1. What is your most marked characteristic? The ability to find humor in every situation.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Brute Strength

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? A great sense of humor. No, seriously.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Being genuine

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Recently, I’ve found that I can’t speak a full sentence without stumbling over at least one word. It’s driving me insane.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Sitting on the couch with my wife, with our dog curled up between us and not a care in the world. This will surely change after we welcome our daughter to the family in June.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Being stuck in line at Wal-Mart with that stupid Red Solo Cup song playing on repeat.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Ernest Hemingway, Nick Hornby, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Chuck Klosterman, Charles Dickens.

9. What is your current state of mind? Contemplative

10. What is your motto? Give it a try. You might like it.

11. What is your greatest fear? Dying a prolonged, painful death.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Probably just the amount of money I’ve spent on music and books over the years.

13. On what occasion do you lie? Only on personality tests. Oh, and just now.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? I suppose I would just like to be even more handsome.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Sorry.” I apologize too much for things that don’t require apologies.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Looking much older than I really am.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Also being born on February 29, like my husband. (Though he is much older than me being 22.)

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? She likes to party.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Their availability on February 28th.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? The inability to act my age.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Watching Pirates of Penzance with my husband.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? When they split the Olympics so they became every 2 years instead of every 4.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Audrey Niffenegger, the author of Time Traveler’s Wife – they had it worse than I do.

9. What is your current state of mind? Thrilled.

10. What is your motto? The best things in life happen every 4 years.

11. What is your greatest fear? February 30

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Every 4 years, I have 3 years worth of birthdays to make up for. They are blowouts!

13. On what occasion do you lie? Every time someone asks me when my birthday is, or how old I am.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My big feet.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Leap year.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? I see possibilities—in everything and everybody.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? An intelligent wit.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Fearlessness.

4. What do you most value in your friends? That they respect me and inspire me to be a better human.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I become bored easily. Are we done yet?

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? In a villa in Tuscany with my family and friends. There’s laughter, great conversation, good food and wine. Then George Clooney walks in…

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? The scene where the Joad family packs up and leaves their home in “The Grapes of Wrath.”

8. Who are your favorite writers? My son, Alex Hall—he’s a wonderful writer and an aspiring director. Others are Thomas Friedman, Barbara Kingsolver and Diablo Cody.

9. What is your current state of mind? Troubled about the future my children will inherit.

10. What is your motto? I need more cowbell.

11. What is your greatest fear? That I will have lived my life and not have done “the thing” I was meant to do.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Driving to Bloomington to see my daughter, Moli, and picking up Mother Bear’s Pizza (spinocolli pizza…mmmm).

13. On what occasion do you lie? To protect the dignity of people I deeply care about.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? Several scars left over from a bicycle stunt gone awry, circa 6th grade.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “I’m fine. How are you?”

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Ambition – It’s what keeps me going. I strive to be better today than I was yesterday, and this week better than I was last week. I’ve been told that I can never be satisfied with where I am because I’m always looking ahead at what could be. It sounds like I’m never happy, but I do stop and smell the roses from time to time only to hopefully see them in my rearview.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Humility

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Confidence

4. What do you most value in your friends? Their ability to pick up right where we left off. Days, weeks, months may have passed since we have been able to connect, but it never ceases to amaze me how time has no effect. Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one with a calendar.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Absolutely, my inability to say “No”. I think part of it is the lure of new experiences and another part is I don’t want to disappoint.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? ? A summer day at the lake with friends and my dog, Lucy. It’s funny how my dog can even me out. She reminds me happiness stems from our attitude towards life.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Disappointing or shaming my family and friends. That would be the bottom.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Anyone who writes for ESPN The Magazine

9. What is your current state of mind? Stoked – Every day I’m faced with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. I’m anxious to see how every facet plays out in my life and what the impact will be. I’m surrounded by awesome people who help me grow, and there’s just a lot to look forward to.

10. What is your motto? “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. We all have to have it in one way or another.

11. What is your greatest fear? Mediocrity – Middle ground is a frightening place to be. I can accept failure and I can accept success knowing I’ve put everything I had into it, but when you’re in the middle, you get complacent and you have nothing to show for it.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Maker’s Mark

13. On what occasion do you lie? Because I can’t say “No”, I find myself making up excuses to get out of things. Terrible I know, but a white lie never hurt anybody, right?

