I need to get my act together. I know I can accomplish more and do more than my life is showing right now. I know I have a powerful ability to achieve, and I want to rekindle that ability and make a difference.

 My dream job is so much closer than I even realize. I want to be a freelance writer, someone who takes on all kinds of interesting projects, works diligently on his own terms and schedule, and develops a wide readership. I'm getting close!

 The giraffe, because it alone has the "big picture view" that allows it to anticipate and prepare for the immediate future.

 The giraffe has the largest eyes, the widest field of vision, the keenest vision of any land mammal and the most differentiated peripheral vision. The giraffe can see more, see farther, recognize things easily and take in a lot of things at once, even when there is not a lot of light. In other words, the giraffe has astute vision that connects the "here and now" with the "out there somewhere," without missing any of the steps in between, regardless of whether things are looking bright or dark. My goal is to achieve that level of mental and emotional vision.

 The Labrador Retriever.

 A good labbie, showered with love from a pup, demonstrates the Golden Rule better than most people I know. They're always glad to see you, desperately want to be near you, do their best to encourage you, forgive (and forget) your wrongs quickly, will go out of their way to defend and protect you, love to have fun at the drop of a hat, and never forget to be playful, yet they work hard without being told what to do and know instinctively the right amount of respect to show to the earth and the other creatures that share their space.

 A chicken-salad sandwich.

 It's harder to deliver delicate flavor in a cold dish, so the chef would work to make it flavorful; plus, the mundane nature of the order would likely cause the chef to be extra creative and deliver something extraordinary.

 Jesus, Ralph Waldo Emerson (19th Century poet), Harry Emerson Fosdick (Humanist theologian), Kenneth Atchity (the "Professor" of human creativity) and James Allen ("As a Man Thinketh").

 These men all held (or hold) different positions on the subject of self-reliance. Jesus preached a near-total reliance on God; Emerson believed in total independence so strongly he would write "Whim!" on the doorposts; Fosdick saw our strongest self fulfilled in being as genuine as possible ("a real person"); James Allen believed our thoughts created our reality; and Ken Atchity (still living) describes how, for better or worse, we creative folk (writers, artists, ...) are walking a tightrope over a field of dragons, most of them our own creations and choices, while balancing on a large rubber ball built from our own impatience to express our vision in a meaningful way.

 Groom Lake, Area 51, and find out for myself if there are actually alien spacecraft stored there; if so, I'd figure out how to call our neighbors and ask them if they've figured any of this out yet! :-)

 Ground beef and extra cheese.

 100-year-old Scotch in a tall glass. It's a nod to my Scottish heritage, and a good stiff drink that won't leave you with a hangover.

 Mocha Frappucino, _definitely_ double-blended (hate getting ice stuck in the straw).

 That's easy: I'd wish for the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.

 Andrea Bocelli - Sogno, Andreas Vollenweider - Kryptos, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Messiah

 I would build a fine new home for everybody who's still living in FEMA trailers.

 My senior trip was a Carribean cruise. All of my classmates spent the entire trip getting drunk, but I really wanted to see the Bahamas, so I got up early most of the days to tour the islands. One day I saw precisely the same sunset that Salvador Dali must have seen when he painted the Last Supper -- as if that very sunset transcended time and space, shared by two minds who saw the same awesome creator.

 Nehemiah, from the Bible.

 Nehemiah found the perfect balance of vision, faith, influence, planning, goals, management and action. He took an approved "leave of absence" from slavery to rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem. He's one of the few heroes in literature who does everything right -- and meets with "success unexpected in common hours."