tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2761799630502854062024-02-18T21:19:01.052-08:00The Book WormThe saga that is my lifeStationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-31143690495902149492015-04-17T10:41:00.000-07:002015-04-17T10:41:01.780-07:00A List of Happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week a list has been published of the top 50 things that make people happy. Its an interesting list and is obviously compiled from polling a large array of people. Reading this list got me thinking, what things make me happy? At a time when life in Britain for most people is unbelievably tough and miserable its easy to forget the good things and ignore the small things that make us happy or smile or laugh out loud. So in an effort to concentrate more on what makes me happy instead of all the things which make me sad, or frustrated, or angry, disappointed or fed up I started to compile a list of my own. To my surprise I got to 40 things which made me happy! So I thought I would share them on my blog. Here are the 40 things which make me happy (in no particular order, other than as I thought of them):<br />
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1. Spending quality time with my Dad, having a laugh.<br />
2. Spending time with Andy or getting a catch up email from Andy.<br />
3. Spending good times with my Mum.<br />
4. Spending quality time with Cheryl, Claire 2, Nat & Cat.<br />
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6. Stroking or cuddling puppies & dogs such as Westies, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or my friends long coat Chihuahuas.<br />
7. Watching dogs play, run around and be naughty! Seeing their individual cheeky characters always makes me smile and laugh.<br />
8. Going Stationery shopping/window shopping.<br />
9. Buying Stationery.<br />
10. Looking at/Going Craft shopping.<br />
11. Buying craft supplies.<br />
12. Receiving lovely parcels in the post (books, DVDs, new papercrafting stuff, etc).<br />
13. Snuggling down in a comfortable chair/sofa to read a good book.<br />
14. Buying new books.<br />
15. Getting into bed with fresh new sheets.<br />
16. Chasing the cold bits round the bed on a warm night.<br />
17. Eating a rare-medium rump or sirloin steak (unfatty) cooked to perfection or cooked by my Dad.<br />
18. Bovril on toast with medium chedder cheese. Very comforting!<br />
19. Eating Cheese on Toast when the cheese is still gooey... yum!<br />
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20. Season & Shake Cajun Chicken with Jacket Potato, carrot batons, petit pois peas and sweetcorn. Cor!!!<br />
21. When someone else does the washing up!<br />
22. Watching an entire box set back to back, especially when its a new season I haven't seen yet.<br />
23. Sunshine & feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin.<br />
24. The smell of rain on a summer's day or immediately after the rain has stopped when it smells all fresh and cool.<br />
25.The smell of barbecues on a sunny warm day.<br />
26. The smell of baking bread or freshly cooked bread......yummy!<br />
27. Watching Aiden Turner in Poldark... or The Hobbit films, Being Human, etc!.<br />
28. Watching new series of shows I love such as Atlantis, The Musketeers, Supernatural, The Originals, Bones, The Flash, Poldark, Call the Midwife, Forever and Dr Who to name a few!<br />
29. Visiting Museums and Heritage Sites (Castles, Palaces, Stately Homes, Forts, etc).<br />
30. Visiting the Imperial War Museum, London.<br />
31. Watching history documentaries about subjects I find fascinating (WW1, WW2, Homefront, Social History, way we lived, shopped, ate, etc, Suffragettes, Workhouses, Asylums, Prisons, Royal History, Local History...)<br />
32. Watching the Sea.<br />
33. Watching a thunder/lightning storm when I am safely indoors.<br />
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34. Being told I have got the job I really really wanted ..... well I imagine that would make me deliriously happy when it finally happens!<br />
35. Having stalls at craft fairs and people actually buying my creations.<br />
36. Colouring in or doing Zentangle.<br />
37. Listening to my favourite music (The Script, Pink, cheesy 90s music, boybands, pop, musicals..).<br />
38. Working on a project with others in a team. The project could be anything from exhibitions, research, and fundraising events to craft fairs, dog shows, parties, music night, quiz night, school visits, education days...!<br />
39. Nice surprises, particularly on my birthday, but also when I least expect it. I find it very touching when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for me that they know I will love.<br />
40. Being creative, making cards, drawing, painting etc! Bliss.<br />
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It was actually very therapeutic compiling this list as it reminded me how many lovely things I am lucky enough to have in my life, which I must confess I often forget when things get tough. I must make sure I take the time to do more of the things which make me happy, especially when life is tough! </div>
<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-88842060496283616772015-02-18T17:49:00.003-08:002015-02-18T17:49:32.407-08:00My Many BlogsI mentioned in the last post that I had started a new professional blog called the Curious Curator. I also have a few other blogs which I thought you might want to know about! So if you have enjoyed my ramblings, opinions and general style on The Book Worm, then please take a look at my other blogs!<br />
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The Curious Curator (my museum and history blog - Professional or my "day job" blog) thecuriouscurator.claireeden.co.uk/#home<br />
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Stationery Pigeon's Crafty Adventures ( my latest blog where I share my crafty creations, adventures and favourite products).<br />
stationerypigeonscraftyadventures.blogspot.co.uk<br />
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The Diary of a Neo Food-Phobic (my battle to overcome SED and now my road to recovery)<br />
diaryofaneofoodphobic.blogspot.co.uk<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-38897750459923774782015-02-16T17:30:00.002-08:002015-02-16T17:30:41.466-08:002014 and all that!OMG! I cannot believe its been over a year since I last updated this!! It was not for the want of trying, but after completing my Masters and becoming self employed everything became very busy! So before I can pick up this blog again, I thought I should give you a recap of the year gone by!<br />
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I did indeed become self employed or as I prefer to call it "freelance". My first project was working for my local museum on a First World War Centenary Project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It was successfully completed in December 2014. My work included managing the research group volunteers, conducting my own research, writing draft text for the exhibition and managing the public engagement phase. I also got the chance to work with the IT Consultant to construct a new digital in-museum resource called the Access Centre. This was really very enjoyable as I got to help with layout design, plan out content and write text content as well as editing the content supplied by others. There was also a database of local First World War individuals such as soldiers, nurses, doctors, factory workers, munitionnettes, conscientious objectors and civilians who contributed to the war effort. This was a massive part of the project and will also be the legacy of the project as more information about the individuals will be added as and when it comes in. During the project we managed to identify just under 4000 people! Although we only researched in depth about 150-200 in the year of the project. But that is still very impressive! Now the project is over the other themes on the Access Centre can now be worked on, although now there is no funding to pay me, so unless new funding can be found my contribution will be limited to voluntary when I have the time, with paid work taking priority.<br />
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As part of the WW1 project I was also asked to give a talk on the creation of the Bexhill War Memorial (which I studied for my Masters dissertation concerning war memory). I was incredibly nervous before hand and although it was only May, the room felt like a furnace! I am sure I was visibly sweating and shaking! Despite my own nerves it went very well and I was asked lots of questions at the end, as well as very lovely people coming up to tell me how good I was! Always nice to know something went well when you were panicking about it so much! It also helped that two of my best friends (Claire 2 & Nat) had "surprised" me by booking tickets to come along and support me. It helped to have at least two people in the audience who would be enthusiastic! I am really glad that I got the chance to do the talk and would love to do more! Bookings taken now! Tee hee!<br />
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As part of the freelance journey I also got my very own website!!! With the help of another of my best friends (the lovely Cheryl) I chose the design and learnt how to add pages and update content etc. I think it looks quite good and I am pleased that I can update it myself. I just need to do that a bit more often and also have more stuff to update! The website also came with a blog option, so I decided to add to my blog list and have a "professional" blog or my "day-job" blog! Its called the Curious Curator and does have some really good articles on there! Its just like everything else I need to find more time to write more content! I also got my very own business cards!!! Ooooo! They look gorgeous! I was so excited!! Sad, I know as they are just business cards, but I have never had my own business cards before! It was a momentous occasion!! And my website address on the cards just helped it look all professional and swish!<br />
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In 2014 I also became a published writer! Woo hoo! Yes I have had three articles published in our local newspaper about the town during the First World War! A few weeks after they were in the newspaper I then added them to my Curious Curator blog so they can still be read. I plan to continue this in 2015. I also had an article published on a website about the history of East Sussex during the First World War. I have more articles to submit in 2015. So maybe my dream of becoming a writer might actually happen! Just wish I could get paid for doing it!!<br />
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As the WW1 project came to an end I also had a few mini-projects. They were all WW1 themed but were very enjoyable. One was working with the Performing Arts students from the local college who were developing original performance pieces about the War. I provided the historical content for them to be inspired by! Another project was working with a primary school a few towns away who were doing their own WW1 Commemorative project and I had to teach them how historians research people from the past, particularly from the War and then help them to research their local men. Again I was very stressed before hand as I was teaching an age range from 7 years olds up to 10-11 years olds! They have very different abilities and attention spans so it took a bit of planning! Thankfully another of my amazing best friends (Andy!) was on hand to help guide me through my "aaarrgghhhs! and stresses. Andy was also finally back from Singapore so I got to spend some quality time hanging out with him although not as often as I would have liked and now at the start of 2015 he is back to his worldwide adventures this time in Borneo!<br />
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Another significant moment was having to say goodbye to my first car, my beautiful red Peugeot 206, and hello to my shiny new (well new to me) red Peugoet 107! I do miss my old car, but love my new car too, and its a lot cheaper on petrol and tax! My old laptop also decided to give up the ghost, so I am now typing this on a shiny new one (an expense I could have done without, but hey that's life!). I also continued my usual papercrafting and going to craft fairs to try to fund my crafting habit!<br />
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Since my last post there was also another big happening which occurred at the end of 2013... my friend's gorgeous dog Maisie had her puppies!! I was already in love with her first litter in particular the diva-licious Shelby (and my furry bestie) and the big softy Yoda who belongs to my other friend Claire 2. The new puppies were just as gorgeous and I immediately lost my heart to Charlie, who was later renamed Blaize which suits him much better, and my new other furry bestie Nibbler or to use her real name Skye! Of course the other puppies Spike, Timmy and Oliver are just as gorgeous (and I loves them too) but for some reason Nibbler and Blaize immediately found a place in my heart as did Shelby and Yoda. So 2014 included many opportunities for having lovely cuddles with the puppies and even a day of dog-sitting!I am hoping 2015 will continue to include cuddling my favourite doggies!<br />
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I think that's about it for an overview. Its the bits that come to mind anyway! Now I can move forward with 2015 stuff, so look forward to my rants (there's an election in May so I am bound to get opinionated about the rubbish they are going to come up with), moans about the way people of benefits get treated (unless more work can be found my freelance dream may be over, and the Jobcenter awaits) and general thoughts about what's going on!Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-71799626088888772552013-11-28T17:27:00.000-08:002013-11-28T17:27:11.711-08:00Goodbye to my Masters and Hello Self Employment!Since my last blog it has been a bit hectic (as usual!) and a lot of things have been changing; either coming to an end or starting out.<br />
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Firstly I am delighted to announce I have finished my Masters!!! I submitted my dissertation on time at the start of October and I have to say I am very pleased with my efforts. Some areas I would have liked to tweak a bit more but there simply wasn't any more time. Plus a lot of my friends who had finished before me said it was a bit like being an artist who is never finished with a painting continuously tweaking it. I understand what they mean now, and I probably would never have been 100% happy with it, but I am pleased with my final submission. I have now got a Masters degree although I will not know my grade until December. Fingers crossed I haven't disgraced myself!<br />
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It was a bit sad not being a student any more, but at the same time it was a great relief to be finished. As you will know from my other blogs I had a long list of things I was looking forward to doing when I was finished. Yet when I had finished for the first few days I didn't want to do any of them and curiously found myself feeling bored!! It was wonderful feeling bored! I had absolutely nothing I HAD to be doing. It was great. Although it did take about week for me to stop going "I should be writing my chapters" every time I sat down, watched the TV or started to read a book. All my MA friends had pre-warned me I wouldn't get round to doing everything on my "things to do when masters is finished" list, but I didn't take them seriously. However its now nearly two months since I submitted my dissertation and I have only done about half of my to do list! I have been too busy! Hehehe!<br />
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One of the reasons I have been too busy, is because I am no longer unemployed! Hooray! I took the plunge and I have now gone self employed, or as my industry calls it "freelance". Officially I am now a Freelance Museum Curator. When you are unemployed becoming self employed is a scary and practically impossible thing to do. However thanks to the Museum's First World War project getting its funding and me being offered the Freelance Archive Researcher post I was able to take the risk and give it a try. Not only does this give me an immediate (if small) income but it also provides a window of opportunity until the end of the project late next year to establish myself and find other projects. I am currently designing my own website which will include a more professional blog (as opposed to this one which is my outlet for general ramblings and news!), my portfolio and my CV. I am hoping it will lead to bookings or at least support my attempts! I am also designing my own business card (how exciting, never had my own business cards before!!) and some promotional literature to send out.<br />
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While attempting to get new work - I have this week secured my first booking for a history lecture on war commemoration next year! - I of course have to work on my current PAID project, Bexhill Museum's "Bexhill Remembers" First World War Centenary Project. As the exhibition is due to open in March next year it is very busy at the moment drafting out exhibition panels, researching gaps, helping with exhibition plans, preparing publicity and liaising with the IT guys on the design of a new digital archive and database. There is a lot going on and a lot of work but its very interesting and as its First World War , its right up my street!! I will hopefully bring you more details soon.<br />
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If this wasn't enough, I have also taken the first steps into pursuing a life long dream, being a professional writer. But more on that another time!<br />
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For now, I have work to be getting on with, emails to do and of course Christmas is not far away and haven't even started with that!!!<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-17901922560665628472013-08-16T05:46:00.000-07:002013-08-16T05:46:22.381-07:00Catch Up Time! Writing, Injuries and Birthdays!As promised months ago I have finally found time to write a catch up blog. Technically I don't really have time to be doing this, but I am aware I have been neglecting my blog and don't wish to make it feel unloved!<br />
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The two huge things that have been going on in my life is the ongoing saga of writing my Masters dissertation and the ongoing depression of trying to find paid work during a recession! I have been lucky enough to secure two interviews but neither of them ended up in an offer of employment. I have been applying to quite a lot of jobs as there has been an increase of jobs on the market which match my skills and experience. However so far still waiting for that illusive paid job! Fingers crossed something will come up soon as things are getting desperate and with our silly government's continuous meddling with the Benefits system it is becoming harder and harder to survive. Not live, survive! They seem to have got the idea in their heads that by reducing and capping benefits more people will be inclined to find work! Hello!! Nobody enjoys living on a pittance of a benefit and do want to find work. The problem is there are not enough jobs or jobs matching the skills of the country's population and lets not forget its the government who have inflicted hundreds of redundancies across the country without investing in industry and other businesses to encourage growth and therefore employment! Dur!!<br />
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The lack of a job has, in theory at least, given me time to work on my masters dissertation. The final deadline is October and is incredibly close and I would be lying if I said I was calm and relaxed about the whole thing. I have really struggled to concentrate and remain focussed on my writing. We have had so many stresses and problems going on at home not to mention illness and a broken toe, that trying to concentrate with so much on your mind is near on impossible. I am so looking forward to the day when I can hand it in, but at the same time that looks like a massive mountain to climb. I also have received very little support and understanding. So many people seem to think that you can just get up, sit in front of a laptop and write. They don't seem to understand the frame of mind you need to be in and how frustration and stress (and not to mention a bit of self doubt thrown in!) makes things worse. Its like a vicious circle! My tutor has been great but she can only do so much, as it mainly relies on me churning out the chapters for her to then comment on and offer guidance and suggest areas I might want to revisit or revise. I am also lucky to have a couple of friends who are very supportive and even offered to proof read my chapters for me, as well as a friend who finished her MA last year so can sympathise. However other people who are more involved in my life are either critical of the length of time it has taken or why I can't just "get on with it" or have lost interest. To be honest I feel very isolated and at the moment its not going great. However I am a fighter so I am not giving up - just yet!<br />
