4 Years of HELLo Operator ...

So I am a survey fiend. I love answering questions and asking them. 20 Questions is seriously one of my favorite games, along with Mad Libs and Truth or Dare. I know it seems silly and childish but it's a great way to get to know people for more than just what you see in person.

The following survey is pertaining to your (or my) Senior year of high school. Feel free to copy and paste and send me your answers right back. I am anxiously awaiting :)

1. Did you date someone from your school?
Yes. I had a love-hate relationship with my on and off-again boyfriend, MJL. But on one of our breaks I dated a boy I actually married 6 years later - then later separated from, but you've heard that story already!

2. Did you marry someone from your high school?
No, I did not. I always thought I'd marry my first 'love', but we all know the odds of that.

3. Did you carpool to school?
My Senior year was my sister's Freshman year of high school. I had already completed all of my mandatory classes to graduate so I just enrolled in office aide classes and a bunch of electives so I never had a set time to be at school. My sister, on the other hand, had one of the meanest teachers at the school for first period. After my forged letters from our "mom" quit working as tardy excuses, I would just pull into the neighboring church parking lot or go and get breakfast and just make her skip first period all together to avoid another detention or suspension. So yes, I carpooled.

4. What kind of car did you have?
'Ole Betty Ford.

5. What kind of car do you have now?
Tinker, my Chevy.

6. It is Friday night ... where were you?
Dressed in an orange, black and white polyester uniform with poms at my feet and bloomers covering my bitsies, and cheering on our Championship football team. Afterward I was probably home, in trouble or lying to my parents about my whereabouts and hitting some stupid ritualistic keg party celebrating our win.

7. It is Friday night ... where are you now?
Eating sushi, seeing a movie or at home with Huck reading a book or watching a movie while he chews his bone. On the rare occasion that I do go out on the town, it is with girlfriends to dinner then out for a cocktail.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school?
Family Fun Center. I lasted about a month. Someone my dad knew called him and said they saw me out back smoking. My dad made his way over, put me in the car and I never returned to work there. Well, I think this was my Junior year but whatever. Still counts I suppose. After that I didn't have anymore jobs because it interfered with my other extra-curricular activities.

9. What kind of a job do you have now?
I work in Property Management for a Commercial Real Estate Company. I am aware it is not the job most would peg me for having, but I am just full of surprises. I also cook / bake for events as well as moonlight as a Personal Shopper / Stylist.

10. Were you a party animal?
By whose standards? If you ask my parents then they would most definitely say "yes" but not according to me or anyone else I went to school with. I had a lot of friends who did nothing but party and their parents allowed them to do so. We had structure and rules in our house growing up.

11. Were you considered a flirt?
Absolutely. I mean, I always had a boyfriend, but in the few days that I may have been single I was a huge flirt and I can openly admit that. That was also when I thought it was necessary to have attention from boys.

12. Were you in band, orchestra or choir?
No. The little mini polyester uniforms were more than enough for me.

13. Were you a nerd?
Of course. Always have been, always will be. I recommend being a nerd to everyone. People take themselves too serious.

14. Did you get suspended or expelled?
Affirmative. Well, not my Senior year, but during my Junior year I went to first period as usual, then I decided to leave campus with 3 other girls. We jumped in the car, went to the Beverage Castle (where they sold to minors with decent fake ids) and went back to ones of the girls houses. We drank and played around, then for some stupid reason went back to school so that someone could get their purse from a locker. We were seen and tattled on. The next day we were all called down to the Dean's office and were all suspended (in school). I was the last person they called so I finally made it down about 30 minutes before the end of the day so I technically only got 4 days of ISS while the rest of the girls got 5. The Dean gave me a break because I was a cheerleader (yes, politics exist in high school, too!) and I gave him some sob story about how my parents were separating and he told me that instead of him calling them he would let me break the news to them on my own. I never told them. I forged the papers and did my time, which was really just like a vacation. I finally told my parents a few years after I left home. I was probably about 21 or so. They got a kick out of it and were impressed that I had managed to keep something from them (that never happened).

15. Can you sing the fight song?
Well, is it the fight song? I'm not sure, but I know the song that we sang after we won football games ...

16. Who was / were your favorite teacher(s)?
Everyone loved Ms. Hayley. It's not that I despised her I just got bored. She was my honors English teacher and though I love love love English and Literature, she just had us do these projects and present them in front of the class and I did despise that. Plus, if you were out more than 3 days she would lower your grade. Do you know how hard it was for me to make every class? If I wasn't running late, I was out for some various reason - whether it be from illness or vacation. I did ace her Vocab exams though. I'm a spelling whiz! But fave teacher Senior Year was probably my ceramics teacher.

17. Where did you sit during lunch?
Probably outside somewhere, if I actually stayed for lunch. LHS was strict about off-campus passes, but I always managed to find one - even if I had to forge it.

18. Where did you spend your "after school time"?
Cheerleading practice, tumbling or a fundraiser for Cheerleading competition. During competition season we practiced before & after school then would go to the gym later that night for more practice and tumbling. I didn't have time for any other activities.

19. What was your school's full name?
Lakeland Senior High School.

20. When did you graduate?
2001. The first "official" class of the new century.

21. What was your school mascot?
Dreadnaught. (If you're wondering it is a battleship)

22. If you could go back and do it again, would you?
Yes, but not to change or re-do anything. I would keep things exactly as they were. Amidst all of the trouble I got myself into and the hardships at home and at school, I am glad I experienced all of those things. I had some incredible times, although much of it has left my memory. So yes, I would go back, but as a refresher course as to all that happened.

23. Did you have fun at prom?
Not at all. Well, I guess I kind of did. My 'boyfriend' MJL and I were at an off point in our relationship. We went with other people (as friends) and I went on some party bus with about 16 people total. My date was a friend who had eyes only for one of the other girls so as soon as we got there I essentially spiked my punch and sat at one of the tables. I don't even think I danced, but at the end of the night I ended up inviting MJL to ride back on the party bus. He ditched his date and his hotel room and off we went. It might sound romantic, but it wasn't at all.

24. Do you still talk to the person you went to prom with?
Who I went with or left with? Well, neither really. I mean, there's that small talk when we see each other over the holidays in our hometown, but other than that - not really. I talk to my Junior year date though. We've known each other since K4.

25. Are you planning on going to your next reunion?
When do they do those things anyhow? 10 years? I've got 2 more years before that happens so the answer to that is still up in the air. I know it is kind of a 'rite of passage' but I am just not all that interested in seeing most of the people I went to high school with, that I graduated with anyhow. I have far better things to attend to.

26. Do you still talk to people from high school?
Oh. I think I already answered this. There are a select few, but for the most part I do not. Again, there is the small talk over the holidays, but beyond that ... hmmm ... I am tempted to scroll thru my Blackberry to see if I actually have anyone's contact info that I went to school with. There obviously aren't that many! Most of my friends were either older or they lived elsewhere.