Barrow Confessional

[Lush]

I'm not around as much as I should be, and I was thinking this morning that it might be a good idea to open a new questionnaire thread, just to be able to get to know more people here on the Downs. I promise that this one is totally original, and even Tolkien related in places.

Name:

Quest:

Favourite colour:

Most beloved Tolkien character:

Least beloved Tolkien character:

Worst habit:

Best habit:

Unlikeliest celebrity crush:

Weirdest hobby:

Best place in Middle Earth:

Best place outside of Middle Earth:

Most embarrassing moment:

Most daring moment:

Favourite "LotR" actor:

Least favourite "LotR" actor:

Theme song:

Style guru:

Most crucial accessory:

Greatest weakness:

Greatest strength:

Favourite place to visit on the Downs:

Best Downer Buddy:

Parting shot:

Please fill out to your liking. I'm looking forward to everyone's responses, and promise to include mine when I've got time to think about it.

Oh, and for the love of all that is holy, do not chat. Love you.

[wilwarin538]

Name: wilwarin538, or Wilwa(most popular), but in the "real world" it would be Vanessa

Quest: to become a butterfly

Favourite colour: blue(but I think that might be a little obvious)

Most beloved Tolkien character: Nessa

Least beloved Tolkien character: Bill Ferny

Worst habit: accidently ignoring people I don't want to ignore

Best habit: accidentely ignoring people I do want to ignore

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Alan Rickman(yes I have old man crushes to)

Weirdest hobby: I like to learn alphabets, not the actual language, just the alphabet (ie. greek, hebrew, arabic) it amuses me

Best place in Middle Earth: Lothlorien(cause of all the pretty trees)

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Canada

Most embarrassing moment: the time I didn't know what "Tell the Mormegil that Wilwarin is here." was refering to, that was very embarassing (it was in one of the WW games)

Most daring moment: when I modded WWX, which turned out ok

Favourite "LotR" actor: Dominic Monaghan

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Liv Tyler

Theme song: Veggie Tales!!!!!!

Style guru: (<---confused smilie)

Most crucial accessory: my blue butterfly necklace

Greatest weakness: I'm very shy, though that can be a good thing, depends

Greatest strength: my music

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Middle-Earth Mirth

Best Downer Buddy: all of you!!!! Actually that would be Glirdan

Parting shot: Vote for Pedro! (first thing that popped into my head)

[Son of Númenor]

Name: In Adunaic it is Tûbilrânbâ, according to the BD Name Generator.

Quest: The same as everyone else's

Favourite colour: Sea blue

Most beloved Tolkien character: Gandalf and Saruman

Least beloved Tolkien character: Manwe

Worst habit: Smoking

Best habit: Flossing, I suppose

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Chloe Sevigny

Weirdest hobby: All things herbal and shamanic, and Central African literature

Best place in Middle Earth: Nargothrond, and all of the main settings of The Fellowship of the Ring besides Bree

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Hawai'i -- my current home!

Most embarrassing moment: On the Downs? I suppose any time I read a post that is 2+ weeks old. (That's about how long it takes me to despise my writing.)

Most daring moment: Jumping off a fifty-foot cliff took a lot of chutzpah, and waterfall-jumping even moreso. I don't think I've ever been particularly daring here on the Downs.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Bean

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Miranda Otto. (She was fine, but nowhere near the Eowyn of my mind's eye.)

Theme song: All of Sublime's "40 Oz. to Freedom" LP

Style guru: Rick Santorum

Most crucial accessory: As long as I'm physically intact, I'm good to go.

Greatest weakness: Jagermeister. (Also, see Worst Habit.)

Greatest strength: Ability to laugh at myself

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: The Books (although you wouldn't really know looking over my posts)

Best Downer Buddy: Bethberry, Lush, Esty, Underhillo. I don't generally like name-dropping, and I'm sure a few of these BDers wouldn't have my name near the top of a similar list, but these are the few I've enjoyed conversing with the most and feel I've learned the most from.

Parting shot: Aha! This whole time you thought my answers were thought-out and serious, but I took this whole survey blind-folded!

[Glirdan]

Name: Glirdan

Quest: To find the Holy Grail!! (I couldn't resist!!) Actually, to become a professional musician as well as to become a teacher in either music, english or math

Favourite colour: Red and black

Most beloved Tolkien character: Galadriel

Least beloved Tolkien character: Feanor (he HAD to go and keep the Silmarils instead of giving them to Yavanna to save the trees)

Worst habit: Bitting my nails

Best habit: Playing my sax and clarinet

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Emma Watson ( )

Weirdest hobby: Ummm...cleaning

Best place in Middle Earth: Lothlorien

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Toronto, Canada

Most embarrassing moment: Going to dances and actually dancing...

Most daring moment: Stepping up for what I believe in

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sir Ian McKellen

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Liv Tyler (she HAD to go and knock out Glorfindel and steal his horse)

Theme song: Hedley - Trip

Style guru:

Most crucial accessory: My chain necklace , which is out of commission

Greatest weakness: My fears

Greatest strength: My friends

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Middle-Earth Mirth

Best Downer Buddy: Hmmm...Still Wilwa of course, but Sleepy and Valesse have been added because I talk to them over MSN and we all do the ME Idol soo... Firefoot and Nurumaiel for the Green Dragon and Folwren and Boro for the first Survivor game.

Parting shot: Listen to your heart because your brain doesn't know what it's saying. And if you can't listend to either, than you need to see a psychiatrist!!

[Eonwe]

Name: Eonwe

Quest: hmmm. to snowboard caradras. oh yeah.

Favourite colour: same. blue.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Tulkas or Finarfin. Or Gandalf. Or Sam. Or The Gaffer.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Uflang the Accursed. grrr!

Worst habit: biting my fingernails

Best habit: sleeping

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: i don't like celebs.

Weirdest hobby: i dunno. maybe downing?

Best place in Middle Earth: Imladris

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Grandparent's house

Most embarrassing moment: i dunno. i pm'd BW about public groups and he didn't answer. i still don't know hwat they are.

Most daring moment: i dunno...

Favourite "LotR" actor: whoever played sam. they were amazing!

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Liv Tyler, for stealing glorfindel's role! grrr.

Theme song: Last Dance, Ozma.

Style guru: me

Most crucial accessory: hair? i love my hair...

Greatest weakness: prolly pride.

Greatest strength: my arms?

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Middle-Earth Mirth

Best Downer Buddy: Perky is awesome!

Parting shot: Maybe it should have been a rule of wrist. (i didn't say that! oh crap )

[VanimaEdhel]

Name: Rachel Ayn

Quest: to find the Holy Grail...or on a non-Monty Python related note, a lovely girl to settle down with (in a long time...nowhere in the immediate future)

Favourite colour: purple

Most beloved Tolkien character: Emeldir

Least beloved Tolkien character: Oh, hmm...yeah, Bill Ferny...good one.

Worst habit: I'd say caffeine, but I stopped drinking it over a month ago...that was my worst, though

Best habit: Sticking to schedules

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: (I think everyone loves Alan Rickman) for me probably Dominic Monaghan because...well mostly because he's male...

Weirdest hobby: writing my secret Harry Potter fanfics (though not so secret anymore)

Best place in Middle Earth: The Shire

Best place outside of Middle Earth: San Ibel, Florida

Most embarrassing moment: when I said something painful to a friend of mine without realizing it.

Most daring moment: coming out to my parents

Favourite "LotR" actor: Dominic Monaghan

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Orlando Bloom

Theme song: "Viva Forever" by the Spice Girls - I know, I know, but it's definitely my theme song

Style guru: Kate Moennig (well, Shane, her character on The L Word)

Most crucial accessory: dangly earrings

Greatest weakness: narcissism to some extent

Greatest strength: honesty, comfort with myself

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Rohan Gaming Forum, but I don't have time to go there much anymore.

Best Downer Buddy: Valesse, probably. I don't come here enough anymore to be really close to anyone.

Parting shot: (Language cleaned up for your reading pleasure) Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair. Or beatin's. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you've got some more punishment in store. Stand it like a man and give some back. -- Al Swearengen "Deadwood"

[Kitanna]

Name: Kitanna

Quest: Take over the world through the use of one of my rants

Favourite colour: red and black

Most beloved Tolkien character: Theoden and a very close second of Eowyn

Least beloved Tolkien character: Lotho

Worst habit: Biting my nails and chewing my hair

Best habit: I'm pretty organized

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Liam Neeson

Weirdest hobby: I tend to walk in circles around my house or in my basement for no good reasons when I'm bored and listening to music

Best place in Middle Earth: Rohan

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Niagra Falls

Most embarrassing moment: So many, not sure I could ever pick one

Most daring moment: Moving ten hours away from my parents and all I've ever known to go to college where I would know no one

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Bean

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Orlando Bloom and Liv Tyler must be mentioned

Theme song: Whistling in the Dark by They Might be Giants

Style guru: er...?

