Eaton Bennett, over at Passionate Fiction, tagged me some time ago and I’m very tardy in responding. Sorry! But here, better late than never, is my response:

You’re feeling: A little over full. I ate more grain than is really good for me today. It tasted good, but I feel bloated. I’m feeling inspired to write, sort of bored with where I am at the moment. I’m looking for a writing challenge.

To your left: My coworker Holly, as we sit in a conference room along the window and eat our lunch while reading and writing. She’s reading Harry Potter over again.

On your mind: Whether Michael and I should move now and experience the place we’d like to buy property, or put it off for another two years until his son graduates from high school. Also the gas prices are up over four dollars right now; what is wrong with my country? I don’t understand how we went from the America I knew to this. It’s disheartening.

Last meal included: Pad Thai with tofu and the aforementioned pizza slice, a deep dish Chicago-style pizza from Giordano’s that had spinach and mushrooms on it. Yum city, but buuuurp.

You sometimes find it hard to: play. It’s infuriating. It’s much easier for me to work fifteen hours straight than play. This is a habit I’m trying to correct.

The weather: Gray and yucky. I’m very ready for summer. The clouds are starting to break up, finally, but it’s been a long, slow winter.

Something you have a collection of: Yarn. I have an enormous stash. I have put myself on a purchasing diet until I make some things with what I have. I have a particularly lovely metallic filament inside some silk alpaca that’s gorgeous and comfy. I have some lovely alpaca silk I bought on my honeymoon, and some gold and red silk that I’d like to make a holiday sweater out of. Plus I just bought a book on lingerie knitting. Oh. Yeah. Books. I have more books than some small town libraries.

A smell that cheers you up: Stargazer Lilies. I love that flower. Heady perfume, pretty blossoms.

A smell that can ruin your mood: Marlboro Red Pack (cigarettes); old cigarette and stale beer smell.

How long since you last shaved: Sunday night.

Current state of your hair: Long and getting longer. I dyed it brown in January but am letting it fade. It needs a trim, the ends are a little split, but I love my hair long. It’s back in a barrette at the moment, since I didn’t put on makeup this morning and look scruffy with it down.

Largest thing on your desk/workspace (not computer): Telephone. (Well, it is!) Pictures of family in frames. Fish bowl for Swimmie II, the Siamese Fighting Fish.

Your skill with chopsticks: “Man who catch fly with chopsticks can do anything.”

Which section do you head for first in a bookstore: Well, three, really. Science-Fiction/Fantasy; Horror to see any new LKH books; then up to writing; then over to crafts and knitting. Then over to magazines if I haven’t found any good books. I look for craft and writing magazines.

Something you are craving: Sex. (Hey, you asked!)

Your general thoughts on the presidential race: I am disturbed by the Democratic Party’s inability to unite behind a single candidate and am concerned it will cost them the election in November. I used to like McCain, but I’ve seen a number of things lately that disturb me, including his stance on abortion rights and his religious beliefs. I have no problem or interest in his religion; wheat concerns me is that he appears willing to allow his religion entry into his political decisions. What happened to the separation of church and state? I will say, though, that I’m tickled pink that for the first time we are seriously considering a woman or a Black man for president. We’ve come a long way. (We still have a long way to go, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.)

How many times have you been hospitalized this year: Once.

Favorite place to go for a quiet moment: Since I like quiet moments, I have several. One is the conference room I’m sitting in right now. Another is the mediation room at the Art Institute, built by a Japanese Architect. The other is my apartment. If I really need to hide, then my bed is a good spot.

You’ve always secretly thought you’d be a good: Novelist.

Something that freaks you out a little: When the elevated train sways to one side or the other on curves around Sedgewick and before Fullerton. It sort of leans out to the side and I always wonder if we’ll derail, and if we do, where does the train go? It’s not like there’s any track on the side of it (that’s why they call it an elevated train…)

Something you have eaten a little too much of lately: complex sugars. Pasta and bread, particularly, though also potatoes and milk sugar.

You have never: gone skydiving. Nor will I. Jump out of a perfectly good airplane – what’s wrong with you??

You never want to: Sky dive. Jump out of a perfectly good airplane – what’s wrong with you??

I’m not going to tag anyone right now because everyone I share blog with has already been tagged. But thanks, guys, for sharing with all of us!

Gwen from Gwen Mitchell Fiction honored me with an Excellent Blog Award this week. I really appreciate it, Gwen, thanks! I enjoy hers a lot, so check it out.

The Rules: By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you agree to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. You deserve this! Feel free to recognize blogs that have already received this award.

I would like to pass this award onto the following five blogs. I visit them all on a frequent basis. I haven\’t been in the blogosphere long enough to find ten that I visit regularly, but I will keep this in mind and update my award when I have a good idea of who else to include.

1. Passionate Fiction
   Eaton Bennett is a newcomer to the blogging community and is coming on strong. I see big things for her.
2. Eden\’s Eternal
   Clever, interesting, and always unexpected, Eden Hail is a writer who sees things in a different light. Check out her stories, you won\’t regret it.
3. Kathleen Oxley Erotica – More Than a Promise
   Kathleen Oxley is exciting. A writer of short fiction, she combines a unique worldview with some truly lovely romantic erotica.
4. The Elizabethan Collar
   Funny, offbeat and honest, Liz manages to find time in her hectic schedule to write and blog.
5. Still Unhinged
   The name says it all. Goofy and prolific, you won\’t know what you\’ll find here but you\’ll be glad you did.

More will be listed, but this is a nice crunchy list to get you started. Thanks again, Gwen!