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On a more positive note, last week was my birthday week! Yes, its been exactly 12 months since my 30th Birthday celebrations. I cannot believe how fast it has gone!! I also expected to feel a bit different turning 31, but nope, just feel the same as I did at 30! I did have a great birthday week though. It kicked off on the Monday with a girly afternoon (and evening!) with my lovely friend Cheryl. We chatted and screamed with laughter until our throats were sore! It was also lovely that when Dad came home he joined in as well. I haven't laughed so much in ages and I had a really fabulous time. Spending quality time with a good friend can be a priceless gift. Definitely something Cheryl and I need to do more often. Then on my actual birthday as well as receiving some lovely parcels of birthday pressie goodness from my Mum and Andy, Dad and I went out on a shopping trip to get get my birthday present from him (a lovely MP3 Player) and to suss out the new Hobbycraft which has opened locally. Then we rushed home to get ready to go out again, as we went for a lovely meal with the Boy at the local Harvester. It was a lovely evening and a great birthday.<br />
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The following evening was Ian's 50th Birthday party. It was a fun evening and I got to see people that I haven't seen in ages which was nice and meet the gorgeous young-uns Ellis and Keaton. However it was also a working gig for me and Dad and we worked flipping hard. By the end of the evening we were exhausted and my toe was throbbing! I certainly paid for it the following day and the next! The following day I had a great day with No2, Nat and Mo and the gorgeous chihuahuas Maisie, Shelby and Yoda. I got lots of birthday cuddles from the beautiful doggies which was lovely and I also got fabulous presents in the form of PRO-MARKERS!! I can finally say I have started my collection of pro-markers and I can now work on building the colours up and having a go at stamping and pro-marker art. So excited! I have had a little play with them and the presents I got from my Mum, but I have also been careful not to spend too much time with them, with the promise to myself that once the dissertation is done I can spend as long as I want playing with them! I am hoping they will be my "carrot" to help focus my writing!<br />
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I also received some birthday money from Betty and others which I have already spent (being skint is horrible, so its nice to treat yourself!) I was able to buy the two books about London that I have wanted for ages, "London Under" by Peter Ackroyd and "London's Labyrinth" by Fiona Rule. I also managed to get a great deal on some Sue Townsend books I have been after for years, so Betty's money was spent on "The Queen and I", "Queen Camilla" and "Number 10". So looking forward to finishing my writing as I have so many books to read now!! I daren't start one now as I don't need any more distractions! But hopefully more "carrots"!!<br />
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In between this I have also continued to work on the preparations for the Museum's project. We will hopefully hear soon about the funding and once we have the green light I will be able to tell you more about that too!<br />
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I think that is most of the stuff caught up now - what I can remember anyway! Now I think I need to have some lunch and get back to trying to redraft my chapters!<br />
Wish me luck!<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-90448055458218448792013-07-09T16:12:00.000-07:002013-07-09T16:12:00.729-07:0050 Little Things<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1.1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b>1.How many pets do you own? </b><br />At the moment I don't have any but so far in my life I have had 2 dogs (Westie & Spaniel), 7 rabbits and before my allergies kicked in 3 cats. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 19px;">2. What’s your least favourite season?</span></span></b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><br />Autumn</span></div>
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<b>3. Do you prefer to text or call? </b><br />Text mostly!</div>
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<b>4. Morning or night?</b><br />Night</div>
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<b>5. Do you like tacos?</b><br />No</div>
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<b>6. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?</b><br />Mainly introvert but I do have my extrovert moments!!</div>
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<b>7. What’s your favourite dessert? </b><br />Walls Vanilla Ice Cream with Malteasers!!</div>
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<b>8. Do you enjoy walks?</b><br />Yes, but only when they are with certain people</div>
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<b>9. Are you a frequent user of Facebook?</b><br />Yes</div>
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<b>10. Do you watch animated shows still?</b><br />Yes! Simpsons, Family Guy, Looney Tunes, Disney films . ..............</div>
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<b>11. Can you roll your tongue?</b><br />No</div>
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<b>12. What’s your “lucky” number?</b><br />2 and 8</div>
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<b>13. Are you scared of anything?</b><br />Snakes, spiders, bees, wasps, death, ending up alone, dying alone, dying young, Cancer, and small furry animals like Mice and Hamsters. So not much really!! LOL!</div>
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<b>14. Big mac or big whopper? </b><br />Neither. Plain hamburger with no salad and no sauces please</div>
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<b>15. Do you like to play board games?</b><br />Yes love playing board games and card games</div>
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<b>16. Are you fond of romantic novels?</b><br />I like Chick-Lit which tend to be quite romantic but I am not into all that Mills & Boon, or bodice ripping/poor servant girl falls in love with her master stuff. Far too boring and tedious. </div>
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<b>17. Fruitloops or cocopops? </b><br />Neither. Frosties please!! </div>
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<b>18. Would you eat a live spider for one million dollars?</b><br />Nope. Wouldn't eat a dead one either</div>
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<b>19. Are you a heavy drinker?</b><br />Nope</div>
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<b>20. Would you forgive someone for cheating?</b><br />Nope. Once a cheat always a cheat. Once the trust is gone it can never be rebuilt. There would always be doubts.</div>
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<b>21. Are you superstitious?</b><br />On certain things yes.</div>
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<b>22. Have you seen A Clockwork Orange?</b><br />Not all the way through, Found it boring and lost interest.</div>
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<b>23. Do you like to read?</b><br />Love it! One of my favourite hobbies.</div>
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<b>24. Are you easily distressed?</b><br />Don't think so. I am a worrier and I am getting worse as I get older. I am sensitive about certain things and get upset easily about those things but I wouldn't call it distressed.</div>
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<b>25. Do you believe in aliens?</b><br />I have an open mind and I think it would be naive to think there is no other form of life in the Universe. I don't however believe there are little green men abducting strange people and probing them! </div>
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<b>26. If you were the last person alive besides one other person you get to chose, who would it be?</b><br />Ooo! Too hard!! Andy, Dad, No2, Cheryl, Nat ........ couldn't possibly choose! </div>
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<b>27. Dogs or cats?</b><br />100% DOGS!</div>
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<b>28. Are you a grumpy person?</b><br />No, but like every female I have my moments!</div>
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<b>29. What’s something you hate?</b><br />Green vegetables! Prejudice! Two faced back stabbing people? </div>
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<b>30. Are you a worry wart?</b><br />Yes</div>
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<b>31. Do you like having your picture taken?</b><br />No hate it. I always look dreadful in photos. I like taking photos though.</div>
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<b>32. Do you like cotton candy?</b><br />No</div>
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<b>33. Would you ever use a dating site?</b><br />No</div>
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<b>34. Do you believe in ghosts?</b><br />Yes, I have an open mind.</div>
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<b>35. Rap or pop?</b><br />Both can be good</div>
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<b>36. What’s the weirdest flavour of ice cream you’ve tried?</b><br />I am not someone who tries weird things. I like vanilla ice cream and certain Cornish ice cream. </div>
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<b>37. Do you like math?</b><br />No, more of an English Literature and History person!</div>
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<b>38. Are you the type of person to laugh at others misfortune? </b><br />Only if they see the funny side too</div>
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<b>39. Love or lust?</b><br />Love</div>
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<b>40. Do you remember lyrics easily?</b><br />Depends on how many times I have heard the song! LOL!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 19px;">41. What was/is your favourite school subject?</span></span></b><br /><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">History, English Literature and Art</span></div>
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<b>42: Do you like tattoos?</b><br />Yes, just never been brave enough to get one for myself.</div>
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<b>43. Are you the type of person to lie?</b><br />No.</div>
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<b>44. Do you eat porridge for breakfast?</b><br />No. Yuck!</div>
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<b>45. What music are you listening to right now?</b><br />The Script's 3rd Album "3#".</div>
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<b>46. Are you allergic to anything?</b><br />Lots of things!! Plasters, Savlon, TCP, Pollen, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Nut Oil, Olive Oil, certain brands of other oils, Eggs (have small tolerance to these), most brands of make up except Rimmel, certain leathers and plastics used in shoes and boots..........! :(</div>
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<b>47. Do you like Lady Gaga?</b><br />She is ok, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to her.</div>
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<b>48. What about Nick Minaj?</b><br />Hell no!</div>
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<b>49. Do you like rainy days?</b><br />If I don't have to go out in it and in the summer when its been really hot and it makes everything smell fresh and cool yes. If I have to go out in it and its windy and pouring down then no!</div>
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<b>50. Last question, do you like pie?</b><br />Nope</div>
Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-7094674856729395272013-06-28T16:50:00.002-07:002013-06-28T16:50:55.055-07:00Getting to know Me.........<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1.1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Sorry I haven't been writing very much lately. I have been so busy and things are still very hectic. I do promise to catch up soon and I have also been thinking about setting up some other blogs for different subjects as this one is very much all about me! But more on that soon. For now, how about another one of those blog questionnaires to get to know me even more!</div>
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<b>1. Most comforting place, smell, sound and memory?</b><br />In my bed or by the sea watching the waves. Smell would be either baking or freshly cooked bread, the smell of my Mum or Dad and clean fresh air. Sound would be waves, or my favourite songs, and sometimes when my head is too full, silence can be very comforting! Most comforting memory is a tough one, probably something nice with Gina or my lovely Dougal Dog. Maybe even one of the good times with Mum or Dad, or sitting watching Doctor Who with Andy on a Saturday night and watching Lord of the Rings Trilogy with him. Nice memories always make me smile when I am sad. </div>
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<b>2. Your ambitions as a child and your ambitions now</b><br />When I was very young I wanted to be a nurse, then when I was about 9 years old I decided I wanted to be an archaeologist. For a short while in my mid to late teens I thought about being a teacher. My ambitions now are to continue working in the museum sector and enhancing and building on my skills. I also want to become a professional writer, and become a successful events organiser with my friend. I also still have the dream of doing a PhD one day but at the moment that feels a very long way away.</div>
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<b>3. Biggest fear</b><br />Its an equal tie between ending up alone, dying young (and alone) and losing my parents.</div>
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<b>4. Qualities you would like in a partner (if you would like one)</b><br />Loyalty, trust worthy, kind heart, good sense of humour, great personality, fun, clever/intelligent, understanding, patient, a bit of a geek like me, and some one I can talk to easily and share my life with.</div>
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<b>5. Traits you couldn’t put up with in a partner (if you would like one)</b><br />Selfishness, acute laziness, arrogance, ignorance, vanity, image obsessed, cheater/liar, judgemental, narrow mindedness, and violent. </div>
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<b>6. What is the worst thing you have done to another person? (Let them down, lied, faked love etc)</b><br />Not sure. I have told the odd white lie but only to save the feelings of the other person. I have never lied about anything serious or important and I don't think I have ever let someone down. I am sometimes late due to uncontrollable reasons which can be annoying, but I think on the whole I have been quite a good person. I think my friends and family would be better off answering this one! </div>
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<b>7. What are your worst traits and features?</b><br />I lack confidence in the way I look and what people think of me. I am very hard on myself, often unnecessarily. I am very strong minded often to a fault, I blow my nose very loudly, I am a terrible morning person and I have a horrible habit of doing what other people want me to do just to please them, when I should be listening to myself and making myself happy. I don't lose my temper very often but when I do it is terrible and not pretty. I try very hard to keep it locked away! I also swear far too much and my feelings get hurt very easily.</div>
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<b>8. What are your best traits and features?</b><br />I am very loyal, a good friend (I hope!), hard working, focussed (most of the time), good personality, great sense of humour, generous, reliable and considerate of others (often too much). I think I have good strong morals, open mindedness and an ability to take on board criticism (however hard that may be) and turn it into something positive. I am also very good at organising things, however small and unimportant!! I also have a very creative brain so I like making things which I think is a good trait!</div>
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<b>9. How would you explain your idea of ‘true love’?</b><br />Someone who accepts you for who you truly are, warts and all and not just the polished version you try to present to the world. Someone who understands and "gets" you and makes you feel better just because they are in your life, and even when you are on your own you no longer feel lonely. Someone who allows you to love them in return and who knows when you need them to pick you up and fight for you and also when you just need them to support you so you can fight that particular battle on your own. True Love is something that should last forever, with ups and downs but a connection that nothing can break. It should bring you happiness and hope even in the most darkest situations.</div>
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<b>10. The biggest mistake you’ve made.</b><br />I don't really think there is one. That is not because I have never made a mistake, but all the decisions I have made in my life however they may have turned out were made for the right reasons at the time so I can't really regret them. If I got to go back I would still do everything the same. Plus everything that has happened to me, good and bad, has made me who I am and got me to were I am now. Life isn't meant to be perfect, and without the mistakes you would never have the successes! </div>
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<b>11. Are you rational or more emotional?</b><br />I try to be logical and listen to my head more than my heart as your heart can be fickle and lead you down paths you shouldn't have gone down. However as I am getting older I do tend to be getting increasingly more emotional about things! </div>
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<b>12. Do you think you’re very conscious of the feelings of others or more self oriented?</b><br />I am very conscious of the feelings of others and often put there feelings before my own, to the detriment of myself. I will suffer instead of risking upsetting the person who is hurting or upsetting me by saying something, because I don't want to upset them! </div>
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<b>13. Greatest achievement personally.</b><br />Getting my undergraduate degree, finishing my Masters degree (hopefully in the next few months), passing my driving test, putting my past behind me and not letting it define who I am now. Going through a massive attitude assessment and rethink/realisation in the last few weeks. Its been hard but will ultimately be good for my life.</div>
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<b>14. If you struggle to sleep at night, what do you do to try and soothe yourself to sleep?</b><br />I really don't sleep well at night and often go to bed in the early hours of the morning! If I don't just stay up until I feel tired, then I will read or if in bed I will close my eyes and make up a story hoping it will help me to drift off and give me lovely dreams.</div>
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<b>15. What irritates you most about society?</b><br />Its image obsessed and selfish. Everything is judged on the way it looks or how much it costs. People are judged on what they can do and whether they are decent people on whether they look attractive or wear certain clothes. Since when has good looks and a nice dress meant you are really good at your job or your a decent human being?? If you don't fit a certain image then its apparently acceptable to be treated badly and with disrespect. Its outrageous! We have also lost the sense of community and people are only out for themselves. </div>
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<b>16. When you compliment someone, what do you tend to focus on? (Looks, intelligence, personality…)</b><br />Depends on the person! Sometimes its their brain, sometimes its their sense of humour, sometimes its how good they are at their job and sometimes its because their hair looks good or a certain outfit really suits them. I also really appreciate talent, whether its creative, musical, sporting or artistic, so that is often a compliment I focus on. I also do like a nice bum on a guy although I don't think I have ever told a guy I thought he had a nice bum!! </div>
