A. I am 42 and live in Denver, CO with my husband and 6-year old daughter, Lucy. And, our pet guinea pig- Oreo. I work in marketing for an Economic Development Corporation, although my job just ended this week due to funding problems, and tomorrow is my last day there. I do freelance writing and am looking for more of those projects now. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude. I was laid off a year ago and it took almost 8 months to find the job I have now. Oy.

We have lived in the same house for 10 years, in an old neighborhood called Whittier. It is diverse and cool, and a lot of fun. I am on our neighborhood association board, and am the communications chair for the neighborhood. It is fun and keeps me busy.

I am lucky to have a number of girlfriends and family friends here in Denver. We are usually busy seeing friends or going places on the weekend. My husband loves to fish and play guitar. He has problems with his back so he also spends a lot of time in physical therapy.  I also love yoga, and go about 1-2 times a week. I am trying to train to be in a 5K but haven't committed to it enough. It's in 10 days and now I need to dig in or forget about it. I've never been a runner so it kind of intimidates me. Last week I went for a run and pulled a calf muscle so have been sitting out.

Today my daughter is sick, so I'm home with her. It's quiet and kind of nice.

B. I do love yoga, and can really say it changed my life. Before I took up yoga (and meditation) I was a much angrier person, unfortunately.

C. With yoga and meditation, I am always curious to learn more about it -- the benefits, the reasons it works, the new studies about it. I read about it in magazines, blogs, books etc. One magazine I like a lot is called Ode- it's tag line is: Information for the Intelligent Optimist. I like to consider myself an intelligent optimist. I'm very pragmatic (MBA, sales career), but always looking for reasons to support my belief that people are good and the world is capable of overcoming obstacles. I also connect with a lot of yoga teachers who seem to share similar beliefs. I get a lot out of small things they say in class about the body, the universe etc.

D. Two things I'm really good at- connecting with people and understanding complex situations. I didn't realize I have an unusual ability to connect with people until about 10 years ago. I was working in sales, taking a large potential client on a private plane to visit our company's factory. I was with about 6 other people from my company, and everyone was jocky-ing to build a relationship with the client. At the end of the trip I had a sincere connection with the client that I knew other people hadn't made, and it wasn't because of anything special, just that we had better conversations. This can be good in personal and business life. It can also be bad- I've also been at a work happy hour and found myself in the bathroom while my client did blow in front of me, because we were so "connected". Ah well.

In complex situations I am usually able to understand what is at play and what is driving the players. It's hard to explain but particularly in situations with people, I can generally know very quickly who is motivated by what and how a process works. This has helped in my ability to get things done in the most efficient and effective way. In my current job we are always trying to demonstrate our value to investors or potential investors. I figured out that if an investor was able to get just one piece of business that they wouldn't have gotten without our organization, the annual membership price would be paid for or easier to justify. We are now making sure we provide lots of networking opportunities for our investors, to increase the chances of that happening.

E.
1. Yoga outside in the summer
2. Dinner parties with friends
3. Go for a walk or run (sometimes)
4. Listen to live music
5. Have a snow day with my family
6. Have a date night with my husband
7. Go to the movies
8. Go to my favorite book store (Tattered Cover-yay!)
9. Eat and drink outside with friends
10. Get a massage

F. I am a fixture at neighborhood meetings and events. I'm not a big fan of the meetings, but am required to attend since on the board. I do love the social events though- ice cream socials, band nights at the coffee shop, jazz in the park, school fundraisers, barbeques etc. I love to be a community activist and socialize with neighbors.

G. Oh wow so fun!
I would live somewhere near an ocean. Probably on the west coast. I would wake up -no actually- I would be half asleep-- and hear the ocean from my second floor open bedroom windows. My husband would be there and we would snuggle a while listening to the waves, feeling a cool breeze from the windows. He would get up and take our daughter to school. I would get up and do a few yoga poses and have a nice breakfast and coffee before getting ready for work. I get ready in our fabulous, natural light-filled house while listening to good music. I have something that I love to wear to work.

I work 25 hours a week for an organization directing communications and marketing. I believe in what we do and love the people I work with. We change the world for the better and make a shit-load of money doing it.

I leave at 4 and meet my family at home. I go for a run, then we have a great dinner delivered- something healthy and delicious. We eat in the back yard. At night we play a game together then my daughter goes to bed. My husband and I have a nice drink on the balcony, watching the sun go down. We slow dance to some fab music from our kick-ass stereo system, then we go to bed early, listening to the ocean.