An Interview of a Lifetime – Sitting Down with My 11-year-old Daughter to Ask Me Anything

I have never been interviewed. A couple of months ago I wrote an article about my bucket list and shared my dream of meeting Oprah. I think about it frequently while showering. In the same way that some people practice their singing or have arguments with people they would never argue with in real life, I play out my Oprah interview while naked.  The excitement can become so distracting, that I happily jump out of said shower without ever touching the soap or rinsing the conditioner out of my hair. I also fantasize about being a guest on one of the many amazing NPR radio shows where the host would ask me about my bestselling book, where on God’s green earth Tooele, Utah is, and how I made it this far. I’m still working on my answers.

I wondered the other day, what would my kids ask me in an interview? They spend more time with me than anyone else and I am sure there are questions they don’t ask. I have a list I would love to ask my mom. So, I asked my 11 year old daughter to come up with ten questions she has always wanted to ask me and never have. While I look forward to the day where I am put on the spot by Oprah or Diane Rehm, this is the most important interview of my life.

That has changed throughout my life. When I was your age, I thought 30 was really old, but now at the ripe old age of almost 35, I think 70 is old. When I make it to 70, I have no clue what will be old. Probably 100.

Thanks for the compliment. I think from a lot of our family members. Uncle Glen was one of the first people I remember thinking was a real comedian. He used to make me laugh until my eyes were watering and my belly ached. He had a very dry sense of humor; you would miss it if you weren’t paying attention. Grandma Peck is also very witty and I think we share a self-deprecating humor that I have always found endearing. I also have many friends who inspired my humor and I think most of them are funnier than I am. You know who you are.

When I first read this, I thought you wanted to know when I realized I had friends. Like at 4 years old. But you are talking about how I use it as a name for someone when I am irritated or making a joke, right? For instance, I will be driving and someone will cut me off and I will scream “Nice driving, friend.” It keeps me from swearing so much.  I don’t know when I started saying it, but I know my friend Meghan uses it a ton, so we will give her the credit. I have a tendency to pick up phrases and different speech patterns from people I hang out with and really admire. I’m a chameleon in that way.

Good question!!! Honestly, I was a lot older than you. We didn’t have the money for fancy coffee when I was growing up, so we drank Denny’s coffee or if we were feeling really spendy, a fresh brew from 7-11. At 18, I was more of a local coffee kind of girl so I frequented Beans and Brew or The Coffee Garden. If my memory serves me, which it rarely does, I started my addiction with Starbucks when I moved to Las Vegas at the tender age of 20. So yeah, I have had a problem for about 15 years now.

I always loved to write, but I didn’t think I was good enough to make it my career. I was never involved with my school newspaper and I didn’t win any awards for essays I had written, so no, I didn’t always want to be a writer. I was also intimidated by the fact that a lot of authors I read had a Master Degree in English or Literature and I had barely graduated high school. I didn’t find the confidence to pursue writing until this year, after many wonderful friends gave me feedback about my writing and I finally looked at some of my work and thought “Yeah, that’s not bad.”

Just to update our readers, we adopted a puppy two weeks ago after losing our 12 year old Blue Heeler to stomach cancer. I thought I was ready because I had forgotten how hard puppies are to train, especially in the first couple of months. Dad was heartbroken that Colt was gone and we all missed having a dog around. While I have felt overwhelmed, I think it was the best thing for our family. We are dog people.

I love this question!! Initially, I want to say dog, but I am not as social or as active as a dog, so I am going to have to say a cat. This is weird, because I am not really a cat lover. We have Snowy and she has been a great family pet, but I never liked cats growing up.  I am more like a cat because I have an independent nature, I like to be alone, I do my best work at night and I can be really crabby when people I don’t like approach me. Wow, I’m a cat!!

I love baking in general, but I think my favorite thing to bake is bread. It’s odd because I hate yeast with a passion and there have been many failed attempts on my part. I love baking zucchini bread, banana bread and Irish soda bread. I also love eating bread more than I love eating cookies or cakes, so it’s more rewarding for me to make a batch of rolls than it is a chocolate cake.

Hawaii, for sure, but I really don’t see myself living there for longer than a couple of years. I love Utah. I love the changing seasons, the mountains and having all of my family and friends close. I think if I could live anywhere for the rest of my life, it would be here. I also love complaining about the snow and getting angry about all the bad drivers. I would miss that.

You know I don’t follow celebrities that much. I may end up picking someone who is dead or not even a celebrity anymore. There are a few people I think are attractive, but I am more interested in people who are funny or smart or can make me think about things in a different light. I have had a crush on David Letterman since I was a teenager, but I think a more relevant crush would be John Stewart from The Daily Show. He is funny, insightful, witty and handsome. Don’t tell dad.

A special thanks to my interviewer, Madison Brasher. She is an aspiring actress and foodie who was recently nominated as a Student Body Officer for her 6th grade class.