Saturday, June 30, 2012

Worth getting up early

Setting out on a long trip is one reason to wake up unusually early.  And of course emergencies can interrupt your sleep at any point.  What else sometimes prompts you to set the alarm clock for a much earlier hour than usual?

Friday, June 29, 2012

An even exchange

Did you ever swap books with a friend, so each of you ended up with a new book to read?  What is something that you traded away for a similar but more useful item? 

This week's theme is trading in.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

No one wears these anymore

What was the ill-suited gift that you quickly exchanged for something better?

This week's theme is trading in.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Vacuum cleaner emeritus

What thing is still sitting around your home, no longer used, even though you already bought a better model to replace it?

This week's theme is trading in.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Your predecessor

Sometimes you start a job or a volunteer role as a replacement for a specific person.  Have you ever been in a situation where you worried about measuring up to the high standards set by the person you replaced?  Or have you had the opposite — a predecessor so incompetent that your every accomplishment looks golden by comparison?

This week's theme is trading in.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Trading in

When you trade in your car, your new car fits into the same space in your life as your old car — but hopefully in a better way.  Or when you switch from one TV show to another, you're still watching the same amount of television, but hopefully you're better entertained. 

What's something new in your life that takes up the same space as something you got rid of?  What happened that prompted you to switch, to trade in the old thing for something new? 

This week's theme is trading in.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Tell us a story: caught in a storm

Where were you when a soaking rainstorm caught you by surprise?  Where did you take shelter?

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Faking it

When do you have to pretend to be someone or something that you aren't?

Friday, June 22, 2012

Best day ever!

What was the single happiest time in your life?

This week's theme is happy times.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

The sweet spot

Generally speaking, how do you have your best fun: by yourself, with one or two other people, or with a big group of people?

This week's theme is happy times.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Something to look forward to

What sure-to-be-splendid occasion is coming up for you in the near future?

This week's theme is happy times.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Season of fun

The words "summer" and "fun" go together, at least in the world of pop songs.  Do you agree that summer is the season of fun, or would you name another season as your fun time of year?

This week's theme is happy times.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Happy times

Some days are happier than others.  In your life, what factor has the biggest effect on whether a day is a happy one or not? 

This week's theme is happy times.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Tell us a story: I changed my mind

What was one time when you did your research, weighed pros and cons, and made a careful and logical decision — and then, when the time came, you went ahead and did something else anyway?

Saturday, June 16, 2012

"Not this again!"

What is one situation that catches you unprepared almost every time?  Is there something you can do now that might put you in a better position for next time it comes up?

Friday, June 15, 2012

Brand new memories

What is something new, from the last few weeks, that you will probably remember for the rest of your life?

This week's theme is committed to memory.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Try to remember

Different people have different memory skills. What memory category is a weak spot of yours, one that requires you to make an extra effort to remember things?

This week's theme is committed to memory.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

"Would you like fries with that?"

What were you required to memorize in one of your first jobs? 

This week's theme is committed to memory.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Rhyme and rhythm

What song or poem did you happen to learn many years ago and still remember word for word?

This week's theme is committed to memory.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Committed to memory

Thinking about your childhood years, what is one trivial fact with no relevance to today's world that has nonetheless has been safely stored in your memory all this time? 

This week's theme is committed to memory.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Tell us a story: generous act

Tell us about a time you gave something away, not because you didn't want it anymore, but because you knew the person you gave it to needed it more or would make better use of it.  What was the item?  And what happened to inspire your act of generosity?

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Trophy

What is one visible, physical sign of your success?  What possession or emblem shows, for anyone who knows the story behind it, that you triumphed at something or that you reached a certain threshold of success? 

Friday, June 8, 2012

Piece of cake

Is your job too easy, too difficult, or just about right?  If an easier job and a harder job were offered to you (at the same salary), what would you choose? 

What task is fun and easy for you, even though many other people would find it challenging or unpleasant? 

This week's theme is hard at work.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Working your body

Some retail workers get tired feet, some warehouse workers get sore arms, and some office workers get dry, bleary eyes from a long day on the job.  When you have a hard day at work, what part of your body is the first to feel it?

This week's theme is hard at work.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Social skills at work

Which job or work assignment of yours posed the greatest challenge for your social and interpersonal skills?

Do you tend to enjoy jobs that include a lot of direct interaction with people?  Or do you find it tiring to talk to people all day? 

Have you worked in a place where the atmosphere was poisoned by destructive feuds within the company? If so, what skills and tactics helped you survive in that environment?

This week's theme is hard at work.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Thinking hard


Which job or work assignment of yours was the most mentally challenging? 

Have you had a job where simple errors could have serious or long-lasting consequences?  If so, how easy or difficult was it for you to maintain the level of vigilance that the job required? 

Did any job require you to memorize hundreds or thousands of facts and details?  If so, were your memory skills up to the challenge?

This week's theme is hard at work.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Hard at work

Through your whole working life, what job or work assignment was the most physically challenging?

At your current or latest job, which physical traits (if any) are important: strong muscles, physical endurance, quick reaction, or careful balance?

Have any of your jobs involved extreme heat, power equipment, toxic substances or other physical dangers?

This week's theme is hard at work.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Tell us a story: the art of concealment

Tell us about a time when you had to try to hide something large or obvious from someone who wasn't supposed to know about it (such as, for example, a surprise gift).  What was it that you needed to hide?  What did you do to try to disguise it or distract attention away from it?  Were your efforts successful?

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Itchy

What makes you uncomfortable?

Friday, June 1, 2012

Balance of love (part 2)

There are some things you love but you just can't have, at least not right now.  They're out of your budget, out of reach, impractical, impossible.  And there are things that you love that are in your life right now — in your community, among your possessions, part of your routine.  If you could put those two categories on an imaginary love scale, which side would tip the balance: the stuff that's "already here," or the stuff that's "out there"?

This week's theme is the things you love.