Let's Have Some Fun with a New Quiz!

I’m taking a brief break from documenting our West Coast National Parks Trip with two or three miscellaneous posts.  Bob Lowry over at My Satisfying Retirement (link in the column to the right) recently published a post entitled, “What Do You Do for Fun?”  Suffice it to say that his readers enjoy quite the variety of fun-filled activities.  In the spirit of that post, I thought I’d bring a little fun to your day and mine by publishing a quiz that will allow you to get to know me a little better, if you’re so inclined.  Photos in today’s blog post were taken during our family’s annual summer vacation at Great Lake Sacandaga in central New York.  During one of our blue-sky boating days, the clouds were particularly photogenic, and I’m a sucker for photogenic clouds. 

In the past, I’ve published two other quizzes.  If you’re interested in backtracking to those, you can find them here (I Can't Go Camping, So . . . ) and here (It's A Pop Quiz!).  If you’re ready to take on today’s challenge, read on. 

Below are 25 questions worth four points each.  The correct answers are provided at the end of the question section.  Tally up your correct answers at the end of the quiz and let us know how you did!

Questions

 #1.  Evening cocktails or morning coffee?

 #2.  Android or Apple?

 #3.  Chipotle or Cracker Barrel?

 #4.  Speeding tickets – 0 or 4?

 #5.  Vehicle color – black or white?

 #6.  Farmhouse or lodge style?

 #7.  Tarragon or cilantro?

 #8.  Build a snowman or start a snowball fight?

 #9.  Spin class or bike trail?

#10.  Travel by train or plane?

#11.  Roast beef or ham and cheese?

#12.  Small dogs or big dogs?

#13.  Baseball or football?

#14.  Brick or stone?

#15.  Baby chicks or baby ducks?

#16.  Breaking or fixing?

#17.  Red roses or pink roses?

#18.  Cows or horses?

#19.  Chocolate or vanilla?

#20.  Crossword puzzles or jigsaw puzzles?

#21.  Louis L’Amour or Zane Grey?

#22.  Jet ski or jet boat?

#23.  UPS or FedEx?

#24.  John Grisham or Michael Connelly?

#25.  Chicken Piccata or Chicken Marsala?

Answers

 #1.  Morning coffee.  I rarely drink anything alcoholic because I just don’t like the taste.  Give me a freshly brewed and piping hot mug of coffee in the morning, though, and you’ve started my day just the way I like it.

 #2.  Android.  My kids have Apple products and I don’t particularly care for the way the powers that be handle some aspects of the business.  Or maybe I’m just envious of the way they make money hand over fist.

 #3.  Cracker Barrel.  Chicken and dumplings.  Enough said.

 #4.  A big fat 0!  During more than four decades of driving, I’ve never even been stopped for speeding.  Unlike the other three members of my family.  Just sayin’ . . .

 #5.  Black.  If I had to choose between a black vehicle and a white one, I’d always choose black.  For some reason, white vehicles – whether they’re trucks, sedans, SUVs or sports cars – just don’t tickle my fancy.  The only white vehicle I’ve ever truly liked is our 1988 Lincoln Town Car.  It had been Alan’s father’s car, and it has a beautiful dark blue landau roof that makes it look exceptionally stylish and classy.

 #6.  Lodge.  While I don’t dislike the farmhouse style that’s so trendy today, I’m not a fan of galvanized metal or white enamel – both of which seem to be a huge part of the farmhouse movement.  “Lodge” suits us well.  (In fact, our travel trailer is referred to as “The Lodge” and contains rustic décor and National Parks posters.)  We live in the mountains with plenty of deer and black bears.  No moose, though, much to my chagrin.  Although our house isn’t a log home, there’s wood throughout, and lodge and western décor are prominent.  That being said, if I could ditch the galvanized metal and white enamel, I’d embrace the farmhouse style, too.  Country styles will win over traditional designs in our house every time.

 #7.  Tarragon.  I must have very sensitive taste buds because when I yell, “My mouth is on fire!” everyone just looks at me like I’ve gone over the edge.  Recipes in which cilantro is used are often a bit too spicy for me, and I prefer the mild flavor of tarragon – especially in a vinaigrette dressing on my salad.

 #8.  Start a snowball fight.  How could you think otherwise?!

 #9.  Bike trail.  As an introvert, spin classes hold absolutely no appeal for me, despite my affinity for cycling.  Groups of people + small talk = no fun.  Plus, spin classes are held indoors, and I love riding out in nature enjoying the views and the fresh air.

