the world won't last. What are You? What am I?

    This is the newest in a recurring series called The Interview Game, the first of which was conducted by Michael and posted here, and the most recent of which was conducted by The Onion and posted here. These questions were posed by my mysterious friend Elliott.     

    Questions are always welcome, to appear in future posts. Add in the comments or send them directly to me by private message.

---

1. You inherit a perfectly ordinary house from a mysterious relative. In the attic, you discover one locked trunk. Inside can be anything except money. What do you hope is in it, and why? 

    a novel, handwritten, never published. Preferably hand-illustrated as well. To be able to read something that is essentially secret until that moment would be amazing. Even if it's not the best work ever written, it would be an honor and a gift. 

 

2. You've written before about films, books, objects, places, and even rooms that seem to gather emotional weight over time. What's something you own that has become far more important to you than it had any right to be when you first acquired it? 

    putting aside the obvious things like letters from friends who've died... the first thing that comes to mind is my wedding ring. I've long since traded away the engagement ring (for the diamond earrings I'm wearing right this moment, in fact). The wedding band, I had made smaller so it fits my pinkie, and also had the inscription buffed out. I wear it on a chain with some other charms. The ring seems to stand for affection and loyalty, and the idea that I was once the kind of person who could be so loving, and so loved. 

 

3. You have one free day, no obligations, no errands, no guilt, and a modest amount of spending money. What does the day actually look like from waking up to going to bed? 

    sleep, eat, read, sleep, eat, movies, sleep. My desires are simple.

    If it had to involve going out, I'd wander the downtown bookstore near the financial company where I used to work, then get red beans & rice from the BBQ place. I'd come home, eat spicy food, and read - probably poetry. 

 

4. What's a belief or assumption you held at twenty that you now find charming, misguided, incomplete, or surprisingly correct?

    charming: love wins in the end

    misguided: "I deserve it" is sufficient reason for whatever indulgence appeals at the moment

    incomplete: any phrase starting education is..., education will..., or education justifies...

    surprisingly correct: living away, at least for a while, is the right thing for me to do 

 
5. Suppose a friend who knows you very well is asked to describe you in one paragraph. What's the thing you hope they mention, and what's the thing you suspect they'd mention instead?

    I would hope they would mention sometimes-surprising thoughtfulness, e.g. well-chosen cards. I would suspect they would mention organization or detail (which I consider a thing that I do, but not necessarily a thing that I am).

 

6. What's the most beautiful thing you've ever bought for a completely impractical reason?

    this photo print ("Couples, Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh (1966)") by Robert Blomfield, upon which I splurged—big time—and that I never, ever regretted. It hangs in my bedroom (now with a tiny watering can and an even tinier glass cat perched on the frame) and always, always brings me peace and joy to see. (Read this post for more on the subject.) Owning something purely for the feelings it gives to look at it is highly impractical, but by no means irrational. 

 

7. What subject could someone accidentally get you talking about for three hours?

    houseplant care

8. What's something you've become better at letting go of?

   tangible evidence of affection. Sometimes it's better to appreciate a memory as a memory and not by way of a thing.

 

9. Which movie scene would you most like to step into and inhabit for one hour?

    the ending scene of This is Not What I Expected (2017). Quiet sunset,
congenial company. Possibility. 

10. If future historians were reconstructing your life from the contents of your home, what conclusion would they get spectacularly wrong?

    it seems like my eBay inventory might give the idea that I'm a scholar, a tech geek, and maybe a machinist. And that I wear an extremely strange array of clothing and shoes.

[the title quotation is by Yunus Emre, from The Drop That Became the Sea: Lyric Poems]

I won't pretend I haven't screamed in the kitchen

    If you like podcasts, I recommend The Dish Podcast (by Waitrose), hosted by Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett. At the end of a lighthearted interview with someone famous—conducted while they eat a terrific meal—Nick and Ange ask a series of "rapid-fire" questions. 

    What follows are more of those questions, adapted to American culture and customs. My original post in what may become a series, from last January, is here. 

 

poached egg

What is the scariest way to eat eggs? 

    poached. Eating eggs is an act of willful ignorance for me. In order to turn my brain off, I need to accept it as something less than what it really is; I can't look at the original format and think it's something that I'm supposed to consume. 

What is your favorite pie? 

    peach melba. I love fruit, and raspberries and peaches are among my favorites on their own. Together, they are tart-sweet and extra flavorful. When made properly, a good pie can keep them relatively intact, so the result is not a swirly pinkish mixture but two great fruits coexisting in a crispy crust.  

What is your favorite chocolate bar? 