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<b>17. Think of your oldest friend. If you met them now do you think you would still become friends?</b><br />It sounds horrible to say but I don't think so. We were both young kids of 7 years old when we became friends and we have both had such different life experiences and opportunities since we left Junior School and went our separate ways, that I don't think we would have very much in common or that our paths would ever cross now. Our friendship now is based on our past. </div>
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<b>18. Something you love to do, but feel guilty about after/during?</b><br />Buying craft things to add to my ever growing craft stash even though I don't really need more and can't afford it (particularly decoupage sheets and lovely papers)! Laying in bed when I should have got up a few hours earlier, reading when I should be doing my dissertation and having an extra slice of buttered freshly baked crusty bread when I know I shouldn't because its fattening!</div>
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<b>19. Would you like children in the future. If so why?</b><br />Yes and no. The idea of parenthood scares the hell out of me and the whole labour/birth bit is something I really don't want to even think about! However I do like the idea of having a family and taking my kids to museums, zoos, farms, going on picnics, going to the beach, playing together, making stuff together, teaching them to read and introducing them to different things. I would also be curious to see how they turn out!</div>
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Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-60273322881761783512013-04-02T17:57:00.000-07:002013-04-02T18:01:46.953-07:00Another Blog Questionnaire thingy!<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">I really enjoyed doing the questionnaire blog last time so thought I would have a go at doing another one. This one was on another friend's blog. Let's see how I get on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>1. Do you usually sleep with your wardrobe door open or closed?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Closed. My bedroom is quite small so I have some stuff packed in front of my wardrobe when I go to bed, so it doesn't stay open.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4;">2. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels?</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>3. Have you ever ‘done it’ in a hotel room?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Nope.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>4.Where is your next vacation?</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Haven't been on holiday in ages. So if I did have a "holiday" it would probably be staying at home but having days out.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>5. Have you ever stolen a street sign before?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No. We did have a traffic cone in our kitchen at uni for a while in the first year. Not entirely sure how it got there. It just appeared one morning, so I am assuming someone brought it home with them after a night out!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>6. Who do you think reads these?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">People</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>7. Do you have a calendar in your room?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes, its a Westie Puppy one. So cute.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>8. Where are you?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">At home in the front room.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>9. What’s your plan for the day?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Do some reading, relax, do some crafts and spend a few hours working on my next dissertation chapter.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>10. Are you reading any books right now?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes. I always have a few on the go. I am reading Peter Kay's second autobiography, I am re-reading </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (there was a TV version on over Easter which made me what to re-read the book) a few dissertation related books and a couple of others.</span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>11. Do you ever count your steps when you walk?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes! I also count the cracks in the pavement! Not when I am in a rush though!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>12. Have you ever peed in the woods?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No, I don't think so. Not even when I was a kid.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>13. Do you ever dance even if there’s no music playing?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Erm.... don't think so.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>14. Do you chew your pens and pencils?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">Absolutely not! Pens and Pencils are precious! You don't treat them like that. I hate it when I lend a pen to someone and I get it back with teeth marks in the end. How disgusting and how </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">disrespectful</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"> of someone else's property!</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>15. What is your “Song of the Week”?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">"If you could see me now" The Script</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>16. Is it okay for guys to wear pink?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes it just annoys me when they claim it isn't really pink when it clearly is!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>17. Do you still watch cartoons?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Absolutely! Simpsons, Family Guy, Looney Tunes, Disney films, etc etc. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">18. What is your </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">favourite</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"> love movie?</span></span></b><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Closely followed by 10 Things I Hate About You (Heath Ledger!) and The Truth About Cats and Dogs. I think this shows I am a very strange individual! </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>19. What do you drink with dinner?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Orange Squash, Diet Coke or Chilled Water. If I am out for a meal and not driving then I will have a Budweiser Shandy.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>20. What do you dip Chicken Nuggets in?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">I don't dip them in anything. I don't do sauces.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">21. What is your </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">favourite</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"> food/cuisine?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Favourite food item is fresh white crusty bread with a nice piece of chedder cheese! Also very into cheese on toast at the moment! Favourite meal....... don't really have one.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>22. What movies could you watch over and over and still love?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">So so so many to mention! I love films!! Pirates of the Caribbean (all four), Twilight Saga, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Indiana Jones Trilogy (not the recent one), Rock of Ages, The Proposal, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, A Knights Tale, Sherlock Holmes, X-Men franchise, the list goes on and on!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>23. Last person you hugged/kissed?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Probably my Dad.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>24. Were you ever a boy/girl scout?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">No, but I was a Brownie!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>25. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">LMFAO! </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Absolutely</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"> not! No one wants to see that!!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>26. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Last week. I wrote a short letter to Andy.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>27. Can you change the oil on a car?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Theoretically yes, but I have never done it on my own. Always had someone else there who knew what they were doing!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>28. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>29. Run out of gas?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">No. That's something I am paranoid about so I always make sure I fill up if I am getting low.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">30. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Favourite</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"> kind of sandwich?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Cheese! Closely followed by Sausage Sandwich!! </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>31. Best thing to eat for breakfast?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Frosties cereal!! They're ggggrrrreat! Hehehe!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>32. What is your usual bedtime?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Any time between 12 and 2am. I have always been a night owl, and while writing my dissertation I have got worse as I tend to write better in the evening.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>33. Are you lazy?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No. I am very hard working and take pride in everything I do, even something as stupid as washing up or hoovering. If you are going to spend time doing something then you should do it properly and the best you can do! I don't find it easy to do nothing.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>34. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Never did Halloween as its not a big thing in Britain and certainly wasn't in the 1980s.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>35. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Not at the moment, but did used to subscribe to BBC History Magazine and Museums Association (Museum Journal).</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>36. Which are better, legos or lincoln logs?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Lego rules.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>37. Are you stubborn?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Can be</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>38. Ever watch soap operas?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes. I do watch Eastenders and I have to watch Coronation Street as Dad likes it. Unless I am busy doing something else of course!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>39. Afraid of heights?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>40. Sing in the car?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes! Loud and Proud as long as I am on my own!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>41. Dance in the shower?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No, too dangerous! Might slip over and knowing me I would and I would hurt myself badly!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>42. Dance in the car?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>43. Ever used a gun?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes, when I was a kid. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>44. Do you think musicals are cheesy?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No! I love Musicals!! They are fabulous!! </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>45. Is Christmas stressful?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">It can be if you are not organised or if you let things get on top of you. Its also tough if you don't have much money and you still want to do/get certain things. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>46. Ever eat a pierogi?</b><br />Have no idea what this is. Just googled it. Nope never had them.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>47. Major annoyance right now?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">The Government, in particular the Department of Work and Pensions! Plus a few other things. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>48. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Nurse, Archaeologist, Writer, Artist, Teacher, and Art Shop Owner!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>49. Do you believe in ghosts?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>50. Ever have a deja-vu feeling?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes, quite often.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>51. Do you take a vitamin daily?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">I take Iron Tablets, but that's because I am </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">anaemic</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>52. Wear slippers?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes, I have lovely slippers. Keep my feet nice and warm too in this freezing cold weather!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>53. Wear a bath robe?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes. I love my fluffy dressing gown! I also have light weight summer ones too!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>54. What do you wear to bed?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Either nightdress or pyjamas. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>55.Tesco, Sainsburys or Morrisons?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Tesco or Morrisons</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>56. Nike or Adidas?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Depends what I am buying. Not really fussed.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>57. Wotsits or Quavers?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Both.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>58. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Peanuts</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>59. Ever hear of, “gorp”?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Nope.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>60. Ever taken karate?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes. Did one lesson and hated it. My Mum's weird solution to being bullied!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>61. Ever kissed someone of the same sex?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>62. Can you curl your tongue?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>63. Ever won a spelling bee?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>64. Ever cried because you were so happy?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes. Embarrassing when it happens, but yes I have done.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>65. Own any record albums?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">I did have one or two. Think they are in storage now</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>66. Own a record player?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">I did up till a few years ago when I changed my hi-fi system.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>67. Regularly burn incense?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">No</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>68. Ever been in love?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Don't think so.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>69. Hot tea or cold tea?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Warm Tea!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>70. Tea or coffee?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Tea! Coffee smells gorgeous but tastes vile!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">71. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Favourite</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"> kind of cookie?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;">Don't eat cookies, but my favourite sweet biscuit (only one I eat) is Ginger Nuts.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>72. Can you swim well?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes, but I haven't swum in years.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>73. Can you hold your breath w/o manually holding your nose?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>74. Are you patient?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">I can be very patient..........!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>75. Ever won a contest?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Not that I can remember. Don't really do contest type things. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>76. Ever had plastic surgery?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>77. Which are better black or green olives?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Neither. Both smell vile. Can't physically put them in my mouth. Absolutely stink!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>78. Can you knit or crochet?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">I can knit</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>79. Wash room or bathroom?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Bathroom</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>80. Do you want to get married?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">If it happens it happens</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>81. Who was your High School crush?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">I guy called Bret English. So embarrassing now!</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>82. Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No I am not a child or a pathetic excuse of a person.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>83. Do you have kids?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">No.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>84. Do you want kids?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">If they happen then that would be great and if not that would be fine too. If I did have kids I would want to call a boy Joshua Thomas or Jake James and if I had a girl, Molly Georgina or Megan Elizabeth.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>85. What kind of mum are you?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">I don't have kids so can't really answer that one.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>86. Do you miss anyone right now?</b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;">Yes I miss Andy an awful lot at the moment. I also miss my Mum, because she has been going through a lot lately and I always miss my Aunty Gina as she is no longer with us. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><b>87. Who do you want to see right now?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;">Andy!! Really wish he lived a lot closer and was here!! I would also like to see my Mum and give her a hug. I always want to see Gina as I always want to talk to her and ask her opinion/advice on things. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Lucida Grande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 1px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-79638471909895621932013-03-26T09:06:00.000-07:002013-03-26T09:06:12.281-07:00Random Question thingy<br />
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I have never done one of these "getting to know me" questionnaire thingys on my blog before and as I saw this on a friend's blog I thought I would have a go at filling in one myself. So here goes........</div>
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<b>What are you listening to right now?</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Was listening to The Script's first album. Love The Script, their songs have got great lyrics. Now can just hear all the noise being made on the building site behind the flats. A new housing estate is being built and the builders are noisy buggers!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>If your phone started ringing, who would you hope is calling?</b></span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />It would probably be either my Dad, My Mum, my best friend sutleress.blogspot.co.uk or one of my other good friends Cheryl. My other two important friends tend to email or prefer texting. Wouldn't mind if it was any of them as long as its not bad news! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you drink? </b></span></div>
