500 Things You Have To Do Once In A Lifetime (Part 2)

These should be numbered 251-500 but because I’ve started a new post, WordPress starts my numbered list from 1. Grr!

1. See a Double Rainbow.
2. Have a bath in milk.
3. Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge.
4. Have a tea party.
5. Learn to write your name in another language.
6. Explore a cave.
7. Take a skiing lesson.
8. Have your photograph professionally taken.
9. Dive off a boat into the sea.
10. Be in the audience for a TV show.
11. Sleep through a whole day.
12. Give to charity.
13. Learn to shuffle a deck of cards like a croupier.
14. Realise a childhood dream.
15. Work behind a bar.
16. Sleep under the stars for one night.
17. Visit a desert island.
18. Spend a day eating junk food.
19. Fly in a sea plane.
20. Buy a very expensive suit or dress.
21. Go to Glastonbury or an outdoor festival.
22. Play a didgeridoo.
23. Learn to swim.
24. Plant a tree.
25. Fire an arrow from a bow.
26. Go to the opera.
27. Ride a bucking bronco or mechanical bull.
28. Impersonate an idol.
29. Listen to Mozart’s Requiem at full volume.
30. Talk to a tramp.
31. Soak in a hot tub outside during winter.
32. Invent a word.
33. Go camping.
34. Order the most expensive dish on a menu.
35. Go waterskiing.
36. Have afternoon tea in an exclusive hotel.
37. Trek to Machu Picchu.
38. Stay overnight in a car or van.
39. Learn to throw a lasso.
40. Hold a bird of prey.
41. Watch a classical concert.
42. Ride in a horse-drawn carriage.
43. Go on a retreat.
44. East fruit straight from a tree.
45. Send a secret Valentine’s card.
46. Make a pizza from scratch.
47. Be photographed in front of the Hollywood Hills sign.
48. Visit a holy city.
49. East an ostrich egg.
50. Dive off a high board.
51. Have a custom piece of jewellery made.
52. See the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
53. Invent something.
54. Watch a meteor shower.
55. Go to a live sporting event.
56. Sleep on the beach.
57. Canoe or kayak downriver.
58. Arm wrestle.
59. Get your handwriting analyzed.
60. Create a family tree.
61. Visit Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain.
62. Visit a courthouse.
63. Go on vacation with no luggage.
64. Bake bread.
65. Paraglide.
66. Eat in a restaurant using chopsticks.
67. Spend a day learning circus skills.
68. Go fishing.
69. Have an antique valued.
70. Ride a tandem bike.
71. Make your own website.
72. Have a cold shower.
73. Have your portrait painted.
74. Wear a novelty hat to work.
75. Make a new discovery.
76. Make a complaint to the highest authorities.
77. Put a pin in a map and travel wherever it lands.
78. Go truffle hunting.
79. Enter a pub quiz.
80. Learn to play poker.
81. Get to know your neighbours.
82. Go zorbing.
83. Watch a fashion show.
84. Visit the grave of one of your idols.
85. Don’t watch TV or films for a week.
86. Ask an embarrassing question.
87. Name a star.
88. Read to a child.
89. Get barred from a bar.
90. Visit the source of a river.
91. Fast for a day.
92. Make a candle.
93. Learn the longest word in the English language – Pneumonoultrascopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
94. Wish upon a star.
95. Speak in public.
96. Write a book.
97. Kiss on a fairground ride.
98. Visit an elderly person.
99. Wear an enormous button badge with a silly slogan.
100. Have a house party.
101. Cross the International Date Line.
102. Have breakfast in bed.
103. Climb St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
104. Learn to drive.
105. Climb a mountain.
106. Stand with your feet in two different time zones.
107. Have your fortune told.
108. Spend the day in bed.
109. Join in a Mexican wave.
110. Build a snowman.
111. Peel a grape and feed it to a loved one.
112. Climb the Statue of Liberty.
113. Learn the sign language alphabet.
114. Hold a tarantula.
115. Score a goal.
116. Make a homemade card.
117. Buy a front row seat for a show.
118. Sit in a car through a car wash.
119. Have an X-ray.
120. Do stand-up comedy.
121. Ice skate outdoors in a city centre.
122. Do jury service.
123. Visit the lost city of Petra, Jordan.
124. Learn the names of the clouds.
125. Have a proper spa mud bath.
126. Score a hole in one.
127. Go to the horse races.
128. Read twelve literary classics in a year.
129. Go for a walk in bare feet.
130. Write a letter in invisible ink.
131. Have a food fight.
132. Answer a personal ad.
133. Go to the Pike Place Market in Seattle.
134. Tie a bow tie.
135. Visit the Arctic Circle.
136. Order a martini shaken not stirred.
137. Cruise the Fjords of Norway.
138. Learn to play Chopsticks on the piano.
139. Buy a work of art.
140. Do the splits.
141. Go without speaking for a whole day.
142. Work outside.
143. See the Grand Canyon.
144. Invent a meal.
145. Walk round the Louvre in Paris, France.
146. Learn to play chess.
147. Drive a golf cart.
148. Stay up all night talking.
149. Buy a vacation for someone else.
150. Scream as loudly as possible.
151. Start a collection.
152. Take a train from Grand Central Station, NYC.
153. Eat a chilli pepper.
154. See The Statues of Easter Island, Chile.
155. Learn to play pool.
156. Ride a hovercraft.
157. Make a stranger scream.
158. Get buried in sand.
159. Blow a huge bubblegum bubble.
160. Throw a drink over someone.
161. Sunbathe in Hawaii.
162. Book a box for a show.
163. Surf or bodyboard.
164. Go to a circus.
165. Analyze a blank wall in an art gallery in front of other people.
166. Clean behind the fridge.
167. Spend New Year abroad.
168. Throw a coin in the Trevi fountain.
169. Play hookey from school or work.
170. Change a nappy.
171. Make your own beer or wine.
172. See the Pyramids at Giza.
173. Learn to ballroom dance.
174. Ride a horse.
175. Take a sports car for a test drive.
176. Order snails in a restaurant.
177. Take a spin in a speedboat.
178. Send a household tip in to a magazine.
179. Vote.
180. Fly somewhere and back home in one day.
181. Cook on a campfire.
182. Walk over the Rialto Bridge, Venice.
183. Take a snowboarding lesson.
184. Wear a wig.
185. Sew a button on.
186. Take a bath with someone.
187. Look for the top of Mount Fuji.
188. Take a walk in the rain.
189. Drink from a coconut.
190. Break up a fight.
191. Trek through the Amazon Rainforest.
192. Laugh until your face and sides ache.
193. Get revenge.
194. Visit all 50 US states.
195. Meet someone with your name.
196. Make a mark in wet concrete.
197. Climb to the top of a lighthouse.
198. Cook a romantic candelit meal.
199. Wear a cowboy hat and boots.
200. Bake a cake.
201. Go in the Kiyomizu Temple in Japan.
202. Watch an erupting volcano.
203. Have a child.
204. Get mentioned in the newspaper.
205. Try absinthe.
206. Do the limbo.
207. Go to a fancy dress party.
208. Walk round the Coliseum in Rome.
209. Kiss the Blarney Stone.
210. Drink a yard of ale.
211. Go bowling.
212. Sink karaoke.
213. Win money.
214. Catch the first train from your local station and go to the end of the line.
215. See Mount Rushmore.
216. Go on a treasure hunt.
217. Perform a practical joke.
218. Eat in a revolving restaurant.
219. Fly a kite.
220. Eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon.
221. Have a pillow fight.
222. Get arrested.
223. Google your own name.
224. Visit the Kremlin in Russia.
225. See the Sydney Opera House, Australia.
226. Travel Route 66.
227. Do a runner from a restaurant.
228. Be a mentor.
229. Join a tea ceremony in Japan.
230. Make pancakes from scratch.
231. Learn to write with your ‘wrong’ hand.
232. Dye your hair.
233. Take a tour in a food factory.
234. Visit the Basilica di San Marco, Venice.
235. Subscribe to a magazine.
236. Trek through a jungle.
237. Stand at the base of Christ the Redeemer, Rio.
238. Have a giggling fit.
239. Have a snowball fight.
240. Make a prank phone call.
241. Try laughing gas.
242. Keep a pet.
243. Learn to float.
244. Watch the Top 500 Movies of All Time.
245. Pick a day and do ten things in this list you’ve never done before.
246. Go the theatre.
247. Sail on a yacht.
248. Read the 500 Greatest Books of All Time.
249. Do a first aid course.
250. Listen to 500 of the Greatest Albums of All Time.

 

500 Things You Have To Do Once in A Lifetime

One of my Christmas presents from mum this year was a deck of cards. not just any cards though, these take the form of cards with ten things on each, all somprising a list of ’500 Things You Have To Do Once in A Lifetime’. Just for fun, I thought it would be interesting to write them out and see how many I’ve already completed.Completed tasks are struck through.

