meepettemu

It seems it has. Today, a year ago, I was at the house of Lee and Claire, with two of my best friends in the world, babysitting, as it was Claire's teacher night party end of year thing.


Lee made us the most fabulous cake, and supplied us with plenty of chocolate. It was like being 14 and babysitting again (expect I didn't get left chocolate and cakes then).

It was a mixture of nights for me. I thought it would be the first time i didn't hear from T in a day (and then she sent me a text at 11.40 unable to let the day end without saying hi), and whilst being sad, seemed fitting that my time in Cov ended with Dee and Carey.

Lee and Claire got home to find me reading out loud Bete Du Jour's 'first time with a virtual lady' and trying not to cry from laughter. Hilarity ensued with Butch the dancing wonder dog (I miss butch!) and amusement from all involved.

It was a great way to spend my last weekend. More so if it means Lee's making more cakes for my return *grins*

This time last year, I was almost as miserable as I've ever been. In terms of happiness, I've hardly looked back. Leaving was exactly the right thing to do, at exactly the right time. I don't see how I could have lived much more in that situation, nor could I have easily extricated myself from it without moving away away.

So much for the people who told me i "needed" counselling, or that I wasn't strong, or any of those things. I'm happier now than I've ever been, and although marginally scared of moving back (having no job, in this climate? not so fun), it's not the end of the world..

I'm looking forward to this, to going back, to going home.

Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. List (and upload, if you feel like it) 5 songs that start with that letter.
3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.

Z gives me the letter P.

Let's see....

Haha. My media player hasn't pulled all the info for all the songs. So whilst I have a lot of "track one"s listed.. I only have 4 P songs:

Put the world on stop - Sean Fournier

Promise Promise - You me at six

Piece of my heart - The Killers

Pandora - Madina Lake

And not in my player, but i like it:

Please don't leave me - Pink

Last night, after he'd consumed a bottle of wine, my stepfather, who doesn't usually drink, was waxing lyrical. One of the things he said to me was "I don't know if i agree with your sexuality." I responded saying that agreeing with it or not didn't come into it. It was what it was; I didn't *choose* it.

His rejoinder was "I don't know if i can be bothered to talk about it"

It hurt.

(This was a facebook thing to start with): Yes or No Questions.........have fun!

Kissed any one of your Facebook friends? Yes (more than one *starts counting...stops*)

Been arrested? Nope. For I am a paragon of virtue.

Kissed someone you didn't like? Nope

Slept in until 5 PM?Yes. And why not?

Fallen asleep at work/school? No never. School and work are FAR too entertaining for that. Today's question of the day: "what's a libido?"

Held a snake? Yes. BIG snake.

Ran a read light?Yes

Been suspended from school? No. See paragon of virtue, above.

Experienced love at first sight? No. Infatuation at, perhaps!

Totaled your car in an accident?No

Been fired from a job? No. Still good!

Fired somebody? Ooooh. I wish. (no).

Sang karaoke? Yes. (see facebook!)

Pointed a gun at someone? No

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes

Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes

Kissed in the rain? Yeah

Had a close brush with death (your own)? Yes

Seen someone die? No

Played spin-the-bottle? No (still innocent.)

Sang in the shower? Yes

Smoked a cigar? Ewwww. No.

Sat on a rooftop? Yes

Taken pictures of yourself naked? Yes.

Smuggled something into another country? Does cheese count? Or those cigarettes i forgot to declare?

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? No, surprisingly.

Broken a bone? Yep. Jaw and Hand. Someone broke my jaw bone for me. My hand i did myself. Wasn't my best plan.

Skipped school? Yes

Eaten a bug? Yes. Chocolate ants in fact. and perhaps a mealworm?

Sleepwalked?No

Walked a moonlit beach? Yes

Rode a motorcycle? Yes

Dumped someone? Yes

Forgotten your anniversary? No

Lied to avoid a ticket? No. Never been stopped to be tried to give one.

