Interrogation
Once upon a time an amiable, rum-drinking blogger called Kateonthinice was commanded to answer eleven personal questions, publicly, in the middle of the blogosphere. This she did with deftness and dignity. At the very same time time, a long way off, Melksham Mum was grappling a more fiendish task. She was required to disclose twelve 'fun' facts about herself, then answer twelve set questions, while remaining all the while witty and entertaining. This she too did with deftness and dignity. But there is a sting in the tail. Both were then obliged to devise questions of their own and swivel the spotlight onto a dozen blameless bloggers. And both have pounced on me. I am honoured and I am excited, but I am also alarmed for journalists are not accustomed to providing answers and readers are probably not very interested in wading through them.
Eleven fun facts about Me
1. I love violent rain. When the heavens open I dash out and prance round the garden until I am exhilaratingly soaked.
2. I once leapt up from a punt as it approached a footbridge, hauled myself up and over the rails and dropped back into the punt as it passed out the other side. Only I landed on the head of a young stranger and I was wearing a floaty summer dress at the time and he was friendless and grateful and for the next two days he...no, actually, that memory is not very fun.
3. Er...
4. I can't think of any more fun facts about me. Everything I know about myself I've revealed before here.
Now for Kate's questions:
1. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about mums' lives today, what would it be and why?
Tricky one. We are all miracles of creation, but I feel God slipped up on two things: teeth and patience. As one toils through the fifth decade, one gets a bit short on both so I should wish for unlimited reserves the latter (with a few of the former thrown in).
2. How many hours or minutes of housework do you do per day?
I do spend several minutes a day thinking about it. Does that count? And since I've discovered hygiene wipes I swab the loo when I've cleaned my teeth.
3. If you could change careers, what would you change to?
Gardener
4. What is your favourite cocktail?
Don't rate cocktails. Is gin and tonic one? That's fine when there's no beer about, but why would anyone be anywhere without beer?
5. What is your claim to fame?
Never made any claim to fame. I modelled for a Cadburys Chocolate Buttons ad when I was three and The Telegraph once ran a big picture of me when I mastered the rudiments of cat language from a 200-page primer.
6. What is the quirkiest object in your home?
My father, when he comes to stay. He owns a Vicky Pollard costume.
7. Charity Shop Or Designer Boutique?
Charity shop. 'Labels' annoy me. My winter coat was £8 from Help the Aged, bought in anticipation of funerals, and I picked up The Hits of George Formby cheap while I was at it.
8. How many hours of the day are you away from your own house?
Never. Just about never. Apart from trudging to and from school four times a day and manning the church tea urn on Fridays. My commute to work is up the stairs, over recumbent cats and toys-in-transit, to the vicarage guest room, except on Tuesdays when I drink lattes in a glass office.
9. What is your guilty pleasure?
Blogging and Tweeting. Officially I am Against technology. I haven't even learnt the number of the brick-like mobile phone my mother made me buy eight years ago. But blogging and tweeting have both unexpectedly ensnared me and are ruining my reputation so, like an addict, I tend to do both on the sly up in said guest room, while pretending urgent household chores to my family
10. Retro or Modern?
See answer to Question 9. What do you reckon?
11. What is the one challenge you are most proud of overcoming?
Vanquishing, with my pickaxe, an obdurate swathe of clay where my new pond was to be.
Next up, for any stragglers still with me, the inquisition from Melksham Mum.
1. Who is your celebrity crush?
Always liked the look of Jeremy Northam and I'd swallow my own cooking for Doris Day, but crushes, no. I fantasise more about John Innes.
2. What is your tipple of choice?
Beer.
3. Who was the first musical act you saw live?
Michael Jackson in Romania. For a newspaper article. Not that I actually saw him. He was an occasional pinprick figure on a virulent horizon. Mostly it was people gyrating in cut-off bin liners.
4. What was the first car you owned?
A Skoda Felicia. When I was 32. It was a felicitous choice. Even when I once left the keys hanging in the driver's door overnight noone tried to make off with it.
5. Where were you born and do you still live anywhere near there?
I was born (and lived out my first year) in Richmond, Surrey and now, after a brief tour of the Home Counties, live at the other end of the capital. Near enough in miles but, when you're wedged in a snarl of Eddie Stobarts on the M25, very very far.
6. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Oxford.
7. Can you speak any foreign languages fluently?
I'm supposed to speak German fluently and French with competence but, like the teeth, bits keep dropping off with age.
8. What fictional book would you recommend I read?
Tom's Midnight Garden.
9. What is your best skill?
Like many expensively-educated people I find myself ill-quipped for most things in life. But I've carved a living from writing...
10. Facial hair (on a man!) - Yes or No?
No. But my husband is pretty tolerant of the stray bristles that are upsettingly sprouting on me.
