I’d like to take credit for this timing, but frankly I had no idea until she tweeted me last night…. it was Sally’s birthday yesterday! So anyone that sees her this week, drinks are in order. And apparently karaoke. She deserves it and it is certain to be a great time.
Why is fun guaranteed? Because Sally is hilarious. She is one of my blogging idols because she never fails to make me laugh…. well that, plus she is the only other blogger I know that writes 2,000+ word posts regularly. She and I are the founding (and so far only) members of the august organization, “Verbose, Windy Bloggers of the 21st Century.” Let’s hope she doesn’t vote me off the island anytime soon. Speaking of which, this is the first intro I was scared of writing — because she’s certain to make fun of me in the comments and be damn funny doing it.
In her own words, Sally is a writer, teacher, performer, photographer, traveler, eater of many things and wearer of many hats and a big huge scaredy cat. Take some time out soon and check out the unbravegirl website and follow her on Twitter: Sally’s profile. In the meantime, enjoy her Lucky 13 answers:
1. Country music. Boon or bane to our existence?
In order for me to appropriately answer this question, you have to answer two of my questions:
1. How drunk am I?
2. Am I at karaoke?
It is physically impossible for me to hate any form of music after I’ve had three beers and you’ve placed a karaoke microphone in my hand. That’s just the way I work.
how do you not choose Ringo?
2. John, Paul, George or Ringo. Choose and explain.
Ummm, none of the above? (Not that I’m not a fan of the Beatles or anything. I just don’t want to choose sides & hurt anyone’s feelings. Even dead people’s feelings.)
3. If you could only date the men from one country in the world (not your own), name that country.
I have lived in Asia for four years and have been out on exactly four dates. So, uhh, at this point, I’m not going to be too picky. As long as he knows how to say “You are pretty” and “Can I buy you another margarita?” in English then I’ll take him!
![Lindsay Lohan - Cosmopolitan Magazine [Australia] (July 2006)](https://www.goseewrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Lindsay-Lohan-Cosmopolitan-Magazine-Australia-July-2006.jpeg "Lindsay Lohan - Cosmopolitan Magazine [Australia] (July 2006)")
which article ya read it for exactly?
Hmmm, I haven’t read any magazines in a while, what with not having a permanent mailing address these days. I do tend to stock up on lots of cheesy girl magazines while I’m at the airport. (Not because I like to read that stuff but because I need to get rid of my foreign currency. Okay, so maybe, I do read the horoscopes… and take the personality quiz. And, okay, maybe I read the 10-page interviews with Lindsay Lohan, too.)
5. Everyone has done something so embarrassing or morally wrong or just plain weird that they have never told another soul about it. Something just popped in your head — what year did it happen?
Have you read my blog? Me? Not tell an embarrassing story about myself? Impossible. In fact, when something embarrassing does happen to me, I tend to think, “Wow. Now that was embarrassing. And it’s going to make for an awesome blog post.”
6. Who is at your ideal dinner party — you and 4 others.
I’d be tempted to invite people I find really entertaining, like Amy and David Sedaris, Christopher Guest, and Tina Fey. But, that might not be a good idea, as they’d be much more entertaining than me. I should be the entertaining one — It’s my dinner party, after all! So instead I’m just going to invite a random assortment of boring people — preferably boring people who don’t like to talk all that much so I can monopolize the dinner table conversation with embarrassing stories about myself. Doesn’t that sound like a good time for everyone?
7. What is the superpower you most want?
The ability to flirt in a way that’s effective and sexy — as opposed to my current flirting skills which include turning bright red, falling off my bar stool and telling embarrassing stories about myself. These tactics, in case you’re wondering, are neither effective nor sexy… unless you’re into that kind of thing (and if you are, have I got the girl for you!).
8. What is your favorite foreign curse word or phrase?
“Waku-waku, doki-doki.” This means “I’m excited” in Japanese. I survived my entire first year in Japan knowing only this phrase. You’d be surprised at how far this phrase can get you in that country. Plus, it’s just fun to say!
9. Tell us something interesting about someone in your family, in this case meaning grandparents or further back.
My grandmother was a ninja. From Indiana. True story.
10. What was your worst dorm experience and where did it happen?
I’m not a dorm person. I attempted to stay in a dorm once on this trip and vowed to never do it again. I like my personal space and I’m really not a morning person. I find it’s best if I get my own room. I know it’s more expensive… but, it’s a small price to pay to keep me out of jail (which is where I would end up after assaulting my roommates for attempting to talk to me before noon).
no words… none
11. Abba is the highest selling band of all time. Explain it to us, please.
Easy:
1. Alcohol
2. Karaoke
These two things make all music awesome. (See #1)
12. Whose tweets make you smile the most?
I love so many of the travel and expat tweeps out there, but I’m going to go with someone totally random: @unicornomics. I mean, you can’t get much better than tweets about unicorns!
13. Fill in the blank: the world would be a much better place without ____________.
Haters… and cancer… and those chocolates with fruit-flavored centers (Especially when you think there’s going to be something really nice inside like nuts or more chocolate… but then you bite into this big mound of gross fruit-flavored stuff. Blech. If I wanted fruit, I’d eat fruit… not chocolate!).
Barely answered the questions, but funny as always. Just what I expected!
I find myself singing my staples – Friend in Low Places to Gangstas Paradise – when karaoke-ing. Seriously, you can’t judge when you’re going at it full blast and two sheets to the wind!
Thanks, Michael, for including me! I will refrain from making fun of you in the comments because that would be rude. (I’ll save that for Twitter).
Hahaha. One of the funniest things I’ve read in a while. Never heard waku-waku, doki-doki before, but it is terribly fun to say.
