Tuesday, December 19, 2017

The Most Excellent Friendship Quiz: Part Deux

The other day, I posted a quiz about my friendship with Shannon. Yesterday was Shannon's half birthday - one half-year older, and wiser too! The past half year has brought some pretty big adventures for Shannon including moving, job changes, and the birth of her first wee, little babe (he's a looker, that one! Absolutely scrumptious!) 

Shannon and I are ready to reveal the answers to our Most Excellent Friendship Quiz. Shannon's responses will be in blue, and my commentary will be in green

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Shannon & Brittany's Most Excellent Friendship Quiz

1. Which song does Shannon sing to me regularly?

A) Mary, Did You Know?
B) Ice, Ice, Baby
C) Puppy Love

A) Mary, Did You Know?

And it IS appropriate for me to sing this to you this time of year...but I know that I am playing with fire when I sing it otherwise! Do I need to elaborate on why? I don’t want to tell without your permission.


Well, I confess - I don't like this song very much, which might motivate someone to sing it to me just to drive me nuts.


For me, "Mary Did You Know?" falls into the category of “top ten songs that get stuck in your head”...like it’s in my Top 3 spots, along with Amy Grant’s “Baby Baby” and R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” And I would add “What Does The Fox Say?” by Ylvis as a wild card!

Thanks. Now I'm singing "What Does the Fox Say?"

And I must admit that the one Donny Osmond song I don’t care for much is "Puppy Love." And when I was 10 years old, I went to 4-H Camp and my cabin’s name was “Mountains” and we made up a skit and performed the “Ice, Ice, Mountains” with our own lyrics about being at summer camp. I can still remember THOSE lyrics, but not all the "Ice, Ice, Baby" ones.

You'll have to send me an audio message of that one.

2. Where am I mostly likely to be during a phone conversation with Shannon?

A) The laundry room
B) The bathroom
C) The car

A and C - the laundry room and the car

I’m going to go ahead and decide that this is one of those multiple choice quizzes where there might be two correct answers. You are either in your laundry room or your car, without question. But I will out you (and me) and say that we often correspond while taking potty breaks! So essentially, you should have D) All of the above as the correct response!

I was thinking the van is the most frequent, but the laundry room and the bathroom are definitely runners up. Now that I think of it, I also talk to you a lot from my kitchen.

3. Which of these movies have I been trying to make Shannon watch for the entire time I've known her?

A) The Truman Show
B) Hairspray
C) The Green Mile


A) The Truman Show

Forgive me. I’m just not a movie buff. But I’m putting it in writing that I 90% promise I will watch The Truman Show by January 31, 2018! Not just to watch it/obey you, but because I know that it will lead to many deep and thorough discussions about themes, perspectives, and the human experience. Which is something I love about our friendship--our desire to discuss and learn all the things! Plus, I like Jim Carrey. So I’m looking forward to it. I adore him in his episode, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” with Jerry Seinfeld. Did you know that he’s quite the artist when it comes to abstract paintings?

I did not know that.


I can't even remember why I wanted you to watch The Truman Show in the first place. I was probably telling you about how Sara thinks she's in The Truman Show. I do love that movie, though. Definitely in my top ten.


Know what else you should watch? Mary Poppins. It's not one of my top ten, but you can't go through life without seeing Mary Poppins.


4. What phrase do we use to end many of our conversations?

A) "Aye, aye, Captain!"
B) "In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!"
C) "Go Centennial Park Ward!"

C) "Go Centennial Park Ward!"

Because we believe in pep rallies (see Brittany’s post about our desire to be mascots) and cheering on our team. And this was our LDS Ward where we first met and served. We essentially made ourselves its unofficial cheerleaders in the hopes to get everyone jazzed about living the Gospel and stuff!

And for the record, I don’t think I’ve ever said those other two phrases to anyone in my life. “Oh Captain, My Captain!” from Dead Poets Society is the closest.

I think everyone should say, "Aye, aye, Captain!" once in a while. Try it, you might like it! And I know you've never said, "In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight," because THAT, my friend, comes from The Truman Show.

Confession: I've never seen Dead Poets Society all the way through, but I know there's carpe diem, and that means "seize the day" which reminds me that you've also never seen Newsies.

5. Which of these are Shannon and I least likely to do together?

A) Go ziplining
B) Meet Donny Osmond
C) Write a book

A) Go ziplining

Absolutely NEVER.


Fo shizzle. We keep our feet on the ground. 

But YES!!!! To Donny-mania and the book we will co-author one day. I’m totally serious about both of these! I’ve been playing Donny’s version of “Deck the Halls/Hark the Herald Angels Sing” on repeat this past week. His voice is so smooth and effortless. Butter. Listen here. It starts at 21:23...heck, listen to the entire album! And his voice on “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (at 14:53) is liquid gold!


