portland, but I"ve not seen that lake. I love the idea of a lake within an island within a lake, all like a barbershop mirror.

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Turn the key.

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Where did you grow up?

Who was your favorite elementary school teacher, and why?

Among your family members other than your direct significant other, to whom are you closest? What do you talk about together?

What is your livelihood? What would you study if you went back to school? What trade do you wish you could learn?

What contributes most to your insecurity? What
do you want to see happen in your life in the next year that could really happen if you put in a little effort?

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A belated response...

I was born in Gary, Indiana, and lived at two different addresses there, then in Merrillville, and in two locations in rural Porter County, all before entering the third grade. I entered third grade at Hebron Elementary School in Hebron, Indiana, and stayed there through my senior year. Altogether, I lived in Hebron for 13 years, the longest I ever lived anywhere.

I am closest to my younger sister, Christine, and what we talk about is the reason we are so close: our truly screwed-up childhood.

I am a writer. I have no interest in going back to school. I do wish, though, that I could play some kind of musical instrument.

The aforementioned screwed-up childhood contributes greatly to my insecurity, often in ways I would not expect and could not predict. What I would like to see happen in the next year is finishing the script I have been working on for several months.

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Mars is earth after global warming. Okay probably not but it is a thought.

Oh yeah "turn the key"

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I love your icon!

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Thank you.

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Now that the one gig is done, what are you working on these days?

Have you begun to hatch your DC escape plan?

How old is Breezy?

What is your favorite restaurant in Little Rock? Why?

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Turn the key.

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I believe that you've had an interval of the single life,although I may not have my facts right. If I am right, then tell me how you find it. If I am mistaken,then set me straight.

How do you like living where you live? Do you take in much of the live music scene? Do you go to many of the various university "events" or the local "festivals"?

If you were going to take a visitor to your town to an outdoors place within 1/2 hour of downtown, which one would you choose, and why?

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"I believe that you've had an interval of the single life,although I may not have my facts right. If I am right, then tell me how you find it. If I am mistaken,then set me straight."

You are right. I’ve had an interval of “the single life”. In fact, I’m having one right now. There are good things and not so good things about being single. I think I’m at a place in my life where I want/need a partner. I’m settled in my career, financially stable, have my emotional baggage from my divorce packed away neatly and stowed in the overhead bin... I enjoy the freedom I have to be spontaneous. I can jump in the car and head out wherever I like without “checking in” (even as just a courtesy) with someone. But I miss having that someone there to share things – someone who will ask me how my day was when I come home.

"How do you like living where you live? Do you take in much of the live music scene? Do you go to many of the various university "events" or the local "festivals"?"

I adore Denton, Texas! I’ve been here quite a while – a permanent resident since undergrad days and regular visitor since childhood.

I spent most of my college years in smoky bars listening to jazz, funk, rock, reggae, polka and whatever else was being served up on a particular night. I took a bit of time off from the bar scene when I was putting my energies into my own musical ventures several years ago, but I’ve recently started hitting the scene again. When you live in Denton, you never know when the guy across the street might have a Grammy or two on his bookshelf!

Denton Arts and Jazz Festival is a must every year. Folks like Branford Marsalis, Neville Brothers, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul playing for free within walking distance from my house? How can you turn that down?

"If you were going to take a visitor to your town to an outdoors place within 1/2 hour of downtown, which one would you choose, and why?"

Lake Ray Roberts State Park – Johnson Branch. Fabulous hiking/biking trails. Birds...lots of birds, deer, nutria, rabbits, turtles, and myriad other creatures. Much fun.

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Oh, my Heavens! Turn the key.

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How long have you been in your current town?

How long has it been since you've been teaching?

How old is your mom now?

What is the most fun thing to do where you live?

What is your eventual plan for the time when things are a little less "on hold"?

If you started a business, what kind of business would you start?

What are your hobbies, if any?

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Turn the key!

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You've put a lot of effort into getting your career launched, but my impression is that getting in the right place has been more challenge than hoped. What plans do you have to make things work more easily for you? Perhaps I am not current, and you've already solved this.

Tell me about your parents. What are they like? Do they accord you enough independence?

What books do you like? What kinds of music? What do you do for fun?

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I finally answered you here.

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I'm in! (:

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At long last, I have responded to this.

You can find my answers here.

Thank you.

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