1. Milk a cow.
2. Go up in a hot air balloon.
3. Smash plates in a Greek restaurant.
4. See the ruins at Chichen Itza, Mexico.
5. Swim with dolphins.
6. Ride a gondola in Venice.
7. Throw a surprise party.
8. Learn another language.
9. Dance in a tropical rainstorm.
10. Run a marathon.
11. Read the complete works of Shakespeare.
12. Make a pumkin jack-o-lantern for Halloween.
13. Be an extra in a film.
14. Give blood.
15. Join a flash mob.
16. Dress up as a superhero.
17. Try to break a world record.
18. Save a life.
19. Gamble in a casino.
20. Eat a fruit you’ve never tasted.
21. Take a vineyard tour.
22. Go snorkeling.
23. Go first class on a plane.
24. Stand at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
25. Do a parachute jump for charity.
26. Ride in a stretch limo.
27. Visit the Taj Mahal, India.
28. Host a dinner party.
29. Learn the names of the stars.
30. See the sun rise and set over the sea.
31. Double Dutch with a skipping rope.
32. Haggle in a bazaar.
33. Cross the equator.
34. Compile a mix CD for a friend.
35. See three films at the cinema in one day.
36. Cut all your hair off.
37. Go to the cinema on your own.
38. Sleep in a hammock.
39. Spend a day talking like a pirate.
40. Stand in a prison cell.
41. Dance all night.
42. Travel on a steam train.
43. Shout ‘drinks are on me’ in a bar.
44. Try hang-gliding.
45. Get a personalised registration plate.
46. Learn to tie a knot with a funny name (like a sheepshank or an icicle hitch),
47. Go out in pyjamas.
48. Learn to juggle.
49. Rescue an animal.
50. Watch a lunar and solar eclipse.
51. Learn a poem off by heart.
52. Ride an elephant.
53. Invent your own game.
54. Make fire by rubbing two sticks together.
55. Give food to a homeless person.
56. Walk along The Great Wall Of China.
57. Wait at a stage door for autographs.
58. Cry in public.
59. Send a message in a bottle.
60. See the Northern Lights.
61. Eat caviar.
62. Get married.
63. Buy a world map, and stick pins in the places you’ve visited.
64. Visit the ruins of Pompeii.
65. Sleep in an igloo.
66. Learn the phonetic alphabet.
67. Catch a firefly.
68. Learn to windsurf.
69. Buy one extravagant purchase.
70. Drive a dodgem car at the funfair.
71. Write a letter longhand.
72. See a firework display.
73. Get hypnotised.
74. Climb Mount Everest (at least to Base Camp).
75. Sell something on eBay.
76. Take part in a fencing match.
77. Leave a job you hate.
78. Play Monopoly.
79. Visit a famous movie location.
80. Toast marshmallows in a real fire.
81. Take a flying lesson.
82. Keep a change jar.
83. Go to the Brazil carnival.
84. Memorize every country name and capital city.
85. Watch a lightning storm.
86. Go paintballing.
87. Have a caricature done.
88. Ride in a police car or ambulance.
89. Restore something old.
90. Buy something from a TV shopping channel.
91. Be a demonstration hair model.
92. Teach someone to read.
93. Play bingo.
94. Go to a yoga class.
95. Go out all night then go straight to work.
96. Go on a blind date.
97. Visit Disneyland.
98. Play with toys in the bath (over the age of 18).
99. Ride a rollercoaster.
100. Stay in a five star hotel.
101. Catch a bus in another country with the locals.
102. Throw a slumber party.
103. Get a qualification.
104. Grow a bonsai tree.
105. Go to the dog races.
106. Sing in a choir.
107. Cruise down the Nile.
108. Form a band.
109. Sing or recite poetry at the top of a mountain.
110. Take an afternoon nap.
111. Order the most expensive wine in a bar.
112. Dance on a table.
113. Win an award.
114. Ask for a raise.
115. Adopt an endangered animal.
116. Ride a Harley Davidson.
117. Give a massage.
118. Do a bungee jump.
119. Take a luxury holiday.
120. Join in London’s Notting Hill carnival.
121. Give old clothes to a shelter or charity shop.
122. Learn to swear in three languages.
123. Go rock climbing.
124. Go to the ballet.
125. Learn to ride a bike.
126. Paint a work of art.
127. Go to a comedy club.
128. Read a religious book from cover to cover.
129. Take part in a police line-up.
130. Wear your shirt backwards for a day.
131. Say the alphabet backwards fast.
132. Take part in a demonstration.
133. Bet on a horse.
134. Go to Lapland to meet Santa.
135. Design your own cocktail.
136. Sky dive.
137. Skim stones at least five times across a stream.
138. Visit Uluru in Australia.
139. Gatecrash a party.
140. Learn how to use a pogo stick.
141. Swim in the sea at night.
142. Join in the mosh at a concert.
143. Write to your hero.
144. Dive in a submarine.
145. Record your life story on CD and give it to a loved one.
146. Watch a silent movie.
147. Write a love letter.
148. Volunteer abroad.
149. Spend a day not walking but skipping.
150. Make an item of clothing.
151. Shine your shoes.
152. Talk in a silly helium voice.
153. Go on a safari.
154. Drink Champagne out of the bottle.
155. Go white water rafting.
156. Attend a film premiere.
157. Float in the Dead Sea.
158. Spend the night in a haunted house.
159. Learn a magic trick.
160. Outstare a cat.
161. Learn to hula hoop.
162. Live in a different country for at least three months.
163. Drive a forklift truck.
164. Write a song.
165. Spend a day at a health spa.
166. Make a confession.
167. Wear a crown or tiara for a day.
168. Meet your idol.
169. Buy shares (they can go down as well as up).
170. Look through a telescope.
171. Stand under a waterfall.
172. Make your own ice-cream flavour.
173. Mush a Husky Sled.
174. Visit the Acropolis in Athens.
175. Take an evening course at college.
176. hug a tree.
177. Travel to the Alhambra in Spain.
178. Have a go on a potter’s wheel.
179. Enlarge a photo and hang it on your wall.
180. Design a T-shirt.
181. Meditate.
182. Write a blog.
183. Photograph London’s Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
184. Catch and eat a fish.
185. Fly in a helicopter.
186. Order room service in a hotel.
187. Visit a model village.
188. Take a martial arts course.
189. Sit in thermal hot springs.
190. Scuba dive.
191. Walk over the Abbey Road crossing in London.
192. Drive a convertible with the top down.
193. Row a boat.
194. Take a Turkish bath.
195. Calm a crying baby.
196. Get your face painted.
197. Learn the 50 states of the USA.
198. Down a pint of Guinness in one.
199. Hire a metal detector.
200. Take a road trip.
201. Drink Kopi Luwak coffee.
202. Abseil.
203. Shop in New York.
204. Look for the Mona Lisa’s eyebrows.
205. Learn to roller blade.
206. Listen to whale song.
207. Name a rose.
208. Watch a film marathon all in one day (e.g Star Wars I-VI, Indiana Jones, Lord Of The Rings).
209. Learn to yodel.
210. Hitchhike.
211. Paint a room.
212. Take a cooking class.
213. Flirt with a stranger.
214. Wear odd shoes in public, on puropse.
215. Sign up for an experiment.
216. Buy a lottery ticket.
217. Visit every continent.
218. Grow your own vegetables.
219. Ride on a toboggan.
220. Wangle an upgrade.
221. Stand at the top of the Empire State Building, NYC.
222. Hold a snake.
223. Touch an iceberg.
224. Be a spectator at the X Games.
225. Ride a Bullet train.
226. Travel the Trans-Siberian Express.
227. Write a will.
228. Build a tower of cards.
229. Woyage through the Galapagos Archipelago.
230. Win a competition.
231. See a glass blowing demonstration.
232. Wisit a jazz or blues bar.
233. Ride a camel in the Sahara.
234. Get a backstage pass to a concert.
235. Ride on a jetski.
236. Take the Orient Express.
237. See Stonehenge in Englad on Midsummer’s Day.
238. Go to a street party.
239. Learn an instrument.
240. See a geyser blow.
241. Jump on a trampoline.
242. See a Shakespeare play on stage.
243. Watch a horror movie on Halloween.
244. Declutter your home.
245. Go skinny dipping.
246. Conquer a fear.
247. Keep a journal.
248. Go to see an illusionist.
249. Go on holiday alone.
250. Go on an organised pub crawl.

I’ll post the other half in a day or two!

2011 Year End.

I’m not at all sorry to say goodby to 2011, because quite honestly, the year *sucked*. While I’m not discounting the fact that there were good times, the bad times far outweighed them.