Orecchiette

    Milky Way. Not usually my first choice if I'm buying a candy bar (which so rarely happens, anyway) but the one I enjoy the most when offered as an option.  

What is your favorite pasta shape name for a cat? 

    Fedelini (it's a very thin spaghetti, whose name means "little faithful ones") or Orecchiette (meaning "little ears") or maybe Pansotti ("big bellies")

What is your favorite drink to use to splash in someone’s face to show disgust? 

    purple Jesus 

When you’re away from home, what dish do you miss? 

grilled cheese

     hamburger gravy & mashed potatoes. It is the flavor of my childhood, an absolute and immediate comfort food, and just difficult-enough to make in small quantity that I rarely cook it just for myself. 

What is your favorite dish from childhood? 

    besides the above? Grilled cheese. 

What is your favorite toast topping? 

     on especially good bread, butter only. On regular bread, low-sugar strawberry jam.

What is your go-to pizza order? 

    Canadian bacon, fresh tomato, and either green pepper or green olive 

maple long johns

What is your favorite donut? 

    maple-frosted long johns, from the local place 

What is your favorite thing to barbecue? 

    I don't actually barbecue things, on my own. I've got a policy about working with fire, which is that I don't.

    I like things that have been grilled, but I'm super picky about it. Nothing charred, nothing stuffed, nothing with a bone. No barbecued hamburgers. I prefer my steak pan-fried in butter.

    After all that: I would choose a plain brat, on a white bun, with mustard and ketchup.     

 

[the title quotation is from Angela Hartnett]

the fog was where I wanted to be

07:33

07:41

07:58

 

 [the title quotation is by Eugene O'Neill, from Long Day’s Journey into Night]

to define is to limit

[the title quotation is by Oscar Wilde, from The Picture of Dorian Gray]

go and do your thing. Make us proud!

Book Review 

 

Rating * * * * 

 

Title: While it was Snowing 

 

Author: Julia London

 

Published: this novel was published in 2025 (!); I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Dreamscape Media; read by Amy McFadden; 10 hours) 

 

What is the story? 

A charming holiday romance that follows single mom Amy Casey as she escapes to a lakeside cottage to focus on her art. Her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers that professional golfer Harrison Neely, who is recovering from an injury, has also rented the same house. As a snowstorm traps them together, their initial friction evolves into a deeper connection, allowing both to confront their pasts and rediscover the joy of love during the enchanting holiday season. --from various sources 

What type of language does it use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? standard

 

Does the level of language make it easy or difficult for the reader to follow? this is an engaging read, easy to follow

 

Did you like this book? yep, quite a bit

 

If you could change something, what would it be? there is a degree of external tension caused by a related group of people that seems to go on for too long. The mild acceptance of that chaos dimmed my admiration of the main characters, and made the eventual resolution of the conflict less powerful. 

 

What were your favourite parts? much like in the great Jennifer Crusie's books, there's just something about a sweet, slightly doofy dog to pull a romance along

 

Who stands out, among the characters? Harrison, the golfer, was most compelling for me. He's many-layered, not (just) living a life of pampering and ease. I also thought his openness and acceptance were genuinely revealed.

 

What is your recommendation? nice, mild, almost unobjectionable book, easy to read and causing no angst

 

5 adjectives you would use to describe this text: funny, engaging, thoughtful, inspiring, different 

 

[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is from the book]

it's not stupid to want to put on a pretty dress and feel beautiful for a night

1. If you had to eliminate one emotion from your life, which would it be? 

    fear

2. If you could have done one thing with one of your teachers, what would it be, and with whom?

    this question made me laugh, hard. I had an English prof that haunted my dreams, in a good way. He appears in my answers here.

    To be full serious and above-board, though, I will say that I would have liked to have tried to write an article with my grad school mentor. He is a prolific writer, a brilliant teacher, and very well known in the field. It would have been an incredible boon to my career. (He retired as senior historian at a major Second World War museum.)

    For that matter, do have done the same with my softer/kinder grad school hero might've been even better. He's a more basically decent person, and the experience would have been rewarding and fun. (He remains a full professor at the school where I knew him.)

3. If you had to name the most difficult goodbye you've ever said, what would it be? 

    if I can make it broad, I would choose The Flatland, in general. Leaving my life there broke me, in certain ways that can never heal.

    If it has to be a person, it's Chris. He was proud of me, and glad for me, and as sad as I was. The hug, in the parking lot of Cabana Charley's, lasted so long. We didn't want to let go. 

    If it's any goodbye...then it's the boy kitties I've loved and lost. 

