meme & asks

Image from Pixabay because pretty.

Answer’s to Jo’s weekly questions over at Dreamwidth.

1. Do you make daily to-do lists? If yes, do you usually successfully clear them?

Not usually. Sometimes I do, and then I usually clear them successfully. But I have a feeling that happens because it rare and a novel thing when I do it, and if I was to do it routinely, it wouldn't work for me.

2. What is your favourite piece of clothing? Do you have a different favourite for each season?

I love my three beach dresses I wear indoors during heat wave/too hot summer days/weeks/months. I also love what I think as my "summer pants" - they're very loose and thin and made of soft fabric. They capri pants I guess - supposed to come down to just-below-the-knee/mid-shin, but I'm short so they actually almost come down to my ankles. I stay much cooler in them than in any other clothing during the summer and they also protect me from the sun by being longer than shorts.

3. When did you last interview for a job? Did you get it?

In 2007 and yes.

4. Teacher or student?

Does this mean which I want to be? If so, neither. Being one or the other for a bit is okay and even great, but I don't want to either for a long time - I don't want to go back to school, for an example.

5. What comes to mind when you think of fear?

Vaguely, fiction writing/reading. But nothing really.

6. What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning?

Sleep.

7. Where do you think your road is going?

Nowhere very slowly, or at least that what it's both seems like and feels like.

8. What was the last bad movie you watched right to the bitter end? Why did you keep watching?

The Forever Purge last Saturday. I waited for Zahn McClarnon to show up, and then I waited to see if his character would be good or bad and if he would survive the movie.

9. August 9 is "Book Lover's Day". What book are you loving right now? If you're not loving any book at the moment, what book have you previously loved?

I have many book loves, but none that are more in my mind currently. I love Linda Howard's older romantic suspense (Son Of The Morning, Dream Man, Shades Of Twilight etc.) books, and also the older Dean R. Koontz books (Watchers, Phantasm, Phantoms, Lightning etc.). And Leif G.W. Persson's trilogy about the Palme murder is my favorite in its genre; I've read the trilogy at least three times and every time I find something new about it.

10. If your home was being redone on one of those house makeover/reno shows, what would you want to have done to your home?

First I assume that money is not a problem (because in reality it is). Mainly I'd want my kitchen entirely re-done with as much storage space and working surfaces as could be figured out to add. I'd also want to have my home actually decorated so that everything flows together and looks good with everything else instead of pieces inherited from my childhood home or bought randomly when the old one is broken, with strong but cosy and calming and timeless colors. I'd look into adding more storage space/methods in general because being a small apartment, enough storage space is always a problem.

11. If you were forced to take part in a reality/competition show (e.g. Big Brother, Survivor, Bake Off, etc.), but you could choose which show to be on, what would you pick?

No idea! My interest in reality/comptition shows is less than zero and I have no idea what such shows exist today. I would work very hard to figure out a way to get out of it. And I think I really were forced to take part, I'd do that same as when I was forced to do sports in school: I'd show up and either do nothing, or do the absolute bare minimum that would get me through.

12. What's the most illegal thing you've done?

Not gonna say!

13. If you had to tattoo your arm with a message to yourself, what would you write?

Something in the vein of "it won't kill you" with a pretty font and a pretty flourishes.

14. If you could earn the same pay no matter what job you did, would you pursue another profession? If so, what would you choose, and why?

I'm currently not sure whether I can work or not, but if I could, I would do the same job: be a librarian. It's always been my dream job. What I would like would be able to choose is where I work - a nice size library,
not too big and not too small, so that everyone who works there gets to do most everything except for libary director level things like budgeting. I worked once in a library like that and it was by far the most friendly,
flexible and interesting place to work with great customers, everyone did everything ie. the library director were just as likely to go pick up the mail in if he needed to go shop for lunch on his way in (we had to pick
up the letter mail from the local shop 5 minutes walk away) as I, the temp worker. And we all shelved books, and even I, a temp worker, got to choose which new book we'd add to our collection (this was the only
library ever I worked where "kirjastovirkailija" (a librarian not trained in a university) got to do that - everywhere else, only "kirjastonhoitaja" (a librarian trained in a university) got to do that. It was the most equal work place I've ever worked in.

