It's a favorite game of mine for getting to sleep. I like to decorate houses in my mind. The whole business of sheep never made sense to me. Trying to decide between a cozy breakfast nook with built-in banquettes and a sunny room with a proper table is such an impossible task that my mind slows down and eventually drifts away. And not from boredom, smart alec. I genuinely like to mull over how to configure a bedroom or upholster a sofa.

There's a test based on this, I know. Industrial psychologists use it. But I don't know what it all means, man. I just like to think about how I'd arrange my living space if I had sufficient time and money. I'd do away with a lot of the stuffy ordinariness I have to live with in rental houses. I loathe white walls, for one thing. I like color, a feast for the eyes. Lots of broad, comfortable furniture. Curves and crannies, secret rooms. Plenty of indirect lighting and unexpected views. Windows overlooking the ocean (of course I'd live on the ocean). A series of small courtyards with fountains. At least one Japanese garden. A library with a fireplace (for those wintry days when one wants old-fashioned comforts). The whole house would be designed to let in air and light and sound, so that you hardly know if you're inside or out. Oh, it would be lovely.

It's all fantasy, of course. I'm not sure I'll ever own a home, let alone have the funds to build one so different from the usual boring geometric blots. But I'm very sure what I want my house to look like says a great deal about me. Which is a very interesting exercise in itself. So give it a go. Try describing your ideal house. I'll bet you'll be surprised.

Be sure to do it lying down, though. You might fall asleep.