Rory O'Connal: Questionnaires 12-24
Questionnaires #12 -- Rituals
Do you believe in a higher power?
I do indeed. My faith has helped me a lot.
Do you belong to a formal religion?
I am a Catholic.
Do you have any religious rituals?
When a new foal is born, I name him/her and bless him/her in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I attend Mass and Confession and I pray the Rosary.
Do your people have any sort of coming of age ritual?
At 18 you get quite a party.
Do you have any personal rituals?
I know it sounds stupid, but I always try to tell my wife I love her before I leave the house. I'm not a morbid person, but I'd hate for anything to happen and for her not to know that I love her.
Do you have any sexual rituals?
Not really, I'm pretty impulsive in the bedroom. I try to put my wife's pleasure first, apart from anything else, I feel very good when I know I can make her happy.
Questionnaire #13 -- Your lover
If you do not have a lover/mate/significant other/spouse, please answer the questions about your best friend.
How long have you been together? Years! Maybe ten. Seems like a lifetime, but sometinmes it seems like we just met.
What do you like to do together?
We like to play silly games (Pooh sticks, pirates, tig, etc.) We like to get amorous and we love to walk out in the woods together. Just being with her is amazing.
What do you do to make your lover happy?
I try to make her laugh. I encourage her to write. We go out and have fun. I give her romantic gifts and write her poetry. I speak Irish to her and she melts.
What do you do even though it upsets your lover?
I ask her to let me know how she is, to talk to me about her depression. She wants to protect me. I also get jealous. I don't doubt her, I'm just terrified that she will realise I'm not worthy of her and I'll lose her.
If someone was going to meet your lover for the first time, what one thing would they need to know?
She doesn't mean to be unfriendly, she's just shy and wary of trusting people.
What's your absolutely favourite thing about your lover?
Where do I begin? I love everything about her, but maybe the best thing is the way she knows when I am overwhelmed by self-doubt. Then she just looks into my eyes and says, "You know what, O'Connal? You're incredible!" I love her laugh too, and the way she makes me laugh, and the fact that she's having my baby.
Questionnaire #14 - If you were...
If you were a _____ what would you be?
a metal Copper. Bright, useful, but nothing special.
a plant Ivy. My love is as faithful as the evergreen ivy and clings as tightly.
a fault Jealousy.
a virtue Fidelity.
a colour Green, like Ireland.
a season Autumn, mellow and gentle and slightly foggy.
Questionnaire #15 -- What is your most distinctive...
What is your most distinctive...
Physical feature? I'm told my eyes, or my hair (Emma says it flickers around my face like dark flames.
Physical mannerism? Running my hand through my hair in moments of stress.
Character trait? A habit of treating lightly those things which weigh on me most.
Turn of phrase? I tend to get more Irish when around my family. I naturally call all women darling, which is sometimes misunderstood.
Pet peeve? I hate ties. They cut off the oxygen to your brain.
Habit? When I need comfort, I touch my wedding ring or my rosary.
Questionnaire #16 -- Wants
What's one place you've always wanted to go?
I'm actually pretty happy where I am.
What's one thing you've never been able to do?
;) Resist Emma. I've never been able to ignore a challenge. If anyone dares me to do anything, I tend to do it.
What one thing have you always wanted to learn but never have?
Welsh. Emma speaks it.
What's one thing you've always wanted to do and never have?
Hold my child in my arms, and I soon will, because our baby is due in October/November.
What's one thing you've always wanted to have but don't have?
Children, but I have one on the way now.
Who do you envy?
Since I married Emma, I have no reason to envy anyone.
Questionnaire #17 - Animals
Do you like animals?
I love them.
Which animals don't you like?
There's no animal I don't like.
Do you hunt? If so, for food or pleasure?
No, I am a long-term opponent of foxhunting and I don't need to hunt for food.
Do you eat meat?
Yes, couldn't live without it.
Which animal do you most closely identify with?
Horses.
Which animal do you most closely identify your mate with?
Difficult question. She keeps a lot of pets, but she always seems to me like a fox, clever, beautiful and alive, but with good reason to fear the cruelty of some.
Questionnaire #18 - Superstitions
Are you superstitious?
What is your most embarrassing superstition?
I don't have any very embarassing ones.
What is your most strongly held superstition?
That having Emma around when I am competing brings me luck.
Do you believe in the devil?
Yes, but I don't think his cunning is any match for a sober Kerryman.
Do you believe in karma?
Not as such, but I believe God repays whatever good we do.
