in_the_blue | lemme ax you a question (Reply)

ashavah interviewed me. If you want five questions, or a new set of five questions, let me know. The "rules" are here.

1. What was the last amazing book you read and what was amazing about it?
Felidae, by Akif Pirincci. It's amazing because... well, it's a murder mystery about cats told by cats, but it takes place in an entirely too human society and features humans as well as felines. Plus, it has footnotes on cat behavior embedded in the story. It's also amazing because English is not the author's first language, yet it's extremely well-crafted.

2. What's your favourite part of the USA to visit, and why?
That... is a very hard question. One thing non-Americans sometimes don't get is that our country is vast and varied, and each part of it can seem like its own country in its own right. Probably the most honest answer on a personal level is that my favorite part of the USA to visit is where my friends and family are. But that aside, if you're really looking for a place, I'll have to go with the desert southwest. It's huge and wide open and gorgeous and so very different from here. But... I'm also a sucker for New Orleans, for parts of California, for the beaches of Hawaii, for the endlessness of the Plains. So. It's a good non-answer, isn't it.

3. What do you look for in a good anime series?
Steve Blum. Ha, I tease (maybe). Strong characters, non-chibi-style art, at least one person with a compelling and interesting storyline, and excellent voice acting.

4. Tell me three awesome thing about Oregon that I mightn't already know.
a) The coast is dotted with lighthouses, many of which you can tour. One of my favorite summertime activities is checking out the lighthouses. They're always a great spot for birding, but there's such a serene beauty to each setting, and the getting there is half the fun.
b) It's the ninth largest state in the U.S., area-wise. For me to drive the length of the state on the straightest straightaway at an average of 65 mph takes six hours on a good day. And then, suddenly, California. I haven't driven across west-to-east yet, or on the diagonal. There's still plenty to explore. I think we have just about every US ecosystem short of arctic tundra here, by the way.
c) Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state! If that's not awesome, I don't know what is.

5. What's one dream you have for 2011?
We-ell, it's the one I always have: health and happiness for my friends and loved ones. On a more petty or personal level, I suppose there are a few people I'd really like to visit. Nothing major, nothing earth-shattering, nothing overarching. I guess I would like the world to get kinder, but all I can do about that is my own part, and move through it with grace and dignity.

In other news, we love our weather people. Sunday they were so certain we'd get 6" or more of snow and ice, starting last night and lasting into today.

We had the most micro of micro snowflakes for ten minutes last night, and when I woke up this morning the school had buses on snow routes, so I went out to defrost and scrape the car but... it was 47 degrees out. Hello, warm westerly breeze. Go figure.

OK, time to write. And get some exercise. In whatever order I see fit.