I had yet another one of my weird Ask Away Friday ideas, but this one didn’t involve interviewing any of my family members. Or any pets for that matter, although I’d surely like to get into young Bella’s mind and ask her about her apparent mental illness. And flatulence. That said, I’m going for something better here. This week I am partnered with Ana from Our Blended Marriage and she writes a blog with her husband, Frank. They shared their beautiful multi-part “How We Met” story and they also share recipes, cultural comparisons, stories, and tips on design, productivity and more. Ana also wrote a WordPress Blog Design Course.
This seems highly fitting since they both publish the blog. I knew I wanted in, but how in? Cassidy has already worked tirelessly when the spotlight was on him twice for Ask Away Friday and I wanted to spare him that. And then it struck me. The Newlywed Game! Ever watch it? In this romance game show, married couples are pitted against each other with revealing questions to determine how well they know each other.. or not. Once I got Cassidy, Ana and Frank on board to try this, it was ON.
Ana, Frank and I made “the rules.” I made five questions for Ana about Frank, and five for Frank about Ana. They sent Cassidy five questions about me, and I will respond in bold brackets with my own answers and comments to see how they match. I answered five questions about Cassidy and I put his answers in bold brackets too. We both answered questions about each other, before reading each other’s matching (or unmatching answers). There was no cheating. So are you ready? I’m ready.
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Be sure to read Ana and Frank’s Newlywed Game version of Ask Away Friday HERE. And now it starts for us:
Five Questions For Me About Cassidy:
1. What is Cassidy’s life dream?
I don’t know that he has one specific life dream, and if he does, he’s already halfway living it. He has a wife who is flawed, but loves him. He has incredible kids and a beautiful house and garden. He also has a fantastic dog. I think doing something he’s passionate about, and finding magic, music, love and adventure in the world will contribute ever more to his happiness.
(His answer: “I’m already living it, but less work and more family time would be nice. And a lifesize TARDIS.”)
2. If they were to make a movie based on your How Your Parents Met Story who would Cassidy pick to star as you?
Anne Hathaway!
(His answer: “Anne Hathaway.”)
3. Describe Cassidy’s dream vacation
I don’t know if it’s so much about specific location, as it is about feeling, adventure and opportunity. To be specific, though, I think a family vacation to England and beyond would be a dream of his. Doctor Who stuff, the Irish countryside, bangers and mash! (ok, that last one was more me)
(His answer: “To see something(s) or some place I have never seen before. Corollary: to give my kids an experience they have never had before. If there’s a beach nearby, all the better.”)
4. What does Cassidy really think about your cooking skills?
I guess he can’t think anything about something he knows nothing about. I’m flustered, slow and irritable with cooking. Not bad at baking. I think he would say that this is a mystery he hopes to find out about one day.
(His answer: “Largely untapped. Excellent when she wants to be.”)
5. With a garden that has fairies that bring very sweet gifts; what would Cassidy say would be crossing the line should the fairies bring it?
I would say another cat would be out of the question! Luckily, he’s not alone there. I’d be happy with just one.. I have definitely heard him say, “This is a one-sided relationship. I deal more with their sh*t than I do with them.”
(His answer: “Since the cats (who I rescued off the mean streets of Sturbridge, MA) are completely indifferent to me, I’ll say no more cats. Also, none of the following: plague, drama, Hitler.”)
How did I do?? And now, Five Questions For Cassidy About Me:
1. What is Tamara’s favorite meal that you cook?
Anything as long as it involves mashed potatoes.
(My answer: “He’s somewhat right because mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods on earth. He makes this incredible crockpot chicken and vegetables recipe. He uses potatoes in it but they have skin on them, which I don’t love, and the ratio of chicken to potatoes/carrots isn’t ideal for me. So that chicken, those carrots and mashed potatoes instead? Yes. I also really love his pumpkin stew, although we can’t have that year-round.”)
2. If they were to make a movie based on Tamara’s How Your Parents Met Story who would Tamara pick to star as you?
Older me: Henry Ian Cusick, Younger me: An actor from one of her CW shows who I am not familiar with.
