Right now, Lana Parrilla.

No... there were a couple of close calls, but the bullies backed down in the end.

This might sound like a cop out, but I don't necessarily want children, but I also don't not want children. I feel like I'm unsure of what the future holds, and I could wake up with baby fever one day... but at this point in my life, I'm not ready.

OOH! I love burgers. I think Teddy's Bigger Burger, though I have yet to try Kua Aina.

Whoa. Chatting. The last time, was on accident on Facebook chat. I didn't mean to activate it, but as soon as I did a couple friends started chatting with me. The pressure to remain online during a chat session gets me. I prefer email, or texting.

Nah, I don't make New Years Resolutions... I always have resolve.

I'm in the U.S., and yes, I've been following along. It's been....interesting. I'll leave it at that.

I usually walk to and from work. I live 1 mile away. I also signed up at 24 Hr. Fitness in the fall of 2011, so I try to hit the gym every week, and I also run. I'm planning on training to do a triathlon this year. Not sure if I'll enter one, but I want to at least get a bicycle and swim in 2012. I ran a marathon in December.

Material: I've been buying myself stuff! So, I guess I got what I wanted early - e-readers. I got both a nook simple touch and a kindle keyboard... so maybe Gingerbread would be awesome.

Emotional: To figure out what to do with the rest of my life. (This might also be included in the category below since I have no idea).

Never Gonna Happen: Megabucks win. Lottery win, or other random sweepstakes or random win where the prize is upwards of $1million so I can quit my job and retire for a while. Travel the world, etc.

McRib baby!

I have a few. More than 2... less than 5. I sometimes experience anxiety over my tattoos. Usually these feelings of arise at job interviews, family functions, or speaking with senior citizens whose smiles become frowns as they glance at my chest with disapproval.

At family parties, I usually sport clothing that covers them all. I did finally allow one on my arm to show at a wedding I attended this year, (after having them for over a decade) but found myself trying to hide it when speaking to certain relatives. I feel like they'd be disappointed, and I also figure: I can express myself on my own time... Out of respect for the family, I do tend to cover-up. Ultimately, I got them for me, and not because I wanted to show them off to the world or as a means to somehow express myself to others. I don't especially want people to see them. But if they do, I usually don't mind. Except with the relatives. Or guys who leer at the one on my chest. I didn't calculate that into the equation when picking out tattoo placement. I wanted it on my chest, over my heart, like a badge... I actually think it's my favorite one. But I'm sick of dudes asking me to show them the whole tattoo. Total strangers. I don't regret it when they ask, but I can't believe they think I'm gonna say: "Sure!" and go Girls Gone Wild on their asses. Ass-hats.

I went for Dragons. And I had them before The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was in existence. They are all dragons, except for one, which is a stylized peacock on my right arm which is visible when I wear short sleeves, and most people ask if it's a fancy piece of seaweed. (Not the worst thing).

I don't think I want more, but am not closed to it. My tattoos are inspired by my father, who had tattoos on both arms. As a kid I always thought dad's tattoos were cool. It was a tribute to him and his total bad-ass macho-ness in that sense. My dad was special to me when I became old enough to get tattooed, because he got sick when I was 13, so I did that for him. To somehow be connected to him. Reminded of him. My relatives.. they wouldn't understand. My mom and dad seemed to though. That's all that mattered.

There is one dragon I wouldn't mind removing but I don't care enough to go and get it lasered-off. It's just not nice, imho. It was when I started getting addicted to tattoos, and sort of put an end to the addiction! lol!

This kind of question always weirds me out. I can't imagine making someone love me. It sounds like some evil sorcery in action. It never works. Like in Supergirl, when the walnut opened... that plan fell through...

I Ain't Mad at Ya - 2Pac

Is it weird that I can't really remember? I'd have to say my best Christmases had to be back when I was little, and believed in Santa, and both my parents were alive and well and my sister and I were still kids.. But somehow, there are only clear memories from two Christmases as a child that I have and they both are not really happy. One is that I learned there was no Santa one year, and carefully unwrapped all the presents in advance so I could see what I scored in advance. Then, I tried to re-wrap them so my parents wouldn't know I peeked... come Christmas morning, I had to pretend to be surprised as I unwrapped each present so my parents wouldn't be disappointed what I'd done. That taught me a valuable lesson not to peek in advance since I took the wind out of my own sails that Christmas. Even though it was kinda sad for me, it stuck with me my entire life, and I've never peeked in advance again. I learned the surprise was as magical as the gift itself. I also realized my parents would have been bummed if they knew I did it, and that I'd ruined their hard work somehow by cheating to discover what the surprise was. (I think I was 8 or 9 this year).

