<p>Neil from Citizen Of The Month (one of the funniest blogs ever - but you knew that already) came up with this great idea for a <a href="http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/01/22/the-blogger-interviews-the-great-interview-experiment/">Great Interview Experiment</a>. If you haven&#39;t already, sign up <a href="http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2008/01/18/the-great-interview-experiment/">here</a>. All the cool kids are doing it!</p>

<p>Anyways, a couple of weeks ago I signed up to do it (so maybe it&#39;s not all cool kids) and I got to interview the lovely Jennie of <a href="http://www.shelikespurple.com">She Likes Purple</a> fame. It was hard to come up with good questions because she has the <a href="http://www.shelikespurple.com/shelikespurple/faq.html">longest FAQ on the internet</a>, but she&#39;s so darn clever that she managed to make my mediocre questions sound somewhat coherent. You should read the interview over at <a href="http://www.shelikespurple.com/shelikespurple/2008/02/internet-interv.html">her site</a>, or click on the next page if you insist on reading it here. It&#39;s up to you!</p>

<p>Of course, the point of the experiment is that someone interviews you as well, and since my comment was right below somebody named witchypoo she was assigned the task of interviewing me. She contacted me right away, and wondered if I would be comfortable with her as an interviewer. I thought that was strange until I realized that I had just written <a href="http://diary.blogs.com/the_diary_of_a_reluctant_/2008/01/sleeping-nappin.html">this</a> post where I said &quot;...someone like me, who is turned off by spacey new age types...&quot;</p>

<p>People, my interviewer is a psychic. OF COURSE. Her blog is named <a href="http://psychicgeek.com/">Psychicgeek,</a> she sells crystals and reads people&#39;s auras and stuff.</p>

<p>Oops.</p>

<p>Anyways, turns out that witchypoo was gracious enough to interview despite my having inserted my entire leg in my mouth, and the interview is <a href="http://psychicgeek.com/witchypoo-interviews-miguelina/">here.</a> I like her. I may have a new friend. A <em>psychic</em> friend even.</p>

<p>However, I think she may have messed with karma a bit, because she wanted to know why I don&#39;t write about poop. What a strange thing to ask, right? Little did I know it wasn&#39;t a question that came out of the blue. Of course not - she&#39;s a psychic, remember?</p>

<p>Instead, it was foreshadowing. Just hours after she posted the interview my kids came down with a stomach virus. And then it was viral diarrhea (apparently they&#39;re two different things), and then I dragged the sick kids out on Super Tuesday because we had to vote and then they caught colds. And then the kids were better and then I caught their cold. And now I feel slightly better, which brings me to today. </p>

<p>I think the karma&#39;s all straightened out today. Finally.</p>

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<p><strong>THE <a href="http://www.shelikespurple.com"><em>SHE LIKES PURPLE</em></a> INTERVIEW:</strong></p>

<p><strong>1. Why don't we start with you telling us something the internet doesn't know about you?</strong><br />I hate potato salad. No, really, I have an actual physical aversion to it. Even being <em>near </em>it
makes me squirm. And, please, don't try to convince me your potato
salad is the potato salad that will change all that. I won't like it.
IT WILL MAKE ME WANT TO THROW UP. I promise.&nbsp; &nbsp; <br /> </p>

<p><strong>2.&nbsp; I like how you compare blogging to your sorority experience here:</strong></p><blockquote><p><em>It's why sororities were formed</em><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">—</span></span><em>many
of them more than a century ago. Women wanted sisterhood and service
and philanthropy. They wanted ritual and something to be proud of and
to be a part of, and even though that's not what I wanted when I walked
through the doors for the first time, it was what I took with me when I
left.... Aside from the freedom to write and post as many pictures of
Molly as I want, I blog because the blogging community, to me, reminds
me of the group of women I found in college, supportive and encouraging
and beautiful and smart and fucking funny. </em>(Taken from <a href="http://www.shelikespurple.com/shelikespurple/2007/08/blogher-was-thi.html">this post</a>.)</p></blockquote><p><strong>Now that you have a few more months of blogging under your belt, do you still feel the same way about it? Why or why not?</strong><br />First,
I was so proud of that post when I wrote it and now, in retrospect,
it's kind of poorly written, isn't it? I remember the sentiment,
though. The blogging community, to me, <em>is </em>like a sorority:
lots of different women with different backgrounds and goals, all
bonded by something bigger than themselves. I realize <em>your </em>sorority experience may have been vastly different and <em>your</em>
sorority sisters may have left you—drunk off trash-can punch—in front
of the Kappa Sig house but my experience wasn't like that. I left my
sorority with really incredible friends, and as I mentioned in the
above post, three of those women stood beside me on my wedding day. </p>

