Hodgepodge Questions

(Link in meme-roll)

1. Did you watch The Charlie Brown Christmas special Monday night? Who's your favorite Peanuts character and why?

We didn't watch it (I pretty much never do anymore), but I love Linus deeply and truly, but and Schroeder is just adorable. [ETA: too many buts]

"Most psychiatrists agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch is excellent therapy for a troubled mind." ~ Linus Would you agree?

Yes. Today I need a big pumpkin patch with absolutely no people in it, just dogs, a blanket, and a box of Kleenex.

2. Describe a sound from your childhood. What does this sound bring to mind?

There are times when I really wish we had a piano. The sound of noodling around on a slightly out-of-tune piano ... I miss that. Electronic keyboards are not the same.

3. You've won a trip to a winter wonderland...would that excite you? Which one of the following would you most want to experience (or which one would you dislike the least) - see the Aurora Borealis in Norway, stay in Sweden's Ice Hotel, go dogsledding in Lapland Finland, take a winter wildlife safari in Yellowstone or celebrate Winter Carnival in Quebec?

I would love to see the Ice Hotel, and going dogsledding sounds fun (for about 10 minutes). I'd love to go for another troika ride too; scroll down to Lake Baikal for the one I've been on. It was delightful and having latkes and vodka and doing the Chicken Dance around a blazing fire with Russians was surreal and hilarious.

4. Who or what keeps you humble?

I'm pretty capable of humiliating myself myself, but should I need help my family and friends stand ready to burst my balloon of self-importance.

5. What part of preparing for Christmas do you like the most? Explain.

I do like decorating the tree, now that we have a pre-lit one, but I have a hard time motivating myself to get started.

6. Gingerbread - yay or nay? Is making a gingerbread house part of your family holiday tradition?

Nope. Not a fan. Not at all. I mean, I'll eat some if its offered but I can totally live without it.

7. What's one thing you want to start, do, or complete before the calendar rolls into a new year?

Well, shopping and wrapping needs doing, eh? And it would be nice if Beast could get through a day without crying in pain a few times before 2016 commences.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am sick unto illness over the latest mass shooting. What the hell? Today is the first day I really feel like I live in Israel, in a police state, in a place where I am eminently unsafe in the world, since 9/11 and that was just flat-out panic and hysteria. I'm not panicking--this happened thousands of miles from me today--but there are far FAR too many ARMED nutjobs out there in the world. I realize that others in this country are in more danger on a moment-by-moment basis than me, but who the HELL shoots up and tries to bomb a disabled adult work-site?! Or, an elementary school? Or a health clinic (oh, wait that's been going on for multiple decades, no news there, really--pay attention people).....or a post office (oh wait...), or a fucking SPA?! Jesus God the world has lost its mind!
Also, hey, all you CC-licensed people: you are not living up to your promises of keeping the rest of us safe. Get with it or turn in your fucking guns, morons*.

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*if you choose to engage in pushing a pro-gun agenda in the comments just a reminder that I do delete crazy talk without prejudice