Via alisanne, the week's prompt from thefridayfive and my answers.

1. After your first language, what language would you most like to learn? (Say first language too)
2. Does your country have a second language? What is it?
3. How many languages can you count to 5 in? To 10 in? List them.
4. What is the first overseas country you visited? And from where? (ie/ timbuctoo to mars)
5. What country do you most want to visit? And why?

( ...and my responses )

Title: The Mystery of the Human Heart (The Encounter at St Pancras Station)
Characters: John Watson, OFC, Sherlock Holmes
Rating: PG for adult themes including grief
Warnings: A few small liberties taken with canon timelines
Word count: 4340
Summary: Being the record of a single, chance encounter that offered me a glimpse into my own heart and that of Sherlock Holmes.

Written for smallhobbit at the Winter 2017 Holmestice. Many thanks to S and SCFranckles for their help bringing this story into the world.

( The Mystery of the Human Heart (The Encounter at St Pancras Station) )

I have a gift! Over at hp_halloween, alisanne wrote Divining Secrets (Remus, Severus, rated PG) for me. What if Severus is prepared when he first encounters the wolf? In an alternative version of events, Severus figures things out and makes a connection. Ali says it could be Snupin-if-you-squint, but that's one of the things I enjoy most about this pair: even *actual* Snupin can turn out looking pretty Snupin-if-you squint.

I love the double drabble format and the artistry that goes into crafting these short, short stories. Thanks, Ali! And thanks to everyone who wrote for this fest. I'm looking forward to settling in for a good read on Thursday. (Ah, Thursday, you can't come soon enough.)

Head on over to hp_halloween for several dozen treats!

Taking this from ayebydan. Will put a text box below for those of you who'd like to do it yourself.

1.What bill do you hate the most? Uh, Graham-Cassidy? Currently. I'm sure it'll have competition shortly. (I don't know--was I supposed to say "electric" or "credit card" or something? Do you have opinions about your bills?)

2.Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner? At home. Don't usually go out unless it's a non-romantic (social, multi-person) event.

3.What do you really want to be doing right now? Sitting on my couch with a cup of coffee. Which I'm doing. (It's Saturday; this question is easy.)

4.How many colleges did you attend? Just the one for undergrad.

5.Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now? It was on sale.

6.What are your thoughts on petrol prices right now? I don't drive. That said, recently Metro has increased prices by about 15% and cut my stations's service by about 40% during key commute times, so I'm not happy about the transportation situation generally.

7.First thought when the alarm goes off in the morning? "I've got to get to bed earlier."

8.Last thought before going to sleep last night? "I've got to get to bed earlier."

9.Do you miss being a child? No, not generally. But there are things I miss from my childhood--living in greater LA, swimming in an outdoor pool, having enough time to read until I got bored.

10.What errand/chore do you despise the most? I am embarrassed to say this, but the chores I really hate (i.e., scrubbing the shower, washing the heavy pots and pans) I don't do very often.

11.Get up early or sleep in? Sleep in.

12.Have you found love yet? All kinds. A partner, various family members, friends, and now children of friends. I have been lucky.

13.Favourite lunch meat? Peanut butter.

14.What do you get every time you go to Wal-Mart? Mmmm. No Walmart, but I do go to the grocery store almost daily (see "Don't drive" above). Frequent purchases: soy milk, greens for making a green drink, cereal, iced coffee.

15.Ocean or Lake? Not near either. :) Would I like to visit one? The ocean. Would I like to be stranded in one? A lake.

16.Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual? Mine is new-fangled--only legal since 2009 in the US state I was living in at the time.

17.What famous person (past or present) would you like to have dinner with? Hm. This one is always hard. Lately I'm less interested in famous people than the actual folks in my life. Let's say you: the flist-er I've never met but always wanted to talk to in person, or the one I haven't seen recently enough.

18. Have you ever crashed your vehicle? Once myself (a fender-bender while I was learning to drive); several times as the passenger when other people were driving.

19. Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose? No. Thank goodness.

20. Strangest place you ever brushed your teeth? Not sure I've ever brushed them in a place other than the bathroom. Is the question more geographical? Siem Reap, Cambodia. Never thought I'd get to visit.

21. Somewhere you have never been but want to go? Many, but just to pick one: Brasilia.

22. At this point in your life, would you rather start a new career or a new relationship? Gah! Restarting either would be devastating. I hope I don't need to do either.

23. How old are you? The age my parents were when I first realized they were looking older. Also older than the author of this meme, bless them.

24. Do you have a go-to person? Ah, how I wish I had a PA. Administrative work has never been my forte.

25. Are you where you want to be in life? On the couch on a lazy Saturday? Yes. Though I may go swimming at the gym shortly.