<p>I was also fortunate enough to have been on my sorority's council,
where I was awarded the opportunity to visit our National Headquarters
in Memphis. During that trip I realized our organization is much bigger
and more important than date parties and T-shirts; it is ultimately
about making a difference and forming invaluable friendships. Likewise,
blogging is so much more than stats and blogrolls; it's about community
and connection.</p>

<p>I realize it may seem like a silly comparison, but in my eyes it all
boils down to community. I found a strong community in my sorority and
I find a strong community through the blogs I read and the readers I
have.<br /> </p>

<p><strong>3. You're a newlywed (congratulations!)<span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">—</span></span></strong><strong>tell me three things you wish someone had told you before getting married and three things you're glad they didn't.</strong><br />(Thanks for the congrats!) </p>

<p><em>What I wish someone would have told me</em>:<br />1) If he didn't
do the dishes before the wedding, he's not going to do the dishes after
the wedding. That wedding ring requires him to do nothing that he
wasn't doing before except <em>maybe</em> lend you some of his debt
(so thoughtful). If you really, really wish he'd do the dishes, ask
him. Marrying him won't be enough.</p>

<p>2) Changing your name is kind of a pain in the ass. Take a day off
work (once your official marriage license arrives) and get everything
taken care of—credit cards, drivers license, social security card,
checks, etc. Don't put it off or you'll wake up one day and realize
half the world considers you one person while the other half considers
you another, harder-to-pronounce person. Also, at the end of that day,
buy yourself a bottle of something strong. Spending that much time in
government buildings is going to drive you painfully crazy. (Also, I'm
not necessarily a proponent of changing your name. I simply had my
maiden name for 25 years and I thought it would be fun to have a
different name for the next 25. My new last name is IMPOSSIBLE to
spell, and listening to someone attempt to pronounce/spell it makes me
want to bash my head against the nearest wall, so I obviously didn't
make a pros/cons list before the wedding.)<br /> </p>

<p>3) Be nice to one another. I truly believe this is the key to a
happy relationship. AND I CAN FEEL YOU ROLLING YOUR EYES. QUIT THAT.
Some of you will think, <em>It's not that simple</em>, so let me
respond with this: Of course it's not that simple. When you spend eight
hours at work, two hours commuting and another hour at the grocery
store, it's not simple to bite your tongue when you realize he forgot
(AGAIN!) to take the trash out. It's not simple to resist the urge to
correct him when he pronounces words incorrectly. It's not simple to
continuously pause All my Children so he can tell you all about
something he read in Popular Science. It's not simple to stop by the
store and pick up his favorite candy bar just because. (Twix these
days, which is odd. It's never been Twix before.) It's not easy to let
him go out with his friends on a Friday night—no complaints—leaving you
home alone with an empty TiVo and an empty fridge. It's NOT AT ALL EASY
to smile when he tells you the new hard drive was &quot;a deal I couldn't
pass up&quot; instead of kicking him square in the head for spending all
that money on something you CANNOT WEAR ON YOUR FOOT. We're programmed
to be polite to strangers, to bosses, to blog crushes, even, but not to
our spouses. So I certainly don't think it's easy but I do think it's
vital and the best relationship decision you'll ever make. </p>
<p><em>What I am glad no one told me:</em><br />1-3) Credit scores don't forget.</p>

