You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”
Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past NINE (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
- What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
The diversity. Union City is a melting pot of different cultures, and I never realized just how cool it was until I left. On my parents’ street there are Filipino families, European families, Indian families, Vietnamese families, Mexican families — and high school was like that too. So many different people. There’s just a lot of diversity in a small place. - How do you feel about buffets?
I’m a big fan. But the food has to be good, though. I’m not about going to buffets just for the sake of eating massive amounts of food. I’m very picky about my buffets.The Bellagio buffet in Las Vegas? Mwah! Perfection. So much good food. Crab legs and lobster and caviar and so many desserts! I can’t even… Thinking about it makes me tear up a little.
They have a dessert island with special chefs who can make you a dessert right then and there. It’s magical.
- What’s something that drives you nuts?
When my toenails are too long and I can feel them bumping up against the inside of my shoes…Ugh! I can’t take it.
But when I finally win the lottery and hire my in-house beauty team like Mariah Carey’s, I won’t have to worry about that anymore. I’ll just get up in the morning, roll on down to the beauty salon after feeding Connor, and trained professionals will do my makeup and my hair and give me a manicure and a pedicure.
This would be after the massage, of course, because there would also be a spa. Then I’d be ready to face the day! 🙂
- What was your favorite class in school and why?
I loved English literature because I really love to read, and it felt like I was getting away with murder. All we had to do was read a book, answer some questions about it and maybe write a little… That’s not school. That’s fun! - What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
I know it’s small and kind of ridiculous, but I went to Old Navy a few weeks ago because I couldn’t fit into any of my summer clothes, and I was kind of depressed about it. I needed some new shorts, and when I was paying for them, the salesgirl said that she thought I looked very beautiful that day, and it made me feel a little better.Sometimes the most memorable moments are about timing more than anything else.
Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
2. How do you feel about buffets?
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
Good morning, glory! It’s Monday morning. A fresh week and a fresh start. The trip to Redding was fun but very hot. Of course. I think it hit 112 one day, LOL! That’s Redding, for ya.
Have a wonderful day, my friend. I’ll talk to you soon.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? It’s very small, my graduating class had 60 kids in it. And we are close, my high school principal passed away recently and it was humbling to see how many of us from our town were there.
2. How do you feel about buffets? Love them! My 13 year old is a vegetarian, so they are great options for her.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? I’m wearing a set of Jamberry nail adhesive stickers, and they’re staring to lift at the edges. Grrrrr!
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? English, I’m a big reader.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? I had a flat tire when I was 17, and thought I could drive home on it. I was pulled over by a cop who generously changed it for me. I saw him that night at a restaurant and he bought me an ice cream. I called him my “guardian cop!”
What a nice story, Stephanie! 🙂 It sounds like you grew up in great place.
What’s something that drives you nuts? Whistling.
What was your favorite class in school and why? Art! Duh!! 🙂
Thanks for answering part of the poll! If you want you can also answer the rest of the questions. ?
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
It’s the capital of California?
2. How do you feel about buffets?
Sone are terrible, some are wonderful. A buffet I’d go to in Germany for Sushi and Chinese food was actually pretty friggin good.
Does all you can eat Korean BBQ count? If so, that’s awesome.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
Oy, just about everything. I seem to have a super short fuze right now!
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
Usually any science or art course.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
I left a $50 tip on a $20 lunch at PF Changs. The waitress looked tired and she made a mistake, apologized and said she was working a double after a double for an unexpected medical bill. She thought I’d made a mistake since I left a $50 bill. She ran after me, I told her the tip was more than the bill cause I’ve been there myself and you can’t burn the candle at both ends when sick, so it was my way of helping out as I wish someone had helped me. She cried. Her manager thought something shady was happening but I told him she’d just provided super excellent service for my large party (we had 12 people) and a few people tipped to lightly so I was making up for it. He seemed satisfied and she was super grateful. I’ll never forget it because of all the ruckus that was made over it and how everyone in the place was staring at me!
SHIT! NICE FOR ME!