Ridden on a helicopter? No

Shaved your head? No

Blacked out from drinking? Nope

Played a prank on someone? Yes

Hit a home run? Yes. Go rounders!

Felt like killing someone? No. Not seriously at least.

Cross-dressed? hehehe. yes. but not to the point of creating my own stubble..

Been falling-down drunk? Yes

Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? Yes

Eaten snake? Nope

Marched/Protested? Yes

Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? No. Aren't they beans? Can one have a bean as a pet?

Puked on amusement ride? No

Seriously & intentionally boycotted something? Yes

Been in a band? No

Knitted? Yes

Been on TV? Not as far as i know.

Shot a gun? no

Skinny-dipped? No

Gave someone stitches? No

Eaten a whole habanero pepper? No

Ridden a surfboard? No. Bodyboard..

Went water skiing? No

Drank straight from a liquor bottle? Yes

Had surgery? Yes

Streaked? No

Ridden in a hot air balloon? No

Taken by ambulance to hospital? Yes. Again not one of my finest hour.

Tripped on mushrooms?No. They're generally in the fridge by the time i get to them.

Passed out when not drinking? Yes

Peed on a bush? Yes

Donated Blood? No. To my shame.

Grabbed electric fence? Yes

Eaten alligator meat? No

Eaten cheesecake? Yes

Candy? Yes

Killed an animal when not hunting? No

Hit someone in the face? No

Hitchhiked? No

Peed your pants in public? No

Tattoo? Yes

Snuck into a movie without paying? No

Sleep on a certain side of the bed? Yes: the side that lets me get in and out.

Stayed up for 48 hours straight? No

Think about the future? No. Never.

Been in handcuffs? Yes

Believe in love? Yes

Work today. I knew it would be bad from the moment i realised that Ant would be sitting on my row. She's a boor and I've disliked her since my first (and only) interaction with her.

IT's very quiet at work. people tend to read. And given that the collective IQ of call centres is not known for its great heights, they tend to read trashy magazines. And so i heard, in the dulcit tones of the boor: "He's paying for a vagina by being a bikini model".

My supervisor replied with "she's a she".
"No, he's a he".

At this point I piped up "No, SHE, is a she".

"he's a he".

I lost my temper then (i'd have been more patient with someone i liked) and pretty much shouted at her saying "she's a she, and don't even try going there with me".

"He's a he, he's got a male body".

"and in her head, she's a woman, she just doesn't quite have the body to match yet".

"he's a he".

"So, you judge people on what they look like, do you?" (pertinent; she must weigh over 20stone)

"No, I don't judge people at all".

"so, she's a she then."

She had no comeback. I'm sure i was bitched about after i left the room, but frankly, i don't care.

I just don't get how people can sit and say "I don't judge", whilst making a judgement. And about something they know nothing about.

complete with bad spelling. Feel free to ignore. Just playing :D

The cat's been getting more and more bold this week. We have *gasp* a garden! And the cat, who has never been a huge fan of the outdoors, has decided that there is a pressing need to investigate this World Of Green. I'm thinking the desire has been stimulated by all of the aloe she's been eating; she needs to know what ELSE is out there she can eat.

Anyhow, yesterday she was moaning at me to let her out of my room about 8am (we have a dog, and the way our house is laid out, my room is in the pathway from my parents' room to anywhere else, so unless i want Dog at stupid hours of the morning, it's the most sensible thing. So off she went. Five minutes later i could hear her miaowing, and i was thinking it was fairly quiet for her, so i decided she was ok and ignored her. Mum got out of the shower, and opened my bedroom door thinking she was IN my room (my mother has a great habit of opening my bedroom door if she feels there's a need (generally when the cat is either wailing to come in, or go out of it. She doesn't get that sometimes, there's a REASON I haven't moved to let the cat in, nor does she think "She has company, maybe i should leave her to it. Nope, her house; if she wants to come in, she will..)


