19 posts tagged “qotd”
When you travel, do you use a guidebook so that you're well prepared, or do you go without much prior knowledge so that you're surprised?
Submitted by Jack Yan.
Within the US, I wing it. I am a huge fan of the "we have 12 days, let's get in the car and see where we end up" brand of road-tripping, complete with stops at every largest ball of twine, insect circus, and interesting-looking side road.
Outside of the US, I like to be prepared in terms of having my lodging and transportation pre-arranged and ideally pre-paid. However, I did follow the "road trip rules" on my first trip to Peru, where I knew I wanted to see the Nazca Lines and I started out in Lima. I rented a car and, accompanied by a local, started driving south. Didn't have lodging arranged, didn't have tickets to anything, asked at the hotels about the tour companies they recommended, stopped off at lots of random things we saw along the way. It was fabulous.
Going without a guidebook or without doing any research is dumb, though, internationally. Mostly because it'd be dumb to get home and find out you were 50 feet from something awesome that you didn't know you should see. :)
What is your daily commute like? What is the weirdest thing you've seen on that commute?
Submitted by E.
Most days I commute via bicycle for less than a mile. On mornings when I feel ambitious, I add four miles (half of it steady uphill) to get some exercise. Weirdest thing? I don't know, probably the guy riding his Segway and reading a book at the same time.
Have you ever won anything at a carnival, arcade or midway game?
No. (C'mon, that was a lousy QOTD.)
What is your home decorating style, and how has it changed over time? Do you have plans to redecorate?
Submitted by enSue.
My home decorating style is "my stuff."
I have plans to get a couch. Currently I have a recliner my mom gave me and the most comfortable chair in the world, which I acquired from an estate sale, with matching ottoman:
I like art. I like books. Maybe that is why they feature so prominently in my common area:
Someday when I have more money than sense I will redecorate, but my stuff will still take center stage.
What does it mean to live well?
Submitted by Dean.
There are few things in life I regret, but many for which I am sorry. By this, I know I have learned from my experiences. Learning is the first tenet of living well.
Spend more time enjoying the present moment than reliving the past or wishing the future would arrive. Happiness is the second tenet of living well.
Share what you learn and what makes you happy with people whose happiness increases your own. Love is the third tenet of living well.
Do you believe there is intelligent life on other planets?
I believe it is beyond the scope of my knowledge to say there is no intelligent life on other planets.
This kind of thinking is also central to why I am staunchly agnostic.
What, to you, is the first sign of spring? Have you seen it yet?
Submitted by Spy.
Like my fellow Seattleite poopoorama, for me spring is marked by the blooming of things and my overwhelming desire to photograph them.
What's your favorite blend or brand of coffee or tea?
Coffee: Fresh roasted (less than a week old) and French pressed. Seriously, when you have this combination the source or type of beans is secondary and down to your fleeting craving.
Tea: Irish Breakfast is my old standby. Recently, though, I've discovered Yogi Chai, which is a great spicy blend that is divine made half and half with milk and water.
If you could write like one fiction author, who would it be?
Submitted by Marilyn.
I'd want to write like Carl Hiaasen. However, this is because if the books he puts out are any indication of what goes on in his head on a daily basis, I think it'd be more fun to come up with his ideas than to put them down on paper.
How do you pass the time during a flight? What do you bring in your carry-on?
In my carry-on: Books, camera, laptop, mp3 player, clean underwear, toothbrush, sunflower seeds, granola bars, and about ten dollars in change for stupid vending machines/parking garages/buses/what-have-you.
How I pass the time: I read until the oxygen deprivation in the cabin gets to me. Then I attempt to sleep fitfully, often managing to wedge my head in between my seat and the seat next to me, which works until the person next to me leans their seat back and I flop over onto their shoulder, drooling, and have to wake up and sort of excuse myself, only I'm still too sleepy to care since I'm never going to see this person again, ever. I only bring the camera, laptop, and mp3 player in my carry-on because I know they'd get crushed into sad little ex-electronic-device smithereens if I check them.