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? Small hands – But you know what they say about a guy with small hands?

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I’ll pick you up at 7.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Probably my helmet

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? The ability to squeal like a child while zip lining, no matter who is watching

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? I respect any woman who owns her own carabiner

4. What do you most value in your friends? A love of heights, speed and adventure

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I have only topped out at 30mph on a zip

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? A world full of trees, platforms and endless bungees

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Coming to the end of a great, long ride

8. Who are your favorite writers? Haven Kimmel, author of A Girl Named Zippy and Emily Bronte for Wuthering Heights

9. What is your current state of mind? Stoked

10. What is your motto? Zippity do da

11. What is your greatest fear? Being ground bound

12. What is your greatest extravagance? My heavy-duty Hammerhead Trolley with 3″ stainless-steel wheels and a 5/8″ cable capacity

13. On what occasion do you lie? When I tell my mom that I have to go zip lining again in Costa Rica so I can continue my studies on the growth of the rabo de mico plant in the rain forest

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? Harnesses are not flattering

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Righteous, pontificate and zip

N5PWVA7MPE7U

1. What is your most marked characteristic? A strange sneeze that always turns heads.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? I always say I like a man with character, specifically someone who is trustworthy.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Actually, I don’t see why it should be any different than that of a man. Trustworthiness is a big one.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Acceptance. I can vent, complain or act goofy or irrational … whatever … without fearing I will be judged or criticized.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I can be a bit self-critical … like obsessing over how well I’m fulfilling my motherly duties by baking chocolate chip cookies.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Spending my evenings in an art studio, surrounded by paint brushes, acrylics and dozens of blank canvases … just waiting for the expressions of my imagination to spill out.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Maybe not the lowest but … plenty of time on my hands and no books in sight.

8. Who are your favorite writers? The writers who have recently amazed me include Junot Diaz (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao); Zadie Smith (White Teeth) and Carlos Ruiz Zafon (The Shadow of the Wind). Let’s throw Carl Hiaasen in the mix too … just for always making me laugh.

9. What is your current state of mind? Mellow. Lately, I’ve been realizing the importance of prioritizing relationships with family and friends.

10. What is your motto? “Only a life lived for others is worth living.” Courtesy of Albert Einstein.

11. What is your greatest fear? Driving on a narrow road while making my way up a mountain makes me hyperventilate.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? A one-hour massage is my ultimate yet most cost-effective escape.

13. On what occasion do you lie? Wow. That’s a good one. I always tell my kids how much I hate lying. I guess I would never tell my hosts that I hate the dish they just served.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? I’m not in love with my love handles.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Well … you know … I guess it would be “you know.” I just signed up for Toastmasters to deal with that problem.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? My laugh.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Integrity.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Honesty, forthcoming, confidence.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty and having a balanced relationship.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Lack of confidence in large groups. I really like smaller groups like 4 or 6 but after that…

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? To be healthy mentally and physically.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? To be trapped with a healthy mind but in a body that won’t work.

8. Who are your favorite writers? John Bradshaw.

9. What is your current state of mind? Very well centered right now.

10. What is your motto? To let everyone live freely as they choose, just not their hair.

11. What is your greatest fear? See #7.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Shoes.

13. On what occasion do you lie? To protect other’s feelings.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? Slouchy shoulders.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Totally.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? The need to be liked by everyone.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Empathy and compassion.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Intelligence and supportive.

4. What do you most value in your friends? That they will tell me honestly what they think even if they know it differs from my beliefs, values, or it may hurt my feelings.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? That I control my emotions.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Tuscan sunsets, several bottles of wine, prosciutto, cheese, baguette and a loved one to share it all.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Seeing the woman whose love I desire romantically involved with my best friend.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Lately, Paulo Coelho.

9. What is your current state of mind? Stress because it is damn difficult to answer these questions!

10. What is your motto? Get busy living, or get busy dying.

11. What is your greatest fear? Failing to respond to a tragic situation, or help a stranger in need.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? 5 nights at the Il San Pietro hotel in Positano.

