Interview - from Jen

Don't know if you all saw this when Jen did it, but it looked fun so now here I am. If you want to too, tell me!

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.


Q1. What character (in a book or movie) do you most identify with (or aspire to be like)??
Oh hard. These are all hard. Hmm...

Q2. You are completely awesome, what is the most awesome thing you have EVER accomplished BESIDES your masters degree??

I think the one in most recent memory would be all the races and triathlons I did last summer (2 of each!) I was so proud and impressed with myself after each of those. Sort of suprised that that was me. Impressed with myself I guess. (I'm sure I've done more awesome things, boring school related or something though)

Q3. If money were not an object, what would you do for a living?? Would you still choose to be an engineer?

Money were no object? I wouldn't work. I currently dream of the day I can retire. I'm sooo looking forward to maternity leave. I take every chance I can to ditch work early. I am a type B personality to the EXTREME! Which is funny because I do enjoy the work I'm doing. I just prefer not doing work to doing work.

The whole career path thing is so funny to me. My little brothers are struggling with the whole, what should I do when I grow up thing. I don't think it matters half as much as anybody thinks. (unless of course you find some crazy inspiration, passion type career, artist like or something). But most jobs are just jobs. I happened to lean towards engineering based on being good at math and science. My sister leaned towards biology because she was good at math and science too. We do completely different things at work, but could just as easily be in each other's shoes. Plus neither of us wanted to do what we ARE doing when we chose our career paths. Things happen and you find your place. most jobs people end up at are probably not even ones you knew existed before. (mine's certainly not).

At the same time, I did enjoy teaching my lab at the university. You don't really get paid, but a TA was quite a fun job (except for marking). Maybe I'll find that same fun with teaching Step?

Q4. On the flip side, if you won the lottery, what would you do with all the money??

I love this question, every time the lottery amount is said I imagine what I would do with every penny. But I don't ever play the lottery. And I'm super boring about it. I would take half the money and just put it away in a bank somewhere (future holidays, kids college funds, etc etc). I'd pay off our house and we'd sell our current vehicles and buy new ones (still sensible, not ferrari's or anything, and 1 year old, I couldn't deal with a new vehicle and the depreciation!). I would take $1000 and just go nuts in a mall on clothes and shoes (which is tons for me, but I usually shop at Walmart. I'd probably need to fly Jen in to come shopping with me to help!) I would just straight give hubby $10000 to do whatever he wanted (of course all the money would be both of ours and we'd have to agree on decisions, but this is pretending it's all mine with no guilt). I'm sure he'd buy a snowmobile or something. I would then (after quitting work obviously) go on a holiday to Europe. all over the place. If any friends or family wanted to come visit/travel with me, I'd pay for our expenses travelling. Not their flights (well my parents I would but that's it.) I would only want to travel with people who want to be there, not just going for a free trip.

The only other purchases I'd make for sure would be a piano, a fancy scrapbook diecut machine (the kind you can hook up to your computer to get your own fonts and stuff. I know, nerd), and pay somebody to finish the basement. I think I would probably also buy my sister a crazy nice wedding present. But I'd mostly try not to flash all my money around. I don't want to have to spend it on other people like helping them buy a house. I don't think it's really good for other people to have things just given to them. I would help people out (I'm thinking of sis and SIL right now, they each want to buy a house) but not buy things outright for them. Maybe that's wrong. But I know I would feel strange if somebody just bought my house for me or even a car or something.

that was probably so boring to read. But like I said, it's fun for me to do.

Q5. Since we had a good discussion about passions and defining ourselves, if you were in an interview (which you kind of are!) how would you define “Randi”??

Very interesting question! From our discussion, I guess you already know I would not like to be defined. I'm pretty sure my rebellious side would kick in as soon as I decide something and just be the opposite of it. But let's see... I guess the things that are consistant with me are happy, positive, no BS, tough shell, soft in the middle and smart. I threw the smart in because that's the one way I would always define myself growing up. Since I was 10. I knew I wasn't the pretty one or the athletic one or the popular one or any of that. I was the smart one. Lately I really feel like the no BS one. That's the strongest feeling I've got. I strip away things that don't matter (and sometimes I do it when it's things that do matter to other people.) and just deal with what's real.

This is really interesting to me though, do you guys feel that's an accurate definition? Anything to add? (You won't hurt my feelings, well, if you say it nicely you won't).