Totally self-serving bonus post

Kelly tagged me in some sort of thing in which people who have blogs cajole other people who have blogs into answering questions.  I don't really understand these things, but it's 2am and my cab to the airport will be here in 4 hours - so I'm not sleeping tonight, anyway.

Kelly, I'll answer your questions because I'm totally flattered to have been invited (and I'm also vain and narcissistic), but I have to warn you: I am where memes go to die.  I don't tag people.  So anyone who might be reading this, if you want to do something like it, pretend I tagged you.

Her questions and my answers:

1.  Favorite restaurant and why?  Lately my favorite restaurant is Ricardo Steakhouse in East Harlem because it's not very expensive, it's absolutely delicious, and they used to have a painting - an OIL PAINTING - of a na'vi on the wall.  It's like the artist said to himself, "I have this great idea for a painting, but I can't decide if it belongs on the side of a van or on a canvas.  Wait... I don't have a van."

Runner-up: the revolving restaurant at the top of the Grand Hyatt in Cairo.  Yum.

2.  What's at the top of your Christmas/Hanukkah list?  An 11" Macbook Air.  No contest.  That bitch is hot.  Are you paying attention, Santa?

3.  If you were given a free trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go?  Well, let's see now.  This question is tricky.  Just as some people try to run marathons in every state, I'm angling to join the traveler's century club.  Actually I'd probably not join, but I'd love to qualify.  I think I'm at 19 countries, some of which were just layovers (they count); I have my work cut out for me.  So, you see, there are lots of places I'd like to visit but haven't yet: southeast Asia, Finland, India, China.  I could go with a cop-out and say something like, "I'd get an around the world ticket!", but truthfully, I don't want that.  I could also say Egypt or Sweden (my two favorite countries, places I've been multiple times, and places I'm less inclined to use my limited travel budget toward since they don't get me an additional country).

Read this book!  It's really good!

But, if it's a free trip, I'd have to go with an atoll of some sort, either the Maldives or maybe Kiribati.  1) I can't afford to go there with my current salary, so free is good, and 2) there's a substantial chance that global warming will wipe them both off the map, and soon.  Maybe Kiribati, since they have cargo cults and that's awesome.  Anyone up for taking an imaginary free trip with me?

4.  Who is your favorite person in the whole world?  Ah-ha!  She didn't specify dead or alive, so I get to cheat and name Franklin Pierce.  My favorite president.

5.  What do you like most about blogging?  As dorky as this is, I've actually met a few seriously cool people through twitter and my blog (like Kelly, for instance!).  Other than that, I like procrastinating?  Sad but true.

Any other questions for me while I'm completely off-topic?