The Greenish Questions

It will be interesting to see if anybody takes over Sunday Stealing, as the present person running this is signing off. It has been a great few years of doing these quizes. Thanks Sunday Stealing.

I'm writing this from my mother's kitchen table in Country South Australia.

1. What is your current obsession?

Probably Orange is the New Black.

2. What’s your go-to coffee place?

Depends on the day of the week. Weekdays it's either Dom in the foyer of the building, or Andrea a Foccacino for my coffee. On weekends, it's Cafe Krifi near the gym.

3. Who was the last person that you hugged?

Mum. She and my step-dad left on a bus to go out to lunch. I have to lock up when I go soon.

4. Do you nap a lot?

No. Rarely sleep through the day.

5. Tonight, what’s for dinner?

No idea. Probably nothing as I get back to Melbourne mid-evening. They might feed me on the plane - so plane food.

6. What was the last thing that you bought?

I bought some Farmer's Union Iced Coffee at the service station when I filled up last night on the way to a friend's place. Manna from heaven that stuff.

7. What is your favorite weather?

Cold, slightly damp, with a bit of sunshine - like it is now.

8. Tell us something about one blogger who you think will play this week?

Bev is really cool.

9. If you were given a free house that was full furnished, where in the world would you like it to be?

Hampstead, London.

10. Name three things that you could not live without.

Friends, coffee, sleep.

11. What would you like in your hands right now?

A kitten, a decent book and a gin and tonic.

12. What’s one of your guilty pleasures?

Tattoo shows. They fascinate me.

13. What would you change or eliminate about yourself?

I'd love more time to get the body I really would love to have again. Love to be thinner. Just have to work at it.

14. As a child, what type of career did you want?

I wanted to be a doctor or a writer. I am a writer.

15. What are you missing right now?

I could use a day at home to do some cooking and cleaning, but I am interstate. Missing having the time to potter.

16. What are you currently reading?

Just started Liane Moriarty's "Truly, Madly, Guilty" for book group.

17. What do you fear the most?

Falling. Commitment. Open water. One of those. Depends on the day.

18. What’s the best movie that you’ve seen recently?

I adored Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume II. I also loved Their Finest. Very cool English film.

19. What’s your favorite book from the past year?

Hanya Yahanigara's "A Little Life". It was a slog, but it was brilliant. Just finished Zadie Smith's "Swing Time". Really enjoyed that too.

20. Is there a comfort food from your childhood that you still enjoy?

Too many of them. Beans on toast. Chocolate donuts. Fish fingers. They all still rate highly.

The Ginormous Questions

As these are questions mostly about relationships, and I really, really don't like answering questions about relationships this will be a quick week. There are some things I don't need to talk about much. Relationships are one of those things.

On the good side of things, I had a lovely time at a friend's 40th yesterday out in the Yarra Valley, went to a party for a book launch and journal launch in which I have two stories placed, then went and saw Alan Cumming sing Sappy Songs in the evening. He was awesome. He also sings in a Scottish accent which was really cool too.

A great yesterday has let me exhausted and happy. Happier than these questions have made me. But you have to take the good with the not so good. Ah well.

Questions, as always, from Sunday Stealing.

1. Are you single? 

Yes

2. Are your parents still married? 

My mother has been remarried for over 25 years. Father died 20 years ago.

3. Are you in love? 

No

4. Do you believe in love at first sight? 

Yes.

5. Who ended your last relationship? 

He went back to his former girlfriend. It was a good thing.

6. Have you ever been hurt by a break up? 

Of course.

7. Have you ever broken someone’s heart? 

No idea. maybe.

8. Have you ever had a secret admirer? 

How should I know?

9. Prefer love or lust? 

Love, but lust is fun.

10. Prefer a few best friends or many regular friends? 

A few good friends. I'm lucky, I have a wide circle of acquaintances.

11. Wild night out or romantic night in? 

Romantic night in.

12. Back in the day: Been caught sneaking out? 

No. Too much of a goody goody and lived in the country.

13. Ever wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? 

No.

 14. Who are/is your best friend(s)? 

I'm not 13. Next question.

15. Ever wanted to disappear? 

Yes.

16. First attraction: Smile or eyes? 

Eyes.

17. Prefer intelligence or attraction? 

Intelligence wins over every time.

18. Last phone call you received? 

It was a work call on Friday afternoon. Fun.

19. Last thing you drank?

Iced Turkish Apple Tea with some lime and soda water.

20. Before your current one, when was your last relationship? 

Eight years ago.

21. Do you and your family get along? 

For the most part. They live interstate so that helps.

22. Would you say you have a "screwed up life"? 

No. It's busy and varied but not screwed up.

23. Have you ever gotten kicked out somewhere? If yes, do tell. 

No.

24. Do you trust all your friends? 

Yes, but there are definite boundaries about who knows about what.

25. Who knows the most about you?  

Probably Jonella and Blarney. They see me the most.

The High School Questions

I blame the new season of Orange is the New Black for the lateness of this.

But I have binge watched it all and can get on with other things now.

Questions, as always, from Sunday Stealing.


1. Did you date someone from your school?

Yes. That's all you need to know.

2. Did you marry someone from your high school?

No.

3. Did you car pool to school?

No. A bus picked us up at the front gate every morning.

