Did you ever have a teacher who said, “There are no stupid questions,” in a lame attempt to encourage her slack-jawed students to snap out of their daydreaming and actually participate in class?
That teacher would love Ask a Stupid Question Day, which is an actual quasi-holiday in the United States. It has an entry on Wikipedia, so it must be legitimate. It was created by teachers in the 1980s, when all good things came to be. It’s observed on the last school day of September, so in honor of this absolutely ridiculous holiday, I’m giving ten brilliant answers to ten stupid questions.
I picked ten random numbers between 1 and 100, then found an online list of 100 random, stupid questions. Some of them were not only stupid but incredibly boring, so I simply picked ten that I liked.
1. Without looking, guess what time it is.
11:32 a.m. (I was 15 minutes off. It’s 11:47 a.m. No wonder I’m thinking about lunch.)
2. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Right above me are three diplomas: Matt’s Bachelor’s, and my Bachelor’s and Master’s. It’s awesome to glance at mine everyday as I write on my computer. It reminds me of how useful my degree is, and how much money I am not making.
3. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can, What can you touch?
Air.
4. What was the last thing you bought?
Pickles and honey sticks at the Renaissance Festival this weekend. That place is a feast for the taste buds; how did we pass up cheesecake on a stick? But we did see these guys:
Yes, that is a balloon on his head. Eventually he pulled it over his entire body, so he was in the balloon.
5. Do you touch type?
I do. I took Keyboarding in my senior year in high school. For giggles, I just took a timed typing test online and scored 63 wpm.
6. What’s under your bed?
Not much, but let me check. Wow. Five pairs of slippers and a baseball bat. The slippers are mine, and the baseball bat is Matt’s idea of protection should someone break in while we are sleeping. As he pummels the bad guy with the bat, I will choose a pair of slippers and run like hell.
7. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
No, I cannot. Can you?
8. What are some of the different jobs that you have had in your life?
Waitress, receptionist, cashier, camp counselor, guidance counselor, admissions counselor, and switchboard operator. Too many of these jobs required name tags.
9. Can you close your eyes and raise your eyebrows?
Yes, I can. Isn’t that something that everyone can do ? This is the stupidest question yet.
10. Do you know how to pump your own gas?
Of course I do. I hate getting gas in New Jersey and having to wait for the attendant to pump it for me. Why is it illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey? That is just stupid.
Oh my goodness! These are funny! You are so right about NJ. I was so afraid to pump my own gas when I got to AZ thinking I would be marked as the stupid Jersey girl who couldn’t pump her own gas. Hahaha! It didn’t turn out to be so bad and yes, I can do it no problem. Hehe. Question number 2 was hilarious. I’m sure you’re not the only one who feels that way about your degrees. How funny that you kept all of your name tags. Memories!
Yep, they do bring back memories. I always found it odd that you couldn’t pump your own gas in Jersey, but I had no idea it was illegal!
I can totally touch my nose with my tongue and under my bed are bins and bins and bins of things I’ve not looked at in five years which means I do not need them but I keep them anyway.
You must have a pretty high bed, Krisit! And toss those bins – you won’t miss them.
My only thought right now is “OMG, you really have a bat under your bed?” At first I thought it was funny but now I am thinking I should have a bat under my bed. Oh, and laughed about your Masters degree 🙂
You do need a bat under your bed, because then you will never need to use it! It the same principle of carrying an umbrella – it only rains when you don’t.
Ask a Stupid Question Day is just one of the reasons the U.S. is great. Haha. Funny answers–esp the deadpan: “air.” What’s on my walls? Since I’m at work right now, bookcases, bulletin board, and my suicide bunny calendar.
Suicide bunny calendar? Do I want to know what that is?
So what’s really stupid is that after reading question #7, I actually tried it. Why do we do these stupid things? In any case, it was a fun read!
I LOVE that you tried it. I assume you couldn’t do it, or you would have bragged about it, right? You should have seen me trying the closed eyes and raised eyebrows.
You’ve written that you love shoes, and now I truly believe you since you have five pairs of slippers. And if you’re going to run like hell, don’t pick the scuffs or clogs!
Yes, I can touch my nose with my tongue. What a talent!
It is a talent – my daughter can do it too. And yes, I have trouble running up the steps in some of those slippers – the closed backs are much safer for me.
Except for #9, how are these deemed stupid?! They seem more like memory test questions!! 🙂
I know! But I picked the least stupid ones from the list – some were just dumb.
Oh my word, I cannot stand getting gas in New Jersey. Let me do it myself!!! Also, I purposefully have not hung up my diplomas because I don’t want to be reminded of my student loans while I’m working, haha.
I don’t blame you! Mine were paid off years ago, so I can look at my diplomas without feeling in debt. Yet – college for Gwen in two years!