Do you carry a talisman/lucky charm/etc.?
Emma and my Rosary and my wedding ring.
Questionnaire #19 -- Either Or
Country or City?
Country, out in the green and growing world.
Water or Alcohol?
That depends on whether I'm filling a glass or a bath, but I have more or less given up drinking now. Can't knock back too many whiskeys now that I am a father.
Black or White?
In chess, black. I like to react.
Day or Night?
Night. It's a magical time.
Pain or Pleasure?
Don't be daft! What kind of fool would choose pain? Pleasure for me!
Life or Death?
Life. Life is great!
Questionnaire #20 Fear, pain and loss
What are you afraid of?
Harm coming to Emma or Hobbit (our baby)
How do you deal with your fears?
I keep them to myself and keep laughing.
Why did you cry most recently?
I think it was when Emma thought I didn't love her.
What was the worst pain you've experienced?
When I thought Emma was dead. Being stabbed a moment later was peanuts in comparison.
What is the worst injury or illness you've experienced?
Being stabbed. I could have died. Didn't, though.
What do you most dread losing?
Emma. She's everything to me and if anything ever took her away from me, I don't think I could go on.
Questionnaire #21 -- Christmas and New Year's version
Do you celebrate a winter solstice type holiday and if so, which one?
Yes, Christmas and the Solstice (Emma is a Christian druid)
Do you believe in Santa Claus? Kris Kringle? Hern the Hunter? The Ice Fairy? Someone else associated with the holiday?
I believe in them all. Why not? What's a life without fun and magic?
Do you like giving gifts?
I love it. It's great fun finding the right thing for everyone.
What's the best gift you've ever given someone?
I gave someone a wedding ring once, and with it my life, my soul, my virginity and every dream in my heart. That was the best gift I could ever give.
Do you like getting gifts?
Who doesn't?
What's the best gift you've ever gotten?
My wife gave me a ring too, with similar extras. And recently, she has given me another amazing gift, she's having my baby.
Do you mark the coming of the New Year in some way?
Yes, we stay up and sing old Irish songs.
Are you making a new year's resolution? If so, what is it?
This year's was to take good care of Emma.
Have you made resolutions in the past?
Yes
If so, which was the most successful?
To make peace with my father
If so, which was the least successful?
Not to go getting too deeply involved with my employer.
If you could make a completely fresh start, would you?
No. I have no real regrets.
If you had no choice and were making a completely fresh start and could bring one person with you, who would it be?
Emma.
Questionnaire #22 -- Dreams
What is your favorite dream?
When I dream of my Ganpa Ronan.
What is your worst nightmare?
I had an awful one where my baby was in a pram running down a hill and I couldn't catch up. I hate even to think about it. I made Emma promise we won't get Hobbit a blue pram.
Do you dream in color?
Yes.
Do you have recurring dreams? If so, what?
No.
How do you keep bad dreams away?
I pray, or I shut them in a box until morning, like Ganpa Ronan showed me.
What did you dream last night?
That I was watching a colt running on the beach.
Questionnaire #23 -- Either Or (2)
Clothed or Naked?
Clothed, but not in the bath or the bed.
Loud or Quiet?
Quiet. I like to hear the breeze whisper.
Rain or Snow?
I love both, but rain brings such happy memories. I have had many romantic moments with Emma when we were both soaked by the rain.
Happy or Sad?
Happy. I'm Irish, we only get sad when tradition demands it.
Boots or Shoes?
Riding boots.
Ant or Caterpillar
Ants. Caterpillars have potential, but ants are special without the need for a silken fanfare of wings.
Questionnaire #24 - likes and dislikes
What is your comfort food?
Colcannon (mashed potatoe, cabbage and onion), scrambled egg on toast or bacon.
When do you reach for it?
When I feel Emma is being distant.
What textures do you like least? (Why?)
I hate crepe paper. It irritates me.
Which textures make you most want to reach out and touch? (Why?)
The coat of a horse, Emma's hair and tree bark. Maybe in all cases the same reason, the life beneath, the power and poetry of an untrammeled soul.
What scent do you like most? (Why?)
Emma's hair. It smells sweet. Wet dog and warm horse and woodsmoke are all great too.
What scent do you like least? (Why?)
I hate the suffocating smell of cities, the dust and the petrol and all the rest. Cork and Dublin have a certain charm, the rest you can keep.
You can find me at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/rorypadraig/
And my chatbot at: http://www.pandorabots.com/pandora/talk?botid=c108fcb2ce34bdf4
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Do you believe in a higher power?
