Happy Hammock Day, Laura! We'll be lighting up the extra fireworks today to celebrate your 12 years with Hammock.

1. July 5 is Hammock Day for you. How long have you been with Hammock Publishing? I started working at Hammock July 5, 1994. There is what I've taken to calling my dot-com sabbatical ﾐ from January 2000 to May of 2001, when several other Hammock employees and I created a separate company to build smallbusiness.com. But the whole time I've worked for Rex.

2. What do you remember most about your first day at Hammock? It was a long time ago, but I do remember that I was sunburned from canoeing on the Harpeth River on the Fourth of July, the day before I started.

3. What is your favorite movie of all time? I try to hide my sappy side, but here's where it comes out. Major. These three have to top the list:

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  Roman Holiday
  
  


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  The American President
  
  


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  You've Got Mail
  
  

4. If you could own a sports team, which one would it be? Easy, the St. Louis Cardinals. Except, I think they're already doing a pretty bang-up job of running the team, so I don't want to mess with that. The Cardinals even financed construction of the new stadium themselves, instead of pushing that off on the public. Bless them.

5. What was your most memorable day at Hammock? This is the hardest question to answer. I have been here so long, and there are so many, but it's hard to say that any one stands out above the crowd. Can I say the best thing about working here instead? I love working with such smart coworkers and clients. I feel like I'm constantly challenged to do my best. Maybe I'm being sappy again (don't let that get around) but it keeps me happy.

6. What is the last musical act/group you saw live? You think I have a social life? What a nice compliment. However, one night last year, I went with a friend of mine to the Bluebird Cafe to see her friend Lari White in the round with Amy Grant, Ashley Cleveland and Leslie Satcher. And Vince Gill sat in.

7. If you were to win the lottery this week, what is the first purchase you would make? I keep promising myself that it would be a big donation to my church. Of course, I also keep not entering the lottery.

8. If you didn't work at Hammock Publishing, what do you think you would be doing? It depends. Have I won the lottery yet? Yes: I would just be a full-time volunteer. No: I would own a little boutique. Come to think of it, that also might require lottery winnings for financing.

9. Knowing you love to cook, what would you consider your signature dish, your favorite to prepare? That's probably two different dishes. The thing I'm most known for is Cheese Krispies. These little cheese wafers of cheddar cheese, butter, flour, Rice Krispies. They are delicious. But I have made them so much that I could do it in my sleep, and although I don't dislike making them, I wouldn't say I love it.

I really enjoy making desserts. I like complex ones especially, lots of steps. I like making candy at Christmas. Peanut brittle is fun because it's so easy to get it wrong; I guess you'd say I love anything that's a challenge.

10. If you could switch places with any other Hammock employee for one day, who would it be and why? Well frankly I love my own job. And we all know I'd be particularly rotten at a couple of folks' ﾐ like Julia's. No one is ever going to let me near the books and we're all the better for it. So I'll say, Susie Garland, our creative director. She touches everything we do in some way, and she's fabulously creative in every way.

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