13. On what occasion do you lie? There is no one occasion. I have failed to be truthful on many occasions, and under many circumstances and that’s the truth.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My hands.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? . uhm, huh and you know. You know, I wish I could eliminate these words from my vocabulary!

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Seriousness.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Kindness, patience, genuine concern for other people.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Same things, and the courage to have kids. I’m not a mother, and the whole concept freaks me out. I don’t how how trillions of women have done it.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Genuineness.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Incessant questioning.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Lightly speaking, paddleboarding on Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Hurting someone you love, hands down.

8. Who are your favorite writers? David Sedaris

9. What is your current state of mind? Calm, oddly enough.

10. What is your motto? “Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.” I heard another good one recently, about meeting people where they are, not expecting them to meet you where you are.

11. What is your greatest fear? Besides the obvious, involving people I love and tragic events, it’s country backroads. I grew up on an Indiana backroad, and some people — especially when they are familiar with the roads — don’t use nearly enough caution or pay enough attention, especially now that cars are bigger but the roads aren’t.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Frivolous travel.

13. On what occasion do you lie? When I have to answer the next question.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? The underside of my arms will never tan.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Just. Think. I. Not necessarily all at once.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Enthusiasm.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Dignity.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Dignity.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Laziness.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? To see my wife and son happy.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? To see my wife and son
unhappy.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Walker Percy, Michelle Huneven, the
Charlie Huston of the Henry Thompson trilogy. I hate this question because
there are a hundred others that I’m not thinking of right now.

9. What is your current state of mind? I am afraid of no one.

10. What is your motto? Persevere!

11. What is your greatest fear? That I will disappoint my family.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Espresso, cigars, French notebooks.

13. On what occasion do you lie? When I don’t know that I’m lying.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? I wish sometimes that I
were as handsome as my son.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Does that make sense? Do you know what I mean? Are you sure?

1. What is your most marked characteristic? According to my husband, my competitiveness in everything I pursue.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Sincerity

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Sincerity

4. What do you most value in your friends? Sincerity

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? My lack of “promptness” and my fear of failure in trying new things

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Experiencing something for the first time with my husband and children.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Disappointing my loved ones

8. Who are your favorite writers? John C. Maxwell, Jim Rohn, Dave Anderson – I’m a nerd for Business Motivational books.

9. What is your current state of mind? Extremely blessed and thankful, yet so much to accomplish

10. What is your motto? “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” —Maya Angelou

11. What is your greatest fear? Being without my family

12. What is your greatest extravagance? My fireplaces / firepits…I’m embarrassed to say how many we have inside and out…but my husband and I love them and use them all year long.

13. On what occasion do you lie? Usually to cover my butt for my lack of promptness

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My feet…they’re huge, and no stylish shoes ever look “cute” on them

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Really?”

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Speed

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Drinking capacity/love & knowledge of movie quotes (tie)

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Endurance

4. What do you most value in your friends? Down-to-Earthness

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Short-sightedness

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? The ride home from a grueling, successful run

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Lonely introspection plus self-induced headache

8. Who are your favorite writers? Annie Proulx, Herman Melville, Cormac McCarthy, Dennis Johnson, George Saunders, Stephen King, Judy Bloom, George R. R. Martin, Ian Frazier, Joseph Mitchell, John McPhee, Milan Kundera, Sherwood Anderson, Nicholson Baker & Gabriel Garcia Marquez

9. What is your current state of mind? Two beers in

10. What is your motto? Love is the only reason to do anything.

11. What is your greatest fear? Throat cancer

12. What is your greatest extravagance? 2011 Harley-Davidson Sportster

13. On what occasion do you lie? Almost always, but I keep it at 5 to 20%

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My focused look

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Does that make sense?

1. What is your most marked characteristic? The ability to evaluate: people, situations, wine…

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Honesty, humor, strength

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Honesty, humor and being a good listener

4. What do you most value in your friends? All of the above, and loyalty

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I often speak before I think.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? My husband, my children and a beach…maybe a bottle of Champagne

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Honestly, I’m not sure. I try not to think of the unpleasant, haha…

8. Who are your favorite writers? F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tana French, J.D. Salinger, Suzanne Collins

9. What is your current state of mind? Trying to stay three steps ahead

10. What is your motto? Believe and achieve

11. What is your greatest fear? Losing a child

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Shoes & wine, but not necessarily for me…I love to shop for other people!

