Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes, condolences, and du'as. It really meant a lot to me and my family. Your support and kind words are much appreciated. I think in a successful attempt to distract me, me beloved hearty Sanchez has ordered me to respond to her interview questions. Far be it from me to disobey a direct order. So. Now for something completely different:

THE INTERVIEW GAME RULES: From Sanchez's (do-not-link-me!) Blog

Here's how you can play the interview game:
1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me." The first five commenters will be the participants.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions.
3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (Write your own questions or borrow some.)

The Questions:
1. If wishes were horses then beggars would ride, but what happens when monkeys are pirates?
2. How has your experience as a fellow Brown in world of *insert your field here* been? (You know I'm a Brown. Admit it.)
3. How do you decide which place you'll be travelling to? And when you come to visit me, do you want your sand dune with or without scorpions?
4. Of all the millions of movies you've seen, is there any that you would recommend that every man, woman and child see?
5. Where's the rest of the key lime pie?

The Answers:
1. When monkeys are pirates, the world as we know it will be thrown into complete upheaval. Modern currency will become obsolete and everything must be paid in banana units. The phrase "monkey business" will have new meaning to including pillaging, ravishing, and burying treasure chests (filled with many banana units). Passage on the seas will be treacherous, dangerous, and fraught with adventure including picking of nits, grooming of fur, and buckling of swash. If the monkey pirates ever become monkey pirate robots, there will be hell to pay (in banana units, of course). The sooner you learn how to parlez in Monkey (i.e. "ook ook" and "yarr"), the better. Savvy?

2. You are not a Brown (you are totally a French Vanilla Milkshake with a sprinkling of cinnamon) and so the question you have posed is invalid. But hypothetically speaking (a much easier language to speak than Latin or Greek), my experience as a Brown in the field of law has been interesting. The ability to help non-lawyers decipher crazy legalese, negotiate the tricky curves of a contract, and research archaic laws and confusing regulations has proven gratifying. I have been fortunate in that my first real law job was working, inter alia, for an Arab-American media company where the Browns were the majority and I never felt out of place. Growing up in Southern Indiana, I learned how to get along with all types and not to feel awkward about my differences and, in fact, to appreciate them. As a result, my experiences as a Brown in this world, let alone this field, have been groovy. Especially since, for some bizarre reason, I seem to pass as a native of almost every country I have visited - even Iceland.

3. That's two questions, cheater cheater key lime pie eater. Nonetheless. The usual criterion for choosing each destination is that it be a place I have not been to before. The exception to this rule is when it involves visiting family (although, honestly, having family members strewn all over the world is pretty much what has enabled me to visit so many places to begin with). I wish I could say something along the lines of "I spin a globe and close my eyes and wherever my finger lands is where I go." But, in reality, it's more along the lines of "hey, there is a cheap ticket to Belize; wanna go?"*

4. No. First of all, asking me to choose a favorite movie is like asking me to choose a favorite child. Gosh! Second of all, there is no single movie that I would recommend for everyone for any occassion. Now, if you narrowed it down a bit, I might be able to answer that brutal, insensitive question. Humor? Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Classic? The Godfather. Suspense? Rear Window. Mystery? Usual Suspects. Reverse Mystery? Memento. Best Quotable Lines? Princess Bride. Best Scottish Accents? Trainspotting. Best Escape? The Shawshank Redemption. Best Mockumentary? This is Spinal Tap. Best Dance? Strictly Ballroom. Best Hi-yah? Iron Monkey. Best Political Satire? Dr. Strangelove. Best Teen Angst? Heathers. Best Indie? Ghostworld. Best Shakespeare Spinoff? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. See where I'm going with this? Good. Now, pass me the popcorns.

5. Apparently, after the cheating incident above, it appears that the key lime pie is now residing in your very own tummy. How was it?

*extra credit: with scorpions, but only if they are barbequed.