Friday's Feast

Eek! I think I'm late (again) for this week's Friday's Feast. Never mind - here we go!

Appetizer

When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?

Sometime back in the Autumn. It desperately needs cutting again, but I always seem to find something else to do with the money.

Soup

Name one thing you miss about being a child.

Being able to poke about in hedgerows and ponds without anyone thinking I'm weird!

Salad

Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.

Butter - the reduced fat variety - for spreading. Olive oil for cooking. Margarine is too vile for words.

Main Course

If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?

Spanish, so if I'm ever lucky enough to fulfil my ambition to visit South America, I'll be able to communicate fairly easily.

Dessert

Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…

In 5 years I expect to be goodness knows where! As I have health problems, I tend to take each day as it comes. I can feel as fit as a fiddle one day, and utterly decrepit the next, so making future plans is hard.

Friday's Feast

Time for this week's Friday's Feast. At least I'm not hideously late this week!

Appetizer

What is the weather like today where you live?

It's just gone 2 AM here in the UK (yes, I'm off to bed after this), and the weather is wet and quite cold for the time of year. I hope it will clear up by about 9 AM, when I need to be out and about.

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?

I'd say about -50, LOL. I don't work full time as I have health problems. Taking care of myself, and trying to stop my health from deteriorating further is my priority. Status and wealth, the main career motivators, aren't important to me in the least.

Salad

What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?

A mixture of curtains, voile, and one or two bamboo blinds.

Main Course

Name something that instantly cheers you up.

Chocolate.

Dessert

How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?

Never. I don't have a snooze button, as I use the alarm on my phone, and if it has a snooze button, I've yet to find it.

Friday's Feast

Oops - running a bit late with this week's Friday's Feast. Never mind - better late than never!

Appetizer

If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?

America. Not sure where, though. I'd probably like to tour around the archaeological sites of the southwestern US states, and then maybe spend a little time visiting the Californian coast, before heading for Alaska and Canada. If I had enough time, I'd also like to head to South America, to visit some archaeological sites there.

Soup

Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?

Firefox. Can't abide Internet Explorer.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?

About 6, I guess. Maybe 7 on a good day.

Main Course

Finish this sentence: Love is…

Love is different things to different people.

Dessert

Have you ever been in or near a tornado?

Kind of. We rarely get big tornadoes in the UK, but a couple of years ago, I witnessed a dust devil crossing the road in front of me. A dust devil is just a teeny weeny tornado. It was fascinating to watch it picking up all the dirt and debris in its path. It also made a lot of noise, despite being tiny. The only thing I felt, was a bit of a chilly current as it swept past a few metres away. I dread to think what a full-blown tornado feels like.

Friday's Feast

Haven't done Friday's Feast for a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd give it a go this week.

Appetizer

Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?

An optimist mostly, although I can sometimes be quite pessimistic, too.

Soup

What is your favorite color of ink to write with?

Black. I love the look of black ink on white paper. Well, when it's someone else's writing, that is, rather than my own hideous spider-scrawl.

Salad

How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?

No set date - as required. I do them myself as I cannot afford the luxury of paying a salon to do them for me. Also, I hate people touching my feet!

Main Course

Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?

No. I keep seeing loads of ads telling me I've won laptops, plasma TVs, iPods and iPhones - but I know that's just a load of cack to get me to click the ads.

Dessert

In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?

In the bedroom. My laptop, which I could use wherever I chose to, decided to incinerate itself. There's no room anywhere else for my desktop.

That's my Friday's Feast for this week. Sorry it's not very exciting. Have a great weekend!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?

Marine Boy.

Soup

Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?

A Cavalier King Charles spaniel (the only dogs that don't terrify me). What name? If it was a girl, Lily or Poppy, a boy, Charlie or Paddy. Or maybe something totally different. It's hard to think of a pet's name in advance, as I usually name them according to their personalities.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?

Er - how about minus 10? I HATE getting dressed up. I always like to be neat, clean and presentable, but I also like to keep things simple and practical.

Main Course

What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?

I don't drive.

Dessert

When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?

I honestly don't remember. I only own one clock, and that was bought for me as a gift a few years ago. It's in my bedroom, with the battery removed, as the ticking drove me nuts. I prefer to tell the time by things like my PC, VCR clock or phone display.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

Name one thing that is unique about you.

What do you mean, one thing? I am 100% unique! :)

Soup

Fill in the blank: My favorite _________ is __________ but I like _________ too.

My favourite (British spelling!) cheese is Cheddar but I like Wensleydale too.

Salad

What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings?

Wood? Isn't that for posh people? I have pine effect, but I doubt there's any real pine. I'm a scumbag pauper, so posh wood is a bit out of my league.

Main Course

Who do you talk to most often on the phone?

