Breaktime

[BonosSaint]

Just a few questions to play with

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?
2. When do you lie?
3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?
4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?
5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)
6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?
7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?
8. Who do you trust most?
9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?

 

[Pearl]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?

No, but I should. If I did, I would take some quiet time - meditate basically. I'd just need to be alone with my thoughts and feelings.

2. When do you lie?

Usually out of fear of being judged or criticized.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?

I'm trying to be more optimistic. I both celebrate and despair depending on the situation.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?

I have emotionally matured, but not enough. I'm also trying to take more control of my life and trust myself more.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)

I love cats, but pugs are adorable! Too bad I'm allergic to both.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?

I'd like a nice Victorian house. I've seen them on the outside. They are so romantic and lovely.

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?

I really don't get attached to fictional characters. Is that normal?

8. Who do you trust most?

I trust a few people with specific things, like financial or career advice. But no one totally.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?

My full time job is at a law firm. The people are cool, the commute good. But it is not what I want to do at all and the work bores me.

I'm a self-published author on the side. I love to write, but self-publishing is time consuming and a lot of work.

Also on the side, I am relaunching my freelance journalism. I already know I will enjoy talking to people, researching, and informing people.

 

[Liesje]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?

Yes, pretty much everything I do on a daily basis is routine and ritualized. I also find doing chores, organizing, and most house cleaning cathartic.

2. When do you lie?

85% of the time someone asks, "How are you?" (since that's roughly the percentage of time I have a head ache or migraine at that moment).

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?

I think I have a tendency to become too apathetic when something is beyond my control and when it's not I'm a control freak and find a way to make it work. I alternate between forcing myself not to care either way or refusing to leave anything to chance.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?

I've developed some hobbies that bring more meaning to my life and I've become good at something and achieved something that very few people have.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)

Depends on the breeds. I like German Shepherds better than Main Coones but I like Bengals better than Yorkies.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?

I go to my "home" once a year for two weeks as I have since birth. I'm not real particular about my "house" as long as it's something I take pride in.

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?

Albus Dumbledore.

8. Who do you trust most?

My mom, my husband, and a close friend

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?

I like that it's 8-5 and then I go home and am not troubled with it. I love my work/life balance but I also hate that I care very little about my work and have no real attachment to it. I love that my work is very task-oriented and I can see quantifiable results on a daily basis.

 

[Axver]

Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or comforting or grounding?
Nope.

When do you lie?
When you ask me this question.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you despair?
I kind of think of myself as an optimistic pessimist. I'll generally take a pretty cynical view of events, people, and things, but I also tend to have an attitude that everything will be right, mate.

In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in the last 5 years?
I chilled the fuck out.

Cat or dog person? (or something else)
Very much a cat person. If there were a male equivalent of the cat lady stereotype, that's probably how I'll turn out when I'm old and decrepit. I usually don't like dogs.

Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have you imagined it?
I often think about the sort of home I would build if I could afford to renovate or start from scratch. There are lots of lovely Victorian-era houses all around Melbourne with heritage exteriors and fittings but modernised kitchens and bathrooms. Take one of them (it needn't be a big one) and put it in an incredibly scenic location - I'm not fussed where, I'd be happy with mountains or the ocean or sweeping countryside - but with a short commute to a thriving city and you'd have my ideal place. I'd like a bit of land to have a nice garden and grow my own fruit and vegetables. If we're really going all-out on this ideal home, then also a basement with a model railway.

I'm kind of jealous of a lot of people I know who have found the one town they love more than anywhere and have either moved there or aim to do so. Me? I couldn't name one place I'd love to live more than any other. I love living in inner Melbourne but I long for the open spaces and scenery of country New Zealand. But I can't take more than a holiday in country New Zealand because I really wither in the absence of a good culinary and live music culture.

Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.) and what does he/she tell us about you?
Well... my favourite characters are Basil Fawlty (Fawlty Towers), Bernard Black (Black Books), and Sir Humphrey Appleby (Yes Minister). I'm pretty sure that says I'm a terrible person.

Who do you trust most?
My partner.

What do you like most about the work you do? What do you hate the most about it?
I love the intellectual stimulation that comes from studying history and working with fellow historians. I hate the complete lack of job security and the swiftly diminishing positions for historians in contemporary Australia and New Zealand since nobody here seems to value the study of history any more.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or comforting or grounding?
not really i think. maybe listening to music alone.