Uh, Sally, you said your grandmother was a ninja from Indiana and you didn’t expound on that? Do we have to pay you to get the story? Because I will!
Also: Amy and David Sedaris, Christopher Guest, and Tina Fey are *excellent* choices. I have a major girl crush on Tina Fey. And Amy Sedaris has a new book out about crafting, apparently!
I thought the same thing – where’s the detail? The photos!
Ninjas don’t spill their secrets.
Obviously the apple fell pretty FAR from the tree in this case… I LOVE spilling secrets!
So agree on the fruit filled chocolates!! What’s up with that… another great interview and interviewee. And thanks Michael for getting Abba stuck in my head all morning long…
Great interview, I needed the laugh and Sally never fails to provide some much needed comic relief. Now I just have to find a way to fit in “Waku-waku, doki-doki” into my everyday conversations 🙂
I’m so glad you mentioned the chocolate with fruit filling. It’s just wrong!
If you had that group over for dinner, you wouldn’t be able to eat. You would spit your drink all over the table and spend the rest of the time bent over in painful laughter. I am laughing just thinking about it. It would be total comedy overload.
One of my faves!!!! Love Sally!!
I’m so glad there’s someone else out there who hates dorms. I had four days in one in Sydney and it almost killed me… Very funny and a great read, thank you.
Love the interview. I think any song becomes good after 3 beers and a microphone (at least for me). And mornings? Anything before about 1pm is a sleepy haze, even when I’m awake.
I’ve only recently discovered Sally’s blog and obviously found her hilarious but it was the statement about “those chocolates with fruit-flavored centers” being one of the things wrong with the world that really hit home with me. Fruit has no place in dessert (or worse, as a substitute for). I think Sally and I would be really good IRL friends.
(Also! I’m totally in the 2,000-word blog post camp. My friend Adventure Girl, queen of 140 characters, is always ragging on me saying no one reads more than 300 words. But you know what? Screw them! My blog, I’ll write what I want. They can stop at word 300 and just miss the punchline if that’s what they choose.)
I am happy to report we have openings in our “Verbose, Windy Bloggers of the 21st Century” Club! All you have to do is submit a 5,000 word essay on why you should be a member. Bonus points will be given for use of unnecessary, wordy asides (written in parentheses) and rambles that take the post totally off topic.
Oooh, ladies, I’m in. Do we get extra points for whining, bitching and complaining?
Me and karaoke go rather like Liz Lemon from 30 Rock, though. I even managed to avoid it in the Philippines…
LOL… You had me at the first question!
Laughed all the way through this.
Hey, Michael, can I copy and download that Abba pic> I’ve had this long term affair with Frida and haven’t got that pic over my bed!
Umm come to think of it, there are no pics of her over our bed….
Oh my, yes! If I wanted fruit, I’d eat fruit! 😉 Thanks for the interesting read!
Hilarious as expected!
Love Sally! Great interview that had me laughing just as her posts always do.
As for the “Verbose, Windy Bloggers of the 21st Century” Club!” – my essay for membership is on its way…I’ve written many a blog post in excess of 2000 words!
LOVE sally! smart & perfect comic relief. and michael, i always applaud you on your great questions but had to giggle at how sally humorously bulldozed most of them 😉 agree about @unicornomics- send me into giggle fits. remember THE NIGHT OF THE UNICORN sally?
I never realized you were so hilarious! haha
I worked with Amy Sedaris in May! she is a very nice lady 🙂 I didn’t get to have dinner with her though 🙁
Also I wish I had that same supre power! Guys just fall for that one eh? i have yet to master i though! haha great interivew! 🙂
Great interview! I actually agree with Sally on most things she says. But a big no to country music though. I grew up with it and songs are etched in my head. But no, can’t listen to it.
And yes, I should be a member of Verbose, Windy Bloggers of the 21st Century. Ask anyone who knows me, has received personal emails, has endured posts from me on forums. Here is a quote just yesterday from a guy on a message board that I have been a part of for a few years:
“yes, i read every sentence in that post (which is saying something; you usually type way more than i bother to take the time to read, to be honest)…i know you have long posts because you have points to make and you are passionate. i know you well enough by now to know this, even though it’s all just on a forum.”
Come on – I’ve got to be let in now! 🙂
Yay!! Getting to know Sally better, the sharpest wit on Twitter.
Haha, freaking hilarious. And I completely agree about the chocolates with the fruity center. Why? WHY? If we wanted fruity candy we’d buy fruity candy, dammint. Nice interview too, btw.
Sally is awesome! SO glad you interviewed her, Michael. And, um, that ABBA picture is super scary.
Yay! I love Sally and her blog! Hilarious interview. 🙂
Agree with #13 wholeheartedly! Life is too short to eat fruit inside chocolate. The only fruit that should be caught anywhere around chocolate had better be grapes – the kind that are already fermented inside a Champagne bottle! Eat fruit all day if you like then you can feel justified in gorging on the real deal – plain old chocolate, or chocolate eclairs or chocolate mousse…you catch my drift?
Cheers,
Priscilla
Please tell us more about your ninja grandmother!!!
Love you, Sally. You slay me!
UGH chocolate with fruit inside is SO wrong.
I’m going to try that Japanese phrase…
Thanks for introducing me to the Japanese phrase ““Waku-waku, doki-doki.” I’ll keep that in mind on my next visit to Japan! That video clip was giving me seizures– how can kids sit through that?!
Haha, these interviews always make me laugh! Sally is great! 😀
Dying laughing after dealing with foreign cell phone operators for two days straight. Sally’s was one of the first travel blogs I began reading, and with good reason!
Also love the ´57 Vette on the header – my dad has one!