You Can’t Always Get What You Want

What I want:
Photo Source: Wikipedia What I need.
Photo by Suna

You can’t always get what you want

But if you try sometimes

You might find

You get what you need

—Mic Jagger & Keith Richards

Prospects

Well, I had another interview yesterday. This one was with a niche-market software company. They seem to be really good people who have a solid business model. They are looking for someone to wear a bunch of hats, which usually means a lot of hours. They are also looking for someone who is really innovative, and I’m not sure I passed that test. Should hear one way or the other by sometime next week.

Friday Feast

Appetizer: How much money do you plan to spend this upcoming holiday season?

The short answer is “As little as possible but as much as it takes.’ That is my usual approach to the holidays. There will probably me more emphasis on economizing this year because of the pending ending of my contract.

If, on the other hand, I have more permanent employment, I may be a little less frugal. I certainly do not enjoy being frugal at holiday season.

Soup: What was the last television show you watched, and was it good?

Here, I have to quote Suna. “The last show I watched was the Colbert Report on Wednesday night, because we were at a Thursday football game last night.” I dozed through parts of it, as usual.

Salad: If you had to paint the walls of your living room tomorrow, what color would you choose?

I would go along with whatever Suna chose. She has a much more refined sense of color than anyone I know. I might provide some input, but the final decision would be hers.

Main Course: Name something clever or practical you have thought of that should be invented, but hasn’t yet.

Genetically engineered microorganisms that eat arterial plaque. When the arteries were clean again, they would die back from starvation. Many Americans eat enough junk that their cultures would thrive for decades.

Dessert: List 3 things you would like to receive as gifts this upcoming holiday season.

The answers to this question would vary a lot depending on whether or not the responses are required to be reasonable expectations. For example, I would like to receive a million dollars, but that is not a reasonable expectation. I would also like the third Trio CD, but Linda, Emmylou, and Dolly haven’t recorded it yet. So—sigh—here are three reasonable things.

• A quiet place to write
  This would just be a room where I can close the door for a couple of hours at a time and think.
• A new mattress
  This would really be a gift for both Suna and me.
• Bowflex exercise machine
  This would have to be a shared gift with the whole family. I couldn’t expect to spend this much money on myself, or to have anyone spend that much money on me. And we would have to figure out where to put one. Luckily, they have a nifty space planner.

Of course, this list has three things. I am always more interested in intangible gifts.