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By kilax, March 30, 2012 12:56 am

Does anyone in your family share the same job/profession? Is your work similar to a family member’s?

My dad and brothers all have car-related jobs – mechanics or parts. My sister is getting her Interior Design degree. I got my degree in Architecture, but my title at work is Interior Designer. I think my mom started school for Interior Design way back in the day? Now she works for the school district.

Bonus Question: Are your parents retired?

Today is my dad’s last day of work! Holla! Go Dad, retiring young!!!

Card designed by my sister!

Mom’s got a few more years left…

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By kilax, March 23, 2012 6:38 am

What are your best and worst neighbor stories?

This sign I saw yesterday during my run inspired me to ask this question.

Ha! I don’t experience that problem (sure, the grass in our yard is all discolored from dog crap, but whatever), but the sign still made me laugh.

Warmer temps in Chicagoland are reminding me about our biggest gripe with our neighbors – noise level. We live in a townhome, and we are very close to our neighbors and they get loud. I love having the windows open to hear the birds and wildlife, but I cannot stand hearing people screaming and yelling. Yep. I am an old lady. That’s probably our “worst.” That I will talk about here anyway.

Our best neighbor story is our neighbors that we were close with for a few years before they moved to New Mexico.We would share meals, run errands for each other, they would watch Data. We miss them!

The winner of the Gone for a Run Clock Sign is Susan! Susan, please send me your mailiing address (to kilax@ilaxstudio.com) and I will send it your way.

I have another giveaway for next week. You can probably guess what it is if you read any other Chicagoland based bloggers…

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By kilax, March 16, 2012 6:53 am

When you travel for fun, do you make a list (or even itinerary) of the things you want to see/do? Or do you get there and wing it/just go with the flow?

I am a travel researcher! I make a list of interesting things I may want to see where I am going, then figure out how to fit them in my schedule. I usually don’t have an exact itinerary, but I definitely have things in mind for that day! And for this trip to NYC, I made a google spreadsheet list of things to do/see and an accompanying map!

But I also like to explore. Something might catch my eye and I’ll have to go check it out. It’ll be something I hadn’t planned on seeing, but will be so glad I did when I return!

I coming home tonight, so not much travel talk after this! Ha ha. 

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By kilax, March 9, 2012 6:12 am

Do you finish every book you start reading? What would cause you to stop reading a book?

I assure you, I am not reading six books at once. Those are all books I have started and not finished. And this habit kind of bugs me.

Even though I commute on the train, I don’t use that time to read books, because it makes me fall asleep. So the most common time for me to read is right before bed at home (again, because it makes me fall asleep). I don’t read every night, so it sometimes takes me a long time to finish a book, because by the time I get back to the book, I forget what I have been reading!

Of course, some books are so good you do want to finish them faster! I sometimes read in the bathtub, on the rare day off with no other plans, and on airplanes.

And some books are not so good… so you finish them slower. If at all.

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By kilax, March 2, 2012 9:57 am

What did you dislike (food, preference, whatever) as a child that  you like now? 

When I was a kid I hated wearing skirts and dresses. I played a lot outside a lot and felt like I couldn’t do as much when I was constricted to a skirt or dress. I wanted to roll around and play in the dirt!

Not right:

Right (Steven, please buy me a vegan chocolate Easter Bunny):

Now that I am older, I realize dresses and skirts are much more comfortable for work, and more forgiving than pants! So I wear them a lot more often. 

But I still wear pants/shorts when I want to play in the mud (photo from the 5K last Sunday)!

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By kilax, February 24, 2012 8:18 am

Do you ever get so tired that you plan a “sleep in” day to try to catch up? Does it ever work for you?

I know you can’t “bank” your sleep to make up for lost sleep, but I have been planning on sleeping in tomorrow all week. I don’t have a long run, I don’t have any social plans, I don’t think we have any reason to leave the house other than to get groceries… it should be perfect, right?

Oh wait. There’s this guy:

Data insists on waking me up at my normal wake up time (4:30am) most days of the week, whether or not I need to get up. He wants to be fed. If I feed him, and go back to bed, he still bothers me. If I lock him out of the bedroom he bangs on the door handle.

So, my one goal for the day is to KEEP DATA UP all day long. Muah ha ha. I will wear him out and then he will sleep in. Let the games begin.

If that does not work, there will be a nap in my future.

(Yes, this is another reason I should never have kids, if I find my cat waking me up to be an annoyance)

This post sucks but it’s all I got right now. See here.