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I do like a nice chilled pint of Budweiser Shandy on a hot day, but I don't drink anywhere near as much as I did when I was at Uni. My friends and family who I spend most of my time with don't drink, so I don't. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>What is the first thing you notice in someone?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">This is going to sound terrible, but normally their smell, followed by hair and then eyes. I have a very sensitive nose and people with either bad body odour or too much perfume/aftershave aggravates my allergies. Once I get to know someone I am more interested in their personality, sense of humour and them as individuals. As one of my close friends recently found out I do find people very fascinating! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you get attached easily?</b></span></div>
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With people I tend not to let people in that easily, but when I do, then yes I do get attached quite easily. With animals, (mainly dogs) I am a complete soft touch and get very attached very quickly!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you like your eye colour? </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Yes. Their brown. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPsFbRQH0oUxcONY22AImm1floBcYyb0Vufejp5Lj02C23xLQnsqjIEkroaFgY3_OUyiao9e66ZoEd08LfiDQzpCWMQapi1Ont5KIbtv5hczZ5PmXZpAKnBhtuLX65PM22_ng7sAuNo5i/s1600/eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Have you ever been in love? </b> </span></span><div class="western" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Maybe.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you have a crush/romantic interest in anyone? </b></span></div>
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Yes, but I would never pursue it. I am not great with relationships and spotting the "signs" that someone else is interested is almost impossible for me!! They have to make it very clear how they feel before I will believe them!!! </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>What’s your sexual orientation (if you feel comfortable answering)?</b> </span></div>
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Heterosexual. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">What’s your favourite colour and why? </span></span></b></span></div>
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Purple and Red. Loved Red since I was a child and started loving purple when I was about 12. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurUIHku7AwhP1QZVF0gLK89y3v9TN-CnyKgPUpDSfJMHn91jDU9fMtJ-cyXeTCIZokiNHECaJ4LyYddtz6KyI8K6Zg59ITdelBA40LqUXynmpMUOwgEvMK_hNhn0TRjljICFTAtyQ_3fN/s1600/ilovepurple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you ever wish you were someone else?</b></span></div>
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No. I might not be happy with who I am some of the time, but I wouldn't want to be someone else. I know me, I know my issues and I understand me. I do sometimes wish for better things in my life though, such as nice job, better health, etc.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>What were you like when you were a kid? </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">I was very well behaved, studied hard at school and received good grades. Always stuck to the rules and was always respectful of adults, even if I thought they were wrong. I was never into dolls and playing house. I was more interested in making things, drawing, painting, colouring in, and reading. I loved my books. They could take me anywhere and away from where I was. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>What would your dream house be like?</b></span></div>
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Detached but still in a street. Wouldn't want to be in the middle of nowhere on my own. 3-4 bedrooms minimum, so I could have a craft room and a library/study as well as my own bedroom and a spare bedroom encase anyone wanted to stay over. I would also like to have room to park my car easily, a conservatory as I find them very relaxing places to sit and a nice view. I would ideally like a sea view but I would then be worried about erosion and the damage it could do to my home over time!! (Paranoid I know!). I would paint my bedroom purple and my front room and kitchen would be red. Not necessarily every wall but that would be the colour theme.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>What last made you laugh?</b> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">It sounds terrible but I cannot remember! I laugh quite a lot and the strangest of things can make me laugh. It was probably a comment of a satirical panel show or something one of my friends did or their dogs. </span></span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Do you have a place you like to go to collect your thoughts?</b> </span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />I use to, but now I just need time on my own to get my head together. The location doesn't really matter as long as its comfortable and its somewhere I want to be.<br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Have you ever been skinny dipping? </b></span></span><div class="western" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white;">No and I never would. Nobody needs to or wants to see that!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Would you go bungee jumping/sky diving if given the chance?</b></span></div>
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Nope. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you like to dance?</b> </span></div>
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Yes and No. I am not very good at it and have no real sense of rhythm. Plus I feel very self conscious of my size. However when I am on my own I do like to dance to music.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>What is your definition of cheating?</b></span></div>
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I honestly believe that if you are in a relationship, then you should be with them only. If you want to be with someone else then you should do the decent thing and end the relationship first before you do anything with this other person. That way nobody gets hurt and if your not sure its worth ending the relationship for, then you can't feel that serious about the other person. Lying, kissing, even discussing taking things further or expressing that you would like to, to the "other" person is cheating in my eyes. Everyone gets tempted, but true loyalty is refusing to let those feelings go beyond thinking "that person is very attractive and if things were different I may have gone after them". I suppose simply you can look but don't touch if you are in a relationship with someone else! </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you regret anything?</b></span></div>
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Not really. Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I had taken a different path, chosen a different course at uni etc etc. But I don't regret what I have done because I always make sure I am making the best choice for me at the time. It might not always work out but I did what I thought was right at the time.</div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span><div class="western" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Ever broken any bones?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Yes. Broke two of my toes when I was about 6. I dropped a heavy metal bar on them by accident. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Ever come close to death?</b> </span></div>
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Yes. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>What is your religion/spirituality, if any?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Not a religious person, although I do find religions and religious beliefs fascinating. I suppose I am more drawn to spirituality and nature so I would say Pagan.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Have you ever been to a psychiatrist/therapist? </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Yes. Many times. Once I went to see a psychiatrist who was trying to get me to do a certain kind of therapy. I thought what he was suggestion was ludicrous and at the end of the session I told him I wouldn't be making another appointment. He asked why and my reply was "there are two people in this room and one of them is definitely mad and it ain't me!". </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Are looks important in a relationship?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">No, although I do feel they play a big part in initial attraction. You never hear someone say "core, look at that personality of that girl" or " doesn't he had a fabulous caring nature". Sadly more often its look at her boobs and doesn't he have a nice bum! I wish it wasn't like this.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><b>Are you more like your mum or your dad?</b></span></div>
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I think if I am honest I am a bit like both of them. Looks wise I share a lot of my dad's facial features, but in recent years I have also noticed some of my Mum's "looks" creeping in. Personality wise, a lot of my sense of humour is similar to my Dad's, but my interests in Museums, culture and craft is definitely something I get from my Mum. I also have my Mum's temper which I am not proud of and something I am very vary of keeping under control. Luckily I also have my Dad's tolerance which means I can put up with a lot and I am quite easy going. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">What is your favourite season?</span></span></b></span></div>
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I like them all for various reasons but I suppose Summer.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you have any tattoos?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">No. I did use to want one, but now I know I am too much of a wimp!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you have any piercings?</b> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Yes, my ears. I did want to get my nose and eyebrow pierced too when I was at Uni, but was too much of a wimp to get it done. I am terrified of needles so that didn't help either!</span></span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had? </b></span></span><div class="western" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Two but nothing serious.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?</b></span></div>
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I do like certain TV characters. I am a huge fan of Supernatural and love Jared Padalecki who plays Sam. I also am a huge fan of Doctor Who and did have a crush on David Tennant and possible also Matt Smith! When I was younger I was a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and had big crushes on the vampires Angel and Spike!! </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">What are your favourite things to do?</span></span></b></span></div>
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Read, do crafts, write, hang out with friends, play with my friends' dogs, watch DVDs and listen to music.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>If you could only visit one place outside of your hometown, where would it be? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">There are lots of places in the UK I would love to visit so too many to mention. Outside of the UK I would love to go to Washington so I could visit the Smithsonian. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you get jealous easily?</b></span></div>
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Depends. Not in relationships, but sometimes in other things!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>What is your favorite type of food? </b></span></div>
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Fresh crusty white bread. With butter and chedder cheese. Core! </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you ever want to get married?</b></span></div>
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If someone loves me enough and I love them enough then yes. But its not something on the"to do list" and not something that absolutely has to happen otherwise I have failed life in some way! </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Are you an introvert or an extrovert?</b></span></div>
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I think I am a bit of both. Certain things I am very confident in, such as museum related stuff, while others I can be very shy. With people I know well, they would probably say I am very loud and very talkative, but amongst people I don't know or not sure of I will be very quiet and introverted. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Do you believe in life on other planets, ghosts, or mythical creatures?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Yes. An open mind, is an enquiring mind. Knowledge is the only limit of our understanding. Back in history when they first started to find dinosaur bones they thought they were ancient dragons and spiritual creatures. Now our knowledge has advanced and we know what they are. Certain medieval beliefs of diseases being spread by fairies and other unworldly creatures was based on the finding of tiny arrow heads which we now know were made by humans hundreds of years earlier. Plus fairies definitely exist..... who else would hide things when your looking for something and you know you put it away in the right place!!!! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Do you believe in love at first sight?</b> </span></span><div class="western" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The romantic part of me would like to do. If it does exist it must be very rare.</span></span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Do you believe in soul mates?</b></span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Yes.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /></span><div class="western" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Have you ever dyed your hair?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I have never dyed the whole lot, but I have had red streaks and purple streaks. I would never dye my hair blond unless it was to then add another colour over the top. I actually really love being a brunette. When the grey hairs start to get too much I will dye my hair more then!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Has someone ever spread a nasty rumour about you? </span></span></b></span></div>
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Yes. Certain people get a kick out of inflicting suffering on others this way. Its a form of bullying as far as I am concerned and it is very wrong.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Would you go against your moral code for money?</b></span></div>
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No. Its only when we are truly up against it that our morals are truly tested. Having morals when everything is fine is meaningless really. Its how you react when things go wrong. How do your morals stand up then?</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Have you ever been diagnosed with depression?</b></span></div>
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No. But a lot of my closest friends have depression. I am grateful that I do not have to suffer like they do, but wish everyday that I could do something to take away their suffering.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Have you ever contemplated suicide?</b></span></div>
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Not really. I do have regular thoughts about my death and dying though. Usually when I am feeling down and low. I am terrified of death and dying and leaving those behind who I care about and not getting to do everything I want to do in life. But I do sometimes wonder who would care if I wasn't here and would certain people prefer it. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>How long was your longest relationship? </b></span></div>
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About 6 months! How embarrassing is that!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Is the glass half empty or half full? </b></span></div>
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In terms of am I a positive person or a negative person, I tend to be a positive glass is half full kind of person. However when I am feeling down I then become a very negative glass is half empty person! However from a scientific point of view I do have a very good friend who will tell you the glass is always full with something, just maybe not liquid!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">What is your favourite thing about your body and your personality?</span></span></b><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" />Erm... body wise I do really like my hair. I do spend a lot of time on it. I also like my wrists as they are quite thin and girly! My hands are not too bad either. The rest of me, not very happy with. My favourite thing???? I suppose my height! Personality wise, I love my sense of humour and the fact that I don't judge people. I am normally more interested in finding out about them than judging them. I am also a very loyal person which I think is a good thing.<br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /></span><div class="western" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Are you a bad person?</b> </span></div>
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No. I think I am a good person. I try to live my life as well as I can. I try to treat others like I would like to be treated, and to respect people even if I don't like them! I don't break the law and I don't cheat. I am very open minded. I am hard working and I take pride in everything I do. If something is worth doing then you should do it to the best of your abilities. I don't think this attitude is bad, and I do think it makes me a good person. </div>
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Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-55779026150359602252013-03-02T16:50:00.000-08:002013-03-02T16:50:43.442-08:00If I Won the Lottery.........As regular readers will know I am currently unemployed and desperately looking for work. As a result of being unemployed I am very skint and totally fed up of having no money. I really don't understand the ridiculous arguments certain small minded people come out with that people who are unemployed like being unemployed. Apparently its easy and they get enough money to live on and have brand new HD Flat Screen TVs, latest phones, and tablets, brand new cars, lots of holidays, designer clothes etc etc. Well I would like to know how, as that is most certainly not my experience. In my experience there is barely enough money to cover my various repayment plans/debts and put petrol in my car. I could not afford to live on my own and I am very grateful to my Dad for giving me a place to stay. I would be homeless otherwise. Being unemployed is not fun or easy. Its hell. Why would anyone choose to be unemployed and claiming benefits??<br />
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Part of my experience of being unemployed is having a very long list of things I would like to do or things I would like to buy but cannot even begin to afford. Money becomes extremely important and the "not having any money" often becomes all consuming and worrying. I know they say that money cannot buy you happiness, but I beg to differ. At the very least it can make being miserable more bearable! I believe money cannot buy you Love or Friendship, but I do think it can help make you happy or can help you to achieve happiness on your own. Not having to worry about paying bills and whether you can afford to buy food shopping this week would relieve a lot of stress and by result allow you to be happier or find space in your life to do things that make you happy. Having money would reduce worry, well financial worries at least. Money can give you stability - worrying about being able to pay your rent and how long you can keep a roof over your head does not allow you to settle and sleep well at nights. Money can also fuel hobbies, interests and days out that you enjoy and make you happy. Being able to afford to get your car fixed when it breaks down, or replace it when its revved its last without having to get into debt or borrow money is a relief. There are so many things that having money could make easier, and reduce stress which in turn can make your life easier and happier.<br />
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Some people would like to say this outlook makes me very materialistic. I disagree and actually I think this is very insulting and in my view misses the point of materialism. Firstly we as a culture are drawn to things because of their material value; televisions, radios, mobile phones, tablets, dvds, books, jewellery, cars etc etc. For a lot of people, having these things makes them happy or feel good. So what is wrong with that? We are all expected to work in our adult lives and if as a result of that work we aspire to buy ourselves nice things that we want, what is the problem with that? Why shouldn't we take pride in our possessions? If we have had to wait for them or work hard for them, they become all the more precious. They are a reward and if they make us happy why should that make us materialistic? Really its not materialistic at all.<br />
