Thank You Very Much!

Well goodness me.

There was I, feeling a little down in the dumps for one reason and another, when I logged on here and I found a comment waiting for me to read. Thank you so much Crazy Garden Lady for giving me the following award and helping to cheer me up:

Crazy Garden Lady was the one who found my blog and left a comment on a post I wrote some time ago. She gives me a bit more of a taste of Australia than I sometimes get from others *cough Eldest Daughter cough*. Oh, and I like imagining CGL doing her happy dance – with or without the aid of alcohol - but in my head, she’s always wearing her wellies. Drunken welly dancing – bahaha!

The three rules of The Versatile Blogger award are as follows:

1. Thank and link the award giver.

2. List 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass it on to as many as you like.

So hmm, let me think, seven random things about me:

1. My mum taught me to read before I started school and subsequently, I love reading. I can also read very quickly – if a book catches my interest enough, I’ll start and finish it the same day. Nowadays I generally read trash chick lit books – light, fluffy stuff that typically has a happy ending. I also love, with a capital luh, reading the Harry Potter books. And the Artemis Fowl series. And Clive Cussler. And Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (the others by him - meh). And Ian Rankin. It’s all pure escapism (with a bit of murder thrown in - mwahaha).

2. I am a geek (hear me rawr!). Although my geekiness now lays dormant by choice to a large extent, it does rear its head on occasion. Put me in front of a pile of computer components and I’ll build a computer. Give me a screwdriver and I’ll take the sides off a computer quicker than you can sneeze. I’ve poked around the insides of more computers than some people have poked their friends on Facebook.

3. I don’t like caving. I’ve done it a few times, but it gives me the heebie jeebies. Then the last time I did it, I was crawling along on my belly, when someone pointed out evidence of worms. I turned over onto my back and frantically tried to attach myself, Spiderman style, to the rocks above me. Failed. I won’t be caving again.

4. Something that left me feeling mortified, happened when I was about seventeen. For some time I classed it as my most embarrassing moment ever - don't forget, at seventeen everything has the potential to be embarrassing. Now, it makes me laugh.

In the early 80’s, a friend and I went to a fancy dress party being held at a club. After we’d paid our money to get into the club, we found we’d got the date wrong – the fancy dress wasn’t until the following week. The bastard at the entrance booth taking the money never said a word.

My friend was alright – she was dressed as a St Trinian.

Me?

I was dressed as Little Bo Peep.

And I’m not talking about the sort of costume you might get now:

 

Nope. I’m talking:

 

Yes, with bloomers, a homemade crook and a lacy, tied-up-under-the-chin bonnet. No, I didn’t have a sheep, or a smile on my face.

I sat in the darkest corner I could, fielding snarky sheep comments, just wanting to go home. The following week – the correct week - my friend and I swapped costumes – I needed to try and get back what little street cred I thought I had. Failed.

5. I cannot bear the smell of Parmesan cheese. So much so, I’ve been known to move to another table in a restaurant if another diner nearby has it.

6. I love all types of music. My all-time favourite piece is Hans Zimmer’s The Battle from the film Gladiator.

At night, if and when I have trouble getting to sleep, I listen to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata or Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

At the other end of the scale, quite often I can be found gettin' on down and shakin' my thang and/or singing to, well, almost anything really. I’ll even sing along to Abba (but please don’t tell anyone).

7. I had a nickname for a little while. Quite a few years ago, someone was leaving the store I worked at, so we’d gone to the pub after work for farewell drinks. Because I was driving home later, I had orange juice, until one bright spark said, “Oh go on, just have one”. At first I refused, but then my inner bright spark said out loud, “Oh go on then, I’ll have a small glass of wine”.

Several glasses of wine (and no dinner) later, I was absolutely plastered. And some. I knew I couldn’t drive home, so with the aid of a couple of friends, I was dragged staggered to my friend’s house, by which time the combination of alcohol, no food and fresh air took their toll. And some.

I was heaving my guts up very, very unwell in her bathroom, and during the process of being very, very unwell, I lost control of my neck muscles. This resulted in me ending up with a rather large bruise on my forehead. That was the last time I’ve been alcoholically very, very unwell.

Oh.

The nickname?

Armitage Shanks.

Okay, so now I’ve shared those random things about myself, it’s my turn to pass on the award. This has been the most difficult bit – I’ve spent aaages trying to decide who to choose. In the end (because otherwise this will never get posted) I’ve picked five. They are a real mix of blogs chosen for their humour, awesomeness and style.

Accept the award or not, it’s up to you:

Liz at Backward Leonard

Melissa at Redoing It – DIY with PSE

The Idiot Gardener

Midwestern Mama Holly at Are You Serious

Biobabbler