but did ol' e listen? No: little n, little o

Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner? 

    breakfast, by far. I don't eat a big breakfast very often. Even at weekly breakfasts with parents & sibling, I usually get something pretty small and usually bring home part of it anyway. If I could eat anything I wanted, as much as I wanted...the plate shown here is pretty close to perfect. French toast, some fruit, eggs scrambled hard, potatoes (though I prefer the "American fries" sort to tater tots, I'll take either), and what looks like both ham and bacon. Count me in!

 

What do you do when you want to chill out after a long day? 

    read, watch movies, cook, futz with my plants

 

How would you spend your ideal weekend?

    this one (as I write) is pretty danged close. I was done with work at 3:00 on Friday. Mostly relaxed the rest of the day, checking only a couple of things off the list before heading to bed early. Up a bit before the regular time, to be picked up by the sibling for breakfast. Home by 9:AM and relaxed a while before jaunting an hour toward the windy part of the state to water plants and check the house of a snowbird friend. Back by noon and set to spend the rest of the weekend indoors and relaxed! Currently doing laundry (which is a pretty low-key chore) and thinking about a nap before long. Movie and homemade pizza tonight. Reading and French onion soup tomorrow. Mmm

 

Do you listen to podcasts, or mostly just music?

    mostly music. I follow a couple of podcasters on visual media (IG or YT) because the visual format allows for nuances in facial expression and gestures that audio-only leaves out. I also have 2-3 audiobooks checked out at all times, nice for when I'm doing the dishes or some other activity that cuts out the option of watching a movie or hard-copy reading.

 

What’s your favorite podcast? 

    besides those I've mentioned lately, I like Jamie Laing's Great Company. I first saw Laing on 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (2012- ), being made mincemeat by Jimmy Carr. I went into the podcast thinking that it would be more of the same, but Laing turns out to be a thoughtful, sensitive, insightful guy who comes off as genuinely interested in his guests, who are fascinating in their own right. The first episode I watched was with Rizzle Kicks, and I was hooked.

Do you prefer to go to the movies or watch movies at home? 

    home. I am all about supporting artists who create good film but not the huge theater conglomerates that exploit both filmmakers and moviegoers.

 

What was your favorite TV show growing up? 

    besides those I've mentioned before... Moonlighting (1985-1989). It was my introduction to the sort of sassy, sexy, smart talk that has been my fantasy ever since.

What’s your favorite TV show now? 

    Cross (2024- ), which I'm trying to watch on a sort of weekly-ish basis rather than an exhaustive binge with a much longer wait 'til season two. I'm a major fan of the man who is Alex Cross: Aldis Hodge. I found him through Leverage (2008-2012), Leverage Redemption (2021-2023), Hidden Figures (2016; reviewed here), One Night in Miami (2020; reviewed here)... and I've long followed him on FB and IG. After making a comment on one of his FB posts—he responded! We had an every-few-days conversation for a couple of months, talking about my little life (my words) and his big one. He told me about his interest in horology, and some about his family. We compared favorite movies and directors. Cross was just about to debut, and when it opened to major fanfare, the conversation understandably tapered off. I'm still charmed by him, though, and will always support his work. 

    note: after I wrote the above, it was announced that Cross has been nominated for seven 2025 NAACP Image Awards. Yay!

 

How would you spend your birthday if money was no object? 

    a very remote spa, the sort of place that is deliberately quiet and packed to the gills with relaxation options. Massages, mud baths, soothing meals on a private patio or other beautiful setting. I don't need wild parties, elaborate or expensive gifts, or even a whole bunch of people stopping by to eat cake and give hugs. I'd vastly prefer a good book or three, and a lot of quiet time to spend reading—or taking blissful naps and not even pretending to feel guilty about it!

What’s your favorite season? What do you love most about it? 

    autumn. What I love most is the relief from summer and the respite before winter. In a different part of the country or world, where those seasons are not so extreme, I might focus more on the sights and sounds and smells of it, in its own right. Here, though, it's all about the moderation. 

Do you prefer camping or going to the beach? 

    beach, by far. I'm not anti-nature (see, e.g., the way I spend a couple of hours every single day when the weather is nice), just anti-sleeping on the ground, serving as a sitting target for biting critters, and never quite being dry/cool/warm/comfortable enough.

    The beach is a more temporary experience and so the little discomforts can be brushed off more easily—and the big benefits enjoyed all the more fully. 

 

Which phone app do you think you use the most? 

    besides the obvious: Libby. (See the podcast question, above.) Since my doctor "forbade me" to read print books (because the position is precisely wrong for my D.D.D.) and I started consuming audiobooks, I've never not had at least one, and up to four, checked out at all times.

 

Would you prefer to cook, order delivery, or go out to eat? 

    on the average day, I'd rather cook. Occasionally going out to eat is a nice alternative to shake things up. I very, very rarely order delivery. Haven't ordered anything since I've been in this home, in fact.  

    Lately I've been into creating slow-cooker meals. Generally on a base of chicken breast or beef roast, I add various other ingredients to make a meal of ~4 servings. I then divide it in (glass) freezer containers and add it to the rotation. It's awfully nice to pull out a serving of ranch chicken (along with frozen cooked rice) or beef and potatoes, rather than starting a meal from scratch after work. I eat less processed food, more protein, better side dishes (because my daily effort isn't wasted on the main dish), and save some money in the process. Oh, and the scent of slow-cooking food is ridiculously good. 

    Shown here is the successful trial-and-error goulash (a.k.a. American chop suey, Beef noodles, etc.) that I made. I don't make enough to freeze, though, because I've found that frozen pasta is pretty damned bad. One serving to eat and one in the fridge for later, though? Awesome comfort food!

 

How do you drink your coffee? 

    rarely! And as milky and chocolatey as possible. In other words, more of a hot chocolate (or iced chocolate milk) with a splash of coffee.

 

[from here; the title quotation is from Moonlighting, and appears in fuller form below]

I remember when they told Sylvia Plath, "Hey, Syl, cheer up!" I remember when they told e.e. cummings, "e, baby; use caps!" But did ol' e listen? No. Little n. Little o.