A to Zed

A book mememe lifted from Iliana, nice and straight forward. A book you’ve read for every letter of the alphabet. Now I had to do a little bit of fiddling, dropped ‘The’ from a few titles and I am stumped by ‘Y’ and ‘X’. Perhaps something to work on in the summer.

American Psycho

Brideshead Revisited

Count of Monte Cristo

Day of the Triffids

End of the Affair

Fleshmarket Close

Good Doctor

House of Mirth

Inimitable Jeeves

Jude the Obscure

Kill a Mocking Bird

Lady Chatterly’s Lover

Mona Lisa Overdrive

Naked Civil Servant

Odyssey

Persuasion

Quiet American

Remains of the Day

Slaughter House Five

Through the Looking Glass

Uniform Justice

Venetian Reckoning

Wasp Factory

X

Y

Z is for Zachariah

classical clarification

I got the results back on two of the essays I slaved over a few weeks back. I did really well, like 2:1 well!!!!!!!!!!! Considering these were my first papers of the course I’m super chuft. Plenty of positive feedback from the tutor, things to work on and must write more! I am feeling geed up and ready for the hard slog towards the first set of exams.

It is just nice to get a pat on the back and know that I have made the right decision. That I am not a complete loon for being a nerd about the Greeks and spending practically all my free time studying. This this is something that I have the potential to do well in if I keep up the hard work.

So, this will be my natural habitat for the next few years 🙂

just like in the movies

Wonderful Electric was shooting the breeze about tipping cabbies, and it got me thinking about my favourite taxi related story.

I left several things to the last minute in the run up to our wedding, flowers were one and the other was booking cars. I ended up using a private hire car firm (aka taxi service) for getting my little entourage and I up into town to the registry office, and then to shuttle guests to the reception. It was doomed. The taxi I booked picked us up at my mum’s and drove into town making good time, but our wedding coincided with a protest against the Iraq war. Roads were closed and people were a marching. Since our driver claimed he didn’t know central London that well he dropped us off a couple of miles from Westminster Registry Office with the parting words “You’ll be better off in a black cab”. Picture bride, mother of the bride and two bridesmaids without a carriage. I was in my element, I strode into the road and with bouquet in mid air I hailed a cab in double quick time.

Just like in the movies, only better!

The cab driver was as pleased as punch to have picked up a real live anecdote. We made excellent time and he dropped us at a pub so we were able to have a drink before the main event….

…unfortunately after the ceremony the cars that were due to shuttle us got stuck in the protest and let’s just say that we didn’t end up in the Merc that I had faithfully promised Alex…..

tripartite children's book mememe

Brought to you by way of Reading Matters.

Name your three favourite children’s series.

Although, I cut my teeth on Ms Blyton’s serial creations it is the Just William collection by Richmal Crompton that will always be number one with me. I remember when my Mum introduced me to William and the Outlaws, Elizabeth Bott and the long suffering Brown family. I loved that Richmal Crompton wrote adult style prose for children. I enjoyed being engulfed in the scrapes that William got himself into; my favourites are when he invented a twin (Algernon) so he could continue stealing fish to build an aquarium and pretended to be a unrealistic wax work.

Next up is the Bagthorpe Saga by Helen Cresswell. This family is so funny and screwed up that your own (or mine in this case) pales in comparison. Everyone in the book is obsessed with adding strings to their bows or getting one over their more successful counterparts apart from ordinary Jack. One of my favourite episodes involves the family getting into competitions and collecting wrappers from tins. It gets to the point where the larder is full of naked tins of food and you don’t know whether you are opening dog food or peaches. I remember my dad going through a similar phase and bulk buying mints in order to get the digital watch.

I haven’t actually read any of the other books in the Green Knowe series apart from Children of the Green Knowe. It has all the ingredients of a good children’s story: the abandoned child, a spooky house, ghosts, a mystery and Christmas. I just wish the BBC would release on DVD (or any format) the adaptation they filmed many many years ago.

Name your three favourite non-series children’s books

The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier, a tale of children separated from their parents during the second world war. Powerful, moving and still brings me to tears nearly twenty years after I first read it.