2. When do you lie?
i try not to, but i'll tell white lies to avoid hurting people's feelings sometimes.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you despair?
it depends. i'm an optimist 99% of the time, but if it's truly devastating news, i can mope a bit at first, but i still do come around to seeing the positive side of things.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in the last 5 years?
gone back to school.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)
cat person.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have you imagined it?
an apartment in the middle of some big city. it'd take a lot for me to want to deal with the upkeep of a house, and i never want to live in the suburbs again.

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.) and what does he/she tell us about you?
i too don't get very attached to fictional characters. i do have favourite movies and shows, of course.

8. Who do you trust most?
i don't trust many people, full stop. just myself and my parents.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you hate the most about it?
i'm focusing on my studies so i'm not working right now. but the studying itself is fun. there was one class i had last year that was far more interesting than i thought it would be. i hate how time-consuming it is (it feels like i'll never be done) and i worry that when i am done, i won't be able to find anything in my field and i'll end up working retail or something.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Ah, I love little things like this. We should do these sorts of things from time to time, given how heated this place gets and how serious the topic matter often is.

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or comforting or grounding? I wouldn't say it's a "ritual", but anytime I'm stressed out or need something to calm me down or whatever, I always play some music. I usually wait until I have some alone time (which is often late at night), put on my headphones, find a CD from one of my favorite artists, and sit there and just listen to the music for a while, and either cry or let my imagination wander or something.

I also like to watch a funny TV show, and I haven't done it as much lately as I used to (or as often as I should), but I like writing in a journal and venting about whatever's stressing me out, too.

2. When do you lie? When I don't want to get into a long explanation about something, pretty much. I don't tell big lies, because I'm not that great at lying to begin with and try to avoid doing so as much as possible because I always feel bad when I do lie. But I have done the "white lie" thing, definitely. I'm not proud of that at all, but there it is.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you despair? I'm a definite optimist. Always have been. I want to try and make people feel better, and given the stuff my family's been through over the years, I think it's a knee-jerk thing with me that while everyone else is worrying and stressing out and upset about this or that, I always wind up being the one who wants to calm people down and tell them things will be okay. Because it's been my experience that things do get better, even if only temporarily, and that good things and people do exist in this world.

Certainly I have my moments where I'm thinking, "We really are all screwed, aren't we?", like anyone else, and my faith in the good nature of the world does indeed get shaken violently a lot. But I just think it's better, for me, at least, to go through life with hope and excitement instead of despair and gloom.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in the last 5 years? Feeling a bit more motivation and restlessness, as well as trying to stick up for myself more often and be more expressive with my beliefs. The former I think is the result of all the personal stuff that's been going on in recent years-needing to "grow up" a bit more and learn to help take more responsiblity for myself and all that, and the latter is just a thing I've always wanted to fix about myself.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else) I was always a dog person, because my family had dogs and I was much more used to them. I never had a problem with cats or anything like that, I just never had much experience with them.

But now we've got a cat, and I adore her, she's so cute and so sweet and really well-behaved. I still love dogs and if the opportunity presents itself someday I'd like to get another one. However, I'd say I like both animals about equally.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have you imagined it? Nothing too fancy. It'd be a modest two story home, I think, and I picked two stories because that way it's big enough for any friends or family to come over (or, should I ever have a family, it's big enough for everyone to fit in), but it's not so big and extravagant that you'd get lost in the place and not even see your family half the time. I don't get the homes where there's, like, 50 bedrooms and 30 bathrooms and that sort of thing-are you ever going to even use half of those? What's the point, other than showing off how much money you have?

I want the rooms to be big enough that anyone can get through them without having to squeeze by somebody else or feel all crowded in, and there's room for a washer and dryer in the house itself. And perhaps a basement as well, for extra storage and because I live in Iowa and basements are a good thing to have around come tornado season .

And that's about it, really. Simple but nice and comfortable. That's all I ask for.

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.) and what does he/she tell us about you?