Most crucial accessory: My medical alert bracelet. Can't leave home without it.

Greatest weakness: Food, I am easily bribed with food by my friends.

Greatest strength: Always making people laugh, even when I don't mean too

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Middle-Earth Mirth

Best Downer Buddy: I don't think I have one

Parting shot: I'd rather be whistling in the dark...

[Valesse]

Name: Valesse

Quest: To Sock the Hockey Pocky.

Favourite colour: Peacock Green/Teal

Most beloved Tolkien character: Faramir (or on a silly note: Fatty Lumpkin.)

Least beloved Tolkien character: Melkor (I picture him as great and powerful, yes, like I should... but he just comes across as so whiney and egocentric... bleh.)

Worst habit: finger nail function: Destruction

Best habit: I make at least ONE someone smile or laugh everyday!

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Zero Mostel. Obviously not for looks, but for sheer talent.

Weirdest hobby: Collecting UGLY clothing... Someone has to give them a home!

Best place in Middle Earth: Forbidden Pool, Ithillen

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Taniquetil... and Muldoon, TX.

Most embarrassing moment: Swimming pool + Public chaging stalls = problem

Most daring moment: Taking my driver's test 14 hours after being the major witness (and near victum) of a roll over accident.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Brad Dourif

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Liv Tyler

Theme song: Saftey Dance by Men Without Hats

Style guru: Wallus Martus

Most crucial accessory: My High School class ring

Greatest weakness: Kryptonite / My cannibalistic self esteem.

Greatest strength: Ablity to laugh at almost anything, even (if not always) myself.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Middle-Earth Mirth!

Best Downer Buddy: Gosh... There are so many here that I just couldn't say a name without feeling like I short-ended everyone else. You're all the best, as corny as that sounds.

Parting shot: "Exercise caution in your daily affairs, especially with those persons closest to you... that lemon on your left, for instance."

[Anguirel]

Quest: To finish my Gawain novel and get into Oxford, not in that order

Favourite colour: Yellow and pink. But I like to wear grey and green.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Maglor

Least beloved Tolkien character: Probably Gollum

Worst habit: Procrastination

Best habit: Ah...contemplation

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Monica Bellucci, it must be admitted. Or Claudia Cardinale...or Audrey Hepburn...

Weirdest hobby: Werewolf, to be sure...

Best place in Middle Earth: Himring!

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Venice

Most embarrassing moment: It's probably too embarassing and involving nudity.

Most daring moment: I'm not especially daring. Wish I was, really...

Favourite "LotR" actor: Miranda Otto, doubtless

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Astin, I suppose

Theme song: Jaguar by Flanders and Swann, for better or worse...

Style guru: Boden and the eighteenth century

Most crucial accessory: My silver leopard-skin dressing gown.

Greatest weakness: Vertigo

Greatest strength: Prose style

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: The Shire, Books or Mirth if Werewolf is in progress

Best Downer Buddy: Can't reveal this, lest they deny knowing me! It would be a disaster...

Parting shot: Still there is keening in empty Glenstrae

[Gothmog]

Name: Gothmog. But what other names have I been called here? Let's see, villainous Balrog, that crazy Balrog, that very Crazy Balrog, Balrog guy...No I prefer the nick Gothmog-Cruise. (first time I used that smiley)

Quest: Take over the downs and make the Nordic languages law here MWAHAHAHA (insane look)

Favourite colour: Blue I guess...

Most beloved Tolkien character: There's too many! Echtelion, Glorfindel, Fingolfin and Hurin to mention some.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Curufin and Celegorm

Worst habit: Staying up too late, making the day after a nightmare

Best habit: Trying to be honest

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: hmmm... I'd say Elisha Cuthbert or Thandie Newton

Weirdest hobby: Standing in a cold river among mosquitos whipping the surface with a line ending in a bunch of feathers and hair

Best place in Middle Earth: Ithilien

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Somewhere warmer than here...

Most embarrassing moment: I think I have suppressed it

Most daring moment: On BD? Everytime I press the "submit message" button.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Ian McKellen

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Liv Tyler I think. Or whoever played the elf following Arwen to the sea, you know the "milady, we can not dwell"-guy.

Theme song: They're taking the hobbits to Isengard

Style guru: No, other style

Most crucial accessory: Nothing. But I always wear a silver necklace, but it's not like I couldn't manage without it.

Greatest weakness: Sweets, my laziness and possibly that I'm boring

Greatest strength: My intellect And believe it or not, my modesty...

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: That would be Mirth

Best Downer Buddy: I haven't been here long enough to create any strong bonds, but I'd say Rune, the one to share my striving (see Quest)

Parting shot: Partying shorts? I don't have any!

[Morsul the Dark]

Name:Andrew, or Morsul

Quest:To rule childen TV Show worlds

Favourite colour:black

Most beloved Tolkien character:Sam...or Treebeard

Least beloved Tolkien character:legolas(sorry folks)

Worst habit:nail biting

Best habit:being overly observant

Unlikeliest celebrity crush:do i put my actual crush? if so Kathy Najimy

Weirdest hobby:Over analyzing everything

Best place in Middle Earth:Shire

Best place outside of Middle Earth:Rhode Island(specificly my couch with tv in front of me

Most embarrassing moment:so many to choose from...bus, cheerleadser, broken hand....if you want extra info on any of these three pm me

Most daring moment:I dont dare do anything for a dark lord im spineless

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Astin...or Ian Mckellin

Least favourite "LotR" actor:Peter Jackson...

Theme song:Bill Engvall's shoulda shut up

Style guruld people, and once i can afford a few suits Mr. Bean

Most crucial accessory:glasses

Greatest weakness:a beautiful smile

Greatest strength:logic

Favourite place to visit on the Downs:middle earth mirth(which is a clever name in its own right)

Best Downer Buddy:I suppose that would have to be Enca or Glirdan

Parting shot:If you and I should ever meet someday...well lets hope not im bad with confrontation and will probably ignore you anyway

[mormegil]

Name:Mormegil, Morm, annoying guy acting tough...whatever works

Quest: Eternal life and happiness with my family.

Favorite color:Blue

Most beloved Tolkien character:Turin/Hurin in the Silm and Sam and Gimli in LotR

Least beloved Tolkien character:Fatty Bulger in LotR and Curufin and Celegorm in Silm but while I like the character I stongly dislike Feanor himself.

Worst habit:Procrastination

Best habit: Always being on time

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: I don't think I have any.

Weirdest hobby: Like Ang Werewolf.

Best place in Middle Earth: Rivendell

Best place outside of Middle Earth:I would like to vistit New Zeland and return to Rio de Janeiro for a visit.

Most embarrassing BD moment: My first attempt at RPG was on the Unforbidden thread, and after writing meticulously checking everything and typing it in word I did a copy/paste job and some how I had a problem with it and didn't realize it for days. What happened is there was a huge chunk of the text that was repeated. I'm already self-concious about my writing skills amongst such word smythes and needless to say I thought I did okay but then was devasted to find out how awful it was to read. (notice I put BD moment)

Most daring moment: Propsing to my wife or bungee jumping and skydiving. Another funny anecdote is my during my first year of college in a large psychology class, we had a packet of things we needed to do in the year and do a report on how they made us feel at the end of the year. One item was "do something you wouldn't normally do and report on how it made you feel" so during the middle of my professors lecture I rolled up that packet and walked up to the front of the class and hit him on the head with the packet and sat back down in my seat. The whole class stopped and wanted to know why. I was very quiet and shy in this class so it was a pretty big deal.

Favorite "LotR" actor: Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett and Sir Ian with Viggo as and honorable mention.

Least favorite "LotR" actor: Hugo Weaving I don't think he was great in his role. I think he's a good actor though.

Theme song: "I'm a loser" by Beck...I really don't know.

Style guru: My wife

Most crucial accessory: I don't wear any so by default my name badge for work.

Greatest weakness: Obsessiveness

Greatest strength: Integrity

Favorite place to visit on the Downs:Mirth and books with Palantir on quotes as a favorite thread.

Best Downer Buddy: They know who they are!

Parting shot: Notice spelling has been corrected to the proper American spelling

[Formendacil]

Name: Press 1 for my real name (Michael A. Joosten), Press 2 for my 'Downer name (Formendacil), Press 3 for my nickname of the Month (Weredacil)

Quest: To get to Heaven, preferably taking the route of a long and happy life. And to write a book.

