1.  If you have ever followed the Garfield comic strip, you know Garfield loves lasagne.  What is your favorite Italian food?  Do you over-indulge when it comes to pasta?

Actually, that’s one of the few Italian foods I do like. I make a mean lasagna. I will also eat cabonara (vastly differently, really.) But in general, I don’t really like pasta because it makes me feel heavy.

2.  Tell us about your very first pet.  If you have never had a pet, can you tell us about an animal that touched your life in some way?

Technically, my first pet was  a box turtle I found in the yard. I kept him in a box for a couple days, fed him lettuce, then we took him to a wooded area with a pond and let him go.

3.  Garfield sleeps his day away, only waking to eat or sweet talk his girlfriend Arleen.  How many hours sleep do you normally get each night?  How much sleep do you really need

My sleep schedule is always crazy. I would say most days, I’ll fall asleep on the couch around 10 and wake up sometime between 11 and 11:30 at which time we’ll go upstairs. (my husband could probably stay up all night). I probably fall back to sleep between 12 and 12:30 and wake by 6. On weekend, I’ll stay up until 11 and sleep until 7 and if I get uninterrupted sleep, that’s about all I need. But I can make do on 4-5 hours, though.

4.  Garfield lets the mice in the house have their way.  When was the last time you had to chase out a little varment?

We haven’t had too any problems with critters, thankfully. After our fence was wrecked from the October storm, we had a raccoon pair who came in and rummaged through the yard but now that it’s fixed, I don’t see them anymore.

5.  Garfield also loves his teddy bear Pooky. Did you have a favorite stuffed animal when you were young (or now!)?  If you didn’t or don’t, what about someone you know?

I had a white teddy bear (can’t remember his name) and another little bear with a red and white checkered stomach that I named “grits.”

6.  Please tell us something about your week, so far!

Well, Monday was good then bad, work-wise, but I got home and was happy. We watched Bruce Almighty, which the kids had not seen but really liked. Yesterday was good because everyone left me alone at work and I had lunch with my husband at the mall. Then I did a careless thing and my boss was mad. Well, no, probably just disappointed and I’ll have to own up/take my lashing about it later. Oh well. It’s just work. I should have thought it through before.

But anyway, I finally called Capital One to get a new card. My strip has been intermittent for a while now but it’s really finished now and the plastic coating is peeling up in one corner too. Luckily, the chip still works. I don’t like using my debit card when I could be earning points on the other.

One last thing: I’ve had a swallowing issue now for a couple weeks. I always have drainage in my throat but this time, it’s much worse. Like a huge lump in my throat that is difficult to swallow around. I’ve tried every home remedy, every allergy pill and decongestant. Right now I am doing the very last thing that is recommended: prilosec.  don’t feel like I have heartburn but they say any stomach acid that is coming up could thicken the mucus and cause this. So let’s hope!