Ask Us Anything Responses

WifeGeeding and I answered these questions separately and individually. In other words, we had no idea how the other answered.

1. Seymore asks:
Is your live Traffic Speed paid for? I had a site for a while and I am not sure the Live Traffic hits were real (the bought ones).vAnd you need more East Texas information from parents/in-laws.
Thanks,

Alba, Texas reader Seymore.

Keither: Hello, Seymore from Alba! Nope, it’s a free service I found it about ten years ago from a company called Feedjit and just thought it was neat. I actually forgot I had it and a bit surprised anyone has noticed it. As for East Texas news, I don’t make my way there as much as the wife and kids, but WifeGeeding has expressed interest in doing her version of a Bag of Randomness more often so who knows.

WifeGeeding: I have no idea what live Traffic Speed is! I’m only a guest writer.
I’m happy to answer any East Texas questions you have.

2. Nathan asks:
If you had to guess today, what career paths do you think BoyGeeding and GirlGeeding will be called to when they grow up?

Keither: Well, that’s a nice, thoughtful, deep question I wasn’t expecting. I feel like my career doesn’t utilize my strengths and talents, and it’s my prayer that doesn’t happen to them. DaughterGeeding will be some sort of entrepreneur of sorts or wind up in some sort of public service if she isn’t managing some sort of U2 museum or working for (RED) or the ONE Campaign. I can picture BoyGeeding in some sort of behind the scenes leadership position, one where he’s not in the spotlight but responsible for a lot of stuff yet subservient and mindful of who he’s representing or working for. In my mind, he’d be like White House Cheif of staff A.J. MacInerney in The American President or like the Micheal J. Fox Deputy Mayor character in ‘Spin City’. He wouldn’t be Bono, but more Edge like.

WifeGeeding: GirlGeeding: inventor
BoyGeeding: game creator

3. Ben W. asks:
Okay, here we go:
1) Favorite guilty pleasure TV show;
2) Best book you’ve read in the last year;
3) If you could be any Star Wars or Marvel character, who would it be and why;
4) Favorite Disney attraction (ride/show) for each Geeding family member.

Keither: Since my surgery, I’ve been watching ‘The Golden Girls’ a lot more than I’d like to admit. I blogged how pleased I was with that presidential history book but we’ve been reading some Beverly Cleary books with the kids and I’m reminded of my love for The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I’d like to be Wolverine since he doesn’t age and it would be cool to live through all that history. At first, I thought I’d like to be Tony Stark or Captain America, but they seem to have a lot of responsibility, unlike Wolverine who could just lay low and do what he wants. As for Star Wars, I’d be R2. DaughterGeeding loves Space Mountain, BoyGeeding is a sucker for the Peter Pan and Toy Story shooter ride, and I think WifeGeeding is a sucker for Cinderella’s castle. I like the monorail because I sing the Simpon’s monorail song every time I step into one, it’s air-conditioned, I can sit down and see the whole park(s), and people watching is always fun.

WifeGeeding: 1. America’s Favorite Videos and Wheel of Fortune. Keith hates watching Wheel of Fortune with me because I always guess the puzzle before he does.
2. A Man Called Ove (just finished this book yesterday)
3. Ant Man. It would be fun to shrink.
4. That is a hard one. I’m basing this off of the last time we were there which was 2 years ago. For me it would have to be Peter Pan. Micah liked Space Mountain. Walter liked Toy Story. You didn’t ask, but this was a good memory of one of the attractions at Animal Kingdom.–We watched a 3D show about A Bug’s Life. I cannot see 3D because of my vision. Micah was enjoying “grabbing” the butterflies and such until her chair started to shake and the big scary bugs came out. She started screaming, “I want to exit! I want to exit!”

4. barry asks:
Not asking for names, but do you each have a favorite child?

Keither: Definitely. RIP DogGeeding. 

WifeGeeding: I love both of my children for different reasons. No favorite.

5. Chris asks:
What’s in eggs?

Keither: One thing that’s in eggs is the chalazae, which is that odd looking white stringy thing. The more prominent the chalazae, the fresher the egg. “The chalazae (plural) are rope-like structures made of protein that act as a support system for the yolk. It keeps the yolk suspended in the center of the egg and safe from pressing against the shell or settling on one side of the egg.”

WifeGeeding: Protein

6. Bizarro Big Tex asks:
Okay, a tough mom/dad question. At what age are you going to allow KidsGeeding to have their very own cell phone? Will you monitor it usage? Will you pick the apps permitted on it? This discussion has been ongoing in various layers of our extended family for a while. Some want to slap an iPhone in the hands of baby at birth. Some say no phone until freshman in high school. Some say no phone until Favorite Child can earn enough money to buy on their own and pay monthly bill. No agreement by anyone. Would appreciate the Geeding take on this controversial topic.