(My answer: “ha! No CW stars come close, I’m afraid. I’d say Henry Ian Cusick just for anything. Anything.”)
3. What was the catalyst that made Tamara realize you are the one?
50% my soul/50% I stopped being a prick.
(My answer: “You know, I think I’ll go with that?”)
4. Being married for a decade must have its perks; how often would you say that Tamara can tell exactly what needs to be done?
I have to admit, I’m not sure what this question means…so I’ll go with 42%.
(My answer: “Well we’ve only been married six years, so I think we have a long way to go. I’m going to say 25%?”)
5. What is Tamara’s favorite pass time?
Reading, Reading, Reading (sometimes with ice cream).
(My answer: “Reading. Editing non-client photos. Eating ice cream with the kids. Staring at nature.”)
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Aww, you two are seriously too cute and I loved your version of the newlywed game. I think you both aced it by the way and Tamara, I think you know I would answer quite a few of the questions, especially the reading one similar – we aren’t twins for nothing! 😉
You are so right! If the two of us did a version of the newlywed game, I bet we would come out even better than newlyweds.
I think you are so right and maybe a possible, future AAF in it for us!! 🙂
Or even just a “normal” AAF with you! I’ve always wanted to do that.
I think we may have to do this and have been so wanting to with you here, too!! 🙂 <3
I have September 5th or 12th.. just saying!
How about the 12th? As both my girls will finally be fully back to school that week and we could have time to prepare and chat more (a lot – love out chats) about it 🙂
Yes! I will write your name in my notebook and draw a heart around it.
Awesome and you are so going to have to show me the AAF ropes, because I have never done it believe it or not before. So total AAF virgin here!
Oh, yes. I’m a great with first timers.
(why did that sound perverted?)
Lol, I knew what you meant but still made me giggle and smile, too!
I think my text messages lately let you know how completely vulgar I am on the inside.
And yet again why we are so twins, because I think you know from mine that we are usually on the same vulgar page!!
You know what’s funny? I think we commented so much that I couldn’t reply on the blog. Let’s hope this WordPress app loophole works.
I hope it does workout soon and I know the commenting feel if well and again if anyone can relate it would be me, too 😉
It did!
🙂
AW!!! This is SO adorable!!! I love the questions and this idea!! You two are just perfect for each other! Sorry about the cats Cassidy… 😉
I only like one of them! Sometimes it makes me feel like a horrible person. However Cassidy is the one that got two cats. I mean, the fairies brought them!
That is so amazing! I think that you both did great! I keep trying to talk my hubby into painting our shed into a Tardis! But he just thinks that I am nuts! LOL! Oooh English countrysides and beaches, sounds amazing! Hope you both have a wonderful Labor Day weekend! 🙂
I love that something Cassidy did one day without even telling me, would be considered nuts elsewhere. That sounds about right! I was really thinking about the English countryside more than I was the city of London. Both would be so awesome now!
I think it’s amazing…my hubby just prefers the normal! LOL! I guess it is true about opposites attracting and all that, because I am just a bit more off the wall! 😉 LOL! I would love to be wandering about the English countryside! 🙂
I totally understand. And we live in the woods so no one driving or walking by can really see our crazy!
I absolutely adore this exchange! It was so much fun to read and yes, I think Henry Ian Cusick could pull of Cassidy! A life size Tardis would be pretty cool, although, you a;ready have a Tardis shed!
I think it really will happen. The shed is awesome, but it’s just a shed. It’s not even bigger on the inside!
You two did great and we had lots of fun with your question that may or may not have involved Frank getting smacked on a couple of occasions! My son would love to see your Tardis shed (he was spying on me when I was answering questions and he was full of questions… when he heard about your shed his words were: “okay when we move back to USA we are going to where they are!”)
Well you can tell your son you’re certainly invited here! I had so much fun with this. Thank you for being so game. I can’t wait to read your answers.
I love you two! And I loved his answer about your cooking, I love that he sees the best in you even when you don’t 🙂 Great idea for Ask Away Friday!