4. What kind of car did you have?

A 1966 EJ Holden. They are very cool now.

5. What kind of car do you have now?

A red Mazda CX3.

6. Its Friday night...where are you now?

Home watching telly. That is most Friday nights.

7. It is Friday night...where were you then?

Home watching telly. That is most Friday nights. That's always been my Friday nights.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school?

Worked in the local store.

9. What kind of job do you do now?

Writer. Corporate fixit person.

10. Were you a party animal?

No.

11. Were you considered a flirt?

No. I still don't know how to flirt.

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?

Yes. I played flute in the school concert band.

13. Were you a nerd?

Yes.

14. Did you get suspended from school?

No.

15. Can you sing the fight song?

I'm Australian - we don't have stuff likes that.

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher?

My French teacher was awesome.

17. Where did you sit during lunch?

Again, not American, we don't have a cafeteria, but I was often found in the library.

18. What was your school's full name?

Willunga High School.

19. Where did you party the most?

I didn't party. No friends and I lived out of town.

20. What was your school mascot?

Again. I'm not American, we don't have that stuff in Australian public schools.

21. Would you do it again?

High school? No way. It was awful.

22. Did you have fun at Prom?

Again, Australian - when I went through school we didn't have a prom culture - I believe that has changed.

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with?

See above.

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion?

We had our 30th reunion late last year. Once was enough.

25. Do you still talk to people from school?

There are one or two people I am in loose contact with.

26. What are/were your school's colors? 

Royal blue and gold. I didn't wear blue for a decade after school.

The Random Questions Part 683

Here you go - let's get through these quickly. I have a Branagh Hamlet to get to.

Questions, as always, from Sunday Stealing.

1. How old do you look?

I'm told I look like I'm in my late 30s / early 40s. I'm 48. Good genes.

2. Where do you live?

Melbourne, Australia

3. Are you waiting for something?

The washing to finish so I can go out.

4. What’s one pet peeve of yours that is not common?

People who don't put the weights back in order after pump class. They're just lazy.

5. Do you want/have kids?

No. There are enough kids in the world. Too old to have them anyway.

6. Have you ever thought about converting your religion?

Occasionally I think about converting to Judaism. It sits will with me.

7. Last shocking news you heard?

I'm watching what is going on in London as I write. Awful stuff.

8. What was the last thing you drank?

Water. About a minute ago.

9. Who do you most look like in your family?

Strangely, my mum - with elements of my dad. i'm a mix of them both.

10. If you could have something right now, anything, what would it be?

A house in my own name.

11. Where does most of your family live?

Adelaide, Australia

12. Where did you grow up?

Myponga, South Australia

13. Where do you want to go on vacation?

I'd love to go back to Ubud in Bali, now. I'm also looking at walking across the top of Spain next year.

14. Have you ever had a panic attack?

Yes, they are not nice.

15. What can’t you wait for?

World peace - I;m over all this crap on the telly.

16. When’s the last time you told someone you loved him or her and meant it?

I tell Maow Maow every time I see him. Of the human variety, about eighteen months ago.

17. Have your parents ever smoked pot?

I think Dad tried it once or twice  - but he really only smoked tobacco.

18. Want someone back in your life?

I'd love to see Reindert more.

19. What do you order at the bar?

Hendricks and tonic in a big glass with a slice of cucumber.

20. When was the last time you cried really, really hard?

Eighteen months ago. Lost a niece and got dumped within weeks of eachother. Not fun.

21. What are your nicknames?

Pand. Late for Dinner.

22. What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?

Fresh bread and raspberry jam.

23. Where were you on July 4th, 2008?

As I'm not American, I have no idea. July 4 has no value other than it being a friend's son's birthday.

24. If you could go foward in time, how far forward would you go?

No - don't want to do that.

25. If you could go back in time, how far back would you go?

About 30 years. I'd love to go back and do uni again knowing what I know now.

Two Bad Films

The Zookeeper's Wife - 2.5 Stars

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Men Tell No Tales  2 Stars.


I've been holding off on writing these reviews as In don't really like writing things about films I don't like. To be honest, neither of these films floated my boat.

So in dot points:

The Zookeeper's Wife

• Could be known as Schindler's List with Animals
• You get to watch Jessica Chastain cuddle a lot of baby animals and over act
• There is a baby camel
• You get to see Jessica Chastain put on a dodgy Polish accent
• You get to see a lot of animals fake shot
• And you get to see Jessica Chastain cuddle more, but less exotic animals and over act

Very disappointing.

Then there is Pirate of the Caribbean - Dead Men Tell No Tales.

My kid brother and I went along on tight arse Tuesday. I had a freebie ticket - and I am glad I used it, because any film this dodgy should only be seen for free.

Okay, the effects are good.

But as a fan of the first and second movies in the franchise, this one really ran out of puff. How and why Geoffrey Rush and Javier Bardem allowed themselves to grace the screen with a script that is holier than the Vatican, I will never know.

Johnny Depp is just a caricature of his former character - just gracing the stage and going through the motions. 

It is said that they started filming this before the script was finished. It shows.

Corny, cliche and basically unfunny, there are some good action scenes - and that is it. They have spent all of their money on the effects at the expense of the story. 

Don't bother seeing it on the big screen. I wouldn't even dodgy download it. It's dire.