Friday 5

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Watching my figure 

1. What are some figurines you own?

I have several display cabinets around the house, most of which are because at some point I started collecting salt-n-peppers. But I've got some childhood doodads and some souvenir things from trips, too. I'll try to take a pic and post the biggest display.  (don't hold your breath--it's been a rough week and I may never leave my recliner again)  

2. What are you trying to figure out? 

Why I insist on thinking the best of people before I know them. I have been so very disappointed, especially this week.

3. Two circles or one continuous motion: how do you write the figure 8? 

Mostly, it's all one line, but sometimes I use the two-circle method. Usually the latter is when I'm making it a POINT to be seen. Sometimes, it's because my first attempt ended up looking like a messing 5 or 3.

4. How do you feel about Fig Newtons? 

I like them! But the seeds in them are a little disconcerting when I haven't eaten one for awhile.

5. What’s a good metaphor to describe your first week of 2021?

Shitstorm comes to mind....

Sunday Stealing

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Let's Not Be Difficult Meme

1. Do you like your movies and books to be more lighthearted or serious?

My first reaction was to say that it depends on the subject of the book. But actually, having a sense of the absurdity and irony about life around us helps no matter what the topic is. I don't tend to like overly earnest or dead-serious books, fiction or not. I also don't like total silliness, though. It's a tough balance.

2. What’s more important, first impressions or lasting impact?

More important is lasting impact. But if you fail at the first impression you don't often get to hang around to have impact later.

3. Order these areas of psychological health from what you need the least improvement into what you need the most improvement in: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, spiritual

Intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, environmental, physical.

4. Do you react appropriately to things and control your feelings?

Oh, who the hell knows? Apparently, I do not have a good grasp of this at work, but I think I'm pretty stable and normal.

5. Do you have stable relationships?

Speaking of which....yes.

6. Do you need to be in a relationship to feel good about yourself?

I need to be in some kind of relationship, yes. Does it have to be love? Not really.

7. Which is the clearest and most concise, your thoughts, your speech or your writing? Which is the least clear and concise?

My writing tends to be most concise when I'm being attentive, because I can edit out egregiously stupid things. Least clear are probably my unfiltered thoughts. I'm definitely a girl this way: I have to verbalize to clarify.

8. Are you always trying to learn new things?

Yes. It can be quite painful, but is almost always rewarding in the end.

9. Do you feel at peace?

In a general sense, yes. There are a few specifics that are far from peaceful, but I'm working on coming to terms with those.

10. Do you have strong morals and ethics that you believe in and adhere to?

Strong ones I believe in. Adhering to them can be a little harder when push comes to shove.

11. Do you think of the needs of all humanity or just the needs of yourself and those you know?

I think about both. I tend to do things more for the people I know than for the good of the universe. Which makes me kind of a jerk, but also pretty normal. It's certainly not something I'm very proud of.

12. Do you recycle?

Yes. As much as possible. It's my saving grace, perhaps, for question 11.

13. Are you active in your community?

Not really. I feel like I do a great deal for my community at work, and I do some volunteering during the school year, so my conscience is clear. However, I've been mulling over getting involved with CASA for awhile. I'm just not sure how much time it would require, and I do hoard my quiet, home times a bit.

14. Are you sensitive to the needs of others?

Yes. To a fault. I'm finding it a little easier lately to set those aside without guilt, but it's hard. I wish I could do more to help people sometimes.

15. Do you dress up to go out?

Five minutes ago, I was standing on my front porch in my nightshirt at 11 a.m. Great timing! I try to dress appropriately for the situation. I'll be at a funeral this afternoon and did check last night to be sure I had something to wear in case I needed to shop this morning. Not only do I have something that will be ok, it's actually more than ok due to the circumstances in play today. I don't, however, make a point of dolling myself up very often. I'm way more casual and more interested in comfort than I am about makeup and what-all.

16. What could make you lose respect for someone?

Lying, hypocrisy, endless (bad) excuses for lousy behavior, and rudeness to others. One of Beast's best friends at work was a super-nice guy named Larry who was as kind and friendly of a guy as anyone we knew. When the two of them ended up spending a lot of time entertaining clients, it turned out that Larry was a complete prick at restaurants: yelling at waitresses, sending his food back for idiotic reasons, tipping poorly, etc. Beast and I both lost a lot of respect for him for that, and it was horribly embarrassing for Beast in front of the clients. He often had to stay after everyone left to increase the tip and/or apologize to the staff, and then make "I'm so sorry" calls the next day to clients.

17. If you won $1,000 every week until you die, would you still go to work?

That would total $52,000 a year, and the government would take some of that in taxes. I can't live here for that, so yes, I'll be heading off to work daily.

18. What trend has been getting on your nerves lately?

Poor cell-phone etiquette drives me nuts. These are not new devices, people. Turn them off when they will disturb others (church, meetings, stage performances, funerals, etc.), or at least set them to vibrate. And don't haul them out to check every time you get a message signal when you're talking F2F with someone. It's really bloody rude, especially if you're talking to an employee who is trying to help you. I do not have time to stand and listen to your husband's difficulties with finding the right kind of yogurt at WalMart, or your wife's complaints about traffic when she should be DRIVING not talking! And for God's sake....WHY do we all SHOUT into our phones??