So i say out loud "she doesn't want to come in"., thinking mother is letting her in. No cat appears, but wailing continues, and then it strikes me, and we dash downstairs, to find the cat, shut OUTSIDE on the patio, wailing because she thinks she's been left for ever. Mum sweers she was outside for a second, and that Chloe was upstairs when she went out. This is the third time this week this has happened. I fear i have an escapologist cat.

Right now, she's on my lap. It's inconvenient, but she doesn't recognise the laptop as a legitimate reason for not having Cat On Lap and will just work herself in between. The only thing she does recognise as legitimate is a plate, but to be honest, the plate is just not as nice to stroke, neither does it purr at you.

:o)

Wooo, baaaa! (stolen from gui)

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids?! "Have you ever kissed someone? Missed someone? Told someone you loved them? Drank alcohol?" Bah!

So instead, here are 49 questions for people who are a little older.

*What bill do you hate paying the most?
All of them? Petrol.

*Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
An actual planned "this will be a romantic dinner"? I can't remember what it was called. With the Hamster in London last year. Fish restaurant. Really nice.

*What do you really want to be doing right now?
Sunbathing

*How many colleges did you attend?
Went to 6th form, didn't last long there. Then we tot the local college. Didn't last long there either. Then i went back to college as a "mature" student, got me ACCESS course, then Coventry Uni. Now back there again.

*Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It's the usual Friday dilemma: oh no; dress down! But i saw the shrug i knitted last night, and figured I'd wear it today.

*What are your thoughts on gas prices?
That the Americans have it easy :p

*First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
I was in the shower already :o)

*Last thought before going to sleep last night?
I wish i was asleep

*Do you miss being a child?
Mostly, no.


*What errand/chore do you despise?
All of them? Washing up probably.

*Get up early or sleep in?
Lie in, lie in!

*Have you found real love yet?
Define real? That quiet gentle love that makes you cry when you end it? The crushing love that makes you very bouncy? The mad passion you feel? The knowing you want someone around for a very long time? Yep. Felt them :o)


*What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
Very, VERY excited! All those THINGS, and so CHEAP! :o)

*Beach or lake?
Hmm. Can't i have a beach AT the lake?

*Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
Yes and no. I don't like the distinction between marriage and civil partnerships, but i love that if you want, you can just turn up and get your partnership certificate with no fuss. :o)

*Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
Not a clue

*What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Ellen Degeneres

*Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
Nope. But someone crashed into me yesterday as i was parked. Luckily for him, he did no damage.

*Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Nope.

*Ring tone?
Various. Pink, Chesney..

*Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
No idea. Aeroplane on the way to Oz maybe

*Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
Anywhere?

*Do you go to church?
Until they threw me out :o)

*At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Being jobless, and having several potential love-type things on the horizon, a career would be great.

*How old are you?
31

*Do you have a go-to person?
Yes :o)

*Are you where you want to be in life?
No. But this is not a bad place to be.

*Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
I didn't watch TV. Nothing changes :o)

*What about you do you think has changed the most?
I'm more prepared to go for the things i want. And more prepared to see other people's points of view.

*Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?
No :o)

*Are there times you still feel like a kid?
Many times, and I act like one, too.

*Did you ever own troll dolls?
No. I was aware of them.

*Did you have a pager?
What was i, Doogie Howser? :o)

*Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?
I lived in a little village. I didn't 'hang out'..

*Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
Yeah, i guess.

*Who do you think impacted your life the most?
My parents.

Was there a teacher or authority figure that stood out for you?
Mrs Scutt :o)

"hi,there,have,you,had,a,nice,day"



my response?

"hello. are you missing a space bar?"

original, i know.

In other news, my knuckles hurt from trying to make the moron next door hear me over his music (and failing).

It was a beautiful day, and i enjoyed it :o)

Sheeps. I should be in bed, but parents are hammering the ironing board.

