Mood barometer

(Found here)

I have changed some questions because they are repetitive, dumb, or otherwise ones I didn't want to bother with. Those will show up in {brackets}.

#1: Using one word, what’s your state of mind right now? 

I had a small breakdown earlier this evening. Not unexpected, but also not directed at someone who deserved to be here for it.

#2: Where are you joining us from?

I'm in my recliner in my living room in my house which the wind has finally stopped pounding today!

#3: What are you most grateful for?

Friends and family and my generally healthy constitution.

#4: Wh[o] inspires you?

People who stand up and speak their minds passionately without losing focus on the goal.

#5: Who is your role model? 

Today, I'm wishing I had found the maturity Sparky has achieved (in some areas) 30 years ago. Amazing how our kids turn out to be so damn smart.

#6: What one thing [can you not live without]?

Literally: meds in general. Air.
Figuratively: purpose.

#7: If you could go for a coffee with a figure from history, who would it be?

My grandmother on my dad's side but I'd really like to chat with BOTH grandmas.

#8: What’s the best [...] invention of the 21st Century?

This was limited to tech, but I'm more excited about all the medical advancements that have been coming out in the past few years. 'Course, that's going to stop now... 😠

#9: What’s your dream holiday destination?

I still want to go to somewhere for a safari. And add in a swing through Valley of the Kings and the Cairo museums. But my stipulations make this trip exceedingly unlikely to happen for me: safety, no other people, and instant transport from place to place. It's a 19-hour flight day from here to Kenya alone.

#10: If you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

I would rather die than have this kind of instruction running my life. Quality of life is far superior to quantity.

#11. Would you rather live for the rest of your life in the Arctic or in the Sahara desert?

a) The Arctic

b) The Sahara desert

I would happily live on Antarctica. Very damn few people, lots of stinky penguins, lots of blankets for snuggling inside and QUIET!

#12: Would you rather have a time machine that can only go back in time or one that can only go forward in time?

a) Back in time

b) Forward in time

I would never want to go back in time to stay. Never. I could visit, but not live there. So, looks like the future for me. I may not be able to live there either, but at least I won't be burdened by knowing how things turn out in every freakin' case.

#13: Hand on heart – are you wearing pajamas right now? (Multiple choice)

a) Nooo -- though I am in stretchy yoga-ish pants and an elderly long-sleeved T-shirt, so I could sleep in this.

b) 100% Yes

c) Business on top, PJs on the bottom

d) I literally took them off a minute ago

#14: Are you an early bird or a night owl? (Multiple choice)

a) Early bird

b) Night owl

Honestly, I'm both. I need a long break in the middle of the day and then I can easily be up till the early hours, but I also like getting up with the sun if I've had enough rest.

#15: If age is only a state of mind, which category best describes your state of mind right now? (Multiple choice)

a) Cheeky child

b) Tormented teenager

c) Mad mid-lifer

d) Groovy grandparent

I have to pick two, again. My state of mind is fully spacey teen, but I'm forcing myself to get on with things like a grown-up. I don't know if I'll ever hit the grandma state of mind. I'm way too flaky.

#16: If *your city* were a breed of dog, which breed would it be? (Multiple choice)

a) Jack Russell – small, tough, opinionated

b) Tibetan Mastiff – or some other very rare breed

c) German Shepherd – poised and elegant, but rather hardy

d) Poodle – beautifully presented, but a bit of a poser

e) Golden Retriever – warm, cuddly and great with children

f) Pit Bull Terrier – scary, but kind deep down

g) Labradoodle – or some other cute hybrid

If we're talking about where I work, then it's fully a Poodle based on this description.
The town where I live is fully a Pit Bull-Labradoodle mix.

#17: Which superpower would you like to have? (Multiple choice)

a) Mind reading

b) Invisibility -- my eternal go-to. I like being sneaky.

c) Teleportation

d) Flying

e) I already have a superpower

But I do have a few superpowers, too. My ability to give no fucks is at it's highest level ever.

#18: If you could time-travel, which period would you go to? (Multiple choice)

a) The past

b) The future

c) I’m good where I am -- yeah, let's not borrow trouble right now.

#19: What’s the strangest thing you did while attending a meeting online? (Multiple choice)

a) Ate breakfast

b) Wore pajamas

c) Cooked lunch/dinner

d) Brushed my teeth

e) Watched Netflix

f) Other, but my lips are sealed

I have not cooked or brushed my teeth, but I have done most of the others. Not Netflix per se but definitely other work has been fully done in the background while listening to the nattering of the meeting. And as for the last option, of course. The mute button is my best friend on Zoom.

