Q & A from Tara--finally.

Tara at Faith in Ambiguity Asked: 
These 11 Questions were asked in March, and YES, I'm just now getting around to answering them.  Better late than never I suppose.  What do you say Tara?
1. Would you ever dissect a cat—if no one was using it and it was already dead? If so, why?
Yes I would.  Dissection was always my favorite part of Biology class, which my husband thinks is really odd considering I'm a vegetarian.  I also love watching my father in law carve up his latest hunting kills, and the time I watched him clean pheasant for an hour made him laugh so hard.  I find it completely fascinating to be able to see what is normally hidden underneath skin.  Funny enouch, I can't watch surgery shows because they freak me out.  
2. Are you a writer or a blogger? Does your answer affect what you do?
I think I'm both.  I blog. I write screenplays, kids books, and stories for fun.  I write academic papers for my career.  I dream of writing fun, smart, and informative books one day.  Then again, I'm used to wearing multiple hats at the same time.
3. Sushi—yes or no?
I used to LOVE sushi, and I still love vegetarian sushi.  If I ever crave meat, it is often for fatty tuna sushi or spider rolls.
4. What sorts of things really offend you, not just on an abstract level, but in day-to-day life?
Unapologetic Lateness.  I totally understand lateness, but at least have the decency to know that you are being rude and wasting someone else's time when you are late.  
5. What's the one secret ingredient that brings life to your cooking (or, you know, your re-heated Lean Cuisines)?
Cumin.
6. Santa Claus: magical childhood delight or insult to children everywhere?
Magical childhood delight and teachable moment for older children.  I sincerely appreciate Dale McGowan's take on the whole thing.
7. Name the best piece of short fiction you've ever read.
The Country of the Blind by H.G. Wells changed the way I think about literature, most especially because I vehemently disagreed with my college TA's interpretation of it.  I'm not sure it's the best piece I ever read, but it always springs to mind.
I also REALLY love "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.  It is soo mysterious and creepy and relate-able for anyone who has ever experienced mental illness.
8. Name a novel that changed your life.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath changed the way I look at my depressed self and the decisions I make when I get that way.  Our family's motto: better living through chemistry.
9. What is the thing that everyone likes but you, and even so, you know you're right?
Cantaloupe.  I seriously cannot stand it.
10. If you're on the right path, will you be happy? Or are some people called to walk a harder path?
I don't think there is one right path for all of us.  A series of choices lead us to the path that we are on right now, and it is up to us to change course if this path doesn't make us happy.  I think it is all about perspective, initiative, and learning to accept or change circumstances whenever we can.  
11. Name a really good soup that can be bought in a can
Un-Chicken Noodle Soup, though I haven't had it in years.  It was always yummy.