Revelry Reverie

Do you have a memory that’s linked to a smell? Aren’t most of them? Ok, I have a specific one actually. There’s a certain combination of diesel and/or airplane fuel, cigarettes, and cold that reminds me of hugging my dad after he’d come home from a worktrip. He had this grey leather jacket that he…

What fear have you conquered? Hmm. I guess being confident in my own opinions enough to assert them pretty consistently? I have phobias that I have definitely not conquered (like, fear of heights, brrzt) and actually, conquered is a pretty strong term here. I have improved, which is all I think any of us can…

What is your preferred mode of travel? Sometimes I think I’m indecisive because I don’t have a ready answer for this (see also: favorite song). I think part of the reality is that I don’t think too much about modes of travel, and I am ready to be delighted by any of them. For really…

If you had a billion US dollars, how would you spend it? Reduce world hunger and homelessness.

What chore do you find the most challenging to do? They’re all the worst! The absolute worst! As soon as you finish the dishes, someone tosses a marinara-encrusted bowl into the sink! As soon as all the laundry is nearly done (11 loads later), humans in the household are changing for bed! IT NEVER ENDS!…

How do you define success? I feel like I’ve answered this before, but perhaps not. Success is doing what you wanted to do or needed to do, and doing it well. Having a high impact. Being satisfied with how your time was spent. Sometimes success is getting two shoes on a kid before one or…

Has a book changed your life? Don’t ask me who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of all the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life. Giorgos Seferis Quite seriously, when I re-read books I read years ago, I see how I’ve pulled phrased, changed my thinking, or seen new things…

What is the most memorable gift you have received? This is a loaded question! I’m going to answer in generalities. One of my love languages is gifts, but really only if they’re thoughtful. I can buy myself stuff, but to have someone put a bit of thought into something they think I’ll enjoy – however…

How far back in your family tree can you go? Oh my dad has spent literal years on this. Here’s a text from dad from 2020 (reproduced without permission): Henry, Eleanor, and Grant are 28th cousins to Prince William & Prince Harry’s kids. Common ancestors are Henry II Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine. My dad…