Friday - The Questions are Finally Answered

Almost two weeks ago, I decided to jump into the 'INTERVIEW MEME' fray. My buddy Turnbaby gave me the following five questions and I'm finally getting around to posting the answers (sorry it took me so long, Turn!!!). Here goes:


1. What's the most shocking thing you have done and why do you feel it was 'shocking'?

Turnbaby...I have to confess. You asked me this before and I'm sticking with my original answer. I guess I've done a lot of crazy things in my life, but the most shocking thing I've ever done (IMHO) was to hop on plane last August (in the middle of a family vacation, no less) and fly to Birmingham to see Taylor Hicks and all the Soul Patrol peeps that I'd met on-line during the AI season. My whole family thought I was cracked in the head fer sure! Frankly, my life would NEVER have been the same if I hadn't done it...you all make me smile EVERY DAY and I'm a much better person for knowing each and every one of you!!!


2. How did you and 'Guido' meet?

I love to tell this story. 'Guido' did some freelance work for my brother-in-law. I had recently separated from DH #1. My sister was having a gathering at her house one evening and the Redskins were playing the Giants. Everyone present was a Redskins fan except for ONE person...that ONE person was 'Guido'. He was rubbing it in every time the Giants made a good play and rubbed even harder when the Redskins were foiled. I went into the kitchen to get a beer and asked my sister "Who is that a**hole?" Figured (and secretly hoped) I'd never see him again. Fate stepped in...

Fast forward about a year to Super Bowl XXII (Redskins vs. Broncos). Another big party and we find ourselves sitting beside each other at the bar. We had a civil conversation and that was that.

Fast forward three months later. I having a drink with my girlfriends and 'Guido' walks into the bar and sits down beside me. We start chatting and find out that we have a mutual respect for surf fishing on the outer banks of North Carolina. I finish my drink and then head home. Two nights later he calls me for a date. The rest is history.


3. What in the hell is a "Hoochie"?

Random House and Urban Dictionary have their own derogatory definitions, but I prefer to subscribe to the kinder, gentler version. A hoochie is someone who knows what she wants, goes out, and gets it. A hoochie doesn't stand by and let people walk all over her. A hoochie knows how and when to have a good time. In the same light, a hoochie knows how and when to reel it in. Above all, a hoochie shows respect and admiration for her fellow hoochies and will go to any length to help and protect them. Let me just say for the record that I'm proud to be a hoochie.


4. Why do Italians call marinara sauce gravy?

OK, here's how my late mother-in-law explained it to me: There's 'sauce' and there's 'gravy'. Sauce is usually a mixture of tomatoes, spices, garlic, and olive oil - no meat. It's quick and easy to make - cook it 20 minutes with the lid on and 20 minutes with the lid off and you have marinara. Gravy, on the other hand, is a sauce with meat that you cook all day on Sunday and use the leftovers during the week. Hence the name 'Sunday Gravy'. It usually has meatballs made of ground beef and veal and Italian sausage and is served over a big plate of pasta at Sunday dinner. And may I tell you all a secret she taught me? Whatever kind you choose to make, use the 'segreto' (secret) method before serving. After boiling and draining the pasta, add a little sauce or gravy to the pasta to keep it from sticking.


5. What's the largest number of people you have crammed into a car?

In high school, one of my good friends drove an old Ford Falcon that his parents had given him as a 16th birthday present. I was a varsity cheerleader and our gang decided to go to 'town' after the football game and get some pizza. My buddy (who is now a high $$$ senior partner in a nationally-known law firm) had found someone to buy us beer (Miller pony bottles). We loaded the trunk with our libations and proceeded to stuff 10 people (9 of them were cheerleaders) into that Falcon and head to the big city. The Falcon was never the same, and I had a crook in my neck for weeks!! Sadly, the Falcon was involved in a single car accident with an 8-point buck a short time later. From that day forward, both the Falcon and the buck always held a special place in our hearts.