26. Growing up, what were your favourite cartoons? Scooby Doo. The Flintstones. The Jetsons.

27. What about you do you think has changed? My weight. My memory. My ability to stay quiet when Someone on the Internet is Wrong.

28. Looking back at high school, were they the best years of your life? No. Gah! I hope the best years of my life are still ahead of me, don't you?

29. Are there times you still feel like a kid? Always. (My two cents: you never stop feeling like a kid, even when the kids these days start driving you crazy.)

30. Did you have a pager? No.

31. Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager? I studied as a teenager, as did almost everyone I knew. The teenagers I saw on tv were foreign creatures.

32. Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with? No kids, so this is a little hypothetical. That said, I was the kid my friends' parents loved them to spend time with. I remember more than once a friend or acquaintance saying to me, "My mom is so glad we're getting to know each other!" At the time I took it as a compliment.

33. Was there a teacher or authority figure that stands out to you? I had several teachers in high school who coached various academic competitions (what my friends and I did for extracurriculars) who had a flattering level of faith in me. I still remember their confidence in my abilities; it meant a lot.

34. Do you tell stories that start with "when I was your age?" Embarrassingly, yes! Kids today *are* different--so much so I need to talk about it with them.

I would love to hear answers from all of you, especially if you haven't posted for a while. I miss chatting!

<b>1.What bill do you hate the most?</b> <b>2.Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?</b> <b>3.What do you really want to be doing right now?</b> <b>4.How many colleges did you attend?</b> <b>5.Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?</b> <b>6.What are your thoughts on petrol prices right now?</b> <b>7.First thought when the alarm goes off in the morning?</b> <b>8.Last thought before going to sleep last night?</b> <b>9.Do you miss being a child?</b> <b>10.What errand/chore do you despise the most?</b> <b>11.Get up early or sleep in?</b> <b>12.Have you found love yet?</b> <b>13.Favourite lunch meat?</b> <b>14.What do you get every time you go to Wal-Mart?</b> <b>15.Ocean or Lake?</b> <b>16.Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?</b> <b>17.What famous person (past or present) would you like to have dinner with?</b> <b>18. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?</b> <b>19. Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?</b> <b>20. Strangest place you ever brushed your teeth?</b> <b>21. Somewhere you have never been but want to go?</b> <b>22. At this point in your life, would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?</b> <b>23. How old are you?</b> <b>24. Do you have a go-to person?</b> <b>25. Are you where you want to be in life?</b> <b>26. Growing up, what were your favourite cartoons?</b> <b>27. What about you do you think has changed?</b> <b>28. Looking back at high school, were they the best years of your life?</b> <b>29. Are there times you still feel like a kid?</b> <b>30. Did you have a pager?</b> <b>31. Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?</b> <b>32. Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?</b> <b>33. Was there a teacher or authority figure that stands out to you?</b> <b>34. Do you tell stories that start with "when I was your age?"</b>

So I've had this odd, recurring stomach bug for about two weeks now, which in the end isn't a terrible thing--the semester hasn't started yet, I can afford to spend some time on the couch, and I have managed to watch so much television, you wouldn't believe. All of Broadchurch (excellent first and third seasons, much love for Olivia Colman); all of Grantchester (the most pastiche-y show I've ever seen, every cozy British mystery series trope I could think of wrapped up in a single show); whole stretches of Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space Nine; the madcap, infectious Chewing Gum; and the best one of them all: Baby Animals in the Wild (on Netflix, ten hours total).

Click through, scroll down to that little spotted fawn, and watch the trailer. Go ahead, I'll wait for you.

This series is the antidote to everything difficult in your life right now, flist. It's twenty half-hour episodes, organized in ten pairs devoted to different habitats. Forest babies, beach babies, grassland babies, desert babies, wetland babies, mountain babies, jungle babies, snow babies. In the first episode, "Morning," you watch the babies and their parents wake up (or, for the nocturnal crew, settle down to sleep) and feed. The second episode, "Afternoon," takes you along while they play, hide, suckle, practice chewing, practice pouncing, and eventually settle down for the night. Tiny alligators break out of their eggs. Baby koalas cling to their mothers. Chicks open their beaks so wide for food. A spindly foal stands for the first time. Bear cubs devour the salmons their mother's brought. Gibbons bounce. And they all eat so hungrily and sleep so peacefully.

If you haven't seen this series yet, give it a try! I guarantee your soul will feel better. :)

Any other recommendations, flist? Shows you've been enjoying recently?

