I came home with a killer headache and spent 20 minutes lying off the side of the bed brushing my hair backward. Then I decided I would like to figure out how to braid my hair from the nape up, and I did that, and wound up with a braid coming out of my forehead as if I were a unicorn, and then I unwound it, and here I am.

Reading: John Fowles, The Magus. It doesn't remind me of Lolita anymore

Moving:

Listening: Dave Matthews Band, Every Day

Watching: "The Last Emperor"

2 March 2001: That damn survey

Mailed to many:

I ignored STL. I ignored DMB. I ignored SWBW. In contrast I know that if I ignore my sister the Wrath of She* shall be upon me so here I go, answering one of those things I never answer and sending it out to the unwilling.

* See, Haitch, I can flout grammar purposefully.

Favorite Cartoon? Classic Warner Bros. Especially "One Froggy Evening," even though it doesn't even have Bugs Bunny in it.

Living Arrangement? one husband, one maniacal feathered thing, several phantom dogs, in a housie. ["Housie" because STL, answering the food question, had to go get a snackie.--Ed.]

Book you are reading now? John Fowles, The Magus. Also Daughter of Fortune for Dot Org's book group; and despite its being by Isabel Allende I hope I can ignore, in my literary pretention, that Oprah's Book Club mark of Cain on the cover.

What's on your mouse pad? I have a track ball, not a mouse. When I had a mouse I had a jungle-theme thingie give-away from somewhere or other. My first mouse pad came with Veronica, my first computer, and it said Apple on it.

Favorite board game? pictionary, just like my sister

Favorite magazine? Errr. I guess Utne Reader. Maybe Harper's.

Favorite smells? freak alert cockatiel down. All musty and sweet. I'm a freak. Also lilac and lavender. Basil. The ocean (the actual wet thing with waves, not Kramer's perfume).

Favorite sounds? Again, quoting my sister's answer: "waves crashing, water lapping at the shore of a lake [Uncas] or the creek in Aspen, water I guess"

Worst feeling the world? knowing I've put my foot in it again

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? Can you tell we're related yet? my sister again: "how much more sleep do I get?"

Roller coaster--scary or exciting? ? both. I have been punished by breaking a Vow my sister and I made to each other when I was 10 and she was 13: having never gone upside down before, we had decided to do this at Busch Gardens Tampa but the Python was closed the day we were there, and we agreed that our first upside-down time, whenever it might come, would still be together. A year and a half ago I broke that vow, riding the Mind Eraser at Elitch Gardens in Denver. I nearly puked afterward (heaving) but didn't quite, and I mean quite, bring anything up. Teach me to betray a 20-year-old promise. I was disgusted with my wimpiness even though I saw this as retribution

How many rings before you answer the phone? depends where I am and it is.

Hypothetical daughter's name? My sister said Grace Morgan or Matilda. The first is for our paternal grandmother and the second must be to save wasted breath when reprimanding, as Matilda and its diminutive "Tillie" were our mother's names for us when we got out of hand. My hypothetical daughter's name is Ainsley Cynthia. RDC hates the name Ainsley as being too New England/Anglo-Saxon (who, me?). I first read it in Margaret Atwood's Edible Woman (btw, MA's Blind Assassin, bought for her by me and inscribed with her name by MA, was my sister's answer to what she's reading now).

Hypothetical son's name? Bly, this being the only name RDC and I could agree on. My theory has been, roughly since I was pubescent, that I would name all the children I bore and the father could name all the ones he bore, which illustrates how remarkably rational and easy to get along with I am. Bly Houlihan combines both our names well enough. Happily, the whole discussion is hypothetical enough that the middle name never came up.

Favorite foods? oranges. kiwi. blueberries. grapes. chocolate. pesto. lamb. coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup shakes from Hallmark's. With a side of curly fries.

Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate. You know how vanilla always comes up at the top of lists of favorite flavors? it's a conspiracy. Nobody likes vanilla better.

Do you like to drive fast? very fast over long stretches, with very loud music, barefoot, windows open, alone.

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? When RDC isn't home, I sleep with Hamlet or Morse.

What was your first car? 1979 Dodge Omni, two-tone maroon and beige, named Fugly Simon. I can't remember where the Simon part came from, but Fugly only became more deserved when her right front fender was replaced with another in scarlet.

If you could meet one person dead or alive? Eleanor of Aquitaine. Although she probably wouldn't be as spunky as I like to think and probably a lot more devout. Otherwise Salamanca Hiddle from Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons or Lyra Silvertongue from His Dark Materials or Harry from The Blue Sword. Or Jane Austen, with the same problem as Eleanor, but I'd give her some penicillin or whatever you do for consumptives. [What children's book protagonist's favorite historical figure was Lizzie Borden? Probably a Paula Danziger.]

What is your zodiac sign? Gemini

Do you eat the stems of broccoli? Quoting my sister again: "what is broccoli?" No.

If you could have any job you wanted what would it be? paid to be well-read and fit. Maybe the Exercising Librarian post in some Calvino-Borges-esque Invisible Library.

If you could dye your hair any color? quoting STL: "but I can." When I start going gray, if it's gray not silver, I might color it, either an approximation of my real color or with a little more red in it.

Have you ever been in love? yes

Is the glass half empty or half full? maybe it's just the wrong size glass [<<-----"Dogma" joke.]

What is your favorite Snapple? Did Snapple write this survey? And where's the bit about croutons or bacon bits? Isn't that a usual question?

What are your favorite movies? "Harold and Maude" and "Philadelphia Story."

Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? Mpy s;esud, but my usual mistake is trapsnosing letters.

What's under your bed? dust. An extension cord.

For the lamp on my side of the bed, people, settle down. My mother-in-law's reading this.

What is your favorite number? three, it's magic number, yes it is

What sports do you play as an adult? None, because I no longer have to take gym, one of the few things from childhood I shall never ever ever ever ever ever ever miss. And did I mention never?

Dog person or cat person? dog. Stupid question. Or, as my sister said of broccoli, "what's a cat?"

Say one nice thing about the person who sent this to you? I love my blister

Which person you sent this to is most likely to respond? My sister said "my sister", and, although I deliberately don't respond to this sort of thing from anyone else, I hadn't even read her whole response (i.e., down to here) before starting my own (see "Can you tell we're related," also see "Wrath of She"). Since almost everyone I'm sending this to already sent it to me, I'd say it's likely no one will reply. Except my sister, to discuss my unnecessarily wordy answers and the "Wrath of She" bit.

---

And what do you know, so far she is the only one to have responded. Among other things, "and i was amused by the responses, a little upset at the roller coaster confession, i may forgive you, but it may take some therapy so give me time."