LOL, When we got in an accident in Italy a farmer towed our car back to our hotel with his tractor! I’m not sure I’ve been more grateful in a long ass time cause we were really stuck in that ditch and our auto service for towing was German. We were out in the middle of nowhere looking for a ma and pa winery so there was no way we could have even given suitable directions in Italian and we had no cell reception!
This is a good one !!
1. I grew up in Grapevine, TX. The best part was our marching band. We were awesome. Haha.
2. Eh. They’re usually lukewarm, full of carb-loaded dishes, a few soggy veggies, and meat drenched in various mystery sauces. Pass.
3. People giving unsolicited advice. You don’t know my life and I didn’t ask for you to chime in!
4. Art. I didn’t take it until senior year and I regretted that decision because not only did I like it, but I was good at it, too. Sadly art wasn’t valued in my family so I wasn’t encouraged to pursue it.
5. I think you’re right about timing, Karen. Just after I moved to Tennessee I was feeling lonely and depressed. I took my young boys to the local mall where my then almost 3yo wandered to the fountain. A stranger stopped to give him a handful of pennies to throw into the fountain. That small act of kindness made all the difference.
I mean I regretted not taking art sooner!
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? It’s where all my best friends live! (at least within a 25 minute radius). Plus, we have a lake and great mountains and pretty easy access to drive to anywhere in the northeast. And we’re close to Montreal for cultural stuff, like hockey… 😉
2. How do you feel about buffets? I’m not generally a fan but the Bellagio is lovely. We just went to a Golden Buffet for the first time last week (kids wanted to try it) and it was absolutely not my thing.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? Geesh, what doesn’t? Rude people at buffets? HAHA! I’m actually going with the strong irony, here. My impatience drives me nuts. I honestly just wish I was not so quick to get irritated about things.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? English, for sure. And for the same reason. I was an English Lit major in college, too, and always wished my job could be to go to school forever. 🙂
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? I know there have been many nice things but I am drawing a blank on a specific situation. However, your question is inspiring me to do something nice for someone else. So, I think that’s definitely a positive.
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
The food of course. Lyon is called the gastronomy capital of France for a reason! It’s also very walkable, with a downtown area that’s large enough to be varied but small enough that you can walk places. The architecture is also great, ranging from Roman ruins to a whole Renaissance neighborhood, with medieval churches, 19th century squares and boulevards, and brand new developments in the area where the 2 rivers meet.
2. How do you feel about buffets?
I like buffets because you can try a bit of everything. However I hate wasting food and seeing other people waste food (just not ok in my upbringing), and most people tend to throw away huge amounts of food at buffets… Don’t fill your plate with 5 times more food than you can eat!
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
Drivers in Southern California. Enough said.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
English! I loved learning languages in general, but English was always my favorite. It just opened so many doors in my little head, with so much of the music and trends I was following coming from the US.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
Every time my husband has cooked dinner while I was lounging on the couch!
Hope you have a great week, Karen!
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
Considering I arrived to Puebla when I was 2, I think here is my hometown and I think the coolest think is the amount of historical places we have, which adding museums makes it a really cultural city.
2. How do you feel about buffets?
Six months ago I’d say love them but now I’m more about quality than quantity so I prefer good food over a lot of food since my stomach can’t handle a lot like before (well I still eat a lot but not like before).
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
Dark roots, right know I’m between cutting all my white hair or dyeing into a dark ash blonde or light brunette to reduce the contrast.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
History and geography, I love reading about different cultures and also knowing about their history, I was so happy when I started World History.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
I don’t know if I’ll always remember it, but the people in León were uber nice, the nicest person was this woman who heard we where lost and immediately stopped walking, asked us where did we want to go and gave us directions.
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
HAHAHAHAHA we grew up in the same town. I agree with you about the diversity and how it seems to keep changing over time. I still live there and I’ve seen how it has developed from gladiola fields and the drive-in movies to shopping centers and new homes.
2. How do you feel about buffets?
Ummm..I love buffets. I have a house in Vegas and I’ve eaten at many buffets. There always seems to be a new one that I need to try…
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
I guess the one thing that drives me nuts is when someone cuts you off on the highway and then slows down. Why do people do that? Also, jaywalkers drive me crazy. There is a reason why they have cross walks!