I do indeed. My faith has helped me a lot.
Do you belong to a formal religion?
I am a Catholic.
Do you have any religious rituals?
When a new foal is born, I name him/her and bless him/her in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I attend Mass and Confession and I pray the Rosary.
Do your people have any sort of coming of age ritual?
At 18 you get quite a party.
Do you have any personal rituals?
I know it sounds stupid, but I always try to tell my wife I love her before I leave the house. I'm not a morbid person, but I'd hate for anything to happen and for her not to know that I love her.
Do you have any sexual rituals?
Not really, I'm pretty impulsive in the bedroom. I try to put my wife's pleasure first, apart from anything else, I feel very good when I know I can make her happy.
Questionnaire #13 -- Your lover
If you do not have a lover/mate/significant other/spouse, please answer the questions about your best friend.
How long have you been together? Years! Maybe ten. Seems like a lifetime, but sometinmes it seems like we just met.
What do you like to do together?
We like to play silly games (Pooh sticks, pirates, tig, etc.) We like to get amorous and we love to walk out in the woods together. Just being with her is amazing.
What do you do to make your lover happy?
I try to make her laugh. I encourage her to write. We go out and have fun. I give her romantic gifts and write her poetry. I speak Irish to her and she melts.
What do you do even though it upsets your lover?
I ask her to let me know how she is, to talk to me about her depression. She wants to protect me. I also get jealous. I don't doubt her, I'm just terrified that she will realise I'm not worthy of her and I'll lose her.
If someone was going to meet your lover for the first time, what one thing would they need to know?
She doesn't mean to be unfriendly, she's just shy and wary of trusting people.
What's your absolutely favourite thing about your lover?
Where do I begin? I love everything about her, but maybe the best thing is the way she knows when I am overwhelmed by self-doubt. Then she just looks into my eyes and says, "You know what, O'Connal? You're incredible!" I love her laugh too, and the way she makes me laugh, and the fact that she's having my baby.
Questionnaire #14 - If you were...
If you were a _____ what would you be?
a metal Copper. Bright, useful, but nothing special.
a plant Ivy. My love is as faithful as the evergreen ivy and clings as tightly.
a fault Jealousy.
a virtue Fidelity.
a colour Green, like Ireland.
a season Autumn, mellow and gentle and slightly foggy.
Questionnaire #15 -- What is your most distinctive...
What is your most distinctive...
Physical feature? I'm told my eyes, or my hair (Emma says it flickers around my face like dark flames.
Physical mannerism? Running my hand through my hair in moments of stress.
Character trait? A habit of treating lightly those things which weigh on me most.
Turn of phrase? I tend to get more Irish when around my family. I naturally call all women darling, which is sometimes misunderstood.
Pet peeve? I hate ties. They cut off the oxygen to your brain.
Habit? When I need comfort, I touch my wedding ring or my rosary.
Questionnaire #16 -- Wants
What's one place you've always wanted to go?
I'm actually pretty happy where I am.
What's one thing you've never been able to do?
;) Resist Emma. I've never been able to ignore a challenge. If anyone dares me to do anything, I tend to do it.
What one thing have you always wanted to learn but never have?
Welsh. Emma speaks it.
What's one thing you've always wanted to do and never have?
Hold my child in my arms, and I soon will, because our baby is due in October/November.
What's one thing you've always wanted to have but don't have?
Children, but I have one on the way now.
Who do you envy?
Since I married Emma, I have no reason to envy anyone.
Questionnaire #17 - Animals
Do you like animals?
I love them.
Which animals don't you like?
There's no animal I don't like.
Do you hunt? If so, for food or pleasure?
No, I am a long-term opponent of foxhunting and I don't need to hunt for food.
Do you eat meat?
Yes, couldn't live without it.
Which animal do you most closely identify with?
Horses.
Which animal do you most closely identify your mate with?
Difficult question. She keeps a lot of pets, but she always seems to me like a fox, clever, beautiful and alive, but with good reason to fear the cruelty of some.
Questionnaire #18 - Superstitions
Are you superstitious?
What is your most embarrassing superstition?
I don't have any very embarassing ones.
What is your most strongly held superstition?
That having Emma around when I am competing brings me luck.
Do you believe in the devil?
Yes, but I don't think his cunning is any match for a sober Kerryman.
Do you believe in karma?
Not as such, but I believe God repays whatever good we do.
Do you carry a talisman/lucky charm/etc.?
