The Proust Questionnaire: Egghead23

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
When all of my kids are getting along or playing together, preferably on the beach.

What is your greatest fear?
Losing a child.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Groucho Marx.

Which living person do you most admire?
My dad.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My quick temper.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Lying.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Pampering myself and going out for breakfast and/or lunch.

What is your favorite journey?
To the bus stop and back, both in the morning, and in the afternoon…as long as it isn’t raining.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Being able to eat one’s vegetables.

On what occasion do you lie?
When I think someone might be hurt by the truth.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
There isn’t a lot of evidence to suggest that I am very photogenic, but most of the time I don’t think too much about it.

Which living person do you most despise?
Anyone who lies for a living, and is successful with it.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Cut it out.”

What is your greatest regret?
That I didn’t take my education more seriously when I was young.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My husband and our kids.

When and where were you happiest?
Floating in the Caribbean, running for a train in Italy, strolling along the Seine. Dancing on our wedding day, or lying in the hospital holding one of our kids for the first time. Any time someone in my family or one of my friends makes me laugh. I’m actually happy a lot, despite my tendency to complain.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could play an instrument.

What is your current state of mind?
Evolving.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I want to be cool, tall, vulnerable and luscious.

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
I wouldn’t have minded if my mother had lived a bit longer.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My kids or my marriage, but none of those things are finished yet.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
One of those little birds that picks on the crumbs at Disneyland, safe, fat and happy.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
One of those little birds that picks on the crumbs at Disneyland, safe, fat and happy.

What is your most treasured possession?
I have this photo of my grandmother on the beach. She’s wearing big sunglasses and a Hawaiian Punch towel on her shoulders. It makes me happy to think about her on the beach.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being stuck in some kind of office work meeting. Also, trying on skinny jeans.

Where would you like to live?
Someplace warm that’s got friendly people, but it’s not too crowded.

What is your favorite occupation?
When I’m writing and the words just flow right from my brain to the keyboard and I don’t even have to stop to think about what will come next.

What do you most value in your friends?
Kindness and a sense of humor.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Elinor Dashwood

What is it that you most dislike?
People or companies who profit from environmental pollution. How can they be so arrogant as to think that their bottom line is more important than that kind of legacy?? Also, skinny jeans.

How would you like to die?
Years and years from now, without any pain.

What is your motto?
“I’ll take care of it.”