4. If you could remove one marking from your skin, which one would it be?     

    besides the tattoos (sigh), it's a cherry angioma just below my left collarbone. It's almost but not quite out of my visual range, so I can just barely see it, and it looks like a bug, and I've tried to scratch it off ten billion times. They aren't inherently dangerous, but the scratching can cause (relatively) profuse bleeding. I want that thing gone. 

5. If you could have won a single thing you tried for in your lifetime but didn't win, what would it be? 

    the local library job would have been nice. It's a not-funny joke that to get a job in that field anymore, you have to know people or bump someone off. Alas.

    

6. If you could live in a past era just so you could wear the clothes in fashion at the time, when would it be? 

    1950s

7. If you could suddenly be irresistibly charming for one day only, what would you do? 

    negotiate a car loan, a raise, and a date with the 2 O'Clock Man

 [from If2: 500 New Questions for the game of life; the title quotation is by Stephanie Perkins, from Lola and the Boy Next Door]

a living dead man. That is what I have been for some time now

Book Review 

 

Rating  * * * * 

 

Title: Journal of the Gun Years

 

Author: Richard Matheson

 

Published: this novel was published in 2010; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Blackstone Audio, Inc.; read by Stefan Rudnicki; 7 hours) 

 

What is the story? 

    Journal of the Gun Years by Richard Matheson is a gritty Western novel told through the discovered journals of marshal Clay Halser, a Civil War veteran whose legend as the “Hero of the Plains” grew across the post-war frontier.
    After a violent card-game incident forces him to flee his hometown, Clay drifts into the chaotic world of cow towns, stagecoach robberies, range wars, and saloon shoot-outs. Over time he earns a fearsome reputation as both outlaw and lawman, his steady nerve and quick draw propelling him from one violent episode to the next.
    Matheson uses Halser’s own journal entries to deconstruct the myth of the gunslinger, showing how fame and legend can warp a man’s sense of identity and doom him to a lonely, troubled end. It’s as much an emotional descent as a chronicle of frontier life—vivid, raw, and reflective on the cost of living by the gun. —compiled from various sources 

What type of language does it use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? colloquial, transitioning gradually into standard (as Clay Halser's facility with language grows)

 

Does the level of language make it easy or difficult for the reader to follow? there are moments in the first section that are just a bit hard to follow, but it smoothes out pretty quickly, and the audio version is always easier to follow.

 

Did you like this book? I did! It's way outside my typical subjects and genres, but that's not such a bad thing. It kept me entertained, and thinking about the real life of a gunfighter, as I decorated for Christmas.

 

What were your favourite parts? the most decisive battle in the story comes on calmly and quietly, but packs such a punch that I gasped aloud. It was brilliantly written and staged for maximum impact. I'm still impressed by the complications.

 

What is your recommendation? if you have even the slightest inkling toward Westerns, this is a very good one

 

5 adjectives you would use to describe this text: refreshing, violent, tender, surprising, powerful

 

[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is from the book]

truth will come to light. Murder cannot be hid long

Book Review 

 

Rating * * * * 

 

Title: Guilty by Definition

 

Author: Susie Dent

 

Published: this fiction book was published in 2025; I listened to the  unabridged audiobook (Tantor Media, Inc.; read by Louise Brealey; c.13 hours)

 

What is the story? 

Guilty by Definition is a clever literary mystery that blends wordplay and crime solving. After ten years abroad, lexicographer Martha Thornhill returns to Oxford to work as a senior editor at the fictional Clarendon English Dictionary. Soon after she takes up her post, anonymous, cryptic letter start arriving at the office—each packed with linguistic clues and literary references that point back to the mysterious disappearance of her brilliant older sister, Charlie, a decade earlier.

What type of language does it use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? aha! Language is the crux of the whole thing! If you LOVE words, this novel will pull you in, hold you close, and keep you pondering well after the last chapter ends.

 

Did you like this book? yes, very much so

 

If you could change something, what would it be? bring me a sequel, dang it! I'm waiting for the next installment.

 

What were your favourite parts? the narration is terrific. Louise Brealey may be best known in the U.S. in her role as morgue "lab-rat" Molly Hooper in the BBC series Sherlock (starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman). Her facility with the complex dictionary language of this book, as well as with the place-names and other specifics, makes the listening smooth and engaging.

 

Who stands out, among the characters? I was drawn to Martha's youngest colleague, Safi. She is smart (of course), but in a both softer and more intense way than the others in the group. She is most comfortable with expressing emotions, more socially adept, and also clever in a distinct way.  