Wow. Um. Well, gosh, if I had to come up with an answer...in terms of females, I remember always wanting to be like Lydia from the "Beetlejuice" cartoon as a kid. She was a bit different and she liked weird stuff and hung out with "unusual" people and all that stuff. And I like Britta from "Community" as well, 'cause she's a total dork and she goofs up and yet she's really passionate about things and cares about and wants to help people.

There's male characters I like, too, but in that case it's simply that I have a crush on them. And most of them tend to be nerdy, geeky types with smartass senses of humor.

8. Who do you trust most? My mom and my sister. They're honest with me, I can talk to them about anything, they care about me and look out for me, they're smart and have pretty good judgment about a lot of things.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you hate the most about it? What I like: Being able to help a customer find what they're looking for. When they walk out of the store happy, and they feel they've received good service, I feel good. I also like the people I work with, they're responsible and hard-working and nice and friendly, and the job is pretty easy overall. Shelve books and magazines, look up stuff for customers, clean the store...not exactly back-breaking, dangerous work I'm doing here.

What I hate: When customers are pissed off, sometimes rightfully so (through an error of our store's doing), but often because they just like to be irritating pains and complain about the silliest things. Yes, you need a receipt at our store to return things. And yes, it has to be within 30 days. Yes, we need to see your ID when you give us a check or a card that isn't signed. And so on. I do not make these rules, nor do I want to make anyone's life difficult, I just have to abide by them so I don't get in trouble. For whatever reason, some customers cannot seem to grasp that simple concept and feel the need to argue with me about store policies sometimes. It's annoying and frustrating.

Plus, it could pay better and I'd LOVE to have health insurance through it, but being a part-time job, yeah, that ain't happening.

 

[cobl04]

Good thread.


1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or comforting or grounding?

No ritual, but several methods, depending on my mood. Foremost is listening to music. Others are watching TV shows, particularly comedies, walking the dog, driving around by myself and drinking. Pretty much everything involves music though.

2. When do you lie?

When it's easier, less daunting or better than telling the truth.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you despair?

I like to think of myself as an optimist, and I am, but I also have some very pessimistic tendencies, which is why I like to keep my mind occupied. I celebrate, but when I'm on my own my mind often finds reasons to throw negativity or self-doubt into the mix.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in the last 5 years?

Probably the biggest was attending a youth leadership camp in December 2011. I was invited back as a leader a month ago. It taught me to embrace more things, be more open and try to be more self-accepting. It's added another element to my life that I'm extremely happy and grateful to have.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)

I was always a cat person, but we got our first dog like eight months or so ago, and I do love him. They're much more fun than cats, which are awesome when they're kittens but become slightly less so when they grow up a bit, and just want to sleep, eat or go outside. Hopefully our black lab Jack, still a puppy, becomes one of those dogs for us, or for me at least, that you really cherish.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have you imagined it?

Have never really thought about it. Long way down the track. Never really been fussed by it.

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.) and what does he/she tell us about you?

Can't really think off the top of my head. I certainly get attached but picking a favourite on one show is hard enough, let alone one altogether.

8. Who do you trust most?

Depends on how we're defining trust. There is no one who knows all the things I talk to myself about or that worry me, but I'm fine with opening up to people, happy to pass on details, that sort of thing. Also depends on how many beers I've had.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you hate the most about it?

I like seeing my really, really good articles in the paper. I like meeting new people. I like hearing interesting stories. I like the pay. I like our new location. I like working in an office. I also like that it's pretty cruisy, but at the same that's a bad thing because it means I don't push myself enough. I don't like that I don't have a mentor, or more senior sports journo to work with. I don't like not getting good stories all the time. I also don't like that I don't seem to have a lot of drive.

Ah, I love little things like this. We should do these sorts of things from time to time, given how heated this place gets and how serious the topic matter often is.

I like Britta from "Community" as well, 'cause she's a total dork and she goofs up and yet she's really passionate about things and cares about and wants to help people.

 

[LadySpinHead]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or comforting or grounding?
Usually involves listening to music- particular songs that move me, etc. Honestly, ZooTV Sydney is my Prozac- if something really bad has happened, I'll pop that in and it usually helps to comfort me.