Bad:

• The year started on a sad note on Jan 11th, the 20th anniversary of the death of a very good friend who burned to death in a car crash at just 23. On the same day in 2011 Chris Copsey, my favourite radio presenter on my local station collapsed and died suddenly from a heart attack. Radio just isn’t the same without you, Coppo.
• June 18th. My nan was taken into hospital in Kent, where she lived with my uncle and his wife. Mum and I saw her the following day on her 92nd birthday, which was the last time, as she died on Wednesday 22nd June.
• June 25th. Three days after my nan died, I went to a concert (Glee) at the o2 Arena in London. While walking to my seat I ruptured my calf muscle, spent the whole of the following day in two different hospitals, and was threatened with knee to toe plaster for six weeks, and surgery. Thankfully it wasn ‘t as severe as first thought, and only needed two weeks off work.
• A former colleague and family friend for over 30 years died from stomach cancer. We hadn’t even known she was ill.
• In November another former colleague and friend had a stroke at just 53. Initially I’d heard that the outlook was pretty good, but now I’ve found that he is completely paralysed on the left hand side, so will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, and his speech is still very slow and slurred. That’s even worse since Kevin lives with his elderly father, who is profoundly deaf, and relies on lip-reading to communicate.
• A good friendship ended, and I still don’t know why. The person concerned just ended all contact. I’m sad about it, but it’s her choice, and I wish her the best. Obviously I wasn’t what she wanted in a friend, so I hope she finds someone who is.
• In December I had my diabetic retinal screening, which showed that the small haemorrhage in one eye that I’ve had for a few years has become multiple haemorrhages in each eye, ironically most likely caused by the fact that I’ve now got better control of my blood sugar, and it’s dropped significantly! I’ve been referred back to Brighton Eye Hospital, where I was a regular patient for my entire childhood, and will probably have to have a course of laser surgery.

Good:

• I made it to Manchester to spend the day with Jill. And we had a lovely day
• There was a huge restructure at work, and my role changed dramatically. Having said that, it’s been stressful, and challenging, but I don’t work with one particular person any longer, and that causes me a lot less stress.
• I made 40 trips to concerts and the theatre, and saw:

1. Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, in Stevenage
2. Wicked in the West End (same day as Snow White)
3. Lance Horne’s “First Things Last” album launch concert in London.
4. Wicked again.
5. Ordinary Days at Trafalgar Studios, followed by
6. Daniel Boys ’10′ cabaret concert, then
7. Ordinary Days again a few weeks later.
8. Boyzone at the Brighton centre on 6th March
9. and Boyzone in Brighton again on 7th March (front row!)
10. Boyzone on 8th March at the O2 Arena, London.
11. I travelled to Aberdeen on (th March to see Boyzone on 10th March
12. and saw them again on 11th March in Aberdeen
13. Shayne Ward at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 16th March
14. Michael Bruce’s “Unwritten Songs” album launch at the Delfont Room London, on 20th March, where I stood next to Stephen Fry but wasn’t brave enough to speak to him!
15. The Script, at the )2 Arena on 26th March
16. Dancing on Ice Live Tour, at Wembley Arena on 24th April.
17. Kylie, at the O2 Arena on April 8th.
18. Kerry Ellis & Brian May in “Anthems: the Concert” at the Royal Albert Hall on 1st May.
19. Avenue Q at the Theatre Royal, Brighton, on 6th May.
20. Richard Marx at the Royal Albert Hall, on 31st May.
21. Spamalot at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, on 11th June.
22. Glee Live, at the O2 Arena on 25th June. This was where I hurt my leg, so I missed
23. Julie Atherton’s “no Space For Air” concert at the Apollo Theatre, London, on 26th June.
24. Take That at Wembley Stadium on 4th July
25. The Script at the Brighton Centre, on 17th July
26. ‘Gentle Harry’s Farm’ at the Grange gardens, Lewes, on 31st July.
27. On 23rd July Boyzone’s Shane Lynch was at a charity fun day in Hassocks, where I met him, got a photo, and his book signed.
28. Dress Cuircle Benefit Gala, at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, on August 7th
29. Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre again, on 20th August.
30. Proms In The Park at Hyde Park, London, on 10th September
31. Rock Of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, on 14th September
32. An Audience With Kerry Ellis, at the Shaw Theatre, London, on 21st October
33. Matt Cardle at KOKO, London, on 3rd October
34. Idina Menzel, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Royal Albert Hall on 6th October
35. Mark Evans album launch party at the Kingpin Suite,  London, on 16th October
36. Darren Hayes at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 19th October
37. John Barrowman with Jodie Prenger at the Royal Opera House, Blackpool, on 6th November
38. John Barrowman with Jodie Prenger at the London Palladium on 7th November
39. John Barrowman with Jodie Prenger at the Brighton Centre on 20th November
40. Joe McElderry at the Dome, Brighton, on 26th November
41. Bryan Adams at the Brighton Centre on 7th December
42. Spamalot at the Theatre Royal, Brighton, on 24th December

Wow, I don’t even want to think about adding up the costs involved in travel, tickets, hotels, meals, and merchandise for that lot! It was fun, though, and there were some amazing moments, including meeting various West End stars at stage doors, photos with Shayne Ward, Simon Lipkin, Justin Lee Collins, Mark Evans, John Barrowman and Jodie Prenger, as well as Shane Lynch.It was also lovely to meet Chris Clarkson after Gentle Harry’s farm, since he’d been in Snow White in Stevenage, and I’d not been able to wait for him as I’d needed to get back to London for Wicked. After the performance of Gentle harry’s Farm, during which he performed one entire scene directly to me, he came and chatted for a good ten minutes, signed my programme with a lovely message, and gave me a big hug – and he gives good hugs!

2011 was a year of changes within my friendships. I became closer to some of my ‘online’ friends, made some totally new friends, and lost a good friendship. I realised that some people aren’t meant to be in our lives for ever, that sometimes friendships have an expiry date, and that’s OK. I reconnected with family members and old friends, and discovered that as much as I’m grateful that I now have a social life, and friends who I can share interests with, go to concerts and the theatre etc with, sometimes I’d rather go alone – and that’s perfectly fine too.

Ultimately though, 2011 is over and done with, and I’m more than happy with that.

Epic Questions Blog – Stolen as always, from Jill.

What’s your favorite animal?
Generally speaking, birds of prey. Specifically, probably my cat, Simba. See?

Is technology overrated?
Nope. Technology is awesome, however, with the speed at which new devices are produced, and the enthusiasm we upgrade with, I wish recycling facilities for unwanted electricals were better.

Does it bother you when people beg?
Yes, I find it disturbing. I’m never sure who’s genuine, and who I should feel sympathy for, and it’s unsettling to live in an age where *anyone* should need to beg.

Are you one of those people who are always cold?
I am very rarely cold unless I’m in the chiller or freezer at work.

Have any bad addictions?
Wasting time on the internet. I no longer have addictions to Diet Coke, chocolate, Rowntrees Randoms, or biting my nails.

When was the last time you shaved your legs?
Erm ….

Do you know someone who is blind?
Not completely, but I know several people who are losing their sight.

When was the last time something bothered you?
The last time I was really bothered by something was Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. I’m less bothered now, but still feel a bit sad about it all.

Would you drink blood if someone paid you?
Whose blood, and how much?

Do you eat out a lot?

No, generally only if I’m out for a concert/theatre or day trip.

How often do you grocery shop?
Pretty much daily, since I work at a supermarket and Mum and I both prefer to shop each day.

How many cook books do you own?
Somewhere between 30 and 50 I guess, maybe a few more.

What is something of which you need more in your life?
Money for travelling to see friends, go to wondrous places, and do many more concerts and theatre trips!

Which aspect of your daily routine takes the most time? What do you do?
Work. I typically do a nine hour day, so I’m out for ten hours or so. I do anything and everything, from booking in deliveries, data entry, cleaning, sitting on a till, checking shelf edge tickets, ordering and checking advertising, ordering business dress, answering the phones, recording absences, issuing locker keys, checking fresh produce country of origin, stock counts, running the branch Facebook page, placing maintenance calls, chiller temperature checks, I’m a PartnerVoice rep for my section, and I administer the branch Community Matters (charity giving) as well as lots of other stuff!

What thoughts do you have regarding the upcoming holiday season?
Sick of it as far as work goes already, and on a personal level we’re not really doing Christmas as it’s the first one without my Nan. We’re doing presents for a few people, but no decorations, stockings, Christmas dinner etc.

Do you enjoy buying gifts for others, or could you do without this?

I do enjoy it but I like to have a vague idea of what the recipient likes.

