Survey time

[serene]

I'm in task-avoidance mode. When I'm in task-avoidance mode, as many wombats will tell you, I like to write surveys. Here you go. Standard rules apply -- that is, only answer the ones you want to, and if the question is worded so that there's no answer you like, feel free to re-write the question:

1. Tell about a really important piece of advice you received in the past.

2. Given all the money, happiness, and time you need, what would your typical day look like?

3. Tell about a book that you keep returning to. What is so special about it?

4. If you could have a conversation with one person tomorrow, and convince that one person of one thing, who/what would it be?

5. Is there a spot on your body that's not normally considered an erogenous zone, but it drives you crazy? What is it?

6. _______________ was the best $5.00 I ever spent. (Or, if you're not in the US, use an amount that's equivalent-ish -- there's a currency converter at http://www.xe.com/ucc/ )

7. Imagine you have to go to work every day, in an office, with people you like. What work are you likely to be doing? (I'm looking to avoid answers like "Staying home with my family," or "Finishing my novel while I websurf," etc.)

8. Name a fictional character whose life seems like one you'd love. What is it about that life that attracts you?

9. Name three things that help pull you out of a funk.

10. Name four people who have seen you at your worst and still stuck by you. (If you don't feel like naming names, don't. Use pseudonyms or, hell, skip it if you want. :-)

Comments

[flisleshnitz.livejournal.com]

1. Tell about a really important piece of advice you received in the past.
The most important piece I can think of right now, was from a past therapist. He told me (and this sounds so corny) to look at pictures of myself as a child and think back on all the things I didn't receive that all children are due. Then FORGIVE the people that didn't do the giving, and comfort my inner child, trapped inside me. Hug that poor girl, that is me, but somehow isn't and give us both the space to grieve.

2. Given all the money, happiness, and time you need, what would your typical day look like?
Probably puttering in my garden or greenhouse, sewing and reading to my hearts content. And happily watching my family play with their toys (adult and children ie: welding, leathercrafting, and kid toys)

3. Tell about a book that you keep returning to. What is so special about it?
Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Yeah yeah, so it's supposed to be romance. It is and isn't, I just don't find that many books I'm sucked into again and again. Charles De Lints Moonheart and Clive Barkers Imajica are some others.

4. If you could have a conversation with one person tomorrow, and convince that one person of one thing, who/what would it be?
I'd talk to my Dad, I'd convice him to get therapy, to excersise, to go on a diet. To take his meds that he needs, to kick the ones that he doesn't. To in otherwords, TAKE CARE of himself.

5. Is there a spot on your body that's not normally considered an erogenous zone, but it drives you crazy? What is it?
My waist. I just love the feeling of a hand running firmly over my upper hip to my ribcage. I'm highly ticklish, so it has to be firm.

6. _______________ was the best $5.00 I ever spent. (Or, if you're not in the US, use an amount that's equivalent-ish -- there's a currency converter at http://www.xe.com/ucc/ )
boooooooooooookssssssssssssss

7. Imagine you have to go to work every day, in an office, with people you like. What work are you likely to be doing? (I'm looking to avoid answers like "Staying home with my family," or "Finishing my novel while I websurf," etc.)
I'd be either a tattooist, or a midwife.

8. Name a fictional character whose life seems like one you'd love. What is it about that life that attracts you?
Anita Blake, but I'd loose the wussy 'I CAN'T love more than one person at a time outlook' Her life kicks ass, but the author needs to be introduced to polyamoury.

9. Name three things that help pull you out of a funk.
Books, properly doctored coffee (read coffee ice cream, mocha's, caramel flavouring, and cream)

10. Name four people who have seen you at your worst and still stuck by you. (If you don't feel like naming names, don't. Use pseudonyms or, hell, skip it if you want. :-)
My husband Ethan
and that's about it. I don't let many people in that close.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

1. Tell about a really important piece of advice you received in the past.

Give pain and anger their due. Don't try to let them go too early, but don't try to hold onto them when it's *time* to let them go.

2. Given all the money, happiness, and time you need, what would your typical day look like?

I'd start the day at the gym, working out at the machines or swimming, or walking around the lake with the dog. Or both. I'd spend mornings in a quiet place, writing, even if only writing exercises, I'd put words to pages. Lunch with a friend or two or more, then plan the evening meal and shop for it. I'd have people to dinner a lot.

3. Tell about a book that you keep returning to. What is so special about it?

Sap Rising by A.A. Gill. It's full of life. What threads through the entire book is the affirmation of life and its pleasures and pains, hatreds and loves, and living one's life from the top to the bottom, fully and faithfully, grounded to the good green earth and eyes looking up at the stars.

At least that's what it means to me. :)

4. If you could have a conversation with one person tomorrow, and convince that one person of one thing, who/what would it be?