My cousin, Wayne.

Dessert

What level of responsibility do you have in your job?

Absolutely none. I have health problems so I don't work. It's not that I don't want to. But the instant you disclose a medical condition or disability to a prospective employer, they find all sorts of excuses not to employ you. They'll never say it's because of your health issues, as that would be illegal. However, when you're the best qualified candidate, but the only one with health issues, and someone else gets the job - well, you just know the real reason why.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of cereal?

Porridge. I hate cold cereals, and can only bear to eat them dry. I just cannot understand why people eat soggy cereal drenched in cold milk, first thing in the morning.

Soup
When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

Two very pretty, sparkly candle holders. They're on my living room windowsill.

Salad
What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?

I can't really answer that, as I always either turn them off, or walk out of the room during commercials. Plus I only watch about two hours' TV a week anyway, and then usually it's one of the BBC channels, which are commercial-free.

Main Course
Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).

Chili Mongoose

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.

I haven't walked along a beach since September

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
How many times per day do you usually laugh?

Laugh? What's that? Just kidding. Um, I dunno. I've never actually counted. Depends on the day's events and my mood.

Soup
What do your sunglasses look like?

I can't remember. It's mid-winter now, and the UK had such a miserable, wet summer, I've forgotten what they look like. In fact, I can't even remember where they are at the moment.

Salad
You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?

Nowhere. I suffer travel sickness and hate long journeys. I guess I'd give the prize away to a relative or friend.

Main Course
Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.

It's right by the sea.

Dessert
If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

Oh no! Even thinking about that is too freaky. As close to blue as possible, I guess. Maybe a nice, fresh lilac or violet colour.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?

A nice, strong, frothy cappuccino. Pepsi Max, especially the Citrus or Cino flavours. Cherry Tango.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.

Nothing. I use a laptop. I can't really sit at a desk, as I have arthritis in my spine, so I tend to just find somewhere comfortable with my laptop.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

I'd say 7 or 8. Then again, how do you know I'm being honest with you? :)

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

Oh heck. I can't think of a response to this one. It's not even 7 AM here in the UK, so it's too early for such thoughts. Maybe Bangkok should be renamed, as it sounds a bit naughty and painful. But what to rename it? No idea.

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?

Crowds and shopping stress me out. Especially shopping. Everything costs so much, and shopping seems to bring out the worst in everyone. Normally polite, rational people often turn into bad-tempered, foul-mouthed psychos, who would happily knock you out cold to stop you grabbing the bargain they have their eye on. Ugh!

Nothing calms me down better than a candlelight bath, with lots of nice smellies.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?

I used to have a middle name, but I officially ditched it. It doesn't appear on my passport or driver's licence (no, that's not a typo, it's how we spell it in the UK), I really dislike it, so I'm sorry, but I'm not revealing it. Apart from ditching the middle name, I wouldn't change my name in any other way, as I simply couldn't get used to being addressed by a different name.

Soup

If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?

I'd never be a fashion designer. I'd sooner design computer systems and various techno-gadgets. I'm just not a girlie girl!

Salad

What is your least favorite chore, and why?

Housework. I have arthritis, so all that vacuuming, dusting, mopping, etc, hurts. And I can't afford a cleaning lady, or better still, a hunky cleaning man. Life is hard!

Main Course

What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?

Dogs and aircraft. My own personal hell would be finding myself locked in a plane with a dozen Rottweilers. About 17 or 18 years ago, I escaped by a whisker from an evil Doberman that wanted me for lunch. I've been very nervous of dogs since. As for the aircraft thing, I can trace that fear back to a lot of things. I grew up in rural West Wales. Both the RAF and the USAF used the region for low flying exercises, and in those days, they had fewer height restrictions. The jets would suddenly scream overhead, with little warning, often no more than 150 feet above the ground, sometimes even lower. They would arrive with such speed, that often, the first thing I knew about their presence was when a dark shadow suddenly fell on me, followed by the eruption of a hideous noise.

Ever had a military jet 150 feet above your head? No matter how many times it occurred, it terrified me each time, when I was a kid. To make matters even worse, one of them ditched a few miles from my house, killing the pilot, and I saw not just his final descent, but his face, as he looked out, knowing he was doomed, unable to bale out in case his plane hit a residential area. Horrible. Not long after, a small civilian aircraft crashed a few fields away from my house. I saw it fly over, sputtering and smoking, and I heard it hit the ground and explode soon afterwards. About three people died. So I thank all aircraft to stay the hell away from me. If we were meant to fly, we'd have wings!

Dessert

Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.

On my sofa, in my living room. I can see my laptop screen, my cat, Liberty, washing herself, and my other car, Leo, sleeping in his furry radiator bed.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

When was the last time you received a surprise in the mail, and what was it?