50 things you have never been asked until about 30 seconds from now ... (and perhaps with good reason)...

Once you've been tagged, answer this and tag 15 people,including the person who tagged you.

Purpe and white

2. Name one person who made you smile today:
Dee

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Sleeping

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Talking to Aisy

5. What is your favorite candy bar?
Mmmm. Peanut butter Kitkat? Twirl? so many to choose

6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Nope.

7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
You can have my ironing board. It's not fancy, but it's a board, and you can iron on it.

8. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Cookie dough.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Diet coke

10. Do you like your wallet?
Yes. But I'd prefer one in tigger.

11. What was the last thing you ate?
Lamb chop and vegetables.

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
No.

13. The last sporting event you watched?
Bits of F1 qualifying last week when i was getting coffee.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Pain, sugar or salted.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
Carey :o)

16. Ever go camping?
Yep! Last time was Brighton pride

17. Do you take vitamins daily?
No, i attempt not to need to.

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
Hahahahaha (I just didn't bother changing that one)

19. Do you have a tan?
a bit

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
Yep!

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
Sometimes. If I'm in a restaurant and there's a straw available.

22. What did your last text message say?
sent to me? "you'll be very welcome :-) xxx"

23. What are you doing tomorrow?
working 9-5, then essaying.

24. WHERE IS 24?!?
who what?

25. Look to your left, what do you see?
a plant, my printer, a watering can, the table.

26. What color is your watch?
I don't wear one.

27. What do you think of when you hear of Australia?
When Nina and i went in September 2000 and something (can't remember)

28. What is your birthstone?
Opal? No idea.

29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Don't really tend to eat fast food, but generally would go in.

30. What is your favorite number?
1812, or 1234, which are really my favourite times.

31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone?
Ais :o)

32. Any plans today?
Bed?

33. How many states have you lived in?
None! Counties, three

34. Biggest annoyance right now?
knowing i should go to bed, and not wanting to sleep.

35. Last song listened to?
"This is my father's house", it was on TV and i found it on youtube. Before that, would have been Kings of Leon.

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
Aye.

37. Do you have a maid clean your house?
Hahahahahaha

38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
I share them out.

39. Are you jealous of anyone?
Yeah. I'm jealous that i can't be with my friends immediately when i want to be :o)


40. Is anyone jealous of you?
Maybe? I don't know.

41. Do you love anyone?
Yes. I love lots and lots of people.

42. Do any of your friends have children?
Yeah. But nto many of them.

43. What do you usually do during the day?
Sell car insurance?

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
no. what's the point?

45. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
Yes.

46. What color is your car?
White. And oddly, when DRIVING my car yesterday (to try and get my ear pierced after getting made redunat and failing, and then going to get my hair cut and failing at that too) I was thinking "I'd hate to have a white car; i remember having a white car". Hmmmm.

47. Do you like cats?
Mew!

48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
Right now, I'm thinking of the cat!

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Whowhatnow?

50. How did you get your worst scar?
Surgery

So I'd talked about it, even said i would. But until you've had to make that irrevocable step, nothing's final. In my head I'd begun to think "maybe i should stay; i have a job here" etc etc.

My entire office was made redundant yesterday without warning. 250 jobs lost, July.

So i guess no there's no real reason to stay, but I'm really hating the fact that i have no choice, no safety net there any more.

The office closed yesterday so i had the afternoon off, but it's work as usual today, so we're all going in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lggnxDgSCzE

because i know you'll like it :D (The music's a bit dire tho!)


*grins*

It's harder than you think!! Here is what you are supposed to do...and please don't spoil the fun...copy and paste into your own note, type in your answers and tag a bunch of people - including me.

Where is your cell phone..................on the table with me

Your hair.....................................purple and fading :(

Your father.................................No idea. work maybe?

Your favorite thing......................... to do? that i own? Right now? My cat.

Your dream last night......................ah, not very innocent I'm afraid.