Danny Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. Poaching, living in a gypsy caravan and a whole village conspiring together against those fools in authority. To this day I can’t eat a raisin without thinking of them soaking them to plump them up, then filling them with ground sleeping pills and finally sewing them up.

Box of Delights by John Masefield, a Christmas adventure filled with magic and suspense.

Name 3 favourite children’s book characters

The cigar smoking, retired witch hunter granny in Roald Dahl’s The Witches. The granny Mrs Oldknow in Children of Green Knowe (because she really cares for Tolly) and Minty from Mooddial (I just love her name).

I think my choices are rather telling. I would appear to have a thing for dysfunctional families, grannies and a preference for a male protagonist.

Shades of Pulp Fiction

the one were I pass the time with the bare minimum of movement

Poldark marathon, nothing cures a back like 6 hours of Robin Ellis riding thru the Cornish country side and poking about looking for veins of copper. I now have saddle sores and the inclination to go smuggling French brandy from the Customs men.

Obsessively tracking my completed course registration forms (yeah!) on their merry way back to Blighty via UPS…Manhattan to Philly to Derby (of all places to land in the UK) and hopefully onto London tomorrow morning.

Day dreaming, navel gazing, philosophising. Does my place of work still exist if I am not there?

Chatting to mum about her new decking, and watching my brother’s latest 30 sec video update on their gardening adventures.

Sending sporadic, yet informative, progress reports via text to Alex.

Gingerly taking trips to the loo and kitchen, attempting to close the window and unsuccessfully looking for the take out menu.

Getting a bit further into Gaskell’s North and South. I fear that the 19th century mill owner may be my downfall.

And most of all looking forward to Alex’s return.

interview

Whilst I sit here fuming that there is nothing in any of my mail boxes (virtual or actual), I shall answer Fi questions. A big thanks for taking the time to come up with some questions and giving me something to mull over today.

1) What was you favourite part of your visit to Boston last year? Would you go back?

The jelly fish at the aquarium, amazing creatures. It is a strange city with plenty of beautiful examples of architecture, but in many central parts (especially near the park) it is filthy and decaying (a bit like Glasgow). I would go back to visit, but not sure if I would ever want to live there.

2) Who was the best Doctor Who and why?

Ones allegiance to a particular Doctor over another can be generational (a bit like Bond). My mum grew up with black and white, very cranky Doctors and was slightly dismissive of the jovial Sylvester McCoy who haunted my childhood. I do want to go back and watch all the different re-generations and see who is my true favourite. But, for the moment my best Doctor is Christopher Eccleston. I love the way he embraces life, it’s intoxicating and I guess he has to live life to the full as the last Time Lord.

3) You can visit any country you want (and money’s no object) – would you put yourself up in the poshest hotels and get a guide or budget option and make your own way around?

Without skipping a beat Australia/New Zealand, with the not mentioned mid-range hotel option but exploring on my own (with Alex there to stop me getting too lost). I can’t stand the attitude found in posh posh or ultra hip slash chic hotels. Wanna be models at the door, and on the reception desk, sneering at you and tutting as if your loitering spoils the design. I think I have paid by dues in budget digs. One too many geological field trips spent sleeping in leaky caravans in the Lake District/Wales, and a particularly hair raising tour of Northern Spain’s most dubious hotels. Some of the sheets had not been changed since the days of Franco, and the Bates Motel would have been more welcoming. But, you’ve not really lived until you spend a night fully dressed in your sleeping bag on top of the bed, with a chair against the door as the lock is bust.

(And it looks as if we might be doing the Australia/New Zealand trip next Sept/Oct, so watch this space)

4) What do you like the best about New York? And what’s the worst thing?

New York really does have a kinetic energy that pulses. Everyone is living their own dream, or striving to achieve it. No sitting on your arse waiting for that promotion or change in your life. (Which probably explains why I find it so hard to sit about waiting for the holy grail of forms from the UoL.)

The worst thing are the street hawkers at the World Trade Centre site selling glossy brochures, picture postcards and tees emblazoned with the burning towers and the words “Tragedy” (in sixteen languages). It makes me sad that there is a demand for this tat, if not the hawkers would have gone back to knock off handbags and purses.

