Everyone's favourite topic

It's time to delve into your favourite topic of all time: ME!  Lovely Meghan at My Wishful Thinking kindly asked me to answer eleven questions and how could I resist telling you all more about myself?

martha stewart

What would be the first thing you would do if you found out you won the lottery?  Throw a great big bash for friends and family, with lots of barbecue and beer.  Oh there should be a live band.  And cake.  Because what's a party without a cake?  Not delicious, that's what it is.  Don't worry, I would invite all of y'all.

etsy

What’s your favourite city (even if you haven’t been to it)?  Dear Austin, home of the Longhorns, No Pants Day, the Mexican martini and all weirdness in Texas, I truly do love you.  You were my first home away from home and the first place I felt like I really struck out on my own.  If any of you bloggers haven't experienced the magic of this town, you must go.  Now.  (Maybe this will be where my lottery party is held.)

Do you have a nickname? If so, what?  I have tons of nicknames - Roothie, Roothers, Rooth Anne, Fatty Lumpkins.  The last one is what my sister calls me... if you know where that is from, I'm giving you a HUGE Internet high five (hint - it's REALLY nerdy).  Oh, and Emmy calls me Auntie Rooth.

Favourite time of day?  For blogging - morning.  I read all of your new blog entries first thing in the morning and it takes me, oh around 1.5 to 2 hours.  Because that's how I show that I care, by reading your blogs still foggy-headed and bleary-eyed.

Do you prefer the beach or the forest?  I like pina coladas, caipirinhas, margaritas and daiquiris.  And guess what, they're all beach drinks.  So yes to the beach.  What are some forest-y drinks, hmm?  If you can name some, I might have to change my mind.

What made you decide to start a blog?  I actually started a blog a LONG time ago but as for this one, I started it because I wanted a creative outlet for all the random ramblings that would pop into my head during the day.  Plus, I started following several bloggers, saw how tight knit the community was and really wanted to be a part of that.

flickr

Do you have any phobias? If so, what?  I'm not so much afraid of roller coasters as I really don't like them.  And it's not even the roller coaster itself, it's the feeling of G-Forces tightening up in my gut.

What’s your favourite dish to cook (if you cook)?  Oh yes I do cook.  My favourite dish to cook has got to be coq au vin, which I've featured here and here on my blog.  And I have a good 'ole Staub now so I can finally cook it properly.

How would you spend a spontaneous day off?  In the country on a horse, trundling along in the sunshine and roaming around fields of flowers.  We might stop off for an impromptu picnic in the shade of an ancient Spanish oak tree.  Also, there would be no bugs or heat / humidity.  Because it's my fantasy.

Do you read magazines online or from the shops? Any favourites?  Do you ever have to order magazines to keep your airline mileage?  Those are the only magazines I end up reading and they're more business-oriented I'm afraid - like Fortune or Inc.  But you can learn a lot from those magazines about successful entrepreneurs and how they tackle strategy and planning.

Scotch & Soda

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?  Something French and unpronounceable.  Like Gaellane or Praxedes.  Just because it would be fun.  I don't actually have to have a reason, do I?