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*.

__________
*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

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)
Risk

1. What’s something you’re particularly bashful about?

   I don't like to be credited for things I do as a matter of course. I actually have a lot of trouble with being thanked in a organized way, in public.

2. What’s something that recently caused you personal shame?

   I keep losing my shit all over the place at work lately. Both physically losing things from/at work and letting my mouth run with my gut instead of my brain. It's embarrassing.

3. Who or what keeps you humble?

   I trip and run into things a lot. Also, kids.

4. In what way did someone recently violate your privacy?

   Getting FOIA'd by some idiots who (short version) were breaking fair use rules and didn't like when I reported them to Facebook. These morons found me on LinkedIn, wrote up an Enquirer-level hatchet job on their personal blog (which they call a public watchdog site) about me, and forwarded the link to my boss and several members of city government. Embarrassing and literally infuriating.

5. What’s something you don’t trust yourself with?

   Sugar cookies. They aren't safe around me--I can't not eat them!

Manic Monday

(Link in meme-roll)

What's the main thing that builds your self-confidence and why?

Reaching the end of a project and realizing I've done a good job.

What lessons in humility have you learned over the course of your life?

Chances are good that as soon as you congratulate yourself for being all that and a bag of chips, you trip over your own ego and embarrass yourself (or worse). The follow-up is that in almost every case, that trip is survivable and eventually makes a damn good story.

How do you combat negative thoughts?

Sleep. Or music. Or a long walk. If it's been a really rough period all three (not at once, of course).

Two-fer

You Are a Hybrid

You're the type of person who worries about doing the right thing. You're very conscientious. You care about the world and the effect you have on it. You consider your actions carefully. Doing the right thing makes you feel good. It's who you are, not what you have, that makes you happy. You make rational decisions and think about all aspects of your actions. You don't act rashly.

What Type of Car Are You?

Well, actually, I have been known to act pretty rashly....

 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Your Ego is Small

You are quite humble. You try not to spend too much time congratulating yourself. You're proud of who you are, but you're also secure. You don't need to brag. You see yourself and others in a pretty realistic way. You appreciate strengths and faults. You respect people and believe that you can learn from them.

How Big Is Your Ego?

Well, I think so. But what do I konw, right?

Curious as a Cat

(Link in blogroll)

1) If you could teach one person a lesson in humility, who would you choose?

Richard Cheney.

2) Do you prefer silver or gold jewelry?

Silver.

3) Which relative would you gladly never see again?

Tonight, the easy answer is Dean. Overall, though, I'd say Jan.

4) What experience has made you wisest?

The realization that I'm not all that (or even just the bag of chips), and life goes on anyway.

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.
Public Domain Photo

This is what I looked at for 8 hours today. Except, add in snow, slush, ice, and lots of semis. And gray skies, and no leaves. I haven't seen stripes on the road this afternoon.
SO glad to be home safe and sound tonight.