Just because I can't resist

First I saw this meme on Luzie's blog, and then it also popped up on Daisies and Dreamer Girl's. And I just couldn't resist it. So here is a little bit more about me you never knew you didn't need to know.

Are your parents married or divorced?
They have been married for 56 years – amazing isn’t it? I blogged about them very early on in my blogging career, you can read their sweet story here.

Do you believe in heaven?
I don’t believe we go to heaven or hell when we die, but I often use the word heaven to describe moments or experiences of heavenliness…

Have you ever come close to dying?
There was the time I was nearly swept out to sea in Australia…

What jewellery do you wear 24/7?
I don’t often wear jewellery

Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
Absolutely, I think they are the best part.

Do you wear makeup?
I feel naked without mascara, but I have never had a good relationship with lipstick, I find it icky.

Would you ever have plastic surgery?
Hmmm… I would like to say no, but I’m not so sure. I hope I will feel comfortable enough to let nature take its course.

What do you wear to bed?
Nothing

Have you ever done anything illegal?
Yes, but nothing major.

Can you roll your tongue?
Yes

Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?
I have a lovely partner. He’s no longer a boy, though. He’s just my man.

Do you believe in abortions?
Absolutely

What is your hair colour?
Kind of auburn, darker underneath and quite light on top. Multi-coloured in other words.

Future child’s name, boy and girl?
I won’t have children, but I like Ripley for a girl.

Do you smoke?
Not any more. I have been smoke-free for four years.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
I would like to take the Blue Train from Pretoria to Cape Town. But I would actually go almost anywhere in the world, as long as it is by train.

Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
No, but I share my pillow with my little cat-girl Nar.

If you won the lottery, what would you do first?
Freak out, and hopefully not die of a heart attack. Then perhaps book that Blue Train journey…

Gold or Silver?
Silver

Hamburger or hot dog?
My man makes the bestest burgers, so I’ll have to say burgers. Although the best hot dogs can be had in Sweden. I LOVE Swedish hotdogs. Yum!

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Is fruit considered one food? If I have to be specific I would say cherries, although that may hurt my stomach after a while. But I love cherries. And wild strawberries.

City, beach or country?
Hmmm… I’d like to pick and mix. Country – city - beach, in that order. Anything but suburbia. I am terrified of suburbia.

What was the last thing you touched?
The keyboard.

When’s the last time you cried?
Watching a program about homing pigeons two nights ago. Don’t ask.

What colour are your pants?
Pants as in underpants (that’s what we mean by pants here in the UK) or as in trousers? I’m not wearing trousers, so I’ll go with the first: they’re black.

Ever been involved with the police?
Yes, I was burgled once and had the pleasure of dealing with an incompetent fool who didn’t show up until 3 days after the burglary, during which time I was told NOT to change the locks (even though the door had been kicked in) and NOT touch anything. Ridiculous.

What’s your favourite shampoo/conditioner and soap?
I use Kerastase shampoo and conditioner for big/impossible/frizzy hair. It’s OK. I love this vervain soap I buy from the health food shop. It smells yummy.

Do you talk in your sleep?
No.

Ocean or pool?
Ocean. I don’t think the two have anything in common really, apart from being wet. Oceans are alive, they have souls; pools are dead and completely soul-less.

What’s your favourite song at the moment?
Africa by Toto, but only because someone just drove past my window playing it. I love hearing old songs from my past, they sometimes bring back amazingly powerful memories.

Have you ever had a cavity?
When I was a child I had a lot of cavities, but nothing in the past 10 years or so. I had a sadistic dentist when I was young and he scared me into looking really good care of my teeth. Now I have a wonderful dentist and have them checked twice a year.

Window seat or aisle seats?
Window. Especially on a train. I can happily sit and look out a train window for hours. I’m working on enjoying the view from a plane window.

Ever met anyone famous?
Last year when I was in Stockholm during the Nobel Prize festivities I met Orhan Pamuk, who won the literature prize, at a book signing. I said hello to him in Turkish, and he said hello back and smiled. In my waitressing days I also served quite a lot of famous people. And I once saw Cate Blanchett in the local supermarket, I’m still swooning...

Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life?
I’m still too young to answer that question... and what is success anyway? So far my life has been rich and varied in experience but not in financial terms.

Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
I’m a twirler.

Are you self-conscious?
Of course. I don’t think it’s possible not to feel self conscious at times.

Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
Yes, quite a few times.

Last gift you received?
It was a beautiful necklace sent to me by the lovely La Cubana Gringa

What occasion did you receive your gift?
It was a belated birthday present.

Last thing you spent lots of money on?
The plane ticket bought with two days' notice to see my father in March.

Where do you live?
In a miserable basement flat in Brighton.

Last wedding attended?
It was a glorious wedding in the south of France last September. Everything was perfect. The weather, the band, the food, the (unlimited amounts of) wine… and the beautiful couple of course.

Favourite restaurant?
Hmmm… a tricky one. I love our local sushi bar Murasaki, but for the occasional splurge we usually head to Hotel du Vin for an afternoon of absolute hedonism. But the best food is really a picnic on the beach (in the winter a picnic on the living room floor is also good).

What is your favourite kind of car?
Volvo Amazon. Or a VW camper van.

What’s your least favourite chore(s)?
I need a new toilet slave, my last one quit.

Favourite drink?
Water with freshly squeezed lemon juice, or champagne.