Questions, questions...

Right, I hope you're ready for a long post. This tag has been going round for a while, and I've been got three times, so there are a lot of questions I've had to answer. If you aren't nosy - ha! - or don't see how I can possibly be that fascinating, there are a couple of videos in there to keep you entertained.

First up I was tagged by Alex from Odd Socks and Pretty Frocks

1. Are you a morning or a night person?
Much as it would be good to be a morning person, after 7 years of early wake ups I'm still rubbish at getting out of bed.

2. Have you ever stolen anything (be honest I won't set the law on you)
It's not big or clever to steal ashtrays or glasses from pubs. It's even less big and clever to half-inch an entire bar stool. Well, maybe it's quite clever. I didn't really carry a handbag in those days. Sorry, former landlord of The White Hart.

3. What is your favourite word?
I'm an English graduate, I should  say something impressive. Maybe anthropomorphism? Or ellipses... In reality, most over-used is probably 'bollocks'.

4. What can't you live without?
 Books, internet access, kids (mine), decaf coffee, music.

5. Who/what do you have an irrational dislike of?
This was hard. All my dislikes are completely rational. I used to despise 'Lady' Victoria Hervey and her smug horse face, but she seems to no longer be in every magazine I ever open. She's been replaced in my chart of dislike by Peaches Geldof. Frank Skinner. *shudder*. Alex Ferguson and that disgusting dead eyed gum chewing he does. Strictly Come Dancing. Not even thinking about the dopes who crash about on it, just the title gives me the rage. Even more annoying when shortened to 'Strick-ly!' by gormless mouth breathers. Talc. Specifically the amount used by my husband and how he wafts it all over the bathroom. You could make talc-angels in there, seriously.

6. Where is your favourite place to eat out?
I don't go for eating out in the same way most people do. I mean, I enjoy going out with people, that side of it - but I'd rather have a home-cooked meal than restaurant food. Too much cream and butter makes me feel ill. I prefer lots of wine, someone's spotify playlist and spag bol.

7. Who is the cleverest person you know?
I'm not sure, I know a lot of interesting people. It depends how you judge it.

8. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Was it any good?
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Hollywood version. It was ok, although I thought Daniel Craig was pretty dull. He just played Daniel Craig, with glasses. The James Bond-esque opening credits were cool, mind you, and I liked Rooney Mara. The book is better.

9. What is your guilty TV pleasure?
Gossip Girl. Totally ridiculous. XOXO. Oh, and the early audition stages of X-Factor.

10. Where did you last go on holiday?
Malta.

11. What makes you go "GAHHHHHHHHHHHH"?
Walking into a previously tidy room and finding toys EVERYWHERE. The fact that so many people want to be - and are - famous for being orange and vacuous. Facebook 'scare' updates from people who have no 'is this utter crap?' filter. People using LOL as punctuation. Word verification on blogs. Turn it off, turn it off, TURN IT OFF!

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Here are the questions from Sandy at Vain Glory Sinner:

1. What is your favourite dessert?
Too hard to pick one! Best quick one I make is ice-cream, banana, flaked almonds and a home-made hot caramel sauce.

2. If you could live in any decade which would it be and why?
Ooh I dunno, quite happy with what I've lived through so far. Assuming I avoided the black death and Great Fire of London, it might have been fun to be a scandalous court lady at the time of Charles II.

3. What is your favourite Disney film?
I'm not one of these people who will argue passionately for one over another, I'm not really into princesses and Elton John tunes. Toy Story was very good though. 


4. Who is your favourite historical person and why?
Hmm, Elizabeth I. Kick ass Queen who held her own in a man's world.

5. What is your favourite book?
The Outsiders. Reading it as an adult I can see the flaws but I loved it growing up.
The Secret History, amazing.
For proper excitement which you rarely find in adult books, YA  books 'The Hunger Games' trilogy. Read now before the film comes out!

6. If you were given £1000 to spend in any one place, where would you choose?
Probably a massive weekend antiques fair. Although I wouldn't say no to a grand to spend in Mulberry [would probably get me one bag and a keyring these days]

7. What is your favourite childhood memory?
Standing in a stream next to our gypsy caravan in the Lake District, playing with a margarine tub boat with my sister, my dad lighting the camp-fire to cook Cumberland sausage and new potatoes for dinner.