 

What is your recommendation? it's not for everyone, given the language, and the fact that language makes up such a huge part of it. There were times when I wished I were reading the book myself, because I wanted to go back and look at a word or a paragraph. For lovers of language, though, this is top-notch and highly recommended.  

 

5 adjectives you would use to describe this text: intricate, fun, twisty, erudite, thoughtful

 

[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is from the novel]

we shared an uncanny connection

2. What are you afraid you might be judged for? 

    "afraid" is the wrong word to use; I'm not afraid of these judgments, so much as sensitive to and annoyed by them. 

    • migraines (by nature "all in my head")

    • my job (almost impossible to adequately explain, and seems way more casual, low-stress and unimportant than it can be)

    • natural fingernails (guys are surprisingly quick to criticize something they've never tried to understand)

    • my love for all things solitary 

    • not losing weight/getting more fit/giving a crap about wearing makeup or dressing up

    • my taste in movies, which has shifted so far away from even trying popular Hollywood fare 

 

8. Tell about a moment when you felt intensely attracted to someone, without telling who it was.

    I liked him pretty well already, so this wasn't out of the blue. We met up after work to go for a drive, just wandering around, sharing memories and impressions of stuff we saw, telling stories, getting to know each other in a different way. We were at a stop sign (he was driving). He reached over and tapped my hand, resting on my leg, and said quietly, "I'm glad we're doing this. I really like who you are now." He wasn't pitching it for a reaction, attempting to exchange it for goods or services, or faking. He was telling a truth.

    A man who can do that, who thinks to do it and actually does it, has something inside of him that most people will never get close to. 

 

11. What’s one thing you wish you could tell your younger self about love and relationships? 

    people lie. Sometimes even people you like, or who love you, or with whom you have ferocious chemistry, will lie. That's a fact of life, not a flaw in you, but being a sucker is a weakness when you're not even basically careful.

16. If you were a fictional love story character, who would you be and why? 

    Marianne Dashwood. She's a romantic idealist, in love with feelings, and easily hurt. Her emotions are not just on her sleeve—they are wrapped around her like a blanket. 

     This isn't who I am now, but it's certainly who I've been in the past, and the most love-story-appropriate version of me.

 

2. Can love bloom on the battlefield? 

    of course, it can. Look at Moonlighting (1985-1989). Look at Hemingway, much of whose work (and whose life) involved that sort of scenario. Doctor Zhivago. From Here to Eternity. Cold Mountain. Gone with the Wind.... Maybe it's not the ideal location for a love story, but it sure does happen. Has happened, anyway.

 

21. What are your non-negotiables in a partnership for the long run? 

    I'm allowing myself a maximum of three. A partner for me must be:

        • infected by curiosity

        • inherently kind

        • absent any legal, social, or implied romantic relationship with another person

 

17. If you could create a sensory experience that perfectly encapsulates your feelings for someone you've loved, what would it look, sound, smell, taste, and feel like? 

    when I was newly single, I was involved with a guy who lived on the left coast. That experience looked like something represented in the photo directly above. It tasted like raspberry truffles from Chukar Cherries, still my favorite candy. It sounded like Colin Hay's "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You." It smelled like a cologne whose name I no longer recall, but whose scent would bring me back to that time in a heartbeat. (Trust me, it's happened.) And it felt like a mix of gradual friendship and fear and lust and mistrust and affinity and even more gradual, grudging, fearful, tentative love.

 

 [from here and adapted; the title quotation is from a blog post called "Patterns", tied in with #17, above]

people must have bread! People will grow angry without bread!

Book Review 

 

Rating  * *

 

Title: The Romanov Bride {a Romanov Novel, book 3}

 

Author: Robert Alexander

 

Published: this fiction book was published in 2008; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Blackstone Audio, Inc.; read by Stefan Rudnicki and Gabrielle de Cuir; 10 hours) 

 

What is the story? 

The Grand Duchess Elisavyeta's story begins like a fairy tale—a German princess renowned for her beauty and kind heart marries the Grand Duke Sergei of Russia and enters the Romanov's lavish court. Her husband, however, rules his wife as he does Moscow—with a cold, hard fist. And, after a peaceful demonstration becomes a bloodbath, the fires of the revolution link Elisavyeta's destiny to that of Pavel—a young Bolshevik—forever. --from barnesandnoble.com

What type of language does it use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? very colloquial. It was not difficult to follow, but neither was it a matter of just accepting what's on the page. 

 

Did you like this book? nope

 

If you could change something, what would it be? I very, very much disliked the voice of the main character, Elisavyeta. Self-centered, emotionally obtuse, and obsessed with her wealth and appearance, she was impossible to like. Worse, though, she was voiced in a manner both meek and strikingly condescending. I absolutely loathed that character. Rudnicki's presentation of the Pavel sections was at his usual high quality, but could not make up for de Cuir's portrayal of the abominable dishrag.

