Ask Brian: Part II

Brian probably won't be happy with me for including pictures with this post, as he was sick when they were taken. Oh well. I think they're fun.

I know that many of you (especially those who have declared friendship to me on such lovely platforms as Facebook and Twitter) are anxiously awaiting details of my visit to Nebraska over this past holiday weekend, but you'll have to wait a little longer. I've already written most of what I want to say, but I thought it best to post Brian's answers first so as to have them be less tainted by the events that transpired during my stay.

In case you missed the set up, this is a sort of quasi-guest-blog, written by Brian. The questions are a mix of things asked by me, and things asked by my readers in the comments to a past post. He was kind enough to type some replies during my visit, despite having an illness that he kept referring to by various inappropriate titles (including "The Bubonic Plague", "Ebola", and "Lou Gehrig's Disease"). Enjoy.



From me:

What were your first thoughts when I suggested interviewing you?
A lot of people are going to be forced to listen to everything that’s about to come out of my head. Excellent.

If someone I'd never met asked about me, what would you say to describe me?
Energetic, driven, diverse. I would say that your theater study is indicative of the greater you – focused and eccentric, but something beautiful.

I know you've mentally blocked most of high school from your mind... Do you have any memories involving me from back then? Do you remember anything about what I was like?
Just this and that from Chemistry class, obviously. I don’t remember a whole lot about you or anyone else. In your case, I think it’s because you were too thin for my eyes to spot you.

Can you reference a private joke between the two of us that might make other people roll their eyes?
Anything in a blackcent.

If I had let you guest-blog in a more normal fashion, what do you think you might have written about?
I’d probably write about my perspective on current events and life in America as a member of the armed forces – heavily interspersed with the nonsensical and dry, sarcastic observation, Or I might just write about how great Metal Gear Solid 4 will be. Those are equally important.

What are my best qualities?
You adapt and deal well with change – you’re also willing to bring it into your life in order to get what you want, instead of being unable to let go of what you’ve had before. You also don’t spend a lot of time idle. You accomplish quite a bit, whether you realize it or not.

What do you wish you could change about me?
I don’t think anything about you should be different.

What do you think your life will be like in 25 years?
Happy, wealthy, married – the three things I want out of life, long-term.



From Jenn:

What would you say are your best and worst characteristics?
My best is that I have a great deal of ability and capability, and that’s served me very well through my life so far. My worst characteristic is that I’m sometimes prone to ignoring what it is that I want and need to do. My problem has never been knowing what that is.

Do you see yourself moving to Iceland any time in the near future? Do you have any intention of ever living in Iceland?
I have hoes in different area codes.

If the Michael Keaton Batman and Christian Bale Batman got into a fight, who would win?
I think the idea that Michael Keaton could beat anyone in a fight is a little ridiculous.

What are your goals as a blogger?
To remember things that are important to me, to share the important things that I’ve learned, and to work out my own thoughts in writing.

What inspires you?
Good storytelling, everyday miracles that masquerade as coincidence, and the beauty you can find in almost anything.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
That’s classified. Ask again and you will be reported to your local information security officer. Move along, citizen.



From Katelin:

How did you meet Angela?
Probably in high-school Chemistry, taught by Mrs. Ciszewski. We probably discussed why she had the strangest name out of all the faculty.

What is one of your weirdest quirks?
I say ‘are you serious’ a lot – enough to get made fun of at work for it. I also have a compulsion for lining things up. All the hangers in my closet are evenly-spaced. My brother tells me that he’s going to mess up all my hangers when he comes to visit. On that day, I shall end him.



From Kateless:

[Angela Note: Kateless went to high school with Brian and me. Hence why one of these appears to be a private joke.]

What are your top three TV shows of all time?
Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, and Shoujo Kakumei Utena. These should all be mandatory viewing.

Can you roll your tongue?
Yes. I can also turn it upside-down. On a side-note, I’m not entirely sure why this question is so popular. Can I start a social caste system based on this capability? Sorry, I can’t talk to you. You’re not a ‘roller’.

What was your dream job when you were 10? What is your dream job now?
When I was ten, I wanted to make kickass videogames for Squaresoft. Now, I want to be an Optometrist.

Can you drop an egg from two stories and protect it's fall using only the following: Six slurpee straws, two cotton balls, a roll of scotch tape and soap on rope?
I can do it better than the Mason team!

Did you have a parrot growing up? All my memories of the inside of your house seem to have a parrot.
I can’t believe you remember that. Yes and no – we did, but it was a stuffed parrot. It was red, remember? We always used to catch hell for playing with it, because mom was worried it would fall. As we all know, stuffed animals suffer permanent damage when they fall on the floor.



From kristens81:

What did you think of Angela in T&T?
She was pretty fantastic, don’t let her be modest.

Are you commitment phobic?
No, but I’m not the kind of person who needs to be in a relationship, either.

Cologne?
Eternity by Calvin Klein, or Cool Water from Davidoff. Great stuff.



From Alexa:

Who is your favorite musician/band?
Kara DioGuardi. Google her. She’s the greatest singer/songwriter you’ve heard of and yet know nothing about.

Do you prefer mangoes or coconuts?
The coconut’s tropical. This is a temperate zone.



From Zonder:

Who do you think you are?
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya.

What gives you the right?
You killed my father. Prepare to die.



From CK1

If you are the child-having type, which would you rather, a boy or a girl, and why?
Probably a girl, because even though it would cause me all kinds of anxiety later, I can’t pass up the opportunity to terrify the living daylights out of whatever boy comes to date my daughter.

If you could only eat one type of fruit for the rest of your life, what fruit would it be?
Bananas, because they’re delicious.

What is your favorite drink?
I’m a sucker for citrus of any kind.

What is your favorite physical Aiea feature?
Her hair. Isn’t it great all the time?

What is your favorite non-physical Aiea feature?
The way she can be open about all the things that she’s feeling.

What annoys you the most?
1) People who complain about being cold, and then do nothing about it.
2) When other people’s motion sickness stops me from having a good time.
3) Girls that lie with cameras.
These are the only three things in life that make me really upset.



From Jes:

[Angela's Note: Jes went to high school with Brian and me as well.]

How's Deb doing? I haven't seen her in forEVER.
Mom’s just fine. How’s yours? ;)



So there you are, cats. There's a little dose of Brian. Enjoy him while you can.


~A~

P.S. I lost my cell phone somewhere between the Omaha airport waiting area and my seat on the plane. If you would like to get in touch with me, feel free to write an email to angelaboration(at)gmail(dot)com. Additionally, if you have any further questions for Brian, you may send them to that address and I will forward them on.