Bigger libraries usually have their work sectioned into departments and smaller sections, sometimes with people with named tasks and nobody would do anything but their own named tasks. Sometimes people would even get written up if you helped a customer because you weren't busy but it wasn't your particular task in this particular section. Even if there was a long queue, staff weren't allowed to help other staff outside their own particular jobs. All these tasks were basic library stuff like loaning books out, helping a customer find something in the stacks etc. That library didn't always get great reviews from customers, but that's how things were done there. Often necessary things would be left undone when people whose particular job they were went on vacation (and they those people would be in rush after their vacation because of piled-up work), or because some random, rare thing wasn't assigned to anyone. Physically one of these kinds of places was the greatest place to work because it was a new building and the cooling air conditioning worked wonderfully during the very hot summer, but mentally/emotionally it was the worst and also had too little staff which didn't help.

So I wouldn't change my job, but would love to freely choose the library I worked for.

15. Would you be happier with more control over what happens in your life or more control over your response to what happens?

The first. My life has so many things going on that I can't control or can control only up to a (sometimes random) point. I've had to learn how to control my response because of that, and I can handle it so far.

16. If you were a role model to millions of children who closely followed you and your life choices, how would you change your behavior?

I would never put myself in that position in the first place, so the question is moot. I don't want to famous, or anyone's role model.

17. Do you squeeze the toothpaste tube or roll it? What’s the advantage of your method?

Squeeze. No advantage, just that a rolled toothpaste tube irritates me for some who-knows reason.

Image from Pixabay.

Answers to this week's questions at https://thefridayfive.dreamwidth.org/111769.html

1) What's the most cluttered spot in your home?

Probably this one kitchen drawer which holds all my bigger-than-spoons-and-forks utensils. It's hard to get closed because it's so full. I've been vaguely thinking for a couple of years that I should go through it. But I haven't because there's no place to put them anywhere else, and throwing out isn't an option because I need them. If I threw them out, I'd only end up buying a new one within a few years anyway. So yeah, that drawer needs de-cluttering but until I think of somehow to store the rarely used ones that isn't too inconvenient to reach, it'll keep on waiting.

2) What's your method for de-cluttering?

I don't have a method, I do it when it's needed/things get on my nerves. But I don't really de-clutter these days - I don't have that much clutter in my opinion. When I was younger, sure, but I got better about it and now make an effort to put everything in their place right away or throw it out instead of keeping it "just in case" but then never actually need it. If something's out, there's a reason for it and it gets put away when the reason doesn't exist anymore.

For the last year or so, I've been getting these weird bursts of restless energy after a migraine attack, so now I try to take advantage of that and de-clutter or clean something when it happens. But I have to be careful not to over-do it, or perform an action that irritates my head, because otherwise the migraine might re-start itself. But I like these bursts of energy a lot because they're pretty much the only time I feel energetic these days. All the other time it's a fight to do something.

3) What are your favorite cleaning products?

I really lvoe the organic, ecological cleaning soap (https://www.saarentaika.com/ekosiivous/) made by Saaren Taika, it's very effective for all my kitchen needs and most of the other cleaning too. It's for many uses, so I'm currently using it as well as finishing up the cleaning products I had bought before it. Saaren Taika shampoo has also been a life saver in another way - my scalp started to itch terribly and to get a rash when I used store-bought shampoos, but switching to Saaren Taika's organic shampoos eliminated the itching almost completely. They're all expensive but it's worth the price, and also because with Saaren Taika shampoos I don't need to buy hydrocortizone scalp solution from the drugstore to put on my scalp to help with the rash so it almost evens out any way. They also almost all the time have sales on, so I've rarely had to pay full price on the items I'm interested in. If I had more money I'd love to try more of their many, many products.

