Answers to questions byrdie probably forgot she asked

[jenk]

1. You loaned me some of your Anita Blake books to underscore your relationship with the Episcopalian church. What are other books that you use to help explain facets of your personality or life?

Excellent question ;)

Madeleine L'Engle: A Wrinkle In Time and A Ring Of Endless Light. Both strongly influenced my understanding of God. The second also influenced college and career decisions; how I think about relationships; and provided examples for my mystic leanings.

Robert B. Parker: Early Autumn. This is a Spenser book, so it's a mystery by genre, but the key to the book is the dedication:

"For David Parker and Daniel Parker,
with the respect and admiration of their father,
who grew up with them."

Spenser acts in a fatherly role for most of the book. He attacks the idea that "you are what you are" and pushes a teenage boy to act, think, and shape his own life. I read it shortly out of high school. It helped me to transition to the person I am now.

Rita Mae Brown: Venus Envy. I don't always agree with her but there's some definite thoughts here about the individual and the community, truth, manners, family, love, and sex. And unlike many others, I think the ending works.


2. We've yet to take each other up on pairing up for workshops. What sort are you interested in attending?
   
   You know, there haven't been many that interested me in quite a while. I loved Tristan's but I don't know when she'll be out here again.
   
   
3. What do you think of cuisines like Indian, Greek, Persian, Afgahni, Thai, Ethiopian, etc.?
   
   Um, er, no experience, no experience, yum, er...
   
   Indian I have mostly experienced as a buffet at work. Some was tasty, some was not, but to add to the confusion I don't know the names of anything I've had. Greek, well, I don't like feta much, which seems to cancel out a lot of the Greek I've encountered. Persian & Afghani I haven't had. Thai tends to work if I stay away from the curries and coconut milk. Ethiopian I had a few times in college when an Ethiopian student asked me to dinner, but that's it.
   
   I'm generally up for Italian, a fair amount of French, and general American food. I like fish and chips and traditional high tea, but otherwise I know enough to avoid English food ;) Haven't had much Spanish food. I do like Thai, Chinese, Mexican and some Japanese, so I'm not completely Euro-centric, but ... adventurous is not always my middle name.
   
   
4. What things have you coded for fun rather than for pay?
   
   Other than extending class assignments and writing a disk repair utility, not much. This is part of why I didn't mind my career going away from coding - it's not something I routinely do for fun. What appeals to me more is solving puzzles or digging into how things work.
   
   
5. At a game night, what's your favorite game to play and why?
   
   Fluxx, for unpredictability.

If anyone wants me to interview them, say so here, and I'll give you 5 questions to answer in your LJ.