Sunday Stealing: Fauxklore

 I'm just back from book group and our annual book choosing meeting. It was lovely just to be in the company of the wonderful women of the group (and one of the best behaved nine-year-old boys I've ever had the pleasure of meeting) The book list is now set for the year. 

And all is well with the world. 

Questions, as always, have been provided by Bev at Sunday Stealing. 

1. Have you ever been caught outdoors away from shelter during a thunderstorm?

Yes, quite a few times. I know the last time it happened I was going to dinner in town. A large thunderstorm hit the streets - I was about 200 metres from the restaurant. I arrived soaked through to the skin. 

2. Did you ever build furniture forts as a child?

Of course I did. I was a child of the seventies. It's what we did. Everybody used to do this on wet weekends. Furniture and blanket forts were the best. I wish we could build one now. 

3. Do you use any medicines daily? 

Just a blood pressure pill and HRT. Both are necessary. Both keep me ticking over well. The latter keeps me from going pyscho. 

4. When was the last time you used a disposable camera?

Probably about twenty years ago at a friend's wedding. I'm not sure you can still buy disposable cameras any more - most people use their phones to take photos. 

5. When was the last time you flew on a plane?

15 March 2020. I was coming back from a trip to Sydney. I really miss flying. So far I've got a trip to Adelaide booked for April, there may be one or two trips to Sydney for work if it can be winged and I can see myself going to Canberra for a funeral in the not to distant future, unfortunately. 

6. How many first cousins do you have?

15. Ten on Mum's side, five on Dad's side. And I get on well with nearly all of my cousins. I'm in regular contact with a few of them. I'm lucky like that. 

7. What’s the longest period of time you’ve gone without sleep?

About 48 hours. Normally when I've been taking long haul flights as I don't sleep well on planes. I sleep well that second night. 

8. Did the house you grew up in have a big yard?

I grew up on 40 acres of land, so is that big enough for you. When I was younger, we had a place in the suburbs of Adelaide, but that was a standard quarter acre block. When I was a young child, everybody had a back yard with a quarter acre block if  you lived in the suburbs. 

9. What has been the most difficult class you’ve ever taken?

That was probably physics, probably because the teacher was so crap. Physics is the one class I failed at school. 

10. What’s something that’s much more difficult than a lot of people realize?

My job. Technical writing. People are under the impression that anybody cab do my job. It is a lot harder than most people think it is - to do it really well, there are so many considerations which non-technical writers will never think about. 

11. What are some things a house would need to have for you to purchase it?

If I was to every buy a house or flat, it would need the following things: 

• Air conditioning
• A bath tub. 
• Ample cupboard space
• Either a small courtyard or large balcony
• Close to public transport
• Floorboards - not carpets
• Plenty of powerpoints
• Good fly screens to keep the flies out

I'm pretty practical when it all come down to it. 

12. Would you ever go out in public wearing pajamas?

I have done this a couple of times, but on those occasions I was either going to a pyjama party, or in the case of the last time I did this, I was off to a performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and I was going as Magenta, when she and Columbia were spying on Janet and Rocky. Easiest Rocky Horror Costume out there. 

13. Have you ever had a lemonade stand?

No. Sorry, I think this might be an American thing. 

14. Do you think you look older or younger than your real age?

I'm regularly told I look a lot younger than my current years. Normally ten years younger. This is a good thing. 

15. Where have you lived throughout your life?

Now let me see: 

From birth until I was eight we lived in the Southern Suburbs of Adelaide. 

From eight until 17, I was located at Myponga, South Australia., 

From 17 until 23, I was in Adelaide. 

From 23-31, I lived in London. 

And I moved to Melbourne when I was 31... with a few months on a Greek Island when I was 34. 

Don't ask me how many times I've moved house - that happened far too often in my London and early Melbourne days. 

Today's song