 

What were your favourite parts? Pavel's casually violent work for the revolution

 

What is your recommendation? read this if you have a high tolerance for tone-deaf, self-loving characters. Or, I suppose, if you liked the first two books in the series.

 

5 adjectives you would use to describe this text: unlikable, agenda-driven, dry, polar, sanctimonious

 

[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is from another of the authors books, Rasputin's Daughter]

you put your time where your priority is

1. Under what circumstances would you say it's better to be safe than sorry? 

    keeping winter-weather gear in the car (it always snows earlier than expected), waiting an extra couple of minutes before biting into a battered chicken sandwich (always so much hotter than I think it's going to be), and triple-checking that I'm sending out the proper item from my eBay inventory. 

 

2. What's the last thing you do before you go to sleep at night? 

    put on hand lotion. I absolutely loathe the feeling of even slightly dry skin against the sheets.

 

3. What would happen if everyone on Earth jumped at the same time? 

    the world would implode. Not from the physical effects of the jumping but because more than two people agreed to any damned thing and followed through accordingly.

 

4. Do you know what every button on your TV remote control is for? 

    ha! Not even close. My TV remote includes a cursor that runs via scroll wheel. It is not intuitive for me, and I only ever touch it by accident. Whatever nonsense it's activated against my will then has to be cancelled. It's disruptive and annoying, and there is no way to disable it.

 

5. What's the most irksome challenge you deal with in daily life? 

     money.

 

6. Have you ever spoken up for someone else? What was it about? 

    heck yeah. It's happened a lot, and I would be reluctant to be friends with someone who hadn't done it, who couldn't point to a specific time when someone was important enough to do it.

    The last time was when I told Lord Farquaad that I will work on any project he wishes - but only on the condition that Blackbeard comes with. 

 

7. What was the last item you put in your basket on Amazon? 

    cough medicine. I've been sick since the end of October, progressing from strep to viral sinus infection to what now seems like either bronchitis or my first foray into Covid. 

 

 [from 3000 Unique Questions about Me; the title quotation is by Sebastian Faulks, from Engleby]

I finish work, I go home, read a book, have a couple of beers, take myself for a walk, and go to bed

When I look back on my romantic history, it occurs to me that I’ve essentially been dating Muppets. In temperament, energy, and emotional resonance, the comparison fits uncannily well. Each relationship left me with lessons that are clearer in hindsight than they ever were in the moment. The framework of four very different archetypes—Kermit, Rowlf, Beaker, and Animal—turns out to be a surprisingly precise map of what I need, what I tolerate, and what I simply cannot sustain. 

 

High school and early college brought a series of Beakers into my orbit. Bright, curious, and expressive in ways that often left me laughing or holding my breath, they were exciting and exhausting. With them, I learned the importance of patience, not just for my partner, but for myself. The Beaker-type requires a capacity to embrace unpredictability, and though I admired their brilliance, I realized that I also need a grounding presence. Their energy was infectious, but it rarely joined in my inner world; it had its own trajectory, and I was along for the ride, not co-piloting. 

 

Then came the Animals: loud, unrestrained, and passionate. College was on a high-octane, head-spinning pandemonium. Loving an Animal-type taught me something fundamental: boundaries are necessary, and intensity is thrilling but unsustainable when it’s untempered. Looking back, the thrill of their energy was seductive, but it was also chaotic in ways that didn’t allow any rest or comfort. The lessons were vivid, memorable, and sometimes bruising (physically, emotionally, and metaphorically). I carry them with affection, even amusement, but minimal longing to reconnect. 

 

In my twenties and early thirties, I was married to Kermit. Calm, conscientious, endearingly earnest; he could listen and empathize, and he almost always knew the right thing to say. At first, this felt like the gold standard: predictable, safe, comforting. After twelve years, though, I realized that “safe” had morphed into “non-challenging.” The conversations were so gentle, the rhythms so predictable. We were not growing anymore. I came to realize that I longed for a partner who would nudge me, surprise me, or drag me, insistently, out of my own head. Kermit cared and warmed, yes, and I will always be grateful for that. I just needed more electricity than he could provide. 

 

After Kermit, I lapsed back into the Animals. This ought to be a surprise to no one, since it was a predictable rebound even at my advanced age. There were even a handful of Gonzos and at least one Snuffleupagus thrown into the mix. It was an unsettled phase, more error than trial. 

