when a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him

• What would be your biggest achievement to date? That was the first question that I needed to answer at my last job interview, and it didn't go well. Why I was so colossally unprepared for it, I cannot say. I responded with the first easy answer that came to mind: passing the bar exam on the first try. While it is sort of true, it's also far too facile, particularly in light of the person who asked. For what it's worth, his precise question was, "Of what achievement are you most proud?"
  Prehaps the bar exam statement answers the "biggest achievement" question better than the "most proud" question. It was an awfully big deal. But, most proud? Making something of my life after the divorce. No, more like this: making a lot of really good out of what I had left after the divorce. It's impossible to know what will remain after a change that big, and even you knew that, the condition of the cards that you still hold is maybe a more significant question. To keep going--or to start over, depending how you look at it--is an awesome feat.
• Do you prefer baths or showers? showers. A good bath is a wonderful experience (more about that in an upcoming post, when I'm feeling brave) but even a quick shower is excellent.
• Are you a good liar? I think so? But I suppose that's another thing that's best learned from those who receive, rather than she who gives.
• Are you a good judge of character? yes
• Are you any good at charades? it would depend entirely upon my audience. If I were playing with the right person, very little acting would be required, only facial expressions. A couple of people that I know well can read the slightest twitch exactly the way that I intend it. That's one of the best parts of close friendship!
• How long could you go without talking? a weekend, easily. Probably quite a bit longer.
• Have you ever won a giant sized cuddly toy from a fair? no, and no one has ever won one for me, either. I'm sadly lacking in certain basic areas, aren't I?!
• Why does it always rain on me? [this meme is goofy as all Hell]
  Why doesn't it ever seem to rain on me? I LOVE rain, but it seems to happen only when I'm inside of work or sleeping. Bring it on!
• Have you ever sailed a boat? Ha! No. I'm not temperamentally suited, and it really could not interest me less.
• Do you have a lawyer? A very good question, that. I think it's safe to say that if I needed one, I could satisfy that need. The one that I want has left the reservation, and a couple that I don't want just keep hanging around. It's a strange situation that I never thought I'd be in.
• Do you buy people presents to bring back when you go on holiday? I will often use 'holiday' as an opportunity to buy gifts for upcoming occasions, but I am not at heart the "buy three dozen souvenir pencils for the folks at work" sort of person. I am very often the recipient of such thoughtfulness, though--not the pencils so much as shot glasses or rocks from the shore or pottery from the art fair, what have you--and find those to be some of my favorite gifts, brought back just for me.
• Are you the sort to step in and try to break up a fight? not hardly. My philosophy and personality and military history background lead me to believe that fights are often justified.
  
  (One exception to this was a sort of mob action fist-fight between one kid facing three kids, which I happened upon late at night outside a gas station. I drove straight up to them, grabbed my phone and started taking flash pictures. The three scattered like they'd been hosed off. The one just looked at me warily and responded that he was all right when I asked. I offered to call someone for him, or to take him to the hospital if he wanted, but he seemed primarily grateful for the respite, refused my offers, and walked away [in the opposite direction from the other three]. I haven't thought about that in years, but it really shook me at the time.)
• Have you ever been in a fight? I've been the cause of a LOT of fights, in the midst of a couple of them (I was sprayed with blood when a guy hit another guy directly in front of me at the bar), and certainly received offers for more (including one at that same bar, where a girl poured a beer over my head because her boyfriend was looking at me), but the only times I ever actually hit anyone (outside my sibling relationships) were a couple of little slaps.
• Have you ever started a rumour? yup. I'm not uniformly proud of my teenage years.
• Have you ever heard any outstanding rumours about yourself? of course! The rumor-me lives a far more scintillating life than the real me, that's for certain.
• Do you own a paddling pool? no, but I wouldn't be opposed to such a thing under the right circumstances. One of the houses I'm looking at this week does have a very large yard....
• What potential talents do you think you might have if you worked at them? baking, writing, jewelry design. Maybe even photography.

[gleaned from here and split into several pieces; the title quotation is by Jonathan Swift]