11 questions (Part Two)

Yesterday I posted the first part of this 11 Questions meme, in which I told you 11 random things about me. This was one of them:

I also posted 11 questions for 11 blogger friends. Here are those blogger friends in case they have already posted their answers or if you just wanna check them out!

http://trousdellfive.blogspot.com/
http://teamaidan.wordpress.com/
http://our3littlemiracles.blogspot.com/
http://cpdailyliving.com/
http://www.myangelhascerebralpalsy.com/
http://elliestumbo.blogspot.com
http://nisha360.com/
http://azisamazing.blogspot.com
http://laurastanfill.wordpress.com/
http://birdonthestreet.com
http://colofisch.blogspot.com

And finally the event we've all been waiting for! Here's my friend's 11 questions for me and my answers:

1. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why?

I would be more patient. It seems like a lot of the problems in my life stem from impatience.

2. Name the song that most motivates you and explain.

Oo, so many good ones to choose. I actually made three mixed CDs in my high school years called "Happy" that were just collections of motivating songs, like Bill Withers' "Lovely Day," The Rascals' "It's a Beautiful Morning," and Katrina & The Waves' "Walking on Sunshine." I haven't listened to those CDs in forever though. I'm pretty sure they've all been stolen in various car prowls. Ironically depressing.

Right now, I guess I would say my biggest motivating song is on a kid's CD of They Might Be Giants called "Impossible." For better or worse, I feel like it's my mantra for Malachi overcoming his limitations.

Well, they said I was impossible.
Yes they said I was impossible
and that someone who behaved like me
couldn't be, couldn't be.

But I knew that I was possible,
not completely unbelievable,
and the one they said could never be,
it was me, it was me

3. If you could start a new career easily, what would your dream job be?

A bestselling author. I would really love to write full-time.

4. What kind of car do you drive and how did you choose it?

HA. "Choose."

I drove a 2004 VW Golf TDI until a couple months ago. You can read about its massive pain in my rear end here. Now I'm back to the 1995 Toyota Corolla until it dies. I don't want to think about what will happen then. I think it involves the public transportation system.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up?

HA, again.

I wanted to be a physical therapist. Can you believe it? I guess I got my wish, huh? Even Malachi's PTs say I should do this for a living.

But when I was little, I didn't actually know what a physical therapist did. At some point, I told my brother, who is six years older than me, that I wanted to be a therapist, probably because I wanted to help people, and he said "Oh, no, no, you should be a physical therapist because they make more money." I thought that sounded good and basically figured a physical therapist was a therapist that helped people (psychologically) through movement.

Funny how life has all these little ironies and coincidences.

Anyway, somebody eventually told me that physical therapy had to do with sports and I was out. Then I decided I wanted to be an author and I've wanted to write ever since.

6. What is your favorite film from the past five years?

Hmm... I can't use my pat answer of Kenneth Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing," since that was much longer ago. Was WALL-E less than five years ago? I really liked that movie. Everything about it was great.

7. Coke or Pepsi (or “other”)?

I've inherited a Diet Coke affiliation. My mom hardly ever bought soda and I tend to only drink it when I'm out, but my husband's father drinks gallons of it and so would my husband if I kept it in the house. Every once in a while I'll buy a 12-pack of Caffeine-free Diet Coke. I usually get one before it's gone.

8. What’s the most ambitious item on your bucket list?

Probably visit India. I traveled a lot in college and younger, so I don't consider this very ambitious, but the more I get tied down with family and financial responsibilities I realize it's much further out of reach than I gave it credit for.

9. What is your favorite quote?

Well, that's pretty obvious; it's right up there in my banner:

"Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or, by opposing, end them."

I really find I go back to it again and again through this journey with CP. Is it better to "fight" the CP in hopes of "winning" or is it better to just accept it and move on even if that means less functionality in the long-term?

10. Morning person or night owl?

Night owl. For sure.

11. What is the most difficult thing you’ve ever faced or done?

Sacrificing my career and, well, everything and concentrating my whole being on keeping two babies inside me passed the risky 28-week mark. Succeeding in getting them to 30 weeks and having doctors reveal a month later that despite my "success," one has completely amorphous, undefinable brain damage and they have no idea why, so therefore it could be my fault.

I've written a blog about it. You should check it out. ;)