When was the last time you could not do something you wanted to do?
Today. I should have been in Cardiff at the filming of “An Audience With Mark Evans”. I had to email the TV studio and cancel my place because I couoldn’t afford to go any more.

Do you prefer to keep a clean workspace, or are you somewhat messy?
I prefer it tidy, it rarely happens though.

When was the last time you had a bit of a meltdown, and what caused it?
Most of last Tuesday and Wednesday when I thought I was being ignored!

When was the last time you felt exceptionally relaxed?
Um …. I’ll have to get back to you. Possible 2009 when I was last in Dublin?

Who is the most attractive female celebrity in your opinion?
Nigella Lawson or Jodie Prenger.

What food do you love to pig out on?
Chinese. Indian. Also, a nice big mixed kebab with lots of salad. Oh, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

What would you say to your president/prime minister if you could?
I would like to apologise to any of my readers who may not like swearing for the following: “Stop fucking up my country you posh Tory twat and take your snivelling weak deputy with you.” Yep, ditto what Jill said.

When is the last time you wrote a real letter?
Maybe 15/16 years ago? I miss snail mail, and proper letters, they’re so much nicer to receive than email!

Do any celebrities share your last name?
Not that I’m aware of…

What color are the walls in your bathroom?
Aqua walls, white tiles.

What would you do if a teacher hit you?
Press charges. Same as if any one hit me, seeing as I’m an adult!

Would you give Obama a fist bump?
No, I’d shake his hand.

What was the last thing you bought?
Three lemons for my lemon pistachio poppyseed cake.

The creepiest, most disgusting insect in the world is:
Cockroaches, seeing as I can’t say spiders as they’re technically not insects.

When was the last time you were on your bed?
About 8pm this evening!

Are you excited for anything at all?
The final one of my three John Barrowman concerts on this year’s tour. It’s next Sunday in Brighton, which is my home venue, and I’m looking forward to it because I’m stage dooring all afternoon, then I have row F seats, which is my best ever for John.

Do you remember who you were dating in July 2008?
Nobody.

Do you have any weird obsessions?
Too many to list, but my biggest one is that if I’m not eating in public, I don’t like my foods to touch, and I eat one food before I move on to the next one.

Are you avoiding someone?
I think I probably should.

How social are you?
At the moment? Depends on the person. Some people I feel like I could happily never see again, some I’d be more than happy to spend time with, and some I’m looking forward to seeing, but not at the moment.

What do you struggle with?
My tendency to procrastinate.

How are you feeling?
I want that kebab I mentioned earlier, and I’m already stressed at the thought of going back to work on Wednesday.

Fair isle or Indian print?
Indian print.

What’s your favorite thing about the winter?
It’s not hot. It might snow.

Do you like to go to the farmer’s market?
I always walk through it, I’ve never stopped and looked or purchased anything.

What motivates you?
Nothing much.

What’s your favorite melon?
I don’t like melon at all. but watermelon is pretty.

What’s your favorite Yankee Candle scent?
I don’t buy scented candles because of my birds, so I have no idea!

Do you drink soda?
I drink diet Coke sometimes when I’m out, but I mostly drink water these days!

Are you tired?
Nope, I had a two hour nap earlier!

Write a sentence about your boyfriend/girlfriend.
He/She is non-existent.

What colour would you paint your future home?
Cream walls, o that any colour comes from furnishings and art.

Say you had a kid right now. What would you name it if it was a girl?
I’ve never found a girls name I really loved. Though my great great grandmother was called Philadelphia, which I like. Couldn’t use a middle name though, like the adverts it would be … just Philadelphia.

Do you celebrate Christmas?
Usually, but not this year.

Have you ever said a word so much it started to sound weird?
Not said, but I often read a word over and over until it looks as if it’s spelled wrongly.

Do you still use the silly email address you made when you were like 11?
I’ve had one of my AOL addresses since 1995… I was 19.

Are you good at dancing?
I don’t dance. Ever.

Ever met someone named “Guy” or “Buddy”?
I have worked with two people called Guy.

If there was a zombie apocalypse, what would you do?
Phone Buffy …. or Angel.

What do you personally think the world needs more of?
Tolerance.

Do you have a favourite pair of shoes?
Not at the moment, I’m not much of a shoe person. But if things go right, this time next week I could have a favourite pair!

What is something that you are looking forward to this month?
john Barrowman concert next Sunday. Not looking forward to work at 6am the morning after, though!

Have you ever had surgery? If so were you scared?
I’ve had two eye surgeries and one dental, and was scared for teh dental one, when I was 15.

Do you like skittles or M&M’s?
Neither.

How do you normally style your hair?
Brush it, stick it in a ponytail. Untie, brush, wash, blowdry, ponytail. It’s never loose unless it’s being washed or dried.

Why aren’t you outside doing something fun?
It’s cold, dark, late, and I’m on my own. What *exactly* could I be doing?!

Long or short hair on guys?
Short …. mostly.

Favorite breakfast food?
Full English breakfast …. or McDonalds Sausage and Egg McMuffin meal. I know, I know!

Do you draw on yourself?
Nope.

What did you do the last time you couldn’t sleep?
Lay listening to my ipod until I did sleep.

What was the last thing you cooked by yourself?
A lemon, pistachio and poppyseed cake.

Favourite amusement park ride?
Quite possible Splash Mountain at Disneyland California, or maybe Stealth or Saw at Thorpe Park.

If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
Harp, Piano or Saxophone.

Do old people make you smile?
Some do, some make me want to strangle them.

How did you wake up this morning?
I don’t remember, I think I just woke up naturally.

What are you excited about?
Sunday, John Barrowman. How many more times?! 

Who was the last person you danced with?
Jason Bishop, at Richard and David Mitchell’s 11th birthday party.

What’s your least favourite thing about the internet?
Bitchiness, backstabbing, and the fact that my ex is now apparently ALSO diabetic and a frequent poster on the best diabetic forum I can find. Ugh.

What is the worst thing a teacher has done to you?
Made me finish a cross country run with a severely sprained ankle. Then didn’t believe it was sprained the next week. Bitch.

Are you a fan of Drake?
I like Nick Drake!

What was the last YouTube video you watched?
a 17 second video of John Barrowman before the Blackpool concert.

What does your hair look like in the morning?
In a ponytail until I brush it.

Do you think political correctness has gone too far?
Yup, mostly.

What is the last charity you donated to?
I don’t remember. Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, I’d guess.

What moisturiser do you use?
Johnson’s Intensive Baby Moisturising cream on my face. Diprobase prescription cream on my feet and the bits with psoriasis.

Do you keep your fingers on the home keys when you type?
Nope, I type in my opwn special way, but it works for me.

Have you ever had a bonfire on the beach?
No, but I would love to.

Are you skilled when it comes to working in the kitchen?
Fairly, but I’d like to be better!

Are you good at buying gifts for people?
I hope so. I try to buy gifts that I think people will enjoy.

Would you consider yourself to be generous?
I think I am, when I can be.

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
Last Sunday, at the John Barrowman concert in Blackpool.

Going anywhere next year for vacation?
If I can afford it I’m going to Dublin, and some overnight trips in the UK.

How many dresses do you own?
One, I wear it over black leggings.

What bothers you more, cigarette smoke or cigar smoke?
They are both rank.

Do you know anyone who is a germaphobe?
No, but I can be close to it when my OCD comes out.

Have you ever had a “thumb war” with someone?
A what?

When you were little, what movie did you watch over and over?
We didn’t have a tV when I was ‘little’ so none!

Do you know what you want for your dream house?
Yep, but I have no money to buy the dream house!

Is there someone that likes you and won’t leave you alone?
Nope.

Has an animal ever taken a strong dislike to you?
I used to think a cat that has moved out of home and lives in and around the churchyard at the bottom of our road hated me. Tuens out she’s just a bit shy, and is actually the friendliest, fluffiest ball of soppiness you can imagine! I hope someone takes her in, cos I think her owners know where she is but just don’t care if she goes home or not.

Do you have a lucky or special coin?
No.

Do you find you have a lot of notebooks that aren’t close to being filled?
I have an underbed storage crate filled with beautiful hardback notebooks and journals that I won’t write in,because if I make a mistake you can’t just tear out the page.

For you, does comfort or fashion come first in dressing?
Comfort every time, always has been!

Have you ever seen a walrus?
I haven’t, no.

Were you popular in high school?
Nope. I was fat, wore glasses, was in the top 2 in the class every year, had a single mum, and spent all my time reading.

If you were drafted into the war, would you serve or try to avoid serving?
I’d go to jail rather than serve.

Is there anything your last ex said that you still constantly think of?
No,  I try not to think of him too often.

Do you consider yourself well organized?
Either I’m totally unorganised, or ridiculously, obsessively organised. There is no happy medium.