I am stymied by this. I suppose on a large scale, I wish that I could have a conversation with George W. Bush and convince him that the Iraqi war is un-winnable and that he should use the minds he has at his disposal to find a way to ease out of it with the least amount of damage. But on a small scale, I just don't know. Perhaps I'd like to have a conversation with the person who has the power to convince the BART board that putting tracks over my Lake Elizabeth would be a bad idea, and convince him/her of that.

5. Is there a spot on your body that's not normally considered an erogenous zone, but it drives you crazy? What is it?

Hm. Most of my erogenous zones are pretty typical.

6. _______________ was the best $5.00 I ever spent. (Or, if you're not in the US, use an amount that's equivalent-ish -- there's a currency converter at http://www.xe.com/ucc/ )

My bench knife.

7. Imagine you have to go to work every day, in an office, with people you like. What work are you likely to be doing? (I'm looking to avoid answers like "Staying home with my family," or "Finishing my novel while I websurf," etc.)

Newspaper reporter.

8. Name a fictional character whose life seems like one you'd love. What is it about that life that attracts you?

Stephanie Plum (http://www.thrillingdetective.com/plum.html). My alter-ego is a Jersey girl with Big Hair, and she seems so fearless and fabulous, where I'm a bit high-strung and tightly wound.

9. Name three things that help pull you out of a funk.

Mozart, my dog, a West Coast beach.

10. Name four people who have seen you at your worst and still stuck by you. (If you don't feel like naming names, don't. Use pseudonyms or, hell, skip it if you want. :-)

I have so many more than four.

Tim, obviously. My friends Mervyn and Sande. My kids. My mother and dad. red_frog hasn't seen me at my worst, but close enough. My friend Jack. My friend Mark. Mark's ex-wife, Mary (also my friend :)). My mother-in-law who is, sadly, no longer with us (gods, I miss her). My dog (okay, he's not a people, but... :)). My daughter-of-the-heart, Katie, one of Megan's best friends who lost her mother when she was twelve. My sister Annette. My most wonderful and most deeply-missed friend Michael, who died at 39. My cousin Karen.

I feel so rich :).

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

1. Tell about a really important piece of advice you received in the past.

"Don't borrow trouble." A mentor told me that in maybe 1986 or '87. I guess I was a bit anxious then, too.

2. Given all the money, happiness, and time you need, what would your typical day look like?

Time? :)

Cuddling with DJ and or (a) loved one(s) -- just cuddling. Scritching. Back and belly rubs. Spending time out in nature, walking or birding. Socializing with a few dear friends maybe some of the times, not all. Cooking and eating tasty things with/for friends.

3. Tell about a book that you keep returning to. What is so special about it?

James Herriott books. I didn't realize I keep returning to them until recently, when I grabbed "Dog Stories" and realized I'd read most of the stories in it several times growing up. I'd forgotten for a few years. It's about life. It's about people caring about each other and about their animals. It's about how we don't know whether they love us for sure, but it sure as heck seems like they do, and that's good enough for us. It's about crying when the puppy's born dead or one of the only ten milk cows of the farmer up the dale might die of an intestinal blockage that doesn't look fixable. It's about crying when the guide dog doesn't die of poisoning or the breech calf is delivered safe on the icy stone floor at 3 am.

I don't know. It's about living consciously or something.

4. If you could have a conversation with one person tomorrow, and convince that one person of one thing, who/what would it be?

To keep it on a personal level, rather than a global or political one, I'd convince the one very close friend who thinks she's better off without her meds that her well crafted life will crumble without them.

5. Is there a spot on your body that's not normally considered an erogenous zone, but it drives you crazy? What is it?

I can't think of a single one. My erogenous zones are quite typical.

6. _______________ was the best $5.00 I ever spent. (Or, if you're not in the US, use an amount that's equivalent-ish -- there's a currency converter at http://www.xe.com/ucc/ )

It's hard to remember what I bought, for how much.
*ponder*
AH!
In 1983, my REI membership was five bucks. :)

7. Imagine you have to go to work every day, in an office, with people you like. What work are you likely to be doing? (I'm looking to avoid answers like "Staying home with my family," or "Finishing my novel while I websurf," etc.)

I imagine I'd be copyediting.

8. Name a fictional character whose life seems like one you'd love. What is it about that life that attracts you?

Caddie Woodlawn. She was bold and strong and adventurous and smart.

9. Name three things that help pull you out of a funk.

Beethoven. deyo asking, "Are you okay?" and listening while I talk. The dog park.