For the toilet bowl my favorite is Klorin liquid which is a bleach and disinfectant solution.

4) What helps get you motivated to clean up?

Getting that weird burst of energy I mentioned in #2. When people are coming over. Or when I just get fed up with something in particular and clean it.

5) What's the most organized spot in your home?

My couch. It's a two-seater, and the other seat holds my main notebooks (5 of them), a notepad for note taking, headache diary page and a small storage case where I keep the pens and fountain pens currently inked. There's also a rag for cleaning my eye glasses and a spot for my smartphone.

My desk is also well organized - it might look a little cluttered for someone else, but everything is actually in it's place.

17. July 17 is "World Emoji Day". Do you use emojis?

🥰 I love emojies!

18. What is your biggest indulgence?

Fountain pens and fountain pen ink. I love them but I don't really need them; other cheaper pens could take fountain pens' place. I just wouldn't enjoy using them as much, and I get frustrated when they keep drying out too quickly. That's why I got into fountain pens in the first place.

19. What’s something terrifying that we’ve all come to accept as a fact of life?

Corporations having so much political and economic power. What's good for a corporation is almost never good for a person/the employee.

20. Are you good at keeping secrets? Is it ever okay to share a secret?

I'm pretty good. If any person's life and/or sanity is in jeopardy or somebody is being hurt, I think it's not only okay to share a secret, but you have an obligation to do so.

21. If babies are considered innocent, when do people cease to be innocent?

When adults or adulting ruin them.

22. What would you genetically change about humans to make them a better species?

I'd either give men periods, or remove the necessity of women having them -- this immediately came to mind. But I can't decide which because a not-insignificant part of me wants men to bleed, suffer a lot of pain and discomfort once a month for a week for decades and have it belittled by a lot of doctors and nurses and by society at large. Because I'm petty like that.

23. Have you ever worked retail?

Nope! At least I don't think so? Library work is customer service, yes, but we don't try to sell products and it's my understading that retail involves selling products.

24. A robot wrote this entire article. Another wrote and performed poetry. Should we be scared?

Maybe? If AI achieves self-consciousness, maybe.

25. Omnivore, vegetarian, vegan or something else?

Omnivore but a quite a picky eater.

26. Does anything hurt today?

My head. But only a little, and nothing out of the ordinary so no big deal.

27. Who was the last person to make you angry?

A right-wing politician.

28. When was the last time you properly cleaned out your refrigerator?

I don't remember exactly when it was... so, much too long! I've done spot cleaning when necessary, but full wipe down... About a year ago? I've been thinking the last two weeks that I should do it, and de-freeze the freezer too.

29. Is there anything you regularly lie about?

Regularly? No.

30. Do you mostly do specific chores on specific days each week (e.g. groceries on Saturday, laundry on Wednesday, etc.)?

Nope. I do do groceries at regular intervals at the start and end of the week, the day isn't specific but the interval usually is - it's usually three days. It's not so much by plan as that's when I run out of certain things... I don't have a car so I'm limited by what I can carry and that means grocery runs usually every three days.

31. Of this month's questions, which was your favourite?

The emoji one!

1. How tall would you like to be if you had the chance to choose?

I'm 161 centimeters tall and I'd like to be a little taller - around 170cm, I think. All the clothes, cars seats, cabinets etc. are made for people taller than me so I'd really love to be a little taller!

2. How often do you change your sheets?

Probably not often enough. I don't do it on schedule, more like feeling like changing them that night.