Favourite colour: Green. Beautiful, spring green. Or Black. Black is awesome.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Gandalf and/or Turin Turambar

Least beloved Tolkien character: Saeros

Worst habit: Finger-biting. Not nail-biting, but biting off bits of dry skin around the nails...

Best habit: Showering.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Don't have one. But if you want me to pick an actor of the opposite gender who's work I generally admire, then I pick... Dame Maggie Smith.

Weirdest hobby: Playing with LEGO. That's right, not just building with it, but playing with it.

Best place in Middle Earth: Minas Tirith

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Roma, Italia. Loved it there.

Most embarrassing moment: Getting on the wrong school bus in Grade 1. Still upsets my stomach thinking about it.

Most daring moment: Good question... I'm not really that daring. I'll have to plead the Fifth here (ashamed though I am of using a phrase based on the American Constitution. )

Favourite "LotR" actor: Ian McKellan and Sean Bean. They both played the roles exactly as I imagined.

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Huge Weaving. Great actor, but 100% un-Elrond.

Theme song: Pachebel's Canon.

Style guru: Any well-dressed, older-fashioned man from the 1930s.

Most crucial accessory: Watch. I like to know the time.

Greatest weakness: Self-indulgent.

Greatest strength: I could not care less about money. (Yes, I know that doesn't quite seem to jive with my last answer. But it does work. Somehow.)

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: CbC. Don't always think of anything to post, but I find the discussions there to be the most intelligent and Tolkien-related ones on the site.

Best Downer Buddy: Now that would be telling.... Can't say that I have a specific 'Downer buddy who beats them all. But I chat/PM with Lhuna more than a little- and share some similar worldviews. Put her down as the answer of the month.

Parting shot: Veni, vidi, vici.

[Laitoste]

Name: Laitoste, Lauren, Loraine

Quest: to get an A on at least ONE of my papers this semester--just one! That's all I ask! And to survive Beginning Chinese...

Favourite colour: green

Most beloved Tolkien character: Tuor, Elwing

Least beloved Tolkien character: Eol

Worst habit: procrastination, not posting/participating enough

Best habit: Vacuuming my room every so often

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Jon Stewart...or Steven Colbert!

Weirdest hobby: drawing stars when working at the front desk (instead of homework)

Best place in Middle Earth: Rivendell (to meet all the travellers!)

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho

Most embarrassing moment: saying "more better" while explaining the benefits of good grammar in a poetry workshop.

Most daring moment: moving-in day! I actually came and TALKED to people (gasp)

Favourite "LotR" actor: Ian McKellen, Sean Bean

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Elijah Wood

Theme song: "Thinkin' Again"~Clint Black, or "Joseph's Coat"~"I look handsome, I look smart, I am a walking work of art..."

Style guru: Moria orc #13...

Most crucial accessory: my jean jacket and scarves

Greatest weakness: sweets, FreeCell

Greatest strength: concise writing

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Books

Best Downer Buddy: Dunno

Parting shot: Penguins are very helpful in explaining Aristotle vs. Plato to people who have had 15 hours of sleep in 3 days. And you thought I was smart...

[malkatoj]

Name: Malkatoj...or Pirate

Quest: Get in to college!

Favourite colour: Green

Most beloved Tolkien character: Sam

Least beloved Tolkien character: Frodo, actually

Worst habit: Procrastinating (hey, guess what I'm doing now)

Best habit: Reading, I guess. I don't usually think of good things as habits. Or maybe correcting grammar.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: I'm pretty sure I don't have one right now.

Weirdest hobby: Does 'using Barrow-Downs' count? If not, photoshop-ing pictures to be very strange things.

Best place in Middle Earth: The Shire

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Bed...for sleeping.

Most embarrassing moment: I've made some really stupid math mistakes...like 5*5=10 and whatnot. I don't really get embarrased because I don't care what people think of me, but it would probably be something along those lines.

Most daring moment: On BD, sending the first PM as a wolf in WWJ I. I was scared that the wrong people would get it and I would lose forever.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Astin...duh

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Orlando Bloom. He doesn't seem anywhere near real.

Theme song: American Pie by Don McLean

Style guru: Me. I don't care about fashion.

Most crucial accessory: I have this ring that spins. It's nice for fidgety people.

Greatest weakness: Short attention span? I get distracted. For example, I just accidentally typed 'spam' and am now thinking about Monty Python.

Greatest strength: Determination? Even though it goes against my short attention spa(m) and procrastinating, I work for what I want.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Mirth

Best Downer Buddy: Shelob and/or Abercrombie

Parting shot: Glad I finished, because I have to go teach people to stab each other correctly now.

[Kath]

Name: Kath(erine)

Quest: To make it through the school year without killing my psychology teacher.

Favourite colour: Frequently changes but usually red.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Merry I think.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Sauron of course!

Worst habit: Biting my nails and biting the skin off my lip.

Best habit: Being willing and able to talk to anyone.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Umm, no idea! Not sure I have crushes as such.

Weirdest hobby: Making any piece of paper, no matter how small, into a boat.

Best place in Middle Earth: The Shire

Best place outside of Middle Earth: My town during the Hop Festival or when we do the carols in the market place.

Most embarrassing moment: Just one? I live my life doing embarassing things! But probably the time I ran down a hill and fell over a hidden wall at the bottom and fell flat on my face!

Most daring moment: Arguing with a teacher over something they had said that I knew to be wrong but that involved some serious stuff to explain. Of course I kept panicking that what I was saying didn't make sense so I'd be disregarded because I coudln't explain what I meant.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Viggo Mortensen - how can you not love a man that puts that much into a role.

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Orlando Bloom!

Theme song: Always look on the bright side of life (She says even with all her complaints on the Mordor thread )

Style guru: My brain, which is bad as it dresses me very early in the morning when it is not yet awake and capable of making decisions.

Most crucial accessory: A hairband, gotta get that mane out of the way quickly sometimes.

Greatest weakness: Procrastination without a doubt.

Greatest strength: That I work better under stressful conditions so my procrastinating ways actually work out for me

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: My PM box often, or the werewolf thread so long as I'm not about to be lynched.

Best Downer Buddy: But I like you all! I would have to say probably Nilp or TGWBS, with Fea coming a close runner up when we are PMing.

Parting shot: Smile!

[Orominuialwen]

Name:Orominuialwen, but it tends to get shortened to Oromin, Oro, Oromy, Ormy, and Orom. I am also sometimes called Hobbit or Rosie.

Quest: To achieve happiness and goodness.

Favourite colour: Purple and silver.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Imrahil, Faramir, and Sam.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Bill Ferny and Morgoth.

Worst habit: Major procrastination.

Best habit: I don't think any of my habits are good.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: I don't have any crushes, but I am fond of Paul McCartney, Jeremy Northam, and Alan Rickman.

Weirdest hobby: Playing the penny whistle and dressing up in LotR costumes.

Best place in Middle Earth: The Shire.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin, Paris (although not with the current riots), and Vernazza (little seaside town in Northwestern Italy).

Most embarrassing moment: There've been too many to list.

Most daring moment: I'm not particularly daring, actually.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Orlando Bloom. If I hear one more teenaged girl who knows nothing about LotR swoon about how hot he was as Legolas, I'm going to become violent.

Theme song: Dragostea Din Tei, by O-Zone; Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, by Ralph Vaughan Williams; The Sunday River Waltz, by
Pete Sutherland; and Let It Be, by The Beatles

Style guru: Uh, me?

Most crucial accessory: Some sort of earrings, a necklace, and my watch. I can't leave the house without jewelry.

Greatest weakness: Shyness, laziness, a very bad temper, stubbornness, and pride.

Greatest strength: Creativity and intelligence.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Middle-Earth Mirth

Best Downer Buddy: I love you all, but I am especially fond of my brother, High King Fingolfin, and all the people who read my blog and put up with my rants.

Parting shot: My robotics team, which was founded in 2004, was the champion of the 1969 FIRST Robotics competition. FIRST was founded in the early 1990's. You tell me how this works, 'cause we sure as heck don't know.

[the phantom]

Name: Master Phantom

Quest: to find enough time for everything I have going on

Favourite colour: red and black

Most beloved Tolkien character: without a doubt- FEANOR! after that Turin and Elrond

Least beloved Tolkien character: I dunno, maybe Thingol, or Saeros, or Galadriel

Worst habit: I'll give the standard nail-biting and procrastination answers

Best habit: being nice to people

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: don't know if I have a "crush" on any celeb seeing as I don't know them, the most I can really say is who I think is hot- but I don't think any of my picks would be unlikely, like J L Hewitt, Monica Bellucci- everyone agrees that they're hot

Weirdest hobby: definitely playing Werewolf games, people I know in RL look at me like I'm nuts when I rave about the most recent happenings in a game of Werewolf

Best place in Middle Earth: Rivendell

Best place outside of Middle Earth: ooh, that's a tough one, I'm partial to this little spot in the Wind River Mountains not too far from Lander, Wyoming, lovely trees, lovely rapids and cascades, lovely rocks, what more could you want?

