Maz's confused virtuality

Still not dead...

thismaz — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:03:26 GMT

... although you wouldn't know that from my recent LJ activity (read: total lack of) but I've surfaced now because today is a very important day - it's sparrow2000's birthday!!!

Happy birthday, my dear. Wishing you the best of days.

I also send belated happy birthday wishes to spikesgirl58, to lilachigh and to trepkos who all had their birthdays during the summer. And also today, lindahoyland.

I'll go crawl back under my rock now. Well, I will in a minute. Since I'm here now... I'm not sure why I've not been on LJ since when?

May?

Yes, May.

What have I been doing?

Much the same as before - gardening, reading, listening to the radio, avoiding housework. I've taken up exercise, which is enjoyable - swimming, walking, cycling, football, etc. But I've no real reason for not checking in here occasionally. I'm not going to make some kind of pious promise to do better in future. I'll be back at some point. Maybe once winter settles in again. In the mean time, I wish you all a lovely autumn.

Random thought - there's been a lot of ceremony in the last week. Charles has had to make a lot of public speeches, but every time I hear the phrase "The King's speech" I get a really strong mental image of Colin Firth. It still sounds odd to hear the words "God save the king" and "King Charles III" said on the radio. I don't have anything to say about the late queen that has not already been said better by others. I never really thought much about the royal family, they were just there. And I am very glad to have a head of state who is not also the head of government - a non-political head of state strikes me as a much better arrangement than the opposite. But constitutional monarch or constitutional president has never really been an issue for me... except that if we get rid of the monarchy we'll have too actually formulate a written constitution and I fear the rigidity such a thing could impose upon our legal system.

Oh, that's enough serious thinking for the day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPARROW
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I'm not dead...

thismaz — Wed, 11 May 2022 08:33:27 GMT

...although, I am in self-isolation because I've tested positive for covid. That means I'm stuck in the house until the end of the week. And it could be longer if I continue positive. My symptoms are mild, courtesy of three jabs. Mainly a slight temperature and a cough. Thank science for the vaccine that means I get away with only that.

However, forced inactivity has reminded me to login to LJ for the first time since February. *waves sheepishly* Hi, everyone, how you all?

Firstly, I want to wish very, very belated Happy Birthday wishes to skargasm for February, texanfan and ani_mama for March, tabaqui, snycock and twilightofmagic for April and laazikaat and janedavitt for the first half of May. I hope you all had a wonderful day on your birthdays, although not everyone on that list is really active on LJ these days.

If you'd asked me last year I'd have said that there was no way I could start the day without logging into LiveJournal to see what was going on. I have no explanation or excuse for having dropped out of sight for so long. What I can say is I've been moderately busy, although the definition of moderately busy has shifted quite dramatically since I retired.

I know everybody says this when they've been absent for a while, but I really mean it – if there are any posts from the last umpteen weeks that will bring me up-to-date with what's going on in your lives I would love to see them. Please do point me at them.

Back in 2019 I engaged with ljbookbingo and I had half determined to do the same again this year. This year it's all about reading books with titles that begin with each letter of the alphabet. So I've been stocking up on short reviews of the books I've read so far this year. I'll try and post them occasionally and see if I manage to fill the alphabet bingo card.

Meanwhile, spring is finally in the air, my little garden is bursting with colour and I've made myself a totally new flowerbed which is just waiting to be planted up as soon as I can get myself to a garden centre. Which I hope *fingers crossed* might be at the weekend.

Happy new season to you all. And I'll try and do better about being around in future.

January meme, Days 28 to 31

thismaz — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 11:01:51 GMT

The last day of the month and I remembered to post the last few questions on the meme. Yay! Go me!

28. Who was your best teacher/professor? Why?
My English teacher in the first years of secondary school, who gave me extra time outside class to finally teach me to spell. Or, at least, to spell better. She taught me some simple rules that have stood me in good stead ever since.

29. If you are an only child, do you wish you had siblings? If you have siblings, do you wish you were an only child?
No. When we were kids we moved around so much that my parents and my siblings were the only constants in my world. We have stayed close.

30. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? If you don't use top sheets, if you stay somewhere that does, do you prefer your sheets tucked in or out?
In the summer I usually sleep with my feet sticking out of the bottom of the duvet, but in the winter I definitely tuck my feet in.

31. Toilet paper: over or under?
It took me a moment to figure out what this question meant. In my case the answer is neither. My toilet paper sits on a small table next to the toilet, along with a clock and occasionally a book.

January meme, Days 14 to 27

thismaz — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 07:51:38 GMT

I went to see the new Macbeth at the cinema the other day. It's certainly very dramatic. The black and white format is very stylish and the sets manage to tread a neatly balanced line between cinematic landscape and stage set. The weird sisters were absolutely amazing. Brilliantly done! But... but... it always takes me a moment or three to adapt my ear to Shakespeare's speech rhythms, but in this case it took so much longer. I had real trouble making out the words the actors were saying. Such a shame.

I won't say I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but I do wish I could have better heard what they were saying.

Once again time has got away from me. I've been a bit busy and didn't realise how many days had gone by. So my catch-up is behind a cut, because it's almost 2 weeks worth.

14. What movie would be greatly improved if made into a musical?
I'm not a great musical fan, so I can't answer that question.

15. What social stigma does society need to get over?
In our society? The total hang-up over all elements of sexuality.

16. What's the most creative use of emojis you've ever seen?
There have been some funny ones on Richard Osman's House of Games, when the contestants were asked to describe films using only emojis.

17. Where do you get most of your news?
The radio. Specifically BBC Radio 4.

18. In 40 years, what will people be nostalgic for?
In a funny way, I think people will feel nostalgic about this pandemic. In a "we survived" sort of way. In the way that older people now (or 20 years ago, anyway, before that generation began to died off) were nostalgic for surviving the second world war.

19. Do you like reality/competition TV shows? Why or why not? If so, which ones?
Yes. Because I enjoy watching skill and the way people can learn. Think Bake Off, the Sewing Bee, the Pottery Throwdown, Strictly, etc.