13. On what occasion do you lie? To spare someone’s feelings

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My freckles

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Absolutely” and “inappropriate”

1. What is your most marked characteristic? My common sense approach to things

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Compassion

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Confidence

4. What do you most value in your friends? I value honesty in everyone but especially my friends. A true friend is one who not only will be honest about you to others but will also be honest to you about you.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?I tend to procrastinate. Case in point, I have had this in my email for a week or two and haven’t filled it out before now.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Since I’m a tech guy this may seem odd but being completed unplugged on Mackinac Island. They don’t allow motorized vehicles on the island. That coupled with the laid back atmosphere makes it one of the most relaxing places ever. I’m happiest when I’m relaxed.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? The passing of a family member or close friend.

8. Who are your favorite writers? John Feinstein always does a great job of taking you behind the scenes and getting in depth with his subjects.

9. What is your current state of mind? Insignificant. I’ve been listening to the Smiley Radio Show Make-A-Wish request-a-thon on WZPL the last two days. Knowing there are groups and people that devote their lives to helping others, especially kids, makes me wish I could help others more than I do. I had the pleasure of helping raise funds and awareness for one of the kids wishes this year and it was an amazing experience.

10. What is your motto? Act like you have been there before

11. What is your greatest fear? Losing a family member

12. What is your greatest extravagance?I’m not an extravagant person but I tend to enjoy spending a little extra on a really good meal.

13. On what occasion do you lie? I may fib from time to time but I dont know there is a certain occasion in which I lie. Maybe my weight when I fill out insurance paperwork.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance?The expanding nature of the middle part of my appearance.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Well played. No worries. Here are your choices (to my 3 year old)

1. What is your most marked characteristic? I like to be in control.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? I highly value men who see the women in their lives as equals.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Ambition

4. What do you most value in your friends? Honesty

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?I wear my feelings on my face. I’ve gotten myself into a lot of trouble when I can’t control my face.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Perfect happiness is a weekend with nothing to do, endless time with my husband and beagles, and a growler of Sun King Java Mac.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Having a peanut allergy—I don’t think I could live without peanut butter cups.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Jonathan Tropper and New York Times writer, Nicholas Kristof, are two of my favorite authors. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve read every book in the Shopaholic series.

9. What is your current state of mind? Distracted.

10. What is your motto? Hope is not a strategy.

11. What is your greatest fear? Childbirth. Many women go on to have more than one child so it can’t be that bad, right?

12. What is your greatest extravagance? My husband and I love to travel and make it a priority to plan at least one big trip each year.

13. On what occasion do you lie? When asked the question “how are you?”

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? Unfortunately, we are much more comfortable stating what we hate about our bodies rather than what we like most. I wouldn’t be embracing the Girls Inc. mission if I didn’t share what I LIKED most about my appearance instead. I love my posture. Standing tall gives me confidence.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Does that make sense?” I must unconsciously think that I’ll be misunderstood.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? I would say my willingness to try new things or find a different way to do a task, even if I’m not the one who originated the idea.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? A man who can create a good balance of work, home life and friends. I’m lucky to say I have that!

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? I admire a woman who isn’t afraid to be a leader in a group and feels comfortable voicing her opinion, even if it isn’t aligned with the norm.

4. What do you most value in your friends? There’s nothing like having a friend who shares a similar passion to you. They can be your best advocates when you doubt your skills.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I thrive off of brainstorming and planning sessions and I can almost always put myself in someone else’s shoes to look at the big picture. However, sometimes I see both sides to the point where I sympathize with both and can’t make a decision. Knowing when it’s appropriate to brainstorm or just make an on-the-spot decision can be tough.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? I’ll be happy when we are all comfortable with our bodies, physically and mentally. Or the moment when I own a Kitchen Aid mixer.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Life without dogs.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Chuck Palahniuk, Augusten Burroughs and Sloan Crosley have been a few recent addictions. I also go back and forth between classics like Orwell and Vonnegut and the modern ramblings of Chelsea Handler and Julie Powell.