Most embarrassing moment: I dunno, in RL I can get embarrassed about stupid little tiny things, like when my friends and I try to race across the frozen lagoon in downtown Omaha while wearing super slick dress shoes- I get embarrassed if I stumble or slip just a tiny bit, which is stupid because everyone else is stumbling and slipping, if not falling down completely, but I just hate looking the least bit out of sorts no matter what the situation, if I was shot in both legs and then asked to run ten miles I would be embarrassed if I couldn't finish, I'm dumb like that

Most daring moment: I don't know, I usually don't do something unless the benefits far outweigh the risks, and situations like that don't require much daring, I suppose most people would see some of the no-ropes-and-all-by-myself cliff climbs I've done as daring, but really I'm extremely confident about it so it's not much of a risk in my mind and therefore not daring from my point of view

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Bean or Ian McKellen

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Cate Blanchett or Liv Tyler

Theme song: well, my theme song is without a doubt "The Weasels Will Slack" because my friend and I wrote it to be our theme song, but that doesn't mean anything to you because you've never heard it- so, hmm... I'll just pick a song that I like- how 'bout "Until the Day I Die" by Story of the Year

Style guru: usually me, sometimes I'll let one of my female friends choose between two shirts that I like just because I know it makes them feel really good

Most crucial accessory: baseball cap, phone

Greatest weakness: I can barely bring myself to do anything I don't feel like doing, and as you know there are a lot of unenjoyable things you have to do in life if you want to survive

Greatest strength: my charm/bs/glibness, I can do almost nothing at work but when a boss asks for a report I know just what things to say and how to twist words around that makes whichever boss it is think I'm the best employee they've ever had, I also use this ability when someone asks me about something I don't want to talk about- I'll say a whole lot of words without giving any real information and whoever it is that asked will leave with a big smile and not really realize until later that I didn't answer the question, so when they come back I do it again, they never learn- this gift has also been helpful over the years when talking to parents of a girl, after I've spent a while with them they pratically beg me to date their daughter, the dad usually takes a while, but I can usually win over the girl's mom pretty darn quick

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: really, it depends on what threads are going, it changes

Best Downer Buddy: must I name names? I just know I'd leave some deserving folks out, but Fea would be angry if I didn't say her, Mithalwen is delightful, I'd love to chill in RL with TORE, Boro, morm, Eomer, and Kuru, I swear I'm going to go to England and see the great SP someday... that's enough for now

Parting shot: the phantom has posted. This thread is now important.

[Lalwendë]

Name: Lalwende

Quest: To live by the sea. Better keep burning those fossil fuels then.

Favourite colour: The strange hues of refracted light. That colour which you sense is there but you cannot quite see.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Bilbo.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Turgon.

Worst habit: Smoking, second breakfast, swearing and sarcasm. Ssssss.....

Best habit: Please and thank you. Knowing the uses of apostrophes.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: I crushed Tom Shippey's toe once. Oh, I'm being pedantic, aren't I? Well, I have a peculiar fascination with Lucius Malfoy's walking cane and swishing cloak...

Weirdest hobby: I made a sixty foot long, six stitch wide piece of knitting out of wool oddments. It began when I was a child, because I could not cast off, but then I thought I might as well carry on with it. It remains unfinished as I never did learn to cast off properly.

Best place in Middle Earth: The Shire.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Alqualonde. Or, if I'm not going to be pedantic, anywhere by the sea, e.g. Whitby, St.Michael's Mount and Galloway.

Most embarrassing moment: I could write a book about this kind of thing. My personal favourite is falling head first into a dustbin, getting stuck and then falling over and rolling around on the floor whilst remaining firmly stuck inside the bin. This was highly amusing for all.

Less amusing perhaps was the time I had to run from an event as I felt sick. This event was being held by several very prominent public figures. At least I will be one of the 'masses' who they will not forget.

Most daring moment: 'Dealing with' the worst bully in my school who was picking on my friend. I got a round of applause and warm thanks from the teacher.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Bernard Hill...

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Craig Parker for "camping up" Haldir.

Theme song: It changes from one day to the next, as I am fond of my music (some may disagree that it is all 'music'), and it's far easier to say what I don't like than what I do. But if you listen to The Fall or The Pixies, you may think of me.

Style guru: Marc Bolan and a mad tramp.

Most crucial accessory: Ciggies, money, shades, phone, mp3 player, in that order.

Greatest weakness: Tobacco. Kittens. Ebay. The snooze button.

Greatest strength: My Jedi powers.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Anywhere that debate rages or anarchy reigns.

Best Downer Buddy: Duh!

Parting shot: You're sorry? You b****y will be.

[Meela]

Name: Meela

Quest: To actually read Lord of the Rings

Favourite colour: Gondorian black. It's more granite than goth.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Denethor With a special mention for Faramir

Least beloved Tolkien character: The lesser Hobbit community doesn't entirely concern me. And don't get me started on Tom Bombadil.

Worst habit: Leaving the Downs for long periods of time

Best habit: Coming back to the Downs!

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Does Denethor count as a celebrity...

Weirdest hobby: Re-enacting scenes from Lord of the Rings using my collection of action figures.

Best place in Middle Earth: Minas Tirith

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Alagaesia

Most embarrassing moment: I got a cd stuck on my finger whilst I was on the 'Downs chat room once.

Most daring moment: Joining the Barrowdowns forum. I stalked the site for nearly a year before actually signing up.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Viggo Mortensen

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Liv Tyler

Theme song: Time To Pretend

Style guru: Legolas. Those swishy braids, those tight tunics, those... tights.

Most crucial accessory: A black cardigan and a book

Greatest weakness: Expensive, faded, fusty books

Greatest strength: I have a killer imagination.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: The house of Mirth

Best Downer Buddy:

Parting shot:

[Cailín]

Name: here it is Cailín, but I use various names. Even in daily life.

Quest: to save the world, one day.

Favourite colour: anything red, pink or purplish.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Bilbo and Faramir

Least beloved Tolkien character: I can’t stand Tom Bombadil for some reason.

Worst habit: Falling in and out of love in a matter of seconds. Also, consuming alcohol whenever bored.

Best habit: Always sitting and walking up straight. That’s what ballet does to you.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Mr. Darcy!

Weirdest hobby: Werewolves, but on the Downs that’s not really a strange hobby at all. So it’s probably shocking other people.

Best place in Middle Earth: Gondor. Though with all the interesting things the Downers sent there, Mordor might be nice as well.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: I have too many places I love. Dublin, Dingle (also Ireland), London, Barcelona, New York, Athens, Rome, the Blue Ridge Mountains (VA) in fall, Vienna in winter, the Vondelpark (Amsterdam) in summer, Snowdonia (Wales) in spring. And home, of course.

Most embarrassing moment: I repress such memories. I’m easily embarrassed.

Most daring moment: Running through the snow naked? Swimming in the North Sea in March? And since I’m rather shy, every time I start a conversation with someone I have never met before, I feel very daring.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Miranda Otto, Viggo Mortensen, Lawrence Makoare (he's a very kind person, really ^^)

Least favourite "LotR" actor: hard to say.

Theme song: Though I have no idea why, it has always been Lucky by Bif Naked

Style guru: Most of the time myself.

Most crucial accessory: the two rings I always wear.. I need something to twirl around when nervous.

Greatest weakness: having an IQ of merely 63, according to latest test results.

Greatest strength: being top of my year, doing two full-time studies simultaneously, being able to read most Indo European languages and accidentally getting into Berkeley, California despite having an IQ of 63.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Middle Earth Mirth

Best Downer Buddy: I have no buddies. Nobody likes me *wails*

Parting shot: You shouldn’t shoot things. It’s bad manners.

[Thinlómien]

Name: In death I'm known as Thinlómien. Also known here as Thin, Thinlo and Lommy (of which I prefer Lommy, by the way). In life I'm known as Hanni.

Quest: To find a shrubbery. To overflood Roa in ww. To write a book.

Favourite colour: dark, bluish turqoise and olive green

Most beloved Tolkien character: Galadriel, Gandalf, Boromir, Maedhros, Finrod, Haleth, Théoden and Beorn.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Saeros; Androg holds the second place.

Worst habit: Tearing scabs. Or being lazy. Or bossing my little sister around. Or babbling all the time.

