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First Name: Betsy
Hometown: Arnold, Michigan
Major: (it was) Business
Birthday: December 4
What is the most interesting fact about your life?
I can speak entire sentences in reverse phonetic order.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Why?
Marvin the Martian…I like the way he talks, and the fact that he can manufacture other Martians by planting a seed and pouring water on it. What a brilliant concept.
What is your favorite movie?
As a movie buff, it is impossible to pick just one. But before I start making a list of my favorites, let me go on record: the best movie ever made was The Wizard of Oz.
Some other favorite "oldies" are Singin' in the Rain, Witness for the Prosecution, All About Eve, and Casablanca.
As for movies from the 70s and 80s, I am most appreciative of the Godfather movies (1 and 2), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, ET, and Gandhi.
In the realm of more recent films, the ones I could (and do!) watch over and over and over again no matter how many times I see them are: Good Will Hunting, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Fargo, The Silence of the Lambs, The Usual Suspects, Lost in Translation, Pan's Labyrinth, all three Bournes, and Juno.
Some of my favorite comedies are In & Out, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Witches of Eastwick, The Birdcage, and Wedding Crashers.
I am generally not a sci-fi movie fan, but I have a soft spot for a few really good ones (and will watch them time and time again, as if there were a sci-fi dork convention I was preparing for): Total Recall, The Fifth Element, X-men and X-Men 2, and all three Terminator movies.
Finally, some movies that are often listed as other people's favorites (or have received tremendous recognition) that I didn't enjoy or feel were worth the acclaim: Citizen Kane, West Side Story, Braveheart, Memento, Raging Bull, Lord of the Rings (all 3). I feel varying degrees of dislike for these. For some, I though they were so-so, but I just didn't understand the mass appeal; others I downright hated and can't believe they made it to the big screen and became so beloved.
What are your favorite TV shows?
I'm not quite as passionate about TV as I am about movies. TV schedules are too structured, so I rarely ever start watching a new program that's on at a prescribed time on a prescribed day every week. But a few of the programs I love watching are: Forensic Files, Extreme Forensics, CSI (On demand!), The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Six Feet Under, Comedy Central Roasts, Saturday Night Live, and—dare I say it—Survivor. Yup, I've been watching that since its inception. I had the pleasure of meeting Yau-man from season 14(?) at a table tennis tournament in March 2007.
What is your favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor ?
That would have to be Maude's, which doesn't exist anymore, to my dismay (I've still never had prime rib that is as good as theirs was). Most of the ones on Main Street are good. Real Seafood Company, Palio, Gratzi, Chop House. For our anniversary in 2009, I asked Derek to pick the restaurant and surprise me. We went to the Common Grill in Chelsea, and it skyrocketed to the top of our list of favorite resties. We went back 3 or 4 times that summer. We bumped into Lloyd Carr one of the times; that was pretty frickin' cool.
What is your favorite home-cooked meal?
Fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Cliche enough?
If you could spend 24 hours with any person alive or dead, whom would it be? Why? My Uncle Marty, who passed away unexpectedly in April 2005. He was only 8 years older than I, and we were practically raised together.
What was your favorite birthday present you ever received?
Derek (that's my man) is not very romantic, but he gave me a dozen red roses when I turned 28. That seems like a decade ago....oh, wait....it was.
Words you live by:
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - ice cream sundae in one hand, cigar in the other, body thoroughly used up, screaming: "WOO HOO - What a Ride!"
What sitcom character do you most identify with and why?
I'd say I'm most like Grace of Will & Grace, because I'm endearingly neurotic, and gay men are drawn to me.
What celebrity would you love to go to dinner with?
I've had the hots for Matt Damon for 10 years, but I wouldn't say "dinner" is what I have in mind. Hugh Jackman is a close 2nd.
What kind of drink do you order at the coffee shop?
On an average day, just a house coffee (very strong), because I am cheap and addicted.
When I get all 10 punches on the card, I get a vanilla or caramel latte.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A veterinarian
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"Awesome"