20. How fast do you read?
Pretty slowly, I think. It usually takes at least a week for me to finish a novel. I hear people say they they read a book in a day. I don't think I've ever done that.

21. Do you like classical music? If yes, name your favourite composer(s).
I don't really listen to music at all, but of the classical composers I love Bach's measured and intricate compositions. And I find ballet music, when you can feel the dance, to be pretty harmless.

22. How often do you check your phone?
I sometimes forget to turn it on.

23. What is your favourite thing to eat or drink in winter?
Soup. Homemade vegetable soup. Thick and spicy, with thick slices of buttered bread.

24. If you could switch two movie/book/TV characters, what switch would lead to the most inappropriate movie/book/TV show?
Almost anything that involved a genre mash up, I would think.

25. How often do you stay up past 3:00 a.m.?
Never! I have always been an early riser. If I stayed up past 3am, I wouldn't bother going to bed at all.

26. If you opened a business, what kind of business would it be?
It would have to be something to do with making, I think. And not something that required me to go out and quote on jobs. That strikes me as just too stressful *g* But what it would be? I really don't know.

27. Who was your worst teacher/professor? Why?
Oh, that is too long ago; I can't remember.

And that's me caught up. I will admit to running out of steam a bit *g*
I'll try not to let so long go by in future.

January meme, Days 7 to 13

thismaz — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 07:29:07 GMT

I just realised it's a week since I posted the first 6 days of January. If I'm not going to end up posting a month at a time, I begin to suspect I might need to log a reminder in my diary *g*
So here's another week...

7. Have you ever saved an animal's life? How about a person's life?
I can't remember ever saving an animal's life. Maybe the occasional wasp, bee, or moth. And I'm pretty sure I'd remember if I'd ever saved a person.

8. Would you rather be able to see 10 minutes into your own future, or 10 minutes into the future of anyone but yourself?
That would have to be a constant ability to be in any way interesting. Seeing ten minutes into my own future right now would just show me sitting here doing this*g*
Being able to see ten minutes into other peoples' futures might be uncomfortable, but might, potentially, change my answer to question 7, since I might be able to distract someone from crossing the road at a time when they shouldn't... except I've never seen a person knocked down by a car, so would I suddenly start seeing that potential? Probably not.
Hmm... if I had to choose, I think I'd go for me, over everybody else, if only because in a crowded place being able to see everybody else's ten minutes future could end up being very confusing and a bit hallucinatory.

9. Would you rather lose the ability to read, or the ability to speak?
Assuming the question is saying 'permanently' I think I'd rather lose the ability to speak. Sign language and writing can serve most purposes, even if sign language has limited coverage and writing is time-consuming. And I'm not much of a talker, anyway. But being unable to read and unable to learn how to do so again, would be awful in both emotional and practical ways.

10. What Olympic (or other) sport would be the funniest to add a mandatory amount of alcohol to?
No. Not going there. It all sounds far too dangerous *g*
Oh, okay then. Umm... beach volleyball?
Most sports are risky or require physical coordination, so alcohol would either result in a dangerous situation (fencing, javelin, ski jumping, toboggan, etc) or something very boring to watch (who wants to see a tennis player fail to return every single serve?) At least with beach volleyball you'd get to see people falling over in silly ways, but not really harming themselves.

11. What do you think are three things that are pretty great or interesting about you?
My past adventures (which I am keeping to myself). All three of them *g*

12. What's your favourite number? Why?
I haven't really got one, but if pushed I'd go for 9, since that is both my birth date and three times three.

13. Would you rather have all illicit drugs be legalized, or duelling between consenting adults be legalized?
Drugs. If they always had been, there'd have been no need for organised crime to get involved, there'd be far fewer people sick and involved in crime to pay for a hit and society would have evolved social means of avoiding too much abuse, just as it has with both alcohol and tobacco.

January meme, Days 1 to 6

thismaz — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 07:26:59 GMT

Looks like I am going to do this again. I need an excuse to post occasionally. I'm also considering taking part in this year's LJ Book Bingo (at https://ljbookbingo.livejournal.com/), but I'll see whether I can get a couple of book reviews in stock before I decide about that. This year, rather than subject and title, the bingo card is purely alphabetical.

It's Epiphany, the day that Christmas Decorations are traditionally taken down. Except I did that on January 1st *g*

So, January. My goodness, it's 2022. How did that happen and where did the years go? I remember when the idea that the world would ever reach the year 2000 seemed so futuristic as to be almost impossible. On the radio yesterday they did a little piece about the fact that the film Soylent Green was set in 2022. I remember watching that on the television in the mid-seventies.

January. And the first six questions of the year. Behind a cut, to save your flists.

1. After roughly two years now of living with various changes and restrictions brought about by the Covid pandemic, which, if any, measures do you think you will continue to do all the time?
I've noticed that a couple of people have said that masks will probably continue beyond the end of this pandemic, but I'm not sure. It might become more socially acceptable to wear a mask in future, if you have a cold, but I doubt it'll remain a common sight. And I'm as adverse as anyone to being to being stared at, so...
However, I do think I might keep my travel bottle of hand sanitiser in by handbag.

2. When you are old(er), what do you think children will ask you to tell stories about?
I have no children and I am old. But, it's my sister who's the repository of family history, not me. So I can't imagine what questions children might ask me, even if I did know any.

3. January 3 is Fruitcake Toss Day. Do you like fruitcake? Why does it get such a bad rap?
I've never heard of Fruitcake Toss Day. I didn't know it had a bad rep. (Side issue, what is rap short for? Rep is short for reputation, so that makes sense, but rap? Can anybody tell me?) It certainly doesn't around here. My brother in law makes the family Christmas cake every year and it's always delicious. I also love lighter fruit cakes, like Dundee cake and Panettone. In fact, I might just go and grab that last slice of Christmas cake and have it for breakfast.

