Meme via alicephilippa
Haven't written anything here for ages, so a question meme seems like an easy enough way to get back into things.
1. What's your favourite candle scent?
That's not something I have a real opinion on. I've smelt candles and thought "that smells nice" or "that's not as nice as the other", but I don't think about it enough to have a favourite.
2. What female celebrity do you wish was your sister?
Sandi Toksvig. Actually can I have her as my aunt, and then I'll have Sue Perkins as my sister.
3. What male celebrity do you wish was your brother?
Mitch Benn. David Mitchell would be good too. Or Giles Coren, who I think would be a lot of fun to hang around with.
4. How old do you think you'll be when you get married?
It doesn't seem likely to happen.
5. Do you know a hoarder?
Me. Which I suspect I get from my granddad. And many non-related hoarders, of which the_magician is probably the most extreme example.
6. Can you do a split?
I assume this is the same as doing the splits? Yes, just about, and on one side. On the other side it's close enough to almost look like I can, but it's definitely not quite there. This is something I've only been able to do in recent years, I never could as a child or teenager. Body Balance has definitely improved certain aspects of my flexibility (though old age has knackered other aspects).
7. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike?
About six or seven. I was definitely able to ride one on my own without stabilisers when we lived in Crich, and we left there when I was seven and a half. I remember the occasion of having the stabilisers taken off my bike - Dad gave me a big push and I sailed off along the road to cheers from what I remember as everyone on the street, but was probably just one or two neighbours.
8. How many oceans have you swum in?
The only time I've swum in the sea was a couple of years ago at Valencia. Prior to that I've run into the sea at Rhosneigr (Angelsey) but I can't claim that was swimming.
9. How many countries have you been to?
Not including the UK, I've been to Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany (very briefly, on the way to Austria with school), Austria (skiing trip with school), Italy (briefly - day trip during said skiing trip), Netherlands (brief trip to Amsterdam), Spain (yoga retreat near Valencia), Canada (the worldcon in 1994, followed by walking in the Rockies), the US (Florida) and Japan.
10. Is anyone in your family in the army?
Not as far as I'm aware.
11. What would you name your daughter if you had one?
Rowan.
12. What would you name your son if you had one?
Ford.
13. What's the worst grade you got on a test?
Not a clue. I have an E in A Level chemistry, which is as low as you can get without failing.
14. What was your favourite TV show when you were a child?
Doctor Who.
15. What did you dress up as on Halloween when you were eight?
People just didn't really do Halloween when I was eight.
16. Have you read any of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight series?
Harry Potter. Not interested in Twilight, though if it was a choice between that and 50 Shades Of Grey I'd prefer to give Twilight a go. Hunger Games I may get round to eventually.
17. Would you rather have an American accent or a British accent?
This sort of implies there's only one of each. Even knowing sod all about American accents I can tell the difference between Texas, Minnesota and New York, and round here you only have to go about ten miles to get a variation in the accent. I currently live less than 30 miles from where I grew up and can tell a big difference in the local accent. Mine's a mix of growing up in Derbyshire with a Surrey mother and Yorkshire father, tempered by trying to be clear and understandable to a number of different people from all over the place. Though I can go pure rural Derbyshire when I want.
18. Are your grandparents still married?
'Til death do us part, so no, not any more.
19. Have you ever taken karate lessons?
One lesson from korintomichi. Other than that, a bit of Aikido, some years of T'ai Chi and Kung Fu.
20. What's the first amusement park you've been to?
Sundown Pets Corner. A quick google tells me it's still going, under the name of Sundown Adventure Land.It appears to have changed a lot in the last thirty-five years.
21. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in?
Any really. I feel slightly embarrassed about having only the merest smattering of French (I did get O Level, but it's got seriously rusty since then). Would quite like to know BSL too.
22. Do you spell the colour as grey or gray?
Grey. Because I'm a Brit.
23. Is your father bald?
He wasn't when he died. It's probably rotted away by now though.
24. Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook?
Never seen Titanic, never heard of The Notebook.
25. What's the name of your favourite restaurant?
Don't often eat out, but The Mayfair in Nottingham is quite a favourite. Takeaway prices, delicious food, bring your own drink.
26. Do you belong to any warehouse stores (Costco, BJ's, etc.)?
Makro and Hyperama. I thoroughly recommend the latter for big tubs of hot chocolate, big lumps of mozzarella and big bags of spices.
27. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender?
I have absolutely no idea. They didn't have an idea of a name before I was born, my hospital tag just had Baby *surname* on it, so presumably if I'd been male they would have thought up something some time in the first week or two like they did when I turned out to be female.