I love random question posts. I do one at least once a month with my Old School Blogging link-up (sorry for the shameless plug, just letting you know in case you want to join in sometime!) 🙂
I love that you still have those name tags!! I still have old business cards… I think….
I’ve been tagged in your Old School Blogging once or twice, Elaine – I love it! I will have to be on the look out.
I am totally impressed that all you have under your bed is a bat and some slippers! I’d love to keep a bat under my bed, but it’s such a cluttered space under there that I’d never find it – and yes, I’d be the one who would need to find it. My husband sleeps so soundly that he’d probably sleep right through an intrusion … or even an earthquake for that matter. 🙂 Loved your post! So glad you joined in on Tuesday Ten.
Me too, Marcia – this was a fun one! I’m a pretty sound sleeper too, so I’m sure I’d be useless should anyone break in.
63 wpm? That’s impressive! I rely way too much on the delete button. Without that I’d be at about 6.3 wpm!
If I let my mind relax and go with it, my fingers just know what to do. If I worry about making mistakes, I make even more!
Having moved from New Jersey, I can’t believe I used to sit there and wait for them to pump it! Of course I pump it myself these days.
And I’ll probably use some of these questions from the list for my Ask Away Friday!
Stupid Question Ask Away Friday. I like it.
I like it too! They weren’t all stupid, but saying that they are seems to get people more interested.
Hehehe these are GOOD, Dana! Silly and full of delightful snark. And yet you made a coherent blog post out of them. I like it.
NOW THEN…what’s a honey stick?
It looks like a plastic straw, and it’s filled with honey. You bite off the top and suck the honey out. A yummy little treat!
OHHHHHHhhhhhhh so a bit like a pixie stick but with honey, not sherbet. Well! I learned something new 🙂
I couldn’t stop laughing at this post. Thanks- I needed that! I love that you have a bat under your bed, and I will keep it in mind if I ever thinking of breaking into your house in the middle of the night! (Very unlikely given my bedtime!)
No, but if you broke in when you got up in the morning, we’d be sound asleep!
The “pump your own gas” question threw me for a minute and then I remembered…I rented was in New Jersey for work once and rented a car. I pulled up to the pump and got out to pump my gas and was swiftly reprimanded by the gas station dude.
And…you really cannot have enough slippers.
I agree, and I feel that way about shoes in general. A slipper for every occasion!
Fun (but yes, some are stupid!, but I think it adds t the fun). And I couldn’t look at my degrees. Too depressing. They buried in a box somewhere – which is actually kind of sad – considering what I did to get them!
Yes, hang them on the wall, Allie! At least they could serve as artwork…
Switchboard operator sounds hard! Seriously!
It was hard, but it was fun! It was a part-time job at college, and it was a blast.
Holy slippers Batman! I’ve never been to a Renaissance fair, but after seeing these photos, I’ll be going. It looks like a lot of fun.
It is really fun, and great people watching. And any food you could possible want, with most of it on a stick.
Wow – so cool you saved all your name tags!
We spent 3 weeks in NJ one summer and I kept forgetting the whole “no pump” thing – of course, then we came back to KS and I wanted someone to pump my gas!!!
I guess you get used to it, huh? I try to avoid stopping on the NJ Turnpike for gas, because I hate having to wait for the guy to pump it for me.
That’s all you have under your bed?!?! Wow. Why so many slippers?
There is no self-service gas pumping in NJ??? Do they have people there to pump it all night long? Do the guys pumping your gas check your oil, too? SO MANY (I hope they aren’t stupid) QUESTIONS after reading this!
You kept your nametags. While I don’t remember doing it, I must have thrown my Kroger and Bob’s Big Boy nametags away as soon as I quit. I don’t remember ever moving them to new places of residence.
I have no idea why I have so many slippers. I probably lost a few pairs and then they turned up after I bought new ones. And yes, I suppose they have people manning the gas stations all night long. That has to be the most boring job in the world. And you worked at Bob’s Big Boy? I was in an awesome food fight there in college. Good times.
Ha! That eyebrow one was kind of stupid. I never knew that was a “talent” some people had or didn’t have. I have never timed myself typing, so I have no idea how many wpm I could do. I do know that I cannot touch my nose with my tongue. 🙂 Glad you linke dup this week!
I used to be able to type faster; I’ve lost some of my touch. I had to take a timed test when I temped in college, and I was closer to 70 wpm then.
Ha! I laughed at your questions and answers. I can’t touch my tongue to my nose, I can usually tell what time it is without looking at a clock.
Can you really? I am so bad at that. I’m surprised I was as close as I was. For instance, right now I’m guessing it’s 8:30, but only because last time I looked it was 8:05. And yep – it’s 8:28. Yay me!
I worked with a doctor once who told a nurse (not me, thank goodness), while there is no such thing as a stupid question it is stupid to keep repeating the same question. Either rephrase your question or go Google it since you are wasting my time. That doc would have loved to know there really is a stupid question day.