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However, I do believe true materialism is when people only want something because of its financial value or status value. Then I agree that's wrong. Owning an item so you can tell people how much it cost and not because you actually like it or want it, is wrong. It cannot bring you real happiness. Wanting something because you think people will admire you for it or envy you or to get one over someone else is wrong. This reveals serious problems with your character and your personal life. It will never bring you happiness. In my mind this is being materialistic. But having things that genuinely make you happy and give you joy for your own sake and nobody else's is not materialistic. I am one of these people.<br />
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While I wait for that job offer and my list of wishes and desires grows longer, I do like to play a little "in a perfect world" game called "If I won the Lottery..." Of course this means a jackpot win of 6 numbers not a 3 number £10 win. I thought I would share my lottery win plans with you. I would love to have these things in my life one day but I am not entirely sure even a well paid job would deliver all of them, so a lottery win is a must!<br />
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If I won the lottery .. . . . . . . . . .. .<br />
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1. I would buy myself a house. I would buy it outright so it was totally mine. I wouldn't owe anyone money for it so nobody could take it away from me. It would be security. It would in fact be the first time in my life I would have security like that. Even if I didn't have a job, it would be mine. I would haven't to worry about paying rent or losing the roof over my head. I might not be able to afford to heat it or have electricity but at least I would have a home!<br />
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2. I would like to decorate my new house to my tastes. Obviously connected to No1. I love interior design and the idea of choosing colour schemes, furniture, kitchens, bathrooms, and objects for the house like towels, bedding, rugs, cushions etc etc sounds like so much fun and something I would really enjoy. I love going to places like Dunelm Mill and other household stores. To be able to buy stuff would be so much better than window shopping!!<br />
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3. I would like this house to be detached so I wouldn't have to worry ever again about abusive neighbours with adjoining walls, but I would still like to be within in a street with other houses. I wouldn't like it to be in the middle of nowhere. In this house I would like to have at least 4 bedrooms; my bedroom, guest room and then one room for a library/study/office and one room for a craft room. That would be so fantastic!<br />
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4. I would like to go on a huge spending spree to kit out my craft room! Decoupage sheets, all the beautiful papers, cards and paper stacks I have been lusting after, embellishments, and of course practical things like foam pads, tapes etc. I would also like to get some new tools like die cutting machines and embossing tools. Ooo! I would also love to get into stamping and get a whole set of Spectrum Noir Pens and ProMarkers!! And inks! And glitters. And quilling papers. Ooooo! It would be so much fun buying this stuff, then setting it all up in the craft room and then spending hours and hours making beautiful things!! Would be so relaxing!!<br />
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5. I would buy some new art materials so I could also get back into painting and drawing as this use to make me happy and made me relax.<br />
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6. I would like to buy all the books on my Amazon Wish list and any future books I want. As I would have a library I wouldn't have to worry about where to put them either. Then I could just sit and get lost in books! Heaven.<br />
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7. I would like to be able to buy DVDS and CDs when I want them instead of waiting for Birthday's, Christmas or when they come down to £3!<br />
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8. I would like to have the money to replace my beloved car when it finally gives up the ghost. (Hopefully not for a while). I wouldn't want a flash car, I would just like a new Peugeot 207 or even better the new Peugeout 208 in Diablo Red. Core!<br />
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9. I would like to be able to buy my Dad a permanent home so he didn't have to worry about where he is going to live in his retirement because he won't be able to afford the rent. He also wouldn't have to worry about rent now. I would also like to help clear his debts so he didn't have money worries and could afford to have the operation on his other knee.<br />
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10. I would like to pay off my debts.<br />
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11. I would like to give my Mum her independence so she wasn't reliant on a man for the first time in her life. I hope this would give her the chance to finally be her own person and not influenced by others and hopefully find happiness and enjoy the rest of her retirement. I would also like to make sure she had the best medical care possible. If that's from the NHS then brilliant but if she needed to pay for treatment I would like to help with that.<br />
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12. I would like to get myself a Westie puppy and call it Taz. I might also get a Scottie pup and call it Mac but not entirely sure on that. Definitely a Westie though. I would have the money to pay for any vet bills and buy all the things the Westie needs to have a happy healthy fulfilled life.<br />
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13. I would like to help my friends. If I won the lottery I would like to sponsor my friend's daughter to follow her gymnastic dreams. I would also like to buy my friend the craft stuff she wants and to help her out so she doesn't have to worry about debts/money and things. I would also like to help my other friend to achieve her dream of going back to uni or college.<br />
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14. I would like to go on and do a PhD after my Masters. If I won the lottery I could afford to pay the fees and cover all the costs. I might not necessarily be capable of doing the work but at least I could fund it if I chose to give it a go.<br />
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15.I would like to set up my own business, ideally with my best friend. A lottery win would give us something to invest and pay for us to get started.<br />
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16. I would like to visit all the museums and places of interest on my To Do List. I would like to go on a tour of WW1 battlefields (Europe). I would like to visit various places around the UK. I would like to go and see loads of musicals and ballets. I would like to afford to go to concerts. I would like to treat my Mum to a long weekend in London to catch a show, see the sites etc. I would also like to go on a family history holiday with my Mum to help her track down the rest of the story about her father.<br />
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The list seems quite long, but its only 16 things and they are not that bigger things to want. There are no £50,000+ cars, no expensive foreign holidays, no around the world cruises, no designer clothes, no mansions. I just want my own home, money to pay for my hobbies, to help my family and friends, to get a pet and to further my academic career if I choose to. I also want money to try setting up a business, to clear my debts, to do things and visit places and to afford to treat myself to a CD, Book or DVD when I want to.<br />
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Obviously money cannot cure cancer or other serious illness and it cannot cure disabilities. It cannot make a nasty person, a good person and it cannot stop crime sadly. It cannot sort out my eating problems or make me magically lose weight. It cannot give us a decent government who actually know how to run a country in the best interest of ALL the residents of that country, and it cannot stop discrimination. Its true it cannot stop the bad stuff, but it can help make the bad stuff more bearable and give us things to look forward to when the bad stuff is over.<br />
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Now, what six numbers should I choose this week................Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-61225305866452809792013-02-19T17:10:00.000-08:002013-02-19T17:10:00.114-08:00My Dougal Dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cJatle5fMABS4CEGv5ZzJIts7ljDh0vyT_gmoJTYJcIl7hUmFj7N_iK6UCyUBFAhqnXFQvuCBacVSg62OBL4eRhM7lZIOrC3c4Ccvj_OB3PSrqMrWE4ja4lVHqYSDE-kOS3eKz1l7EI/s1600/Dougal+on+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cJatle5fMABS4CEGv5ZzJIts7ljDh0vyT_gmoJTYJcIl7hUmFj7N_iK6UCyUBFAhqnXFQvuCBacVSg62OBL4eRhM7lZIOrC3c4Ccvj_OB3PSrqMrWE4ja4lVHqYSDE-kOS3eKz1l7EI/s320/Dougal+on+bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is a photo of my lovely Dougal Dog. He was a West Highland Terrier or "Westie". He is about 12 in this photo. Quite old in dog years but he was still very much like a puppy. In fact it was only when he got really sick that he stopped acting like a pup!<br />
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Four years ago today we lost him. He was 14. He had got a tumour on one of his toes the year before which had been successfully amputated and we hoped all was well. However he started to get sick again and after some tests it was discovered he had loads of cancerous tumours on his spine. Treatment was looked into but there was no guarantees, and the vet felt considering his age the chemo could do more harm and would definitely make him suffer. So we decided to let fate decide. Instead he was given painkillers so he wouldn't suffer and continued to have a good quality of life without regular visits to the vets and being pulled about and operated on. When he started to show signs of deterioration we made sure we kept a close eye on him, and a few weeks later things escalated and we knew however hard it would be, it was time to say goodbye. It was a horrendous day and I still cannot think about it without getting very upset.<br />
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So today instead of remembering that horrible day 4 years ago, I will remember the 14 wonderful years that he was in our lives.<br />
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I can still remember the excitement of when he arrived. Mum hadn't told me we were getting a puppy. Our dog Pepe (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) was getting a bit old and grumpy but there had been no mention of a puppy. A few days earlier my Mum and I had been to our local pet shop and the owner had four Westie Puppies that he was trying to find homes for. We had been allowed to see them, and I fell in love with the only male puppy. Luckily so did my Mum! A few days later her and Ron had to go to the bank (opposite the pet shop!). When they arrived back I had the strangest feeling something was up and had a passing thought that they had got a puppy. Stupid idea! She called me to come downstairs, and as I did she was walking through the front door with a blanket in her arms with a little cute face with huge ears, peeking out of it! She looked at me with a smile on her face and said "Say hello to Dougal!". That was the name I said I wanted to call him!!! Dougal had become part of our family!<br />
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He and I didn't get on instantly. I loved him totally but I felt sorry for our old dog Pepe as I didn't want her to feel left out. She had been a loyal loving dog, and it wasn't her fault she was getting a bit moody in her old age. Dougal got a lot of attention because he was the new puppy, and poor Pepe would get ignored so I made sure I made an extra fuss of her to make up for it. He also liked trying to hang off her long ears and wanted to play. Pepe didn't really play any more and really didn't appreciate a nipping energetic puppy, so she got quite good at smacking him on the head with her paw when he got out of hand!<br />
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However I couldn't resist the bundle of fun, cuteness and cheeky little so and so that was Dougal. He made me laugh and he was very loving. He was my friend. When things were bad at home he was always there. When I was alone in my room crying and upset he would creep up stairs and into my room where he would leap on my bed and not give up until I was cuddling him. Pepe use to do the same thing. I always made sure they were never caught, I wouldn't have let Ron hurt them, he was so cruel at times to the dogs. He claimed it was discipline and "Dog and Master" but I just thought he was a bully like he was with everyone else. Mum would often scream at him to leave them alone and that he was too heavy handed. Still makes my flesh crawl thinking about it. He did get better and did learn to be more gentle with them eventually.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoL2_q1LgzxLKQJeYz7Ihi1GEJSolNDgy3hfxBwG_76fXrDFwHSntVq3YkwHatEQ1bjEkousmVi21PgZMifmXjdcUbGDP-YEjHUMQ5HVJhScLaznMToZCwwgH7hz19lMlRYJBvVBqoEtE/s1600/Dougal+on+chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoL2_q1LgzxLKQJeYz7Ihi1GEJSolNDgy3hfxBwG_76fXrDFwHSntVq3YkwHatEQ1bjEkousmVi21PgZMifmXjdcUbGDP-YEjHUMQ5HVJhScLaznMToZCwwgH7hz19lMlRYJBvVBqoEtE/s320/Dougal+on+chair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dougal and I had a connection. I know people who read this who have never loved/owned a dog will think thats ridiculous but its true. He was always there when I needed him. When I came home from school he was there to greet me. I would let him out, spend time playing with him and feed him. Then he would follow me round while I did all the chores and jobs I was expected to do before anyone got home. He would then sit upstairs with me while I started my homework, with one ear listening for the car in the driveway to fly downstairs and pretend he had been down there all along!<br />
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He witnessed how bad things were, and I am sure when I looked at him he understood. He gave me what he could which was love and loyalty and in returned I loved him back, looked after him and tried to protect him as best I could. I miss him so very much, and really wish he was still here to comfort me when I am sad and to make me laugh with his cheekiness. He was lovely to cuddle and made me laugh a lot.<br />
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My friend got a new puppy last year called Yoda. He isn't a Westie, he is a long haired chihuahua, but there is something about him that reminds me so much of Dougal. Maybe its because he is a cheeky little so and so himself and makes me laugh, or maybe because he knows when I am sad and insists on giving me cuddles. Whatever it is I do sometimes find myself going to call him Dougal Boy and have to quickly change it to Yoda Boy! Really hope Dougal doesn't mind and realises I still love him to bits.<br />
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My Dougal Dog. My gorgeous boy.<br />
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If I was ever in a position to have a dog again, it would definitely be a Westie. At the moment I live in a flat with my dad and I am unemployed and a student. It would be very irresponsible to have a dog at the moment not to mention Dad wouldn't allow it in his flat. I would love to have a dog but I guess I will just have to wait. No matter what though, I will never forget my lovely Dougal Dog. Miss you Dougal!!<br />
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P.s: have just noticed my Daily Puppy for today is Pluto the West Highland Terrier! There has got to be something in that!<br />
<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-23303619788430555832013-01-09T16:23:00.000-08:002013-01-09T16:23:21.458-08:00I made it through the wilderness.....!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well I think I have finally done it. Hopefully I think I have found the light at the end of the tunnel. Or if not the light, the cats eyes on the path that leads to the light at the end of the tunnel!<br />
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The last few weeks and months have been very tough. I have had a lot of personal and family stuff going on that I have been juggling as well as the ongoing dissertation. For the last few weeks in particular I have been finding the writing of my dissertation very difficult. The main reason was because I had hit a wall, and got completely lost with what I was writing.<br />
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I can only describe it as similar to being trapped in quick sand and the more you struggle, fight and try to get out the quicker you sink and the worse your situation gets. The more I tried to write the more I got lost and overwhelmed with theory and writers block. I got more and more confused. Then the self-doubt started to arrive, and the "I can't do this" and the "I am so going to fail" and finally came avoidance. It was awful and I felt as miserable as hell. I wanted to enjoy doing my study, and this was not enjoyable! Then I decided to do something about it and fight back. However this was easier said than done. I couldn't figure out what to do to put it right, to get back on track. I found myself in a sort of dissertation wilderness.<br />
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I spent days going through my notes, re-reading chapters and even a bit of brainstorming. Nothing was making any sense or showed any sign of being a way forward. Then I asked for some support and help from my lovely friend Liz. She was on my MA course and had had to have an extension for her dissertation too due to health and personal problems so she could totally relate. She is also an absolute genius with cultural memory theory so I thought and hoped she would be able to help straighten out my confused brain! As I had been there for her while she was doing hers, she didn't hesitate to help me and was really supportive. We had a great chat and she gave me a few suggestions and helped me unravel some of my thoughts about what I was writing and where it could be taken. She even talked through a few examples of structure and content. I felt so much more positive after talking to her. I am very grateful to her.<br />
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However, despite this positive chat I still didn't have a way forward. I had a much stronger idea on what to do when I got there, but it was still a bit of a grey area on how to get there! While I continued to wander this metaphorical wilderness, I remembered we had been advised to keep a dissertation diary to record every stage of the process, thoughts, decisions, tutorials etc. I decided to have a read through mine as I had kept it going and regularly wrote in, but hardly ever looked back on previous entries. This was a crucial turning point. As I had filled it in regularly, made notes immediately after tutorials, comments on chapters I had read etc, it was actually incredibly useful. I was reminded of a lot of decisions I had made and why, as well as reminding myself on where I wanted to take my dissertation. I even had a chapter plan! Very soon I realised what I had to do.<br />
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Sometimes when your so involved and entrenched in something you can't see where you are going, and that's what happened to me. I realised through reading the diary that in order to move forward I had to take a step back. I had to go back to basics and remind myself of all the foundation stuff that I do know but couldn't recall. Very quickly I had a plan of action. Despite being up against it time wise I knew I needed to take a few days to retrace my steps. So I am returning to the key texts. I am setting out the two different theories that I am looking at, going back over collective memory, sites of memory, agents of memory etc etc. Then when I have reminded myself of these foundations I can then build the complex stuff on top. This will stop me from being confused and from losing my way. In fact its such an obvious solution I don't know why I didn't see it before! I now have a plan of action, a way forward and more importantly a good idea on how I am going to do it. Hopefully I will be able to bring you a more positive progress update soon.<br />