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By kilax, February 17, 2012 5:00 am

Do you ever completely  “unplug” when you go on vacation? Why or why not?

When I was packing for my trip to NYC I realized I bring a lot of electronics and chargers with me.

Phones/WiFi:

Computers/Tablets:

Camera/Music/Watch:

(not pictured – blue tooth headset that I have not set up with my new phone yet)

So many people talk about their relaxing vacations where they completely unplug (no phone, internet, etc.) and I was thinking how that only happens when I am forced to unplug because of connectivity (when I am in Guttenberg, IA there is hardly any cell service). 

I really like it when it happens! I love being away from electronics all day, and not even having a watch on to know what time it is… but if I am vacationing in a  metropolitan city, I am going to at least have my netbook with me to check email!

(What I am bad at is staying caught up with Google Reader – I can really only read as many blogs as I do because of my long commute. No commute = no blog reading time. I will catch up with your blog though!)

So… I think I have a minor issue with being disconnected. Does anyone else?

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By kilax, February 10, 2012 4:47 am

What is your definition of introvert/extrovert and which characteristics do you identify with more (introvert, extrovert, in-between)?

Is it just me, or do the dictionary.com definitions of introvert and extrovert seem to be… lacking?

Introvert = shy? Hmm, really? That seems too cut and dry. And definition #2 makes them just sound self-centered!

Outgoing? Social? That is it?

This is why I am asking for your definitions and which you relate to more! These are the black & white definitions I have always thought of for introverted vs extroverted in my head, but I think there is so much more going on than that. 

I keep running across references to this book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (another possible definition – introvert – quiet?). And I keep running in to introvert/extrovert references in the research I am doing for work (office design). It’s really making me interested in doing more research on my own! But, I haven’t. So I don’t have anything to share with you yet. Except, this quiz (click link and scroll down) which will give you an idea of if you are introverted or extroverted. 

Like I said, I always thought extroverted = outgoing, always busy, full schedule, and introverted = keeping to yourself, not very social, always alone. The thing is, neither of those close-minded descriptions fit me. I am very independent and love love love my free time, but I also keep a somewhat busy social calendar, love chatting with new people, and making new friends. I am not shy at all, am rarely embarrassed and it’s hard to get me to shut up. Yet I have days, and weeks (like this one!) where I just want to chill at home with my husband, and only see my closest friends. So where do I lie on their scale? 

I would say I am mostly extroverted, with a bit of introverted in me too (Hey – peeps who know me in real life – what do you think I am?).

But, I am 13/20 for that quiz (which I highly recommend) – meaning I am more introverted. According to one quiz. Hmm. (Or maybe, ha ha)

The Gnu Bars Giveaway winner is #16, Gingerfoxxx! Gingerfoxxx, please email me your mailing address (to kilax@ilaxstudio.com) and I will get the sampler pack sent your way!

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By kilax, February 3, 2012 5:05 am

What would be in your ideal trail mix?

Steven bought this awesome tropical trail mix a few weeks ago. And I picked all the fruit out of it (picked around the tree nuts). 

I assumed me doing that was sort of annoying, so I bought individual bags of the things I would want in my ideal trail mix – banana chips, pineapple chunks, golden raisins, dried mangoes, and cocktail peanuts. I think the only thing missing is chocolate chips!

Gosh. Now I really want to add some chocolate chips.* 

It seems my trail mix is all about the sweet tastes with a slight hint of salt. Is your mix on the sweeter or saltier side?

*I actually wrote this post last Sunday. I added chocolate chips on Wednesday – no bueno. Chocolate chips not necessary.

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By kilax, January 27, 2012 5:45 am

Do you have close relationships with any of your neighbors? Do you know any of their names?

In MWF Seeking BFF there is a statistic quoted that 28% of Americans know none of their neighbors by name. Honestly, I am surprised the percentage is not higher. We were close to a family in our neighborhood, but they moved to Albuquerque a few years ago. I was pretty bummed. We did a lot together. The husband and I would even run and race together!

 We haven’t developed relationships with anyone else, to date. More often than not, I am knocking on their door to ask them to turn their music down, not to give them a plate of cookies.

We have actually had many neighbor issues, but I try not to write about that stuff here. It just makes me even angrier.

I had to fill out some security forms at work and I was supposed to write down the name of a neighbor who knows me well. I had no one to write down. So they had me list the name of our neighbors who moved. That made me feel kind of lame.

I am wondering if anyone else is in the same situation as me?