P.S. Brittany, “Mary, Did You Know” starts at 48:18 [insert crying laugh emoji here]. Thanks for the warning [insert crying laugh emoji here].

I 90% promise that I'll check out Donny's voice on "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" before January 31, 2018. Also, Donny would want you to know that the original version by Andy Williams is his favorite Christmas song. #donnytrivia

6. What is Shannon's education?

A) A Bachelor's in something to do with journalism
B) A Master's in something to do with public health
C) A Doctorate in something to do with special education

(Clearly, I don't actually know what Shannon's degree is, but it has a lot of words).

C. Only two words. Doctorate in “Disability Disciplines.”

But the title of my dissertation is ridiculously long!


I feel like I can commit that to memory. "Disability Disciplines." The alliteration helps. Consider it done. Now that you mention it, I remember that it's your dissertation that has the long title.


I know you're very humble, and you don't go around boasting of this accomplishment, so I will do it for you. I think it's incredible.

7. Which restaurant gives Shannon the twitches?

A) Costa Vida
B) Zupa's
C) Chick-Fil-A

B) Zupa's

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the food at Zupa’s, but the ordering system literally brings out the worst in me. I often do NOT go there because I can’t handle the ordering system. On the average, I turn down 27 offers for desserts and soup and tell at least 5 different members of the staff what I ordered by the time I get to the register. And, morally, I just can’t get behind paying $10+ dollars for their salads..they’re too small for that price!

I could go for a pesto chicken sandwich right now. You're right, though, Shannon. The ordering process at Zupa's could definitely be improved.

You feel about Zupa's the way that I feel about IKEA. Zupa's is your IKEA. IKEA is my Zupa's.


And FYI, I could eat at Costa Vida every day.  LOVE!

Shannon, do you realize that we've never eaten at Costa Vida together? How can this be? Actually, I know how it can be. There isn't a Costa Vida close by.

8. Which reality show does Shannon loathe?

A) Dancing with the Stars
B) The Voice
C) Fixer Upper

B. The Voice

I’ve even given it a chance, but the bromance between Adam and Blake is puke (You guys, she really doesn't like Blake Shelton). And they put waaaayyyy too many fillers in the show for my taste. And Carson Daly as a host is flat and everyone else overuses the term “artist.”  Next time you watch an episode, make a tick mark for every time they use the word artist when they talk to the contestants. They go on and on with furrowed brows and strained elaborations about the quest of “being/becoming an artist.”

Hmmm... I'm intrigued and must now watch The Voice just for this activity!

I sound like such a brat, but I am passionate about my loathing of The Voice! I am a fan of DWTS though. I love ballroom dancing/dancing (again see Brittany’s post about our desire to be mascots). And Fixer Upper is great. Joanna & Chip are adorable, love their style.

I've never watched Fixer Upper. I had to google "shiplap" the first time I heard the word.

9. Which of these movie characters does Shannon share a name with?

A. 

B. 

C. 


B) Doc Brown

Brittany, you flatter me, bringing up all my academic endeavors. I do shy away from being called “Dr. Brown” for sure. Just call me Shannon. Or Sporty Spice.


I'm just giving you an active-constructive response because I am so proud of you for finishing your PhD this year. I'm glad I got to meet you in time to see you cross that finish line. I really like that you are Doc Brown because Back to the Future is one of my favorite movies. It would be cooler if you were Marty McFly, but you win some, you lose some.


10. Which possession of Shannon's am I most jealous of?

A) Her vast collection of PiYo DVDs
B) Her GMC pick-up
C) Her pantry

Hmmmmm...maybe all three of these? But, most currently, definitely, C) my pantry. I’m jealous of it too, and I own it! It’s so great and functional! It is delightful to me that it lovingly houses and watches over all of my food and that I have walk-in access.

You guys. Her pantry! It's amazing. It's more than just a closet for food - it's a room for food, and it has a counter and electrical outlets so she can use her appliances in there.

FYI: I no longer get DVDs for PiYo...all the instructor videos are now downloaded/streamed! Which I don’t like. Not having the actual DVD gives me anxiety and an insecure feeling, like how Apple started eliminating DVD/CD drives from their computers a few years ago. What the heck?!

Change is hard.  

11. Which of these is NOT one of Shannon's mantras?

A) Chicken nuggets are life.
B) Proper footwear is everything.
C) Setting people up for success is crucial.


A) "Chicken nuggets are life" is not one of my mantras


I strongly believe that setting people up for success is everything. I struuuuuuggle when I feel that others (or myself) are set up to fail. I just as passionately believe in proper footwear. Everyone in the world is wearing non-functional shoes, and then they have terrible health problems later. Years ago I had an 8th grade student show up for a sevenish-mile hike wearing Old Navy flip-flops and I lost faith in humanity for a time. People need to take care of their feet. Is anyone listening to me?!

