A Guy Called Bloke has questions for readers called The Daily Four. Today is Game 16.

Here are the questions and my answers.
At which point of the day do you achieve the ‘Ah yes that hits the spot!’ with your hot drinks?
Usually it’s with coffee first thing in the morning, usually freshly brewed. I only allow myself one cup of coffee per day, and really shouldn’t drink it at all because it messes with my sinuses & digestive system. But I really like it. As for “first thing in the morning” – being retired, that could be any time between 7 am and 9:30 am! I always have a bit of a snack with the coffee: a banana and a piece of cheese. For some reason, this trio goes together!!
On the other hand, in the winter, that time of day might be evening, when I’m inside after being out in the cold, drinking a cup of hot tea or apple cider. On those occasions, a hot drink really hits the spot!

How honest are you really?
My life is basically an “open book” – I reveal things about myself that I really shouldn’t. Also, I am not a good liar. If I really want to keep something a secret, I just don’t talk about it at all. I am honest for the most part and expect honesty in others.

Unfortunately, dishonesty has become more prevalent lately, which I attribute, at least partially, to the man at the top – i.e. the president – who has told thousands of lies since he took office (and before). I think lying is his ‘default’ setting. And he isn’t even a very convincing liar, although some people seem to believe him, even when he is caught in a direct contradiction. To paraphrase the words of Abe Lincoln: You can fool some of the people all the time, and all the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time!

What was the first ‘album/record’ you ever bought?
It had to have been the first Beatles album released in the United States, Meet the Beatles. I was a huge Beatles fan from the beginning, that is, just prior to their first trip to the U.S.

I bought it at Dorothy’s Record Store in downtown Janesville, Wisconsin, where I grew up, and paid 97¢ + tax at that time! It was mono – stereo was less available and more expensive then. Not that I cared or even noticed at the time. To bug me, my brother took a hole puncher and punched out Ringo’s eyes on the album cover!

How well do you cope with noise?
Interesting question! I used to be relatively tolerant of noisy environments, but I have found that has changed as I’ve aged. I am quite sensitive – and always have been – to sudden loud noises. I used to hate the “booms” of some firecrackers on the 4th of July. When I took my son to fireworks the first time, he didn’t mind them at all, so I realized I had just been overly sensitive. I also don’t like very loud crashes of thunder, although I enjoy thunderstorms in general. When I was in my teens and 20s, like most others of my generation, I attended some loud rock concerts, but tended not to sit too close to the speakers.

Now I find that noisy environments are uncomfortable to me. For one thing, it’s hard to hear other people I may be engaged in conversation with. Also, though, it gets confusing and disorienting and really affects my ADHD. I don’t see the point of loud, noisy environments. Noise pollution is like light pollution – we get used to it, but in the absence of it, the stillness (or lack of light) is noticeably pleasant. Nature isn’t extremely noisy most of the time – the kind of noisiness I am referring to is human-made. (Repetitive cooing by ring-necked doves, however, can be quite annoying!) Silence or gentle sound can calm us, give us peace to enjoy our surroundings or engage in quiet activity.