Would you accept a much less enjoyable job paying twice what you make now?
Depends. If we’re talking millions for a short term job that would allow me to then live in modest comfort for life, yes. Otherwise, no.

Would you go to movie or a diner alone?
Yes, and concerts and theatre trips. In fact, I often prefer to be alone at such things, though I wouldn’t go to a sit down restaurant alone, only fast food places.

Do you prefer to drink from glasses or mugs?Glasses.

What was the last thing you used scissors for?
Opening the bags of ingredients when I made my cake.

Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
My mobile phone case is pink, and I’m wearing a pink T-shirt.

Do you prefer light bulbs or candles?
I love candles but they freak the birds out, so light bulbs!

What print is on your plates or cups in your kitchen?
All kinds of prints, none of our plates of kitchen ware match!

What do you want to buy from an infomercial?
The Miche handbag with swappable covers.

Have you ever been under anesthesia?
Three times.

Are your fingernails long or short?
I’ve been off work for ten days, so they’re long enough to look respectable at the moment, but they’ll all break after a day or two back.

Do you like the person looking back at you in the mirror?

Not really.

When was the last time you bought a bathing suit?
About 15 years ago, It was black with a flowery panel, and I threw it out, so I no longer have a swimsuit.

What hours do you work?
39 hours a week, anywhen between 5:30am and 9:30pm. I work alternate Saturdays, and one Sunday a month.

Last time you babysat?
About 20 years ago, with a friend.

TEN FAVORITES
01. TV Show – At the moment, it’s ‘How I Met Your Mother’
02. Flower – Gerbera daisies.
03. Colour - Yellow, though not to wear.
04. Sport – Figure skating
05. Movie - The Shawshank Redemption
06. Music – Depends on my mood.
07. Food - Chinese
08. Season - Winter
09. Day - Saturday
10. City - Dublin

TEN LASTS
01. Last phone call? To Mum, letting her know I would be on the earlier train home from London last Monday.
02. Last thing you read? I’m reading ‘Big Birl’ by Danielle Steel at the moment.
03. Last IM? With Haley a few days ago.
04. Last item bought? Three lemons for my cake.
05. Last thing eaten? A slice of lemon pistachio poppyseed cake.
06. Last time you were nervous? Sunday.
07. Last person hugged? Jodie Prenger in Blackpool last Sunday.
08. Last TV show watched? Strictly Come Dancing results.
09. Last cry? Last night, watching the Festival of Remembrance.
10. Last concert? John Barrowman, at the London Palladium last Monday.

They say little things mean a lot… What’s the “little thing” that means the most to you?
It’s when my friends know what I really need and make it happen, even if I’m disagreeing with them.

What is one thing that happened today that made you sit back, smile, sigh, and think, “Life is good…”?
Something a friend said on Twitter.

Your top three peeves?
Stupidity. People. Stupid people.

Ready for winter to come?
Bring it on!

Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend?
Mostly, I think!

Do you give out second chances too easily?
Yes, but not as easily as I used to.

Are you available?
Technically yes, but I’m not interested, so no.

Were you born in the same town you live in now?
I was born in the nearest town with a maternity ward, Brighton.

WHAT WAS YOUR:
Last beverage: Water.
Last phone call: Mum last Monday, to say what train I’d be on.
Last text message: From NatWest today to tell me the balance in my ISA.
Last song you listened to: Whatever was the last song playing before i turned the radio off when Mum went to bed.
Last time you cried: Yesterday evening, watching the Festival of Remembrance from the Royal Albert Hall.

RIGHT NOW:
Eating: Nothing.
Drinking: Bottle of water on the go.
I’m about to:Cover the birds, change the cat’s litter tray, feed her, and go to bed.
Listening to: The birds chirping to say it’s past their bedtime.
Waiting for: The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
I’m feeling: tired and emotional, as I always am lately.

When was the last time you called in sick?
June 26th when I had to take a fortnight off after I tore my right calf muscle.

Are you addicted to using Febreeze?
Nope, I don;t use it if I can help it.

Goonies or Princess Bride?
I HATE the Goonies! HATE it! Never seen the Princess Bride …

Favorite movie to quote?
Die Hard 2 – “Oh Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!” or “How can shit like this happen to the same guy twice?”

You’re stranded on a desert island. You can choose one song to listen to whenever you want. What would it be?
One? OK then, it might have to be Born This Way, by Lady Gaga.

Do you have to pee right now?
No.

What one piece of famous artwork would you have in your home?
Relativity, by M.C. Escher

Are you determined to have a better day tomorrow?
I’d like to, but I have to go in to work for a two hour meeting.

Do you ever write in pencil anymore?
No, unless I’m at the Records Office where pens aren’t allowed.

Have you ever let someone be your everything?

My nan was pretty much my everything.

Which do you prefer, to eat or sleep?
I have to CHOOSE? That’s mean. At the moment though, I think sleep takes priority.

Do you ever wish you had a theme song that played when you did something awesome?
I’ve never wished that yet, no, but it’s a fabulous idea! Maybe “The One And Only”  by Chesney Hawkes? Or “We Are The Champions” By Queen?

Have you ever killed somebody in your head?
Yes. Who hasn’t?

Have you ever had a dream so realistic you had to think whether it really happened?
Yep, all the time. When I was young I had an ongoing serial dream ever night for about five years, featuring myself, three of my cousins and various other relatives. It because so realistic and familiar I often woke up and had to think about whether it really happened. And now, I frequently have dreams where I will dream an entire TV episode (something like a soap, which I couldn’t have seen before) or a conversation, and then months or even a year or two later it happens in real life. It’s very disconcerting, even when it’s mundane stuff, and sometimes it’s deeply unsettling.

Have you played random notes on a piano and had them actually sound good?
Better than that, I could play you almost any tune from hearing it one time *And* I can play Greensleeves too ….

If you had/have a kid would you ever let em get a tattoo?
After he’s 18, absolutely.

What is your fave thing to have for dinner?
Chinese.

Have you ever licked a pole?
No, but I could ask my next door neighbour if I can lick her when I next see her, if you’d like?

Has your hand ever gotten slammed in a car door?
Youch! No …..

Are you allergic to grass?
No, I just ahte sitting on, or walking through grass, because of insects and bugs.

What is the first thing on your To Do List for this month?
Sort out next month’s Community Matters charities when I’m back at work on Wednesday.

Is there an album you can’t wait to be released?
Jodie Prenger’s debut album. And Paul Spicer’s ‘Love Songs and Lullabies’.

If you could own a store, what would it sell?
Books! Cameras! Chocolate! Cupcakes! And other miscellaneous cool stuff!

What was the last thing you recieved via mail?
My mobile phone case for my new phone. It’s pink.

What about via instant messenger?
Random chat from Haley a few nights ago.

Have you eaten any chocolate today?
Yes, a small bar of Dairy Milk.

When is a time someone would NOT want to be around you?
When I’m in a foul mood.

What was the last thing you wrote about?
Being in a foul mood.

Are you wearing pyjamas?
Nope.

You have the album Nevermind, right?
Nope.

Any concerts coming up that you want to go to?
Roxette next July. Matt Cardle in March. Westlife in May. And more.

How long has it been since you have been to a concert?
Ten days since John Barrowman at the London Palladium.

How are you different today than you were yesterday?
I’m older.

How would you describe your mood at the moment?
A bit tired, stressed about work and monjey.

Have you ever eavesdropped on someones conversation?
All the time, if I can!

Have you ever shoved stuff under your bed to make your room look clean?
Always.

Have you ever tried picking up an item with your foot?
Yes, I usually fail miserably.

What would you do if you became an overnight celebrity?
Hide.

What was the last thing to blow your mind?
I don’t know, really!

Do you think putting paper in a shredder is fun?
Not if it’s the one at work, it’s crap.

What makes you feel sensational?
I’ll tell you if I ever find out.

What toys did you play with in the bathtub as a kid?

I had two little plastic boats that I played with a lot.

When was the last time you sang along with a song? Which one was it?
I don’t recall singing to the radio lately, so it would have been the songs at John Barrowman’s concert last Monday.

Have you ever wished you had a different name? Which name would you choose?
I don’t like my name, but I don’t really like any girl’s names, so I’ve not bothered wishing it were different.

Do you own any figurines? Of what?
I own a few china figurines, the most recent addition being a china girl which belonged to my Nan, and which is musical. It was left to me when she died.

Do you prefer travelling alone or with people?
Alone, because it’s less hassle and I can go to museums, spend ages at the zoo etc without worrying about other people. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t love travelling with like minded friends though.

What sort of things do you have bookmarked in your internet browser?
Crafts, Fan Fiction, Photography, Cooking, Games, Blogs, ipod Stuff, Message Boards are my folders, then I have a long list of random unsorted sites bookmarked as well.