Keither: I’ve actually been thinking about this, especially with the recent school shooting (yet, again). Our kids are pretty young, six and seven, so I’m thinking if I give them one it would not be a smartphone. What do you call those, dumb phones? The dumb phone would only be used for emergencies and kept in their backpacks. I even thought about getting one of those cheap prepaid pay-as-y0u-go phones that run as cheap as $20 or $30. I don’t want to dish out much cash because kids lose things and break things easily, and I’d like them to prove to me they can first handle the responsibilities of a dumb cheap phone and managing minutes/data before graduating to a smartphone. When the day does come in which they get a smartphone and I add them to my plan, I would absolutely monitor usage as well the apps. I’m assuming all providers provide some sort of parental monitoring feature in their plans. I’d especially like to have the GPS tracking feature (or implant a biological chip while they are sleeping). Our Amazon Fire tablets allow us to set a time limit for each profile, so I have a feeling the providers would have something similar. Each child is different, some are more responsible than others, so what works for us may not work for y’all. I think our kids are pretty responsible, and technology is being accepted at an earlier age, so I could imagine giving DaughterGeeding one at age ten or twelve.

WifeGeeding: Good question. I would really like to stay away from having their own phone for as long as I can. Having a tablet is bad enough. I’m thinking when they start high school and are involved with more after school activities. That way they can call when they are ready for us to pick them up until they start driving We have a landline that they can use to call their friends. It is hard for me to say now how I will monitor apps, usage, etc. because I’m sure a lot will change in the next 5 years.

7. Terry b asks:
Has Keith ever heard Bono cover Elvis?

Keither: I have, I like it when Bono improves Elvis Costello lyrics to U2 songs.  Actually, I have heard Bono cover the King and I don’t think he does a great job of it, but then again, I’m sure Elvis would sound very good covering U2 songs.

WifeGeeding: As far as I know, no.

8. Anonymous asks:
Tell me the 3 best things about you.

Keither: I’m such a cynic and so critical of myself it’s hard for me to see any good traits about myself. So I view this question as more of what are three favorable things I hope people remember about me. (1.) I do my best to extend grace in simple ways. For example, if I’m in the checkout line and I see someone behind me only with an item or two, I’ll ask if they would like to go ahead of me. I’ll sometimes ask people who are finished loading their groceries in their car if I can return their cart for them if the cart return is on my way. When I speak with a wait staff or service employees who display a name tag, I try to make them not feel like a number and refer to them by names. I like to make people smile. (2.) I used to feel like everything was binary, that you had to choose a side or things had to be one way or the other. But I’ve worked really hard over the past ten years to widen my perspective and understand and appreciate both sides of an issue or argument, and that really helps when it comes to faith and political matters. (3.) Finally, I think I do a really good job of not taking things, especially the little things in life, for granted. Losing my parents and one of my closest friends early in my life has motivated taught me how fragile, short, and unexpected things in life can be. It might make some people a bit uncomfortable, but I hug people and tell those closest to me I love them all the time, male friends included. When the kids are being loud and wild I try to focus on not how stressed they are making me but to enjoy the moment because it will be gone soon and I should appreciate this opportunity. If a friend calls or texts me to tell me something silly, like complaining how bad the Cowboys are playing, I try to take value in it. That person didn’t have to text/call me, it could have been anyone else, but they chose to make me a part of their life, and I should be thankful and honored.

WifeGeeding: I’m patient. I go with the flow and am not easily angered.

9. Anonymous asks:
On a scale of 1-10, how strict are/were your parents?

Keither: Probably a 4. I had a healthy fear of respect and never pushed the line so they didn’t need to be very strict.

WifeGeeding: Being the fourth child I knew what I could and could not get away with. I also wasn’t a wild child so I never had a curfew or was grounded. I was pretty much a rule follower and wanted to make my parents happy. Being from a small town you knew if you did anything it would get back to your family.

10. Anonymous asks:
Who was your worst teacher? Why?

Keither: Several really stand out and I’m tempted to vent, but I’ll single out my second-grade teacher and one incident in particular. We had a reading assignment for homework, the book was about a deer, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Bambi related. My mother, like all typical Asian mothers, took their kid’s schooling very seriously. It was the same routine every school day, even Fridays. As soon as I got home she gave me a small snack and I immediately had to do my homework, and as soon as I was finished and she reviewed it I then could watch cartoons or go play. I read my reading assignment to her out loud. The next day the teacher asked me a question about it but I couldn’t answer it and she accused me of not reading it. I told I did read what was assigned and distinctly remember her telling me I was lying to her and to step into the hallway to read it so the rest of the class could discuss. I was in tears and embarrassed. I still remember the snot running down my nose and wiping it with my sleeve. I think it was one of those situations where I’m following all the words but my mind went wandering. I was too ashamed to tell my parents because I feared I would have let them down or would have gotten in more trouble. That teacher also taught my brother and made some sort of comment that my brother never lied to her and he was a good student. That feeling of not being believed or letting someone down when I’m telling the truth still haunts me.