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For now I have made it through the wilderness, somehow I made it through.........!<br />
<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-34104435207033684232013-01-06T05:37:00.000-08:002013-01-06T05:37:11.570-08:0030 Years of CITV!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cMV6zxWc-ukFVb9xySvQ5bGye4ZpB0pjZo-6mKCNK1BEsUjT_Q17BmnT7IBGl58fl_HlNbJy3IptfwJxgKmYHhY6w5suGzSh9wLGYR-ELIIBiuQ0-VP58EuXY8fINMFD5ltTKDl0VHQ/s1600/danger-mouse-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cMV6zxWc-ukFVb9xySvQ5bGye4ZpB0pjZo-6mKCNK1BEsUjT_Q17BmnT7IBGl58fl_HlNbJy3IptfwJxgKmYHhY6w5suGzSh9wLGYR-ELIIBiuQ0-VP58EuXY8fINMFD5ltTKDl0VHQ/s320/danger-mouse-posters.jpg" width="228" /></a>On the 3rd January 1983 CITV hit British television screens for the first time hosted by Matthew Kelly in a strange spaceship set. This means this week it is celebrating 30 years! To mark the occasion this weekend Freeview channel CITV have been hosting an Old Skool Weekend where they have screened a variety of classic children's shows from the last 30 years. These have included Dangermouse, Count Duckula, Button Moon, Funhouse, Knightmare, Press Gang, Children's Ward, Woof, Puddle Lane, How 2, The Tomorrow People and Fraggle Rock! I have been watching quite a lot of these, and have loved reliving my childhood and childhood memories.<br />
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It did make me feel slightly old and some of the shows like Woof! and Press Gang looked so dated. It really demonstrates how the quality of filming has improved, as well as reminding how quickly fashion dates!<br />
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The cartoons however still seemed to have their charm, and it was lovely to see hand drawn cartoons again instead of the computer generated digital cartoons children get shown today. Don't get me wrong I think some of the modern cartoons are very good and well done, but there is just something beautiful about the hand drawn cartoons of my childhood. As I was watching them I also noticed a lot of double-entendre in the humour which I had never noticed as a child. I do wonder if its just my now adult brain taking phrases and comments the wrong way, or whether the cartoonist and writers really did mean these shows to have moments which adults would find amusing too? There are also a lot of details especially in the backgrounds of Dangermouse which would surely be lost on a child but yet appreciated by the parents who were watching with their kids. I would even go as far as to say some of these programmes are wasted on kids! Tee hee!<br />
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Those of you who know me well, will remember I did my undergraduate dissertation on old children's television programmes, looking in particular at nostalgia and childhood. I chose The Clangers, Bagpuss, Rainbow and Dangermouse as my four examples to look at and to apply the various theories to. It was very enjoyable getting to watch these old shows and some of the theories were quite fascinating. However I do still feel it was a bit light for a dissertation topic, yet then again as I went on to work in museums with social history and popular culture as my specialist areas, not to mention working in a toy museum and then at another museum producing a childhood and toys exhibition, my dissertation did prove helpful! What did come through loud and clear when I was doing this study was the level of sentiment and importance adults still put on their childhood and programmes they watched, whatever generation they were and however good or bad their childhoods had actually been. They even still remembered the theme tunes word for word. But then again I surprised myself with how many I knew and could remember this weekend! There are some you just never forget like "He's the greatest, He's Fantastic, Wherever there is danger he'll be there"... or "Up above the streets and houses, Rainbow climbing high" and "In the heart of Transylvan-ia, In the Vampire Hall of Fame-yeah, There's not a vampire zanier than, Duckula!". It's amazing how much love we have for these sort of things!<br />
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I had lots of television shows that I liked as a child and quite a few of them have been on this weekend. My absolute favourites were Dangermouse, Count Duckula and Fraggle Rock. I also had a thing for Raggy Dolls and I can remember really enjoying The Tomorrow People but that could be because I had a crush on Kristian Schmid (Todd from Neighbours) who starred in it! I also remember enjoying others such as Postman Pat, Paddington and embarrassingly My Little Pony and Carebears!! Oh dear! Although my childhood was not always the happiest or easiest, and school life which I enjoyed and excelled at was also punctuated with bullying, I can still look back on certain things in my childhood with love and sentiment. These programmes are one of those things.<br />
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This weekend has been very enjoyable reliving my childhood. I also found myself remembering some of the innocence and naivety that I had as a child, and the thoughts I use to have when watching some of these shows. The way I use to look at the world or understand what was going on around me is so totally different to now. I look back on that time now with adult understanding, as well as the benefit of hindsight (as I am sure everyone does), and its easy to forget that you didn't always see things the same. The hopes I had for the future seem so childish now and so naive! I really didn't have a clue! I also remember thinking my life would be so together by the time I was 30. I envisaged I would be married, with children of my own, in my own home with a job I enjoyed. How was I to know that by the time I was 30 I wouldn't have achieved any of this! Plus 30 seemed so old! But I am not going to get bogged down in the things that didn't work out as my childhood-self expected. Instead I am going to enjoy the rest of the 30 years celebrations and the television programmes I loved as a child! Happy 30th Birthday CITV!<br />
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Better be off, Fraggle Rock starts soon!<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-84114004229595823022013-01-03T14:26:00.002-08:002013-01-03T14:30:14.903-08:00Hot Cross Buns in January!!Today I went food shopping at our new local (sort of) Morrisons. Nothing special there, as we have been a few times now and its very nice. However I was a little bit surprised when in the Bakery section I found Hot Cross Buns! Now despite appearances I am not a cake eater. However Hot Cross Buns without disgusting Peel are a different story completely. I love them. In fact I have been know to make myself sick of them by Easter! Tee hee! So you can imagine when I found them I was pretty excited as they looked really nice. It was only as I was putting them in my trolley that my brain reminded me it was the 3rd. Of JANUARY!! We still have a few foods things left over from Christmas to be eaten up yet Hot Cross Buns are on sale! I couldn't believe it!<br />
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Now I know that supermarkets have to order their stock in advance and plan when various seasonal decorations and posters are going to be put up in their stores. I also appreciate that now Christmas and New Year is over they need to refill their seasonal sections with something. However Easter stuff..... in January! Tesco were even worst as Easter chocolates started to appear on their shelves the day after Boxing Day! The worst offender though was a non-food store who during the week BEFORE Christmas were taking down all their Christmas stuff to put up their "barbecue and gardening" stuff! Hello! Did I miss something? Okay some people will soon be thinking about their gardens and putting in bulbs etc, but barbecues? Patio furniture? Picnic sets? Who thinks about this stuff at Christmas? Hell, in Britain we will be lucky if we need to start thinking about this stuff in May and June!<br />
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I accept supermarkets need to get stock in and on the shelves in advance of when they are needed. It would be impossible to have everyone descend on the shop on the same day of the year to get the same items. Plus in these skint times people might need to spread the cost over a few weeks. Christmas is an example of this. However what is the point of having these items on sale months in advance, if they have use by dates which run out long before the event itself? Clearly they are expecting everyone to buy the stuff months in advance, eat the lot and have to buy more. Perhaps even using "its goes off soon" as an excuse! This makes it nothing more than a marketing scam. They know we are going to buy the stuff, eat it and need to buy more. Its terrible! As a result, I refuse to buy stuff like this out of season. Easter Eggs (if I am buying them for anyone) are bought perhaps a week maybe two maximum in advance. Christmas we don't start buying stuff until after my Dad's birthday in early December. Fireworks we don't buy any more as we don't have a garden and local displays are far superior, likewise the lack of garden makes barbecues and patio furniture unnecessary (although I suppose we could have a couple of chairs on our new balcony with some flowers in pots) and Halloween is not really something we celebrate.<br />
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Aside from the obvious consumerism irritation, I also feel its sad as it makes the year go so quickly. We are all looking forward to Christmas, and then while we are still eating our way through selection boxes, tins of Quality Street and endless boxes of Mince Pies and enjoying images of reindeer penguins and snowmen, BANG its all fluffy chicks, bunny rabbits and Easter Eggs! Even in the summer, I feel dreadfully sorry for school kids in Britain as within days of them breaking up for summer holidays there are Back to School stuff in the shops! New uniforms, pencil cases, folders, school shoes, lunch boxes, etc. Poor kids have only just got use to not going to school on a weekday! Let them have some holiday for flips sake, before you start reminding them they have to go back to school! Then as soon as the kids have gone back to school and sometimes even before that during the August Bank Holiday what do we see fighting for space on the seasonal shelves with the last of the barbecues, picnic sets and new pencil cases? Christmas Cards and wrapping paper! Aaaarrrggghhhh!<br />
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Why do we have to have these things so early? Please Mr Tesco, Mrs Morrison, Ms Asda, Mr Sainsburys, Madam Waitrose and all the other supermarkets, can we please be left to enjoy the last days of summer without being reminded that Christmas is on it way? Can we please enjoy the gluttony of Christmas and hang overs of New Year before you blind us with fluffy bright yellow things for Easter? Can we wait until we have some actual "sunshine" and no frost on our car windows before you start tempting us with barbecues and picnic sets? (Although some years that would mean we would never see any barbecue stuff! LOL!). Can the kids actually get some sun on their faces, wear flip flops and shorts and go swimming for a few days before you make them start worrying if they have outgrown their school uniforms or need a new pencil case? Is that possible? Let us enjoy the time of year it is, without worrying about what's coming up in three months time?<br />
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I still bought the hot cross buns though!Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-78562022408256425802013-01-02T06:42:00.001-08:002013-01-02T06:42:53.736-08:00I wonder what 2013 will bring.........!Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and an even better New Years Eve!! Hopefully you will have all recovered from your exploits by now and settling back into the "normal" routine. I celebrated New Year with my friend http://sutleress.blogspot.co.uk/ and many other lovely friends including http://curiositything.blogspot.co.uk/ and http://seamstress-waffle.blogspot.co.uk/. It was a great evening and a nice way to see out the old year and welcome in the new.<br />
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As is tradition at this time of year people start talking about New Years resolutions and what they are going to attempt to do, or usually give up! The big ones are usually quitting smoking, losing weight and cutting back on alcohol (especially after the indulgences of Christmas and New Year!). Another tradition for this time of year is breaking your resolutions, sometime within hours of making them! I have already met someone who vowed to give up drinking and detox, only to be tucking into a bottle of wine over dinner less than 24 hours later! Bless!<br />
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I don't generally make resolutions. I find them pointless and they are never treated seriously and are often made up on a whim, usually when you are put on the spot by someone asking you what your New Years resolution is going to be! However this is not to say I don't see New Year as an opportunity for a fresh start, new beginnings, clean slate, etc. In fact I think one of the best things about January is that is does feel like a fresh start (lets face it, January has nothing else going for it. The weather is rubbish, everyone is skint and everything seems dull after the colour of Christmas). So instead of making resolutions, I like to set myself aims for 2013. These are specific things I want to achieve. Not empty wishes on a superstition hoping that someone else is going to do all the work and you magically get what you want, but real targets that I want to work towards. Obviously some things do have an element of luck, such as finding a job; you can do the best application and best interview, but its luck as to whether you get the job or not.<br />
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So my aims for 2013 are:<br />
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1. Find paid employment in something I enjoy doing (museums, research, craft, First World War Centenary etc).<br />
2. Continue to fight my eating disorder and make some positive moves forward.<br />
3. Improve my health, and ideally as a direct result lose some weight.<br />
4. Finish my MA dissertation and therefore complete my Masters!<br />
5. Make more time to do things I enjoy and find relaxing such as reading, craft and writing.<br />
6. Improve my sleeping habits. More sleep is urgently needed and a better routine would help matters greatly.<br />
7. Continue ticking more things off my to do list (Museums, galleries, places, shows, etc).<br />
8. Find out what things make me happy and do more of them, while moving away from the stuff and people who make me unhappy.<br />
9. Spend more time with people who genuinely like me and care about me who want to spend time with me and less time spent on people who are selfish, self-serving and two faced. I don't want to be the "useful" or "convenient" friend any more. I believe when you care about someone it works both ways. You don't "use" people.<br />
10. Be myself and be comfortable with who I am. If someone doesn't like it, tough!<br />
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So thats 10 aims for 2013. Lets see how I get on. I wonder what 2013 will bring................<br />
<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-54346324118365575462012-12-24T17:17:00.001-08:002012-12-24T17:17:28.812-08:00Blenheim Palace - 9th Dec 2012Firstly apologises for being very slack on the blogging front over the last two months. Hopefully I will be able to catch you up on what has been going on!<br />
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On the 9th December I was given an early Christmas present; a day out at Blenheim Palace! My Dad had visited the Palace in the summer when he was on holiday up in Oxford and knew it was somewhere I would love to go. So when he found out they were doing a special Christmas decoration exhibition/festival, we had to go! The only slight problem is Blenheim Palace is a very long way from the South Coast so it meant a very early start and a very long day in order to make the most of it!<br />
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The weather leading up to the 9th had been terrible. Very windy, cold and wet. However on the Sunday we went to Blenheim Palace we were blessed with dry, winter sunshine weather. There was a short down pour of rain during the day, but immediately after the sun came out and gave us a beautiful rainbow over the Palace.<br />
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It was a fascinating place to visit. The history of the Spencer-Churchill families was really interesting and ranged across some very important periods of British history. It was also of course the birth place and childhood home of Winston Churchill. They currently have an exhibition about Churchill at the Palace which I have to confess I spent rather a long time looking at! It was so interesting and included lots of letters written by Winston from a young child, through to his life in the armed forces and even serving in the trenches during World War One (something I had not known!). There were also letters between him and his wife, as well as examples of the many books he wrote. It really was a brilliant exhibition and explained a lot about the man he became and the achievements he made. </div>
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The Christmas decorations were also quite impressive. To carry on the festive feel there were also a brass band playing Christmas songs in the library and they were joined in the late afternoon by a local school choir. Very festive. </div>
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Upstairs was a new audio visual tour, complete with moving dummies and time operated doors, that only opened when it was time for your part of the tour to go through. There were about 7 rooms to go through and they charted the history of the Palace from the first Duke being caught having an affair with the King's mistress Barbara Villiers, to the different eras at the Palace. The tour was led by the ghost of the first Duchesses lady's maid, who worked her way through the different time periods, using her own ignorance of the new technologies and changes to the Palace to ask the questions which allowed the other "characters" to tell their stories and explain how they fit into the history of the Palace. I don't usually like this sort of gimmicky history. It often feels like they are making an exhibition out of nothing and is more like a theme park that a heritage site. However I absolutely loved it! I thought it was really well done, and the idea of a ghost leading you through the history of the Palace was a very interesting concept which played well and captured the imagination. The dummies that moved were also very good, especially as a lot of them were looking into mirrors, you saw the back of the dummy moving, yet in the reflection you saw the human face of the actor playing that character. Very well done. Even tiny movements when the dummy wasn't talking which made it looked like it was breathing or shifting slightly where it stood were just brilliant touches. Really really really enjoyed this tour. Very informative and very enjoyable. </div>
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It was a very enjoyable day and I would love to visit Blenheim Palace again in the future. It was really interesting and the Palace itself is stunning. I would highly recommend a visit to everyone! Its your national heritage. So it should be law that everyone must visit Blenheim Palace at least once in their life! </div>
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-46529152591314148992012-11-10T15:48:00.002-08:002012-11-10T15:48:27.823-08:00For the Fallen <br />
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With proud thanksgiving; a mother for her
children,<br />
England mourns for her dead across the sea.<br />
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,<br />
Fallen in the cause of the free.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and
royal<br />
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,<br />
There is music in the midst of desolation<br />
And a glory that shines upon our tears.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They went with songs to the battle, they
were young,<br />
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.<br />
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;<br />
They fell with their faces to the foe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>They shall grow not old, as we that are
left grow old:<br />
Age shall now not weary them, nor the years condemn.<br />
At the going down of the sun and in the morning<br />
We will remember them.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They mingle not with their laughing
comrades again;<br />
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;<br />
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;<br />
