A survey with which to open the writing gates once more. in Sparkly, frosty wintertime 2016 (started a little late!)

Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Why would you leave it open? Were you born in a barn?!

Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?
Unfortunately, Premier Inn provide theirs in a handy pump action, attached to the wall container but otherwise, of course I do!

Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
As a Brit, sheets aren’t really an issue. The bottom sheet is tucked in but there isn’t a top sheet, just a duvet. Although, Premier Inn do like to tuck their duvets in and I have to rip that sucker out because I can’t, I cannot. bear to be constrained in my bed.

Have you ever stolen a street sign before?
No… But it wasn’t because I didn’t try.. A police car pulled up and asked what we were doing so I said I’d lost 10p and I needed it to phone my mum to come and pick me up…

Do you like to use post it notes?
I always have a pack in my pocket at work so that I can write down kid’s names when I think they deserve to be given gems (our school’s praise system) so that I don’t forget.

Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?
I don’t tend to use coupons other than those i get through loyalty cards.

*Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?!
Ummm… Can I say bear and then outrun the slowest person..?

Do you have freckles?
Yup… I got really badly sunburned in 1987 on the top of an Austrian alp. I’ve had freckles since then.

Do you always smile for pictures?
This makes me laugh. Our local paper always has articles with sad looking people who are not happy about their local park being damaged or something. These sad photos are so obviously staged! Anyway, several years ago we were trying to get more members at Toy Library (which closed down last summer after more than 30 years) and the local paper came to write up the story. The photographer told us all to look sad but I refused! Anyway, I smile if it’s a posed photo but if it’s a ‘candid’ style photo i ignore the camera and carry on with what I’m doing.

What is your biggest pet peeve?
Apart from sad photos in local papers 😂? I’d say the generations of people whose main concern are their rights and what they can gain from anything without thinking of others, and the blame that goes along with it. No one seems to be able to accept responsibility for anything nor accept that sometimes things just happen without any blame needing to be assigned.

Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
I count steps when I go up and down them, in school I’m usually thinking about what I’m about to do as I hike up and down the corridors! However, when I run I count every four steps (ie. A count of 1 for the first four steps, 2 for the second four steps) in time with my breathing, so there are four steps per breath. Obviously I don’t compute and store the data, in fact I often find myself on a random number because the counting has carried on in the background while my mind has wandered all around the subjects of the world. Other times I start counting again because i realise that I stopped at some point.

Have you ever peed in the woods?
Does a bear shit there? If you’re hiking and you’re miles away from a toilet then you find a bush, pull your kecks down and let it all out!

What about pooped in the woods?
Once that i remember, as a kid. I used leaves to wipe my bum.

How many people have you slept with this week?
Well, Rich and I have spent every night coughing, sniffing and sneezing, and the cats have snuggled up at our feet.

What size is your bed?
We’ve always liked our double because it’s nice to snuggle.

What is your Song of the week?
This is like those “What’s your favourite…” questions that T is always asking me!! I can never pick just one thing I prefer above the rest.

Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
The only thing that isn’t okay is that this is even a question.

Do you still watch cartoons?
Mostly Mr Bean and Horrid Henry at the moment. I really can’t stand HH and the Mr Bean cartoons are just cashing in on the brilliance of Rowan Atkinson.

Whats your least favourite movie?
Hmmmm. Can I choose something I’ve never seen? The Saw movies.

What do you drink with dinner?
Water.

What do you dip a chicken nugget in”

Preferable nothing - nuggets are reformed and i don’t like that.

What is your favourite food?
Chocolate, avocado, pizza, strawberries, raspberries, steak pie, Yorkshire puddings… See, I can’t do ‘favourite’ questions!

What movies could you watch over and over and still love?
Fried Green Tomatoes. I love that film so much!

Were you ever a boy/girl scout?
I was unpopular at school and was excited to try Brownies because I could meet new people. I got there and it was all the same people I was at school with so I left again!

Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
(I’m knicking the answer of the friend in whose diary I originally read this survey). My initial thought to this was a resounding “no” but then, maybe if it was something medical related or even something like breastfeeding related, and I could vet photos first then I could possibly be convinced.

When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
When I was sick I wrote a note to L’s teacher to say she could leave school with T.

Can you change the oil on a car?
I haven’t done it in many years because I needed a special tool that I had to borrow from a local garage but yes, I’ve changed the oil in my car.

Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
I got my first ever ticket last November after almost 26 years of driving! The speed awareness course was good though, I learned a few things.

Ran out of gas?
No touch wood, but if I got a ticket after 26 years then I’m not going to be cocky about diesel!

Best thing to eat for breakfast?
Most mornings i have porridge cooked with milk and mix in cocoa powder, honey and nuts.

What is your usual bedtime?
I like to be in bed by 10pm.

Are you lazy?
I know how to relax but I spend a lot of time ensuring that all the members of my family have everything they need, going to work and running.

When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?
We didn’t really dress up when I was a kid although we used to bob for apples. 🍎

What is your Chinese astrological sign?
I do not have a clue! Give me a minute… Dog. I’m a dog.

How many languages can you speak?
I’m a native English speaker with a pretty good ability in Spanish.

Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
Women’s Running. They had an offer just before Christmas.

Which are better legos or lincoln logs?
Wilko Blox all the way!!

Are you stubborn?
I’ve sort of trained myself out of it…

Afraid of heights?
By proxy! If someone I love is near the edge of a drop l whimper and step backwards!!

Sing in the car?
Give me a Heck yeah!.

Dance in the shower?
You’d better believe it 😀😀

Dance in the car?
It is quite hard to dance whilst also controlling the clutch but my fingers often dance on the steering wheel.

Ever used a gun?
I ended up on an army weekend, many years ago, which was very unlike my pacifist tendencies. We had to shoot at a target. I missed because i was so perturbed at having this thing, designed to kill, in my grasp.

Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?
Other than school photos (which I’m pretty good at avoiding) it would be in the early 90s and the photographer was my dad. My photo was on the cover of an instruction manual for how to make your own dulcima…

Favourite type of fruit pie?
apple and rhubarb.

Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?
Oh you know: actress, pop star or teacher…

Do you believe in ghosts?
Thoroughly on the fence.

Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?
Yes, and when I do they’re intense.

Wear slippers?
I don’t like having hot feet so no.

Wear a bath robe?
Yes.

!What do you wear to bed?*
I’m going with oversize t-shirts at the moment but when I finally lose this fecking virus I’ll go back to nudity.

*First concert?!
A Christian band on a Methodist retreat in the 80s. No, I’m not Methodist but my best friend at school was.

Ever take dance lessons?
Three week’s of ballet at the age of 4. I was upset that we weren’t dancing Swan Lake style ballet so I left. Interestingly, when my car was stolen five years ago, it was the son of my old ballet teacher. Small town life eh?

Can you curl your tongue?
You wouldn’t believe what I can do with my tongue! Not only can I roll it, I can twist it around 360°.

Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
Yes 😀

Own any record albums?
They’re all in one of my dad’s outbuildings so they’re probably a bit damp.

Own a record player?
Sadly not.

Regularly burn incense?
The asthma doesn’t like it.

What was the last concert you saw?
I’m trying to remember. It was in autumn and we went to Bristol. Oh, I remember! Poliça on a cool venue boat.

Hot tea or cold tea?
Lemon and ginger infusion, warm.

Tea or coffee?
I like coffee but it makes me feel like shit.

Can you swim well?
Does a dolphin? Yes, I’m a pretty good swimmer.

Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?
Ummm… Yes? Why wouldn’t anyone be able to?

Are you patient?
I wish I was as Zen as when I was a nanny.

Ever won a contest?
I won £1000 in a countrywide competition run through gyms.

Which are better black or green olives?
I like them both. Seriously, what’s with having favourites?

Can you knit or crochet?
I knitted a hoodie for T when i was pregnant and it’s the only thing I’ve done.

Best room for a fireplace?
A pub.