4. iOs or Android?
Android.

5. What do you do to get rid of stress?
I try to avoid it to start with, but when unavoidable, I try to go for a walk. Being outside, especially walking along the beach, is a relaxing activity. Work stress is thankfully a thing of the past. Maintaining a sense of proportion about myself and the world is my main technique for preventing private stress. I don't always succeed, but I do my best.

6. How often do you binge-watch TV shows?
I did just watch the entire last series of Doctor Who in one evening, because I'd heard it was fairly confusing when watched an episode at a time. I think it would have been, because it was a pretty complex plot.
I also enjoy the way ITV3 and Drama screen old detective series every night for their entire run. I watched Lewis, Endeavour, New Tricks and Midsommer Murders that way and am now enjoying Jonathan Creek. There are loads of them, so I expect to be entertained for quite a while yet. Does one episode a night for weeks count as binge watching?

December meme, Days 21 to 31

thismaz — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 05:00:15 GMT

I did so badly at posting during the last half of this year, I'm not sure I'll do this meme again. But on the other hand, these questions have been the only posts I've made this year.

I need to think about this.

However, for now I'll finish off the year.

21. Do you have memories from preschool?
Yes. I have a lot of early memories. I always feel kind of sorry for the people who say that their first day at school is their earliest memory, because it makes me think that the event was so traumatic for them that it became somehow dominant and overwhelmed anything earlier.

22. Is there anything about technology that scares you?
By technology I suppose the question is referring to the various manifestations of IT? In that case, loss of privacy.
If the question is referring to electrical and electronic technology in generally, it's the fact that 'things' nowadays can't be mended. When I was younger every high street had a television and household machine repair shop.

23. What’s a word/phrase that’s commonly heard in your region, but not anywhere else?
The dialect of this part of the North East of England is called Geordie and is heavily influenced by both Eastern Scots and Norse, but obviously they're not exactly the same as the words used in those places.
There's a whole list here. But a particular phrase I heard a long time ago and still love was the question asked of me as a child, new to the area, when I tore my coat at school. A friend asked me. "Will yer mam play war wi yer?" (Trans for those who need it: Will your Mum play war with you?)

24. Do you bite on straws, lollipop handles, or ice cream sticks?
No, nor pencils.

25. Do your parents still live in the same house they raised you in?
No, my parents moved house when the children all left home and they retired.

26. What’s your favourite flavour of soda, pop or whatever else you call it?
I like ginger beer. And I like Sicilian lemonade. But I don't drink fizzy drinks very much... except tonic with gin in.

27. What time do you usually have dinner?
I eat early, because I don't like going to bed with a full stomach, so not later than five or six, by preference.

28. Do you keep the cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom organized?
I think the best I can say is that I try.

29. What do you wish you’d spent more time doing five years ago?
I try not to have regrets. It's bad for my piece of mind.

30. How often do you light candles?
Only when suffering from a power cut at night.

31. What are you looking forward to in the next year?
Summer! *g*

December meme, Days 10 to 20

thismaz — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 06:38:42 GMT

Once again, I've not really been online lately, so I'm sure I've missed things. If I have missed something you think I'd like to see, please do let me know.

Somehow, I think that I shouldn't engage with this meme next year. I haven't done very well with it lately. But the completest in me is determined that I will manage to finish this year's questions. So under the cut are the last 11 days and goodness knows when I'll post the last few *g*

In case I don't manage to do so before next weekend, I wish all my flist a very, very Merry Christmas!

10. Have you ever won a trophy for something?
No. I was never that competitive and I never really engaged in the sort of activities that can result in trophies.

11. What is your favourite yogurt topping?
I like my yoghurt pure. I will occasionally stir some honey into it.

12. Have you ever done a craft project you saw on Pinterest?
I have never, to my knowledge accessed Pinterest.

13. What colour were your bedroom walls painted when you were a teenager?
Goodness, that requires a feat of memory. Umm... green, I think.

14. What is your favourite pastime for each of the four seasons?
I don't really have seasonal pastimes. In the summer, it is being outdoors, especially at the coast. In the winter, it's the opposite – curling up with a book in the warm at home. But Spring and Autumn? Don't really know that I have a particular pastime activity for them.

15. Were you voted for a superlative in high school?
I don't know what this question means.

16. A reality show idea that you would most definitely watch on television?
I enjoy watching skill in action, so I love programmes like The Repair Shop, Strictly, Bake Off, The Great British Sewing Bee and The Great British Throw Down. There is now a new one, about woodwork, which I think is still finding its feet, but was also entertaining. I'm told that there are a couple of other cooking shows I will enjoy, so I'll probably check them out next year.

17. Which parent was more strict when you were growing up?
Neither of them were strict. Both were firm. I feel blessed and lucky in my choice of parents.

18. Do you ever get gut-feelings about things? Do you follow them?
Occasionally, but if the implications are likely to be serious, I will also look for more than just a gut-feeling.

19. There’s an app for everything. What apps consume the most of your time?
When it comes to IT and my time, I suppose the thing that I can spend most time doing in a mindless sort of way is playing spider solitaire. If I happen to have the laptop open and don't have anything particular to do, I usually end up playing it.

20. Have you ever had a bedroom with a specific theme?
Not sure I understand this question, either. I try to go for calm and gentle for bedroom decoration.

December meme, Days 1 to 9

thismaz — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 06:47:45 GMT

Oh my goodness, it's almost mid-December and I suddenly realised I have once again failed to post for the meme since the end of November. So once again, behind a cut to save your flists.

1. How old were you when you got your first car?
Not until I was 28. We didn't need one before that. If we needed to transport things we hired a van. If we needed to travel we used the train or the bus. But when I was 28 DJ got a job that needed a car, so...

2. What is a topic you are uncomfortable with discussing with most people?
Most people are people I don't know very well, so anything personal, really *g*

3. What was the longest you stayed in your own home for?
I don't know. These days I go out most days, for an aimless walk if not with a purpose. In the past I was working and weekends were when I did everything else. I suppose 36 hours would cover not going out at all for one day. I really doubt that I've ever gone two.