This morning. The item itself wasn't a surprise, just the delivery date. I ordered a wireless router from Amazon UK a few days ago, because I'm sick of tripping over the various cables leading from my laptop and cable modem. Amazon told me that the earliest I could expect delivery was January 7th. But it arrived today, and is up and running with the minimum of fussing around.

Soup

If you could have a summer and/or winter home, where would you want it to be?

I'm pretty happy with where I live during the summer, as I live on the coast. However, British weather can be a bit nasty during the winter months. I live in south-west Wales, so winter months can be very wet, cold and blustery, although we don't tend to get much snow. If I had a winter home, I wouldn't want it to be anywhere excessively hot, but I would appreciate a warm, temperate climate, as I'm an arthritis sufferer. Maybe somewhere along the Mediterranean coast would be nice, but where, I really don't know.

Salad

Pick one: pineapple, orange, banana, apple, cherry.

Banana.

Main Course

Describe the nicest piece of clothing that you own.

I don't know about nicest, in the sense of being the most aesthetically pleasing, but right now, due to the cold air sweeping into the UK from Siberia, I consider my thermal leggings and socks to be my nicest pieces of clothing. Do they count?

Dessert

If you could forget one whole day from your life, which day would you choose to wipe from your memory?

None of them. Whether good, bad, or just plain embarrassing, most of my life's experiences have taught me something. If I erased even a single day, I might lose something important forever.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Make up a word and give us its definition.

Superslurpilicious. It describes any potentially messy but delicious food, e.g. a superslurpilicious, gooey chocolate dessert, or a superslurpilicious pizza with lots of runny cheese.

Soup
What is currently your favorite song?

I don't tend to have just one favorite. I don't really keep up with the music charts, so my favorites would be from days gone by. 'Aerials' and 'Spiders' by System of a Down would be amongst my favorites. 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)' by Dead or Alive is one of my all-time faves from the 80's, as it holds so many memories. I'm also rather fond of 'Bleeding Me' by Metallica at the moment. Heck, there are so many to choose from, I'll just leave it at that!

Salad
What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list this year?

Either a wireless router for my broadband internet, or a espresso/cappuccino machine - but not one of those things that uses coffee pods or other ready prepared coffees - yuck.

Main Course
Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life.

Neroli and ylang ylang essential oils. But I'm not telling you he is!

Dessert
Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn’t be, and why?

Oh heck! Where do I start? About 80% of the people on there probably shouldn't be, in my eyes. I'd best pick someone who is known outside the UK, not just our own TV personalities. Ooh, I know - my pet hate, Tom Cruise. He should never be seen on TV or in a movie ever again. He's a freaky, toothy, horrid little hobgoblin, with some very weird views on women's healthcare. Hate him!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

None! I don't like those things one little bit, and never did as a child, either. Boring, aren't I?

Soup

How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?

I either start yapping away about something completely random, to try to create a distraction from the uneasy situation, or I make my excuses and leave.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?

I'll stick at a neutral 5. It entirely depends on the subject matter. There are some subjects which I have no interest in, so I'd sooner poke myself in the eye with cocktail sticks, than discuss them. Other subjects interest me deeply, and I could discuss them for hours.

Main Course

Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

No flu shot and no plans to get one. I live in the UK, and flu vaccine is in short supply, so only certain vulnerable groups are entitled to a shot, for example the elderly, those with respiratory illnesses or immune system deficiencies.

Dessert

Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

Most weeks, I watch about two hours of TV. Very rarely, I might watch a couple more, but not very often, as I prefer to watch online media.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job?

I was a barmaid - at one of the dodgiest pubs in town. Talk about a lamb to the slaughter!

Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?

My bathroom! There's nothing like a nice, hot, fragrant, bubble-filled bath, with scented candles and incense burning, for opening up a path to creativity.

Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when ...

... my cousin Wayne farts loudly in public when I'm with him.

Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you?

Honesty, politeness, respect for others.

Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years.

Leg warmers, frilly New Romantic-style shirts, the Lady Diana haircut. Yes, I was a teenager in the 80's!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?

Cheese and onion crisps - I think they're called potato chips in the US - or chocolate.

Soup
What year did you start using the internet?

1999.

Salad
What is your first name in Pig Latin? (Here’s how to speak it if you don’t already know!)

Ianisay

Main Course
Name something you are picky about.

Coffee. It has to be cappuccino, hot and strong, with plenty of chocolate on top, and a froth that lasts, rather than melting away the instant you look at it. Oh - and did I mention it has to be made from Arabica coffee beans? Yeah, picky, I know. But coffee is important!

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: I ____ ____ yesterday and I ____ ____ today.

I lazed around yesterday and I feel guilty today.