3. When is it time to repurpose an old towel?

The old towels dry me the best (the fabric is completely different than in the newer towels I have) so I keep them pretty much until they fall apart. I don't repurpose them, I just throw them out. The oldest towels I have are at least around 40 years old and they're still almost as new because I always use the same several ones until they fall apart before letting myself take another into use. I've never bought myself a towel - people apparently loved to give them as gifts in the 1980s. So we had dozens of them, and divided them between myself and my Mom when she moved out with her then-new SO into their new home and I stayed in my childhood home for a few years more in the 1990s. I'll probably never run out of old, unused towels!

4. Do you need to make a trip to a secondhand store to drop something off?

Nope.

5. What was the last book you borrowed from the library?

I went to the library on Friday and actually borrowed three books: Hangman by Faye Kellerman; Hiljainen, huomaamaton murha by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis; Pimeä jää by Tuire Malmstedt. They're all thrillers and murder mysteries.

Image from PIxabay.

Answers to today's questions at f.riday.com

1. What are your strengths as a writer?

I can write description and introspection until the cows come home. This is both a blessing and a weakness because it's so easy to procrastinate by writing that instead of actions & progressing plot.

2. What are your challenges as a writer?

I find dialogue extremely hard to write. It always feels unnatural to me while I write and then later on too, when I read it.

3. When did you last write creatively?

July 13, 2022.

4. Which writers did you especially enjoy when you were a student?

Dean R. Koontz and not a specific writer, but those 1980s and early/mid-90s Star Trek novels as a whole.

5. What is your handwriting like?

I write print mostly, only regularly sign my name in cursive.

My cursive looks adolescent, like a child wrote it - awful, except for my name which looks a little bit better because it's the thing I've written in cursive the last 35 years or so for hundreds of time.

I'm now quite satisfied with my print currently... two years ago I changed how I print the letter "a" - I used to write it with the typewriter font "a" (that's how we were taught to print in school in the early 80s) but now I write it like in this picture:

This new font changed entirely how my print writing looks - it used to look disjointed and not attractive, but the new font I'm using makes everything look more regular, neater and rounded. I like it very much. In the last several weeks I've noticed that I've started to print other letters a little rounder as well, and I think that makes my printing look neater compared to the old way where some of my letter leaned a little bit backwards while others leaned a tiny bit forward. With this newer font, I somehow print more even.

Image from Pixabay.

Answers to today's questions at The Friday Five @ DW.

1. What is the sweetest thing you've ever done for someone else?

I don't do sweet... the things I do are more on the practical side. But I'm always ready to help my family and friends with computer and phone and internet stuff - I'm the most well versed in computers and internet among my circle. My cousins' kids are sort of better with smartphones, so nowadays they help the old folk the most with phone stuff but sometimes I'm needed to say setup transfering of files easily and quickly between smartphones and computers. I don't mind having sometimes to do a lot of research to solve someone's problem, or being asked to upgrade their Windows to the next version for them or to help them restore backups. They just need to accept that it might take me a few days or a week to figure out a problem if it's a difficult one, and that I might take their laptop home for a few days to make it easier to work on it.

I also help them research subjects sometimes - like if someone gets ill and want to read more about their new disease, I'll find them reputable, reliable medical sources online.

I did make a limit on what computers I help with when WFH became more common - only personal computers, not work computers. Unless it's something that takes literally one minute and isn't actually a problem such as changing wallpaper background or screen font size or chaning the speed with which their mouse cursor moves (surprising how many people don't know how to do stuff like that!), their IT desk should help with it.

2. What do you wish people would do for you?

I guess... just be together without a particular agenda, chatting about nothing in particular? That not everything is always about computers, or worry about health/life/work etc? Sometimes it feels like either me or them is always having something heavy going on when we meet. We've had to learn to put a limit on how much we talk about that stuff, because obviously we want to support one another but that can't be all it is.

3. What are your simplest pleasures?

Right now? Strawberries! But year around, visiting with my Mom. It's just so relaxing being with her because she knows me inside and out and my history and doesn't judge that certain things are important to me even if she doesn't understand them or why. There's no one else who knows me as well as my Mom and there's freedom in that.