4. What is the best positive change you’ve made recently?
I've been doing some home decorating and it looks good.

5. Have you ever inherited something?
Not much. We are not a family that really owned much until my parents' generation, but I do have a couple of small pieces of jewellery that belonged to a great aunt who had a little more money, having never married, so worked throughout her life.

6. If you have a partner, have you ever had to sleep in separate beds?
No, we never did.

7. What is something you are sceptical about?
I try to maintain a questioning attitude, generally, although that is not the same as believing in nothing. But I can't think of anything in particular I am 'sceptical' about. If I want to know more I do research. If the evidence doesn't exist yet, I wait.

8. What is an unusual item you or somebody you know owns?
I used to know someone who owned a hot air balloon, does that count? I never had a chance to go up in it, unfortunately.

9. Does it bother you if someone practically bathes in perfume?
Oh goodness, yes. That makes my eyes sting and I end up sneezing.

November meme, Days 17 to 30

thismaz — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 07:13:14 GMT

I've suddenly realised how long ago I last posted. I've been under the weather for a while, which is why I've only been around intermittently. Then I got my booster jab and spent a couple of days feeling rather unwell in a different way. Don't get me wrong - I'm very pleased to get it, but I'm also really concerned about the large parts of the world where people haven't even got a first jab. For all the early chorus of "None of us are safe until all of us are safe" the rich countries are not making enough of an effort to get vaccine to the rest of the world.

Given the amount of time, I did consider giving up on the meme, but the completest in me insisted that that was silly, since it's the end of November so there are only a couple of weeks left to make the whole year. So I have done it, but with so many questions I've put them under a cut, to spare both your flists and your patience.

17. What’s your mouse pad look like?
I saw other people ask, almost amazed, whether anybody used a mouse mat these days. I do. I find it so much easier to use than the touch pad on the laptop. By preference I also use a separate keyboard, too.
As to what it looks like – it is round, black and has a gel filled wrist rest.

18. Have you ever been to a psychic/tarot reader?
No. But I do love the song Beware of the Beautiful Stranger by Pete Atkin, lyrics by Clive James, which is about a man who does *g*

19. How do you identify spiritually (do you follow a religion, what do you think about soul/spirit, etc.)?
That's private.

20. Do you prefer your nails long or short?
Not long. And not painted. But they do tend to snap these days, so I carry a nail file in my bag and they are shorter than I would prefer.

21. What are your favourite smells?
Strange question. I think it would be the smell of a light summer shower. But that might just be today, because we've really headed into winter this last week.

22. Do you still use a radio or just use your phone/computer for music?
Yes, I do use a radio, but I don't listen to music on it. I have been addicted to Radio 4 for most of my life.

23. What kind of socks do you prefer to wear?
Ones that fit. This isn't as easy as you'd think. Socks tend to come in two sizes and my feet are exactly at the point where the two meet, so I often end up with socks that are either a little bit too small, or which stretch to be too big.

24. Do you have any family heirlooms?
I have a couple of things that I've inherited from my grandparent's generation, but my family was not one that owned much stuff, especially not nice stuff, so on the whole there haven't been any family heirlooms to inherit.

25. Are there any musicians you didn't like at first but grew on you?
See question 22 above. I don't really 'do' music, in that way.

26. Is there anything you used to love but now dislike?
Not that I can think of.

27. Your favourite place to be aside from your home?
Right now? Somewhere warm would be good.

28. What is your favourite kind of tea?
I've occasionally drunk Redbush, but other than that I'd say that any tea I drink really has to contain real tea leaves. I don't drink any of those berry infusions, which are not tea. I insist on being a purist like that *g*

29. Any old home remedies you use when you're sick?
Hot lemon and brandy, made with honey to provide the sweetness, that's a comfort remedy from childhood which I still use.

Since I'll probably not post tomorrow, either, I'll answer the November 30th question now, too. Hopefully I'll feel a bit more like posting December in small chunks.

30. What level of brightness do you usually keep your phone at?
I've never thought about it. Whatever the factory setting was.

November meme, Days 11 to 16

thismaz — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 09:46:50 GMT

It still feels remarkably mild for November, but the forecast is for cold next week and I'll probably be hunkered down then, doing very little and just reading my library books. So I thought I'd post an update to the meme, before potentially disappearing *g*

Which reminds me, I need to go to the library today to return three books. *nods* I'll do that as soon as I've posted this.

I also have some snowdrops to plant in my small garden. Snowdrops always disappear from the shops as soon as they come in, so I'm lucky to have some. I need to get them in the ground before they start to sprout where they are *g*

That all sounds like a plan.

11. What are some things a house would need to have for you to purchase it?
Hmm... Since I live alone, I think I would want a couple of spare bedrooms because hey, it's nice to have an office as well as a place to put visitors. And a garden. That's good. Apart from that... being close to the sea is a definite plus.

12. Would you ever go out in public wearing pyjamas?
No. Especially not if they looked like pyjamas. Occasionally when camping I've worn soft trousers and a sweatshirt to sleep in and have gone out into the open in those, but on the whole I do prefer to be dressed when outside.

13. Have you ever had a lemonade stand?
No. Not really a thing in any of the places I've lived.

14. Do you think you look older or younger than your real age?
On the whole I think I look my age, although in the past people have often underestimated how old I was, by up to a decade.

15. Where have you lived throughout your life?
All over the place. All over the world at various times. I'm not going to list them *g*

16. Do you want any piercings?
No. My ear lobes are pierced and that is quite enough for me. I can admire additional piercings – those ones that run up the ear, even some nose piercings, but like tattoos, admiring them on other people does not tempt me to indulge in them myself.

November meme, Days 1 to 10

thismaz — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 07:25:58 GMT

I knew I hadn't been online for a while, but I didn't realise it was so long. But here I am on 10th of the month and I realise the last time I was in LJ was almost a week ago. I will check back a couple of days, but if there's anything I've missed that I really should see, please do let me know.

