NO ORIGINAL THOUGHT . . .

I love how I complain about people who have no capacity for original thought ... and now find myself in the same exact position. I console myself by telling myself that if I had a little more sleep, or if I had not had that draining conversation the other night, or if I didn't have so much on my plate, I would be physically able to come up with scintillating, intelligent, exciting and unique things to share with whoever wants to share them with me. Who knows, though, if that would actually be the case? For now, I'm settling for quiet evenings of music and mini-camp, repeat episodes of "Without a Trace," and this:

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
Cablevision. Cablevision sucks. It just does. And there's no way that what they're giving me is worth what I'm paying them.

2. What's the best place to eat a romantic dinner?
I haven't been there yet, but I'm due for a nice garlicky, dimly-lit Italian dinner in a few days. I'll let you know if it lives up to all of the expectations ... but really, it's the company one keeps, isn't it?

3. Last time you puked from drinking?
Sophomore year of college. NEVER. AGAIN.

4. When is the last time you got drunk and danced on a bar?
Never. Please, have some dignity.

5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Gravely. All my classmates called her Mrs. Gravy and I felt so bad for her because she was so, so sweet.

6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
That which I will be doing at 10:30p tonight.

7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
The first Korean-American astronaut to take to space ... a pediatrician (thank you, Cheech, for carrying my torch so faithfully) ... a lawyer. Hey, one for three ain't bad.

8. How many colleges did you attend?
One, and sometimes I wish I could do it all over again so I could really get my money's worth.

9. Why did you wear the shirt that you have on right now?
It's grey out today and the world needed a splash of colour.

10. GAS PRICES! First thought?
I'm glad they're dropping, but I'm still going to Jersey for fuel.

11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you...
Manhattan, and ... hee. I'm not telling.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
"I wish I was sick so I could call in sick and sleep some more ... oh wait, but then I'd be sick."

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Either "When is this response going to come?" or "I. Love. My. Bed."

14. Favorite style of underwear?
Nobody needs to know what my favorite style of underwear is, lest you think that is also the underwear I wear, and maybe it is, but you still don't need to know.

15. Favorite style of underwear for the opposite/same sex?
Boxer briefs.

16. What errand/chore do you despise?
Folding dried laundry.

17. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer at an art gallery?
No.

18. Get up early or sleep in?
Get up early -- there's too much to miss!

19. What is your favorite cartoon character?
I have vague memories of those who used to be my favorites from "M.A.S.K." and "G.I. Joe." And of course, what girl did not want to be Jem (Jem is excitement, ooooh Jem, Jem is adventure!)?!

20. Favorite NON-sexual thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
Laugh.

21. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
San Francisco.

22. Number of texts in a day?
Zero. I watch people text message, and they all have their mouths hanging open, and their thumbs are cramping up, and you just KNOW that their grammar and punctuation have gone to the dogs. Horrible.

23. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or relationship?
Neither.

24. Your favorite lunch meat?
Does a mozzarella, tomato and basil combination count?

25. What do you get every time you go into Costco?
I'm a BJ's girl myself, but I pick pasta, pasta sauce, and paper goods. Booooooring.

26. Beach or lake?
Lake. I'm less likely to get swept out somewhere.

27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual that was invented by people who died at 20?
No. Don't be ridiculous.

28. Who do you stalk on MySpace?
I think MySpace is evil and refuse to have anything to do with it.

29. Favorite guilty pleasure?
Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide ice cream; buying books on Amazon; repeat episodes of "Top Chef."

30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about?
I have a very low embarrassment threshold so I'm not that ashamed of any of my movie-viewing choices. But people seem to laugh a lot when I say that "The Sound of Music" is my favorite movie of all time.

31. What's your drink?
Soy chai latte (thanks, TinyCricket) and room-temperature water.

32. Cowboys or Indians?
For what?

33. Cops or Robbers?
I don't understand this question.

34. Do you cheer for the bad guy?
In movies, sometimes. In real life, never. But then again, so little is easily penned into black-and-white.

35. What Hollywood star do you think resembles you best?
Name me a Korean-American Hollywood star and there might be your answer. Oh wait, there are none. Riiiight. (Yes, that is an indictment of the Hollywood community, so read as much rage into that as you wish.) However, I have been likened to: Phoebe, from "Friends;" Monica, from "Friends;" Elaine, from "Seinfeld;" and Sarah Jessica Parker. You figure it out because I sure as heck can't.

36. If you had to pick one, which cast member of "Lost" would you be?
Would I BE? Why? So that I too can be stuck on a weird desert island that isn't actually deserted and is frighteningly bizarre and spooky and dangerous? Uh, no. But I would like to be WITH Sawyer. Cheeky grin.

37. What do you want when you are sick?
Orange juice, which I despise when I am healthy. And my mommy.

38. Who from high school would you like to run into?
My Spanish teacher, Sr. McKenney.

39. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
AM: 880 News. FM: 93.9 NPR.

40. Norm or Cliff?
Didn't watch enough episodes to know the difference.

41. "The Cosby Show" or "The Simpsons?"
Definitely "The Cosby Show." For a long time as a child, I felt that my family was the Korean version of the show.

42. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
2000-2001.

43. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work?
I don't know her at all, but she seems nice.

44. If you could get away with it, who would you kill?
Nobody. I just don't think I have it in me. Plus, it's just not right.

45. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Former President Bill Clinton.

46. What famous person would you like to sleep with?
You know, I never got into the whole fantasize-about-a-famous-person-and-wish-to-bed-them thing. I mean, I think that certain male actors are very handsome and I wouldn't mind just spending some time gazing upon them and perhaps smelling their clean fresh man scent. But I just don't get all hot & bothered by famous people. Sometimes, a facial expression or a profile shot or the shirt one is wearing will remind me of someone I know in real life, and I'll wish that real person were next to me so I could snuggle up next to him and smell him, but I have never and don't expect to ever long to be with the famous counterpart. Anyway, that's the long preface to a short answer: no one.

47. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No, neither to extinguish a fire nor to knock an intruder over the head.

48. Last book you read for real?
"Honestly," by Sheila Walsh.

***

RANDOMIZATIONS FROM THE BATHROOM . . .

The bathroom at the office gives out FREE tampons and FREE sanitary napkins! FREE! I just think that's really nice.

***

CHUPACABRA . . .

Apparently, the firm is having some sort of event tonight where the employees will be split up into teams to engage in some sort of friendly competitions. So all afternoon, people up and down the hall have been coming up with team names and engaging in some really funny trash-talking. One team is going to be "The Vaders" (as in Darth Vader); another, evidently, is going to be "Chupacabra" (and just listening to people butcher the word is fun enough).

But hands down, the name that made me laugh out loud in my little cubicle here was this: "e. coli."

"Why?," the name-giver was asked. "Because it's the virus that makes you bleed from the inside out and eventually kills you," she said.

Awesome.