Your favorite drink.........................Diet cherry coke :o)

Your dream/goal............................For the present? Dr Lynne

The room you are in........................Living room

Your fear.................................... losing my friends.

Where do you want to be in 6 years....Dr Lynne. Happy, settle.

Muffins.......................................Great inventions, especially the FoodToGo blueberry ones.

One of your wish list items................Mmmmmm. A book or two..

Where you grew up.......................Ipswich

The last thing you did......................Typed on here? drank a mouthful of coffee, made toast, breathed?

What are you wearing.....................dressy brown top, black skirt, brown tights

Your TV......................................Off, permanently if i had my way.

Your pets....................................Cat, chloe. Mother's dog.

Your computer..............................Laptop

Your life......................................Better than it has been, by far :o)

Your mood...................................Optomistic, bouncy, hopeful!

Missing someone............................Yes. Lots of people.

Your car or SUV.............................Peugeot. 106 maybe?

Favorite store............................... I don't shop, so i don't know.

Your summer.................................Happy, and filled with moving i hope

Your favorite colour..........................Sometimes yellow, sometimes blue, sometimes purple.

When is the last time you laughed......... At a text message from Rach. last night.

Last time you cried........................... Leaving London

One person who emails me................. Philip

One of my favorite foods................... Chicken

One place I would rather be right now.... Back in bed?

One person I think will respond.............Jo *grins*

Rules: Copy and paste this into your notes, delete my answers and replace with your own then tag 25 friends so they can do the same!

1. How old will you be in five years?.... 36. Olllld.

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today?....my parents. At least, I am on the sofa and they are downstairs drilling and watching 'allo 'allo.

3. How tall are you?.... 5'5.5

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks?... most? Friday, meeting up with Ian, Devon with Vicki, being in Coventry for the weekend.

5. What's the last movie you saw? ....finding nemo :o)

6. Who was the last person you called?.....the hamster

7. Who was the last person to call you? ... Rach

8. What was the last text message you received?..haha, not sharing!

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail?....Rach

10. Do you prefer to call or text?....text, but it depends on the person.

11. What were you doing at 12am last night?.. Driving home

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced? ...divorced, and married. not to each other.

13. When is the last time you saw your mum?..today.

14. What colour are your eyes?....green

15. What time did you wake up today?....9.45

16. What are you wearing right now?......black and white slippers, black tracksuit bottoms, a black vest top and a giant cardigan. I haven't got dressed yet.

17. What is your favorite Christmas song?..... Slade. I wish it could be christmas..

18. Where is your favorite place to be?..in bed..

19. Where is your least favorite place to be? cold in the cold.

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?.....Australia

21. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years?... Dr Lynne i hope!

22. Do you tan or burn?....tan :o)

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? dunno. was far too busy reading to worry about things like that!

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh?... Oh i don't know.. We had a great night last night and laughed a lot. i couldn't name one particular thing!

25. How many TVs do you have in your house?.....4. I don't watch any of them!

26. How big is your bed?... single, unless i have company, or can't be bothered to take it back down.

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer?.. both, but using the laptop.

28. Do you sleep with or without clothes on?....depends on whether I'm alone or with company, and who the company is ;o)

29. What color are your sheets?....... right now? lilac bottom sheet, and a cream duvet.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?....2

31. What is your favorite season?......summer

32. What do you like about autumn?....the rain

33. What do you like about winter? .....snow

34. What do you like about the summer?...The smell of skin in the sun, the way it makes me feel.

35. What do you like about spring?.. the potential. crisp mornings, that mist you only get in spring and autumn.

36. How many counties have you lived in? 1, so far.

37. What cities/towns have you lived in? .... Ipswich and Coventry.

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet? ...bare feet or socks

39. Are you a social person?.... yes

40. What was the last thing you ate?..... toast :o)

41. What is your favorite restaurant?.. here? Mizu's or East Ocean. In Cov, the noodle bar :o)

42. What is your favorite ice cream?...cookie dough

43. What is your favorite dessert? ... so many to choose. i think it's cruel to only let me choose one!

44. What is your favorite kind of soup? ... homemade tomato, or homemade chicken (cream of)

45. What kind of jelly do you like? ......strawberry

46. Do you like Chinese food? .... ..Yes

47. Do you like coffee? ...yes

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average?..... none..

