the simple lack of her is more to me than others' presence

ludic

I am super excited to be seeing one of my most ludic friends within the next week or so; I'm sure there will be stories!

aleatory

If it weren't for the aleatory, how would we know what to wish for?

scilicet

I enjoy spending time with her for what may seem an unlikely reason, scilicet, she treats me as one of the family, not as a guest.

insouciance

His insouciance was powerfully attractive, masquerading as something less than the purely arrogant selfishness, until the truth was known.

petulant

She's not always bossy; sometimes she's simply petulant and whiny, like an overgrown toddler.

---

1. The summer Olympics [have occurred] and London [played] host. If you had the chance to go in person, what (non-Olympic) London site would you most like to visit?
   a museum of some sort, I should imagine, by the advice of friends who've been to London before. But the city itself holds no great allure for me, so I'd be more likely to skip it in favor of something less metropolitan.
2. What is something in your life right now that feels like an Olympic event?
   just work
3. What's your favorite supper to prepare and serve when it's too hot to cook?
   cereal, of course. I've virtually eliminated it from my non-breakfast arsenal, though, so it's a rare treat when I do indulge.
4. July 18th was National Get Out of the Doghouse Day...when was the last time you were 'in the doghouse?'
   at work, surely. The specifics have mercifully escaped me.
5. What television commercial do you find particularly irritating or inappropriate?
   I was laughing today to notice the utter plethora of jewelry ads during the football games. Apparently football fans (i.e. males) really need serious help in making shopping decisions at this time of year, with which the chain jewelers are glad to help. Most of the items shown (when I bothered to look) were ugly and/or completely uninspired. I'm glad I'm not in the position to be smiling wanly and pretending to gratitude that I don't actually feel, over something I've zero desire to wear.
6. Share one interesting piece of news from the year you were born.
   on this day in the year I was born, a Japanese author and his compatriot committed ritualistic suicide after a failed coup attempt
7. What's the best part of your average day?
   the time between dinner and bed, I suppose
8. Insert your own random thought here.
   this song's going through my head today. Don't worry, there's no good reason for it.
   

[from The Cat, who got it here; the title quotation is by Edward Thomas]