Emma and my Rosary and my wedding ring.
Questionnaire #19 -- Either Or
Country or City?
Country, out in the green and growing world.
Water or Alcohol?
That depends on whether I'm filling a glass or a bath, but I have more or less given up drinking now. Can't knock back too many whiskeys now that I am a father.
Black or White?
In chess, black. I like to react.
Day or Night?
Night. It's a magical time.
Pain or Pleasure?
Don't be daft! What kind of fool would choose pain? Pleasure for me!
Life or Death?
Life. Life is great!
Questionnaire #20 Fear, pain and loss
What are you afraid of?
Harm coming to Emma or Hobbit (our baby)
How do you deal with your fears?
I keep them to myself and keep laughing.
Why did you cry most recently?
I think it was when Emma thought I didn't love her.
What was the worst pain you've experienced?
When I thought Emma was dead. Being stabbed a moment later was peanuts in comparison.
What is the worst injury or illness you've experienced?
Being stabbed. I could have died. Didn't, though.
What do you most dread losing?
Emma. She's everything to me and if anything ever took her away from me, I don't think I could go on.
Questionnaire #21 -- Christmas and New Year's version
Do you celebrate a winter solstice type holiday and if so, which one?
Yes, Christmas and the Solstice (Emma is a Christian druid)
Do you believe in Santa Claus? Kris Kringle? Hern the Hunter? The Ice Fairy? Someone else associated with the holiday?
I believe in them all. Why not? What's a life without fun and magic?
Do you like giving gifts?
I love it. It's great fun finding the right thing for everyone.
What's the best gift you've ever given someone?
I gave someone a wedding ring once, and with it my life, my soul, my virginity and every dream in my heart. That was the best gift I could ever give.
Do you like getting gifts?
Who doesn't?
What's the best gift you've ever gotten?
My wife gave me a ring too, with similar extras. And recently, she has given me another amazing gift, she's having my baby.
Do you mark the coming of the New Year in some way?
Yes, we stay up and sing old Irish songs.
Are you making a new year's resolution? If so, what is it?
This year's was to take good care of Emma.
Have you made resolutions in the past?
Yes
If so, which was the most successful?
To make peace with my father
If so, which was the least successful?
Not to go getting too deeply involved with my employer.
If you could make a completely fresh start, would you?
No. I have no real regrets.
If you had no choice and were making a completely fresh start and could bring one person with you, who would it be?
Emma.
Questionnaire #22 -- Dreams
What is your favorite dream?
When I dream of my Ganpa Ronan.
What is your worst nightmare?
I had an awful one where my baby was in a pram running down a hill and I couldn't catch up. I hate even to think about it. I made Emma promise we won't get Hobbit a blue pram.
Do you dream in color?
Yes.
Do you have recurring dreams? If so, what?
No.
How do you keep bad dreams away?
I pray, or I shut them in a box until morning, like Ganpa Ronan showed me.
What did you dream last night?
That I was watching a colt running on the beach.
Questionnaire #23 -- Either Or (2)
Clothed or Naked?
Clothed, but not in the bath or the bed.
Loud or Quiet?
Quiet. I like to hear the breeze whisper.
Rain or Snow?
I love both, but rain brings such happy memories. I have had many romantic moments with Emma when we were both soaked by the rain.
Happy or Sad?
Happy. I'm Irish, we only get sad when tradition demands it.
Boots or Shoes?
Riding boots.
Ant or Caterpillar
Ants. Caterpillars have potential, but ants are special without the need for a silken fanfare of wings.
Questionnaire #24 - likes and dislikes
What is your comfort food?
Colcannon (mashed potatoe, cabbage and onion), scrambled egg on toast or bacon.
When do you reach for it?
When I feel Emma is being distant.
What textures do you like least? (Why?)
I hate crepe paper. It irritates me.
Which textures make you most want to reach out and touch? (Why?)
The coat of a horse, Emma's hair and tree bark. Maybe in all cases the same reason, the life beneath, the power and poetry of an untrammeled soul.
What scent do you like most? (Why?)
Emma's hair. It smells sweet. Wet dog and warm horse and woodsmoke are all great too.
What scent do you like least? (Why?)
I hate the suffocating smell of cities, the dust and the petrol and all the rest. Cork and Dublin have a certain charm, the rest you can keep.
You can find me at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/rorypadraig/
And my chatbot at: http://www.pandorabots.com/pandora/talk?botid=c108fcb2ce34bdf4
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