9. What is your current state of mind? Satisfied – I’m surrounded by great friends, a great community and I’m happy with where I’m at in life right now.

10. What is your motto? Eat good food. Life is too short to deny yourself of a culinary adventure.

11. What is your greatest fear? The day when we lose the ability to express ourselves vocally or visually or the institutions that house those creations like museums and libraries.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Gadgets, gadgets and more gadgets… I love technology. I make trips to Fry’s Electronics like others make trips to the grocery store. I can’t pinpoint just one!

13. On what occasion do you lie? When people ask me if I got them something as a present that I really did get them but I don’t want them to know that.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? That my big curly hair is better suited for the days of the 1980s, and I that wasn’t there to be a part of it.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “That’s not enough bacon.”

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Sometimes it is very hard for me to say things briefly and simply, or choose one thought to represent so many. For some of these questions I’ve been tempted to fill out paragraphs. When I open up to really respond, it feels like words and connections just want to continue flowing. A close friend once said it was because I’m a story teller. As you can see it’s hard to stop at just one sentence. I’m too eager to share.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Enthusiasm and love for bees. :) (and other forms of life)

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Nurtures and loves her own potential.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Open mindedness, good sense of humor, love and respect for life, accepting of responsibility.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Some bad behaviors learned long ago, like becoming paranoid, which I’ve learned to stay constantly aware of.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being able to live out the motto in number 10, and being able to share it with others.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Feeling depleted, forgetting how to see life (relationship, natural place) leads to bad feelings and thoughts on top of more bad feelings and thoughts…and then harmful actions.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Richard Adams, Margaret Atwood, Farley Mowat, Derrick Jensen

9. What is your current state of mind? Full of words, feeling ready to drink some more tea and get focused to draw.

10. What is your motto? I will try to keep it short: “See the world as one big relationship made up of many small ones, even where least obvious. Starting from there, you’ll discover a lot more.”

11. What is your greatest fear? That I somehow forget all the wonderful lessons I’ve learned, or that the source of all my thoughts, words, and how I see becomes dulled.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? I will often spend money on good healthy food. I find it’s always worth it.

13. On what occasion do you lie? It’s hard for me to lie as I’m a very open person, but occasionally I’ll run into someone, and feel that if I share my honest self they will deplete me. So maybe then I’ll lie. Then again there could be unexpected occasions I’ll do something unpredictable.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? This one I really don’t have a real answer for, I haven’t looked at myself this way in a long time. I suppose I could use another haircut.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Hmm, the situation may be more that I overuse talking and the use of words in general. I use words like “probably”, “perhaps”, and “possibility” a lot. I like possibility.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Quirky

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? I can’t choose just one. I have two requirements. Honesty and Humor.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Again, I’d have to say it’s a combo deal. Loyalty and Humor. Humor goes a long way with me.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Every one of them is completely unique. My closest friends I value most because they’re loyal and they put up with my particular brand of crazy and even find it endearing. There’s never a dull moment with my closest folks. They’re hilarious, intelligent, and incredibly talented individuals.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? My lack of eloquence in pertinant situations.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? A golden retriever.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? An entire pizza followed by ice cream?

8. Who are your favorite writers? Neil Gaimen, Harper Lee. I need to read more, but I’m too busy looking at pictures on the internet on ffffound.com.

9. What is your current state of mind? Incredibly happy and completely clueless. I’m happy because I’ve made some changes in my life recently that have had such a positive effect on my life. These changes have also resulted in some things being completely up in the air leaving me clueless as to where to go from here.

10. What is your motto? ”It’ll buff out.” Things might be an eyesore right now, but they’ll buff out and work just fine with a little elbow grease.

11. What is your greatest fear? Heights and Failure. They go hand in hand in some ways. I went on a carnie ride at the state fair this year, something similar to a “drop zone.” I didn’t stop shaking for a good 10 minutes after… oh and I managed to scare the carnies with my screams.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Boots. I am in love with Frye Boots. I have 3 pairs. I would have more if I could. My new obsession is motorcycle boots, so I guess I’ll have to cough up some change for some Harley boots soon.

