Questions and answers

[Midge]

No, I haven't done that.

What do you want on your hamburger?

[dvdjunkie]

A little ketchup, a little mustard, and sweet pickle relish with Chipolte Cheddar cheese. Yummy!!

What do you want on your hamburger?

[Midge]

Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and "Midge's special sauce" (ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and sweet pickle relish).

What flavor is your milkshake?

[dvdjunkie]

If it's a milkshake, it's gotta be chocolate!! If it ia a Malt, then has to be French Vanilla. Yummy.

What DON'T you like on your sandwich (burger or other)?

[Midge]

I don't like raw onion or hot sauce, but I like just about everything else you can put on a burger.

What don't you want on your burger?

[dvdjunkie]

I am not a guacamole fan. Don't understand what the big deal is. Also don't like raw onions, except on our grilled 'Bubba' Burgers that my son-in-law grills during the year. A little touch of hot sauce mixed in with the ketchup is okay.


What are your favorite ingredients for a Dinner Salad?

[Midge]

Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers and shredded carrots are almost always in my salads. Sometimes I add kidney or garbanzo beans, sliced black olives or golden raisins. I also like pear and walnut salad or apple and orange salad with honey mustard dressing. (p.s. I don't care that much for guacamole, either, although I like sliced avocado on its own and sometimes use it in salads.)

What is your favorite salad dressing?

[dvdjunkie]

My daughter's home-made Italian dressing is the bomb. She just doesn't make it very often since we all got hooked on the Olive Garden salad dressing that they now sell by the bottle. It is absolutely the best Italian dressing on the market today. My second favorite is Kraft Catalina or Spicy French Dressing.

Do you eat peanut butter on celery?

[Midge]

Yes, I love peanut butter on celery. It's just about the only way I'll eat celery at all, unless you spread it with one of those Kraft cheese spreads, such as pimiento and olive, Old English, pineapple or Roka cheese,  that came packed in the little juice glasses. That was always a holiday tradition when I was growing up -- Kraft cheese spread on celery, black olives, Chex mix, and Ruffles potato chips with California onion dip.

What were the traditional holiday treats at your house when you were growing up?

[dvdjunkie]

My mom made the best holiday candy treats, fudge, divinity, and peanut butter cookies. We also had a special cheese dip for our celery, and our chips. With eleven kids to keep satisfied, I think she did a wonderful job during the November and December holidays. On New Year's Eve it was home-made Cocoa with marshmallows and we all got to stay up late, but most of the younger ones were still asleep by 10 pm.


Have you ever been to the Rose Parade in Pasadena?

[Midge]

No, I have only seen it on television, but . . .

You have been there, haven't you? Of course you have, or you wouldn't have thought up the question!

[dvdjunkie]

Yes, I tell everyone the story about how my first date with my first wife was laying our sleeping bags on the curb of Colorado Blvd. where the Parade is held. We actually didn't get much sleep, but had great seats for the Parade.


Have you ever gone to an event that you wished you hadn't attended?

[Midge]

Yes, an African-American friend of mine at work named Barbara invited me to a party at the home of a friend of hers whom I had never met. She gave me the address, the date and the time. I arrived on the designed day and time only to find that not only did Barbara not show up, but that I was the only white person at the party, and I knew absolutely no one there! The hostess was gracious, and I did my best to be friendly and sociable, but I felt uncomfortable and didn't stay long.

What event do you wish you had never attended?

[dvdjunkie]

The Presidential Rally for Robert Kennedy in Santa Barbara. There was so much unrest in the crowd, and I was there as a radio station reporter and couldn't get close enough to talk to anyone who was important enough to be newsworthy. There were lots of Anti-Kennedy protestors, and just overall a very uncomfortable time to be anywhere.

When you decide to go to lunch, is it closer to 'real' lunch time or is it mid-afternoon?

[Midge]

We don't normally eat lunch at all because we get up very late (usually 12 noon or later) and have an early dinner, around 6 pm. I usually have a little snack at home in between, such as a handful of roasted almonds. If I do go to lunch it's to meet a friend, and I try to do it after the rush because I don't like crowds, and also it's hard for me to get up early.

