better late

scarlettina asked me five questions. the answers are below. if you would like five questions (and to perpetuate the best meme), let me know in comments. if you have comments about my answers, let me know in comments. in general, commenting is encouraged all around.

1. You were without a dog for about a year before Leela joined the household. What's the hardest thing about not having a dog?

...i really choked on this one. maybe the answer is "having had a dog". we clearly survived somehow before. but we gained a great deal that we didn't entirely know we were missing. mental health stuff mostly. dog *is dog* and makes you feel good just by being around. dog makes you exercise. dog makes you put on pants and talk to your neighbors. dog provides an external focus for anxiety.


2. You and C haven't taken a big trip in a while. If you could go anywhere and money were no object, where would you go?

space. the ISS would be good enough. (IIRC the Russians aren't doing this anymore.)

my other powerball fantasy is a cruise around the world. i collected some huge brochures for it about ten years ago. this actually exists, including a trip through the Panama canal. it takes a year. you can bring your dog.


3. As a knitter, what's your favorite wool to work with and why? Is that a question it's even possible to answer?

favorite wool is more of a spinner question, i think. but my answer is similar - i like wool that is more bouncy and elastic than drapey. i don't have a firm answer yet; i like wool that is related to Downs or Merino (this covers a lot of sheep breeds) better than something like Wendsleydale or Icelandic. (that said, i have a bunch of breed-specific samples to try. i could be wrong. i like exploring this stuff.)


4. For so many of us, the life we have isn't the life we expected or planned for. If you were living that life, what would it look like?

which one? there have been several. the husband and dog and city of moderate size were always in the plan. the expected life for a very long time included having children. the planned for life (the aspirational life, let's be clear) would be approximately Kurt Beattie - artistic director at a respected regional theatre of moderate size.


5. Two part question: Is there a Star Trek character you admire most and if so why? If you were a Star Trek character, which would you be? Would they be the same one?

no. "admire" is a word that i only apply to real-life people. i can say that of the Star Trek actors i most admire Patrick Stewart, both for his body of work (Royal Shakespeare Company did several teaching videos that i studied in college) and his charitable causes which include domestic violence and PTSD. honorary mention to Wil Wheaton, who i loathed on the show, but figured out how to create a life on his own terms and a steady income (all while dealing with anxiety and being open about that).
i'd be Bones - influential and trusted, in charge of his own domain, but not interested in being in charge of all the things. he's brave when needed, occasionally quippy, and can't help saying what he's thinking or at least showing it on his face.