2. When do you lie?
I'm not good at lying, and I'm a heart-on-my-sleeve type of person. I'm truthful to a fault, sometimes. I guess the only time I would lie is occasionally in an argument with my husband, I know I have a better memory than he does, so I might stretch the truth as far as what I said when, to get out of being at fault. Ugh, that sounds terrible. I'll also lie to cover a surprise- birthday presents, etc.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you despair?
I see myself as a skeptic, which some people see as a pessimist. I try to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I do celebrate instead of despair, however sometimes it takes conscious work, and sometimes I do let myself wallow in despair for a short time. I know it is useless, though, so I try to pull myself out as quickly as I can.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in the last 5 years?
I think overall, the general theme of the past 5 years of my life has been finding faith- not necessarily religious faith, because I'm not a religious person, but faith in myself, in the future, in the people/places/things that I love. Faith that everything will work out OK. Faith has always been a really hard thing for me (see above- I'm a natural skeptic), but some things that I've gone through have kind of taught me that having a little faith would make my life much easier and happier. We've moved houses (and built a house), we had some marital problems, I quit my job and now work for myself, and everything has so far worked out, even though there were huge challenges along the way with everything. Now, we've been trying to have a baby for a couple of years, and it's been very difficult. I'm trying to have some faith that this will work out, too.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)
Cats- we have a cat, I grew up with a cat. I like dogs, but cats are easier and less smelly

6.Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have you imagined it?
I currently live in it. We built this house a few years ago and fell in love with it when it was still just architectural plans. The only thing I would change is it's location in the winter. If I could fly my house to someplace warm for 4 months of the year, it would be perfect.

7.Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.) and what does he/she tell us about you?
I don't really read much or watch TV. I don't get very connected to movies, except for a few. I loved Charles from Four Weddings and a Funeral. I was a big fan of Sex and the City, so I do love Carrie and crew. My favorite characters are the "real" types- they make mistakes, fall on their ass, second-guess themselves, say the wrong things, etc. They're more relatable, I guess.

8. Who do you trust most?
Myself. I have a hard time with trust. It depends on what it is, though. Do I trust my husband to have a female friend and not cheat on me with her? Absolutely. Do I trust him to remember to pick up milk on the way home? No, not really.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you hate the most about it?
It's creative, so that's wonderful. I work for myself so I set my own rules, time, etc.. I can work at home, at a coffee shop, etc. I can work with really talented people that I chose to work with. No one tells me what to do. What I hate about it is uneducated, pushy clients. I also hate that my income is not stable- it's either feast or famine. Goes back to the whole faith issue, though- I know it will work out.

 

[Irvine511]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?

Not so explicitly. I like to be the last person to bed and spend the last 15 minutes tidying up the house, wiping down the kitchen, checking the locks, drawing the blinds, etc. To relax or calm down I’ll do everything from drink wine to meditate to sounds of Tibetan monks chanting. Exercise also helps immeasurably.

2. When do you lie?

I try not to, even with little lies. I’m not good at it. I prefer to switch the subject, or accentuate the positive, or reframe the original question. If I have to lie, it’s usually to protect someone else in some sort of way … though it also begs the question of when do we lie to ourselves? I also find the word “lie” to be a powerful one—I think what we do every day are small deceptions and evasions, and, well, rationalizations.



3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?

I’m an optimist with a dark side.


4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?

Life has battered me around a bit these past 5 years, and I think I’ve developed a mental toughness that wasn’t there before while at the same time becoming more empathetic, but now only up to a point. I find it much more easier to realize that everyone has their own shit to deal with and at the end of the day, it's theirs and theirs alone to deal with. I suppose I've found boundaries that weren't there before.


5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)

Adore dogs, grew up with them, and will have one again once we’re in a place that allows pets. I’m neutral towards cats—some I like, some I don’t. They’re much more complex, fickle animals.


6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?

Whatever is in the current issue of Dwell, usually.


7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?

This is far too broad to begin to answer accurately. Liz Lemon springs to mind, but other than that I’m drawing a blank.


8. Who do you trust most?

Immediate family and partner, but no one absolutely.


9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?

I love that I get to be creative, travel around the country, meet interesting people, go into their homes, and then sew it altogether. I love that I get to write. I love that I’ve been promoted very rapidly in a company that is young and hungry, sometimes a bit too quick I think, but I can’t complain especially when times are tough.