8. If you could hold a dinner party with only 2 other guests (dead or alive, celebrity or historical) who would you choose?
Well that would be me, my husband and Tim Minchin. Cosy! We've already decided we'd be best friends if we actually met. Obviously. Or if the Mr wasn't available, then Elizabeth  the First could join us. We'd drink a lot of wine and get demanding, insisting that Tim serenade us and threatening to execute him if he wasn't funny enough.

9. What would you choose to be your last supper?
Jambalaya with chicken and chorizo. And a boxset of Prison Break.

10. Name one beauty product you couldn't live without
This is where some po-faced supermodel says 'water'. Honestly, if the government suddenly banned make-up in some dystopian future where everyone HAD to be bare-faced, I wouldn't care that much. It's nice to wear on an evening out, but I can't imagine being someone  who has to wear mascara to nip out and buy milk. I guess I'd miss nail varnish, as I see my hands more than my face.

11. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I'm not sure I've found it yet. I'd like to try living in lots of places, assuming I could 'work' in a Carrie Bradshaw kind of way involving a few lines on my laptop occasionally.

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Questions from Flora and Purl


1. Your favourite pizza topping?
As many things as can possibly be crammed on - ham, olives, pineapple, peppers, chicken, pepperoni, extra  cheese...

2. Your happiest childhood memory?
See Sandy's question above. Another one would be the Summer (well, it was a week, but felt like a Summer) I spent with my friend Felicity after she'd moved away from where we grew up. That'd be a whole post in itself.

3. What you think when you smell vanilla?
My perfume [Angel] is vanilla based. Makes me think of Paris, where I first bought it.

4. When was the last time you had hiccups and how did you cure them?
I get hiccups ALL the time, I don't bother trying to get rid of them any more. If I get them once in a day, I'll definitely get them again. I'm used to it, but secretly worrying about one day being this person:

5. What you're currently reading?
Wonder, by R. J, Palacio. Set to be the new 'Curious Incident', according to The Times. It's about a little boy with a severe facial deformity who starts school for the first time at the age of ten, and how he deals with the reactions of other people - peers and adults.

6. Inny or outie?
I don't even know any more, pregnancy has done weird things.

7. Your biggest fear?
Nuclear holocaust (thanks kids' books of the 80s), hideous disease pandemics (thanks scary films of the 00s) being eaten by sharks, anything bad happening to my children, including the previous things I mentioned.

8. Your favourite song and why?
Again too many to pick just one, different songs remind me of different eras in my life, as I imagine they do for most people. 'Unfinished Sympathy' by Massive Attack is right up there though. It's a Bristol thing.

9. Something you regret?
Not practising the piano more when I was kid.

10. Your favourite item of clothing?
For consistency in my life, one or other of my leather jackets of the day.

11. Somebody you admire and why?
J. K. Rowling. She was a single parent, had the discipline to write every day and became massively successful. She also (quietly) gives loads of money to charity.

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I was also supposed to share 11 random facts about myself but frankly my brain has seized up and I don't want to bore you to tears, so I'll leave you with the snippet that I secretly think I'd be really good in a rap battle - you know, like Eminem in 8 Mile. So don't be dissing me, dawg.

However, I have managed to think of some questions of my own as the tag dictates, so if you haven't done it yet and would like to answer mine, feel free, and give me a shout when you've done them. Otherwise I tag Lucewoman, Confused Brit Girl, Sian Lile, Middle Aged Drama Queen, Sarah Misfit, La Sophia, A Thrifty Mrs and MissieLizzie.

My questions:
1. Favourite game you played as a kid a) at home b) at school?
2.  Personality trait which secretly really irritates you in a close friend or partner?
3. You get to choose one TV channel only - what do you go for?
4. Would you rather be really beautiful, or really funny? Why?
5. What's your Native American totem animal?
6. Which fictional character do you most relate to?
7. Music which you couldn't be paid to listen to?
8. Who would play you in the film version of your life story?
9. Best band you've ever seen live?
10. Most annoying thing about blogging or bloggers?
11. What is or would be your Superhero talent?

 Lakota x

PS. I am now the proud owner of a genie lego minifigure!

Blog giveaway closes tomorrow!

Plus, if you're still alive and at a keyboard, you could nominate me for a BiB award. That'd be lovely.