 

Somehow, in the quiet reflection of middle age and later adulthood, I keep landing on Rowlf. Steady, soulful, and quietly witty, he strikes the balance that I think I’ve been searching for all along. He’s capable of laughter without excess, musicality without performance, and loyalty without demands. Being with a Rowlf-type feels like coming home after a long day: safe, understood, and quietly joyful. He meets me where I am, joins me in my headspace, and yet opens a world beyond it—a shared inner life that’s rich, playful, and unforced. Rowlf teaches me that love doesn’t need fireworks to feel alive; it needs resonance, patience, and a willingness to really listen to the other person. 

 

This exercise—framing my romantic history in Muppet terms—isn’t meant to trivialize real relationships and intimacy; rather, it’s a lens through which I can see my own patterns and preferences with humor, grace, and honesty. Humor softens the edges of reflection, making insight palatable, and in examining these archetypes, I’ve gained a vocabulary for what matters to me in a partner. Compatibility isn’t about perfection; it’s about resonance, growth, and shared values, even if one party occasionally squeaks, drums, or hums along the way. 

 

So, yes: I’ve dated Beakers, and Kermit, and the Animals, and each taught me something indispensable. When I close my eyes, though, it’s Rowlf who appears: clever, loyal, quietly affectionate, and attuned to me. It’s a reminder that the relationship that endures, and the love that feels most like home, is often that which mirrors our own depth, temperament, and capacity for joy. That’s the sweetest lesson of all: after all the wild, brilliant, loud, or overly careful choices, it’s the soulful, steady connection that lasts. 

 

[inspired by my results from the "Which Muppet Should You Date?" quiz; the title quotation is by Rowlf the dog, from The Muppet Movie]

life is like a movie. Write your own ending, keep believing, keep pretending

🎭 Which Muppet Should You Date? 🎭 

Ever wondered which Muppet would totally get your vibe? 

Take the Which Muppet Should You Date? quiz 

and find out if your heart belongs to 

 💘 Animal’s chaos, Beaker’s brilliance, Kermit’s calm, or Rowlf’s warmth. 

 It’s slyly romantic, scientifically un-serious, 100% fuzzy fun. 💘 

Because love comes in many forms— 

sometimes green, sometimes furry, 

and sometimes loudly banging on drums. 

---

1. Your ideal date night is:

A. A moonlit walk by the pond, sharing quiet laughter and tea. 

B. A cozy piano lounge with mellow jazz and good conversation. 

C. A science lab "experiment" that may or may not involve sparks (literal or emotional). 

D. A wild night at a rock club that ends with glitter in your hair.  

 

2. What’s your love language?

A. Words of affirmation—gentle encouragement makes your heart sing. 

B. Acts of service—you melt when someone just quietly takes care of things. 

C. Quality time—even if it means surviving a few accidental explosions together. 

D. Physical touch—hugs, headbangs, and drumming side-by-side.  

 

3. What do you find most attractive in a partner?

A. Emotional honesty and a calming presence. 

B. Loyalty, warmth, and the ability to listen without judgment. 

C. Curiosity and intelligence—even if communication gets... squeaky. 

D. Passion, unpredictability, and a refusal to follow any rules.  

 

4. When life gets stressful, your coping style is:

A. Taking a deep breath and finding your center. 

B. Playing music, taking a walk, or helping a friend. 

C. Diving into a project until it’s all figured out (or explodes). 

D. Screaming it out and moving on—life’s too short to bottle it up!  

 

5. What’s your idea of “forever”?

A. Building a simple, genuine partnership where both shine. 

B. Growing old together, still sharing music and laughter. 

C. A lifetime of creative chaos, but never a dull day. 

D. Burning bright, loving hard, and leaving the world with great stories. 

 

🧡 Sometimes, true love isn’t about finding the perfect person; 

it’s about finding the perfect puppet. 🧡 

 

 [custom-designed just for me by ChatGPT; the title quotation is from Jim Henson]

my love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees

1. If you could have any view in the world visible from your bed, what would it be? 

    a backyard filled with wildflowers and trees—surrounded by a wall 50 feet high and embedded with razor wire and broken glass 

 

2. If you were to pick a city whose character best represents your own personality, which would you choose? 

     Lawrence, Kansas: bookish, goofy, foody, liberal, walk-friendly

 

3. If you could have a single button beside your bed that did one thing, what would you want it to do? 

    change the temperature inside the bed 

 

4. If you could have prevented one book from ever having been written, which book would it be?

    there is no good answer to this question. There are easy answers that require no thought (e.g. Mein Kampf) and hard answers that reveal more about one's personality but are still, in essence, judgmental and pro-censorship—and none that satisfactorily grasp the spirit of the exercise. 