13. On what occasion do you lie? I try not to lie. Lying and dishonesty are things I can’t stand in another person, so I try to make sure I don’t put it out there. However if I do lie, it’s incredibly obvious. You can see it in my eyes, just like my mother. I inherited her inability to lie with a straight face. Lying is reserved for emergency situations and even then isn’t something I’m ok with doing.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My hair. I’m always changing it. I don’t think I’ll be happy til I have a closet full of wigs.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? There are so many… “fabulous” or “amazaballs” are on the top of the list. I also say “words are hard.” I firmly believe that. Anytime I want to say something eloquent.. it comes out completely jumbled like word vomit and then I’m standing there looking like a fool.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? I’m opinionated

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Self-confidence

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Intelligence

4. What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty/honesty

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I’m opinionated;-)

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Contentment – the most illusive state of mind known to man. When I lose it, I mourn it like the death of a close friend.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Loneliness

8. Who are your favorite writers? Tom Robbins, Jon Krakauer, Rick Bragg

9. What is your current state of mind? Uneasy – lots of unsettled issues in my life right now

10. What is your motto? serious: “I can’t fix you, I can only fix me,” humorous: “Life is short. Judge quickly.”

11. What is your greatest fear? Danger or tragedy finding one of my children

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Clothing/Food

13. On what occasion do you lie? When the truth is immaterial & cumbersome

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My nose;o(

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Do you know what I mean?” (my therapist says I’m always looking for confirmation)

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Boundless energy, especially when I’m speaking. I guess this ties in to the fact that I just love communicating, love helping break down complex ideas into ways anyone can understand them.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? I appreciate guys that aren’t conceited, that know how to converse, and listen, despite whatever success they’ve attained. And a sense of humor seriously helps too. ;-)

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Decisiveness. The ability to make a decision quickly and then run with it. I also appreciate a lady that isn’t afraid to joke around with others and laugh a little.

4. What do you most value in your friends? I think a great friend simply has a presence of support. They don’t necessarily need to say or do anything, but they’re able to portray a sense of strength, support, faith, and loyalty.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I tend to procrastinate at times. It’s a quality I’m always working on though. And a little more organization….yeah, that’d be a good thing too!!

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Spending time at the River with my wife and 4 kids. Crabbing on the dock, riding around on the little john-boat and laughing away, watching my youngest play in the sand, and feeling that breeze come off the sea.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Knowing you’ve completely failed to reach your own potential.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Victor Hugo, far and away, is my favorite. I’m love me some Jane Austen as well. She’s magical :-)

9. What is your current state of mind? Always looking forward, thinking big, believing big, and pushing myself. I literally can’t just ‘sit around’. Unless I’m working out, I don’t watch TV. My mind wants to create, all the time, which is where speaking, writing, and entrepreneurship come to the rescue. :)

10. What is your motto? Hmmm, never thought about this one. Probably: Work hard, play hard, pray hard…and believe

11. What is your greatest fear? Failing my family in some way. Looking back at some point and knowing I didn’t reach the abilities and potential I was given to help others.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Well, I own a swimming pool company and we’ve sold lots of stuff over the years, and so I have some of everything— Inground pool, kiddie pool, hot tub, Sauna, pool table, fooseball, etc. I love having fun at home, and I’ve tried to create our home as a place the children will want to bring their friends.

13. On what occasion do you lie? If a lady asks me anything about the taste of food or the appearance of a dress. :-)

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My forehead keeps getting taller!!! ;-)

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I use lots of goofy words— freaky, awesomeness, rockin, dang, nut case, goof ball, etc….to name a few ;-)

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Hoosier work ethic

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Humility

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Compassion

4. What do you most value in your friends? My most valued friends are scholars, dreamers and people of action.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? At times, I would certainly like to be more compassionate myself. I studied stoicism back in college and it really took a strong foothold in how I view the world. I may not be sensitive enough for these modern times where everybody seems hypersensitive to everything.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? The quiet peace that comes with being the first awake on Christmas morning.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Children suffering. It’s awful that it still goes on anywhere and deplorable that some of it is intentional.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Vonnegut, Twain, Palahniuk, Parker & Stone

9. What is your current state of mind? Absolutely confused at the state of the world from top to bottom. I don’t know why governments act like they do and I don’t know why people act like they do. And then I wonder what any of it really has to do with me.