That was a pretty awesome answer. I feel like he could’ve teased me or been rude or even mentioned the time I tried to make sweet potato fries for the family and instead of using raw ones, I used already baked ones. It was a mushy and burnt mess.
What an awesome idea! I think you both did GREAT. I loved Cassidy’s answer about not being a prick anymore, hah! Yes, dudes, that does help with decision making on our parts. 🙂
Certainly makes a world of difference! I do know I would’ve gone the rest of my life without ever contacting him again.
Love this. What fun! I can’t believe you got your husband to agree to do this. If I asked mine, well let’s just say he’d probably be a Pr*** about it:)!
Ha!! I wasn’t surprised because my husband is game for most things, but we were not having our best week. Let’s just put it that way.
sounds like a well balanced relationship
cool post – maybe you should go on the newlywed game – lol
haha! I wish, but we’re not even remotely newlyweds.
You guys did a great job! And I appreciate the fact that unlike in The real Newlywed Game, there were no references to “making whoopee.”
ha. If that happened, I would give you permission to slap me.
This was a really fun exchange to read. You guys did really good. I’m sure my husband and I would be horrible at this game, but it would still be fun.
Honestly, I thought we might be a little worse. I think for all of our foibles we both can answer questions about each other well!
You both did great!!!! I’m quite impressed with the accuracy of some of them because they were rather specific. Love the last photo of you enjoying nature!
Thank you! I totally thought they were specific to and that I would bomb. I’m happy that we are on the same wavelength.
Love this version of the newly wed game. Ed and I recently had to play a version of this at an engagement dinner for my sister and her fiance. We were about 50/50 and it was amusing to hear both of our answers. And yes! Anne Hathaway for you!
Oh that sounds totally fun! I don’t even really remember watching the show. Maybe at my grandparents house. Something just made me think of it and I’m so happy that my partners agreed!
That’s not a real Tardis?!?!?! Loved this swap idea! I had no doubts for either set of couples that you’d do well. 🙂 Those damn cats. 😉
I think we all know that one day I’m going to come home and there’s going to be a giant Blue phone booth on my front lawn, right?
So clever! I love how close you guys are in your answers. It’s fair to say you guys are not newlyweds at all, more like obvious best friends :]
Or worst enemies!
Cute idea! My husband gets roped into a lot on my blog. Luckily, he is like your Cassidy and doesn’t mind. I have no idea though who I would pick to play my husband in our movie, I think I need to look into that .Probably right now since the baby is napping I will grab a big bowl of ice cream and look at handsome stars online. Good way to pass the time, no??
Totally a good way. And I hope it was everything it should be. Your husband is totally awesome on your blog! Whenever Cassidy participates, I get a ton of comments from people who say their husbands would never do anything like that. Not here!
Well, reading is the best.
Seriously, we are kindred spirits, because I also LOVE mashed potatoes. Sometimes I stop by Popeyes or another chicken place and just ask for a big thing of mashed potatoes to go. Sometimes it confuses the workers. “Don’t you want some chicken too?” Nope. Just the taters, thanks.
Exactly. And what about Thanksgiving? It’s not about the turkey for me. Do you know that as a kid, we never had mashed potatoes as a ritual at our Thanksgiving dinner. I had to bring that up as an adult because I really can’t live without it.
That was ao fun to read! You guys are such a lovely couple!
My vote goes to Anne Hathaway too!
Yay! I hope she is free when it’s time to be me in the movie. She will be even lovelier.
You know I usually save your posts for last on my blog roll since I like to take my time and comment with thought. However, I’m spaced out and getting ready for the trip plus just trying to enjoy the last week of summer so I’m not going to get through much on my blog reading – so you’re up first!! I think Anne Hathaway would play a great you! Lol “50% I stopped being a prick” ahah! That’s funny cuz they are.. I can’t wait to try that pumpkin recipe, isn’t it insane that the weather is already crisp? It’s as if Fall is already poking it’s nose around the corner, I’m still stunned as to how quickly summer passed. Well, here’s the last hooah! Hope you guys enjoy your labor day weekend!! -Iva
I know! When we met, it wasn’t even summer yet! It’s been way too long since I’ve seen your face!