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
I loved math class when I was in high school-especially geometry and physics. In college I loved biology classes especially molecular biology and genetics.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
I have a super bad memory so this will be hard. I forget about things right after it happens. The last thing I remember is my boyfriend giving me a back rub because my back was killing me from sitting so much at my desk.
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? I would have to say the museums. There are a lot of really great museums, including, the City Museum, which is not to be missed. That one is described as “an eclectic mixture of children’s playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects.”
2. How do you feel about buffets? Maybe not.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? other drivers
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? English. I love to read and I love to write, always has.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? Oh boy, that’s a tough one. I’ve been the recipient of a lot of acts of kindness. I’ll pick traveling during the early years when my son was a baby and a toddler. Whenever we flew back home, which was half way across the country, other travelers were so helpful. People just immediately grabbed my bags for me and carried them on and stowed them and carried them off. I miss that!
Hah, #4 should say “always have” not “always has.” And I have an English degree. Yikes!
What fun questions!!!
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
I live in a place called Hercules; enough said 🙂
2. How do you feel about buffets?
Luv them and after indulging, regret eating so much and getting severe food coma afterwards.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
Clutter; extreme clutter (not daily clutter). I hate it when there’s a lot of stuff all over and there’s no space for productivity.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
I’m a hands on kinda girl, so my favorite class when I was in high school was physics, college was medical microbiology because I got to apply what I learned. Example: if we learned about electricity, the next assignment was to build a house with my classmates with working lights. Pretty cool stuff!
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
One thing that happened over a decade ago when I was a freshman in college; I was at the school gym and I dislocated my knee. I went to a school where freshmen couldn’t have cars, so an upper class man that I befriended while taking an exercise class drove me home and made sure I got back to my dorm. She helped me also afterwards; making sure I got medical care at the student health center too! When you’re away from family, as a new young adult, u remember nice people like this! 😉
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? Great hiking and not a single stoplight (different than the metro Boston town I live in now with 75,000 people).
2. How do you feel about buffets? Not a big fan unless on a cruise ship.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? This election.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? any of my Communications classes during undergrad. I liked the entire major. I had fun taking photography, advertising, media criticism etc.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? I can’t think of just one thing!
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?: Me! Lol. I’m from NYC so I guess everything?
2. How do you feel about buffets?: I’m not a fan because they seem unsanitary in general and I like to order just what I want and have it brought to me than eat from a tray that’s been out for hours.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?: People who follow you on social media just to win your giveaway, then unfollow you once they get their prize. That is not right.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? The same as yours, Karen! I would read ahead for school because I love reading. When my classmates found out about my reading habits they didn’t understand why I would read ahead if I didn’t have to.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? Last year (I hope to do it this year too) I made homemade cookies and put them in containers and taped a note to the front that read: “Thank you for serving the community. Happy Holidays!” I then took them around to the local supermarkets and neighborhood store for the cashiers, sales associates and all the people who work hard to serve the community.
Oh wait, I misread the last question. One time a woman I worked with paid for my acupuncture appointments because I had knee pain and couldn’t afford it. That was
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? The University of Oregon and the surrounding area.
2. How do you feel about buffets? I love a good one. Sometimes I’m not in the mood to wait on myself, but usually I don’t mind.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? When people borrow my things without asking first, especially if they don’t put them back when they’re done. (I’m looking at my hubby & kids!)
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? English because I love to read and write. Biology was a close second. I find science fascinating.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? About 15 years ago I was in a car accident, and my car slammed front first into a street light pole. This sweet Hispanic lady who barely spoke English made sure I was conscious, got someone to call 911, and gave me her bottled water even though the day was scorching hot. She stayed right by me till the ambulance came. I hope Karma rewarded her for kindness toward a total stranger.
These are fun questions!
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
The scenery can be quite beautiful. I’m from the northern lower peninsula of Michigan, and there’s lots of beautiful trees, lake, etc.