They sleep beyond England’s foam.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But where our desires are and our hopes
profound,<br />
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,<br />
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known<br />
As the stars are known to the Night;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2837; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the stars that shall be bright when we
are dust,<br />
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;<br />
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,<br />
To the end, to the end, they remain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Laurence Binyon </span></div>
Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-25916421197633061052012-10-16T04:57:00.001-07:002012-10-16T05:00:15.986-07:00Another way of taking away benefits!Today I had the joy of going to my local Jobcentre to sign on. I hate signing on. Although some of the people who work there are very friendly, the system they have to work within creates an atmosphere that says your nothing. Your a waster. You are untrustworthy. Its bad enough that you have to jump through so many hoops just to get your pittance of JSA from them each fortnight, but now our useless Government or someone high up in charge of benefits has come up with a new way of penalising unemployed people.<br />
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As of next week the way you record your fortnightly job search is going to come under scrutiny and if you don't use the approved wording they will sanction your benefit for not doing your jobsearch correctly! By this they mean stop giving you your benefit because you are apparently not complying with the rules!! The JSA agreement states that you must provide evidence of your jobsearch every time you sign on. Now under this new ruling they can stop your benefit for up to 156 weeks (3 years!) if you do not use the correct wording on your jobsearch form. This is absolutely ridiculous! Here is an example: You can no longer state that you have looked on the internet and found no vacancies. You now have to say "checked but no vacancies". WHAT!!! I am sorry but even someone with a basic grasp of the English language can see this means the same thing. Yet if you put no vacancies you get sanctioned. If you write checked but no vacancies your fine! This ludicrous new ruling is being rolled out across the country at Jobcentres, each person being given two double side sheets of writing explaining these new rules. What a useful way to spend time and money!<br />
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According to these explanations if you don't use the correct wording this means your not doing your jobsearch correctly. Interestingly the examples they give do not show a single entry where no vacancies were found. So what do you put under the "what I will do next" column if there are no vacancies? Apparently saying you will keep looking or look again next week is now unacceptable. Excuse me???? Which idiot came up with this new rule! The explanation also states "repeatedly checking websites/papers that do not have vacancies cannot count as sufficient evidence for looking for work". Huh? So if we check a website one week and there are no suitable vacancies we shouldn't then check it the following week or the week after encase new vacancies have come up?? There is a flipping recession on, so there can be many weeks without any suitable jobs and then all of a sudden one week there will be one. If your not suppose to keep checking you would miss this job opportunity! Surely that would be bad job search! To add insult to injury, one of the websites you have to check regularly is the jobcentres job site. Its a mandatory requirement. However in the last 18 months there has not been a single suitable job for me. Under this new rule I should therefore stop checking it, however if I don't check it I am not abiding by the JSA agreement and my benefit could be sanctioned!!!!! What a contradiction!! Clearly this new rule and the explanation was written by a total idiot who has no idea of the reality of being unemployed in 2012!<br />
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In addition if you are told about a vacancy by your advisor but choose not to apply for it, you will now get sanctioned. If you refuse to attend yet another money wasting, pointless back to work course you will be penalised. If you leave a job or get sacked you are now penalised. If you are offered a job but do not take it and the Jobcentre decide this was a sufficient job offer you will be sanctioned. So basically if you exercise any of your rights to choose where you work, how much you earn, which jobs you apply for and how you lead your life you will lose your benefits. This is disgusting. It places far too much power in the hands of the Jobcentre and could potential force innocent people out of benefits and deeper into debt and poverty. How is this not treating unemployed people with disrespect? How is this not penalising people for being unemployed? From the information I was given today it just looks like a convenient loop hole for our poor excuse of a Government to reduce the benefits bill or the unemployment statistics by refusing to pay out money to people because they have worded their jobsearch evidence differently or do not wish to work in a job that they can't do!<br />
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I appreciate the welfare bill has grown astronomically in the last few years. However what did the Government expect would happen when they caused thousands of people to lose their jobs and didn't have the common sense to realise they needed to provide alternative employment for these people! They lose their jobs, and cannot find a job to go to so therefore they sign on for benefits and therefore that goes up. Its simple logic! Now to start penalising people and cutting benefits is not the answer. Surely these morons can understand if you want to get people off benefits provide decent jobs for them to go into where they can have some self-respect and earn enough money to live in a nice house, in a nice area where they can go out after dark without fear of being mugged, stabbed, raped or all of the above! Give them a sense of pride. Pride in themselves, pride in their home, their car and their work. Let them earn money which they can then spend on their house, car, children, holidays, leisure activities. Then all those places they spend their money will earn money and can afford to take on more staff. Then those staff will go out and spend their earnings and everyone will benefit. Taking away or finding new ways to sanction benefits is only taking away more from people, who already have very little.<br />
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People asked if after the Olympics that atmosphere of patriotism and pride in being British would last. Of course it wouldn't. The Olympics were like a holiday romance. Wonderful, enjoyable and exhilarating. But then the whole country had to come home, back to reality. Then just like a holiday romance it came to an end and we all had to remember how bad things still are, and how useless the Government is. The only way we can get that patriotism back is if individuals are given their self respect back. If they are given the chance to take pride in their lives. If they see a country to be proud off, instead of a country so up to its neck in the proverbial that it is drowning with the useless Government shovelling more on top!<br />
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So from now on I have to list every single website I look at for jobsearch, list every job I have investigated, every action I do for jobsearch and ensure I word it correctly and avoid saying there are no vacancies and I will keep looking. So as long as I there are no vacancies I will be fine! Oh dear..................!<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-45170585196899051712012-10-05T16:01:00.000-07:002012-10-05T16:02:51.567-07:00Dissertation Saga Update!I haven't mentioned by dissertation for a while, and with good reason! I have been working on it, but I have been besieged with set backs including health problems, job-seeking related issues, limited access to archives and a more general "my brain doesn't want to think" problems!! As a result I have lost approximately 2 months worth of working time. The completed dissertation was due in this week and as you can probably tell from the lack of fanfare, celebrations and general sense of relief, I didn't hand mine in.<br />
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Again there is a good reason for this; it ain't finished! Due to all the setbacks I am behind. Luckily my Course Leader and Mentor were both very understanding and have granted me a short extension. Its still tight on time, but far more realistic. On the downside it does mean that my dissertation will drift over into 2013 instead of being completed in 2012 as I had hoped. However this is a small chance it will be finished by December, but I am not going to kill myself and hand in something I am not happy with for the sake of a few weeks. After all at this point the only person it effects is me. I want a dissertation that I am pleased with and proud of. I am not going to rush it now and end up with something I will regret.<br />
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As a result I am still plodding along with research, reading, and writing, redrafting and stressing! However I am actually enjoying it again. For a while there I hated it and was so stressed it was affecting every part of my life. Now I have the extension, I can relax a bit and get back to enjoying it. I also produce better work when I am calm and relaxed so hopefully this is all for the good. A tense, anxious, stressed emotional me, was not a pretty sight and I think I annoyed all those around me constantly going on about it, and being edgy and snappy and tired!<br />
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However I am very lucky to have some very supportive friends. Even when certain people who should be supportive decide to be nasty and unhelpful, I can always rely on them. Special huge thanks to my bezzie mate <a href="http://sutleress.blogspot.co.uk/">http://sutleress.blogspot.co.uk/</a>, Mummy Mo, Lillibet and even though he is hundreds of miles away, Andy. I am sorry if I am boring you guys, but this is huge deal in my life and means a lot to me. Your support, understanding and patience means everything, thank you.<br />
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So now back to the dissertation grindstone.Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-29202399560470945682012-09-17T15:48:00.000-07:002012-09-17T15:48:45.995-07:00L.A.D = Life After DissertationOkay, so this is a little bit premature. I am still technically writing my dissertation. In fact I am suppose to be writing it at this very moment but due to circumstances that seem to continue to conspire against me I am not. I am calling this a "study break". Sounds better than "feeling extremely rough, fed up, stressed, emotional and can't see the light at the end of the tunnel"- break. I thought it might help cheer me up and feel more positive to think about Life After Dissertation or L.A.D for short.<br />
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To be honest, as much as I have mostly enjoyed doing my MA and my dissertation, I am looking forward to handing the finished thing in and completing my MA. In particular I am looking forward to all the things I will be able to do. I thought I would share with you my L.A.D Top 10 To Do List;<br />
1. Spend more quality time with friends without feeling guilty that I should really be working on my dissertation.<br />
2. Reading for pleasure! I have an ever growing pile of books that I want to read which has been growing since I started my MA course. I am looking forward to being able to read for fun! To get lost in a book and not have to make notes and think about the meaning behind it. I can just enjoy it!<br />
3. Reading history books for pleasure. Basically same as above. I will get to indulge my interest in other historical subjects as well as the First World War.<br />
4. Doing craft. I am really looking forward to being creative again and making my cards. I find it so therapeutic. Its relaxing and simply enjoyable.<br />
5. Getting a full nights sleep on a regular basis. No more stressful sleepless or broken sleep nights! Yay!<br />
6. Learning new craft stuff. I am desperate to try out the embossing kit my Mum got me, including the heat embossing and stamping. I also want to get back to knitting my squares to make my patchwork blanket and my bezzie mate is planning to teach me to sew. ( Not sure if that is entirely wise, but I want to give it a go - never thought I would hear myself say that!).<br />
7. Spending time chilling out without any feeling of guilt about what I could or should be doing. Just relaxing.<br />
8. Focussing on fighting my eating disorder. For the last few weeks this has fallen to the way side and I doubt it will recover properly or get back on track until after I have handed in my dissertation. By tackling my eating, if I have success this will hopefully in turn help and improve other health and weight issues.<br />
9. Big sort out of my bedroom. With everything that has gone on lately my bedroom has become a bit of a dumping ground for stuff and the housework in this room has been kept to the minimum. Lots of paperwork to sort out, put stuff away and do some dusting. (I hate dusting!).<br />
10. Working on my new idea for a potential project. Not going to say anything yet as it might not come to anything but I am looking forward to giving it a go!<br />
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I am sure there are lots of other things that I am looking forward to or will have to do, I just can't think of them at this point. This list of 10 are what leap to mind.<br />
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Well that did make me feel a bit more positive and excited about the idea of Life After Dissertation. However I still need to finish writing the flipping thing so I guess for now it's back to the writing!<br />
<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-44522393156392064962012-08-27T07:00:00.000-07:002012-08-27T07:00:05.030-07:00Yoda goes home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVkHaqnMX8CrLwd-t1-A6zSlBDQ3F-Dsjr64SraTaWku7-0m9D1ai7UymU7XZ8p8eVrYTJ6cEO5wY1e5e9ZicVW80xkesqiJv5UsZ_gLOQRYWf0YdV4-rUZnBclUW6IrPI8Ob-oWrw2k/s1600/P1010263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVkHaqnMX8CrLwd-t1-A6zSlBDQ3F-Dsjr64SraTaWku7-0m9D1ai7UymU7XZ8p8eVrYTJ6cEO5wY1e5e9ZicVW80xkesqiJv5UsZ_gLOQRYWf0YdV4-rUZnBclUW6IrPI8Ob-oWrw2k/s320/P1010263.JPG" width="314" /></a></div>
Following the Dog Show a few weeks ago another big happening occurred in the evening. My bezzie mate finally told her children the big secret she (and others) had been keeping from them. They were getting a PUPPY! Not just any puppy but the super cutey Yoda, the long haired chihuahua that they had got to know and love through Nat and who they had helped show in the Junior Handling at the Dog Show.<br />
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It was an exciting night although I think us adults were a bit cruel. Nat had always told the kids they would get to say goodbye to Yoda when he finally went to his new home. So Nat and her Mum Sandy brought Yoda and his Mum Maisie round to my friend's house so that the kids could say goodbye to Yoda. This made them very sad and they spent most of the time cuddling him and stroking him. Nat and Sandy were staying for dinner to "give the kids time with Yoda"! Perhaps we were a little bit cruel keeping up this pretence but it did make the surprise even better!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_rYiQGwdhkawJIiHaFhA_zKKtslu7Vif_ioceFF2Rz2N_FwKAqigJ4u080b5duybzVZehDwP4JLy7aGqgtpNgbZNrsSsoGOzrcalvxgXwWECoCA1Iziwo_RDbpiKpveLjHUXdUfw27c/s1600/P1010285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_rYiQGwdhkawJIiHaFhA_zKKtslu7Vif_ioceFF2Rz2N_FwKAqigJ4u080b5duybzVZehDwP4JLy7aGqgtpNgbZNrsSsoGOzrcalvxgXwWECoCA1Iziwo_RDbpiKpveLjHUXdUfw27c/s320/P1010285.JPG" width="320" /></a>After dinner we all sat together in the front room taking turns to have a "last" cuddle with Yoda. Then a while later Nat made the announcement he was going to his new home. The kids became even sadder and missed the crucial moment when Nat picked up Yoda and handed him to my friend saying "here you go Yoda this is your new Mummy". Instead they thought she was having one last hug before he went. Despite all us grinning adults starring at them they still didn't click and I had to point out that I didn't think they had got it or realised what had just happened. After a little bit more explanation and "Yoda IS in his new home already" they finally realised and their sad little faces changed into huge glowing smiles - although still slightly shocked! It was brilliant!<br />
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Despite being reassured the kids still didn't believe Yoda was really theirs and kept asking was it a dream or was Nat going to take him home when they went to bed because it was just a joke! Bless! It was a very joyful evening. Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces and pleasure at the reveal working better than any of us could have hoped was just fantastic. After the kids went to bed my friend finally got to have a proper cuddle with her new arrival as after all Yoda is technically her dog now. After a bit more chatter and another cup of tea it was time for us to leave and leave her with her new puppy for his first night in his new house. It was very much like leaving someone on their own for the first time with a new baby! LOL!<br />
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It had been a brilliant day and evening and the secret was finally out! I am sure Yoda will settle in quickly to his new home, especially as all the excitement from going to his new family and his first night in his new house was taken all in his stride, bless him!<br />
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Welcome to your new home Yoda!<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-39299270151995312982012-08-22T14:56:00.000-07:002012-08-22T16:19:35.239-07:00Fun Dog Show at the Polegrove for "Jack's Dream"<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maisie</td></tr>
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August really is turning out to be a massively busy month.<br />
A few days after my party a new friend of mine (Nat) had organised a Fun Dog Show at our local recreation ground - The Polegrove. The event was being held to raise money for a local charity, "Jack's Dream". So me and my bezzie mate and her kids went along to support Nat and the charity. Part of the event included a dog show with such classes as Cutest Puppy, Handsome Dog, Prettiest Bitch, Fancy Dress and Junior Handling. Nat shows her own dogs and regularly goes to local dog shows (and often wins) with her lovely long haired chihuahua Maisie and Chihuahua-Pug cross Pippi, so she is very experienced. Her dog Maisie also had puppies this year and two of those were still with Nat - the fabulous Shelby and the super cute Yoda.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fabulous Shelby</td></tr>
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As Nat was the judge she couldn't enter her own dogs in the show encase anyone accused her of being biased. So instead my bezzie mate's kids and Nat's younger sister showed Maisie and the Pups in the Junior Handling class. This was allowed even though Nat was judging as the class looks at the kid handling the dog not the dog itself. The kids did very well and Nat praised them highly for their technique and focus. Sadly they didn't get placed in the top 6 but they did receive a rosette for taking part which said "Well Done" on it and each dog was given a packet of healthy treats. The kids enjoyed themselves and have already asked Nat if they could help show the dogs at future dog shows. I think its a great thing for kids to be involved with and the dogs seem to enjoy themselves too!<br />
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It was a really enjoyable day, the sun shone, it was lovely and warm and I spent most of the day dog spotting usually followed by "oos" and "awwws!". In fact as I commented on the day you could have easily completed an I Spy book of Dogs just from that show. There were so many different breeds and some gorgeous puppies. As we were sat under the judges gazebo where the sign up stall was for each class it also meant I got to get my fair share of cuddles and fuss from the dogs entering the classes!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Super Cutey Yoda</td></tr>
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Later in the afternoon we were also joined by another friend Cheryl and her kids as well as the lovely Archie - a shitzu and westie cross they were looking after. The kids were taken to the new adventure playground to burn off some energy while us adults sensibly sat in the shade with Archie and had a chat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archie!!</td></tr>
