More questions! It's a questionpalooza!

here's a question-y meme that's been making it's way around the interwebs lately. I first spotted it here, at one of my regular haunts, a few weeks ago and tucked it away for exploring when I had a bit of time. Then, just last week I saw it pop up on a new-ish to me blog, Diary of a Square Toothed Girl, and saw that she opened it up to ANYone, so thought, hey, I'm in Q&A mode (as evidenced from my most recent Thursday 13), let's go!

1. Do you like your first name? Why? 
Now, yes. As a child, it took some getting used to. It stood out too much, especially since I went by Sher, and got a LOT of "Hey, Sher, where's Sonny?" Between high school and college I made the decision to go by Sherilee, and sort of embraced the name. But I'm fine being called either Sher or Sherilee--just no Sheri or Sheryl. Those are not me.

2. What is your favorite television show? Why? 
This changes, of course, with whatever new flavor is around, but I would have to say Downton Abbey has made me a very loyal watcher, the past two seasons. And Smash was a lot of fun just recently. The Middle makes me laugh out loud, as does Modern Family.

3. What is the greatest life lesson you've learned? 
Greatest? Oy. Just about anything I toss off here will sound pithily flip, and I'm sure I could dig up a quote or two to fit the bill... but here goes: Life is what you make it. I know people in very rough and tough circumstances who are pretty convinced they have it made, and I know people who sit quite comfortably to all outward appearances, and are miserable. So figure out what you want your life to count for, and aim for it every day.

4. Who is your favorite author? 
Too many to pick from! I usually haul out a C.S. Lewis for these kinds of questions... I like his mind, his subject matter, how he puts words together.

5. If you could be a pair of shoes, what kind of shoes would they be? 
Well, I posted a grateful list that featured shoes recently, and while I'd say ANY of those shoes would fit the bill, truthfully, the most like me are:

6. Twilight. Love it? Hate it? ;) (If you don't know what it is, lucky you.) 
I imagine myself as a non-fan, but I honestly don't know. I do not in any way enjoy vampire/werewolf stuff, so I haven't even been tempted to peek. I have heard that "it's SO not about the vampires and werewolves, it has big life issue implications" in the story, and to that I say: I'll take my big life lesson implications in a different wrapper, please. (Apologies to my girlfriends who are Twiheads. I love you, still.)
 
7. (Besides blogging,) what's your favorite hobby? 
What, to pick just ONE? Cooking. Gardening. Crochet. Calligraphy. Pinterest (that surely counts, doesn't it?). Depending on the time of day, or day of the week, it's one of the above.

8. Are you a fan of eggs? What kind? 
All eggs, any which way--though scrambled comes up on the no-thanks list much more than most other preparations. I would say poached, deviled, as salad or omelet or in a custard. Oh yes, in a custard. A friend posted this piece on Alice Waters and an egg she's famous for on Facebook just yesterday. Heavens, that sounds like a good egg. Might be worth a try, if I could find the right spoon...

9. Where is the most exotic place you've ever traveled? 
Exotic is probably in the eye of the beholder... or backpack of the traveler as the case may be. I would probably say Penang, Malaysia. Singapore. Hong Kong. All on the same trip. It was a great deal of fun and adventure.

10. What's the WORST thing you've ever eaten. (If it's your mother-in-laws cooking, I'll never tell...)
I myself have come up with some horrifying flavor combinations on my way to a meal, more than a time or two. But apparently I have blocked them out, as I can't recall exactly what those combos were... I did, though, come by it honestly--my paternal Grandmother was frightfully good at putting together many disparate ingredients and wrongly calling them a "casserole" or "salad," but it seems wrong to mention that, with her having passed a decade ago. I would actually give a great deal to have a meal with that lady one more time...

11. Can you keep a house plant alive? 
I am proud to say that I can. That has not always been the case. I used to refer to my method of tending plants as a "hospice." It was not uncommon for me to walk by, feel the dirt and say, "This needs water," and keep on truckin'. Days later: "This really needs water." And so on. I turned a corner somewhere in the past 10 years, and have kept some plants alive longer than they deserve--we had a couple of plants with mites last summer; I took them outside and I sprayed them and watered them and wiped them... leaf by fricking little leaf... and still. Mites. I finally called it good on one and threw it on the burn pile, all the while feeling guilty, like I could have done more! Ha.

Some people tag other bloggers, some just open it up for everyone... I want to do BOTH!

Here are my questions:
1. What would you pick as a major, if you could go back to college and do it again?
2. Who is the one celebrity with whom you would most like to have an indepth conversation?
3. If you could make a living doing ANYthing, what would that be?
4. What's your all-time very favorite dessert?
5. How many pairs of jeans do you own?
6. What is your favorite flower, and why?
7. What book has most changed your life?
8. What is your least favorite vegetable? Is there any way you can be persuaded to eat it?
9. If you could take a nonstop first class flight to any destination, where would you pick to land?
10. If your 15 minutes of fame included a stint on American Idol, what song would be your trademark solo?
11. If you could pick one former friend (who has remained elusive in this wild Facebook world) to reunite with, who would you unearth?

Here's who I'm tagging. Let's hear what you've got to say, then come up with 11 questions of your own and keep the meme going!

Jen at Stuff Jen Says
Chel and Gingerblue Studios
Janet at Fond of Snape
Shirley at The Livin' is Easy
Sherwin at Shower Wisdom
Rebecca at Mommy With A Cape
Cha Cha at Noodleroux
Slow Panic

Other bloggers, please do feel free to answer, and link back. If you don't have a blog--and why don't you? Come on, people!--feel free to fill up my comment area with your answers!!

Happy weekend questioning!