I'd better also post some meme questions. Behind a cut

1. Have you ever been caught outdoors away from shelter during a thunderstorm?
Heavy rain, oh yes, many times. But a thunder storm? I'm not sure. They're really not that common here. I love it when they arrive, but I can't remember if I've ever been caught outside by one.

2. Did you ever build furniture forts as a child?
Of course and tents out of bed sheets.

3. Do you use any medicines daily?
No. I am lucky in still being pretty healthy.

4. When was the last time you used a disposable camera?
About 6 years ago. DJ and I went out and I wanted to record the event, but didn't think of that until we were in the park, so I did a quick dash to Boots to buy a disposable camera. The photos didn't come out well and I'm not actually sure I kept them.

5. When was the last time you flew on a plane?
That must be 10 or more years ago when I had to go to Bristol for a meeting. The choice was 5 hours each way on the train, or 45 minutes by air.

6. How many first cousins do you have?
I had to really think about this one, because we've never been very close to any of them, but *counts* I am pretty sure the answer is 16.

7. What’s the longest period of time you’ve gone without sleep?
Probably something like 36 hours, that being a night and the day either side of it.

8. Did the house you grew up in have a big yard?
Yes, I grew up in the country, so we had a nice sized garden.

9. What has been the most difficult class you’ve ever taken?
By 'difficult' I suppose this means the one I did worst in. That would be French. Or possibly PE. Both of which I dropped as soon as I could.

10. What’s something that’s much more difficult than a lot of people realize?
I don't know what other people find difficult and would not be arrogant enough to think I could *g*

October meme, Days 21 to 31

thismaz — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 07:57:53 GMT

I've been thinking about numbers. I really enjoy More or Less on Radio 4, which is all about how statistics are presented and whether statistics quoted in the media are true.

I heard an interesting one the other day - according to a senior police office there were 600 murders in England and Wales last year. I thought it would be more. Which if accurate and as a separate issue, just goes to show how listening, watching and reading the news can skew your perception of the world. But assuming it is, I went to see what the population of England and Wales is and according to the Office of National Statistics, the best estimate for 2020 was 59,720,000 last year. Call it 60,000,000. That's a murder rate of 0.001%, which doesn't seem like much. But it's also 1 in 100,000 and that somehow seems like so much more. At least, it does to me. Hmmm.... Numbers and their presentation - fascinating.

On Friday I made my Halloween lantern, so that the kids in the street will know they're allowed to ring the bell. I have a large bowl of sweets that it would do me no good to have to myself *g* I thought I might get visitors last night, it not being a school night, but not a one. Maybe tonight. If not, I will save them for Guy Fawkes before I give up and eat them myself.

Before we leave October totally behind, I am posting the rest of the month's meme.

21. Would you rather read a book or listen to the audiobook?
Oh, read. I can't just sit and listen. I have to be doing something at the same time and that means I have to keep going back to re-listen to the bit I just missed because I got distracted by the task in hand. 'Tis why I don't listen to podcasts, either.

22. Have you ever eaten snow?
Of course. As a child. Clean, smooth, freshly fallen snow looks so inviting.

23. Curtains or blinds?
Curtains. Blinds just don't look right in an old house.

24. Have you ever adopted a stray (cat or dog)?
No. I did once bring a kitten home, but it wasn't a stray. It was from an unplanned litter.

25. Do you own/wear any jumpsuits?
Jumpsuit? No. Onesie? Certainly not! Overalls? Yes. Especially when painting walls. They're all basically the same sort of thing, but they have such different associations *g* And what other people have said is absolutely right - not easy to get out of when rushing to the loo. If they weren't so usefully protective, I wouldn't use overalls, either.

26. Do you struggle with dry skin in the winter?
No. But I do get dry skin on my face at the change of the seasons in spring and autumn. Thankfully it doesn't last long and I've worked out how to deal with it.

27. Have you ever got angry at an employee and complained to the manager?
No. I almost did once, but she was young and gauche and I think that my reaction to her ill-considered comment might have told her that she'd made a mistake.

28. Do you add unnecessary letters to the end of words?
I don't understand this question.

29. What was the last thing you used your phone for, besides calling/texting?
I imagine it was a quick internet search for something.

30. Do you always check the prices of things when you buy groceries?
Yes, I do. Especially the bit in small print that says what the price per 100g is. It's not always true that the large pack is better value.

31. How many nights per week do you cook dinner at home vs. going out to eat?
I can't remember the last time I went out to eat. My birthday last year maybe..., or maybe the year before *g*

It's a rainy Sunday here. I hope you all have a good day, whatever you are doing with it.

October meme, Days 11 to 20

thismaz — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 06:11:40 GMT

I feel like I say this every time I post, but I can't believe it's more than a week since I last did. It would appear that it's actually ten days.

It's certainly autumn now. 7am and there's only the beginning of light in the sky to the east.

11. Do you still take hot showers when it’s hot out?
It's never so hot in this country to make a hot shower inappropriate. In hot countries I have been know to turn the shower temperature down to lukewarm, but here it is always set to the same comfortably hot level.

12. Do you like the picture on your ID?
My passport and driving licence have the same picture and I would not say I am fond of it. The rules for the passport forbid a smile, so those pictures always look so grim.

13. Is there someone you pretend to like but you really don't like?
No. That would be silly. If I don't like someone I avoid them.

14. Have you ever raked leaves, and then played in them?
Many, many years ago, when I was about ten years old, but rarely. Kicking through leaves was mostly reserved for when walking down the street.

15. What is one thing you've realized or discovered lately?
That depression happens and there is a danger in trying to attach it to a cause.

16. Which family member did you inherit your hair colour from?
My Dad, although that didn't really become clear until I was in my late teens and it began to darken.

17. What’s the average length of a shower for you?
I don't know. Three or four minutes? Maybe six or seven. I've never timed myself, but I don't hang around long – get wet, soap on, soap off and that's it.

