The Weekly Top 10

1. THIS IS THE ONE I KEEP FORGETTING! And now you are going to think it's a really good question too, but it's not. If you had to give of one of your five senses, which one would it be and (briefly) why?

I'd give my sense of smell (which would affect my sense of taste, but oh well). I have a pretty "sensitive nose" and actually get sensory overload at times by various aromas. I get nauseated by various smells, such as omelets. I nearly barfed in my driveway last night after taking out the garbage because there was an extremely foul odor emitting from the black can. I know those are extreme examples, and I'm not saying I have the scent detecting abilities of a bloodhound, but I detect more subtle things too. I'm frequently saying, "Do you smell that?" and receiving only quizzical looks.

2. I recently wrote a little bit about Los Angeles and what I can love about it, even as I do not love living here. What do you love about L.A.?

• I love that here in L.A. we have the best of many worlds. We have city with its theaters, coffee shops, free independent newspapers, etc. We also have massive amounts of "nature" such as canyons, hills, etc. I love hiking up into Griffith Park or Runyon Canyon and getting to certain spots where you are just surrounded by greenery (and brownery this time of year as it is so dry) and forgetting briefly that you are even in a city. In addition, we have the beach, mountains, and desert within close reach.
  
• The variety of cultures represented by L.A.'s residents. I feel fortunate to work in a profession and location that forces me to interact with lots of people from a multitude of cultural backgrounds. I continue to learn new things almost daily from these experiences.
• As a result of above, there are fabulous restaurants here. You can find just about any cuisine you have your heart set on. There is also a plethora of late-night and even 24 hour dining options which is important to me.
• Great art deco architecture in various parts of the city, such as the Miracle Mile area.
  
• There are a lot of opportunities through various organizations to see free film screenings. A few movies I have not paid for in the past year include: The Aviator (complete with Q&A with Scorsese), Crash, Madagascar, I *heart* Huckabees, Team America, The Incredibles, Batman Begins...just to name a few.
  
• Great bands and musicians play here, often in smaller venues.
  
• The Hollywood Bowl
• The "weather". Yes, we really don't have much variety and yes, it has been "Africa hot" here lately, but that's what a/c is for, right? Having spent a fair amount of time in the Northeast and the Southeast, I found I don't really like weather too much.
  
• In general, I find the beggars to be rather friendly (as compared to NYC and San Francisco where they can be downright scary!)
• Museums.
• Overall, this is a fairly "dog friendly" city.
  
• I could go on and on, but I'll wrap it up by saying that there is so much to do and discover that I'm seeing, doing, and learning new things here in and about L.A. all the time.
  

3. You’ve been going to a lot of concerts recently. If you were a rocker, how would you rock?

Wow, this is a really tough question because I am about the most tone deaf and least musically talented person you could meet! I'd most likely rock some off-beat, avant garde, pop-punk type band. A girl band. Sort of like my friend's band kittenfreaky maybe.

4. And what would you play?

To go along with the incredibly insane fantasy that I would ever be in a band, I'd have to say keyboards and theremin. In reality, I'd probably do better off with a triangle.

5. And what would you name your band?

I have two, of course: Sparkling Cheese or Sapphire Underdog.
(Damn, those are pretty bad!)

6. I recently bought maps of Dublin and Edinburgh, two places I have visited and to which I would love to return. Both cities felt very comfortable to me. Where do you feel most comfortable (in that sense, not in like a jammies and bed sort of sense)?

I recently had the opportunity to return to Ithaca, NY, a place I really love. To visit. I don't think I could live there though. A couple of other places I really like, again as a comfortable place to visit, even for an extended time, is Mammoth Lakes, CA and New Hope, PA. (The caveat being that I visit neither of those places in the winter).

7. Speaking of comfort, it was to my surprise that I found that may ultimate comfort food is‚…tofu. Do you have a comfort food? (did I ask you this before?)

No, you did not ask this. I'm not sure I have just one answer as it depends a bit on mood. I can narrow it down to two though: dark chocolate and tortilla chips.

8. I know there are no better dogs in the world than your three but do you have a favorite breed (and I do not condone dog breeding or anything of the sort, but all dogs come from some breed way back).

I've truly come to love the small to medium sized "mutt," but I am also very fond of the "Spitz" breeds such as American Eskimos, Pomeranians, Keeshonds, etc. They are typically intelligent dogs and I like the fox-like features of snout and pointy ears. There are other breeds I do like such as long-hair Dachshunds, long-hair Chihuahuas, and Westies. I grew up with, and my parents now have, German Shepard Dogs which I also have an affinity for, but I personally don't think I'd have a dog that large anymore.

9. Other than dogs, do you have a favorite animal?

Non-human primates. Monkeys, chimps, apes, you name it.

10. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Mint chocolate chip. Yum!

Questions courtesy of Ren. Thanks!