If I truly don't understand the question, I ask for clarification. If I don't know the answer, I admit that and tell the person that I will find out the information and get back to them. I don't think I've ever been in a business situation where I've been asked a question I don't want to answer. If it's a personal situation I just tell them that it's none of their business.

USDO. I have a 30-min tempo run on the calendar, but I slept in again this morning, so I will do the run either tonight or tomorrow.
Blather: My mom scheduled her hip replacement surgery, yay! It's for Oct. 10, the day after I get back from Chicago. I am trying to see if I can work from VA for that week or maybe the following week since she will (hopefully) be home then. She has a lot of anxiety surrounding this surgery since she is high risk with her heart disease and COPD and having to be put under, and last week she texted me to make me promise that we will still go through with the wedding if she dies on the operating table. Nice emotional manipulation there. So now I won't be stressing about my race I will be stressing about my mom's surgery and her anxiety about it since she transmits that stuff to me. Yay. Very happy she's finally getting her surgery though! Just hoping she's recovered by the time the wedding rolls around (Thanksgiving).

Bonus: cream colored heels. I have the same shoes in black. They have seen better days and I should probably get new ones! I have had 3 pairs of this exact same shoe and will likely order them again.

In my job, I ask, and am asked a zillion questions every day.  As one who poses questions, I realize how challenging it can be to ask the question you actually want answered!  I have no issue whatsoever requesting a questioner clarify their question or, asking them if they want to know XXXXX.  If I don't know the answer, I will  always (especially at work) admit I don't know the answer or respond...."I believe the answer is blah-blah."  If I don't want to answer a question, I will say so.  This can be tricky in a business setting, but I can almost always point to "banking regulations" as the reason.....and it usually is the reason. 

This topic is prompted by how blazerman's third interview went for his gig, when he had it on Monday.  He was asked a question related to finance and he had no idea how to answer it and told the interviewer he did not know the answer. (Finance is not his forte.)  When blazerman later repeated the question to me, I told him I had no idea how to answer the question as it didn't make any sense!  (Finance is sadly what I deal with all day.) Blazerman thinks I am just trying to make him feel better, but really, the question didn't make any sense.

85 minutes of pool running.  I found an EVEN SMALLER belt to wear in the pool which made me work much harder while "running".  It is hard to get my heart rate up significantly doing this stuff, but it was definitely up today.  I am exhausted.  I switched up the type of smoothie I made the boy this morning and since it was so tasty, I made one for myself.  Banana, skim milk and vanilla protein powder.

Blather: The boy has an interview this afternoon.  It is to be a cameraman at our the Event Center in our city.....minor league hockey games, concerts of used-to-be-big-bands (like 38 Special, Loverboy) and Disney on Ice type of stuff.  When I asked him how he was dressing, if he had his resume and if he was prepared for certain questions, he rolled his eyes at me saying....."I have taken a class on how to interview for a job, so I know what I am doing." 

Bonus: Converse All Stars.....no way I can wear heels with my calf-thing and dress flats annoy me. The only client I am meeting with today is also a marathoner, so he will understand.

First step is clarification.  Always.  I often interpret a question differently that it may be intended, so if it seems real I make a point of re-stating it or getting a definition of whatever word or concept I may be misunderstanding.  And since I hate being BS'ed myself (and I have a terrible poker face), if I don't know an answer, I say so, and often get right to researching just so I can know.  When someone asks a question I don't want to answer, my most common response is to throw it back to them and say in my most innocent voice, "why do you ask?"    Or if it's about someone else, "I'll have to let XX explain that one,"  again pointing out that it may not be an appropriate question to be asking.  I'm mean that way, but I don't really care.  I live around a bunch of nosy people, and they drive me crazy. 

This morning DH and I sent over to the state park so I could get in a long-ish run outside of the 'hood.  It was so humid .  I know I always say that, but it IS always really humid.  Ugh.  Today was 10.25 total with 3 x 2 mile intervals.  I felt pretty badass on the first two.  The last one was a struggle, but they are done.  It was a little weird, but except for the whole oxygen depletion thing, my gait felt more comfortable when I was running hard than when I running recovery pace.  Tomorrow is SDO, and I'm looking forward to it  It's also supposed to be closing day for the in-laws' house, I hope, I hope, I hope.  I so want that out of our lives. 

Bonus:  Oofos flip flops.  They're one of the few I can wear without getting PF.

My youngest kiddo is still young enough that she asks me lots of questions, but she's old enough that the questions are frequently ones I don't know the answer to. I say a lot of "I don't know" to her. In a few weeks she turns 13 (teenager alert!) and may cross that threshold to the stage of life where she knows everything and I'm a moron.

6.4 miles in unseasonably steamy humidity this morning.