#20: What type of Zoomer are you? (Multiple choice)

a) The one walking around the house

b) The one who just woke up

c) The one without the camera on

d) The one who always talks

e) The one doing funny faces

I vary between c and d. I am not coordinated enough to walk and talk. I'm often just wakened up, but I function ok that way, and if the camera's off then I'm making faces for SURE! If whatever is being discussed is something I need to actually know, I'm asking questions.

#21: Do you multitask when attending a meeting online? (Multiple choice)

a) Yes, I’m guilty -- I fully have work going on all the time. This has made in-person meetings much more difficult. I've taken to creating word puzzles to keep myself from hyper-participating or snoring.

b) My mind tends to wander

c) No, I’m 100% focused

d) Sometimes

#22: How many hours a day do you spend online/on a Zoom call? (Multiple choice)

a) 1-2 hours

b) 2-5 hours

c) 5-8 hours

d) I lost count

Probably only 2-5 hours per month, thank God! My workplace has gotten more meeting-intensive of late, so I'm also probably spending 4-8 hours per month at in-person meetings, some scheduled but many not.

#23: Quiz: How many kids do [your coworkers] have altogether? (Multiple choice)

a) [Up to 10]

b) [11 to 25] ... is my guess, assuming we're counting adult children, not only little ones. We have a LOT of childless, younger people.

c) [26 to 40] 

d) [41 or more]

#24: Rank [which movie series you'd prefer to watch (or rewatch)] from the best to your least favorite. 

a) Fellowship of the Rings
b) Indiana Jones

c) Harry Potter
d) Marvel

In order, b, c, d, a. The last two are more or less interchangeable.

#25: Which of these Christmas songs do you love the most? Please rank.

[a) Silent Night

b) O Come All Ye Faithful

c) The 12 Days of Christmas

d) Santa Baby]

I really loathe Santa Baby! My rank is a, b, c, d.

#26. From 1-10, what is your energy level today?

5, trying for 8.

#27. What was your personal highlight of the past month? 

Probably not the best month to ask me this. Surviving is probably the best I can hope to achieve.

#28. What [kind of class would you like to attend]?

Not science. Not business. Something history. Something political. Something interesting with a good teacher.

#29. In one word, how would you describe last week/month?

Intense.

#30. Who [...] would you like to thank?  
Lots and lots of people. I have a lengthy list of cards I need to send.

#31. Should we [assume spring has actually arrived at this point]?

I expect at least one more snow, but nothing major.

#32. Which projects are you planning for this summer?

Cleaning out the house. Planning a trip to Maine.

#33. What gift [is never unwelcome]?

Assuming you know the other person's preferences, food is usually good.

#34. Which [book would you prefer to read]? Rank these according to your level of excitement. 

a) A techy, nerdy science fiction. Lots of starships and diagrams of machines and planets.

b) A hard-core biography of one of the Tudor kings.

c) A newly-discovered novel by Jane Austen.

d) Hegel's complete works.

For me, it's b, d, a, c. I do not love Jane Austen.

#35. How [do you measure success]?

Have you done what you planned to do and done it acceptably so that others were able to use/participate in it fully? 

#36. How do we decide what things in our lives are the most important?

No really, I'm actually ASKING THIS! I'm currently in a Keep/Donate/Trash phase in my life and I'm developing decision fatigue already.

#37. What new books/movies/games/etc. are you looking forward to diving into this year?

I don't really have anything specific because I see all of these as they arrive at the library and time is kind of immaterial. I'll be glad to see a new Louise Penny if she has one in the works. I haven't seen a movie by choice in years, and games (of that sort) are not my gig either.

#38. What is the next really boring chore you have to deal with?

I was told at my last car oil-change that I should probably look at getting new tires before my next road trip of any length. So. I'm doing that tomorrow. 

#39. On a scale of 1-7, how would you rate [your overall health including mental, physical, emotional]?  

I'm probably running at about 4. I'd like to say 5, but I think I'd better not kid myself.

#40. What’s the most important area [in your life for you to focus on right now]?  

I honestly don't think I know.

#41. Which [social media platforms do you use regularly]?

I actively use BlueSky, Reddit, Facebook and Instagram (but only as a lurker, not a poster on Insta). I also have accounts on X (ugh), Mastodon, and probably several others that I don't actually use at all.