Have you been trained in CPR?

[dvdjunkie]

Many, many years ago. I still know the basics, but I should probably take another class the next time it is offered.

Have you ever had to use your CPR training?

[Midge]

No, I haven't had any CPR training and fortunately have not yet been in a situation where I would need to use the training I don't have.

What foreign country would you most like to visit?

[dvdjunkie]

From watching the Travel Channel I think I would like to visit India. It really is a beautiful country, and since I know that I am not permanently moving there, I should have a good time.


What foreign country would you most like to visit?

[Midge]

I would like to visit England, the home of most of my ancestors. I would especially like to visit the small village of Shepton Mallet in Somerset, from where my 9th great-grandfather emigrated in 1699 on William Penn's second voyage. (Great-Grandpa x 9 was a Quaker.)

Do you know very much about your family history?

[dvdjunkie]

I know a lot about my ancestors from my father's side. Since my birth mother died when I was 8 years old, I forget that my mom today is really my step-mom. I know quite a bit about her family tree. I know that I am part Cherokee Indian, and Danish Blue-blood. My great grand-father's last name was "Vinger" and when they fled Denmark and arrived in the US the last name was changed to "Winger" and it has been that for many, many years.

Have you ever been to special event (like a rock concert, political speech, etc.) that required travel of over 100 miles?

[Midge]

The only time I can remember is going to my aunt and uncle's 50th anniversary party, which was held at a restaurant that is slightly over 100 miles from San Francisco.

What is the farthest you have ever traveled for a special occasion?

[dvdjunkie]

I traveled to Omaha, Nebraska the week of my birthday to see Neil Diamond in concert a couple of years ago. That is about a six-hour drive and I believe that it is just under 200 miles from Wichita.

What singer, now or in the past, would you like to see or have seen in concert?

[Midge]

I would like to have seen Enrico Caruso. (I have seen Pavarotti and Domingo.)

If there were a movie made of your life, what actor (living or dead) could play you?

[dvdjunkie]

That's really easy. Charles Martin Smith (he was in "American Graffiti" playing the character Toad). When I was a lot thinner than I am now, I was mistaken for him in so many places. When we would go down to Los Angeles to visit friends, I would have people come up to me and as for an autograph. So I gave it them. Mr. Smith is now a very well liked movie producer and director. He was also in "Starman" with Jeff Bridges, and Disney's "Never Cry Wolf" with Brian Dennehy.

I like this question!

If there were a movie made of your life, what actor (living or dead) could play you?

[Midge]

I'll pick (an age-appropriate) Shirley Maclaine to play me.

If you could pick any city in the world to live in (other than where you live now), where would you move to?

[dvdjunkie]

Easy. Boise, Idaho!! Beautiful city, wonderful people, and really centrally located to travel to Oregon, Washington, Nevada and California.

If you could pick any city in the world to live in (other than where you live now), where would you move to?

[Midge]

I would move to San Mateo, which is about 30 miles south of San Francisco. It has one of the best climates in the Bay Area, lots of shopping and restaurants, and a Caltrain station for easy access to San Francisco. Second choice, any place in the Wine Country north of San Francisco, which has a Mediterranean climate, rolling landscapes, and lots of great restaurants, shopping and (of course) wineries.

Is there something you do now that would have made your 16-year-old self laugh?

[dvdjunkie]

Definitely. I guess I really look foolish trying to play one-person shooter games on the Playstation 3. Even my 9 year-old grandson can play better than me. When I was sixteen I always said I was going to learn how to play those types of games, but like today, I only play racing games. I'm not even good at sports games like Football or Basketball.

When you go shopping, with a particular item or list of items to buy, are easily swayed when you see something else that you really want?

[Midge]

I like to think that I'm not easily swayed, but I have occasionally been known to make an impulse purchase or two, especially where food and cosmetics are concerned.

Have you ever made an impulse purchase and then regretted it later?

[dvdjunkie]

More times than I want to count. Most of the time I took the item back for a refund or store credit. When I was younger I had this mentality of 'buy what you want not what you need'!

Good question:

Have you ever made an impulse purchase and then regretted it later?