18. What’s something about adult life you were never warned of or prepared for?
I don't think I was ever 'warned' as such, but prepared for? I suppose I wasn't prepared for falling in love and getting married as early as I did. A very nice surprise it was, though.

19. If you won the lottery, do you think any of your family members would ask you to give them some of your money?
No, they wouldn't need to ask. I'd get in there first and share some of it out.

20. What is the craziest thing you’ve seen happen at your workplace?
*thinks back* I suppose in recent years there was the day a man walked in and started declaring some sort of political manifesto. I couldn't actually hear him and now I can't remember what it was all about, but once he'd done he left peacefully enough.

October meme, Days 6 to 10

thismaz — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 05:36:12 GMT

Goodness knows where the time goes. Suddenly it's almost mid-October. The leaves are visibly turning now and the other evening there was an evocative smell of bonfire smoke in the air.

6. Have you ever locked yourself out of your car?
Yes, once. I arrived at a hotel in the Lake District and put the keys on the back shelf while I unloaded my case, then shut the hatch before I realised the keys were still there. Luckily one of the staff at the hotel knew how to break into my sort of car and he got it open so I could get them back *g*

7. What’s your favourite kind of cheese?
I don't have a favourite. The cheese I buy most commonly is an extra mature cheddar, but like Wallace I love a good Wensleydale. Double Gloucester is good, too. In fact I like so many different cheeses for different reasons. A soft cream cheese is sometimes absolutely right, even cottage cheese has its place. And a cheese I've not seen in the UK is mature Edam, which is a deep orange colour and crumbly. There are so many good cheeses, I couldn't have a favourite.

8. Have you ever boycotted anything?
I think we all used to boycott anything from South Africa, back in the 70s and 80s, didn't we? And I remember boycotting Nestle products when there was a movement to stop them pushing milk substitute as better than breast milk in what are now called emerging markets. I still try to do that.

9. Do you have any embarrassing usernames?
No, the secret of creating a good username is not to choose something embarrassing *g* (she says, as if there was deliberation behind her own choice of username.)

10. Have you ever done well on a test when you didn’t study?
That's too long ago for me to remember. On the whole I never did well in academic tests, mainly because I didn't study *g* At least, not until it really mattered and somehow I managed that time.

October meme, Days 1 to 5

thismaz — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 05:47:36 GMT

There is a definite feeling of autumn in the air now. The leaves on the trees are beginning to show a tinge of brown, sunrise is later and sunset earlier, it's approaching the 'tentacles in and curl up in a ball' time of year. I pulled my winter jacket out of the cupboard to go for my walk to the beach yesterday. And once again I have meme questions to catch up on.

1. Do you like rain?
That really depends. I think like most people I enjoy listening to it on the roof when I'm snug and warm inside. But I also love tropical rain - the sort that soaks you in moments, but is so warm it doesn't chill you.

2. Have you seen someone recently you used to talk to, but don’t anymore?
No. Again, like most of us, I haven't really seen many people in the last 18 months or so. Also, the reason I stop talking to people is when they or I move away, so we don't see each other anymore.

4. How long have you known the last person you text messaged?
Oh goodness. I've known T since the mid-1980s when he used to come around and drag DJ out to the pub leaving me in peace to study, so 35 years or thereabouts.

5. Do you keep notes, drawings or letters that people give you?
Yes, I am a natural hoarder. I keep letters. I have a box full of them, going back decades. I intend one day to go through them, re-read and organise them. But will I? There's the question.

September meme, Days 23 to 30

thismaz — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 06:31:37 GMT

It's the last day of September. How did that happen?
I think I'd better wrap up the meme for the month and attempt to do better in October.
Behind a cut, to save your flists.

23. What is a meme or picture you’ve seen recently that has made you laugh?
spikesgirl58 posts some good comic strips, many of which make me laugh.

24. Have you ever bought something recommended by an ad on social media before?
No. I avoid social media as much as possible (LJ being the one exception and having a permanent account here I don't see adverts). If I were to see something interesting, I wouldn't click on the link. I don't trust ads in places like facebook. I'd do a separate search for the thing.

25. How often do you go to the beach?
Daily. It makes for a lovely walk, what with the view being different every day. Not to mention dog walkers to exchange the occasional word with.

26. Do you ever look up actors you think you recognize in movies and shows?
Since everything I watch has been recorded I will occasionally freeze the credits to check the name of an actor who I think I recognise. Does that count as looking them up? I don't think I would usually go online to look them up, except maybe to check what else they might have been in, to see where I might remember them from.

27. Do you prefer earphones or over the ear headphones?
When listening to the radio outside I use earbuds. They are so much easier to manage. When talking to sparrow2000 on skype I use headphones with an integral microphone.

28. Do you remember when you first went on the internet?
It would be back in the mid-90s, when we got connected at work. We didn't get the internet at home until 2000, when we bought our first computer. That was on dial-up, so I used to go on line early in the morning when no one would be needing the phone. There were fandom Yahoo maillists in those days, so they would download into my email and I could then go off-line and sort through them.

29. What is one thing that you refuse to ever do in your lifetime?
I don't know. I don't think I ever made such a resolution. I would just avoid being anywhere near anything I wasn't interested in/didn't want to have anything to do with.

30. Which one of your friends is the most outgoing?
My sister, I think. Most of the people I would call friends are pretty introverted (sort of). Maybe my cousin; she and her husband are very sociable people.

The sunrise has been beautiful, if fleeting this morning, but now it is time I got moving.
Have a lovely day, folks.

September meme, Days 10 to 22

thismaz — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 04:40:42 GMT

I've been really busy for the last couple of weeks. If I've missed anything that I really should see, please do point me at the post. I also have quite a lot of catch-up to do on the meme, but to save your flists I'll just put it all behind a cut.

I'm not actually sure whether I'm back or not, but I hope I am.

