men just don’t get it, do they? They’re definitely missing the shoe chromosome

She called it "why do you want to know...."

1. List 5 things you want to do before the year ends.
   - Send some Christmas cards - probably half of what I had been sending in previous years
   - Get my books sorted and shelved
   - "Catch up on sleep"
   - Adjust the mortgage payment amount
   - Have some photos printed
2. What color are your pants?
   white
3. Favorite motivational quote.
   "Determination: Sometimes it gets you eaten by a bear."
4. When was the last time you drank coffee?
   yesterday morning. There was an employee breakfast during the Two Weeks of Fundraising at the job site, and I decided that the need for caffeine outweighed any aesthetic requirements
5. What was the last thing you ate?
   Poufy Cheetos, which I adore
6. Favorite animal
   monkey
7. Favorite song
   lately, it's a Dashboard Confessional song called "Hell on the Throat"
8. Last movie you watched?
   "On the Town", with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, from 1949
9. Any turn ons?
   thoughtfulness, vocabulary, nice eyes, generosity, dedication, cleverness
10. Any turn offs?
    pointless arrogance, excessive ego, insincerity, abruptness, complacency, a lack of stillness
11. List 4 big words off of the top of your head.
    love, why, yes, please
12. What are some meaningful movies?
    meaningful to me? There are many, for lots and lots of different reasons. Just lately I've seen "Good Will Hunting" (which made me cry a lot) and "Strictly Ballroom" (which made me cry some). Some others: "The Princess Bride", "Despicable Me", and "The Lady Vanishes".
13. 2 most important people in your life right now?
    impossible to choose just two. My parents, obviously, are doing a whole lot to keep me afloat - in practical and in metaphorical ways. D&R are amazing, fun, loving friends anyway, but in this last month they've shored me up. Still and all, there's a part that's missing, a space that will not fill.
14. What are 3 things you want for Christmas?
    socks, a kiss, and some books
15. When was the last time you read a good book?
    "Making Toast" by Roger Rosenblatt was very good - and I read it at just the right time, considering. I'm working through one of Paul Doiron's Mike Bowditch mysteries, but it is too scary to read at night in this house that catches every stray breeze and turns it into a howl.
16. What was the last thing you studied?
    my job requires a rather large number of self-tests throughout the year, demonstrating competence in various areas of legal compliance. There is just one more that I need to finish before the end of the year: SCRA, the Servicemember's Civil Relief Act, which provides protections for current and former active duty military personnel and their dependents in certain financial matters. It's not a bad test (compared to some others), just a little repetitive.
17. Do you have any nicknames?
    most of my nicknames are some derivation of my actual first name, which I find uninventive but easy to understand. It's been ages since I've had a true pet name.
18. Favorite kind of perfume? (fruity, alluring, etc.)
    meh. I'd much rather catch a draft of someone who's chosen something that suits them and that they feel comfortable in - and that they're not soaked with. My nose isn't sophisticated beyond that.
19. Do you have any international friends / friends who live out of state?
    I know some people who live out of the country, and lots of friends are out of state (including three of my really good friends).
20. What is something unique that you do every single day?
    in some ways, my whole life is unique; in lots of ways, my life is just like every other one
21. If there was a movie based on your life, what would it be called?
    "There Was This Guy..."
22. When was the last time you bought a gift for someone?
    Sunday
23. Are you a shopaholic?
    not exactly? I tend to go through cycles with it. Very occasionally, I get a little spend-thrifty, but most of the time I can go for months without buying anything more exotic than the rare splurge chocolate milk at the Kwik Trip. Buying a house has certainly shifted my budget some.
24. What are some songs that always make you feel better?
    it depends what's got me down. The wrong song for one occasion might be exactly right for another. Music is too important and too personal to be too universal.

[from The Cat, who got it here; the title quotation is by Marian Keyes, from Under the Duvet]