11. Marmite - love or hate?
Love
12. Brandon Flowers - Hot or Not?
Never heard of him.
Nearly done now. Just have to pass on the challenge to eleven bloggers to please Kate and twelve for Melksham Mum. I don't know that many bloggers. So I'll just try to tempt a few favourites who have probably suffered the imposition already.
Sahdandproud
Millsandboonwannabe
Himupnorth
Here come the Girls
Motherventing
Bibsey
The Voice of Sarah Miles
Random Pearls of Wisdom
Reluctant Housedad
Slummytoyummymummy
These are the 11 questions I should like them to answer:
If you could have an audience with any British monarch which would it be?
What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?
If you appeared on Desert Island Disc what would your luxury be?
What kind of museum or gallery exhibition would you cross a city to see?
What would you choose as your last meal?
If you became leader of a political party what would your slogan be?
What piece of music makes your pulse race?
What human quality to do value most highly?
What is your greatest regret?
Can you do a forward roll (if yes, photographic evidence is required)
What would you like your epitaph to be?
What ingredients do you rate in a blog?
Eleven fun facts about Me
1. I love violent rain. When the heavens open I dash out and prance round the garden until I am exhilaratingly soaked.
2. I once leapt up from a punt as it approached a footbridge, hauled myself up and over the rails and dropped back into the punt as it passed out the other side. Only I landed on the head of a young stranger and I was wearing a floaty summer dress at the time and he was friendless and grateful and for the next two days he...no, actually, that memory is not very fun.
3. Er...
4. I can't think of any more fun facts about me. Everything I know about myself I've revealed before here.
Now for Kate's questions:
1. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about mums' lives today, what would it be and why?
Tricky one. We are all miracles of creation, but I feel God slipped up on two things: teeth and patience. As one toils through the fifth decade, one gets a bit short on both so I should wish for unlimited reserves the latter (with a few of the former thrown in).
2. How many hours or minutes of housework do you do per day?
I do spend several minutes a day thinking about it. Does that count? And since I've discovered hygiene wipes I swab the loo when I've cleaned my teeth.
3. If you could change careers, what would you change to?
Gardener
4. What is your favourite cocktail?
Don't rate cocktails. Is gin and tonic one? That's fine when there's no beer about, but why would anyone be anywhere without beer?
5. What is your claim to fame?
Never made any claim to fame. I modelled for a Cadburys Chocolate Buttons ad when I was three and The Telegraph once ran a big picture of me when I mastered the rudiments of cat language from a 200-page primer.
6. What is the quirkiest object in your home?
My father, when he comes to stay. He owns a Vicky Pollard costume.
7. Charity Shop Or Designer Boutique?
Charity shop. 'Labels' annoy me. My winter coat was £8 from Help the Aged, bought in anticipation of funerals, and I picked up The Hits of George Formby cheap while I was at it.
8. How many hours of the day are you away from your own house?
Never. Just about never. Apart from trudging to and from school four times a day and manning the church tea urn on Fridays. My commute to work is up the stairs, over recumbent cats and toys-in-transit, to the vicarage guest room, except on Tuesdays when I drink lattes in a glass office.
9. What is your guilty pleasure?
Blogging and Tweeting. Officially I am Against technology. I haven't even learnt the number of the brick-like mobile phone my mother made me buy eight years ago. But blogging and tweeting have both unexpectedly ensnared me and are ruining my reputation so, like an addict, I tend to do both on the sly up in said guest room, while pretending urgent household chores to my family
10. Retro or Modern?
See answer to Question 9. What do you reckon?
11. What is the one challenge you are most proud of overcoming?
Vanquishing, with my pickaxe, an obdurate swathe of clay where my new pond was to be.
Next up, for any stragglers still with me, the inquisition from Melksham Mum.
1. Who is your celebrity crush?
Always liked the look of Jeremy Northam and I'd swallow my own cooking for Doris Day, but crushes, no. I fantasise more about John Innes.
2. What is your tipple of choice?
Beer.
3. Who was the first musical act you saw live?
Michael Jackson in Romania. For a newspaper article. Not that I actually saw him. He was an occasional pinprick figure on a virulent horizon. Mostly it was people gyrating in cut-off bin liners.
4. What was the first car you owned?
A Skoda Felicia. When I was 32. It was a felicitous choice. Even when I once left the keys hanging in the driver's door overnight noone tried to make off with it.
5. Where were you born and do you still live anywhere near there?
I was born (and lived out my first year) in Richmond, Surrey and now, after a brief tour of the Home Counties, live at the other end of the capital. Near enough in miles but, when you're wedged in a snarl of Eddie Stobarts on the M25, very very far.
6. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Oxford.