Being British, I'm also subject to the national obsession with the weather and it has been wonderful for the last weeks – sunny and warm without being too hot. Really good weather for sitting out on the front step, although I haven't actually managed to do that *g* I do hope it continues for a bit longer so I can properly enjoy it.

On to the meme.

10. Who do you usually say hello or good morning to first?
I don't have a 'usual'. I live alone, so I don't see any particular person every day, or even regularly. It could be a shop assistant. It could be one of my family, on the phone. It could be a neighbour in the street.

11. When was the last time you visited the park? Who did you go with?
I wandered through the local park a couple of weeks ago, but not for a visit, as such. I usually go for a walk every day and my route often takes me through the park on the way to the beach.

12. What language did you take in high school?
I dropped French at the first opportunity, but had to take a language, so did Spanish. I didn't get a very good result.

13. Have you ever been to a drive-in theatre?
This is a cinema, right? No. I don't even know if there are any anywhere near here. Or even in the country at all.

14. Have you ever been on vacation with someone other than your family?
Oh yes. A long time ago, with various boyfriends.

15. Do you think doctors should be able to prescribe vitamins?
They can, can't they? I'm pretty sure DJ got a vitamin B prescription at some point.

16. If you have a significant other, how long have you been together?
We were together for 35 years.

17. Have you ever been a part of a wedding party?
I don't understand this question. What does it mean to be part of a wedding party? I've been to five weddings in my life. The first was just as a guest at a friend's wedding. The second was my own. The others were immediate-family weddings. I suppose I was part of the wedding party for the last four.

18. What song are you listening to at the moment?
I'm not.

19. What was the last piece of furniture you purchased?
A new sofa.

20. Do you have an iPod?
No.

21. Do you usually have to wear a belt with your trousers?
Yes. To get trousers that fit at the hips, they're usually a bit loose at the waist.

22. Have you ever donated blood? If not, why not?
Oh yes. Regularly. Ever since I turned 18. I think at the moment I've given blood over 105 times.

Happy Birthday, Sparrow!!!!

thismaz — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 04:28:19 GMT

I've been MIA for the last few days and will continue to be for the next few, but I had to pop into LJ to say Happy Birthday to sparrow2000, because she is a special person (in a good way *g*) as well as being a brilliant best friend, wonderful beta and and all round delightful person.

Happy Birthday, hon. Have a wonderful day!

Lots of Love
Me

September meme, Days 1 to 9

thismaz — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 06:14:40 GMT

It's September! How did that happen? This year has just zipped by. And yet... and yet... there were times when it really seemed to drag at the time. *shakes head*

And not only is it September, but it's September 9th! More than a whole week since I last posted. And yet, if it weren't for this meme I probably wouldn't post at all. There's not much happening in my life and I've pretty much left fandom, so I'm not writing.

I have, however, just completed the BBC/University of Sussex 'Kindness Test' questionnaire. It was interesting, but also at times tricky, since Covid and lock-down have reduced so many opportunities for interpersonal interactions. If you're interested, the radio programme is here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000z5hf
And the actual test is at https://universityofsussex.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1RYvaR5UA1czYvs

But let's catch up with the meme and I'll resolve to try and do better in future.

1. When did you last stay in a hotel, and where?
A long time ago. I haven't been anywhere for so long *g* Did I go to WriterconUK in 2019, or was that 2018? I did stay overnight in a pub in southern Scotland in 2019.

2. Have you ever had any teeth pulled?
Yes, a couple of molars that had been impacted against by wisdom teeth and ended up damaged.

3. What is one of your favourite comedy movies?
Oh my goodness, I don't watch many comedy films. I suppose Shaun of the Dead is the one that comes to mind.

4. Do you have a crush on anyone that you haven’t really talked to before?
No. That question doesn't really parse for me.

5. What is your least favourite sour patch kids colour?
I don't even know what this question is referring to. What is a sour patch kid?

6. Have you ever won a competition? If so, what was it and what did you win?
No. I don't think I ever have. Mainly because I can't think of a competition I've ever entered.
I've participated in the occasional quiz. I suppose that counts. I think I might have been in a team that won a bottle of wine once, but since it was part of a group activity at work, that wasn't really much use to us. I think we donated it to the one member of the team who seemed keenest/least choosy about the quality of the wine.

7. Did you ever take classes for a musical instrument when you were younger?
No. I've never really been very interested in music, either to play or listen to.

(These answers all seem to be in the negative. I feel really boring *g*)

8. How often do you walk around barefoot?
Ah, a positive. As often as possible. It's good for your feet to not wear shoes, because it makes you walk and run in the way our bodies were designed for.

9. What architectural style was your childhood home?
I think I would describe it as 'classic 50s Council House style'.

August meme, Days 24 to 31

thismaz — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 06:15:12 GMT

August is over, I feel autumn in the air. So I'm going through the last questions for the month.

24. Have you ever slammed the door when you were angry?
I don't remember doing so, but since I would have been storming OUT of a room and doors tend to open INTO rooms, the logistics are not usually very good for such gestures.

25. How old were you when you met your first love?
The thing about having had a long and happy romance is that really the relationships that came before, do not, in hindsight, look like real love. So, 21 then.

26. Were your college years the best years of your life?
No. Because I met and married DJ after university.

27. What’s the most relaxing thing you did today?
I haven't had time yet. I've only just got up. But for yesterday, the answer would be "going to bed".

28. What do you usually drink with breakfast?
Coffee. No question. Coffee and lots of it! I'm not worth knowing before my first coffee and some would say it needs more than that.

29. How many closets does your house have?
Wardrobes? One. In my bedroom.

30. What year is your car?
It was first registered in 2013.

31. What’s the largest animal you’ve ever had as a pet?
Pets I have known in order of physical scale:- Goldfish, hamster, guinea pig, rabbits (plural, at the same time and often until we separated the male into a different enclosure), cats (plural in a sequential manner), dog.

