a non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity

• Do you like figuring out things yourself, or having instructions?
  by myself, whether from instructions or by winging it. I dislike someone hovering over me, directing my every move.
• You just won $10,000; what do you do with all the money?
  pay my current bills (the car) and find an inexpensive but effective option for health and auto insurance, then hit the MFing road for parts north
• Do you actually have a plan for the future, or do you go with the flow?
  my plan is rather unstructured and sometimes seems to be simply going with the flow, but there are elements of intention to it
• What's something you don't like about going to the beach?
  the other people that frequent the beach. It's the same complaint that I have about pretty much any activity or location.
• Do seagulls really annoy you or do you find them cute?
  they don't call me the Irish Bird Assassin for nothing
• What's something you used to collect when you were younger?
  Duran Duran posters
• Does the thought of moving scare you? Why or why not?
  at this point, it is my most common (personal) prayer
• Describe your dream Saturday night:
  a screened porch, a comfy chair, something good to drink, and somebody to share it all with
• You have a plane ticket to travel anywhere; where do you go?
  right now, I'd go to Denver, which is totally outside the realm of normal for me. Under typical circumstances, I'd argue for Ireland, Spain, Miami, or maybe Seattle.
• If you could choose your own eye colour, what would it be?
  I like what I've got. Maybe a darker version, but these get the job done.
• When your pet comes in the room, do you say hi or just ignore them?
  I tend to talk to animals as if they can understand exactly what I'm saying and only choose not to respond
• You're home alone and someone knocks on your door; do you answer it?
  I'm staying in a home that is not my own, so I will answer the door. In my own place, I generally will not answer the door unless I am specifically expecting someone. My friends are not the "drop by" type, and they generally know that I'm not amenable to surprises.
• Do you buy lunch, or just bring your own?
  I bring my own, and 95% of the time I will eat exactly the same thing every day for months at a time
• Do pictures of you always look bad, or are they pretty good?
  I am rarely photographed and there are aspects of myself that I'd prefer not be highlighted, but I try not to complain about it. Pictures of me aren't for me--they're for the person who takes them, right?
• Do you often swear, or try to use kinder words?
  I do have a foul mouth, a bad habit that I'm trying to break
• If you had to break any bone in your body, what would it be?
  a toe. God knows I've done it before. I actually think I've got a broken bone on the top of my left foot right now, too. It's badly bruised and constantly sore, even when not moving or stressed. I'm rough on my flippers.
• When you're feeling down, what usually cheers you up?
  nothing. I don't exactly seek out "cheer me up", though, so it makes sense.
• Did you ever at some point want a smart phone? Did you get one?
  I resisted for a long time, having fallen in love with my Samsung Alias 2 even before I bought it and adoring it the entire time I had it...until it stopped receiving phone calls and then sending phone calls. It became time to replace my phone, and since the Alias 2 was "semi-smart," it seemed like the right moment to take the plunge into smart. I did, and I'm very happy with what I have. I get that it's not for everyone--what is?--but I will never understand the ridiculous, juvenile backlash about it.
• How about a tablet computer?
  I'm satisfied with the computing options that I have, at the moment (which are, for one person, completely over the top). I do not foresee acquiring anything new until I've weeded out the old.
• If you could work for any famous company, what would it be?
  meh. I don't particularly care where I do it. I just want to do it somewhere that I can use my skills in a challenging and both personally and intellectually rewarding atmosphere, be respected, paid reasonably well, and be free from the whims of the mentally ill--disguised as managerial decision-making.
• When you see homeless people, do you tend to give them money?
  I do not, but my exposure to homeless people is almost never in that sort of 'transaction'
• As a kid, what character really scared you?
  the cobras in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
• Would you rather live in a mansion, or a small cozy home?
  small and cozy, please
• What celebrity are you just dying to meet?
  I would love to tell David James Duncan, face to face, about the effects The Brothers K has had on me. I'm not sure that falls under the category of "just dying to meet," but maybe I'm a little old and also not of the proper temperament to behave that way?
• If you could meet that person, what would you say to them?
  That is personal.
• Are you more a city person, or would you like to live on a farm?
  how about leaving open the options of the vast middleness in between? There are big chunks of the world that aren't at one of those two extremes, after all.
• Do commercials really annoy you, or do you not care?
  under my control, commercials have no volume
• What kiddie website do you still like to visit?
  eeeeeeeeeeeew
• You're in the mood for coffee; where do you go?
  I'm more likely to have coffee when I'm in a deli or similar spot and suddenly desire it, rather than going out specifically to seek it. That being said, I used to quite like the Caribou store in town, which is probably why it's closed now.
• Is dinner really the best meal of the day?
  that totally depends. I'm rather fond of breakfast, really.
• Aren't ladybugs the cutest bugs ever?
  not at all
• Do you always look both ways before you cross the street?
  the parking lot where I leave my car every day is located across what ought to be an almost-unused side street that has somehow turned into a bypass of some funky traffic patterns in town. Therefore, as I'm crossing (both morning and evening) I tend to whip my head back and forth repeatedly, so as not to be surprised and squashed by someone roaring through at 10-20 mph over the limit. Yeah, I'm crossing in the middle of the street, but that's still no excuse for someone to smoosh me because they're speeding to work at the courthouse. Irony!
• What Disney movie will you always love? Why is it so great?
  having consulted this list, I am surprised to find that I cannot confine myself to one.
  
  • Fantasia
  • The Parent Trap (1961)
  • The Rescuers
  • The Incredibles
• Without ________ I could not live. Fill in the blank:
  writing
• Do you use one password for everything, or different ones?
  different ones, though I repeat some in areas that do not overlap
• What's the grossest thing you ever sat on?
  I'm laughing too hard to answer this prompt...
• Do you find you always get food stains when you're wearing a white shirt?
  no, I'm more prone to eating hunched-over than I am to dropping and staining
• Do pop-ups annoy the hell out of you? Or are you OK with them?
  I've blocked them on all of my own computers
• Who is the coolest athlete ever?
  "cool" is not an attribute that I use to analyze my favorite athletes. In fact, rumors of "cool" would probably be part of why I wouldn't pay attention to someone in the public eye.
• Have you ever had all your songs deleted from your portable media player? How'd it happen?
  never. Of course, I'd be amazed if anyone could locate it without a lot of assistance, the majority of the time.
• Do you prefer having a purse, bag or backpack when at the mall?
  I carry a purse at the mall. It leaves my hands free to transact, but keeps my stuff pretty much secure.
• What are you most proud of accomplishing in your life?
  just keepin' on keepin' on
• If you were to get a piercing anywhere, what would you get?
  I'm considering another one, but its location depends somewhat on the practical answer to the second prompt from the top

[from The Cat {part of a much longer post, slightly modified from that form}, who got it here; the title quotation is by Franz Kafka]