Five Questions x2
Originally published at The Apochrypha. You can comment here or there.
In an effort to break the monotony of working on the shop, tidying the house or working on the garden I thought I’d have a little go at this. Basically I’ve been asked five questions by people and as the game goes if you want me to ask you five questions then leave a comment and I’ll see what I can come up with for you.
From lirazelf@LJ
1) What was your first impression of von?
That depends on whether you want my first impressions of meeting her in person or online
Online I’m sure we ended up getting into a ‘discussion’ about the Israel/Palestine debate but neither of us remember the exact conversation and neither of us can find it on Alt Nation. Maybe it didn’t happen?
In real life I thought she was a nutter. In a good way honestly!
I’d split up with my girlfriend a couple of months previously and we both attended the student/AN day at Scapegoats airsoft site. She spent the day in combat gear and wearing a face mask but still managed to make an impression on me with her rendition of The Star Spangled Banner whilst holding aloft the US flag we used as a base upside down with a rape alarm screaming along in time to the singing. It took a few months to get talking to her though what with her ending up going out with one of the other players for a few months after that.
2) You seem to be very good at making cake. When/how did you discover this talent?
I’d like to say that as I come from a family of chef’s that it was passed down in the blood or something but it’s more likely I’m just good at practical things. I’ve mentioned before that whilst I was at school any class that required reading or theory work I was useless at but what I don’t really talk about is that I was really good at practical or art work. Whilst I could draw or paint whatever was in front of me I couldn’t make stuff up. I received the merit in tech class every year I took the class because between my drafting skills and my woodwork/metalwork projects I was by far the best in my class.
What surprised most folk though was that every year I took Home Economics I received the merit as well. I couldn’t sew to save my life where as a few of the girls were on their way to a fashion degree years later but my cooking was far better that anyone elses. I was careless though, and I still am at times, and my teacher almost stripped the merit from me because although I’d baked the best sponge she’d eve seen in her class I hadn’t ran a knife around the tin before tipping it out and totally ruined it. It wasn’t until I bought my own flat that I started baking again though.
3) Are you still thinking about going back to uni?
The desire is still there but the practicalities after us both ending up without work at the same time has meant the reality of it probably means it won’t happen any time soon. I really REALLY want to do the Rural Land Management course at the SAC and although the first year can be done as a distance learning course, in fact I think that is the only way of doing it, I would still need to commute to Ayr for the rest of the course every day whilst dealing with family and shop stuff. It would also probably mean I would have to pass up a lot of job opportunities due to not being able to relocate the family . They’ve got something stupid like a 98% employment rate in the field for graduates of that course but most of them are for jobs up north or in the Lake District and Wales.
The other choice is to look into doing something that fits easier into our current life. Whether that is an OU course or night classes in whatever I don’t know but I will get back into doing something. Being a student was the happiest ‘working’ days of my life and by that I don’t mean I was in Jim’s Bar 24/7. In fact apart from freshers week and the occasion afternoon pizza/pint all I did was study or work. I miss learning or more specifically I miss learning with others.
4) What was your first gig?
Define gig?
I went to many band nights in local pubs when I hit pub going age and went to the Radio 1 roadshow as a kid aged around seven or eight in Morecombe but other than it being hosted my Tony Blackburn and having to climb a tree to see the stage I remember nothing. Our school had an annual rock concert with the pupils getting their bands to play 3-4 songs and the teachers throwing together a band as well.
The first actual gig that I had to buy a ticket for never actually happened. In ‘96-’97 I think Green Day were supposed to play in support of Dookie at the Barras and I was due to go with my brother and his mates but they had to cancel their tour after Mike went a bit nuts in Sweden or some other Scandinavian place. My brother took his ticket back and exchanged it and his friends for RATM tickets but forgot to get me one. Needless to say I haven’t forgiven him for that one. It took until The Prodigy played on Glasgow green as part of the double header with Primal Scream before I actually made it to a gig. Almost broke my leg when the crowd collapsed and and Maxim misjudged a roundhouse kick at the front of the crowd and wacked me in the chest and knocked the guy beside me at the barrier over. I loved it so much I went out the next day and bought tickets to the first five gigs I could find where I recognised the band name. I went to at least one gig a week after that until about 2002 I think.
5) Is there any one thing that you absolutely, definitely, without doubt, Hate?
My inability to say something profound and interesting without fucking it up. My friends one night took issue with the nonsense I used to spout and I proclaimed in complete drunken honesty,”One of these days I’ll show you people. I’ll say something so profound and true it will stop you in your tracks and make you forget to breath as you realise how correct I am.” And as if by magic as that final word came out of my mouth I dropped my almost full bottle of beer all over my friends bedroom floor.
From Vonnie
1) Does it offend/bother you that the children go to church?
Not in the slightest. Whilst I didn’t go with my family as a child I did go with my school and the Anchor Boys. It wasn’t until I was old enough to realise what my own beliefs were that I stopped going. Yes it sometimes gets to me when they talk about God and angels but I like the fact that they know I don’t go and question my beliefs and they are only three and four years old. They’ll choose their faith or lack of in their own good time and we’re there to support them in until whatever choice they make and for every day after that.
2) If you could change any part of me (physically/mentally/verbally!) would you?
Honestly? I’d fix it so that you’d never have to deal with the problems you’ve had from PND and your joint/nerve pain ever again. You wouldn’t be you if I changed anything else.
3) Are you avoiding learning to drive because it is intimidating?
Learning to drive isn’t intimidating as such. I’m hugely terrified because no matter when I’ve been behind the wheel I’ve never felt as though I’ve been in control of the car. I always feel as though I’m half a second away from crashing and that it’s been only blind luck that I’ve lasted until now without hitting something. That and I’m very wary of spending that much money at a time where we need every spare penny going into the business and would only be comfortable going for more lessons once that initial stress of making sure we have enough cash to startup is gone.
4) Describe your perfect idyllic weekend.
Being under no pressure to get anything done. I couldn’t care less if the weather was good or bad as long no one in the house got stressed and none of the kids got worked up or had a tantrum. Seeing where the wind blew us and us all coming home with a smile on our faces would be good too. Our magical mystery tours down the west coast or to Millport are perfect examples.
5) Where do you see us in ten years?
Honestly? Trying to come to terms with our desire to not live in a large town/city but being able to be close enough to Glasgow to run the business. A large house with a bit of land where I spend more time pottering in the garden that doing anything constructive and you running several of your shops. By then almost all the kids would be at secondary school so we’d almost be free from their tyranny and iron rule and could start planning for our trip into old age and our ’slowly going nuts to wind the kids up’.
So like I say if you want to join in leave a comment and I’ll throw five questions at you.