I appreciate you commenting, because I know you have a big trip and I wish you the best time. And it is funny because it is true – The 50% part.
Seriously my son was still in school then! It’s cray! IKR – I hardly even took pictures, it was as though I blinked an eye and it was over, ha. Glad you appreciate it because I have been in a daze, the last week of summer is OVER! My son starts school tomorrow – he’s so nervous. Mine is still 50% a prick when he wants to be but it’s cool because I am 50% B. Either way, we’re home and all is calm I’m scrambling to get my life together – at least it’s Tuesday tomorrow 🙂
Oh wow! Good luck TODAY! (by the time I read this)
I remember getting nervous before the first day too. Heck, though, not as nervous as I feel about HER first day. Ah, parenting.
Sorry about the 50% a prick thing!
What a super fun twist on ask away Friday!!! You matched up really well!!!
I love the way Cassidy answered the question about your cooking – I always figure you are a much better cook than you give yourself credit for.
Probably!? The world will hopefully know one day. I never really learned how to cook and figured it was either too late, or I’d learn after having kids..
This is so much fun. 😉 Very creative and I love the genuine answers.
I wonder if I could get my husband to do something like this.
You never know! Cassidy usually agrees to it faster than I expect.
Wow you guys know each other so well! Loved reading this :).
I was pleasantly surprised at how well we did! It was fun too.
This was such fun AAF. I think my favorite was Cassidy’s answer to his #3. That’s a good way to improve any relationship!
haha, right? I didn’t necessarily want to argue it and say, “no, no you weren’t like that!” But he totally was.. and.. well, I wasn’t the one to say it!
This is so fun! Your answers match up quite well, and I love the humor 🙂
Thanks! I was happy with the way it turned out.
Very cute idea! You obviously know each other pretty well! 🙂
I guess so! There’s still a lot of mystery but we did pretty well with these questions. I’d love to try again!
I’d say you know each other pretty well! And a few open, unknown ends just keep the mystery, right?! 😉
Exactly! I was totally saying that above. A different set of ten questions, and we might have bombed..
I am impressed! You know each other quite well. I’d be curious to see how Sam and I would do 😉
There is always time to try! I think we did well, but I am curious to see if we could do that well again. It could’ve been a fluke.
This has to be one of the best AAF ideas! You two did wonderfully ::thumbs up::
I could totally see Anne Hathaway, but I’ve already voiced that here 🙂
I wonder what my hubs would say…..
XOXO
Thank you! I think of these in the shower or in the car. I just like to keep Ask Away Friday fresh. I think I do remember you saying that about Anne Hathaway!
Ohhh I know this game. Here I’ve tried playing it several times but with a friend not with a husband. LOL. Have to say you and Cassidy both did great!! I had so much fun reading this. And it’s funny that he thinks 42% and you think 25% for question #4.
Maybe even lower! I was being generous with 25%. I think it would be totally fun to play with a friend or maybe even my sister.
What a fun spin on this! You two did pretty well, too!
Thank you! I was pleasantly surprised.
Life sized TARDIS! I’m on board!
It can be your life dream too! It’s a good one. I fell asleep during the new episode last night. That’s almost unheard of for me.
We went to the theatre for the premiere yesterday. I may have dozed a bit too…but it was my fourth time through and Bae had a rough night (so I did by extension). But then the fire alarm went off, we had to leave the theatre and when we went back in, they had backed it up a few minutes, so I didn’t miss anything…fun fun fun. And then we went home and caught the new episode.
That is very special! I would love to see it at the theater. I remember when I went to see one of the Batman movies, I was evacuated from the theater, not once, but twice. I was starting to wonder if I wasn’t supposed to see it. Eventually I made it through.