Best habit: Having weird and funny dreams.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: I'm too wise to have one...

Weirdest hobby: Probably "Middle-Earth olympics" which I play with my dad and sister.

Best place in Middle Earth: North-East ME; Anduin Vales, Mirkwood, Esgaroth, Dale and the Lonely Mountain. The places over there have real magic in them. (Or then you might want to blame my dad from a well-made RPG...)

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Rome, Venice and London, but I'm content to live in Helsinki.

Most embarrassing moment: The first I can think of was when I was a newbie, I had a thread "About dwarf women" and Sauce said that actually three of Thorin's companions were female and I almost jumped off my chair and PMed asking which ones? and how do you know? "It was a joke. = joke" -answer made me feel really, really stupid...

Most daring moment: Again a difficult question. I'm not so daring, or then I'm so daring that I don't even notice that I'm doing something daring.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Ian McKellen and Sean Bean. The guy who played Háma was good. Andy Serkis and Ian Holm did amazing work as well.

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Viggo Mortensen (he's not that bad actor, but he is nothing like Aragorn), David Wenham (in TT), John Noble (he ruins Denethor), Liv Tyler or Craig Parker.

Theme song: Kate Bush's Jig of Life and Anouar Brahem's Conte de l'incroyable amour (most elvish music I've ever heard) at the moment.

Style guru: Myself. I don't know whether it is a good or a bad thing... It suits me well, though.

Most crucial accessory: My Prometheus-necklace which I actually wear around my wrist

Greatest weakness: I'm stubborn and curious.

Greatest strength: I'm stubborn and curious.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Books. After it N&N, The Shire (and soon maybe Rohan too ), Middle-Earth Mirth (especially ww) and Downs (this forum). I also like my PM inbox, and my reputation page when I've got new positive reps...

Best Downer Buddy: Kath and Sleepy. Nogrod as well but I shouldn't maybe name him, as I know him from RL. If I was to write all other hilarious 'downers' names I like very much, it'd take me a week, so I just say: nearly all of you are just awesome.

Parting shot: Long live the 'Downs!

[Boromir88]

Well my applause to Lush for creating such another interesting thread. Here we go...

Anyone faint of heart may not want to read past this point, delving into my mind may make you go insane:












Name: Boromir (aka John)

Quest: To battle the vicious monster of Auggghhhh...or have a job where I'm the boss.

Favourite colour: I'll say purple

Most beloved Tolkien character: Should be pretty obvious that it's Elrond

Least beloved Tolkien character: Aragorn

Worst habit: The fear that I'm not making any sense.

Best habit: Good public speaker

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Drew Barrymore

Weirdest hobby: Watch Spongebob Squarepants

Best place in Middle Earth: Ithilien

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Czech Republic

Most embarrassing moment: Accidently sitting on a seat with water on it then purposefully letting someone else poor water on the front of my pants.

Most daring moment: Going as a Cheerleader for Halloween

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Bean, Chris Lee, and Ian Holm

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Martin Csoskas

Theme song: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful world" by Israel Kalakawiwo'ole

Style guru: Just kind of go with whatever I feel like.

Most crucial accessory: My Grill, can't live without it.

Greatest weakness: I really have no idea what I'm talking about sometimes.

Greatest strength: Umm, good Public Speaker again.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Werewolf Games

Best Downer Buddy: There's so many of them...

ummm For the philisophical books/movies...Fordim, davem, Thinlomien, Mr. Underhill Lalwende, Essex and Estelyn

For funny kicks...mormegil, Eomer, Perky, Gil-galad, and Hookbill

For Werewolf...Kuru, Sauce, lmp, wilwarin, Spawn, Lhuna, tgwbs, and Fea

For Survivor...Glirdan who bailed me out many times, and Anguirel.

For RPGs...piosenniel, Bethberry, Child of the 7th Age, Firefoot, and Amanduial.

And for an all around... phantom, Sauce, and Mithalwen


Parting shot: Laughter is the biggest easer of stress! So, stay funny!

[Lush]

I've been so excited to read up on everyone! It's really nice to be able to connect someone's particularly witty post with a slice of their personality, their favourite colour, celebrity crush (or lack thereof), etc. I'd love to read more.

As for my own answers, they're as follows

Name: You can call me Al. Ok, no. Lush or Natalia will do.

Quest: To not screw up beyond all measure.

Favourite colour: I realize now that this is a somewhat vague question. My favourite colour to wear is pink. Meanwhile, I've painted my bedroom a cool blue. In nature, I prefer the light, fragile greens of early spring.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Gandalf. Eowyn. Luthien.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Turin Turambar and his kin really freak me out.

Worst habit: Unregulated chocolate consumption, unhealthy desire to constantly compare myself to all and sundry, procrastination taken to new heights.

Best habit: Making fun CD mixes for people I like, regular exercise.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: I find it perfectly natural, but people still get surprised when I tell them I'm partial to Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise.

Weirdest hobby: Naughty fanfiction.

Best place in Middle Earth: Minas Tirith. I like white buildings and good libraries.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Covent Garden & South Kensington in London, Gorkii Street in Kiev, Durham's 9th Street, and Charlotte, NC, where I spent half my childhood staring out my window and waiting for my life to begin.

Most embarrassing moment: I've thought long and hard about this one. I think drunkenly kissing our very surprised university President during the gala opening of the new university museum probably qualifies.

Most daring moment: It would have to be breaking into a Kievan polling station during the much heated final election following Ukraine's Orange Revolution. I argued my way in, waving my university ID around, pointing to my swollen cheek (wisdom tooth removal, ahhhh) and claiming it was the reason I never registered with the local press corps, and took a ton of technically unauthorized pictures. Looking back on it, the polling station people could have easily taken me out back and beaten the *bleep* out of me.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sir Ian for the gravitas and Mr. Bloom for the gratification.

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Craig Parker & Co. The background Lorien Elves just look coked-up and in serious need of a proper hair stylist. Haldira Queen of the Forest, anyone?

Theme song: "Under Pressure" by David Bowie & Queen. And the "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" by DMX. Stop. Drop. Roll.

Style guru: Kate Moss.

Most crucial accessory: Phone, perfume, iPod, and a little blue and yellow gold ring (because my heart belongs to Daddy).

Greatest weakness: Pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty boys.

Greatest strength: Um.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Everywhere. I adore this place.

Best Downer Buddy: They know who they are.

Parting shot: "Swing down, sweet chariot, the flesh will fall and the bones will rot, but from my sorrow you carry me not, my heart is bound, my soul is chained to the rock, rock of ages cleft for me, I swung down my hammer out in Joshua Tree, It rang from the mountain and rolled to the sea, and it will ring from the rock." I'm listening to Emmylou Harris right now. She's amazing.

[Mithalwen]

Name: Mithalwen (Alexandra officially but rarely)

Quest: the perfect handbag.....

Favourite colour:green no blue arggggggggggggh

Most beloved Tolkien character: Eowyn and Elrond

Least beloved Tolkien character: Luthien and Bomabadil

Worst habit: More or less given up biting my nails thanks to calcium supplements, procrastination, unrequited love, running on Oxford time

Best habit: Listening, remebering details

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Bill Nighy, no that is likely *covers face* Jeremy Clarkson

Weirdest hobby: To most people in my life it would be the Downs. Sorry


Best place in Middle Earth: Rivendell/Lorien

Best place outside of Middle Earth: UK: Oxford & home, Europe: Florence Elsewhere Otago Peninsula/ Gippsland

Most embarrassing moment: Running myself over with my car.

Most daring moment: Can't think - A coward's soul is mine

Favourite "LotR" actor: Hugo Weaving

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Excusing those such as Liv Tyler, Sean Astin and Elijah Wood who I feel were victims of script, direction and casting, Ian McKellen because of a lazy, mannered performance and his bleating about that gorgeous hat.

Theme song: Elgar Cello Conceto

Style guru: Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen

Most crucial accessory: I have a weakness for hats.......

Greatest weakness: anxiety, thoughtlessness, flippancy, bloody-mindedness

Greatest strength: tenacity, loyalty, honesty

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: wherever I have been posting most recently

Best Downer Buddy: Oh this is so primary school to make a hierachy of friendship - there are so many I like talking to - the nominations would be lengthy but the Oscar goes to .... Boromir88. (Sorry I cannot reciprocate TP but it surely isn't possible to be your buddy surely it is more of a Pythia / deity thing )

Parting shot: You can't always get what you want but sometimes, if you try, you get what you need.

[Firefoot]

Name: Firefoot

Quest: Right now I'm driving towards Christmas vacation... Longer term than that, I'd love to travel to New Zealand and Australia. And if you want to go really long term, going to Heaven.