Last week write_out tagged me to post ten things that were making me happy, and, deep in the midst of my self-indulgent spring-semster doldrums, I was stumped--could I think of ten things that were currently making me happy? And then my router broke, and I wasn’t able to get online much at all for a few days, and a proper sense of perspective was restored. Wifi makes me happy! That’s one, at least. :)

But equally happy-making is the DC Eagle Cam, which is aimed at a pair of adult bald eagles in the National Arboretum who are raising two eaglets, hatched March 29 and March 30. These little puffballs are going to become majestic, intimidating predators in just a few months. It’s amazing. You can watch their hatching videos at the site or just check in to see how they’re doing...and what new unfortunate animal’s been brought to the nest for food. (Today it’s a fish; a few days ago it was a duck.) Enjoy!

What's making you happy these days, flist?

Okay, 2017 posting challenge, here we come! (Are you joining me? Check out my original posts at LJ and DW. I'm offering drabbles/double drabbles for infrequent posters like me who manage 17 posts in 2017.)

Flist, I'm slightly overwhelmed. It's not as bad as the first year or two of teaching, when every day presented an existential crisis: can I really do this? I can. But between the commute and some very time-consuming committee work this year, it feels like I'm always juggling one more ball than I can really manage. I'm late with everything, and I hate being late.

Also, I feel like I should be out there in front of Congress or the White House or something every single day. I keep telling myself that we all need to pace ourselves, live to fight another day, but the sense of immanent freaking catastrophe never really goes away.

Okay. Sorry. I'm going to set aside my complaints and political fears for something light: celebrity photos. I don't usually pay much attention to celebrities and don't usually find strangers very attractive...but I think I have a tiny crush on Viola Davis.

Click for the most beautiful smile you've ever seen [link goes to my tumblr]

Don't you feel a bit better now? (I'm a little weak in the knees.)

Flist, do you have a favorite photo of a favorite celebrity? Post, please! Distract us from everything else on the internet right now.

No words.

I spoke too quickly about things easing up at school, unfortunately. It might just be one of those semesters. So let's talk about other things and focus on the positive.

* I got a long, newsy, handwritten letter in the mail last week! I'd almost forgotten how lovely it is to communicate in this tangible way and to find something personal in the mail box.

* I visited my brother and sister-in-law and the two nephews (ages 4 and 7) last weekend and have apparently passed on some bad habits: the 4YO now declares that he "has to do a little work" in his high-pitched little 4YO voice and then goes to his desk and scribbles on a post-it until he can't fit any more scribbling. Clearly, I need to stop saying that (and also need to remedy the underlying problem), but really: could that be any sweeter? Watching him reminded me of the magic that adult life holds for kids.

* The grocery store has had clementines on sale for several weeks now (YAY!), and I've been buying a bag to bring to class and share with the students on days I feel particularly cranky. Fruit makes everything better.

Also: am I the only one who thinks clementines are tastier than oranges? I can hardly eat oranges (they're too tart), but the little clementines are just right.

* I'm home alone for a few days while the better half is on a work trip, and I'm appreciating the silence--that deep kind of silence that allows you to hear the thrum of the refrigerator and the distant sounds of people out on the street.

How are you, flist?

I'm not sure how it got to be mid January, flist. Perhaps because December and early January were so warm, I didn't really believe it was winter? In any case, the universe has been conspiring to correct me before I got too comfortable: the temps are down around 20F/-7C right now, a winter storm is on its way, and I just had my first class of the semester. Let 2016 begin!

I really want to post photos from our annual cookie party, but that may need to happen later this week, when school demands die down. In the meantime, have a few links to things I've purchased recently that are brightening a grey January. I try so hard not to purchase unnecessary things, and yet these prove that every once in a while, it's okay to loosen up.

Exhibit A, in the category of "Consumerism works!": the fleece headband! I've been fretting about how I'm going to continue to run in the mornings when it gets cold, and suddenly it occurred to me that I could go online and type in "winter exercise clothing" and see what other folks were doing. And in fact, a little headband does make being outside much more bearable. Who knew?

(Speaking of exercise: It's been so warm here that I signed up for game_is_on last week and didn't think twice about committing to take runs/walks for exercise for the next four weeks. I'll need to rethink that if we get a few inches of snow here over the weekend, as forecast.)

Exhibit B: Patterns! Color! The better half and I did some dog-sitting in Brooklyn over the holidays, and on the whole it was very low-key affair: walk the dog, make lunch, walk the dog, take a nap, walk the dog, do a little reading. (All of which was profoundly relaxing--no complaints!) But we were also close enough to the Brooklyn Ikea that we could walk there, and we did--twice! I love Ikea but can rarely go, since the one in my region is difficult to access via transit. And how much better to walk? The better half and I treated ourselves to two pillow covers and a new duvet cover as our year-end gifts for each other, and I'm delighted at how nice the apartment looks.

Hope you're all doing well and staying warm (or cool, where applicable)!