What was the last book you read?
I’m reading ‘Big Girl’ by Danielle Steel, as well as ‘Through Thick And Thin’ which is Gok Wan’s autobiography.

Don’t you just hate taking showers in the winter?
I don’t have a shower, just a bath, so I love the chance for a shower any time of year!

Do you say “epic fail” a lot?
Not a lot, maybe once or twice a week.

How personal does a question have to be so that you won’t answer?
It’s not how personal, it’s if it’s in any way relevant or if it’s not utter crap or repetitive. …. Yep, this.

Did you eat your Wheaties this morning? What was for breakfast?
I don’t eat breakfast on a norm al day, only if I’m on an early start at work, or if I’m travelling or away on holiday.

Do you ever buy CD’s anymore?
Not that many. I usually just download from iTunes instead.

Do you miss a lot of school or work?
Nope, I had two weeks off sick in July with a ruptured calf muscle, first absence from work in over two years, and I got crap for it when I went back!

Have you ever been ice skating?
No, I’d like to, but I have an abject fear of falling over and someone skating over my fingers while I’m on the ice.

Name me a few things you are thankful for.
Friends, family, money, chocolate, cameras, music.

When was the last time you slow danced and with who?
Never.

What do you think is a waste of money?
Most things, when it comes down to it!

What colour was the last dress you wore?
It’s back with a purple and white paisleyish print.

Did you get hyped up over Christmas?
Usued to, not so much in recent years and not at all this year.

Where do you buy your jeans at?
I don’t own or wear jeans.

Do you think you get enough exercise?
Nope, I only like walking and swimming and though I walk everywhere due to having no transport, I don’t ever go swimming any more.

Have you ever eaten at a Hard Rock Cafe?
Yes. New York with Daniel, Dom and Debbie, Dublin with Clare, and Manchester with Jill!

Which sports do you follow?
Formula 1 and figure skating.

What made your day today?
Thinking about yesterday evening

Do you have a maid that cleans your house?
No. Tell me the winning lotto numbers and I will have one so fast your head will spin!

Who is your best friend of the opposite sex?
Daniel.

Do people call you by your last name?
Nope

Manchester Day Trip!

So over two months ago, on the 3rd of September, I went to Manchester to see my friend Jill. It was something of an epic day trip, requiring me to leave at 5am, and my plans went awry when my train to london was delayed by signalling problems, meaning I had to fork out an extra £69 to Virgin for a whole new single fare to Manchester, since my original ticket had been an Advance fare, which isn’t amendable or refundable!

I arrived at Manchester Picadilly at 9:50am, just twenty minutes later than planned, and Jill met me. We went for a quick wander around to see ‘interesting things’.

A Space Invader on a wall in Manchester city centre - awesome!

Beside Bridgwater Hall, I do believe.

The big pebble - exactly what it says on the tin!

Jill in front of the big pebble.

In Albert Square - no, not *that* Albert Square!

Manchester Town Hall

See?!

Manchester Town Hall again.

Loads of these banners, posters, etc all over the city.

Detail from the side of the Town Hall.

Another detail.

And another. This one's a drainpipe!

Next we went to the Manchester Art Gallery, a rare treat for me, since I don’t get to go to many! It’s an utterly gorgeous building, and while we wandered around I was excited to se this painting. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m the least religious person ever, but as a small child, this hung on the wall in my bedroom, so it was nice to see it again, and to find out what it was actually called, and who painted it!

'The Light Of The World' by William Holman Hunt.

Information about the painting.

This was suspended in the stairwell at the gallery. Odd, but cool.

A wider view. The stairs were made of glass as well ... very unnerving walking on them!

We walked a little more, heading to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch.

The Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair's Oyster Bar, which were moved brick by brick after the IRA bomb in Manchester city centre on 15th June 1996.

The Manchester Wheel

My pulled pork sandwich at the Hard Rock Cafe - lovely, but I couldn't finish it!

 

In the toilets at the Hard Rock Cafe, each cubicle has a lyric from a classic song on the back wall! How cool!

This one's 'Let's Dance' by David Bowie.

'Your Song' by Elton John.

'All You Need Is Love' by The Beatles.

'Stayin' Alive' by The Bee Gees.

'Never Forget' by Take That.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen.

'Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This' by The Eurythmics.

'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go' by Wham!

We headed out to take a ride on the Manchester Wheel. Smaller than the London Eye, but you get at least three revolutions (we had seven!) and you don’t have to share a pod with anyone!

View from the Manchester Wheel.

Another view.

Hard Rock Cafe from the Manchester Wheel.

 

We went halves on the photo pack from the Manchester Wheel, as it was the first time we’d been on it together. It was £20 but much better than the one from the London Eye! Here are the photos. The first one is the actual one they take, the rest are with different backgrounds.

Jill and I at the Manchester Wheel.

Leaving the Wheel, I spotted this photo of  The Script.

Irish band 'The Script'. I'm a huge fan, so this had to be preserved!

Next stop was St. Ann’s Square, to look at the Moroccan Berber market. Lots of leather goods, and hand crafted items, none of which we bought, but some were lovely! We then made our way to the Arndale Centre, where we had two shops in mind… Hotel Chocolat and Yours clothing. Hotel Chocolate didn’t have what I was after, which was the salted caramel praline marbles, but I bought some other goodies instead.

Mojito Cocktail truffles.

Salted Soft Caramels.

 

Yours clothing had lots of the things I wanted, but after spending an extra £70 on train fare in the morning, I wasn’t able to buy anything. Thank heavens for online shopping! We soon realised we still had loads of time before my train, so we spent an hour or so in Druckers, a Viennese patisserie chain, where I debated over the wonderful selection of cakes, desserts, cheesecakes etc, finally opting for my all time favourite.

Black Forest gateau and a diet Coke at Druckers Viennese Patisserie.

 

We walked a bit longer, past Chinatown, where I stopped to take a pic of the gorgeous arch.

The arch at the entrance to Chinatown.

 

And ended up in the Fab Cafe … a science fiction themed cafe/club/bar, which has a Cyberman AND a Tardis!

Doctor Who Cyberman in the Fab Cafe.

Tardis!!

After the Fab cafe, we wandered back to the station, and chatted a while longer, before my train arrived and we said goodbye. It was a lovely day, with a fantastic friend, and I can’t wait to do an overnight trip next year!

 

Questions, stolen as usual from Viodyna

Have you ever finished a whole tube of chap-stick?
Nope. I buy too many varying kinds to ever finish one!

What’s your favorite kind of pudding?
Banofee Pie, Key Lime Pie, or Black Forest gateau.

Do you have a pet that sleeps with you?
My cat, Simba, usually sleeps on the end of my bed.

Have you ever went to another state, tried their water, and were like EW?!
I don’t really mind diferent tap water, but bottled should ideally be Volvic, Buxton or Drench.

Are you excited for anything? if so what?
An Audience with Kerry Ellis, Darren Hayes, possibly Matt Cardle, Idina Menzel, Bryan Adams, John Barrowman in Brighton with Clare, and Blackpool and London with Haley. Maybe going to see the Manchester Christmas markets and see Jill again Jodie Prenger doing Spamalot for a month in Brighton, and Daniel Boys doing Peter Pan in Southampton. Chris Clarkson in panto in Stevenage!

What was your first thought when you woke up this morning?
9am? REALLY?

What is your favorite movie with Johnny Depp in it?
Edward Scissorhands.

What is your favorite movie without Johnny Depp in it?
The Shawshank Redemption or Dead Poets Society, don’t make me choose.

Would you rather go to a museum or a zoo?
Depends. A well run zoo with a good conservation program and decent enclosures would win, otherwise the museum would win.

Would you rather donate one million dollars or keep it?
Well, if I had a billion dollars, donating one million would be a drop in the ocean. But if I only had the million, I’d keep it!

Do you think cooked carrots are gross?
No, unless they’re overcooked and mushy. Raw are better though.

Have you ever had an all black cat?
Yep, a short haired one called Sooty when I was 5, and my much missed long haired boy Robbo, from ages 10 to 28.

Where will you be and doing this Tuesday afternoon?
At home, editing photos.

What word do you use far too frequently?
Crap.

What word do you use not frequently enough?
Nincompoop.

When severe weather happens, generally speaking, are you ready for it?
We don’t often get a lot of severe weather here. Not many hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or floods, so probably not, no. (Going ith Jill’s answer!)

If you could wake up tomorrow with a new talent, what would it be?
I would kill to be able to sing really well.

What do you strive for in life?
Calm.

If you were given a vacation home and you could have it anywhere, what location would you choose?
Dublin, specifically Howth, a small fishing town on the coast of Dublin Bay.

When you’re sick do you take “sick days” or do you force yourself to continue working?
I usually force myself to work through it, though I had to take two weeks off in July when I ruptured my calf muscle.

