there is more beauty than our eyes can bear, precious things have been put into our hands and to do nothing to honor them is to do great harm

1. What did you want to be when you were little?
   unafraid. Interestingly (to me, at least), I thought that would come in time, particularly time spent in school. Those old "knowledge is power" cartoon shorts really hit a chord in me.
2. Would you prefer to have a large group of friends or a small group of friends? Why?
   small, please. In fact, I'm absolutely certain that I've already met everyone I'd ever care to meet in my lifetime, and that out of that total, the cream of the crop's been chosen.
3. What is your fashion "style"? Or what type of clothes do you wear on a daily basis?
   my style is minimalist (in terms of styling, not clothing!) but pragmatism leads me more in the direction of what passes for "business casual" most of the time, even when I'm not at work. Which blows.
4. If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
   close to my hometown. Prehaps not right in it, but close.
5. What is your biggest hope for the next year?
   better health. Better, happier, more rewarding work. Solo housing (2+ smaller bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dishwasher, W/D, attached garage, basement). Some semblance of a regular social life, to slowly bring me back out of my shell.
6. When you pass by reflective surfaces do you check yourself out?
   no
7. Favorite genre of movie as well as TV show?
   I usually watch either action or historical/foreign movies, but crime drama on TV
8. Favorite books? (limit of 5):
   In the spirit of sharing something new, I'll give my top five that aren't the usual top five:
   
   • Nice by Jen Sacks
   • The Man Who Wrote the Book by Erik Tarloff
   • Gone Bamboo by Anthony Bourdain
   • Edinburgh by Alexander Chee
   • The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart
9. Have you ever taken a cooking class?
   no, but I worked under the very watchful eye of a culinary school graduate in the restaurant that he owned. It was exhausting, humbling, and vastly educational.
10. What three words would you use to describe yourself?
    thinky, over-feely, and extrahypersensitive
11. Favorite animal?
    cat
12. What is your dream job?
    anything other than the one I've got now
13. If you could go back in history to any moment that you did not live, what would it be and why?
    no, thank you
14. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Why?
    I've always envied the capacity of Data, from Star Trek: The Next Generation, to be temporarily powered down. It's not exactly a superpower in the usual sense, but it would make my life dramatically better.
15. What is your favorite movie?
    sticking with the same theme as that used with the books, I'll go with War, with Jet Li and Jason Statham. Two of my favorite actors, a reasonably believable and intricate plot, and lots of action. And, as I've mentioned before, it has the best arm-breaking scene in all of cinema.
16. What is your best childhood memory?
    sleeping out in the backyard on a warm summer night. Not when it's so hot or sticky you can't stand to be outside, but one of those rare nights that's dry and cool, just right to stay up late, elbows out and hands cradling the back of your head, staring up at the stars. Listening to the quiet of the night--which isn't really so quiet at all. Falling asleep in the middle of a story, but having talked so low and aimlessly for so long that the details don't matter anyway. Waking up feeling clear and fresh and new.
17. What is your favorite part about blogging?
    writing a post that feels like it was drained straight from my brain, or some other part of me. Where the words all flow with no effort at all, and come out exactly the way they should.
    
    Add to that a lot of comments and a previously unseen hit-count, and I'd be delirious.
18. What is your favorite quote?
    tonight, I'll go with this one:
    
    “All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
    [Cormac McCarthy, from The Road]
19. What song do you feel like describes your life the best? Why?
    at the moment, Japan by Vertical Horizon.
    
    
    So I turned and I gave him my blessing
    And I left him alone in the rain
    But I had to just stop and laugh at myself
    Still nobody knows my name
    
    
20. Would you describe yourself as shy or outgoing?
    I am shy, with very situation-selective ability to ignore it

[from The Cat, who got it here; the title quotation is by Marilynne Robinson, from Gilead]