2. How do you feel about buffets?
If the food’s good, I’m all for it. I like options.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
Right now, my teeth! I just got fillings and it feels all weird.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
French and Drama! Those both got cut my senior year due to budget cuts, but I also liked accounting class (I won a trophy for accounting student of the year – not a trophy that got me a lot of guys LOL)
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
I vomited in the middle of a bus in France, and a really nice woman offered to let me come in and get water.
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? I have a couple, but where we initially landed when we came to the States – Westminster, CA – was awesome for it’s diversity and food (Little Saigon, yum!) and closeness to the beach.
2. How do you feel about buffets? They’re wasted on me, but if I do splurge I love having a little bit of a bunch of different things. I’m with you on the Bellagio one – so great! And the newly remodeled one where I work (the Atlantis in Reno) is fabulous.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? People who don’t use their turning signal.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? All of my history classes…but that was my degree, so no surprise. 🙂
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? A coworker who became one of my closest lifelong friends brought me lunch on her day off after she found out my longtime college boyfriend and I broke up. Her generosity and kindness know no bounds!
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? It’s San Francisco!
2. How do you feel about buffets? Meh
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? People clipping their nails in public
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? Science, because I’m a nerd
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? Did an intervention on me when I couldn’t stop drinking.
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? Hmm, where I grew up? My friends. They are true, real people. And the lake.
2. How do you feel about buffets? Looove casino buffets! A couple years ago in Vegas I took the buffet bowl of Skittles and dumped it in my purse! ?
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? Noise!! The people above me bowl in their hallway. I cried yesterday because it’s too much. And j ackhammers!4. What was your favorite class in school and why? Creative writing. I could imagine and create anything.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? When I turned 10, my 4 year old sister (at the time) wanted to give me a present so she wrapped up her used crayons. Those crayons were my favorite gift ever.
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
My parents’ house.
2. How do you feel about buffets?
Love ’em! But they’re dangerous… Oh so dangerous.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
Patience isn’t my biggest virtue, so I’m not good at waiting.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
I always liked English and German. And biology.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
My husband did something a few years ago that not too many people would have done. But I’m not going to share any details about it. Let’s just say he’s golden.
ok so I have an excuse for filling this in a day late. It’s technically my Monday today because we had a long weekend over here in Vancouver! 🙂 happy Tuesday, Karen!
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown?
Amazing food! Malay, Chinese and Indian dishes all meld together to create specifically Singaporean dishes of many kinds 🙂
2. How do you feel about buffets?
I’m OK with them. I can’t eat a lot over a short period of time so they’re kind of a waste on me. But I love the experience of it especially with Mr. Man who *loves* buffets 😉
3. What’s something that drives you nuts?
Long nails. Hair that makes me feel hot and bothered in the heat. People who are not self-reflective.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why?
English and Math! I love English lit because we got to talk about stories. I loved Math for the logic.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live?
When I was 18 in my senior year of high school, I decided to wear one my dad’s shirts to school one day. I tied it into a knot and the usually strict discipline mistress told me that I looked very elegant. It was a great boost to my self-esteem because up until then, I was only ever described as ‘cute’. 🙂
1. What’s the coolest thing about your hometown? South San Francisco is a bit small, but there’s good places to eat and a neighborhood off of Grand Avenue that has Christmas lights every year.
2. How do you feel about buffets? If it’s good, I’ll eat there. Especially if it’s in Vegas. Love The Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan and the one at The M Resort. Bacchanal at Caesars Palace is next on my list.
3. What’s something that drives you nuts? When I get a hangnail that I can’t remove unless I’m around a nail clipper or cuticle nippers.
4. What was your favorite class in school and why? Liked music because it was one of the most chill classes, and computer class because it brought out my nerdy side.
5. What’s something nice someone did for you that you’ll never forget as long as you live? Finding a job in healthcare can be frustrating. A few years ago, a recruiter that found me on LinkedIn helped me find my seasonal position with Kaiser. Next month will be my 3rd time working with them, and I continue to enjoy what I do there.
Oh gosh, if you see this Karen, can you omit my last name? I don’t know why I filled this out as if I were completing an application. Haha! Thanks in advance.