 

5. If you could have had one person in your life be less candid than they were (or are), who would it be? 

    Nick was candid to the point of brutality, albeit unintentionally. The guy used a snowplow where a spatula would do.  

 

6. If in order to save your life, someone you know had to donate their heart to you (without dying), whose heart would you want inside yourself? 

    my former physical therapist, the most open and sunny soul

 

7. If you could cause any single person to change their mind about one thing or on one topic, who would you pick?

    the current vice president of the United States.  

 

[from If2: 500 New Questions for the game of life; the title quotation is by Emily Brontë, from Wuthering Heights]

what if you got all your whys answered? Would you be satisfied then?

1. Have you ever had a work-related dream or nightmare? 

    all. the. time. That's how my work stress keeps itself at a minimum--by playing out in my dreams. Some of the recent ones:

    * getting in trouble with a temporary supervisor for engaging in Teams chats outside those he created, and being screamed at (in chat form) by him that my regular boss (Lord Farquaad) and I are "bad communicators"

    * attending a conference which seemed to involve nothing except my three regular coworkers (Blackbeard the pirate, Lord F., and the gentle monkey) and me getting together in a vast conference room filled with round tables, but each of us just sitting on the floor in our own corner of the room, doing our own thing. We'd each brought one of our hobbies along, and were just quietly playing by ourselves. Each evening, we'd get together at the hotel's nice restaurant for a few drinks and a fun meal. The next day, we'd do it all over again. 

    * just working in my dream, knowing that I'm not supposed to be working outside of work hours or over my state cap of hours but doing it anyway, even sometimes knowing I'm sleeping but not being able to stop. It's not a nightmare, but it's also not the most relaxing sleep. 

 

4. What is something that you find completely adorable? 

Mr. Matt McCarthy

    Mr. Matt McCarthy's surreal cat art. I recently acquired one of his micro cat prints, and I'm in love. I've followed him on IG for ages. He seems like the kind of person I'd like to know in real life. His art is surprising, sometimes funny, and often soothing in a way that is hard to describe and wonderful to feel. 

 

3. If you could change one thing about your workplace, what would it be? 

    the need to work with certain people. Every job has its social incompatibilities, and the funky communication needs and patterns of remote work seems to make it even harder to get along sometimes. 

 

5. What is the craziest thing you have ever done to attract someone’s attention? 

    at the time I suppose it didn't seem crazy.... 

    I left a party in the dead of winter during a snowstorm wearing a shirt and jeans under a normal coat, but in only my infamous Eastland boat shoes and no socks. I followed a guy who was both attractive and infuriating from the party to his house, arguing and kicking snow at him. 

    He's still infuriating (and attractive) but in the intervening years we've learned to channel all that into what is prehaps one of the finest friendships ever to develop.  

 

6. Which family event would you love to relive? 

    my wedding. I'd love to be able to go back to that day and actually enjoy it all—but from the outside looking in rather than as the focus of attention. It's the last time I would see some of those people, and I'd do it in an instant if I could.

 

7. Which of your current (or most recent) significant other's friends do you find most attractive? 

     a big, blond, pink-cheeked farmer. He's very handsome, kind, and interested in me as a person. If things had been different, he and I might have made a pretty good couple.

 

8. Who in your office would survive a zombie apocalypse and why? 

     Blackbeard, for sure. He's not a "prepper" or a weapons nut, but he's more ready than most people for whatever might come busting through the door. If I were choosing sides, he would definitely be my first pick for anything hand-to-hand or survivalist. 

 

[from here, divided and adapted; the title quotation is from Jayant Chopra]

you're so cool ... and so stupid

Average rating: 7.25

Tokyo Raiders {Dong jing gong lüe} (2000) - "Is anyone who he says he is in this caper that moves from Hong Kong and Las Vegas to Tokyo? Takahashi (Tôru Nakamura) doesn't show up in Vegas for his wedding; his disconsolate bride, Macy (Kelly Chen), heads home for Hong Kong and finds Yung (Ekin Cheng), an interior decorator, waiving a check of Ken's that has bounced. She leaves immediately for Tokyo to find her businessman boyfriend, and Yung tags along. Ken's flat is teeming with members of a gang led by Takeshi Ito (Hiroshi Abe), who are also looking for Ken. John and Macy escape, with the help of a crew of look-alike cuties who work for Lin (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), who claims to be a private investigator. He too is looking for Ken. Where is Ken, why has he disappeared, and who will find him first? "
length: 1 hour, 58 minutes

source: I own the DVD
I watched it because: Tony Leung Chiu-wai is on the must-watch list
IMDB: 5.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 53%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: PG-13

notable quote: "Morons! ...messed up my hair."

directed by: Jingle Ma

my notes: insane, stupid, funny, and kind of wonderful. Leung plays off his handsome suaveness beautifully. He captures a unique mix of (the cartoon) Inspector Gadget, Val Kilmer's supremely unselfconscious silliness in Top Secret! (1984), and some Sean Connery James Bond vibes. He is comical, terrifically skilled with martial arts and flying, and always manages to keep his hair looking smooth.

