2nd Annual Horowitz Friedman Family Quiz

[Cast of characters, in age order:

Serafina, b. 2009, cat

Lefty, b. 1996, dog

Mopsy, b. 1994, cat

Rafael, b. 1992, son

Alana, b. 1987, daughter

Dina, b. 1957, novelist/instructor at UMass

Shel, b. 1956, consultant/non-fiction author]


The Horowitz Friedman Family Quiz for 2010

(1)   This year, Shel fulfilled a lifelong dream of:

(a)    Sampling chocolate from every country in the world

(b)   Launching a syndicated column

(c)    Reading the complete works of Stephen King

(d)   Bicycling across Massachusetts

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(2)   This year, Rafael became the first Horowitz Friedman to:

(a)    Make pesto-flavored baklava

(b)   Go to the prom

(c)    Get a tattoo

(d)   Pass his road test on the first try

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(3)   Dina’s new year’s resolution for 2011 is to

(a)    get better at micro-managing her children

(b)   perfect a teleportation device so she doesn’t have to drive to Boston

(c)    use less dental floss

(d)   win the annual Best Dressed Professor Contest at UMass

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(4)   Since graduating from college last May, Alana has been living in Brooklyn and working as

(a)    an FBI agent

(b)   an airport gate agent

(c)    a dramatic rights agent

(d)   an insurance agent

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(5)   Rafael broadened his dance horizons this year by taking which of the following classes?

(a)    ballet

(b)   fox trot

(c)    tap dancing

(d)   belly dancing

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(6)   In May, Dina will be leading Umass students on a trip to which of the following countries?

(a)    Portugal

(b)   Thailand

(c)    Uruguay

(d)   Ireland

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above




(7)   This year, Shel finally went international with his speaking career at

(a)    a sheepherding conference in New Zealand

(b)   an ashram in Sri Lanka

(c)    a PR conference at a resort town in the Swiss Alps

(d)   the first ever Green Party convention in Russia

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(8)   This year, Mopsy amazed us all by

(a)    falling in love with Dina

(b)   catching three mice in ten minutes

(c)    falling in love with Lefty

(d)   learning how to talk

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(9)   This year, Lefty amazed us all by

(a)    cooking himself a hotdog

(b)   learning to like rap music

(c)    deciding to stay in the parking lot while Shel went for a walk

(d)   learning to understand Japanese

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(10)          This year, Serafina amazed us all by

(a)    squeezing under closed doors

(b)   taking up Chinese inkbrush painting

(c)    learning how to tango

(d)   cooking crepes Suzette

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(11)         Which of the following activities did neither Dina nor Shel do on their trip to Costa Rica last summer?

(a)    go on a zip-line tour

(b)   watch sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach

(c)    climb a volcano

(d)   go rafting past sloths and howler monkeys

(e)    they did all of the above

(f)     they did none of the above


(12)          After graduating high school, this coming June, Rafael plans to

(a)    join a tango band in Argentina

(b)   apply to NASA’s Musician in Space Program

(c)    go to conservatory for a degree in oboe performance

(d)   become the Principal Didgeridoo of the Cleveland Orchestra

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above






(13)          Alana celebrated Chanukah by playing dreidel with

(a)    Bobby, Koala, Isabella La Catolica, Sonic the hedgehog, and Seymour the basil plant

(b)   Elijah the prophet and Mopsy

(c)    Grandma, Grandpa, and the cousins

(d)   The New York Yankees

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(14)          Shel tested his limits this year by

(a)    rescuing Lefty from a mudslide in the Connecticut River

(b)   singing the Hallelujah Chorus at a flash mob at the Holyoke Mall

(c)    processing over a thousand hot peppers

(d)   finding the perfect back massage tool

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(15)          Which of the following sporting events did Alana attend in 2010?

(a)    The Asian-American International Ping Pong Tournament

(b)   The Quidditch World Cup

(c)    The U.S. Tennis Open

(d)   The Kentucky Derby

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(16)          Rafael’s 2011 itinerary will take him to all of the following places except:

(a)    Bratislava

(b)   Cleveland

(c)    Vienna

(d)   San Francisco

(e)    he will go to all of the above

(f)     he will go to none of the above


(17)          Dina’s accomplishments of 2010 included

(a)    teaching Rafael to drive (a stick shift car) and coming out with life and relationship intact

(b)   learning to kayak in places with currents

(c)    figuring out how to make chiles rellenos with all the hot peppers Shel didn’t process

(d)   finally being able to touch the floor In triangle pose

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above


(18)          Which of the following could be described as a common scene in the Horowitz-Friedman family

(a)    salsa music playing loudly in the background, Rafael singing along to a Beethoven symphony on his iPod, Shel cleaning his office, Alana practicing ballet on top of the piano, Dina painting her toenails rainbow colors, Lefty reading recipes from Gourmet Magazine, Serafina checking email, Mopsy contemplating nuclear physics.

(b)   group morning meditation from 6 to 7 am on the deck, watching the sun rise

(c)    a weekly foray into the woods with borrowed pigs to search for truffles

(d)   a heated discussion on the best way to flavor kale

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above



(19)          Which of the following was a family highlight of 2010?

(a)    watching David Ortiz bunt for a single in Fenway Park

(b)   Alana and Raf’s 10-course Middle East Feast

(c)    the return of the tomatoes

(d)   our stopover on the way to Oberlin at the Motel 6

(e)    all but one of the above

(f)     none of the above


(20)          Our wishes to you for 2011 are

(a)    peace, health, and happiness

(b)   good food and exciting adventures

(c)    success and abundance in the things that matter

(d)   the widespread love of family and friends

(e)    all of the above

(f)     none of the above

(Note: As some of you know, our kitty, Serafina, died on December 29, 2010 at the young age of a year and a half. She was a bright spot in our lives in the short time she was with us. You can catch a glimpse of her—she’s the black one–in the family picture below.)

Answers: 1-b; 2-d; 3-f; 4-c; 5-c; 6-d; 7-c; 8-a; 9-c; 10-a; 11-c; 12-c; 13-a; 14-e; 15-b; 16-d; 17-e; 18-d; 19-e; 20-e

For further explanation, write to us. We’d love to hear from you!

Love and Blessings for 2011

Shel, Dina, Alana, and Rafael (with best wishes from Lefty and Mopsy)



The Horowitz Friedmans, December 2010
From left: Shel, Rafael, Dina, Alana, Mopsy, Searafina. Not shown: Lefty