I hate that there’s often very little distinction between work/not work, and that work/life are often the same thing. The hours are long. I deal in the most serious subject matter imaginable and it desensitizes me while at the same time deeply upsets me. I wish for more prestigious material, but then, we’d all want to play for the Yankees, wouldn’t we?

 

[BEAL]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?I struggle with Anxiety and panic attacks on a pretty frequent basis. They were really bad in my 20's, and not so bad (but still annoying) in my low 30's. I find breathing is the best thing I can do to calm myself down. The next best thing is to talk to someone.

2. When do you lie?I don't, and I won't.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?I consider myself a realist. Depending on the situation I can show optimism or be a bit of a cynic. Overall though, I'm a cynic that still tries to find a better way to go about life.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?Probably exercise and diet. I've always been active, but could eat whatever I want. As I've gotten older I've found my body has slowed down, and now run the risk of not being in great shape if I don't work at it.

Over the past three years I've really focused on putting the foods that my body needs to help maximize health and performance. It's definitely working because I can defintitely feel workouts are better, and everyone I meet seems to think I'm looking younger.


5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)Love both. Don't have schedule for a dog, so have a cat.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?Not sure I have an ideal home. I guess growing up in apartments and townhomes I always wanted a place that didn't share walls. I bought my first house almost three years ago, and while it's way too big for just me (and Dexter the cat), it's wonderful NOT HEARING A FUCKING SOUND!!! haha

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)Not really sure. Guess as a child it was probably Luke Skywalker. Guess I wanted to be the hero, but not be perfect or have the typical silver spoon fed upbrining. Not easy to know your father is the leader of the Dark side of the force


8. Who do you trust most?Unfortunately I do not trust anyone but myself. There are those I can rely on to an extent, but fully trust...no

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?
My job in IT is always evolving. New software, add ons, functionality. I have a lot of freedom to suggestion improvements, and freedom towards my personal life too.

That being said the on call can be a drag (when bad things happen), and the job can be extremely boring when you automate everything to the point where I'm just awaiting a disaster.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?

Walk, read on my Kindle

2. When do you lie?

Like Pearl, when I'm afraid of being judged

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?

Pessimistic optimist? I despair more than I celebrate, but I also find joy in very simple things

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?

More confident in myself, less concerned with what others think.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)

Dog person


6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?

I love Victorians too, when they're maintained. There's a big one where I live that is just beautiful. Ideally I've always wanted to live near the ocean, but with the weather now and after Sandy-no way. Some place with no neighbors and with things like deer in the backyard. Quiet, peaceful, solitary, surrounded by nature. Moderate climate with NO winter weather.


7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?

Maybe Jo from Little Women? I don't know. That book and those characters have just always meant something to me. Maybe because I have been to the Alcott family house several times, it's not far from where I live. As a kid and teen I just wanted to read about certain types of girls, not princesses.


8. Who do you trust most?

If I had to pick one person it would be my mother, but honestly I have a few trust issues with her. I think you have to trust yourself the most. Not in any arrogant way, but in a good way.


9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?

Half days on many Fridays

That I can't just chuck it all and find something I really want to do and get paid for it. I don't have enough money, that sucks too. But I'm grateful for what I have.

 

[Diemen]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?

Nothing calms me down like playing the piano for a while. After that, a good album, good headphones and a good scotch help. . This last year I've gotten back into swimming laps, and always feel calmer after I'm done.

2. When do you lie?
I try not to. Usually they're little white lies to avoid unnecessary conflict.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?
I'm a realistic optimist. Or an optimistic realist. I rarely despair, but there is plenty in the world that concerns me.
4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years
Really it all boils down to becoming comfortable with who I am and not being afraid to change things I don't like. Lead me to my wonderful wife, and lead me to completely change career trajectories and go for something I love.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)
I'm an animal person. Out of the two, I prefer dogs but like cats well enough. I also think parrots are cool.

. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?
My wife could probably describe it down to each room's color and dimensions. I'd be happy with anything well designed & kept around 3000sf, with a nice family room that has room for a grand piano.

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?
I don't know that it tells you anything other than I like humble, erudite and deeply empathetic wizards who can also take charge and kick some ass when need be, but I'm probably going to have to go with Gandalf.

