trust yourself. You know more than you think you do

121. When are you the most yourself?  the first few moments after I wake up (gently)

122. If your life was a book, what would this chapter be called?  see the title quotation.

123. What are some incredibly common experiences that you’ve missed out on?  prom, eye dilation for glaucoma exams, childrearing

124. What steps would you have to take to achieve a dream you’ve had for a long time?  sell my house, buy a goat, quit my job...

125. What are you a snob about?  clothes. I cannot afford the profoundly good stuff, but more and more I will not bother with anything that is not damned close. Would rather have one attractive, expertly made shirt that fits just right, for which I pay $100, than have five $20 shirts that won't look or wear nearly so nicely. And it's the same with shoes.

126. What do you want to be written on your tombstone?  no  damned  tombstone

127. What would it look like if you fully lived up to your potential?  ask someone who is concerned about "my full potential," because that's not me

128. How curious are you?  far too...

129. How lucky are you?  it comes and goes

130. What’s your jam?  right now, it's "Leave the Memories Alone" by Fuel

131. How do you fight off procrastination?  I'm a lover, not a fighter

132. What odd thing are you fascinated by?  my new salt lamp, which is supposed to provide all sorts of health and mood boosts - but I just like it, a dim orange glow while I watch TV or read in the evening

133. What about your appearance would you change if you had the chance?  I'm thinking about having some of the tattoos removed

134. How easily do you change your opinions?  like anyone else, they can change quickly when I am presented with contrary evidence - or not at all, when they are firmly grounded and regard something that I take seriously. It's safe to say that I am not 'flighty'.

135. How nurturing are you?  in the past, I would have said "extremely." That's been beaten out of me lately.

136. What is the most alone you’ve ever felt?  grieving the end of my marriage. Fairly serene on the outside, hashed up and raw on the inside. Surrounded by friends who wanted to help, busy with my job, working with a counselor who sincerely cared.... There's no way through it but through it.

137. What makes you feel alive?  my heartbeat

138. How well do you think you can read others’ emotions?  on the scale from 0 to 10, where 10 is "perfectly" and 0 is "for shit," I've recently discovered that I'm somewhere around a 2

139. What makes you interesting?  irreverence, a massive vocabulary, and longer-than-average eye contact

140. Who makes you uncomfortable when you are around them?  my boss and my east-side neighbor—creepy little weirdos, both of them.

[cut from here; the title quotation is by Benjamin Spock]