I like these questions. They are broad, general, and open to interpretation, so I can interpret them as I wish.

Q: If something is forbidden, do you want it less or more?
A: It depends on what you mean by “forbidden”. If it’s actually immoral or illegal, no, I don’t want it. But if it’s just a matter of political correctness or one group or another getting their panties in a wad over something, that definitely makes me want it more, and not just want it but to show off that I’ve got it.

Q: Is there an area of your life where you feel out of control? Especially in control?
A: Is anyone really in complete control of their lives? I can’t control the economy, the weather, the guy driving too slow in the left lane, or who the idiots in my state vote for (although they did vote out John Sullivan so maybe there are not quite as many idiots as I thought) but I can control myself. I have observed that the more people try to control various aspects of their lives the less they are in control of themselves.

Q: If you unexpectedly had a completely free afternoon, what would you do with that time?
A: Oh, I don’t know… I have a lot of free afternoons. But something different? I think I’d like to go shopping somewhere interesting with someone interesting.

Q: Are you comfortable or uncomfortable in a disorderly environment?
A: Somewhat uncomfortable. I do live in a disorderly environment and I’m not constantly uncomfortable but certain things being out of order do seriously bug me.

Q: How much time do you spend looking for things you can’t find?
A: Not a lot. I know where most things are and when I can’t find something it’s usually not anything I can’t live without until it just turns up on its own.

Q: Are you motivated by competition?
A: Yes and no. I’m not especially driven to compete but when I do find myself in a competition of some kind I feel like I have to try to win and that’s why I hate competition because I almost always lose and it makes me feel unreasonably bad about myself.

Q: Do you find it easier to do things for other people than to do things for yourself?
A: Not really. I don’t have a problem with either one.

Q: Do you work constantly? or think you should be working?
A: No. I do what needs to be done but I probably should work a little more. For example, I probably could have nice flower beds if I was more motivated to get out in the 105° heat and plant, weed, water and fertilize.

Q: Do you embrace rules or flout rules?
A: It depends on the rules. My answer to this is practically the same as my answer to the first question. I like that there are rules. I follow long-standing rules and it upsets me when other people don’t follow them but “rules” that feel like they were just made up recently by someone who wants to impose their own world-view on everybody else are rules I love to break.

Q: Do you work well under pressure?
A: No, not at all. Pressure makes me want to curl up in the fetal position in a dark corner somewhere.

Q: What would your perfect day look like?
A: A perfect day is one when nothing bad or annoying happens. I have perfect days fairly often. A day spent with family, just hanging out and telling stories is a perfect day. A day alone is another kind of perfect day. Days I spent shopping with my mother were perfect days and a kind of perfect day that I can never have anymore.

Q: How much TV do you watch in a week (include computer time spent watching videos, movies, YouTube)?
A: Hmmmm… when I add it up a week’s worth of TV sounds like way too many hours so I’ll just say about 3 hours a DAY and somewhat more on weekends.

Q: Are you a morning person or a night person?
A: Is it possible to be both? I always wake up before 7 AM but I’m also always reluctant to go to bed. (though I do, usually, between 9:30 and 10:00pm) If I have to pick one I guess I’d have to say morning because I do really like being up early in the morning.

Q: What’s more satisfying to you: saving time or saving money?
A: I’d have to give a slight edge to saving money.

Q: Do you like to be in the spotlight?
A: Well, I have a blog don’t I? Actually, yes. Sort of. I think. I’ve never had much chance to find out how I feel about being in the spotlight.

Q: Is your life “on hold” in any aspect? Until you finish your thesis, get married, lose weight?
No. All the things I was waiting for have either come and gone or passed me by completely.

Q: What would you do if you had more energy?
A: More of the same things I do anyway.

Q: If you suddenly had an extra room in your house, what would you do with it?
A: A sewing room! We do have an extra room in our house but it’s not just mine. It has to be a general purpose room: guest room (rarely), junk room, and, one day every two weeks, the grandson’s playroom. I’d love to have a room that was just mine that I could make into a totally girly room, all pink and Victorian with my sewing machine in one corner, cutting table in another, storage in some kind of huge, ornate old piece of furniture, and if there was enough room a medallion sofa or loveseat.

Q: What people and activities energize you? Make you feel depleted?
A: I don’t know about “energize”. That seems pretty hard to do but my oldest son is interesting and fun to talk to and I never get tired of listening to him. It’s the same with some of my in-laws. I always look forward to family get-togethers. Dull and tedious people make me tired – people who haven’t read a book since they were in school and who don’t know any culture except pop culture.

Q: Is it hard for you to get rid of things that you no longer need or want?
A: Things I no longer want? No. Things I no longer need? Yes.

Q: Do you get frustrated easily?
A: Sometimes, sort of, but not as easily as some other people.

Q: On a typical night, what time do you go to bed? How many hours of sleep do you get?
A: Oops. Already answered this one. About 9:30 or 10:00 and I usually get about 8 hours.

Q: If at the end of the year, you had accomplished one thing, what is the one accomplishment that would make the biggest difference to your happiness?
A: That’s seems like a weirdly worded question. Sadly, my only goal this year is to finish just one quilt and right now that’s not looking real good.

Q: And here’s another question for you. What questions would you add to this list, to help other people know themselves better? It’s so important, and so elusive.
A: Like Andrea said, there are no questions about books. Perhaps, “What kind of books do you enjoy reading?” My answer to that would be, science fiction, some fantasy but not a lot, classics, historical novels, and occasionally non-fiction but I do most of my non-fiction reading on the Internet. I don’t know what that last line, “It’s so important, and so elusive,” is supposed to mean. Sounds like someone was trying too hard to be profound.