she's mad, but she's magic. There's no lie in her fire

Days 24-28: incomplete, steel, comfortable, three, mail

1. If you could rename yourself what would your new name be?
   here are three options: "Doctor Dimension"
   "Forecast"
   "The Angry Vulture"
2. What is your Glam Rock name?
   Sheila Saturn
3. Have you ever created your own 'what ___ are you' quiz?
   no. I'm not a quiz-maker, just an (occasional, though more often lately) quiz-taker.
4. If you did make one what would it be about?
   I think that every quiz that could be made has been made--and, if not, the questions are likely to be asked somewhere in this list of 5000
5. What is your favorite song from the 70's?
   
   
6. What do you feel like complaining about?
   I've had enough of the negative lately. It is exhausting, and mortifying, and seems to be changing nothing except destroying relationships. I need a break!
7. What do you feel like celebrating?
   friendship. Some of my people are really amazing, and the lengths to which they will go to keep me happy, comfortable, healthy, and prosperous, truly humble me.
8. Have you lost touch with anyone you should call?
   yes - and I feel so disgusted with myself that I'm not sure I can ever do it
9. Deep in thought, do you forgive everyone?
   no. Some things are unforgivable.
10. Can a person speak out against their government and still support their country?
    Hell yes!
11. What do you have faith in?
    rationality, love, the power of kittens...
12. Do you believe your government has a file on you somewhere?
    yup, thanks to a decision I made when I was 26 and followed through three years later. At least that, and prehaps more.
13. What (not who) do you care about?
    sleep, great music, kindness, the ratio of meat to fat in streaky bacon, treating people with respect when it's been earned, copyright law, and pretty shoes
14. What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to you?
    to live to some record-breaking age, I suppose? The mere idea makes me shudder.
15. Who or what is really the absolute root and source of all evil?
    fear
16. What do you want to change about the world?
    now is definitely not the time to answer that question in any serious way. So I'm going with an international effort to find a way to grow free-range poufy Cheetos.
17. Why did you decide to complete this survey?
    it's always good to have a source of new subjects for the blog, and this survey is populated with questions that are not repeats of things that have come before (at least, not yet). Although there is a whole lot of black/white choice-type answers but I'm free with gray-area answers anyway. In all, it's been good for my writing--and thinking.
18. Has anyone ever led you on?
    uh, yeah. Maybe I'm more the lead-er than the led, lately? But it's gone both ways plenty of times.
19. What was the last thing you did against your will?
    I had dinner with someone a few weeks ago and did not expect an overall positive result. I was correct in that assumption.
20. What are your plans for the rest of today?
    finish writing this, make my bed (laundry is finally dry), and sleep
21. How can you make tomorrow better than today was?
    it seems likely. Today was laundry and cleaning, and I was cold most of the day.
22. Would you rather date someone 4 feet tall or 9 feet tall?
    I'd like to think it wouldn't matter if I met someone I really wanted to date and they were one or the other. But, really? Someone 9 feet tall would likely be a ticking time bomb, health-wise, and someone 4 feet tall could have some serious health problems as well. It's not entirely likely that I would be all that appealing to someone who's a foot and a half shorter or 3.5 feet taller, either!
23. How often do you get jealous?
    more than you might think, considering
24. What is the one thing you do that your friends wish you didn't?
    probably my tendency to actually mail letters through the USPS. It doesn't happen with the frequency that it used to, but I know that some people find it incredibly frustrating and onerous.
25. Do you do any soul searching?
    HA! If you think there's a day that goes by that I don't, you don't know me at all.
26. Do you believe you have a soul?
    of course
27. Would you rather have a child that is more confident or more curious?
    curious. Confidence without knowledge is terrifying. Curiosity can make its own way.
28. Are you a slave to love?
    in some ways? And they're not scary ways, like they were when I was young. They're good and powerful and more happy than not.
29. If you were going to write a bedtime story for someone you loved what would it be about?
    a mouse and a cat being friends, and staying up all night because they're afraid of the dark - but figuring out that there's nothing to be afraid of
30. Does anyone understand you?
    yes. To the extent that anyone really knows me, I do indeed feel understood...by a few people, in some ways. Mostly.
31. Do you understand yourself?
    sort of, and that assessment changes regularly
32. Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: Which is your element?
    as always, there are a number of tests to determine this. My results are as follows...
    • The Four Elements: Which Are You?: You are Fire! You are the most independent of the elements and very athletic. You won't let anything hold you back. However, you can sometimes hurt the feelings of a lot of people, and all of that excitement can go to your head. Your enemy is water. Lesson: Relax once and a while and think about others.
    • Are You Earth, Air, Fire or Water?: You are Fire. You are highly expressive and enthusiastic, and you like to be in charge. Your confidence is a strong point for you and people look to you for energy and motivation. Your creative mind is a constant source of ideas, and your leadership skills are useful in managing team projects.
    • Which Element Defines You?: You are Earth. You're rational and logical and care about what's real, tangible, and experiential. You learn by doing and focus on realistic and achievable goals. You're methodical and feel most comfortable when you have a routine to follow. You're a homebody who enjoys establishing a loving and welcoming home. Though you may be stubborn and can't be swayed at times, you're also reliable and strive to develop long-lasting friendships with the people around you.
    