I was just commenting on Anna’s saying how you come up with the craziest, best ideas for Ask Away Friday. I love how you switch it up with different people answering and all of that. This one was very fun to read. You and Cassidy know each other really well! 🙂
Thank you! I figure that if I’m gonna do this every Friday, which I totally love doing, I do have to mix it up as much as possible. Like when we had a sequel! I thought that was very special.
Interesting stories! I am also married 6 years!
Go to England and take all other countries while you’re there? I went to 4 countries in 3 weeks!
But I was terribly exhausted without my own car. 🙁 But let your kids grow a little bit…
Very good points! I’m looking forward to reading your next chapter.
I think Cassidy must either enjoy doing bloggy stuff with and for you, or he must just really love you because his participation is always so good!! He seems to give genuine answers, and even though I can’t talk about my no good husband who won’t do things like this for me (because, you know, I have neither a no good husband nor do I have an awesome one), I do think that Cassidy is in the minority for being so up for participating!
I guess so! Whenever I ask him, often with very little notice, he doesn’t even hesitate before agreeing. And from what I understand from other people’s comments, many husbands are just not that into it.
I loved this take on AAF! You and Cassidy are such an amazing couple…congrats on 6 years! Jeff and I are going on 5 years this month (15 years total since May). And Anne Hathaway for you – YES! That would be awesome. I don’t know who the “Cassidy” actor is though….
He is from the show Lost. And he was in Scandal too. He is just sexy to me. Maybe not the actor himself, but one of the characters he played.
This was absolutely awesome. The knowing he was the one question had me giggling a little (Cassidy’s comment). Don’t give up on those kitties. Part of it is because they have each other. Our 4 kittens ignored us pretty much for a couple of years. Now that they’re a little older, they’re a lot more social with us. They “talk” to us, will snuggle for short periods of time, and actually hang out with us now. I never knew you loved mashed potatoes so much! My husband makes an awesome Shepard’s Pie.
Well that sounds delicious!
I don’t think we could give up on the kittens, because Scarlet loves them. And they are very cuddly already actually. I do always wonder if we only had one, would she cuddle more with the dog. I guess there’s no way to ever tell.
I love the couple AAF! so fun! I am also down for anything that involves mashed potatoes!! 🙂 My son sang let it go to end his camp, it was spectacular and I only then realized that the entire summer of singing the song was a warm up for that very moment. 🙂
That’s so special!
And a happy anniversary to you, by the way! Speaking of couples.
what a fun read and a fun game. you are definitely too hard on yourself and it’s so cute how Cassidy adores you. 🙂
Thanks! I see it in the writing but real life can be a bit messy. So glad I rope him into these occasional posts!
1. Once, in junior high, Amy Bricker and I played a newlywed game for homecoming week. We cheated and won. We didn’t need to cheat to win. it was like Barry Bonds taking steroids. We did it because we were jerks.
2. I’m with Cassidy – the dad always deals more with their shit than anything else. And they hiss at me when I clean their litter box and feed them!
3. Anne Hathaway would be completely acceptable to play you in the movie of your life.
Those cats are ungrateful! Ours don’t bite or hiss but if they did, I would make them sleep outside or at the foot of Des’ bed when he’s having one of his kicking dreams.
I wonder how you would’ve scored if you hadn’t cheated. Janine and I were thinking of doing our own newlywed game. We’re practically newlyweds, you know.
How’s the honeymoon?
Just imagine.
And it’s even better than that!
I think I could have answered some of his questions and been spot on! Delightful blog!
I think you’re right! This game is not just for newlyweds!
This. Is. Awesome. What a clever and fun Ask Away Friday. I really have to do this sometime – I just love the new stuff I learn about you from these posts.
Your cooking skills are untapped hey?! Cassidy could almost be a politician with that answer… LOL.
Loved this so much!
Wishing you a lovely week.
xoxo
Ha! I thought it was a nice answer but it’s truly sad that he just doesn’t know. I don’t know if I’ve ever really cooked a full meal successfully. One day..
Awww you guys are really cute! 🙂
We have our moments!
I love this way of doing AAF! And I love that you guys know each other so well!
Well, I was actually a bit surprised. We are both deep thinkers, though. I think that helps.