Distraction Survey in Etc

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

I’m a Mochi person.

How many pets do you have? What are their names?

Just Mochi for now, though I’m putting together an aquarium with frogs and shrimp in the coming weeks.

What pets, if any, did you have growing up?

Four huge dogs: Max, Cinnamon, Dallas and Misty. Also a series of guinea pigs (Glynis, Mara) and a terrifyingly angry rabbit named Nepenthe.

What’s your favorite holiday?

It used to be halloween, but with 2020 in mind I’m looking most forward to New Year’s Day.

Which season do you like the best? Why?

Autumn, by far. Something I missed terribly while I was living in Los Angeles. Now that I’ve moved, I’m really excited to have actual seasons in my life again.

What’s the last TV show you binge watched?

The Boys, though I was simultaneously revisiting The Wire and I can never watch just one.

Do you subscribe to any YouTube channels? If so, which ones?

I’m obsessed with Tom Scott, and the pandemic has gotten me very into travel vloggers like Bald and Bankrupt.

What song do you always sing along to when it comes on?

All.. of them.

What are some of your hobbies?

I have a lot of fun collecting and restoring vintage electronics, and I dabble in VR and algorithmically generated art. But honestly? I miss karaoke the most. There, I said it.

Did you take up any new hobbies during the quarantine?

Doomscrolling.

Do you play video games? If so, what are some of your favorites?

I do! Lately it’s been a split between Half Life Alyx and Stardew Valley. Polar opposites.

Do you have any favorite stand-up comedians?

I adore Marc Maron and Patton Oswalt. I also have a fascination with the old school LA Comedy Store scene.

What’s the most important thing in your life at the moment?

Trying to maintain self-care while [gestures wildly around me] is going on

What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

Read in bed with the windows open

What’s the best memory you have before age 16?

When I was 15, a family friend and her partner took me to a U2 concert in Chicago (many hours away from where I lived). They waited in line for hours so we could get into the inner seating area and watch the show from up close. I wasn’t a U2 fan at the time, but it was my first concert and had a huge impact.

What’s the best memory you have in your 20s?

Visiting Japan with my best friend.

What was your usual morning routine before the pandemic? Has that changed?

I used to put on pants that weren’t pajamas and commute for 45 minutes through crazy LA traffic. Now.. I walk into the living room and start yelling at the screen.

Who was the first person you fell in love with? Do you still talk to that person?

We met online when I was 16 and when that kind of thing was weird. We were both making suuuper angsty art websites and connected through that. Ended up going to prom in her state, half a country away. We split in college. We’re still good friends, which I’m very grateful for.

Who was the last person that made you smile and what did they do?

Mochi. He does this thing in the mornings where he starts violently mooshing his face into me until he flips himself over so I can rub the belly.

Have you read any books this year?

So many, but I retained almost none of them. Been deep down the Cormoran Strike rabbithole – the audiobooks are delightful.

What are some things you want to do before the year ends?

Finish this survey. Everything else is up in the air

What do you hope is invented within your lifetime?

Something to roll back climate change WITHOUT somehow dooming the planet to a weird sci-fi future.

Would you prefer flying cars or jetpacks?

Flying cars, absolutely

Last updated November 04, 2020