10. What is your motto? Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. It really is golden.

11. What is your greatest fear? The only thing I really fear is for the safety of my loved ones, which is usually beyond my control. I suppose the real fear is that my time with them will be short instead of long.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Local art. Or socks. I like to change socks a few times a day. Fresh, new socks are the best.

13. On what occasion do you lie? Never. What’s the point? Truth is far more powerful. And far less likely to explode in your face.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? I’ve always wanted great hair but instead have had the same haircut since I was a little kid. Someone once told me I have a “Republican” haircut. Ouch.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Probably the ones most likely to land me on a government list somewhere: #anonymous #bilderberg #wikileaks. They just happen to be the most intriguing subplots in the story of our times.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Refusal to accept the status-quo.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Honesty.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? An original sense of humor.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? The inability to say “no” without feeling guilty.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Beach. Friends. Family. All at the same time.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Losing my memory.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Whoever I am reading at the moment.

9. What is your current state of mind? Relaxed and looking towards the future.

10. What is your motto? Embrace the weird.

11. What is your greatest fear? Losing my memory.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Books.

13. On what occasion do you lie? When it won’t hurt anyone.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? Bags under my eyes. (Photoshop is a good friend.)

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Cool.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? My chin

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? A firm handshake

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Her laugh

4. What do you most value in your friends? Their ability to keep me grounded

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? My short attention span

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? A lake and a boat

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Working at a huge corporation

8. Who are your favorite writers? Robert Ludlum, J.D Salinger, David Sedaris, F. Scott Fitzgerald

9. What is your current state of mind? Calm

10. What is your motto? Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere. “right that down”

11. What is your greatest fear? Being mediocre

12. What is your greatest extravagance? Clothes

13. On what occasion do you lie? After the 14th “Why” by my 4 year old

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My chin

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Apparently” & “Like”

1. What is your most marked characteristic? My charming smile.

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? A bare neck.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? A bare neck and a great pair of legs.

4. What do you most value in your friends? Their love of the night-life.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? My carnivorous appetite.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? A room full of hemophiliacs and a good book.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Loneliness.

8. Who are your favorite writers? ? Of course Bram Stoker. I’ve always loved Shakespeare. Tennessee Williams and David Sedaris. And being the hopeless romantic that I am, I have to say Nicholas Sparks. But I have to say that those Twilight books are deplorable. Vampires glitter in the sun?! Give me a break.

9. What is your current state of mind? Hungry. Bloodlust.

10. What is your motto? Good manners will get you anywhere.

11. What is your greatest fear? Italian food. Too much garlic.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? My home. I have quite the lavish and eccentric taste.

13. On what occasion do you lie? My age of course. Too many questions.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? My complexion. I would kill to be able to get a little color.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? ‘Your beauty is for the ages.’ Gets them every time.

1. What is your most marked characteristic? Many people have described me as being “intense.”

2. What is the quality you most like in a man? Sense of humor.

3. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Brains

4. What do you most value in your friends? Their acceptance and compassion.

5. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? My short attention span.

6. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Great friends, great food, great music. Preferably close to a beach.

7. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? 20,000+ children die every day of preventable disease. 15+ million people are slaves at this very moment, and 2+ million of those are children living as sex slaves. Half a million children are forced into being soldiers.

I have no problems.

8. Who are your favorite writers? Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Ken Wilber.

9. What is your current state of mind? Anxious.

10. What is your motto? The grass IS greener on the other side of the fence. But you still have to mow.

11. What is your greatest fear? Living an irrelevant life.

12. What is your greatest extravagance? My gadget addiction.

13. On what occasion do you lie? When trying to not hurt someone’s feelings. And I’m a terrible liar.

14. What do you dislike most about your appearance? Actually… I’m pretty OK with myself. One of the benefits of getting older, I suppose.

15. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? *not suitable for print*