8. Who do you trust most?
My wife.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?
I work two jobs. For my job where I'm an employee, I like the social aspect and the problem solving role I've kind of been trusted with over the last few years. I hate the bureaucracy.

For my own business (as a piano technician), I just love the work. I love working on pianos, and love the pride and satisfaction (both for me and my clients) that comes with finishing my work and playing a well-tuned piano. I don't like that I don't yet have enough business to quit my other job.

 

[moiph]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?

I would say my ritual is my organization in life. Everything I do on a day to day basis follows a schedule. That schedule is what grounds me, and I don't do so well when it goes away. I'm calmed by getting things done.

2. When do you lie?

I can't think of any recent lies I told...

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?

I like to be optimistic about things. I don't like assuming the worst in anything and if I can't be optimistic about something then I usually just don't care.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?

I've become a lot more confident and assertive when it comes to both my job and hobbies. Five years ago I was letting people walk all over me and I made a conscious decision to change that and get used to saying no to people. I also started martial arts which was something I'd wanted to do for most of my life, did do as a kid, and kept talking myself out of because I knew how out of shape I was. Now I'm in shape.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)

I like both. Cats are easier to take care of which is great but I like having a buddy I can play with. The cats very rarely want to 'play'.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?

I think right now I want to have my house with more natural lighting, a yard, and more closet space. I love stuff like this:

What I love about my house is that we have a loft. We have a high ceiling, 300sqft room that we use as our office/fun area. It's our own space to do as we want with and there's a ton of room up there. I won't move for a house that doesn't have some sort of equivalent (even if it's just a basement).

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?
Gandalf.

8. Who do you trust most?
My wife, my parents and one of my brothers.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?
The things I work on are used by millions of people, and on top of that, I am paid to do what I love doing: writing code. There is a poor work-life balance though and I'm often pulling 70+ hour weeks.

 

[BonosSaint]

Gorgeous house.

 

[digitize]

I never got around to doing this.

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or
comforting or grounding?

Not really, but I find that either writing something or doing an interesting math problem can help me.

2. When do you lie?

I probably lie constantly to myself. To everyone else... I'm an awful liar, and I try to minimize it. However, I'm guilty as hell of tailoring my message to the audience, which often manifests itself in my presenting stronger views that I really think that I actually have, or perhaps presenting weaker views than I have in some cases.

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?

I oscillate. I've been accused of both optimism and pessimism. Probably the latter more than the former, though.

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?

I've tried to make myself more deliberative and less annoyingly noisy. I'm not sure if that's succeeded. If it has, I'm not absolutely positive it's for the better.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)

I've never had any experience with owning animals.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?

If I had all the money in the world, I would have an apartment in one of my favorite cities (Chicago, Boston, Seattle, or Vancouver) and a summer home on the British Columbia coast (possibly in Victoria or elsewhere on Vancouver Island).

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?

Jay Gatsby. Dream out loud, and in high volume.

8. Who do you trust most?
My parents, my girlfriend, and a couple of other really close friends.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?

I'm a triple-majoring college student, which means that I get an enormous amount of educational opportunity, and I love it. I feel extraordinarily lucky to have it. I try my best to put in a lot and get out a lot.

 

[melon]

1. Do you have a personal ritual you practice if you need calming or comforting or grounding?

Yes, but polite company dictates that I shan't elaborate further!

2. When do you lie?

Always! (Of course, that could mean I'm also lying here as well...)

3. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you celebrate or do you
despair?

I'm a pessimistic optimist at heart. I celebrate my despair!

4. In what significant to you way have you made yourself change in
the last 5 years?

I put on a lot of muscle and lightened up. Life is too short to sweat the small things.

5. Cat or dog person? (or something else)

Dogs. Never really was into pussy.

6. Tell us about your ideal house/home. Have you seen it or have
you imagined it?

A villa in Barcelona; makes real estate in North America seem overpriced and dull by comparison.

7. Who is your favorite fictional character (books, movies, TV, etc.)
and what does he/she tell us about you?

Doctor Who. If only I could change bodies like fashion trends!

8. Who do you trust most?

My husband.

9. What do you like most about the work you do? What do you
hate the most about it?

I like writing short, witty lines, and I get lots of practice in it now. I dislike hierarchy; too many cooks spoil the broth.

Well, off into the shadows again...cheers, y'all!