49. What do you drink in the morning? .... coffee

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? yes, all of them

52. Do you know how to play Poker?...yes. i know the rules..

53. Do you like to cuddle?..yes

54. Have you ever been to Canada?...no.

55. Do you have an addictive personality?.. Are people addicted to me? Couldn't tell you. I don't believe in "addictive personalities", so, no.

56. Do you eat out or at home more often?....out, but that's just generally cos I'm not often at home.

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? ......yep.

59. Do you want kids? .... no.

60. Do you speak any other languages?...some french, some sign.

61. Have you ever gotten stitches? ..... yep

62. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? .....er yeah. not my finest moment.

63. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool? ...the ocean

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat? ...window

65. Do you know how to drive? ...yep!

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?...books

67. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7?...earrings.

68. What is your favorite TV show? .... n/a

69. Can you roll your tongue?.... yeah

70. Who is the funniest person you know? ... Dee

71. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?...there's an elephant floating around somewhere. he's not essential tho.

72. What is the main ring tone on your phone?..um. i don't know...

73. Do you still have clothes from when you were little?.. nope

74. What red object is closest to you right now? ...red and green blanket that mum has made into the cat's "nest"

75. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth? yep. why waste water?

76. Do you sleep with your wardrobe doors open or closed?.... closed

77. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?.... I'd be dead either way i think.

78. Do you flirt a lot?....yeah, but mostly with people I'm not interested in. unless they know i like them.

79. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?....my mouth. oh, wait.. that means it has to come out too. maybe not.

80. What is your favorite food?..chicken...

81. Can you change the oil on a car?....yes!

82. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?....Um, i don't know. maybe? my license isn't uptodate with address.

83. Have you ever run out of fuel? ...nope.

84. What is your usual bedtime?......Depends on who's on the phone.

85. What was the last book you read? ....I'm reading "The Decameron". The last book i finished was Proust.

86. Do you read the newspaper?... no

87. Do you have any magazine subscriptions? .... no

89. Do you watch soap operas? .. no.

90. Do you dance in the car? ...yes lol and sing

91. What radio station did you last listen to?.... heart

92. Who is in the picture frame closest to you? ....My sister. it's the only one.

93. What was the last note you scribbled on a piece of paper?....the reference for train tickets.

94. What is your favorite candle scent? .... hmm. one of several perfumes.

95. What is your favorite board game? .... scrabble

96. When was the last time you attended church? ... Adam's funeral i think. Many years ago.

98. Who was your favorite teacher in secondary school? ...Mrs Scutt, tho i had the biggest crush on my maths teacher.

99. What is the longest you have ever camped out in a tent? a week, a fortnight, i don't know..

100. What is something that you can't wait for?... Oh many things...

101. If you could go back in time is there anything you would change? ... well no. because then I'd change the present, and i rather like the present. If i could change the past without changing the present, again, i don't know.

It's snowing again. This makes me happy.

As does the fact i won a bottle of wine at work today (hurrah), and got chocolates, and now I am sitting down to do hypnosis work and stats.

Today's random blog was brought to you by the letters B O R E and D.

Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(Ppl kep tagging me on FB, and so .if i post it here, it works for both lots)

1: I'm currently studying for my master's in parapsychology. It's a lot of fun. It's costing me a fortune, but worth it.

2: I sell car insurance for a living. It's not so much fun.

3: I live at home with my parents and my cat. The cat makes her presence felt the most.

