I will begin my life as a troubled recluse later. Today, I will entertain some interview questions from Todd. They are:

5. Which of your children do you love best?

A. You're a jerk.

Okay, just kidding. Here are the real questions:

5. What is your favorite thing about living in the Chicago metro area?

There is diversity and culture without it being overwhelming. Being by the Great Lakes is the next best thing to being by an ocean. We have great universities, hospitals, restaurants, museums. I love the neighborhoods, and the different flavors they have. Even a lot of the suburbs have a certain flavor to differentiate them. People here are feisty. I like feisty.

4. What is your least favorite thing about living in the Chicago metro area?

Naperville. Schaumburg. Housing's expensive.

3. Which is your favorite kind of cupcake to make? (i.e. yellow cake, chocolate icing)

This is difficult. I do like to make fancy ones, but they're a lot of work, so they're not my favorite. Opening a box of cake and a can of frosting is the easiest, but it's not fulfilling and homemade frosting tastes better. So, my favorite cupcakes I ever made were dark chocolate fudge cake, chocolate frosting, and spiderwebs I made with white icing on top. They were fun, easy AND tasty! Also, one of the guys Dilf used to work with said they cured his hangover.

2. Are you still finding Nick's body hair in your guest bathroom?

Nick actually endeavored to stay quite neat when he stayed here. The only hairs I found were from his head, which he shaved while he was here. Does this disappoint you? Were you looking for something with which to fashion a voodoo doll? Ask his sister. She might have some nail clippings or something you could use.

1. Describe the best concert you've ever seen. Give us names, times, places, etc.

It's hard to say "best." My favorite was on Halloween night, 1996, when Los Borrachos opened for Eulailai (a defunct band) at some bar I can't remember. I was with tons of friends, I had just gotten rid of The Evil One and I was having the time of my life. One of the Borrachos performed on roller skates.

I don't really enjoy big venues and big names. I like smokey bars and blues joints and jazz clubs and such. A favorite of Double Post's and mine is the Harlem Avenue Lounge.

If anyone would like to answer five questions from me, send me an email.