4. What makes you feel all warm & fuzzy?

Seeing my Mom, especially now that we don't see each other as often as we used to. When Caro (our Beagle) was alive, I loved it when she curled up beside to nap while I watched TV or read - because she always liked be touching some part of me when napping during the day :) That was so sweet.

5. How do you define love?

Huh, I haven't actually thought about it... can't put it in words.

Image from Pixabay because pretty.

Answers to this week's questions at The Friday Five @ DW.

1. What's your favorite crafty activity?

I don't really have a favorite - never been a crafty person and only in the last few years have started to do some. I love making little notebooks though, using pamphlet stitch, cottong rag paper and Tomoe River paper. Some day I'd like to like to make a thicker notebook with either Tomoe River or Cosmo Air Light/Snow paper. I did do some training and book repairing in a few libraries when I was working, and I always enjoyed it.

I also like acrylic pouring and playing with alcohol inks. And watercoloring. And coloring pictures. On the computer, making digital papers is fun.

2. What got you into it?

A few years ago, I needed something non-computery to do that was quiet, low-pressure and required no thinking when one of my migraine attacks prolonged because I couldn't read, watch tv or listen to music to pass the time. I started to do some adult coloring, then added in watercolor and then I bought some watercolor notebooks from LotusBluBookArt that were made from cotton rag paper and I though I can make these myself, it's easy, especially after seeing a video of Moneeza's about the pamphlet stitch notebooks. And then it just sort of snowballed from that.

3. What was your favorite arts & crafts project as a kid?

Like I said above, I've never been a crafty person. I remember we had things like drawing in school, and making clothes but I had only bad experiences with those classes so it wasn't something I ever enjoyed. And before that, I suppose Mom, Dad and me did kiddy crafty things when I was tiny but I have no memory of them; I've also no idea if we did them in kindergarten/day care. So I didn't have favorite arts / crafts project until I was in my mid-40s. In fact, I don't remember having any art & crafts projects as a kid that I did voluntarily, only of the one in school which either were deadly boring (knitting) or I had bad experience (making clothes).

I am/was more into reading, listening to music and baking than arts & crafts.

Oh! I did do sort of drawing - I traced X-Men and other comics, coloring them and telling my stories that way but that was a hobby that lasted over 15 years and I've never thought of it as arty or crafty. Just a hobby, and more to do with writing. I'd also trace historical costumes from historical costuming books (on projector film sheets so that I wouldn't damage the books), and then draw and color those on the comic books characters after studying the clothes.

4. What has someone made for you?

My Mom made me a long, narrow, "hairy" dark red scarf when I fell in love with the one she had made herself. It's for winter, when it's so cold outside that I need a scarf both inside and outside my coat. This one is the outside scarf and helps to keep the coat closed around my throat because it's otherwise too open and wind gets in. So the scarf is not only pretty but practical! My only complaint is that the winters are too mellow to need to use it for more than literally 2-3 days a year now.

My Mom's SO made a wooden step for between my backyard dor and the yard which is great quality - even after 23 years it's still sturdy and in good condition.

5. Are there any unfinished projects in your life you need to pick back up?

Not unfinished, but I just received some Chiyogami paper that I want to make notebooks with; but I have to figure out what to glue it on to because it's too thin to use as cover as-is. And I also should go back to alcohol inks and acrylic pouring too! I've just been too tired the last couple of years because I have to use my kitchen table for that, and it's too much work to have to clear and prepare the table every day for craft stuff. I don't have other space to do it on.

1. We're halfway through the year (give or take a few days). What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

Autumn! I already so done with summer.

2. What do you want to remember about today? What would you like to forget?

The day I write this, which is not the day I'll post this... Nothing. Today has been an exceedingly ordinary day. Nothing much has happened, and certainly nothing out of the very ordinary; this is one of those days that I won't be able tell apart from other days just like it afterwards. Which is actually how I prefer it because that means my pain levels and Crohn's symptoms have been pretty good and stable. Most often, "out of the ordinary" for me, means pain these days.