4: i love coffee. at work i drink it straight black with a shot of espresso in. at home, normail with milk and sugar.

5: As a child, i was considered a prodigy on the violin. As an adult, I'd be ok if I'd practise, but i don't.

6: I'm living away from the place i love the most and i plan to get back there as soon as i can.

7: I'm poly. I've known this for a while, but only in the last 4 months or so have i lived it.

8: I'll read almost anything. I've read the dictionary for pleasure.

9: I'm good at random pieces of information, and my brain often goes sideways, from point a-f without apparent links, which can offend people when i ask seemingly random questions, although I'm always happy to explain how i got there.

10: I can be a complete fuckwit, but i care deeply about people.

11: sarcasm is a skill i possess and use with deadly aim at times. at times it's too deadly. and used too readily. generally as a defence mechanism. Same for bluntness.

12: "I don't know" is something i say when asked a question I'd rather not think of the answer to. it generally means i DO know the answer.

13: I don't want children. Not my own. Nor do i want to adopt. I'd like to do short-term respite fostering at some point though.

14: I don't see myself ever getting married.

15: 30 was an age where i did many things for the first time. Not all things i am proud of necessarily, but it did include dying my hair for the first time, and travelling on a steam train.

16: my favourite films are comedy. stupid comedy like American Pie. Also things like Nemo.

17: I don't know where my life is going, but if it stayed with a career in academia, I'd be happy. Equally, I'd be happy as a psychotherapist.

18: I plan on travelling the world. Some of it at least!

19: I don't have enough hours in my day to do the things i want to do.

20: I'm rubbish at keeping up with email.

21: I hate talking on the phone. This is an odd thing for a person on the phones all day. With some people (ever-growing list) I can sit and talk all night, but with most people i hate it. I prefer texting and often send/receive 100 texts a day.

22: I plan on getting new rats when i move. I miss my rats. i loved them lots. I need to get more.

23: My favourite food is chicken, rapidly followed up by chocolate. I am most intrigued by Walkers new "chocolate and chilli" flavoured crisps and need to try them as soon as possible.

24: I knit. It is a very fun thing to do. I owe zero a womb. I haven't forgotten.

25: I am a bundle of contradictions, and for the most part, enjoy this greatly. :o)

About a thread i read on another internet site.

I wouldn't necessarily say the thread's transphobic, but it is very heteronormative. Posters (from what i can see, cisgendered, defined as "on the same side", therefore same brain-body identiy) are going on to define themselves as "normal" and other people as "other", ie conversations like:

"if you've got to explain your gender you're already different".

may be true. but the inference is that the POSTER's stance on sexuality is the "norm" and anyone else is therefore other and somehow "lesser".

or people don't "prefer" cis, they prefer just "male or female". This, *to me*, infers that there's "man" and "woman" that's what some people are calling "cis", and there are those who are not "cis" and therefore not "man" or "woman".

yes, "cisgendered" is a new word, but it makes sense. it's a word. you can learn it, can use it. It prevents one set of people being defined as "normal" and the other as "other".

things like "you're a trans woman and i am *just* a woman" (my emphasis) only go to add to that point. There's no "just" here. There's no reason why, just because cisgendered people are more common, that their way of interacting with the world is the correct one, and everyone else should be defined in terms of what they are not.

"I am a woman" is a great statement, and refers to any person on this site who wants to refer to themselves as that. who are we to deny others their reality? who are we to say their reality is wrong and ours is right?

"I'm just normal" is another statement that really doesn't inspire.

We're here on a website dedicated to something different that we do, and many of us have struggled with those of us who love people who haven't "got" us, or we're hiding from people incase they don't "get" us. There are many threads that talk about how we're "normal" and why should we define ourselves as different just because OTHER people don't get it, yet here we are. Arguing on a post where a poster asks about interest for a trans event. No one argued seriously when the women-only event went up. why should this be any different? Yes it may be exclusionary, but so are all-girl events, or all-boy events. But it's the organiser's right to have sets of exclusions if they wish.