What is your absolute favorite piece of furniture you have and why?
I quite liked our coffee table until I broke it the other day ….no real reason, we’ve just had it forever.

Has anyone ever intentionally ripped you off?
I’d call my MPU never paying one single penny of child support, knowing that my Mum was on benefits and later signed off permanently due to her health, ripping me off!

When you go to sleep, does it you need to be absolutely quiet or do you need a little noise (radio, TV, music or white)?
I HAVE to have my ipod on loud enough that I wouldn’t hear the doorbell, smoke alarm etc, set to play for 90 minutes and then turn itself off. If I wake at any point in the night it gets started again.

Can you remember where you were in life ten years ago? If you could travel back in time and whisper something to yourself ten years ago, what would it be?
You won’t be working here forever … wait, that’s a lie.

Okay, let’s have it! What’s the craziest, most impulsive thing you’ve ever done?
It could be the overnight coach trip to Glasgow, side trip to Edinburgh, Tonight’s The Night filming, then back on the overnight coach the next night. Or deciding at 5pm on New Year’s Day that I HAD to see John Barrowman in panto the next day … in Cardiff. And frantically booking coach fare, train fare and panto ticket!

What was the last thing you described as either “surprisingly good” or “surprisingly bad?”
The new camera that I bought by mistake is surprisingly bad at taking decent photos. But the one I bought a couple of weeks later is surprisingly good!

What do you hope is different in your life by August 2012?
I’d like to have all my bills paid off at last, and forget that I ever had credit cards or bank loans!

If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
Pompeii, because we studied it in Classical Civiliation at school and I’ve been fascinated ever since!

What is one thing you would love to change about yourself?
Either my eyesight or my health.

What was the last compliment you received?
That I’m the one who ‘knows all the technical stuff’ at work.

We’ll Meet Again

(I wrote the first part of this a couple of days after the funeral, then didn’t finish it because I thought I may not post about it after all. I’ve now decided to finish it and publish it, hence why it’s several weeks after the event.)

So, Friday was the day of Nan’s funeral. As she’d been living on the Kent coast, with my uncle and aunt, the funeral was held about 20 miles away, at Hawkinge, on the outskirts of Folkestone.

Mum and I got the 09:44 train from Lewes, and arrived at Appledore station at 11:05, where my uncle John met us, along with my great-uncle Ted, who was Nan’s younger brother. At 89, and not in the best of health, he’s made the long journey from North Humberside to London by coach, and from there to Folkestone, where he then had to get a taxi to my uncle and aunt’s house, the previous day, and was staying with them until yesterday (the day after the funeral) when he did the reverse trip.

It was about a 20 minute drive to the house, and although Mum had been there before, I hadn’t, so it was strange to think that Nan had spent the last eight years living there, especially when my aunt, Barbara, asked if I’d like to see her room. There were so many of her little nick-nacks scattered around, as well as her familiar display cabinet that she had since before I was born, filled with some of the many ornaments she collected, including lots that I’d given her over the years.

Barbara’s friend Sue was busy in the kitchen, helping to prepare the food for after the funeral which was to be at 2pm, as well as some rolls and snacks for anyone in lieu of lunch, as they arrived. Over the next couple of hours more of Barbara’s friends arrived, and Wendy and Ken, who live just across the street. Next to arrive were my cousin Keith and his wife Julie, who I’d not met before, followed shortly after by Keith’s brother Justin, their mum June, and her second husband John, as well as Justin’s ex-partner Emily. I hadn’t seen June and John for about 25 years, and even though she was no longer ‘family’ as such, having not been Nan’s daughter in law for 30 years or so, I thought it was nice that they made the effort to come.

A few more people who’d known Nan since she moved there arrived, and although I only really chatted to my family, it was nice, in a way. I don’t see Keith and Justin more than every few years, and now that Nan’s gone it will probably be even less, but it was nice talking to them on an adult level – I think maybe I’ve finally stopped being seen as the annoying younger cousin, in their eyes!

All too soon the hearse and the funeral cars arrived, and I was no longer as OK as I’d been up to then. At 35 I’ve been very lucky in some ways, and until Friday had only been two the church services for two friends who died, and as far as my own family goes, I’d only been to the cremations of my uncle and grandad, when I was 14 and 15, and for both of those we arrived at the crematorium by private care, so I’d never even been in a funeral car before, or seen the coffin in the hearse etc. I went in the first car with Uncle John and Barbara, who sat in the first row of seats behind the driver, and them myself, Uncle Ted and Mum in the back row. Mum had said the way to cope was to not look at the hearse in front, and I did spend most of the time looking out of the window – we were all completely silent, lost in our own thoughts. I have to say, I did look at the coffin a few times, and although I was a bit teary at times on the journey, I honestly felt that it wasn’t my Nan in there – it was just the worn out shell of her, and not really ‘her’.

We arrived at the crematorium at 1:50pm, and as we slowed down I saw my three cousins from my mum’s other brother, my late Uncle Colin, who all live only a few miles from us, but had driven over in one car, Phil, his wife Fliss, and their 7-year-old son Lewis, and Phil’s sisters Caroline and Nicky. Bizarrely, although they never lived far apart, Phil and Caroline had only met Keith for the first time at the hospital the previous week, when they all visited Nan at the same time, so we introduced my two sets of cousins, and also introduced Uncle John and Barbara to Phil, Fliss, Lewis, Caroline and Nicky – the fact that he’d never met his nieces and nephew is still something I can’t get my head around, considering they’re 41, 44 and 46.

All too soon it was time to head into the chapel, and as we followed the coffin and pallbearers in, I walked beside Phil and Fliss, since I’d made up my mind in the previous days that if I even made it to the service I was sitting at the back, so I could slip out if need be. Phil had asked me to sit at the back with him, but when we walked in, I realised that not only were the doors at the front of the chapel, but the Order of Service cards were only placed on the front three pews on each side, so I chose the third row, and sat there with Phil, Fliss and Lewis.

A couple of days after Nan died, Mum had asked me if I had any ideas for music, as my aunt had asked her to suggest something. Mum and I both felt the same – Nan didn’t like music much in life, she wouldn’t really have wanted anything particular at her funeral! I didn’t know what had finally been decided until I picked up my order of service card, and saw that the music we entered to was ‘The Mountains Of Mourne’, a traditional Irish ballad, which Nan often used to sing as she went about her daily housework. It’s odd that she liked very few singers but was nearly always singing! The organist was playing an instrumental version, and when I read further, I saw that the hymns were to be ‘Abide With Me’ and ‘Jerusalem’, but it was when I saw the song that was to be played at the very end of the service that I knew I would be in serious danger of losing it completely – the one singer Nan did like was Frank Sinatra, and Mum had picked his version of ‘We’ll Meet Again’ to conclude with.

I have to say, the service, although it was a Christian service, and I am a confirmed atheist, was really lovely. The vicar was great – he made a few tasteful jokes, which were genuinely funny, and made the service very personal. Although I cried quietly throughout, the hardest thing for me wasn’t the fact that it was Nan’s funeral, or even seeing her coffin a few feet in front of me, it was at the point of committal, when Mum lost it, and I was three rows behind, so couldn’t do anything.

When the service ended and Frank Sinatra started singing ‘We’ll Meet Again’, I don’t think there was a dry eye left in the chapel, except for the vicar and the funeral directors. It’s a beautiful song, and I’ve always loved it, as well as ‘Jerusalem’, but both of them will have a new poignancy for me now. As we filed out of the chapel, there were smiles and tears, from most of us.

Nan loved flowers, and although most of us feel that flowers at funerals are a waste, since they don’t get taken to hospitals etc very much anymore, we all sent flowers, but unusually, we took several of the arrangements back to the house with us, since it seemed such a shame to leave them there to wither and die, when people coud enjoy them for a few more days, and remember Nan. I brought my cousins orange and yellow roses home with Mum and I, and we took mine and Mum’s tributes, as well as my aunt and uncle’s, and a couple of others that were particularly nice, back to the house. I brought several individual flowers home to dry, and will do something with them soon, now that they’ve dried out completely.

In the car on the way back to the house, the atmosphere was much lighter, and the conversation turned to what we wanted to do with the ashes. There was a bit of a pause when my uncle asked, and then when nobody else said anything, I said that as Nan had always wanted to visit Ireland, and never got there, being that it’s my favourite place in the world, I’d like to take her ashes with me on my next trip, and scatter them at a beautiful spot I know there. Mum looked at me a bit funny, and then said that she’d been thinking about asking me if I would, but thought I’d tell her where to go in no uncertain terms, so she hadn’t asked! It was decided that that’s what’s going to happen, so whenever I make it there again, I’ll be taking Nan with me, and she’ll get her lifelong wish at last.