3. If you could wish for one thing to happen tomorrow, what would that be?

That I will have a good head day! Because that will determine so much of how my day goes.

4. What colours are you wearing?

I'm wearing a beach dress in white, blue and turquoise. But mostly blue.

5. What is a political issue that interests you?

Poverty, unemployment, chronic illness, social and economic justice.

6. Do you still carry cash on you/use cash on a regular basis?

I usually have some cash in my purse, particularly coins. But I don't use cash much, maybe once a month. Mostly I have it as backup in case bus passes aren't working so I can get home by paying cash is necessary.

7. Messy or neat?

More on the messy side, but much neater than I used to be when I was younger. When it comes to papers, I always know what's where even though it looks like a mess.

8. Do you still get crushes on celebrities?

Kind of? I crush on some particular character of an actor, get curious about the actor's other work and then become their fan and follow their work. But I'm not that interested in their personal lives, and I don't dream about meeting them or such.

9. Have you ever read a book, or watched show or movie, that made you cheer more for the antagonist rather than the protagonist?

Yes! I don't remember what they were, but yes.

10. What is your favourite thing to do on a Sunday morning?

Sleep. Sunday mornings are for sleeping, ideally. Especially back when I was working.

11. What are some of your favourite ways to cool down or keep cool on hot summer days?

Favorite = most effective: A real, proper air conditioning indoors that can be set to whatever cool/normal temperature I want.

Realistic = sitting in front of my fan, eating ice pops, wiping my limbs down with cool water.

12. What's the craziest thing you've done for love?

I've never been in love, so nothing. Unless you count my Mom's Beagle, in which case is trampling after her through the woods for many kilometers because I'm letting her follow her nose freely :D

13. When was the last time you had an inspiring conversation? Who was it with?

As I write this, Monday the 13th was the date. With my Mom's oldest and best friend.

14. If you didn't have any responsibilities for the day, what would you do?

I rarely have any responsibilities that prevent me from doing whatever I want.

15. What was the last fruit you ate?

A banana.

16. If sacrificing your own life would save the lives of a specific number of strangers, how many strangers would need to be saved for you to sacrifice your own life? What if the people were friends? How about family?

Friend's and family - 1 person. Strangers - umm, maybe 5?

Answers to today's questions @ f.riday5.com

1. When did you last eat or drink something purchased from a truck or other wheeled vehicle?

I don't actually know if it's wheeled, I've never looked but I don't think it is... But strawberries from the fruit/vegetable movable kiosk in front of my grocery last summer. Before that, ice cream kiosk some earlier summer might have been a wheeled kiosk or not. So to be clear, I'm not too sure!

2. When did you last purchase something previously owned?

It's been more than a decade - I don't usually buy used because I can't afford to risk being cheated/product being bad condition/broken and not have a quarantee and/or return right. I used to buy DVDs used in late 90s and early 00s a lot though because I watched a lot of movies, but haven't needed to do that either. These days the DVDs/Blurays I want to buy are usually rare enough to I'm lucky to be able to find at all, never mind used ones.

3. When did a purchase most recently exceed your expectations?

I don't buy stuff that often so "recent" in this case means the last year. I've been exceedingly happy with the two Jinhao X750 fountain pens I bought in March 2021. They work so well!

4. When did you last overpay for something because you needed it right away?

I think I overpaid for The Colbys DVD set I bought a while back. I didn't "need" it, but Amazon was the only place that had it and the price hadn't changed for over a year, and I did need to buy something else from Amazon that would've been a ridiculous buy alone so I bought the DVD set too.

5. Among recent purchases, what was the best bargain?

A month ago Paperimuru had their entire catalog off by 20% so I bought a bunch of MU print-on-stickers. I'm now set with stickers for the rest of the year!