    Cheng was a surprise to me. He can hide his light under a bushel, but when he lets it out it's powerful stuff. I also liked Abe as the jittery, wacked-out mob boss Ito.

overall:  recommended

 

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) - "It sure is fun when Charlie Brown and his Peanuts pals get together for the big Halloween celebration. In fact, it's downright spooktacular. ....
    "This Halloween is very special for good ol' Charlie Brown. He's finally been invited to a party! Snoopy gets to join the fun, so look out, Red Baron! Linus will find out once and for all if the Great Pumpkin will rise up out of his pumpkin patch 'with his bag of toys for all the good children.'"
length: 25 min.

source: I own the DVD (set)
I watched it because: it's that time of year again

    previously reviewed here
IMDB: 8.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 90% Audience: 85%
my IMDB: 9/10

MPAA rating: TV-G

notable quote: "'You don't believe the story of the Great Pumpkin? I thought little girls always believed everything that was told to them. I thought little girls were innocent and trusting.'

    'Welcome to the 20th century!'"

directed by: Bill Melendez

my notes: cute, clever, and sweet, this is such a sweet memory of childhood. I love it.

Daytime Emmy Award nominee:
• Outstanding Children's Program—Lee Mendelson, Melendez 

• Special Classifications of Individual Achievements—Melendez (director) 

• Special Classifications of Individual Achievements—Charles M. Schulz (writer) 
overall: highly recommended

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) - "Detective Riggs (Mel Gibson) tries to settle down with his pregnant girlfriend, Lorna (Rene Russo), while his partner, Murtaugh (Danny Glover), comes to grips with the marriage of his pregnant daughter, Rianne (Traci Wolfe), to fellow cop Butters (Chris Rock). But they find themselves and their families targeted by Chinese mobsters, led by Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li). Riggs, Murtaugh, Butters and private eye Getz (Joe Pesci) decide to go on the offensive before the gangsters get to their loved ones."
length: 2 hours, 7 minutes

source: I own the DVD (set)
I watched it because: I've seen the rest of the series this summer, and wanted to get the whole experience at once
IMDB: 6.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 53% Audience: 64%
my IMDB: 6/10

MPAA rating: R

notable quote: "You sure picked a strange angel, baby. But I got the message."

directed by: Richard Donner

my notes: it starts in such a wonderfully intriguing way, with the Van Halen-spewing, flame-thrower-wielding, armed-with-automatic-weapons guy. Just too bad that energy couldn't continue. This is a slog. Far too many random, "heartfelt" moments at the most implausible times. I'm also not a huge fan of Chris Rock in this mode, particularly when paired with the abrasive Pesci. I did enjoy Rene Russo (she kicks butt) and of course Jet Li (gorgeous, strong, and flexible).

    Roger Ebert's review is here, by which I was amused and charmed. "Martial arts fans will enjoy a newcomer named Jet Li, who has a lot of neat moves."

overall: very mildly recommended

It's Magic, Charlie Brown (1981) - "Taking advantage of a newly acquired magic tricks kit, Snoopy decides to put on a magic act. For the finale, he turns Charlie Brown invisible, but he can't change him back right away. While Snoopy searches for the counter spell, Charlie Brown struggles with this bizarre problem, but realizes that he has a golden opportunity to finally kick Lucy's football. "
length: 24 minutes

source: I own the DVD (set)
I watched it because: it's on the Great Pumpkin disc
IMDB: 7.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: [approved]

notable quote: "You two'd better settle down. The owner of a cat next door just called. He complained about the racket that you two were making. He says it's upsetting his cat, and for you two to stop this racket."

directed by: Phil Roman

my notes: this is a "special feature" on the Great Pumpkin disc. I think I've seen it before, though it was not memorable. It's pleasant enough, but it didn't knock me over like the holiday entries. I did particularly like Snoopy's giggles. 

Primetime Emmy Award nominee: Outstanding Animated Program—Lee Mendelson, Bill Melendez
overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Tokyo Raiders]