Favourite colour: Blue - either indigo or the beautiful blue of a clear sky.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Probably Frodo - but Merry, Feanor, Turin, Maedhros, and Eomer are all cool too.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Tom Bombadil.

Worst habit: chewing the skin around my nails.

Best habit: Not really sure. I don't notice the good habits so much since they're just, you know, habits.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Can't say that I have any.

Weirdest hobby: Probably Werewolf. (When people find out how much I like LotR, that gets strange looks... I don't usually even get to the Downs, much less Werewolf...) Outside of the Downs, though, I used to have a chain of Starburst wrappers.

Best place in Middle Earth: Either Rohan or the Shire.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Either the Black Hills, SD, or somewhere out in the Rockies.

Most embarrassing moment: Maybe not the most, but one time when I went to the water park around here I was coming back to find my mom who was sitting on one of the lounge chairs and I walked up to this completely random lady who I thought was my mom and started telling her about what I had just done. Then she pulled her book away from her face and I realized it wasn't my mom.

Most daring moment: Physically, when I went rock climbing (nothing official - more like "here's a big rock; let's climb it")with my cousins in the Black Hills a couple years ago, that had a couple of daring moments. Otherwise, probably something along the lines of doing something really random in public.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Bean, Bernard Hill, Ian McKellan, Viggo Mortensen...

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Craig Parker, and I did not like Hugo Weaving as Elrond.

Theme song: "The Riders of Rohan" - track 5 on the TTT soundtrack

Style guru: None, really.

Most crucial accessory: probably my watch or a hair tie - nothing spiffy.

Greatest weakness: I'm not a very good conversationalist.

Greatest strength: Being smart, I guess.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: That's a toughy. Probably the Shire.

Best Downer Buddy: I like all of you! (Yes, that's a cop-out...)

Parting shot: The answer is 42.

[the guy who be short]

Name: TGWBS, the guy, guy, Shorty, Short guy, Jay. I prefer TGWBS.

Quest: To be remembered after I'm dead. To write a book to help me achieve that. In the short term, I want to find time to do some charity work.

Favourite colour: Purple and Blue, depending on the shades.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Feanor. Who can't love that pinache?

Least beloved Tolkien character: I'll go with old Tom.

Worst habit: I'm socially hopeless. When faces by crying people, the best I can do is pat them and say "there there."

Best habit: I guess the fact that I'm gifted with intelligence (apparently) and still manage to be conscious of society as opposed to just myself.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: People have crushes on celebs after the age of 12? I can't fall in love with somebody I've only ever seen 2D and pretending to be somebody else.

Weirdest hobby: I vibrate my legs when I sit, but that's not that weird I guess. So, excluding the Barrow Downs and Tolkien, I'd say my cheese obsession. And I like raw onion.

Best place in Middle Earth: Gondolin.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Home with my mummy.

Most embarrassing moment: Most? I think I've probably blocked it out. Possibly trying to engage my friend in a staring contest for five minutes, then giving up to realise that the whole room was looking at me, which explained why my friend was looking fixedly away...

Most daring moment: I'm not a daring person in general. Coming out at school, or any time I'm forced to make a presentation.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Whoever played Sam, and Viggo.

Least favourite "LotR" actor: They all did well. They can't help the scripts they're given.

Theme song: The theme tune of Inuyasha - I Want to Change the World. The rest of the song descends into unintelligible Japanese, but hey, it suits me.

Style guru: My sister or myself.

Most crucial accessory: Perhaps my French dictionary.

Greatest weakness: Shyness.

Greatest strength: Always happy.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Mirth!

Best Downer Buddy: FeaKath.

Parting shot: Too many wise quotes addle the brain.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Name: Estelyn Telcontar (in the Common Tongue, 'Hope Strider')

Quest: To create a lasting work of art, to find the perfect red lipstick

Favourite colour: shocking pink

Most beloved Tolkien character: Aragorn

Least beloved Tolkien character: Gríma Wormtongue

Worst habit: procrastinating, chocolates

Best habit: making an effort to meet fellow Downers when travelling

Inevitable celebrity crush: Spock

Weirdest hobby: The Barrow-Downs! ...and Nordic walking (looks strange, feels good!)

Best place in Middle Earth: Rivendell

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Ein Gedi Kibbutz, Israel – the world’s only live-in botanical garden!

Most embarrassing moment: Won’t tell…

Most daring moment: RL: Walking onto the stage and presenting my Arwen-style dress in front of hundreds of people at 'Tolkien 2005' in Birmingham - that was scary! Downs: Joining a Werewolf game

Favourite "LotR" actor: Ian McKellan

Least favourite "LotR" actor: the guy who plays Gothmog – or maybe his make-up artist!

Theme song: “I Am What I Am”

Style guru: myself

Most crucial accessory: red lipstick, my silver and opal ring

Greatest weakness: moodiness, lack of self-discipline

Greatest strength: communication, curiosity about all that there is to learn

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Books forum, esp. CbC, and ‘Entish Bow’ thread

Best Downer Buddy: Bêthberry; also the ‘Entish Bow’ writing crew, fellow mods/admins

Parting shot: Don’t take ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ at face value when forming an opinion about Germans and Germany!

[AbercrombieOfRohan]

Name: AbercrombieofRohan, Abercrombie, Aber, Crombie, AoR and Abe ()

Quest: To seek the grail, of course... Learn Aramaic.

Favourite colour: blue/purple

Most beloved Tolkien character: You expect me to choose just one? Well, Elwing I suppose.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Turin and family, I usually just skip this chapter in the Silmarillion.

Worst habit: Laziness/procrastination and ambiguity

Best habit: Being a Tolkien fanatic.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: So many to choose from... Salizhan Sharipov, and Kenneth Branagh among them.

Weirdest hobby: Playing 6 degrees of separation on Wikipedia (You have two things, say "Tolkien" and "Celery" and try to see who can get there using the least amount of links.)

Best place in Middle Earth: Doriath

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Kew Royal Gardens in London (though England is awesome in general)

Most embarrassing moment: Forgetting my lines in the last play I was in. (I made a quick recovery though )

Most daring moment: Jumping off a 25 ft. bridge into a river (though perhaps that should go under "stupidest moment"...)

Favourite "LotR" actor: Ian Holm is the master.

Least favourite "LotR" actor:

Theme song: "Felicia" by Jeremy Cohen, "Always Look onthe Bright Side of Life" by Monty Python

Style guru: Anyone wearing Derek Lam. And of course, the man himself, Tolkien.

Most crucial accessory: Anyone of my seven copies of the Lord of the Rings (I even carried The Book of Lost Tales 1 around Piccadilly Circus for three hours in a vain attempt to meet someone from BD, or at the very least to engage in a conversation who recognised the book.)

Greatest weakness: On-line shopping

Greatest strength: Being able to recite all of Romeo and Juliet Act 2.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Werewolf

Best Downer Buddy: Shelob, Malkatoj

Parting shot: Vad ko, ko rukies? (What the curtains?)

[Celuien]

Name: Celuien, aka The Dancing Huorn according to the generator (when I enter my screen name with my RL name).

Quest: To find the question answered by 42.

Favourite colour: Blue

Most beloved Tolkien character: Elrond, Frodo, Galadriel, Sam

Least beloved Tolkien character: Those singing Elves in Rivendell

Worst habit: Is there room for another member in the procrastinator's club?

Best habit: Making up for my procrastination by finishing things I'm not delaying far enough in advance to get the work I put off done in those last minute rush sessions. Then again, maybe this is a bad habit since it lets me keep procrastinating...

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Vincent Price. Really.

Weirdest hobby: I don't think it's weird, but most of my friends think I'm nuts for being a part of the Werewolf craze.

Best place in Middle Earth: Rivendell

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Home is where the heart is.

Most embarrassing moment: Remember America's Funniest Home Videos back when Bob Saget was the host? That's all I'm going to say.

Most daring moment: Not really sure.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Ian McKellen, Ian Holm

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Cate Blanchett. It's probably not her fault, but I can't stand that whole Mirror scene.

Theme song: Varies with my mood. Right now it's the last movement of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, or maybe The 59th Street Bridge Song.

Style guru: What is this style of which you speak? Really, as long as it's clean, comfortable and doesn't look too sloppy, it's fine with me.

Most crucial accessory: I like my knee-high blue boots.

Greatest weakness: Chocolate.

Greatest strength: I guess sticking with a task.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: The Books and Mirth.

Best Downer Buddy: LMP and JennyHallu. Everyone else is, of course, wonderful too.

Parting shot: Beware the Jabberwock!

[luthien-elvenprincess]

Name: luthien-elvenprincess (really wished I'd taken the time to pick a better name, but...oh well.)