7. Can you speak any foreign languages fluently?
I'm supposed to speak German fluently and French with competence but, like the teeth, bits keep dropping off with age.
8. What fictional book would you recommend I read?
Tom's Midnight Garden.
9. What is your best skill?
Like many expensively-educated people I find myself ill-quipped for most things in life. But I've carved a living from writing...
10. Facial hair (on a man!) - Yes or No?
No. But my husband is pretty tolerant of the stray bristles that are upsettingly sprouting on me.
11. Marmite - love or hate?
Love
12. Brandon Flowers - Hot or Not?
Never heard of him.
Nearly done now. Just have to pass on the challenge to eleven bloggers to please Kate and twelve for Melksham Mum. I don't know that many bloggers. So I'll just try to tempt a few favourites who have probably suffered the imposition already.
Sahdandproud
Millsandboonwannabe
Himupnorth
Here come the Girls
Motherventing
Bibsey
The Voice of Sarah Miles
Random Pearls of Wisdom
Reluctant Housedad
Slummytoyummymummy
These are the 11 questions I should like them to answer:
If you could have an audience with any British monarch which would it be?
What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?
If you appeared on Desert Island Disc what would your luxury be?
What kind of museum or gallery exhibition would you cross a city to see?
What would you choose as your last meal?
If you became leader of a political party what would your slogan be?
What piece of music makes your pulse race?
What human quality to do value most highly?
What is your greatest regret?
Can you do a forward roll (if yes, photographic evidence is required)
What would you like your epitaph to be?
What ingredients do you rate in a blog?
Loving how you have combined two tasks so neatly.
ReplyDeleteHad no idea you could be at home so much and do freelance journalism. You must tell me how to do this to keep the wolves from my door.
Your Dad sounds worth knowing.
I got a bit distracted by your claim to fame as saw the word three and chocolate buttons and modelling and wondered just where you put the choccy buttons. My mind is a strange beast.
I like you more and more. When will we meet?
I'm lucky enough to be a staff writer, but The Guardian, very accommodatingly, lets me work at home. Combining the unpredictability of freelancing and the school run is a different story!
DeleteBrandon Flowers. Never heard of him. PMSL. No, me neither. This is a grat Meme. Thanks for including me.
ReplyDeleteHa, you answered them all, well done. I think Kate's questions were a bit more intellectual but still have found out even more about you. But, you don't know who Mr Flowers is? Tut tut ;) x x
ReplyDeleteAnyone would think you're a toothless old hag. You're not – you have teeth. A bit yellow, it's true, but still your own...
ReplyDeleteActually, three of them are not my own. The three in the front. Jolly pricey they were, too!
DeleteWhose (teeth) are they then? Mr Flowers?
ReplyDeleteThey're of the finest plastic, dyed a pretty pale yellow to blend in with their genuine companions.
DeleteI always like a challenge....thank you. Do we have to do the fun facts too? I might be able to muster some boring bits of trivia, but fun facts.....
ReplyDeleteI shall get to it!
Like the new wallpaper by the way. Very tranquil.
Sx
You can choose your meme. The above was two melded. The first required the 11 fun facts and 11 X 11 questions answered and asked. The other, merely 12 questions to answer and 12 to ask. So take your pick. As you can see the fun facts foxed me too.
DeleteSo you do not one but TWO of this absolute meme beast and then some idiot tags you on it all over again JUST before you posted? There may be a word for this but my brain can't retrieve it at present. Still, excellent job with the questions you were already in possession of.
ReplyDeleteOh sorry, my dear. Should have waited for you!
DeleteNo need for an apology I'm the idiot I refer to.
DeleteI think my tagging you, SAHDandproud and Mother Venting may just have killed this meme in all it's virulent forms. Is the vicar free to bless it?
I have no clue who Brandon Flowers is either...but would love to see a photo of your Dad dressed as Vicky Pollard, how cool!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll post one up as a Saturday Caption pic one of these days..
Delete"I am also alarmed for journalists are not accustomed to providing answers." That would be my take on it too!
ReplyDeleteI think I feel an 'expensively educated but equipped for nothing' article coming on. You describe me perfectly.
I used to teach German. Scary.
Do you have facial bristles too?
DeleteNo. Phew. Nor do I have lace-up leather trews, despite having lived in Germany.
DeleteYet more evidence of why I love you. Tom's Midnight Garden was the clincher. But the Marmite question didn't hurt either. And I need a pic of your dad in his Vicky Pollard outfit...
ReplyDeleteRight, my darling. It'll come!
DeleteThe punt-footbridge fact is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteAlso respect for being a Surrey 'un who favours the beer over fancy cocktails.
The punt adventure looks a bit odd in writing. Seemed the Thing to Do at the time.
Delete