WifeGeeding: Mrs. Smith, my 5th grade science teacher. All we did was read the chapter and answer the questions at the end of the chapter. She also assigned LOTS of homework.

11. Anonymous asks:
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?

Keither: My third-grade teacher, Mrs. Drew, was by far the sweetest and very attractive. She made me feel happy and made learning fun. She was great at something I call “individual consideration”. She loved us as a class but made sure to love us all as individuals. When I graduated high school, she was even kind enough to send me a graduation card with ten bucks in it. My mother told me to never spend that money since it came from such a special person. I held true to her promise for about seven years. Man, think of that compounding interest. Often I think about tracking down her address and mailing a handwritten letter. I also want to mention one of my high school math teachers, Ms. Connie Thornton. She was consistently positive, never gave up on any student, and recognized effort even if it didn’t result in a high grade. In her classroom hung a handmade poster, “Success isn’t measured by the IQ but by the ‘I Do’.” A little cheesy, maybe, but it struck a chord with me and I think about that phrase at least monthly when I feel overwhelmed by a task. 

WifeGeeding: My fourth grade math and science teacher, Mrs. Ferrell. She complimented me on the dresses I wore each day. Very sweet, but firm. Not a very profound answer you would expect from a teacher, but she just stood out to me.

12. Heath asks:
Anything? Alright well let’s talk sex! Keith has mentioned a healthy sex life important in a marriage- how do you guys make this work with full time jobs and 2 kids?

Keither: I’m not going to dodge the question but I do acknowledge some of you are sensitive about this sort of talk, and if that’s the case, don’t read any further because there’s a chance you might feel I stepped over some sort of line. But at the same time, I don’t plan on saying anything to disrespect my wife and our bond. I out-punted my coverage in terms of being attracted to WifeGeeding so that helps. It also helps that she just wants to make me happy, and that goes beyond sex. But in terms of sex, she’s like me, opened-minded and adventurous, read into that what you will. But as a couple, we recognized how our likes and dislikes have changed over the years and that also applies to the bedroom. One thing is constant, I’ve always been a giver – I’m more interested in pleasing her than I am of being pleased. I prioritize her, which means she’s always the one satisfied first, at least 99% of the time. Because of that, I think she looks forward and more willing to engage in sex. As for where do we find the time, it helps the kids have an early bedtime. They shower or bathe at 7:00 PM and by 7:45 PM they have been read to and tucked in. We are also fortunate that I work from home and her commute is less than two miles away without a single stoplight. We light spontaneity and trying to make the most of our opportunities.

WifeGeeding: It is hard to find time with kids and jobs, but you just make it a priority.

13. Former Neighbor Payne asks:
umm, do you like this gig? that wasn’t the question. Do you…do do do you like your job Ok. I, I mean do you like being the Head of GeedingManor?

Keither:  PUFF DADDY!

WifeGeeding: Keith may be the Head of GeedingManor, but I wear the pants in the family!

14. CF asks:
For each of you:
Windows or Mac, and why?
Android or iPhone, and why?

Keither: I was a big Mac fan when they weren’t popular. My first two computers were Macs, both in the mid-90’s. I was extremely loyal to the brand until a family member convinced me they were a lost cause, and then all of a sudden Steve Jobs came back but I was already “converted”. I have a huge appreciation for Apple products, but nowadays I stick to Windows and Android for familiarity. When I use WifeGeeding’s iPhone or Mac I feel like I’m doing everything with my non-dominant hand, it’s too confusing for me.

WifeGeeding: I use a Mac at home, but occasionally use Windows at work. Keith bought me a Mac laptop several years ago so that is why I use it. iPhone because it is user friendly.

15. John Mackovic asks:
Do you like movies about gladiators?
Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

Keither: I’m sorry, son, but you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Roger Murdock. I’m the co-pilot. 

WifeGeeding: I’m not a huge movie person, but I did like Ben Hurr the first time I saw it in school. No, never been to a Turkish prison. I actually had to “Google” it to see if I was missing something. Answer stays the same…NO!

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One Response to Ask Us Anything Responses

  1. John Mackovic says:

    Well, it looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

Comments are closed.