Back at the house, everybody was chatting and mingling, and it was really nice to see cousins I see only every few years, but the highlight for me was seeing my two sets of cousins from my Mum’s two brothers meeting for the first time. For the first time ever, my Nan’s grandchildren were in the same place, with the exception of two of my cousins who live on the Isle Of Wight and couldn’t be there. We made sure to get a group photo!

L-R. My cousin Phil, with his wife Fliss and son Lewis in front of him. In the blue T-shirt is my Mum, with me in front, and peeking through at the back, my cousin Justin's ex, Emily. The blonde next to me is my cousin Nicky, then my great-uncle Ted, and my cousin Justin. Next to Justin is my aunt, Barbara, and just behind her is my uncle John, with my cousin Keith's wife Julie in front of him, and Keith next to her. My cousin Caroline is next to Keith, in the lilac top. Despite Nicky, Caroline and Phil being my cousins from one of my Mum's brothers, and Keith and Justin being her other brother, my Uncle John's sons, the two sets of cousins had *never* met before. I was the only cousin who knew all the others ... considering we all grew up within a 20 mile radius, that makes me sad!

Around half past four, people started to leave to travel home, since we’d all travelled over from Sussex. We finished the day with a discussion about tattoos, which I came in on halfway through, when I found three of my cousins (the nieces and nephew my uncle had only met that day!) and him, comparing tattoos. He’d had a new one done – his first for 45 years! – in memory of Nan, and when Mum and I were there a few days ago to sort her belongings, I took a photo, now it’s healed. It’s lovely, actually.

Mum and I left around 6:15, when my uncle drove us to the station to catch our train home, and were back home by around 8:15pm, with a takeaway. All in all, it was actually a lovely day, and while the hour and a half or so travelling to the crematorium, and the service, were sad, I didn’t have the sense of unbearable grief hanging over me like I did when my uncle or grandad died. As much as I miss Nan, and would give anything to have her back, her body had given up, and she was ready to go, I know that from conversations over the past few years. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that this is the first death in my family which has felt ‘natural’, not suicide, or cancer taking someone before their time, but just the natural conclusion to the whole circle of life, and so, although I miss her every day, I’m at peace with her passing.

Photos from the day are HERE

Questions, stolen (as usual!) from Jill.

What colour are the majority of your socks?
Most of them are plain black, since that’s what I have to wear for work. There are stripy knee length ones, ones with glittery skulls on, fuzzy ones, and lots more besides though.

Do you think it’s easier to raise a boy or a girl? Why?
I have no idea, but I’ve always heard it’s easier with boys.

If you had to open a bakery – what would you name it?
I’d specialise in cupcakes, and it would be called ‘A Spoonful Of Sugar’

Would you rather be able to control the weather or time?
Time.

What is the oldest video game system you’ve played?
Does a 1984 Nintendo Game and Watch Donkey Kong count? I still have mine …

Why do you think that so many people “find God” in prison?
Because it fills a need.

Where’s the person you miss the most?
Dead. But the person I miss the most who is still living is a mere 12 miles away, right where he’s always been.

Were you smiling in the last picture taken of you?
Vaguely.

Are you the kind of person who likes to take millions of pictures?
Not millions, that would be silly. Hundreds. *ditto Jill*

Where did you get the shirt you’re wearing?
New Look, about 20 years ago. It’s a tatty old orange T-shirt I only wear indoors.

Do you have blackouts often?
Only one so far, on the flight home from Los Angeles, because I was *that* travel sick.

Tell me, what was the last thing to be in your mouth?
Dinner – Sweet and sour chicken breast, cheesy cauliflower mash and stir fried veg.

Is there anything that’s stopping you from getting what you want?
Time and Money.

What was the last site you visited?
Fanfiction.net

Is there a concert you want to attend?
I’m going to a Gala concert in aid of www.dresscircle.co.uk at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, on August 7th.  I do actually want to go to that!

What was the last thing that made you feel proud and why?
In the funeral car on the way back from the crematorium service for my Nan, my uncle asked if anyone had thought what they’d like to do with her ashes. I hesitated for a bit, then said that I’d like to take them to Ireland on my next trip and scatter them there, because Nan had a lifelong wish to visit Ireland and never did. Mum said she’d considered asking me if I would, but thought I’d give an outright ‘No’. Later I heard her and my aunt talking about it again and my aunt said I’m tougher than I seem.

Is there anything coming up which you’re dreading?
Taking my Nan’s ashes to Ireland and scattering them, because it’s not planned yet, but when I go, there isn’t anyone to come with me.

When did you last feel a need to be alone?
I need a few days away desperately right now, but it’s not happening any time soon.

Have you ever been in a job where you didn’t fit in with your co-workers?
Always.

What do you do to “expand” you mind?
Not as much as I’d like to.

Do you like balloons?
Not especially. Unless you’re talking about hot air balloons, which is something I’m fascinated by.

Out of the people you know, who’s birthday is next?
I think it’s Jill’s, on August 5th.

When will you next go to the beach?
I very rarely go to the beach, so I have no idea at all.

Have you had to change a nappy lately?
Not since my last college placement which was 1993.

Are you skilled when it comes to working in the kitchen?
I’m pretty good, but could learn a lot more.

How much did you spend on your last shopping trip?
£4.42 in Tesco this morning. Oh, and £2 on some cat biscuits in Waitrose this afternoon.

Do you wish you had a better cellular plan?
No, I’m quite happy with it actually.

Are you good at buying gifts for people?
I like to think I’m pretty OK at it.

Would you consider yourself to be generous?
I try to be.

Can you honestly say you’ve been drunk before?
Not even close.

Do you have a piece of technology that should be dead ,but it’s still going?
The above mentioned Nintendo Game and Watch Donkey Kong, from 1984?

When it rains, does it put the damper on your mood?
Not usually.

Have you had an awkward situation with someone recently?
Five days a week ..

Going anywhere next year for vacation?
Dublin, I hope.

Do you remember the dream you had last night?
No, I did when I woke up after it but then I went back to sleep and forgot it by the time I woke up for real

How many dresses do you own?
One. It’s short, flowy, purple and white paisley type print on black, and I wear it with leggings.

Has anything surprised you today?
Not yet.

Do you have perfect vision?
No. I can see almost nothing without glasses, and even with them I’m struggling to focus a lot at the moment.

Do you know anyone who is a germaphobe?
I can be. But no, though Jill admitted to it in her blog, so actually yes – Jill!

Are you a fast runner?
Haha. No. I’m not even a slow runner, I don’t run. Ever.

If you need a job, will you take whatever you can get?
I haven’t needed to know yet, but I suppose if I were desperate, yes.

When was the last time someone gave you a hand written letter?
Never, any more! I miss proper letters!

Do you have a lucky or special coin?
No.

Do you find you have a lot of notebooks that aren’t close to being filled?
I have *piles* of empty journals and notebooks!

Have you had a piece of jewellery that turned your skin green?
No, I don’t wear jewellery at all anymore.

Do you check your email daily?
Yes. About 20 times a day!

Are you doing anything the day after tomorrow?
Going to Kent to sort out my Nan’s belongings with Mum.

Is there currently any caffeine or alcohol in your system?
Nope. I’m Diet Coke free since 4th July, and can’t remember when I last drank alcohol.

Are your biceps at all noticeable?
No, they’re very cleverly hidden by a layer of fat.

Have you ever seen a walrus?
No.

Do you have a preference: white erasers or pink erasers?
I like the white Staedtler ones myself.

When it comes to dropping food, do you believe in the 10 second rule?
Depends how clean my kitchen floor is.

Nan

My nan died early this morning, after a short spell in hospital. She was taken in on Saturday evening, and Mum and I went to Ashford on Sunday to see her. At first heart failure was suspected, by Sunday they didn’t know what it was, but said her heart wasn’t the problem, and it could be a chest and stomach infection.

A CT scan Sunday afternoon, with the results on Monday afternoon showed the problem was gallstones, andthey were trying to build her strength up a little, then do the camera down the throat tomorrow, to assess the severity. She was too frail to have surgery, which is why they didn’t operate straightaway.

Yesterday morning my aunt and uncle got called to the hospital, she had passed out because her blood pressure dropped to 60/30m but she rallied again, and my three of my cousins went yesterday afternoon.

I left for work at 5:30am this morning and got called home at 9am when Mum rang work to let me know that my uncle and aunt had rung around 8:30. Nan’s heart just gave out around 3:30am this morning, and she slipped away peacefully.

Nan was 92, and although logically I know it’s a good age, and she’s not suffering any more, it’s not helping. I want my Nan back, and I want my Mum to have *her* Mum back.

Just Because …

Just because I really like these and I’m into macro at the moment! Taken walking home in the rain today.