5) What’s your favourite meal and can you/could you cook it yourself?

Shepard’s Pie (made with real shepards). Very simple, but make sure the mince in a thick gravy (with onions and green beans) and fluffy mashed potatoes (with plenty of butter), but delicious.

If you want me to interview you, leave a message and if you are a lurker (mum) without a blog I’ll post your answers here… Come on mum, put the trowel down and answers some important questions… Like, which child do you love more – me or Jonty (remember I am the one that does the washing up and makes tea on cue), what level did you reach in karate?

gratitude

The topic of kids birthday parties has been kicking around my head today, and it just brought back so many happy – middle class – childhood memories. My mum must have worked very hard, so I am giving her a cyber hug (she did all the catering, entertaining, decorating and cake baking whilst being a working mum to boot) I don’t ever remember my father being present at either mine or Jonty’s parties when our school chums were present (this was probably one of the reasons why everyone assumed that my parents were divorced).

I think I looked forward to the seemingly endless supply of cocktail sausages as much as the gifts or games. But, there was one game that everyone looked forward to and the tension it caused was equal to junior poker league, Tommy. It might have gone by another name in your house. A tray of sweeties was brought out, and each child took a turn to go outside whilst the others picked a jelly baby or allsort or smartie to be named “Tommy”. When the child returned they could pick up one sweet at a time until they picked Tommy. The we would all screamed “Tommy” at the top of our lungs. Such a simple premise, and who knew picking up penny chews could be so exciting! Even as a young thing my internal monologue was working overtime, deliberating over which was the more likely Tommy. Could it be something enticing like a lemon sherbet or a stealth like humbug that looked innocuous.

For my final birthday at primary school mum let me host a dinner party (though we might have still played pass the parcel and Tommy). We dressed up, and sat around the table to eat proper grown up food and sparkling fruit juice (red and white). If I remember rightly it was roast chicken with all the trimmings and my favourite cake, Black Forrest Gâteaux (nothing beats the combination of chocolate, cream and cherries). My mum is not a natural baker, but a perfectionist. So I remember coming down the morning of the party to find half a dozen or so rejected chocolate sponges on the counter tops. I know that there were probably many occasions when mum was up late because of me, but this one has stuck, so thank you.

too hot

and clammy to think for myself, so I am going to half inch this me me from Book Girl.

List five books you liked well enough as a teen to read again as an adult.

1. Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux
2. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
3. The Collector by John Fowles
4. The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks
5. Any of the Jeeves and Wooster series by PG Wodehouse

List five books or authors you’ll never read unless someone pays you at least a thousand dollars cash in advance to do so and even then you might be tempted not to do it.

1. J. R. R. Tolkien
2. Dan Brown
3. Samuel Richardson
4. Margaret Atwood
5. Herman Melville

triplet

three physical things you like about yourself:

1) bad eye sight

2) excellent hearing

3) long hair (still a novelty)

three physical things you don’t:

1) potential double chin

2) tendency to slouch

3) the effects of gravity

three things that scare you:

1) water

2) boats

3) aquariums

three of your everyday essentials:

1) caffeine

2) words

3) humour

three things you are wearing now:

1) glasses

2) pjs

3) earrings

three of your favorite bands or musical:

1) the police

2) paul kelly

3) the rolling stones

three things you want in a relationship:

1) respect

2) laughter

3) stability

two truths and a lie (which is a lie?):

1) the moon is made of cheese

2) the earth circles the sun

3) gravity is just a theory

three physical things that turn you on:

1) humour

2) height

3) hormones

three of your favourite hobbies:

1) reading

2) films

3) learning

three things you want to do really badly:

1) get a tattoo

2) start my course

3) live long and prosper

three careers you are considering:

1) tinker, tailor, soldier, spy

2) student/educator

3) curator

three places you want to go on vacation:

1) greece

2) italy

3) australia

three things you want to do before you die:

1) get a tattoo

2) read all the penguin classics

3) feel complete

three ppl you are throwing this to next:

my fear of being ignored, stops me from tagging.