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Archie is a lovely dog and it was nice to be around a Westie again. It reminded me of my lovely Dougal and how scatty and daft that breed can be!<br />
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The Dog Show was great fun although it did make me wish I still had a dog and reminded me how much I miss having a dog. However as I live in a flat its not really the ideal home for a dog plus I can barely afford to cover my own bills let alone the cost of a dog. However one day when I am living in a nice house and I have a good job I will get another Westie!<br />
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The Fun Day and Dog Show raised over £1,200 for "Jack's Dream" charity which was fantastic. Well done to everyone who worked so hard to put on the event.<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-87665225704516524522012-08-19T17:24:00.002-07:002012-08-19T17:24:49.137-07:00My 30th Birthday Party BarbecueThe last two weeks have been extremely busy so I haven't really had a chance to update my blog and there has been a lot going on. First off was my birthday. I had a brilliant day with my Dad. We went shopping in all my favourite shops, I got a super cool new smartphone as my present from my Dad and we had lunch and dinner out. It was a very long tiring day but also a lot of fun and great to spend it with my Dad.<br />
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Then a few days later on the Sunday (12th) my bezzie mate threw me a 30th birthday party and barbecue at her new house. It was a lovely day and an extreme amount of work went into organising it and on the day itself. I am incredibly grateful. This gesture and the day itself meant so much to me that I honestly couldn't put what it means into words. It was excellent. I wouldn't have had a party otherwise so I am so very grateful for all she and her lovely Mum did. I also should mention the others that helped make the party happen - thank you, I am so touched!<br />
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Thankfully the day was nice and sunny - perfect for a barbecue. If anything it was a little too hot and we wouldn't have minded if it had been a bit cooler when we were setting up. Sadly not everyone who was invited was able to make it. A few friends had health and family issues which meant they couldn't come, while another had had his 30th birthday barbecue the day before and was still spending time with family. My Mum also couldn't make it due to health reasons and because of the distance she would have to travel. I was really disappointed as I would have loved my Mum to be there.<br />
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However all the people that did come to the party were important people to me and people I wanted to spend time with! My Dad and my Uncle Boy (and Ann) came along and stayed much longer and later than expected. I was also surrounded by great friends and four very cute dogs. They all made the day perfect.<br />
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The day was also filled with surprises!! Firstly was my fabulous birthday cake. I had spoken to my bezzie friend about the cake I would love to have if I could afford to get one made. It would be lilac with darker purple spots and a model of a Westie dog on top. However due to a lack of funds I had dropped the idea of a made to order cake and was going to chose an off the shelf one from a supermarket. A few days before the party my friend told me she had been to the local supermarket and picked one up. She then said I shouldn't have to choose my own birthday cake. I believed her 100% and crossed it off the shopping list. At my party it turned out this was a big fib! Instead she had had a cake made for me in the design I had said. I was so touched and the surprise was lovely! I totally did not expect it!<br />
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A short while after the cake reveal I was summons to the lower garden gazebo and there was a table set up with a pile of cards and a pile of presents! I was so surprised! Again I had not expected anything. After I opened the lovely cards I started on the presents. They were lovely presents including a DVD, stationery, book tokens and smellies. There was also a very large present which I left till last. It was from my bezzie mate, her mum, her Nana and her kids. When I opened it, I found this beautiful trunk/storage bog with a gold map design on it. It was stunning. I was speechless. Then I was told to open it up. Inside the box was a huge pile of presents! I was whatever comes after speechless! They told me I had 30 presents for my 30th birthday including the box, the cake and party. After telling them they had been very naughty doing this I started opening the presents inside the box. They were numbered and I had to open them in order. As I had trouble seeing the numbers and finding them in order my friend's daughter helped me out. They were fabulous gifts. I even got presents with 30 on such as a mug and a keyring. It was really lovely and a real surprise!!<br />
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After the yummy barbecue food had been eaten and it had started to get dark and the fairy lights had been switched on and the candles lit we decided to head inside. After cutting my birthday cake, we then got down to the serious business of karaoke! Yes, my 30th birthday party saw me doing karaoke for the second time in my life! It was brilliant fun and a real laugh. The alcohol certainly helped!! Everybody had a go at singing even Peter who could hardly see the words on the screen without his glasses, joined in and gave a great performance of "Imagine"! As I was the Birthday Girl I was given the "honour" of kicking the singing off! Luckily my fab friend Cat agreed to sing with me and together we had a go at "Don't Stop Believing". I was very grateful as she can actually sing which helped mask my less than in tune attempts! Throughout the evening I also badly did Atomic Kitten's version of "The Tide is High" (again with the lovely Cat) and my bezzie mate and I did "Can't Fight this Feeling Anymore" in honour of "Rock of Ages" the last film we saw together at the cinema.<br />
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The evening also saw a second round of food including home made potato skins, samosas and cheese and biscuits. The drink likewise continued to flow well into the evening.<br />
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It was a really really fabulous day and evening. I had a brilliant time and I am extremely grateful to everyone who contributed to it. They made it fabulous.<br />
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I will remember turning 30 with very fond memories.<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-82095817916319667692012-08-08T03:08:00.002-07:002012-08-08T03:08:44.211-07:00Turning 30!<br />
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Today is my 30th Birthday.<br />
30 years ago today at 1.15am in the morning I joined this world. It was a Sunday and my Mum had been in labour for two days. In fact in the early stages of labour on the Friday after her waters broke she wanted to go out with my Dad to get some dinner instead or going to the hospital as she knew the labour was going to take a while! Eventually I did arrive, and actually 2 weeks earlier than expected.<br />
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This is one of the earliest photos taken of me. My Mum is holding me and by the looks of the sofa she is at home which means I am about 2 weeks old as back in those days new mum's were kept in hospital for a couple of weeks after having a baby. I do have a few photos of me in hospital with my Mum and Dad but none of us look very good and I don't think they would thank me for sharing them!<br />
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For the first 7 years of my life I grew up in a normal 1980s household with my Mum and Dad. They owned a few curtain shops around Essex and spent a lot of time making them work. I can't remember many of my birthdays from then, although I know I had a Wimpy birthday party when I was about 4 or 5 and a party in a hall with a magician and a disco when I was about 5 or 6. I don't really remember them but I have seen the photos and heard the stories.<br />
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Then about 2 months before my 7th Birthday my parents divorced. I cannot remember my 7th birthday at all. For my 8th birthday I remember I had a McDonalds party which included for some strange reason getting to run into the big freezer they used to store the food in and getting a tour of the kitchens. Nope, I don't know why either! This was the last birthday party I had. Future birthdays were spent going out to places, visiting relatives and a few depressing times going fishing. I spent my birthday's alternating between my Mum and Dad, so parties were never really possible. Plus money was not exactly flooding in and parties cost money!<br />
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When I was 13 I was taken out for a meal, like a proper grown up birthday celebration! It was with my Dad, Ann and my lovely Aunt Gina. Our table had loads of balloons on it and after dinner they brought out a cake and sang Happy Birthday. It was a really lovely occasion. I don't remember my other teenage birthdays. I know that I didn't have a party for either my 16th or my 18th. In fact I think I ended up going bowling with a few friends and family for both of these! My birthdays were always celebrated just not with a "do".<br />
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One of the biggest problems with celebrating my birthday is that it falls right in the middle of summer. It was always difficult to organise anything with people going on holidays, invites needing to go out in July before the end of school, etc etc. When I went off to uni I had similar problems as everybody went home from June until the start of the next academic year at the end of September. When we lived in houses a few friends did come back for my birthday and we would go out for drinks.<br />
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When I was 21 I did have a party, well a barbecue at our house anyway! I shared my 21st with my close friend Andy who was also turning 21. Our birthdays are 8 days apart so we picked the weekend in between the two to celebrate. We had a great day and laughed a lot. Needless to say I can't remember much of that one either but that was for entirely different reasons!! Hahaha!<br />
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Since then I have had my "birthday outings" which as I mentioned in a previous post, were a special day out to do something different on my birthday to make it different from all the other day's of the year. Previous outings have included Hampton Court Palace, Dover Castle and Canterbury. I have some fantastic memories from these days and also got to tick things off my ever growing to do list!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTubH2pewpQ1VhCRJl-5uMLtzRyU-2mzmIvBz3ntvj3Q1-Wvrr5SX22-nS9LYGn8_iv8tTlK8fUPd8d-qoG5IH4nZO1ntFJRdahdEmzyn95cKTeL7sT-fa4cbJtw8HUpF8VlloVeS0sIE/s1600/St.+Paddys+Day+at+Uni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTubH2pewpQ1VhCRJl-5uMLtzRyU-2mzmIvBz3ntvj3Q1-Wvrr5SX22-nS9LYGn8_iv8tTlK8fUPd8d-qoG5IH4nZO1ntFJRdahdEmzyn95cKTeL7sT-fa4cbJtw8HUpF8VlloVeS0sIE/s320/St.+Paddys+Day+at+Uni.jpg" width="320" /></a>So how will I be celebrating my 30th? Well today I am having my usual "outing" although its not a big deal as it usually is due to circumstances. Instead the emphasis is on spending the day with my Dad and enjoying some father-daughter quality time. We are going out shopping (he is getting me a new mobile phone for my birthday as my one is so old it is powered by coal!) and we are going to have lunch out. Then in the evening he is cooking me one of my favourite meals. My Mum has also sent me a very large parcel which I will be opening later! I wonder what it can be!<br />
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My birthday celebrations do not end there. On Sunday my bezzie mate is throwing me a birthday party and barbecue at her new house. We have got decorations, balloons, gazebos, music, fairy lights, even games and karaoke! Plus of course food and drink! I am really looking forward to Sunday as I really wanted a party and didn't think I was going to be able to have one, so its a wonderful gesture. I am so grateful to her for doing this.<br />
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If these celebrations were not enough a week later I am meeting up with my close friend Andy who is back visiting from Singapore and we are carrying on the tradition of celebrating our birthday's together as he too of course will be turning 30 in a few days time! So really I am going to have something like 3 birthday celebrations for my 30th! Perhaps that is one for each decade! Teehee!<br />
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I am sure I will have plenty of photos and lots to tell you about my celebrations which I will try to put on my blog as soon as possible.<br />
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So for now, I am off to enjoy turning 30!<br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276179963050285406.post-31327179554703427662012-08-01T10:35:00.001-07:002012-08-01T10:35:53.613-07:0030 Birthday Facts about Me!I saw something similar to this on another blog and thought I would use it myself! The basic idea is to celebrate a landmark birthday by putting a list of facts about yourself on your blog. (The number of facts should be the same amount as the age you are for the landmark birthday so 18, 21, 25, 30, 40, 50, 70 etc). You then challenge your friends and followers to write the same amount of facts about themselves to celebrate your birthday. This month I will be celebrating my 30th Birthday. I am kicking off my birthday celebrations by taking up the birthday facts challenge while challenging my friends to write 30 facts about themselves (ideally not facts they have already shared on their blogs!).<br />
So lets have a go. Here are my 30 facts:<br />
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<b>My 30 facts:</b><br />
1. I am not a morning person. I much prefer late mornings and late nights. Its when I am more awake and my brain more active.<br />
2. I don't like coffee.<br />
3. I prefer to drink cold drinks. I usually only have one cup of tea a day which is in the morning with breakfast. I only have more than this if I am feeling ill, have a sore throat or its been a particularly cold day.<br />
4. I can't wear high heels. I am far too clumsy and always fall over if I try to wear them. I also have quite wide feet which makes finding high heels that fit properly difficult. However the wide feet are a result of being quite tall so I don't really need to wear high heels luckily!<br />
5. I hate gold jewellery. If I wear any jewellery it has to be silver or if I wanted something really posh and had won the lottery something in platinum!<br />
6. My favourite gem stone is amethyst. I hate Peridot which is my actual birthstone. I just don't like the green colour!<br />
7. My favourite colours are red and purple.<br />
8. I am allergic to most flowers so as a result I am not a fan of flowers whether in the garden or in a bunch! However there is one exception which is dark red roses. For some reason these don't set off my allergies and I think they are absolutely beautiful.<br />
9. As you already know from the name of my blog I LOVE stationery. It can be nice pens, beautiful hardback notebooks with good quality paper, folders, writing sets, anything really!<br />
10. I have an appalling dreadful immune system made worse by my anaemia and eating issues. If there is a bug going around or someone has a bit of a sniffle you can bet that I will catch it and have the flipping thing for at least a week if not longer! This is very annoying and frustrating.<br />
11. I have a phobia of bugs and spiders. I have got slightly better as I have got older but there are some things that I really can't stand. Mainly moths, bees, wasps, daddy long legs, slugs and snails. Spiders are a given!<br />
12. I am allergic to cat fur. I do like cats but I can't even stroke one without being poorly so I tend to avoid them as they always seem to take a shine to me! Its as if they know I can't stroke them! As a result I am more of a dog person. I love doggies!<br />
13. I love craft stuff and being creative. I think this is an extension of the stationery passion. I love all the different colours of felt tip pens, inks, colouring pencils, paints, papers, cards, even fabrics and wools! I really enjoy making cards and getting creative and I use to draw and paint quite a lot although haven't done this for a while.<br />
14. I love books. I love reading and getting lost in a book and I also love researching from books. I am one of those nutters that believe books have souls and they are sacred things! Books rule!<br />
15. I love history. I have covered this on this blog before.<br />
16. I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the lights, buying presents, wrapping the presents, giving presents, the festive cheer, spending time with people who matter etc etc. At uni I was lucky enough to find someone else who got very excited about Christmas and he and I would always put the Christmas decorations up as soon as the 1st December came round! I think our other house mates thought we were a bit strange though.<br />
17. I have a thing about Birthdays. I have always believed that someone's birthday is a very special day and it should be made special both my themselves and by those that care about them. I always try to make my birthday different to the rest of the year by doing something different and making an effort. About 8 years ago I started my "birthday outing" and each year I have gone somewhere for my birthday. A day out. Previous birthday days out have included Hampton Court Palace, Dover Castle and Howletts. All special days with special memories. I have encouraged other friends to do this too. When you become an adult birthdays often get forgotten or lose their importance and this is a shame. By doing something different on the day, keeps birthdays special. I also try to do this for friends and families for their birthday's too. Whatever people say they all like to be made to feel special and to be thought about now and then!<br />
18. I like cheesy music. I am a big fan of certain boybands such as Take That, Boyzone and Westlife (although I don't like any of the new boybands. My music tastes do seem to have grown up a bit at last!). I love pop music from all eras and believe music should make you smile and want to move and dance. Cheesy love songs and pop music does this!<br />
19. I also like more grown up Music! Current favourites include The Script, Pink, Bryan Adams, and Bon Jovi.<br />
20. I am right handed.<br />
21. I was born in Harlow in Essex, so yes technically I am an Essex Girl!<br />
22. My favourite breed of dog is a Westie. I once was lucky enough to have a Westie as a pet called Dougal. He was absolutely gorgeous and I miss him lots.<br />
23. I would really love to be a published writer one day. At one point I wanted this to be in writing fiction but more recently I would be very happy to be a publishing historian. We all need dreams!<br />
24. I have an issue with charity shops. There is something about the smell of them. It just puts me off and everything and anything that is bought from a charity shops has that distinct smell. Yuck.<br />
25. I love fresh crusty white bread. Its a very big weakness of mine. I could just sit and eat it and eat it with or without butter. Gorgeous!<br />
26. I was a Brownie. However I never went on to the Girl Guides. I sort of lost interest in the whole thing by the time I left the Brownies. Plus Guides would have clashed with the other clubs I did after school such as dance, swimming and horse riding.<br />
27. I didn't learn to drive until I was in my mid 20s. I passed my test first time when I was 27.<br />
28. I have never been in an aeroplane.<br />
29. I am not a fan of horror movies. I just don't see the point of these films and find them boring. I do like supernatural and sci-fi films and television shows just not horror.<br />
30. I am a brunette and have never had any desires to be a blonde. However I have dyed my hair red and purple in the past!<br />
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Wow! That was extremely difficult! Trying to write 30 facts about yourself is not easy and took me quite a while to come up with them all! Anyway, there they are. Now I open up the challenge to my friends. Don't forget to let me know when you've done it so I can have a look at your facts and learn a bit more about you!<br />
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<br />Stationery Pigeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14450757029710331627noreply@blogger.com2