Blather: Oldest kid rides her bike to school most days. She likes to complain about how her bike keeps breaking and imply that it's my fault (because she's a snarky teenager and everything is my fault). She's a brilliant student but severely lacking in basic life skills. So the other morning she calls me from a mile away and says her bike is broken. I drop everything and drive to where she is. I fix the "broken" bike in about 5 seconds. She starts getting in the car, expecting me to drive her to school. No, no, and no. You're riding the rest of the way. YMD. She's all pissed off and thinks she's going to be late (she has 15 minutes to go another 1.5 miles) but I head home, wash my greasy hands, eat, lock up the house...and she calls again. Same problem, half a mile down the road. This time I threw the bike in the back of the car and drove the rest of the way to school. She was 10 minutes late and thought it was he end of the world. Saturday she takes her road test and I really, really hope she passes. Then she can't blame me when she gets lost on the way to school...

Bonus: Brown leather and quite stylish, if I do say so myself.

I'll usually ask for a clarification.  I do have a tendency to hedge on questions at work because so often people want EXACT numbers  for answers.  My standard answers are "I think it's $XXX.XX but let me get back to you once I confirm it.  I've been burned enough by numbers that I want to be sure about answers.

Ran five miles last night before my daughter's game and it was so damn humid!  Today is much better.  Tonight will be the same and then I have to go to my last back to school night.   My daughter's a senior in High School.

Bonus: Keen Austins.  Love them!

At work (my past work) there were lots of specific technical issue type questions and if I didn't know the answer I'd admit it and either refer the questioner to the person who should know (if the one asking was another employee) or (if a customer) advise them I'd get back to them with the answer.  I liked to use the "If I told you, I'd have to kill you" response but could only use that in certain circumstances, like if it was classified at a level above their clearance or they didn't have a "need to know"

Workout will be teaching cycling class tonight. 

Had to follow-up with the surgery coordinator yesterday since she owed me a "surgery packet" which amounted to a 9 page PDF when she got it to me by email later in the pm.  Still waiting to hear from the pre-admission testing folks on a time for that appt. next Tuesday. The surgery coordinator was able to set me up for the date & 9am appt. with the cardiac clearance peeps but the "regular" medical clearance folks need to call me to schedule...tap...tap...tap :sigh:  Cardiac clearance & medical testing are in two different buildings adjacent to the hospital in Philly.  I've been told to expect a long day :double sigh:

Pizza & beer tonight.

Bonus: Teva sandals.

If I am asked a question and have no idea how to answer it I will either ask for clarification. or I will say I do not know. It depends on what the question is, and who is asking.
For questions I don't want to answer with work I will defer and say I need to confirm if I can answer a question (there are restrictions in what we can say). Personally, I usually just don't answer.
The hardest category of questions I don't want to answer is difficult ones from N. Because I do always want to be honest with her, but some of the questions she asks have more nuanced answers than she can understand

7.5 miles
Tacos tonight!
blather-it started to pour during my run and I think my phone may now be dead. So frustrating and annoying. I am debating waiting it out today or going to the apple store now to deal with it. So annoying!

Bonus-none. I work from home

I'd start by asking for clarification but if I don't really know I will freely admit it and then go on a research mission (Google) to find the answer. Our big boss always seems to ask questions in an odd way - like he's trying to back into the answer rather than just straight up asking what he is looking for.

5 miles at noon. We were planning on some fartlek sessions today but a number of factors contributed to pulling the plug. The biggest was that it was already over 85 when we started and I've had enough heat training this week.

Bonus: Some Merrell Jungle Mocs.

>>How do you respond to a question you don't want to answer?

Once you get old enough, you fan pretend you didn't hear it. 

Very slow traverse of the usual four mile trail today.  There are indications that this may be the last summerish run, at least for a while.  I will believe it when I see it.

Road volleyball game tonight - means crossing the river at (late) rush hour. 

BONUS:  I am wearing the Old White Guy badge - white New Balance cross trainers.

Here is an appropriate song for the thread!   (Eric might even like it since it's from the 80's!) 

If I don't know the definitive answer, I will sometimes speculate but preface that with an "I believe, I think... etc". There is a lot of that in my work. If I truly have no idea or it's completely outside my realm of experience/knowledge I don't mind saying "I don't know" or refer the questioner to someone else. If I don't want to answer a question, well I probably say "I don't know" or "none of your business" or "who the donnaword are you to be asking me that?!".

Non-workout: Not much happening here, though a front is moving through with a nice breeze and more seasonal fall-like weather. I will celebrate with a 2-3 mile walk by the lake this evening with the Lady. Feel good enough to run/slog some miles, but I won't. Hoping the rest will do me good.

Blather: The answer is a mirror of the question..

Bonus: Barefoot at the moment.