constance | and I would send a message to find out if she's talked

Hello! I keep thinking of this space and the people who're connected to it, and wanting to say something, and thinking of things to say and then not saying them; and there've been things keeping me away from the internet, but I'll talk about those at a date to be named later and now just hit the meme circuit, this time at the behest of

coco_palmolive.

1. Where did your LJ handle come from?
Harry Potter. Specifically, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Tofty was an ancient and sweet OWL examiner, and I was drawn to him.

You know. Having a Harry Potter username is a little embarrassing, more than a year past the point where anyone could be expected to care who Professor Tofty is. On the other hand, Tofty is just kind of fun to say, so at least there's that.

2. How do you style your hair?
Blow it dry. Straighten it. No product.

3. What is making you happy right now?
My next-door office mate has exploited our friendship and my open affection and affinity for nerds by sneakily getting me addicted to "The Big Bang Theory," in manner of "Charlie's Angels" villain sneakily turning Kelly into a drug addict by injecting into her toes as she slept. Anyway, it is specifically Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory" who is making me happy. And if I had to distill my love for Sheldon down to a passion for just one perfect thing about him (this is a purely intellectual exercise, because my love for Sheldon is irreducible), it would be his wardrobe.

4. What are you currently reading?
I am almost finished with The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney, which I love not only because I love clouds but also because it was a gift from a dear friend who remembered this love from a throwaway lj entry I made years ago and bought the book because of it. I am sort of used to being forgettable, and being reminded that there are people out there who are paying attention is always lovely. Also Mythology: The Voyage of the Hero by David Adams Leeming. The book I'm rereading at night before bed (see #19) is Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl.

5. Do you need music to study/write?
No. If I'm concentrating properly – and I'm really pretty good at concentrating – I don't hear music at all. So I usually don't bother.

6. What is the last song on your play list?
"Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again." The Cat Power version. Cat Power is one of those artists who I don't listen to often, but when I do, I think, man, I should really listen to her more.

7. What was your first car?
The first car I was ever allowed to commandeer as if it belonged to me was a white 1978 convertible MGB. It was my father's midlife crisis, and then it was mine, and it was broken more often than not, and I loved it so very, very hard.

8. Do you have a crush at the moment?
Not unless you count fictional characters. Let's not count them.

9. What is your favorite movie genre?
SF/Fantasy, action/adventure, comedies that assume some level of intelligence in their audience, psychological thrillers. Um. Anything, really, that isn't a tear-jerker of a chick-flick, which I rarely give those a chance because they tend to piss me off.

10. What was the last thing you ate today?
A fuji apple. Yum.

11. What is your favorite color?
Blue? That muted aqua color? Except that a glance through my house will tell you that I also happen to be fond of rich reds.

12. What websites do you visit daily?
Lately, none of them. This makes me a bad internet addict, I know. But when my life is not being taken up with personal and work-related crises that require my attention, let's see. Livejournal, facebook, salon, television without pity.

13. What's your favorite food?
I guess it's fried chicken. I mean, there's lots of food I love – I'm just into food – but since that's what my death-row meal would be, that and garlic mashed potatoes and maybe key-lime pie or caramel cake for dessert but those aren't as important as the fried-chicken part, that's what I'm sticking with.

14. Which languages do you wish you spoke?
Russian, which is satisfyingly glottal; Hindi, which is like singing even when not being sung; Finnish, which was my great-grandmother's first language. There are more, but that's enough to be going on with, especially as I'll never actually learn to speak any of these languages.

15. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who talk on the phone or text while driving. Seeing it happen never fails to make me froth with rage.

16. Do you have a birthmark?
Do the freckles count? If yes: I have thousands of them. If no: no.

17. Who was your childhood idol?
Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. For the longest time I thought the most fabulous thing I could possibly be was a mysterious washerwoman who turned out to be a hedgehog.

18. Where would you like your next holiday to be?
With any luck, my next holiday will be in London. And it will be very soon.

19. What do you do to fall asleep?
Read. I think I've said before that for a book to be a proper lulling tool, it has to be something I've read before. Generally I read for about 15-20 minutes before I realize I'm not taking anything in and turn out the light.

20. Tell me something you love about the person who tagged you.
To quote a formerly-beloved 'eighties band: EVERYTHING EVERYTHING EVERYTHING EVERYTHING. Including the fact that she will know instantly which song that line is from.

I have been so out-of-touch lately that I don't have any idea who's done this one and who hasn't. And yet I have been bidden to tag eight people! Let's do this. If you haven't done it yet, consider yourself tagged. And if you have, link me!