Image from Pixabay because pretty.

Answer’s to Jo’s weekly questions over at Dreamwidth.

16. Is there some event that changed how you view the world?

Two, actually: long term unemployment/temp jobs and becoming chronically ill.

17. Was today typical? Why or why not?

The day I wrote this, which is not the day I'll post this... Yes, it's been a pretty typical day so far. I did one of my bi-weekly grocery shopping and drugstore runs which is a very typical thing I do. Atypical thing that I did today was buy MU print-on stickers - they are on 20% discount at paperimuru.com and I bought some for myself and as a gift for my Mom's name day which is coming up in a couple of weeks.

18. Do you have a favourite accessory (excluding anything you wear regularly e.g. wedding band, watch, etc.)?

I like to wear any of the 4 necklaces I found at a recycling stop at the local unemployment office a couple of years ago. I usually always put one of them on when I run errands.

19. What was peaceful about today?

It's 2pm and so far the neighbors' kids haven't been outside today so it's been quiet :D

20. Do you hold grudges? Are you holding one now?

I do. I have some old grudges such as for the few people that bullied me in school - I don't think about it nearly at all, but when I do, I wish those people got what was coming to them. I also hold a grudge for the Finnish television stations! This stems from my childhood too! They have a bad habit of not showing scifi tv series in their entirety - as an example, Star Trek TOS and TNG was spread across three different channels, one of which was actually a Swedish channel... this was in the 1980s, so yeah, definitely a grudge.

I also bear nothing but grudge for Kokoomus which is a Finnish right-wing political party.

21. June 21 is "International Yoga Day". Do you do, or have you ever done, yoga?

Nope and nope.

22. What was the last TV show you watched? Did you enjoy it?

As I write this, I'm in the middle of Magpie Murders. It's a bit okay. The pacing is a bit weird - it's started slow, has continued slow and has six episodes which I think is too much. Four would've been better. But it's British and has a reliable actors so I like watching it. I'm pretty sure I know who the murderer is, because of one thing what the character said. Hope I'm wrong and it'll be a surprise!

23. What was the last live performance you went to?

I don't do live performances. Too loud and crowdy and always end in a panic attack (crowd) and a migraine (noise & lights). As an adult I've been to two: a Danny show and Seminaarimäen mieslaulajat show, both of which are Finnish performers where the audience tends to be sedate and in case of Danny, old. The Danny show was more than 20 years ago, and the Semmarit about 15 years ago.

24. What is the most expensive thing you're wearing today?

Probably my backback which cost 40 euros. I always wear it when I run errands. It's sturdy, big and good for hauling lots of groceries comfortably.

25. What's the last dream you remember?

Last night I had somesort of Star Trek dream which was part Strange New Worlds and part TOS. I was an OC bridge officer on the bridge while some kind of crisis was going on and doing data crunching about the crisis space readings or something similar at a console.

26. Name one item you can't throw out, even if it's not really sparking any joy.

I'm going to go with flower vases. Except for one or two weeks of a year, they're utterly useless and just take up space.

27. Did anything make you laugh today?

Ask A Manager made me laugh with the post about "dramatic reactions to small changes at work" :D

28. If pressing a button meant you received 5 million dollars (or equivalent in your currency) but it also killed 5 people somewhere in the world, would you press it? What if it killed only 1 person or killed 20 people? What if the people were people you knew?

I have to admit I'd be tempted assuming I'd never know who they are. But I wouldn't. I wouldn't be able to enjoy those 5 million euros even though that money would solve my biggest problem that is going to go on the rest of my life unless there's a miracle (poverty), and I'd go mad with guilt.

29. What makes a good friend?

A person who is there for you, and lets you be there for them. Who you can pick up with right where you left off even if you hadn't seen/talked for months.

30. Do we control technology or is technology controlling us?

I have to say both.