Getting to Know Andy M.

[PrincessFiona60]

1. What do you do for a living?

2. If you could, would you open a restaurant and what would you call it?

3. Who is your hero?

[Barbara L]

1. Who was your favorite teacher in school, and why?

2. If money were no object and you had a year to do anything at all you wanted, what would you do?

3. How do you want to be remembered when you are gone?

4. Would you get more satisfaction from preparing a perfect meal for ten people or from teaching those ten people how to prepare that meal?

Barbara

[GB]

Did you like your career? If you had to do it over again, what would you want to do?

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by PrincessFiona60

1. What do you do for a living?

2. If you could, would you open a restaurant and what would you call it?

3. Who is your hero?

1. I'm retired. I worked as a finance professional providing financial services in a corporate setting as an Accounting Manager, Controller, CFO etc.

2. No. Cooking in a restaurant would take all the fun out of cooking. I cook because I love to cook, not because I have to.

3. I'd have to say the previous generation of my family. Knowing the persecution and genocide they suffered to survive and make it to America to start a new life saddens me. Among the five sisters and brothers (mom and her siblings) my uncle was pretty extraordinary. He went to MIT, worked for a high tech firm, patented a couple if inventions and taught himself to do a wide variety of skills.

He was accomplished a a painter, taught himself to restore furniture and cane chairs, built any electrical or mechanical device he needed to perform a task.

He traveled home to Armenia and established a TV station, funding them with new TV cameras to get things going.

I could go on.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Barbara L

1. Who was your favorite teacher in school, and why?

2. If money were no object and you had a year to do anything at all you wanted, what would you do?

3. How do you want to be remembered when you are gone?

4. Would you get more satisfaction from preparing a perfect meal for ten people or from teaching those ten people how to prepare that meal?

Barbara

1. Professor Goldhar, a management sciences professor in college. He really took an interest in me and encouraged me.

2. Travel with my honey to all the great food places in the world and gain even more weight. You know, all the places Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern visit.

3. With a smile.

4. Not sure about the number of people. I always feel pleased when a dinner party goes well. I would love to be able to teach on a small scale at the family level.

[babetoo]

do you like to read? what kind of books? favorite author? how many books have you read this year?

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by GB

Did you like your career? If you had to do it over again, what would you want to do?

Not particularly, but I felt good about some of my accomplishments. My career was what I had an aptitude for. I was good at it.

I felt a lot of satisfaction from hiring and training good people, giving them the tools to move up and succeed at a higher level.

No that I'm retired, I enjoy serving as the Treasurer of the condo association where I live.

If I had to do it over again, I can't say. I wanted to be a cowboy and a race car driver at different points in my life. Also wanted to be a pro football player.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by babetoo

do you like to read? what kind of books? favorite author? how many books have you read this year?

I have read about a gazillion books over time. At different times I was deep into science fiction, murder mysteries, espionage and historical biographies.

In the last couple of years I have gotten away from reading as much.

[Kayelle]

What's the most dangerous thing you've ever done?
("danger" is subject to your take on the word)

What's on your Bucket List?

Do you think that you are generally an optimist or a pessimist?

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Kayelle

What's the most dangerous thing you've ever done?
("danger" is subject to your take on the word)

What's on your Bucket List?

Do you think that you are generally an optimist or a pessimist?

You have me stumped.

1. I don't know that I've done much I would categorize as dangerous. Probably some stupid stuff when I was in college and drank a lot. There was probably a few times when I came close to dangerous and didn't even realize it. Sorry, no drama to share.

2. Refer to my response to Barb's question #2. Actually, I'm quite happy with life right now. I don't feel like I'm missing out. Granted, there are a lot of things I could be doing if I hit the lottery but, al in all life is good. I'm with a fantastic woman I love dearly. We share our children and grandchildren and I'm reasonably healthy. Better off than many.

3. Pessimist, definitely. However, I often wish I was less so.

[Alix]

How about your proudest moment?

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Alix

How about your proudest moment?

Alix, that's hard to answer.

It's easy to say it's the birth of my children but it's no great accomplishment to make a baby.

The true measure is who they are as adults. I'm proud to see my two girls grown into two wonderful, intelligent, caring adults. When I look at them and see them using things I taught them, I feel pride. This is the most lasting accomplishment you can have-how your children turn out. It's something that will last for generations as they pass things along to their children.

Of course, neither has the love of food and cooking I have. That's something I won't be passing along to them.

[Alix]

Raising good contributing adults is the best accomplishment I can think of. You deserve to be proud. I think the humblest moments of my life were when my kids were born. Having new life suddenly arrive in the room is about as miraculous as it gets and, for me, evidence that there is a higher power.

Thanks for sharing about your kids Andy.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Alix

...Having new life suddenly arrive in the room is about as miraculous as it gets...

It was as emotionally wrenching a moment as any in my life. There was the biggest lump in my throat.

[mollyanne]

If you could have lunch with someone famous, past or present, who would it be and why?

[Andy M.]

Leonardo DaVinci.

The man had a genius for so many different areas of endeavor. He was an artist, inventor, scientist, developer of weapons of war...

I'd really like the opportunity to talk with him about all the ideas buzzing around in his head.

[GB]

What would be your top three things you would ask him?

[Andy M.]

I don't see this meeting as an interview. I think I'd verbally poke around to get him talking about his works and just listen. Any questions I'd ask would be for clarification or follow-up.

I'd like to hear about his lesser known stuff. His inventions, ideas, etc. What ideas did he have for weapons, labor saving devices, flying machines. Not so interested in his painting. I don't know what he'd be able to tell me about painting the Mona Lisa.

I'd also like to hear what he had to say about the Vatican and the Church. There might be some interesting thoughts there!

[mudbug]

Besides death and taxes, what appears to be inevitable in your life?

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by mudbug

Besides death and taxes, what appears to be inevitable in your life?

Inevitable...

I'll never get as much as I want of some things and more than I want of others.

(I did say I was a pessimist)