<p><strong>4. Other than your husband and your dog, what makes you happiest?</strong><br />The
little things: getting a card from an out-of-town friend, receiving a
nice e-mail from a stranger, having drinks with co-workers, a great
episode of one of my favorite TV shows, a good book, a snuggly nap,
warm weather, champagne, new shoes, chips and queso, an impromptu
weekend away. I believe happiness is having something to look forward
to. I think I stay consistently (not constantly) happy by looking
forward to something, regardless of how little it may be. </p>

<p><strong>5. I saw that your friends read your blog</strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">—</span></span></strong><strong>how do they feel about it? How do you explain blogging to people that don't get it?</strong><br />Most
of my friends know about my blog. (Hi Lauren! Hi Cherie! Hi Crystal! Hi
Natalie!) They know because I'm fairly open about it. I don't think all
of my friends would choose to post the ins and outs of their life on
the Internet, and, sure, I've gotten a few raised eyebrows, but for the
most part the people in my life support me. My mother, who is a
frequent reader/commenter, said to me just this weekend, &quot;The people
who love you won't be upset if you're honest.&quot; And, seriously, with a
mom like that would you be worried if someone else didn't &quot;approve&quot;?
Now, I will say I am protective of Mike's family. We are all very close
and they are each wonderful, but they didn't choose me—Mike did. They
have a right to be protected and I take that right seriously.
Ultimately, I won't keep this outlet a secret from anyone and I won't
apologize for it, but I also won't use this as a platform to say
whatever is on my mind, regardless of who it may offend or sting. I
think it's possible to have both, the freedom to be expressive and the
ability to keep some things where they belong—off the Internet.</p>

<p><strong>6. What are you most proud of?</strong><br />This answer
changes day-to-day. Most Mondays I'm seriously proudest of getting out
of bed and in the shower before 8am. If I take a big, giant step back,
though, I'd say I'm proudest of my diploma. Not because I think
everyone should graduate college or because I think it gives me any
kind of edge. (I graduated with HISTORY and ENGLISH degrees—the valets
in my building make more than I do.) But, it's something I did on my
own, start to finish. And no matter what I do in life—motherhood,
marriage, career, etc.—graduating college is one of the few things I'll
ever be able to take full and complete credit for.<br /> </p>

<p><strong>7. I read that there's a huge Veronica Mars-sized gaping
hole in your heart. Have you found a show (or shows) that have the
potential to fill it? Do you watch Gossip Girl? What do you think about
it?</strong><br />I've watched Gossip Girl but it does very little for
me, so I don't watch it regularly. Of course there are other shows I
just love, such as: The Office, Weeds, The Amazing Race, Pushing
Daisies, Entourage. But—and you're going to groan, so consider yourself
warned—there have only been three shows IN MY LIFE I've become obsessed
with on a completely different level and those are: Dawson's Creek,
Veronica Mars and One Tree Hill. Something about an angsty soundtrack,
a great love triangle and a strong, quippy lead actress (that would be
Brooke on OTH, not whorey Peyton). That winning combination sucks me in
and forces me to surf YouTube for fan videos. I KID YOU NOT. Some
runners up, in case you care: Party of Five, Felicity, Gilmore Girls
and General Hospital, during the Brenda years. (You've lost a ton of
respect for me, haven't you?)</p>

<p><strong>8. Who or what inspires you?</strong><br />Authenticity. In
however many forms I discover it. I don't think you have to be
blatantly different to be authentic, I simply think you have to make
choices with yourself in mind. I'm also inspired by people who are both
brilliant and kind. It's a combination I don't encounter as much as I'd
like to. I'm inspired when I do.<br /> </p>

<p><strong>9. What would you do to make a living if you weren't in publishing?</strong><br />I'd
love to be a travel writer. Care to hire me? In all honesty, I spent
most of my life wanting to teach, so something tells me if I weren't
working in the field I'm in, I'd be teaching. <br /> </p>

<p><strong>10. So you like purple. How do you feel about orange?</strong><br />Well, orange reminds of the University of Texas. Now, maroon?<em> That's</em> a beautiful color.</p>
