Yes, that's right -- it's a great big bunch of randomness!

So the Pennsylvania groundhog didn’t see its shadow, which supposedly means spring will be arriving early this year. (Although c’mon – all it really means is that it was either cloudy in Pennsylvania today, or the groundhog was facing the sun…) Why do we even HAVE Groundhog Day? Who came up with this bizarre tradition? And why a groundhog? Why not a rabbit? Or a gerbil? Or any of a myriad of other rodents? Does it have to be a rodent? Or could it be, say, a house cat? If I go ask my cat right now, will she be able to tell me whether spring is almost here? Hold on, I’m gonna go ask…

Okay, all she said was, “mrreeww” and then she swiped at my hand and snagged her claw on my sweater. So… I don’t know what that means, exactly, but I’m guessing it can be translated into something like, “go ask the groundhog…”

Hey, I found another random questionnaire! Which is the perfect thing for a Friday when I don’t have much to talk about. Who’s excited? Nobody? Well, too bad:

The last person I kissed:
Um, I kissed Echo this morning before I took her to the vet. Because I was feeling guilty that I had to take her in to get her teeth cleaned, and they have to sedate her, so she couldn’t drink any water all night and she was obviously thirsty this morning and wondering what I did with her water dish. Does that count? Echo is a person, right? Okay, maybe not…

Never in my life have I:
Seen such insolence, young man! Oh wait… I don’t think that’s what we were going for. Um, let’s see… never in my life have I watched Casablanca. And it seems like one of those movies that everyone is supposed to see at some point in their life, so I suppose I’ll have to remedy that eventually.

The one person who can drive me nuts, but then can always manage to make me smile:
Well, I guess that must be Rick. He can definitely drive me nuts, and then he has this annoying habit of trying to force me to smile when I don’t want to. Usually he’ll bring up the name of our friend Bill, who has often had me laughing so hard that the mere mention of his name brings a smile. And if the name alone doesn’t work, Rick will add something like, “think of Bill dressed like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, singing karaoke and tap dancing.”

High School was:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Well, it’s wasn’t THAT long ago. And it was only as far away as New Jersey. And oh yeah, it was a horrible place filled with ridiculously immature people. Oh my gosh, teenagers are such idiots. I mean, seriously – I thought teenagers were idiots when I WAS a teenager. And some of them grow up to be equally idiotic adults.

When I'm nervous:
My hands get cold and all red and blotchy. It’s weird. And if I have to talk and I’m nervous, my voice has this annoying habit of cutting off mid-sentence. I’ll just be talking, and then all of a sudden- total silence. Like someone chopped my sentence in half. That, like the red, blotchy hands, is also weird.

The last time I cried was:
Well, let’s see, it’s about 1:30 now, so…

If I were to get married right now my bridesmaids would be:
Dressed in something a lot nicer than what they wore the first time.

My hair:
Is long. And brownish. Sometimes sort of reddish. And usually doesn’t do a thing I want it to do, no matter how much styling goop I throw into it.

When I was 5:
I sat next to this boy in kindergarten who’d always lean over and kiss me on the cheek when I least expected it. I was constantly trying to wash off the cooties.

Last Christmas:
Would last Christmas be the one that just passed by, or is it LAST last Christmas? Well, either way, last Christmas I wished for a Christmas miracle snowfall, but was once again denied…

When I turn my head left, I see:
The window that looks out to the side of the house. The side of the house where that scary oleander used to be.

I should be:
Vacuuming – now while I have the chance. Echo isn’t around, so she can’t bark incessantly and try to attack the vacuum cleaner. I should definitely do that before I pick her up this afternoon.

When I look down I see:
My feet. (THAT was rather boring.)

The craziest recent event was:
Well, I guess that was this morning, when someone plucked a random rodent out of the ground and decided it could predict the future.

If I were a character on Friends I'd be:
Hmmm… I guess I’d have to go with Monica. The one who was rather geeky and unpopular in high school, but grew up to be okay (although still a bit of a geek). She likes hanging out with her brother, and has some weird obsessive behaviors (although I’m definitely not a total neat-freak like Monica…).

By this time next year:
They’ll be pulling another unsuspecting groundhog out of its burrow. Or whatever it is groundhogs live in.

Current Relationship Status:
Status quo.

I have a hard time understanding:
Myself. And quantum physics.

One time at a family gathering:
Oh – me and Eric and our cousins Steve and Kevin found some of my grandmother’s old cat’s eye glasses and some flowery handkerchiefs and we wrote a play that we called “Rambo and Mrs. Old Fogey.” Eric was Rambo (he tied a red scarf around his head) and Steve wore the glasses and a handkerchief on his head and played Mrs. Old Fogey. I can’t remember the “plot,” but I do know that at the time we thought it was hilarious.