Quest: To someday...somewhere...stand under a waterfall with little or nothing on (with the assurance of no one else around to see me!) On a more serious note...to do my very best at the things that I do, never giving less than all of which I am capable.

Favourite colour: Black, white

Most beloved Tolkien character: Sam, Gandalf

Least beloved Tolkien character: Denethor (how could he do that to such a great son as Faramir???)

Worst habit: It's amazing how many of us bite our fingernails! I also tend to seek perfection from others while excusing myself from that same standard. Much better than I used to be about this, though!

Best habit: To have gotten myself used to going above and beyond what is expected of me...to do more than just the minimum requirements.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Johnny Depp (What a hottie...but his philosophy and mine are pretty far apart! We would probably argue about a lot of issues!)

Weirdest hobby: LOTR...my family and co-workers just sigh heavily, raise their eyebrows and roll their eyes whenever I begin to talk about LOTR. I have found a way to put up them though...I just keep talking until I'm done! I did find a pathologist with a healthy fondness of Tolkien! It made my day!

Best place in Middle Earth: Rivendell or the Shire

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Iowa

Most embarrassing moment: Whenever I have to admit that I have four cats. That's right...four...1, 2, 3, 4! And my daughter just brought home a 4-week old abandoned kitten! Anyone looking for a great pet???

Most daring moment: filling out this survey!

Favourite "LotR" actor: Viggo & Ian

Least favourite "LotR" actor: I'm gonna give Liv a rest and say the girl who played Rosie...I don't know...she just didn't look like what I thought Rosie should look like!

Theme song: And Your Praise Goes On. By Chris Rice

Style guru: I am my own style guru...I wear what I like and what I think looks good on me. I guess that I am moderately conservative in my style.

Most crucial accessory: I like the marquise-cut diamond earrings that my beloved gave to me...I would never want to lose them.

Greatest weakness: Chocolate. Homeless kittens.

Greatest strength: Common sense.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Crazy Captions and Palantir threads.

Best Downer Buddy: I don't really have one special buddy.

Parting shot: Build a bridge...and get over it.

[Aiwendil]

Name: Depending on the crowd, it might be Steve, Aiwendil, Harry Potter, Romulox, or Death.

Quest: To achieve immortality, attain enlightenment, and maybe even - someday - learn to whistle.

Favourite Colour: Somewhere in the far infrared to microwave range.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Turin, with Radagast a close second

Least beloved Tolkien character: Tinfang Warble

Worst habit: Is laziness a habit?

Best habit: Hmm . . . well, I always rewind tapes when I'm done with them. That's got to count for something. (Yes, I still use VHS).

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: I'm going to lie and say I'm above that.

Weirdest hobby: Finding large palindromic prime numbers.

Best place in Middle Earth: Gondolin.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: The house at the shore we went to every year when I was little.

Most embarrassing moment: I've put in too much time trying to repress these to throw all that work away by putting them in print.

Most daring moment: Well . . . I seem to have repressed these too. It's not that I haven't undertaken any feats of tremendous daring, you understand. It's not that I'm a meek nerd who can barely survive the mundane hurdles of every day life. It's just that for some mysterious reason all my bold exploits escape me at the moment.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Brad Dourif

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Liv Tyler

Theme song: The "Harry Potter" main title (not my favourite piece of music, you see, but the fact is that it's my theme).

Style guru: What's style? You mean like the needle on a record player?

Most crucial accessory: Used to be my graphing calculator, but I'd say it's lost that position to my relatively new laptop.

Greatest weakness: Probably the underbelly, just like a dragon.

Greatest strength: I can name the first 50 elements in order - in one breath.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: The Revised Silmarillion project

Best Downer Buddy: Aside from the small Revised silmarillion group, I'd have to say Mister Underhill, a fellow defender of the Star Wars prequels, and The Saucepan Man, with whom I seem to agree in every debate (save, sometimes, the quality of the movies).

Parting shot: Espresso, though I usually order a double shot.

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Name: Fordim Hedgethistle. Other known aliases: Fordie, Fordhim, Professor Hedgehthistle, That Guy Who Starts All the Polls.

Quest: To live a meaningful, happy life and then die well.

Favourite colour: The green of a living, healthy forest.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Aragorn.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Thranduil (what a jerk; making war on the Dwarves and Men of Dale for dragon's gold -- an Elf should know better).

Worst habit: Lying.

Best habit: Daily walk in the woods with my son.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: It's a tie:

Johnny Depp -- the man is more beautiful than anyone has a right to be.

Vin Diesel -- the man is cooller than anyone has a right to be.

Weirdest hobby: The Downs.

Best place in Middle Earth: Bag-End.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: The Caribbean.

Most embarrassing moment: The very first time I called a girl I liked to ask her to a movie.

Most daring moment: The very first time I called a girl I liked to ask her to a movie.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sir Ian McKellan: his Macbeth is legendary, his Iago is epic, his Richard III is breath-taking.

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Brad Dourif...I mean, really, other than the creepy voice and the weird eyes, does this guy have anything going for him?

Theme song: "Like a Rolling Stone"...Dylan, Baby!

Style guru: Indianna Jones.

Most crucial accessory: My book satchel.

Greatest weakness: Pretty girls.

Greatest strength: My ability to think outside the box. That, and my modesty.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: The Green Dragon Inn.

Best Downer Buddy: Aman and Bethberry.

Parting shot: If you want anymore, you can sing it yourself, Uh-huh.

[tar-ancalime]

Name: tar-ancalime

Quest: the perfect Cabernet

Favourite colour: green

Most beloved Tolkien character: Goldberry

Least beloved Tolkien character: Gollum

Worst habit: sneaking 'Downs breaks while at work

Best habit: not getting caught (see above)

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: John Cusack

Weirdest hobby: hunting werewolves

Best place in Middle Earth: Bree

Best place outside of Middle Earth: heading away from shore in a sailboat

Most embarrassing moment: oh, there are so many...and they all seem to involve me on the floor, having tripped over nothing.

Most daring moment: i'll let you know when i have one.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Viggo Mortensen (sigh)

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Astin

Theme song: The House of the Rising Sun

Style guru: the sale rack at Sears

Most crucial accessory: glasses. definitely necessary.

Greatest weakness: see above re: Cabernet

Greatest strength: patience

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: The Books

Best Downer Buddy: hmmm....no one, I guess

Parting shot: Never mind manoeuvres: just go straight at 'em!

[Alphaelin]

Name: Alphaelin, Ann

Quest: To find out what I'm doing here. Or to find Middle Earth, whichever comes first.

Favourite colour: Lavender

Most beloved Tolkien character: Faramir

Least beloved Tolkien character: Eol. What a sourpuss.

Worst habit: Procrastination, swearing in traffic

Best habit: One date a week with my husband & each daughter

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Faramir (the character, not David Wenham), 'Luscious' Malfoy (the actor, not the character)

Weirdest hobby: Ballet lessons. When you're older than the instructors, people look at you funny.

Best place in Middle Earth: Rivendell

Best place outside of Middle Earth: southeast coast of Lake Michigan, Rocky Mtn. National Park

Most embarrassing moment: Too many to count, most involving Weirdest Hobby.

Most daring moment: When I hit the "Submit" button for this post.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Sean Bean

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Craig Parker

Theme song: Unprintable on a 'G-rated' website

Style guru: Goodwill

Most crucial accessory: Corrective lenses

Greatest weakness: Extreme shyness

Greatest strength: A surprising ability to meet deadlines

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: It varies; right now CbC, Middle Earth Mirth and the Barrow Downs

Best Downer Buddy: I love you all!

Parting shot: A splash of whiskey in my Coke will do nicely, thanks!

[Lalaith]

Name: Lalaith.

Quest: To pluck till time and times are done, the silver apples of the moon, the
golden apples of the sun

Favourite colour: midnight blue, rose pink and silver.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Hurin

Least beloved Tolkien character: Of the ones we are supposed to like, Tom Bombadil. Or Turgon.

Worst habit: Cistercian

Best habit: Dominican (well this is a confessional isn’t it?)

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: last time I revealed this, I was accused of being a pervert, so I’m not going to tell anyone again.

Weirdest hobby: Lalaith’s-friends-and-relations unanimously agree, Werewolf.

Best place in Middle Earth: Third Age – Rivendell or Rohan. First Age – Eglarest sounds rather fine. I would have liked to have seen Gondolin, but not lived there.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Burgh Island, Rome, the British Library, my bedroom.

Most embarrassing moment: My life has been so strewn with these that I’ve long since ceased to care.

