These things always feel a little bit perfunctory.

And the previous sentence disclaimer also feels perfunctory.

I appreciate living with a beagle because it makes my level of excitability seem more normal.
I would almost certainly rather be outdoors. But I love museums, art galleries, live music, and other indoor things too. I would just rather do things outside, usually. Cooking is great though because it can be done indoors or out.
I volunteer as a sailing instructor at a couple places around town. This activity provides much mirth. Volunteerism and public service are both really important to me.
The feeling of wind on my face is among my favorite things. This is one of the reasons why I so enjoy sailing, bicycling, windsurfing etc.
A body of water can hold my attention for hours. I will skip stones till I'm sore and stare at a river endlessly. I never consider this as time wasted, or as "doing nothing". Staring at water is definitely doing something. So is staring at mountains. Or trees. Or some other force or product of nature.
I've worn Carhartt dungarees (dungarees is a great word, no?) almost every day since high school; trousers with a different pocket structure throw my whole day a little bit.
Automatic transmission cars feel weird to me. I much prefer stick.
I hardly ever use abbreviations/acronyms when writing text messages.
I love words. And will often get really excited to run across a word that is a rare favorite. Some of my favorite words are quite common though. The word "clearly" is a lovely word. So is the word "lovely".
I believe the curative powers of hot toddies greatly exceeds that of chicken soup. I'm waiting for the article that provides evidence of this to appear in Science, Nature, or JAMA.

I was born in Seattle to Israeli parents. I've lived in Israel too (my politics could very well surprise you). I've spent some significant amounts of time in some other places. I have an international perspective on a lot of issues but I am very much so a creature of the Pacific Northwest and consider this my native habitat.

Currently in grad school in Seattle. Recently finished Peace Corps in Jamaica. Before that I was Peace Corps in Ghana. When finished with graduate school will follow up with law school and ultimately intend to pursue marine environmental law.

Keeping in touch, teaching people to sail, peeling an apple so the peel comes off as one long spiral, making hummus and baba ghanoush from scratch, parallel parking, packing light, functioning on minimal sleep, sleeping on airplanes.

I give the best hugs. Everyone says so.

I'm told I have a calming presence and am good at giving off an "everything will be ok" vibe. I have no idea what this means exactly.

stripey socks, probably.

This is a snapshot. Not an album. I like a lot of things.

a) Catch 22, Geek Love, I and Thou, Rootabaga Stories, Waiting for the Barbarians, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Tropic of Cancer, Spaces of Capital, The Watchmen, Country of My Skull, Lamb. Favorite authors include J.M. Coetzee, David Sedaris, Haruki Murakami, Jonathan Ames, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Martin Buber and Elie Wiesel. I love Sandburg too.

b) The Big Lebowski, Capote, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Secretary, Punch Drunk Love, Little Miss Sunshine, Days of Heaven, The Hours, The Aristocrats, Lost in Translation, Underground, Remains of the Day, Titus, Quiz Show, Death to Smoochy, Sweet and Lowdown. Anything by Chaplin but I consider Modern Times to be his greatest work and quite possibly the finest film ever made.

c)Tom Waits, They Might be Giants, Jason Webley, Elliott Smith, The Decemberists, Andrew Bird, Calexico, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Shins, Rilo Kiley, KEXP (esp. when Michelle is DJ), Neko Case, The Magnetic Fields, Gogol Bordello, The Pixies, The Clash.

d) fresh figs, grapefruit, apples, cheese, beer, red wine, calvados.

Thing One
Thing Two
Volkswagen Thing
"Thing" (from the Addam's family)
Thing-in-itself
Floss

Was I supposed to take this question more seriously?

Whatever school assignment is most pressing/interesting at the moment.

I tend to get very engrossed in whatever I am reading. A lot of thought orbits around abstract concepts like justice, freedom, international development, language, humor, power, geopolitics, and principles.

Bit of a crapshoot but chances are good it involves some combination bicycles, sailboats, friends, family, food, and drink. I might also be homebrewing. I brew quite a bit and am typically very pleased with the results.

I cried the day that the very last "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon appeared in print. I cut the strip out of the paper and framed it and have it to this day.

Some part of me hopes to be struck by lightning and live to tell about it.

Your sense of humor tends towards the irreverent.

You have strong feelings about the word "obstreperous".

You are not put off by mild physical discomfort if it is in pursuit of adventure.

You believe that questionable ideas with potential for hilarity should be pursued with abandon provided they do not pose genuine risk to life, limb, or criminal records.