You know I “like” you if:
Hmmm… this is a tough one, because you certainly can’t go by whether I talk to you or not. I don’t really get comfortable with talking to people until I’ve known them for quite a while – so just because I don’t talk to you much doesn’t mean I don’t like you. If I email you now and then just for the fun of it, I definitely like you, because I tend not to waste my time emailing people I don’t like.

If I won an award, the first person (people) I'd thank is/are:
I guess it would depend on who had supported me throughout my years of struggle before I’d made it big and been nominated for an award. But I think the general template is: “God, mom and dad, and the Academy.”

Take my advice:
Oh please – you know you’re just going to do whatever you want anyway.

My ideal breakfast is:
At the Four Seasons hotel on Maui. Mmmm… guava juice…

If you visit a place I grew up:
I would not recommend Buffalo. Go to New Jersey. Yes, I know people make fun of New Jersey, but trust me, between those two choices, Jersey is the one that gives you better options.

Where do you plan to visit anytime soon:
I don’t know. Maybe Chicago. (If you hear a knock at your door, Eric, it’s probably me. So you should go clean your apartment.)

If you spend the night at my house:
You’ll be visited by threeeeee ghosts… (that’s a reference to A Christmas Carol, for anyone who didn’t get it…)

I'd stop my wedding if:
Well it’s a little late for that, isn’t it?

The world could do without:
Double-sided sticky tape. I mean, I just think we could find a way to make things work with the single-sided stuff.

I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than date:
I don’t think Rick likes it when I go out on dates…

Most recent thing you've bought yourself:
Um… oh – I just bought some nail polish. Yippee.

Most recent thing someone else bought for you:
Mom and dad bought me a double tall cinnamon dolce latte at Starbucks this afternoon…

My favorite blonde is:
Hmmm… weird, I don’t really know many blondes. I guess Rick is sort of blonde (when he’s not shaving his head and actually has hair…).

My favorite brunette is:
And I know too MANY brunettes to answer this… how could I possibly pick a favorite? (You know who you are, my favorite brunette. Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking to YOU.)

The last time I was drunk:
I danced on a table with a lampshade on my head? Honestly, I can’t even remember that night… all I know is I woke up on a yacht with Tara Reid and Lindsay Lohan, and they told me I needed to stop partying so hard…

The animals I would like to see flying besides birds are:
Uh… flying animals? That’s just scary…

I shouldn't have been:
In the right place at the wrong time. Or vice versa.

Once, at a bar:
Do you want another Tara Reid and Lindsay Lohan story? I really don’t go to many bars. Coffee bars, maybe.

Last night I:
Ate way too much at Rick’s parents’ house for dinner. And discovered that Bluebell has a really yummy new ice cream flavor called “chocolate-covered cherry.” Must… not… buy… gallons… of… ice… cream…

I dont know:
Much about history… don’t know much biology… don’t much about science books… don’t know much about the French I took… but I do know that I love you… and I know that if you love me too… what a wonderful world this would be. (Wow, I can’t believe I know the words to that song… I don’t even know who SANG that song…)

A better name for me would be:
Um… I don’t know. I think Lisa fits okay. Unless you want to call me Princess Lisa, Her Royal Highness of Lisaland.

If I ever go back to school I'll:
Completely change my major from English writing to biology, biochemistry, or forensic chemistry.

How many days until my birthday?:
167. Write it down.

What I really want for Valentine's Day is:
For Hallmark to admit that Valentine’s Day is a manufactured holiday designed to sell more cards.

I'm wearing this:
Jeans and a blue sweater.

Tomorrow I am:
Probably doing nothing very interesting.

The last thing I ate was:
Chicken fingers at TGI Friday’s.

I really want to learn:
A couple new languages. I’d love to be fluent in something other than boring old English. That’s not to say I’m fluent in OLD English. I meant boring regular English. But not British English. Or Australian English. American English. I wish I was fluent in something other than boring regular American English. I’d also love to learn some kind of martial art/fighting kinda thing… like Capoeira or Krav Maga… everyone is always talking about Capoeira and Krav Maga… and I want to learn about the open heart surgery they featured in this month’s issue of National Geographic… they printed some seriously cool pictures (or seriously disgusting, depending on your point of view), but there’s supposed to be a video of the entire surgery online… and I’d like to learn about all the holidays they celebrate in other countries around the world, and see if any of them are as weird as Groundhog Day… to be honest, I pretty much like learning about just about anything…