#42. On a scale of 1-10, how clear is [your next year's worth of plans]?

Giving myself a 2 on this just because I can think of literally three things hanging over my head that need doing in the next 6 months. 

{{pause for sleep}

#43. [Who is someone in your local community that you wish would just stop with their craziness]? (no names!)

Oh, Lord, there are a couple of folks who have been pounding their (individual) (different) drums for years around here for literal decades and it's just so tiresome. One is about the way the state divides up control of rural areas. The other is the tired old shtick about abortion being evil. Then there's the guy who came into my workplace Saturday just before closing, prepped his phone camera, stripped down, jerked off, and was noticed only when he was putting his pants back on. 

#44. From 1-10, [how worried are you about your personal future]?

I've really worked hard to channel the "lilies of the field/birds of the air" part of the gospels and trained myself to distance myself from worries about my personal long-term future. What happens, happens. So 2, I guess.

#45. [Do you have a hard deadline coming up for something]?

Not really, or rather nothing that needs doing TODAY!! but yeah I have some stuff that needs to get done this summer for sure.

#46. What’s blocking [you] from meeting the deadline?  

All of it involves scheduling issues. And I need to scan all my stuff for my income tax filing at some point, too.

#47. [Do you live in a noisy neighborhood, or a quiet country area]? 

I'm in an exurb in a former summer-cottage village around a lake. It's pretty quiet, especially as I'm in the back of the subdivision, but there is a gun-range about 2 miles away, and we used to have a lot of neighbors who were heavily into fireworks. It's cooled off substantially in the past 5-6 years, so now it's mostly dogs barking--we are a very doggy neighborhood--or kids playing, basketballs thumping, that sort of thing.

#48. What one thing [have you accomplished so far this year]?

I've had to work on some minor projects at work that were satisfying to get done. Wrote up a scathing review of my boss for his review this year. Said 'so long' to my best Beast after a very long and trying decline. Didn't slit my wrists over the winter--January was rough this year.

#49. [What are your strongest and weakest points]?

Strongest is probably my unwillingness to write off people despite how difficult the going gets. Maybe my empathy and loyalty to friends/family. Weakest is very likely my forgivingness (?is that a word)--I do let people take advantage at times. And also the very weakest thing is that I'm unforgivably lazy.

#50. What’s the most valuable thing [that you own]? You decide the definition of "value."

Financially it's definitely the house and maybe Beast's remaining 401(k). In terms of what I actually value, however, it's my relationships with people who love me (unaccountably).

#51. What [animal have you been channeling lately]?
I have recently discovered all the varied animals on Insta. Beast and I used to watch Poppy the Prairie Dog every morning, and I love watching otters and wombats. But my favorite are the sloths and the pandas. They are both so totally zen.

#52. [What is one thing that never fails to bring a smile to your face]? 

Gotta be kids and animals. Kids are just so brutally honest, and if you find a dog that thinks you're awesome, that is a real emotional boost.

#53. Mood barometer: On a scale of 1-7, how are you feeling today? 

I'm looking at 6. It's been a pretty good day.

#54. If you could describe last month in one word, what would it be? 

Chaotic.

#55. What was your personal or professional highlight of the past month? 

I was reminded today that I buckled down immediately after a meeting last month and started creating a document for the group to compile some statistical information. It was the day before Beast died, so if I hadn't done the work the day of the meeting it would emphatically NOT have gotten done. My brain has been elsewhere since then.

#56. On a scale of 1-10, [how would you rate the latest TV show/movie you watched]?  
Sparky had on Spring Football over the weekend, which I don't understand all the rules of, don't know the teams (except DC and their cup-snake), and really don't care about this new league, so that puts it at a 3 for me. I don't watch TV or movies anymore.

#57. Who was your unsung hero last month? 
Cheryl. She came through with a big assist with writing Beast's obituary.

#58. How well do you understand [technology these days]?

I think I'm mostly keeping up, but my eyesight has gotten worse, so seeing screens is getting increasingly difficult. Unless it gets defunded, I'm ready to sign up for the Federal Books for the Blind program.
  

#59. In which of [your personal] goals did [you] make the biggest progress last year? 
I have been coasting along mindlessly for the past 7+ years, waiting for the next crisis so I could deal with it and get it out of the way. I would like to have a brief reprieve from crises, please.

#60. From 1-7, how excited are you about [the prospect of a new Pope]? 