28. If you have a nickname, what is it?
I don't have one any more. Past nicknames have included Sardine, TN, Jec and Coppernob. I have no desire to resurrect any of them, by the way.
29. Who's your favourite person in the world?
tregenza, obviously.
30. Would you rather live in a rural area or in the suburbs?
Since I live in the suburbs and don't seem to be making any effort to change this, I shall assume I prefer things this way.
31. Can you whistle?
Yes, though I'm no Roger Whittaker.
32. Do you eat breakfast every morning?
No. I'm a bit crap about that really.
33. What medical conditions do you have?
Medial epicondylitis, mild myopia, oral herpes simplex. In other words, golfer's elbow, shortsightedness and cold sores. I might have a bit of arthritis, and I often get a touch of tendonitis in other joints, but nothing major.
35. Where do you buy your jeans?
I haven't bought any for years, and I don't think I currently own any. I'd quite like some again, but they're a pain to shop for and fashion dictated for some years that I would be unable to get any that I liked/fitted me/didn't look stupid/weren't uncomfortable. So now I mostly live in combat trousers and work trousers (gym wear). I'm not a fashion bunny in the least. The only noticeable difference in what I wear when at work (teaching fitness classes) and not at work is the length of my trousers.
36. Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning?
That's hard to say. If I don't remember one in the morning is that because I didn't dream that night or because I've forgotten one?
37. What flavour tea do you enjoy?
Most of them. I never used to like Lapsang Souchong, but since I haven't had it for nearly twenty years I might like it now, you never know. My default go-to teas are Assam, Kenya and Yorkshire, but I'll give any a go.
38. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own?
Define shoes. If we're excluding trainers (not sure how many, three of different varieties (cross training, running and basic cheap) in common usage but at least five and probably nearer ten older pairs being kept as backup or 'gardening shoes') and boots (again no idea but at least ten and probably nearer twenty, ranging from walking boots to thigh-high suede) then probably about five. Most of which were purchased for burlesque shows and are considered (in my head) to be costume rather than functional wear.
39. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn't real?
I don't think I ever thought he was real.
40. Why do you have a blog?
I don't. Unless this counts as a blog, in which case so I can keep up with friends and have something interesting to read. I first opened an LJ account because many of my friends appeared to be solely communicating via LJ and I seemed to be missing out, and because I appeared in an anecdote on LJ and thought it was about time I joined in.
1. What's your favourite candle scent?
That's not something I have a real opinion on. I've smelt candles and thought "that smells nice" or "that's not as nice as the other", but I don't think about it enough to have a favourite.
2. What female celebrity do you wish was your sister?
Sandi Toksvig. Actually can I have her as my aunt, and then I'll have Sue Perkins as my sister.
3. What male celebrity do you wish was your brother?
Mitch Benn. David Mitchell would be good too. Or Giles Coren, who I think would be a lot of fun to hang around with.
4. How old do you think you'll be when you get married?
It doesn't seem likely to happen.
5. Do you know a hoarder?
Me. Which I suspect I get from my granddad. And many non-related hoarders, of which the_magician is probably the most extreme example.
6. Can you do a split?
I assume this is the same as doing the splits? Yes, just about, and on one side. On the other side it's close enough to almost look like I can, but it's definitely not quite there. This is something I've only been able to do in recent years, I never could as a child or teenager. Body Balance has definitely improved certain aspects of my flexibility (though old age has knackered other aspects).
7. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike?
About six or seven. I was definitely able to ride one on my own without stabilisers when we lived in Crich, and we left there when I was seven and a half. I remember the occasion of having the stabilisers taken off my bike - Dad gave me a big push and I sailed off along the road to cheers from what I remember as everyone on the street, but was probably just one or two neighbours.
8. How many oceans have you swum in?
The only time I've swum in the sea was a couple of years ago at Valencia. Prior to that I've run into the sea at Rhosneigr (Angelsey) but I can't claim that was swimming.
9. How many countries have you been to?
Not including the UK, I've been to Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany (very briefly, on the way to Austria with school), Austria (skiing trip with school), Italy (briefly - day trip during said skiing trip), Netherlands (brief trip to Amsterdam), Spain (yoga retreat near Valencia), Canada (the worldcon in 1994, followed by walking in the Rockies), the US (Florida) and Japan.
10. Is anyone in your family in the army?
Not as far as I'm aware.
11. What would you name your daughter if you had one?
Rowan.
12. What would you name your son if you had one?
Ford.
13. What's the worst grade you got on a test?
Not a clue. I have an E in A Level chemistry, which is as low as you can get without failing.
14. What was your favourite TV show when you were a child?
Doctor Who.