Google is awesome – it knows everything, and it doesn’t judge you for asking something idiotic. I need that in my life.
Under the bed bat is not strange; I have a police baton,mace, knife, and long screwdriver in strategically placed areas of my bedroom..my husband is the one with the one pair of slippers under there.
Wow – you are prepared! We have an alarm system, so I’d have plenty of time to panic if anyone did break in. Or time to climb out the window.
I can touch my nose with my tongue!! AND I can raise my eyebrows with my eyes closed. I am super talented. I am going to Tweet you a picture of it RIGHT NOW!!!
That photo was awesome, Rabia. Thank you for sharing! Hope you didn’t get any weird looks at work.
Very funny and clever post. I laughed out loud at some of them. I’m impressed with your typing skills…. must be hereditary :-). (BTW, I am dictating this comment onto my iPad and when I ended the last sentence and said “smiling face”, low and behold it typed a :-).)Another thing, besides you, that impresses me! The only thing I can think of right now that is a stupid question is when somebody has had a loss in their family and one asks, “are you okay?” How should they be?
I agree with you – that is a stupid question. Btw, it was your “btw” that was misspelled, but I fixed it for you (smiling face).
Oh my goodness, I’m cracking up reading this! First off, the part about your diploma and masters, sad, but you made it funny! Then the bat under the bed. Reminds me of once when my husband woke up to see someone standing beside our bed. He proceeded to attack it, and our bedside lamp never worked the same. Love that you kept all of your nametags! Great post!
Oh, that poor lamp! That’s why bats are dangerous. And yes, I still have my nametags. Not sure why, because I toss almost everything. If only I still had my diary from middle school, I could write posts for a year using that material.
Am devastated that I was not aware of this day! Am making a calendar note of it right now for next year! Your answers to #2 and #8 made me laugh out loud!-Ashley
Oh, you ladies could do so much with a post for this day – I’ll be waiting for next year!
I hate pumping my own gas but mostly in the winter when it is freezing outside. My sister or dad always did it for me in high school. Spoiled!
Lucky! I hate it in the winter too – I always get back in the car while it’s pumping. I’m going to start making Gwen do it – she has to practice, right?
I didn’t realize it’s illegal to pump your own gas in NJ. Very surprised! I hate pumping gas, but I think I would hate having to wait for someone else to do it too. My 12 year old son recently asked if he could walk on the coals from a fire. Now that’s a stupid question, yet he looked at me like I was ridiculous when I said no! 🙂
Ha – leave it to kids to ask the ridiculous questions. I can’t imagine he really expected you to say yes!
I can’t touch my nose with my tongue and people who do slightly creep me out. I never once pumped my own gas but then again my driving career consisted of going to driver’s school, getting hit 3 times by other students, failing the test 4 times, passing the fourth time, driving for a month, picking up my ex in laws fence and totaling the front part of the car…then finally making the world a safer place by deciding not to drive.
Yes, I would say that based on your history, you are better off as a passenger, Ana!
Very funny! #4What is the last thing you bought? I bought Dr. Dre Beats earbuds, not sure it was a good investment, just yet. Fun post!
http://www.robincharmagne.com/blog
Thanks, Robin. I hope those earbuds turn out to be a great purchase!
Yes, totally to my master’s degree, because it is in education and well as you know haven’t taught in over 4 years. So, definitely could drive me a bit batty if I look at it or think about it, but still I guess we are doing what we are supposed to be doing 😉
True, Janine!
Oh my goodness, I’ve seen that balloon guy! (Or at least someone who does the exact same thing.) It was actually really weird, and was in the context of an outdoor children’s movie, which made it feel….inappropriate. Plus it totally freaked out some young child who took off running out of the park where the movie was playing.
I feel the same way about my Master’s Degree! (Which, by the way, I got because I *thought* I wanted to be a guidance counselor.) Still even paying for that. Haha, loved your responses, Dana!
Thanks, Bev! That balloon guy was very strange, but he fit right in at the Renn Fest. Lots of oddballs there; my kids love it.
Not that you can actually look in the mirror and tell but I didn’t “feel” like I could raise one eyebrow with both eyes closes. I do feel dumb that I tried. And this was when I was going to through the boring questions to see which ones to answer. I had no idea about that pumping your own gas in New Jersey – wow! I’ve only had self service once in my lifetime and I was a fairly new driver.
Don’t feel dumb – I took a selfie to make sure I was actually raising my eyebrows. That’s even dumber!
Yep that made me LOL – the things we do for the sake of blogging. LOL!
Do you know how to pump your own gas??? What the…?
My husband also keeps a bat under his side of the bed for the same reason. Do they teach all boys this at some point or is it just collective idiocy?
I CAN touch my nose with my tongue. It’s kinda gross.
Love your comment about your Master’s Degree. Oh so true!!!!
Gwen can touch her nose to her tongue too – it is weird to see. And I think it’s just collective idiocy.