I'm not Catholic, but I'm really really hoping that Francis set up the Cardinals to picks someone with some familiarity with the needs of the modern Christian church.

#61. What would be your ideal work setup? WFH, office, or combo? 

If I could work at home 2-3 days a week, I'd love that, but I need too much access to physical items at work to make it practical. 

#62. From 1-10, how would you rate your [last medical appointment]?  

I'd give it a 9. Walked out feeling listened to, didn't have to wait on the staff too much, got some passably decent news--and a new script to take as needed--and don't need to come back for 6 months. Considering this is the cardiologist, it was a pretty damn good visit.

#63. [Does your employer have a five-year plan or something along those lines? If so, how focused are they on accomplishing those stated goals]?

We just recently (2023) wrote up our 5-10 year plan (I'm management at work so I was supposedly involved in creating them, but I really hate developing these, so I mostly played the part of Encourager). We have gone over it as a staff twice to see how we're coming along. THAT is the most surprising thing I've seen, and make me actually more interested in its existence.

#64. What are you most proud of about [American] culture? 

I think, as a rule, most Americans strive to be helpful to others as a point of pride. Of course this is painting with a very broad brush as there are sure a lot of asshats and jerkwads around, but in general people will usually step in to help if they see something they can do something about.

 

#65. Which of these topics would you like to learn the most about? Please rank.  

a) Genetic engineering.

b) Agricultural science.

c) How the brain/mind works.

d) Stage makeup.

Let's assume I'm smart and capable enough to do any of these things. I'd rank them this way: c, a, d, b.

#66. What do you expect [the weather to be like this weekend]?

PLEASE let the sun come out and the wind stop blowing for one day while I'm at home!!

#67. [What was the last kind of cheese you ate]?

Smoked gouda spreadable cheese. Dinner!

#68. On a scale of 1-7, how skilled are you at Excel? 

I'm about a 5 or 6 on general use, but I have no understanding of tables or charts.

#69. How well do you understand [the stock market]?

I do not at all understand anything to do with money in the macro sense.

#70. How are you going to [spend the next $100 you'll spend]?

Probably some breakfast tomorrow, and then paying the cleaning crew Thursday. That's more than $100, but.....

#71. Can you summarize [the political situation in the U.S. in the past six months] in one or two sentences?  

I can do it in a few words: Absolute insane nightmare.

#72. How would you rate [your next-door neighbor on neighborliness]?

We've been neighbors for 20 years. I have never had a single complaint about them. Most of my neighbors are lovely. With the exception of the occasional late party, especially in summer, I never have issues. And if they are having a blowout and I'm trying to sleep, I put in earplugs which takes care of the problem for me. 

#73. What are [the most important lessons you learned from your parents]?  

Speak up for yourself, don't suffer fools, be nice (or be quiet), see the world or as much as I can, use your head for more than a hat-rack.

#74. Is there anything you wish [you'd asked your grandparents]?  

I have dozens of questions for my mom's mom and I'd've liked to have know that grandpa. I have an equal number of questions for my dad's parents about their experiences homesteading and how they didn't just quit when they had so very many setbacks.

#75. From where are [you planning to watch 4th of July fireworks this year]?

Bold of you to think I'll be watching them at all. My wedding anniversary is the next day; I'm not sure this year I'll be very interested in holiday stuff

#76. Which topics/trends [worry you the most about today's world]?  

Climate change, the increase in hatred, Ukraine, Gaza, the worship of stupidity.

#77. What is your current role within your company?  

I supervise the Technical Services Department at a medium-sized library in the middle of the U.S. I also do all the original cataloging that needs doing, along with a lot of acquisitions tasks. And 'other duties as assigned.'

#78. In one or two words, what do you think is the major challenge with raising children today? Bullying, technology.

#79. How would you [change your life if money were no object]?
I would absolutely travel more. But I would make sure I could do it as comfortably as possible, so no airlines or waiting around. Charter me a plane, please, or get me an RV and a driver I don't have to be overly social with.

#80. In one or two words, describe what ‘diversity and inclusion’ mean to you.  

Everyone gets treated fairly and we try to have lots of different kinds of people in our lives. Not everyone you know needs to be in perfect agreement with everything you think, but there absolutely should be respect and care.

#81. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear [the term "mashup"]? 

Sparky loves these things! She has a couple of artists that do nothing but mashups that take multiple songs across multiple genres and squash them together into one song that is often clever and/or hilarious. I can't think of any specific ones, but go out and check some out on YouTube or elsewhere.