Bottom line is (in my opinion) people should not be defined in terms of "straight, or other" or "just a woman" or not.

A lot of the old psychology studies were conducted on men, and results generalised from that, the point was that results for women were referred to in terms of the men's results, so "in comparison to men, women.." making men the norm, and women the other. What I'm reading above, "cis"gendered are being read as the norm, and "trans" as other.

I have to say, i've never really used cisgendered in definitions, although I've been aware of it for some time, but i prefer it to "GG", (because how many of us know for sure we ARE a GG, as opposed to say, someone with androgen insensitivity syndrome, who looks like a ciswoman, but has male genetic pattern), or "natal woman", because that implies that trans individuals are not "born woman" but have rather, "become" one, when for most, the whole point is that it's felt wrong their entire lives.

on this site, more than any other, it feels like we should make an attempt to stop defining one set of people as normal, and another as other. YKINMK, but that doesn't make me normal.

must go to bed now. just wanted to repost this on here for posterity.

Thanks Jane! :o) (63 for me!)

Instructions:

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Underline those you intend to read
3) Italicise the books you LOVE.
4) Post your list so we can try and track down these people who’ve only
read 6 and force books upon them.

1.Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible (bits of)
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare.
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - J D Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

Nope, just me.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Yesterday talking to Ella on the phone, talking about missing cov.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes,love it. more so when it's neater!

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
chicken? i don't know if it means any meat?

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Nope, not ever.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Maybe. that depends on which other person i was!

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Never.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I might

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
cornflakes, or porridge :o)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
nope!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
chocolate chip cookie dough

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
if they're a smiley person.

15. RED OR PINK?
depends on the occasion.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
physically? my belly. mentally? my potential for negativity.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My friends.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Do i look like someone who cares one way or the other? Of course i do..

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
black pants, black jeans, and no shoes, but pink socks :o)

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Deb talking.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
this one

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Sun on skin, grass, baking, roast dinner, chocolate.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Deb (right now), before that, carey.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Well, i nicked it, but yeah, she's pretty cool.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Gymnastics. Floor events. Diving.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Mostly purple.

28. EYE COLOR?
Mostly green.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope. Tho i fancy some in cat.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Chicken. Or chinese.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings :o)

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
finding nemo

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Dark brown. it's pretty.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer. Or a proper winter, with snow!

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
I am not choosing!

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Jo's usually good for sheeps.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Lots of people!

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Nothing fun. Some misery book that i grabbed of mother's. I just read "The end of Mr Y". It's amazing. read it.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
laptop..

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Don't have TV.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
Rain on tents.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles :o)

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Sydney.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can wrinkle half of my nose at once. Being a pain in the arse?

46 WHERE WERE U BORN?
About 2 miles from where i am now.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
They're all fun to read!

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
In rainbows i think, for both, tho I probably didn't meet ella in rainbows, but that's where i first became aware of her presence *beams*.

this resolutions malarky...


So it's not quite a once in a week post!

I had the most fabulous weekend this weekend. Things with Ella started off strangely, and we ended up not arguing about something that didn't happen, but it all turned out ok in the end, and fun was had by all.

And this morning, driving to work, suddenly i was in tears because i miss Coventry again. Luckily i was a) on my own, and b) get bored easily, so when the next spring lamb ran past in my brain, my internal redsetter bounced up going "ooh, shiny!" which at least enabled me to get to work without destroying innocent (or not) drivers on their way to who knows where.

I do miss those people, so so much. coventry is where it feels real for me. I never felt real before. And i do not feel real here. It doesn't feel BAD here, don't get me wrong, but it's not 'real' either.

But still; it could be worse.

Hehe. I got asked to be a maid of honour. I'm very happy! And i just spent an hour or so on the phone to the very same lady. Haven't got any work done, but you can't win them all.....

:o)