From Mark's blog.


1. In five words or less, describe what you do for a living. (Don't be cute.)
Data geek for Healthy Start.

2. If you were worth $40 billion and had already bought and donated everything you wanted to, would you spend $40 million on a beautiful Van Gogh painting?
Nah -- not a big Van Gogh fan.

3. Would you spend $40 million on a 200-foot yacht?
Probably. I love sailing (not that I've done it since I was a kid), and I like the idea of being able to live on the water.

4. How many times have you been engaged to be married?
Twice.

5. Did you have a steady boyfriend or girlfriend in high school?
A couple of them.

THREE MARX BROTHERS-THEMED QUESTIONS:
6. Have you ever had a day at the races?
Yes.

7. Have you ever had a night at the opera?
I honestly don't remember. Quite possibly. I know I saw Mstislav Rostopovich in concert, which was wonderful.

8. Have you ever eaten duck soup?
I don't know.

9. If you accomplish something major that you're proud of, and nobody gives you any credit for it, does that bother you?
Yeah. It also bothers me when people seem to think that I'm doing/accomplishing more than I think I am, because I see myself as a flake (something I'm attempting to change.)

10. Of all the things that your "dream house" will have (which your current place of residence does not), what are the three most important?
A maproom/library, a separate playroom (so we can have a living room for living!), and a fireplace in the master bedroom.

11. Who is the most famous person you've ever met? ("Met" = at least exchanged two words with face-to-face, preferably shook hands with)
Celebrity? Gregory Peck. He was at a screening of "Guns of Navarone" at the DGA and I went total fangirl on him, shaking his hand and telling him that I simply adore a man with expressive eyebrows.

12. Have you ever seen a U.S. President in person? (You didn't have to meet him)
Yes -- I did advance (setting up appearances) for the first Clinton campaign. The friend I was working with gave him a button that said, "I thrive on stress."

13. If you go to a favorite restaurant, do you always order the same dish or do you mix it up a bit?
Usually I order the same thing, but when I'm in the mood, I like to experiment.

14. When was the last time either of your parents saw you naked?
Heck if I remember.

15. What town did you grow up in? What was the best thing about it? The worst thing?
San Juan Capistrano. The best thing was the Mission; the worst was the hordes of tourists descending for Swallow's Day.

16. What town do you live in now? What was the best thing about it? The worst thing?
Big Bear City. I can't just name one best thing: it's the combination of clean air, a small town feel where I feel like what I do actually has a positive impact on others' lives, the view from my office (no snow now), trees, coyotes keening at night, etc. The worst thing is that it's so far from so many friends, making it hard to spontaneously get together and hang out.

17. When you Google your name, in quotes, how many results do you get?
"Rachel Heslin": about 88, of which 80 are actually me (I'm pretty darn chatty online.) Of course, if I click the "show results omitted due to similarity" link, I come up with "about 2,700" (no, I didn't go through to figure out how many were actually me.)

18. What's your astrological sign, and do you think your personality is typical of that sign's supposed traits?
Pisces, and I don't know what traits are supposed to be associated with it.

19. What household items do you have more of than you need?
Computer carcasses.

20. Name something you ate all the time as a kid that you wouldn't touch now.
Anything with vinegar.