We are advocates of setting people up for success, for sure.

When it comes to shoes, though, I have to hide my stash from Shannon. She would be ashamed of me. I could easily walk sevenish miles in Old Navy flip-flops, but I might not hike in them (depends on the terrain). I've done ten miles at Disneyland in dollar flip-flops. But here's why - I've never found shoes that feel good. ALL shoes hurt my feel. Last year I spent almost $200 on a pair of high quality shoes with insoles, and my feet felt the same in those as they do in my cheap shoes. I haven't found any shoes that are right for me yet.


12. What is our favorite 'S' word?


A) Serendipity
B) Synchronicity
C) Salami

B) Synchronicity

It’s everywhere!

Shannon introduced me to the term, and it is one of those words that I have been so grateful for because it describes something that I experience all the time ("meaningful coincidences") but never knew what to call.
13. Which meal have we NOT shared together?

A) Burgers, green beans, and onion rings from The Habit
B) All-you-can-eat French toast at Kneaders
C) Gyros, root beer, and fries from Crown Burgers

C) Gyros, root beer, and fries from Crown Burgers

We need to dine together soon! I want this menu experience (and the big sandwich!). #foodislife

Shannon is unsure of gyros because she doesn't like pita bread, but she wants to give it a shot. The big sandwich is from Groves Market. I like the seafood one, but I think we discussed at one point that the seafood sandwich wouldn't be your choice, is that right, Shannon? It has imitation crab, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and avocado on it... and ohmygosh what am I doing still sitting here? I need to go get a sandwich!

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I’d also like to take a moment to publicly thank Brittany for introducing me to JDawgs. I can confirm to anyone that her taste in food is top notch, even though she doesn’t care much for soup. #howcanyounotlikesoup


I like soup, but I'm picky about it. It's because I had a medical issue that landed me in the ER twice in one week, and both times I threw up soup. It forever changed me. For a while, I couldn't eat any soup, but the more time passes, the more soup I allow back into my life.

14. What obligation do we gripe about the most?

A) Having to do a full groom cycle
B) Having to haul multiple bags to church
C) Having to cook dinner


A) The grooming cycle! All the way.

I honestly don’t know how some women engage in a full grooming cycle EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. (full shower + shower grooming events, shampoo & condition, make-up, dry & style hair, and fully dressed from head to toe with all the layers women wear, etc). It’s a solid day when I do ALL of these things...most often, though, I mix and match...like maybe a full shower but no hair wash or make-up. Or maybe make-up and fully dressed from head to toe, but skip the shower and hair altogether. I had a friend in college who got up at 4:30am every day (M-F AND Sundays) for the full grooming cycle. I thought she was insane.



Don’t get me wrong, I care about how I present myself...my point is that I am a failure when it comes to [daily] doing ALL that the full groom cycle requires!


The people who read this should know that Brittany and I celebrate whenever one ofus engages in the full grooming cycle. We make a point to tell each other when it happens because, for us, it’s a big accomplishment! #adultingishard

I think the reason I struggle so much with doing a full groom cycle is because there are so many things I'd rather do. I want to be clean, presentable, and well-dressed, but when it comes down to it, there are just too many other things I can spend my time on. I'm not saying those things are "productive" - sometimes I would rather stare at a wall than blow dry my hair. Think of all the money we save by not wearing make-up, Shannon. It's economically wise to not do a full grooming cycle daily.

15. What is our most-used hashtag?

A) #donny4ever
B) #poopwins
C) #respectthemiles

B) #poopwins

I have always believed that bathrooming takes precedence over anything and everything. Like when the Solar Eclipse 2017 hype was taking place in August, my first thought was not about how amazing the solar eclipse is and how I would see it in my lifetime...instead my thoughts immediately went to how to bathroom large crowds of people. You can’t just get thousands of people together for more than an hour and expect order and cleanliness…you can’t even do that with ten people...

This goes back to your mantra of setting people up for success. Being able to go to the bathroom comfortably and efficiently is crucial.


...also, Brittany and I have shared many life experiences (and continue to have many) that fall under the category of #poopwins. I won’t go into it, but feel free to ask us about why we use this hastag when you see us in person.

I can expound on this a little bit. There are a lot of times in life when you have to drop everything because poop takes priority. For example, a diaper blow-out (#poopwins). Also, last week my child stepped in dog poop and then got in the van. There was poop everywhere (#poopwins). Poop has a way of taking precedence over all other things.


And #respectthemiles has become so meaningful for me that Brittany gifted me a ring with the hashtag inscripted on it. A thoughtful friend indeed!

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And thus ends this edition of Shannon & Brittany's Most Excellent Friendship Quiz. Like a Marvel movie, I've left it open for sequels.

Go Centennial Park Ward!

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