August meme, Days 17 to 23

thismaz — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 06:19:56 GMT

It was overcast and a little rainy over the weekend, with a sea fret hovering along the beach, but today we've got a return to glorious sunshine, I think. The forecast for today is certainly beautiful.

I am not sure where the last week went, but I suddenly realised how many days had passed. So...

17. Would you prefer hardwood flooring or carpet in your home?
Carpet – its warmer and quieter. I know hardwood flooring is all the rage, but...

18. What’s the most you’ll pay for a pair of shoes?
I paid a fiver for the last pair I bought – I saw them in a charity shop window and by some miracle they were actually the correct size. But realistically I think a pair of shoes would set you back £60 to £80. It's a few years since I last bought any.

19. Which flower is your favourite?
Oh, there're too many that I love. It depends upon the location if it's a planted flower. But for cut flowers... I suppose freesia – it's beautiful, comes in a variety of colours and has a lovely scent.

20. Which season do you think is the prettiest?
Spring is full of pink and white blossom, summer is lush and green, autumn is orange, red and brown with turning leaves and even winter can sparkle with ice and snow. Why would I choose one?

21. What is the last thing you cooked?
Last night's supper - a fresh fillet of cod, bought at The Fish Quay yesterday morning.

22. If you could live in a fictional world, which would it be?
Can I join the madcaps at St Mary's please? I want to be in R&D.

23. Where was the farthest you’ve ever travelled from home?
I haven't really. I've had my home in many different countries, but travelling away from it...? A few hundred miles.

August meme, Days 13 to 16

thismaz — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 06:03:33 GMT

I didn't sleep well last night. I'm not sure why, but I think I maybe got two hours. This is going to be a very slow and lazy day. So I'll start it with the meme.

13. Did you ever hit anything while learning to drive?
No. I've never hit anything with a car. I did drive one front wheel into a ditch on a corner in my first post-test week, but I didn't hit anything.

14. Do you prefer bright colours, dark colours, or pastel colours?
Oh, bright colours. Always bright colours. They're cheerful and make me happy. *thinks* Except on the walls of my house, at which point I turn into a colour coward and retreat into pastels.

15. How long have you lived with the person/people you currently live with?
I don't.

16. What was the stupidest thing you ever did as a teenager?
That was a long, long time ago and I don't remember. I'm pleading age-related memory failure.

August meme, Days 6 to 12

thismaz — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 07:28:01 GMT

It's another lovely day out there. It has been a beautiful summer and I really hope it is not over yet. But it is already mid-August and I am noticing that the mornings and evenings are beginning to close in. I think I should go out for a walk in the sunshine, but before I do I'll catch up with the meme.

6. What is the stupidest way you’ve injured yourself?
I edited this question, because 'dumbest' is not the word I would use in such a sentence. It's not a word I would ever really use.
I have never seriously injured myself and if I did do so in a stupid way, I've probably erased it from my memory out of embarrassment *g* I do remember once opening a door over my bare feet and unknowingly trapping my little toe. That really hurt when I unthinkingly took a step forward.

7. If you use libraries, what is the largest overdue fine you've ever had?
I do use my local library. And I'm lucky that it's the main library for the county, so it's also the biggest. They have even managed to maintain service through the last year by allowing online ordering and arranged collection, which has been wonderful. I try not to go overdue, by renewing online when the due date is near, but back in the day, before computers... I suppose a pound or so.

8. When was the last time you did something for the first time?
I would think I do things for the first time fairly often, but they are such insignificant things that they don't register on my memory *g*
Such an open question. Last week I ate an icelolly of a make/flavour I'd never eaten before.

9. Which holiday is your favourite to decorate for?
This is a very North American, even a US question, I think, since the UK tradition is really only to do decorations at Christmas.

10. What craft project do you want to do next?
I have a number of largish sewing projects sitting on my horizon, but at the moment I don't have time or space for them. But that gives me more thinking and planning time, so it's not bad.

11. Do you have any family members that you've never met?
A few cousins, but both my parents were from small families, so not many. Oh, and a nephew who was recently born abroad. But I'll meet him as soon as his parents are allowed to travel here again.

12. When it comes to friends, what's the biggest thing you have in common?
I don't know. sparrow2000, what do we have in common? Apart from a general ability to talk for hours, a history of writing and a shared silliness?

August meme, Days 1 to 5

thismaz — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 08:13:51 GMT

I'm rereading The Chronicles of St Mary's. I'd previously only read up to book 5 and want to decide whether to buy the next ones or not. Also, I couldn't remember where the story had got to. Or how it had got there, really. Anyway, on page 2 of the first book, in order to set the scene firmly in the future, is a line written in a letter by one of the characters to our heroine, Max - ... given the possibility that America may close its borders again and the fragmentation within the EU.... Okay, so it's not fully accurate of the present, but thinking about the recent, pre-pandemic, growth in nationalism and insularity around the world... Later there is also reference to a flu pandemic in their future (although to be fair that is something that many people have been predicting for a long time).

I'm on book 2 now and I think I will be buying the next ones.

On to the meme -

1. Do you enjoy dancing?
Only in private *g* No, that's not true. I enjoy a good Cèilidh. The more raucous the better. There is little more cheering than the shared hilarity of spinning arm in arm.

2. Have you ever had a long distance relationship?
No. Not in the sense of me and my partner being a long distance apart. I have had a relationship in which we travelled a long distance together. Does that count? *g*

3. When you make a mess are you more likely to clean it up right away, or do you get to it later?
A wet mess, like spilled water or food, I will always clear up immediately. The sort of mess that seems to just appear, gradually, as a result of living – stuff left on surfaces where they don't belong – that I leave until I realise that I can't find something I need. Then I tidy it all up.

4. What do you look forward to the most about the colder times of the year?
Very little.

5. Have you ever hung your clothes out on a clothesline?
At every opportunity. Which is not as often as I'd like, but... I live in the UK, where it rains a lot, so... I don't own a tumble drier, so it's usually a case of hanging clothes on the radiators.

The rest of the year's questions can be found under the cut on my first January post.