The other childhood memory I have, is another year when I got a Monchichi doll. My sister also got one, but hers was smaller and cuter. Even though I was the youngest, SHE got baby Monchichi, and I got some other, bigger, not-as-cute Monchichi. Needless to say I whined and was sad about it, and carried on like a brat. What an ingrate! I regret that now. I might have been 5 or 6 years old that year.

But I do recall being excited every year as a kid... going to bed early the night before... begging to open one present on Christmas Eve.. watching those Charlie Brown and Rankin/Bass semi-creepy stop-motion Christmas specials about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the Abominable Snowman on TV. Going to family parties and running Christmasy errands with mom and dad. Trying to get my older sister to play with me. Looking at the Honolulu City Lights display downtown.. All the great food and candies. Someone would always get our family that weird-ass plate with dates and other fruits soaked in what I imagine was rum or something... I hated those! And the cans of buttercookies... macadamia nuts.. or Senbei. For a while we would get the big container of senbei each year from some relative, or my mom would buy it for the family but nobody seems to make those anymore. We had stockings that my mom would hang up with all the Christmas cards we received, on the wall, and she used to decorate the front door with a wreath or a big poster... I remember being excited and happy overall.

And of course, Christmas changed as it does for everyone as you get older. And now I have to admit I don't enjoy receiving presents anymore, so much as giving them.

It's perhaps cheesy-sounding, but I think time with my family was the best Christmas present I ever had, but I never fully appreciated the time I had when I had it.. but now I do. So.. all these fragmented memories of Christmas as a child are probably the best thing I ever got, since I still carry them with me today. :D

Yes - you answered it the way I meant. Not necessarily in a religious sense, but whether or not the soul / spirit / consciousness exists beyond the lifetime of the physical body. Thanks!

Yes.

joan or joan9 is my nickname. :D i don't really have any others.

The best thing about living in town, is being able to walk to work. It takes me back to my youthful days of high school, where I walked about a mile to school every morning, then walked back home in the afternoon. Walking gives a new perspective on scenes that flash by from behind safety glass at 30+ mph.

Time. I have more of it living in town. I really do value it and am quickly spoiled by it now.

Mililani has great weather. I did not have the foresight to purchase a place with good cross-breezes in town, and boy am I paying the price. For the first time in my life, I'm sleeping with oscillating fans on, and don't even use the blanket more than 50% of the time. In fact, I only use sheets. All my cool Sesame Street comforters and blankets are stored away, possibly never to be used until I move again. But wait, you asked what I *liked* about living in town, so I'll stop my bitching about the heat. heh.

Mililani is my hometown. I love the way things are more spaced-out on that side of the island. Driving home past Waipio Gentry -- that one long stretch between Pearl City and Mililani, where you see no buildings, no houses.. just trees and grass and mountains.. so nice. Mililani also doesn't have telephone and electrical wires everywhere. Dare I say the people are different? In Mililani when I went jogging, more than 65% of the people made eye contact and greeted me in some way. In town, less than 75% of the people acknowledge me, and I've taken to no longer making eye contact after being ignored countless times. (wait, I'm bitching again).

It's also been a case of "you don't know what you've got til it's gone" in the sense that I lived in a house and had privacy and plush carpeting, and a yard where I could plant stuff or just walk around and water stuff.. and being able to park in the garage that is just a few steps away from the front door is awesome. Being able to watch TV an listen to music without worrying about the volume, being able to play with my rabbit, (I miss my rabbit), and memories of growing up with my family in that house.. I miss that and I value those times. I had it good.

I still have it good out here in town. It's just different. Thanks for asking!

nowadays, it'd be my fitbit and my phone. I don't literally carry my phone all day, but it's always close by if it's not in my bag, or my pocket.
The fitbit tracks all steps you take and even sleep, so I wear it almost all the time except when I take a shower.