15. What did you dress up as on Halloween when you were eight?
People just didn't really do Halloween when I was eight.
16. Have you read any of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight series?
Harry Potter. Not interested in Twilight, though if it was a choice between that and 50 Shades Of Grey I'd prefer to give Twilight a go. Hunger Games I may get round to eventually.
17. Would you rather have an American accent or a British accent?
This sort of implies there's only one of each. Even knowing sod all about American accents I can tell the difference between Texas, Minnesota and New York, and round here you only have to go about ten miles to get a variation in the accent. I currently live less than 30 miles from where I grew up and can tell a big difference in the local accent. Mine's a mix of growing up in Derbyshire with a Surrey mother and Yorkshire father, tempered by trying to be clear and understandable to a number of different people from all over the place. Though I can go pure rural Derbyshire when I want.
18. Are your grandparents still married?
'Til death do us part, so no, not any more.
19. Have you ever taken karate lessons?
One lesson from korintomichi. Other than that, a bit of Aikido, some years of T'ai Chi and Kung Fu.
20. What's the first amusement park you've been to?
Sundown Pets Corner. A quick google tells me it's still going, under the name of Sundown Adventure Land.It appears to have changed a lot in the last thirty-five years.
21. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in?
Any really. I feel slightly embarrassed about having only the merest smattering of French (I did get O Level, but it's got seriously rusty since then). Would quite like to know BSL too.
22. Do you spell the colour as grey or gray?
Grey. Because I'm a Brit.
23. Is your father bald?
He wasn't when he died. It's probably rotted away by now though.
24. Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook?
Never seen Titanic, never heard of The Notebook.
25. What's the name of your favourite restaurant?
Don't often eat out, but The Mayfair in Nottingham is quite a favourite. Takeaway prices, delicious food, bring your own drink.
26. Do you belong to any warehouse stores (Costco, BJ's, etc.)?
Makro and Hyperama. I thoroughly recommend the latter for big tubs of hot chocolate, big lumps of mozzarella and big bags of spices.
27. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender?
I have absolutely no idea. They didn't have an idea of a name before I was born, my hospital tag just had Baby *surname* on it, so presumably if I'd been male they would have thought up something some time in the first week or two like they did when I turned out to be female.
28. If you have a nickname, what is it?
I don't have one any more. Past nicknames have included Sardine, TN, Jec and Coppernob. I have no desire to resurrect any of them, by the way.
29. Who's your favourite person in the world?
tregenza, obviously.
30. Would you rather live in a rural area or in the suburbs?
Since I live in the suburbs and don't seem to be making any effort to change this, I shall assume I prefer things this way.
31. Can you whistle?
Yes, though I'm no Roger Whittaker.
32. Do you eat breakfast every morning?
No. I'm a bit crap about that really.
33. What medical conditions do you have?
Medial epicondylitis, mild myopia, oral herpes simplex. In other words, golfer's elbow, shortsightedness and cold sores. I might have a bit of arthritis, and I often get a touch of tendonitis in other joints, but nothing major.
35. Where do you buy your jeans?
I haven't bought any for years, and I don't think I currently own any. I'd quite like some again, but they're a pain to shop for and fashion dictated for some years that I would be unable to get any that I liked/fitted me/didn't look stupid/weren't uncomfortable. So now I mostly live in combat trousers and work trousers (gym wear). I'm not a fashion bunny in the least. The only noticeable difference in what I wear when at work (teaching fitness classes) and not at work is the length of my trousers.
36. Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning?
That's hard to say. If I don't remember one in the morning is that because I didn't dream that night or because I've forgotten one?
37. What flavour tea do you enjoy?
Most of them. I never used to like Lapsang Souchong, but since I haven't had it for nearly twenty years I might like it now, you never know. My default go-to teas are Assam, Kenya and Yorkshire, but I'll give any a go.
38. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own?
Define shoes. If we're excluding trainers (not sure how many, three of different varieties (cross training, running and basic cheap) in common usage but at least five and probably nearer ten older pairs being kept as backup or 'gardening shoes') and boots (again no idea but at least ten and probably nearer twenty, ranging from walking boots to thigh-high suede) then probably about five. Most of which were purchased for burlesque shows and are considered (in my head) to be costume rather than functional wear.
39. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn't real?
I don't think I ever thought he was real.
40. Why do you have a blog?
I don't. Unless this counts as a blog, in which case so I can keep up with friends and have something interesting to read. I first opened an LJ account because many of my friends appeared to be solely communicating via LJ and I seemed to be missing out, and because I appeared in an anecdote on LJ and thought it was about time I joined in.