10. Name four people who have seen you at your worst and still stuck by you. (If you don't feel like naming names, don't. Use pseudonyms or, hell, skip it if you want. :-)

Um . . . deyo at the very least, and . . . now I'm trying to define "worst" in my brain, and I'm not there yet. I'd want to name the right names, and I can't think of what "my very worst" is. Meanest? Sickest? Whiniest? I think I'd add my aunt Carol to the list for not letting it be the end of her world when I was the extremely difficult, troubled teenager she was unexpectedly saddled with.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I'm almost positive I read that the current plan is to run the tracks under the lake (if they can put them under the bay. . . .) entering at about where the dog park is now, or maybe the north side of the baseball field, and coming out opposite that somewhere. When I read about it, the plan was to move the dog park over on the northwest side of the ball field, temporarily, construct the tunnel and the first vent (which would be in the currently plowed area between the dog park and the lake), then replace the dog park in there somewhere.

I was feeling rather murderous over the thought of tracks across the lake, too.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Tim and I made a piece of propaganda video extolling the virtues of the serenity of the park and the lake about...oh, gods, 14 years ago? At the time it helped put the brakes on any plans to build over the lake. I'm glad to hear this. I had heard there were meetings and that it was again up for discussion, but last time it was discussed, going underground was considered unfeasible due to financial constraints. Or words to that effect.

About Caddie....

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Consider the Grave Lack of Plumbing in her life....

[calebbullen.livejournal.com]

1. Tell about a really important piece of advice you received in the past. My friend Brett once said a long long time ago, "The key to being happy is being happy" I've been trying to live that ever since

2. Given all the money, happiness, and time you need, what would your typical day look like? Midnight wake up from a nap take a bath with a friend. Two oclock, work in my recording studio till sunrise. At sunrise have some tea or espresso with another friend maybe a nice little meal. Sex. Nap. Mid day, catch up on the news and correspondence, goof off, go for a swim, cook a nice dinner, then recreate: Maybe play pool, maybe see a band or a movie, maybe sit in a dive bar or snazzy cafe and plot the revolution or improvise comedically upon the days news and events. Nap and that brings us back to midnight.

3. Tell about a book that you keep returning to. What is so special about it? There's two that I re-read every couple of years. Alice in Wonderland and Cyrano De Bergerac. I like and find meaning in well written whimsy.

4. If you could have a conversation with one person tomorrow, and convince that one person of one thing, who/what would it be? I'd talk to one of the Weinstiens at Miramax and convince him to give me an iron clad, five picture deal with final edit, a good salary and decent but not extravagent budgets.

5. Is there a spot on your body that's not normally considered an erogenous zone, but it drives you crazy? What is it? My ears, specifically my sense of hearing. A good voice is about the sexiest thing in the world to me.

6. _______________ was the best $5.00 I ever spent. (Or, if you're not in the US, use an amount that's equivalent-ish -- there's a currency converter at http://www.xe.com/ucc/ ) No clue.

7. Imagine you have to go to work every day, in an office, with people you like. What work are you likely to be doing? (I'm looking to avoid answers like "Staying home with my family," or "Finishing my novel while I websurf," etc.) I hate having to sit every day but if I could make a liveable wage, I'd work in a cafe, deli, pizza or burrito place quite happily.

8. Name a fictional character whose life seems like one you'd love. What is it about that life that attracts you? The Cheshire Cat. I like to smile, disappear and be quixotic whenever possible.

9. Name three things that help pull you out of a funk.
Laughter, Orgasms, Music. Not necessarily in that order.

10. Name four people who have seen you at your worst and still stuck by you. No clue. I'm not sure anyone has seen me at my worst. Come to think of it there are a lot of different people who might have different ideas as to what my worst is.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Lately, I've been really thinking a lot about "the key to being happy is being happy". I think it's clear that one can be miserable in good circumstances or happy in awful ones. (Which is not to say that if someone is unhappy, it is zir fault, just that it's interesting to me that the same circumstance can bring about different levels of happiness in different people, or even in the same person at different times, etc.) I feel really lucky (not virtuous, lucky) to be one of those people who can be pretty happy no matter the circumstance. Thanks for sharing this, though. I've enjoyed having it in my head.

[calebbullen.livejournal.com]

I think that for people who are unhappy, the fault does lie with them. Not in the sense of the assignation of blame like, "When I find out who made me miserable I'm going to kick their a.. what? Its me?" but in the sense that the ultimate responsibility for our happiness or unhappiness is internal.

For example my grandfather, had cancer and then a whole bunch of heart attacks. He never let it dampen his spirits though. Even in a hospital bed, if you asked him how he was feeling, he'd say, "terrrrrriffic!" and he lived a good long while after that rough patch with the heart attacks. My mom, on the other hand, has been miserable forever. She was miserable when she was healthy, she was miserable when she was unhealthy and give her half a chance and she'll try and make sure some other people are miserable too. All told, I'd say my mom had more good lucky breaks than her father did but she decided long before I came along to be a miserable victim whereas he decided long before she came along to make sure he was having fun no matter what he was doing.

You know, cuz like you can't do much about a lot of the externals but you can always have control over the internal.