Most daring Barrowdowner moment: Offering myself up for a multiple lynching in WWIV because I was so sure LMP was a wolf.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Why, ahem, the great Sir Ian McKellen, of course. Wonderfully textured piece of acting craft. (*tiny venal whisper* Orlando)

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Elijah Wood because he was cheesy, and didn’t read the book. Bernard Hill - he is a good actor and the script wasn’t his fault but the character he played was not Theoden.

Theme song: Past-time with Good Company

Style guru: Anna Karenina. The description of her at the ball in Book One is the definition of a well-dressed woman.

Most crucial accessory: hairbrush, mobile

Greatest weakness: Judging myself against what I read in these Confessionals, I fear it is personal vanity about appearance.

Greatest strength: Again in relative Downer terms, eyesight.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Oh, how I wish I could still be virtuous and say Books. But Mirth it is.

Best Downer Buddy: Don’t have one. There are several people whose online company I enjoy, but to assume the feeling is mutual seems rather presumptuous.

Parting shot: Gaudeamus Igitur

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Name: Tigerlily or "Tig" known elsewhere as "psyknife" or Mel

Quest: To get out of debt and have money to travel... also, to get paid for doing what I love!

Favourite colour: Purple

Most beloved Tolkien character: Eowyn, but I do enjoy Samwise as well

Least beloved Tolkien character: Gollum

Worst habit: Spending money, feeling sorry for myself (though I'm not so bad at that anymore) and procrastinating

Best habit: well, lately, its been exercising regularly, eating good foods, and I'm almost always ontime and I rarely let people down

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Uh, hmmm... Stephen Lynch, I guess. I also once mentioned to someone that I found the character of Austin Power strangly attractive (gross, right!?)

Weirdest hobby: collecting My Little Ponies (there! I said it!)

Best place in Middle Earth: I love Rohan, but Hobbiton would be much more peaceful and full of wonderful smells

Best place outside of Middle Earth: my bed, and I love Ren Faires and movie theatres too

Most embarrassing moment: Probably in 2nd grade where my skirt got ripped off while going down a slide... it was on St. Patrick's day and I was in a lovely green dress with (I think) white tights (which everyone in the school yard saw)

Most daring moment: I don't know... making a huge move w/no money and no job? Isn't getting out of bed every day daring enough?

Favourite "LotR" actor: Miranda Otto (for LOTR, and for other movies I've seen her in)

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Orlando Bloom (sorry, but he's too pretty and not that great of an actor)

Theme song: "Robert Holiday" by Cornmo (I really have no clue on this one)

Style guru: myself (though many have claimed that it's Stevie Nicks)

Most crucial accessory: clothing (otherwise I'd be naked)

Greatest weakness: cute things, chai tea, sleep

Greatest strength: helping people out, and things of that nature

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: no place in particular

Best Downer Buddy: EVERYONE!

Parting shot: Today is a lucky day for those who remain cheerful and optimistic

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Name: Hilde Bracegirdle

Quest: To do those things I intend to do, but not those things I do not intend to do. For me this is surprisingly difficult.

Favourite colour: Green - A friendly color, not as aloof as black or reserved as blue.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Gads, what a nightmare of a puzzle figuring out that would be! I will settle for several from LotR: Gandalf, Sam, Aragorn, Faramir and Denethor, Theoden and Hama too.

Least beloved Tolkien character: How does Melkor sound?

Worst habit: Heaping my plate with things to do and then feeling overwhelmed by strong desire to crawl under a table…or desk.

Best habit: Listening to and treating people as well as I am able.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: Grommet (But Viggo does have cute feet ).

Weirdest hobby: Polishing apricot pits.

Best place in Middle Earth: Ithilien sounds nice.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: Any high rocky outcropping that overlooks trees and water.

Most embarrassing moment: On the Barrow-downs it was in an RPG. MS Word further misspelled a blunder of mine, changing what was to be countenance to continence. Unfortunately it worked too well in the context. And thankfully, a friend brought it to my attention. See BD Buddy .

Most daring moment: Chasing a purse-snatcher so far up the street that the getaway car peeled out leaving the snatcher to endure my strongly worded disapproval as I tried to catch up with him.

Favourite "LotR" actor: All did well given the script they were given.

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Craig Parker and Hugo Weaving I belive were horribly miscast. And Parker was also a victim of bad editing. (Haldir did seem markedly effeminate in the theater version of FotR.)

Theme song: ‘Awaken’ by Yes

Style guru: Trees (Stand tall, reach for the sun and wear something until it becomes ragged. Then compost it.)

Most crucial accessory: Hrumph, I believe these days that would have to be accessories of the optical nature balanced on one's nose.

Greatest weakness: Picture a grammatically challenged, oblivious and scatter-brained slug.

Greatest strength: Now think of the aforementioned slug being kind, reliable, steadfast and surprisingly good at drawing (for a slug).

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: The odd topics the spiders lead me to, also RPG’s, books and CbC.

Best Downer Buddy: Too easy for me. Ealasaide, without a doubt. We have been friends for 27 years or so. But I am also very fond of quite a few others, and have not yet had the pleasure of getting to know many of the 'regulars'.

Parting shot: KA-BOOM!

[Holbytlass]

"Barrow confessional" I thought that would be "Father, forgive me for I have sinned...'

Name:Like Gandalf, many names...Holbytlass, Holby, Rebecca, Becky, Beck, Beckela etc.

Quest:to do the birthday wishes for a year (4 months now) and get onto Survivor

Favourite colour:red

Most beloved Tolkien character:Frodo and Sam

Least beloved Tolkien character:Goldberry

Worst habit:nail biting

Best habit:smiling, enjoying people

Unlikeliest celebrity crush:Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) for 28 years. I would divorce Mr. Holby if he ever came to my door!

Weirdest hobby:doing the birthday wishes

Best place in Middle Earth:The Shire

Best place outside of Middle Earth:Blue Ridge Mtns, Virginia

Most embarrassing moment: Photographing football game for highschool yearbook, I tripped and fell, the commentator announcing that the judges award me a 9 for my "pavement diving"!

Most daring moment:Having to honestly answer "yes, she did" when a friend of my sister's asked, "where's Rachael, I haven't seen her in awhile, what did she do, go and die on me?" (Trust me, I felt bad for the friend, not me)

Theme song:Good Riddance -Green Day

Style guru:Style? Eh, precious, what's style?

Most crucial accessory:wedding band, watch

Greatest weakness:chocolate

Greatest strength:family

Favourite place to visit on the Downs:Middle-earth Mirth

Best Downer Buddy:Mormegil, Mithalwen, Shelob, Lily Bombadil

Parting shot:Be careful what you ask for!!

[Encaitare]

Name: There are some who call me... Tim. But I don't know why that is, since my name is clearly Enca(i).

Quest: to learn Quenya, finish my novel... and get into college. That'd be nice.

Favourite color: I like all shades of blue. But the colors I wear most are black, and increasingly green.

Most beloved Tolkien character: Grima, Maglor, Gandalf.

Least beloved Tolkien character: Hmm. There are really no characters that I hate, exactly. The heroes are awesome and the villains are deliciously villainous.

Worst habit: taking the Barrow-Downs intravenously.

Best habit: being anal about spelling and grammar. I think it's a good thing, at least. Others may disagree.

Unlikeliest celebrity crush: well, you all know. Brad Dourif, Alan Rickman. And the beautiful Johnny Depp, though that's a likely one by all means. *chants* Forty-plus is a must!

Weirdest hobby: oh, this is it, alright. Barrow sweet barrow.

Best place in Middle Earth: the Shire or Rivendell.

Best place outside of Middle Earth: the band room!

Most embarrassing moment: I cannot bring anything immediately to mind. I don't get embarrassed very easily, although crying in school is something I'd rather not do.

Most daring moment: I live right on the edge, baby. All day, every day.

Favourite "LotR" actor: Dourif. And Hugo Weaving. And Ian McKellen.

Least favourite "LotR" actor: Orlando Bloom.

Theme song: Right now it's Sæglópur by Sigur Rós. I have no idea what the lyrics mean, or if they mean anything at all, but it's a gorgeous song.

Style guru: myself. And I refuse to be anyone else's style guru, either. Don't dress like me. Because then I'll be dressing like you, in a sense, and we wouldn't want that.

Most crucial accessory: the huge watch, and the leather wristband. Both have given me tan lines.

Greatest weakness: I'm easily bribed with promises of candy.

Greatest strength: I think I can beat most people in a battle of wits. Maybe not davem, but most people.

Favourite place to visit on the Downs: Mirth and the Shire.

Best Downer Buddy: I suppose Fea and the Ka. But I love you all.

Parting shot: I don't believe in shooting. Shooting is too good for them....