#10.  Train.  I enjoy train travel for two reasons.  One, you get to see the country through which you’re traveling.  That’s a big plus for me, even though it takes longer than traveling by plane.  Two, my dad worked for the old Penn Central railroad, so I grew up with an affinity for all things train-related.

#11.  Roast beef.  Roast beef (on the rare side), lettuce, tomato, black olives, oil and vinegar dressing.  Hold the cheese and the onions.  Best sub sandwich ever!

#12.  Big dogs.  I love the way big dogs fill up your arms (and your heart) when you give them a hug.  Besides, pound for pound, I think they produce more body heat than the little ones during a cold winter’s night.

#13.  Baseball.  I’m one of those people to whom football makes no sense.  I just don’t have the patience for one hour games that take nine hours to play.  Give me a baseball game any day.  Better yet, give me a baseball game being called on the radio by a skilled and passionate announcer instead of one being televised.  I’ve always loved the rhythm of the game, the pitching strategies, the outstanding fielding plays.  Football has never held that kind of allure for me.

#14.  Stone.  Real stone is a product of nature.  As with most things in nature, I enjoy the variety of colors and textures.  Despite the fact that stone is hard and cold, to me it brings a feeling of warmth and a connection to the outdoor world.  One of my favorite artists, Dan Campanelli, always included stone as part of his artwork – a stone foundation, a stone wall – and, for that reason, he’s my favorite artist.

#15.  Baby ducks.  Baby ducks are just adorable.  They’re so adorable, that I can’t stop taking photos of them.  My entire family laughs at me for that.  Shame on them.  Besides, baby chicks turn into chickens.

#16.  Breaking.  According to Alan, I’m forever breaking things and he’s forever having to fix what I break.  This is so not true.  However, I will admit that, for some reason, things I happen to touch, use or just look at crookedly seem to fall apart.  I have no idea why.

#17.  Pink roses.  Red roses remind me of, well, blood instead of true love.  (Sorry if that information was a bit too much or too graphic.)  Pink roses are SO much more cheerful!

#18.  Horses.  I’ve loved horses since I was a little girl.  In fact, I still have my childhood collection of ceramic and porcelain horses packed away in our storage area.  Duns and chestnuts, sorrels and bays, buckskins and palominos, blacks and appaloosas – their many rich and beautiful colors always fascinated me.  Plus, they’re much more fun to ride than cows.

#19.  Chocolate – and vanilla.  You can give yourself four points for a correct answer on this one no matter which answer you chose because, honestly, I really like both.  Which flavor I like better on any given day depends on the mood I’m in.  Same thing applies to people.

#20.  Jigsaw puzzles.  Hands down.  Especially if they’re National Parks jigsaw puzzles.

#21.  Louis L’Amour.  Although both Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour were extremely popular western writers, I never became a fan of Grey’s novels.  L’Amour’s writing had an honest grit to it and, always, an emotional perspective.  Embedded in his writing were advice and truths about life and our fellow human beings.  I became a fan when I was young and spent many a Saturday morning trolling yard and garage sales with my mother and my aunt, looking for a L’Amour book to add to my collection.  I still have every single one.

#22.  Jet ski.  Jet boats are way too loud for my taste.  Besides, you usually find them where you find alligators, and I don’t like alligators.

#23.  UPS.  The FedEx drivers in our neighborhood drive like they’re trying to qualify for the Daytona 500.  Plus, one of our former UPS drivers forever endeared himself to me thereby giving an edge to UPS over the competition.  He took the time to “hide” a set of tires he delivered behind a car in the driveway so they couldn’t be seen from the road.  Happily, I ran into him at the Post Office a few days later and was able to thank him, in person, for going above and beyond the call of duty.

#24.  Michael Connelly.  While I have read and enjoyed Grisham’s work, I particularly love the police procedurals Connelly creates.  His attention to legal and investigative details and processes intrigues and delights me.  I do believe I will forever be a fan.

#25.  Chicken Piccata.  Chicken Marsala is definitely delicious, but Chicken Piccata is even more delectable.  Especially the Chicken Piccata at Amerigo’s in Brentwood, Tennessee.  It is, by far and away, the very best I've ever had.  (If Taylor is serving at the time of your visit, be sure to ask to be seated at one of his tables.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.)  Place a good rendition of Chicken Piccata in front of me and I can just about guarantee you that I will, at the very least, sop up every last drop of sauce with my bread and possibly even embarrass my dinner companions by licking the plate clean.

Well, did you have fun?  How did you do?  Do you know me better than I know myself now?  Feel free to report your score in the comments section below, or let me know if you learned something about me that was especially surprising!