19. Do you forgive yourself when you make a mistake?

Eventually. Most of the time.

20. Is ignorance really bliss?

Until you realize how stupid you've been and belatedly feel like a tool. Sometimes, in other words, yes. And sometimes ignorance is annoying and/or dangerous.

21. What can be described as ‘even better than the real thing’?

U2 has it pretty much right on.

22. What’s in your wallet right now?

The usual wallet-y stuff: money, license, credit cards, "loyalty" cards up the wazoo, insurance stuff....my CPR card, Sparky's bank account number, a three-year-old Weight Watcher's booklet. I really need to clean the damn thing out. No pictures, because I've known too many people who've lost their wallet and their only/last photo of [important person]. Credit cards, etc., are replaceable; pictures less so. Also, we had a speaker at the library last week who talked about RFID readers and wallets, so I'm considering lining my wallet with tin foil. Yes, I'm aware that this makes me sound like a lunatic, but I'm too cheap to buy a metal wallet.

23. Do you write letters that you never send?

Yes.

24. Do you ever get the feeling people are laughing at you?

Not so much anymore, but only because I really don't fookin' care anymore. When I do stupid things, I fully expect others to laugh. When people are just being mean, that says so much more about them than me that I don't let it bother me, at least not like it did when I was young and trying to impress everyone.

25. Who’s the one person you’d like to drop a house on?

Interestingly, we were talking about the Wicked Witch yesterday at work, and her ruby slippers. The house-dropping didn't come up, but I'd really like to drop a eally Big House on all the politicians who use scare tactics, half-truths and full-blown lies to forward their agenda. Note that I'm not specifying a particular party, because there are connivers everywhere. However, I'm pretty sure if you've read anything else here before you'll know that I feel one U.S. political party especially needs a big-ass 100-story condo building dropped on it.

Friday 5 (+1)

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You Two [lyrics from...]

1. Is it getting better, or do you feel the same? (from "One")

It...hasn't gotten worse. But I definitely don't think this afternoon/tonight qualifies for "better" either.

2. Do you shiver when you dream? Is there a pounding in your heart? (from "You're the Only One That's Real")

Nope and not anymore; the drive home from work was a little tense.

3. Is the sweetest melody the one we haven't heard? Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear? (from "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight")

Metaphorically yes to the first question, though since I haven't heard it I suppose I don't really know. Perfect, real love absolutely drives out all fear!

4. Do you feel anything at all? (from "Miracle Drug")

Yes, I have not yet achieved 100% numbness. Which is good, since it's not actually a goal I have.

5. It’s gonna itch and burn and sting; do you want to see what the scratching brings? (from "Staring at the Sun")

Wow. Perhaps, but not right now.

6. Do you feel loved? (from "Do You Feel Loved?")

Tonight, it's a vague, distant sort of way. I do, however, rest assured that God loves me; that's what gets me up in the morning lately.

Friday 5

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Literally Figurative

1. Do you prefer to be in the driver’s seat or in the co-pilot’s chair, literally and figuratively?

Depends on how much I know about the road I'm currently on. If I know more than the rest of the crew, I want to lead. But I don't mind co-piloting either.

2. Do you have a lot of baggage, literally and figuratively?

Yes. Who doesn't?

3. How much junk have you got in the trunk, literally and figuratively?

WAY too much in the figurative trunk, and I drive a truck so really...not so much literally.

4. At celebrations where people are drinking, are you more likely to be literally or figuratively drunk as a skunk?

Figuratively.

5. What’s something you enjoy that’s literally cheesy, and what’s something you enjoy that’s figuratively cheesy?

Homemade mac n cheese--tonight's dinner--is VERY cheesy, and so is RHPS.

Friday 5

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Metaphors Be With You

1. When you go to the beach, lake, or pool, are you more likely to lower yourself gradually into cold water or to take a determined plunge and get it over with?

Dive right in! Well, not really, since I can't swim, but I would rather get it all over with at once.

2. How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other tasks or ordeals?

Yes, it is a good metaphor...I tend to dive in without checking carefully. Getting better at it, but not cured yet.

3. When someone gives you flowers, are you more likely to let them turn completely brown and gross before throwing them out, or to discard them the moment they take on that sick-flower look?

When they are wilted, I pull individual flowers out. If they all go at once, ok. If I end up with a half-size bouquet in a week, that's ok too. I also keep in mind the whole mold thing, too.

4. How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other gifts, purchases, or relationships?

Uh, I don't think they relate in my case. I don't throw away my friendships when they get moldy!

5. Think of your favorite movie (or a movie you really like, if you can’t think of a favorite). Some people say that the reasons you love your favorite movie are related to what you value in romantic relationships. How is this true or untrue in your case?

I value psychopathology ("Heathers") in my romantic relationships?? Uh, no.