    Huh. Well, the first two were text-based and the last was pictures, so that may account for the difference?
33. Who influences you to be the way you are?
    "I am a part of all that I have met," as Tennyson wrote in 'Ulysses'
34. What is one idea that you live by?
    loyalty and generosity are almost limitless
35. How can people act to make you want to get to know them?
    there is really only one requirement: no acting with me
36. Are you more delicate or tough?
    I am tough like steel, delicate like dandelion fluff. The test is in determining which is which, and when.
37. Would you rather be smarter or more beautiful?
    it would be impossible for me to say that beauty would come before brains for me. However, I have to admit that I would feel incomplete in wishing for one over the other. Can't I please have a bit of each?
38. Have you ever had a surprise party?
    one has been thrown for me (my 24th birthday) and I've attended to a few others. Usually, though, they turn out to be contrived and uncomfortable for the guest of honor, and that makes me squeamish no matter which side I'm on.
39. When are you at a loss for words?
    pretty much every day at work. There is something about that place that seems to draw people with no imagination and almost no intellect. It is mystifying and awful.
40. What is the worst time to be alone?
    New Years' Eve, Valentine's Day, and a friend's wedding
41. What do your parents do that you will try never to do?
    good question. They are vaguely annoying sometimes (since they're my parents) but, on the whole, they are still pretty great people, so it's hard to think of too much to fault them for. Our lives are very different (they have been married for almost 53 years and have three children, a grandchild, and two great-grandchildren, for instance) but in most ways that matter, we are a lot alike. We care about each other and the family, we live in the same town, and we're not a whole lot different than we ever have been.
    
    So, in answer to the question: nothing.
42. What gets you through the night?
    sleep. Topiramate. And sometimes the mere thought that I might find a new job earlier rather than later.
43. Do you really want to live forever?
    nope, not at all
44. Do you often experience powerful emotions?
    yes, I do. Even if I'm not sharing them, they are there.
45. What could make you so happy right now that you would cry and laugh and sing?
    see the third entry in question #42, above
46. Who is your favorite visual artist?
    Paul Signac, Mark Rothko, Edward Weston...
47. What would you like to protest against?
    atrocious grammar, inadequately sized clothing, and poor road signage
48. What or who do you support?
    fresh salsa, well-made shoes, and female and other minority filmmakers
49. If you found out you were pregnant today, would you have an abortion?
    no--I would have an intervention
50. Do you like picking out greeting cards or would you rather write your own?
    it depends on the occasion. I'd certainly rather pick out a sympathy card than write one from scratch. But for most things (particularly thank you notes) I'm going with something hand-written. It's a dying art, and almost always well-received.
51. Do you like to be thought of as mysterious?
    oh heck yeah. If only I could be more so!

[this is from the 5000-question meme, of which this is the first half of the sixth part; the title quotation is by Charles Bukowski]