Catching The End of the Bandwagon in Scottish Meanderings
Revised: 01/15/2019 2:21 p.m.
- Jan. 12, 2019, 7 p.m.
- |
- Public
Sunday 13th.
Is there a rail line near your house? If so, is it noisy and bothersome?
There is one not too far away but it doesn’t bother me normally. However a couple of years ago there were major alterations to the main northbound line which had to be carried out over many months and mainly at night. The folk in my area weren’t informed as they didn’t think we would hear it and I remember waking up to this horrendous noise like an enormous chainsaw making its way towards the house one Saturday night - it was like about 30 drones all flying about together the whole night! The next day our online neighbourhood group was buzzing with folk asking what the hell it was and some bright spark eventually figured it out. They had to return for more work over 6 months a year later but thankfully it must have been further away as I wasn’t kept awake this time (ironically we were informed about this one!). I was soooo grateful for this because I was still in bed for a lot of the week at that point.
And some of the answers to that question from other diarists brought back a lovely childhood memory of me coming to Aberdeen to spend holidays in the summer with my auntie and uncle down here. They married late in life and had no children so they loved to give mum some much-needed respite by being able to spoil me for a couple of weeks :) My uncle worked in the local paper mill and they had a tied house which the mill owned and which was just down the road from the northbound railway line. One of my favourite things was to go out for a walk with my auntie and Roy, their golden retriever, up the brae to the little railway bridge just in time for the Inverness train and wave to the driver at the front of the train. He always waved back. Along with a lot of the passengers. Those were the days when folk actually looked out of the window and didn’t have their noses permanently stuck in phones or iPads :)
What’s your favorite flavour of potato chip? Salt and vinegar or tomato sauce.
How far do you live from the nearest international border? I’m in Scotland so I suppose the nearest border is England but internationally I’m assuming it would be France?
Do you know anyone born on the 29th of February? No but that was Nikki's original due date. Thankfully she wanted a 10 day long lie so we missed it!
What’s the tastiest thing inside your refrigerator right now? A lovely chunk of sirloin steak with my name on it.
Do you have a name that can also be used for the opposite sex? No.
What model of car do you drive? A 2010 Nissan Micra.
Have you ever dated someone you work with? I just had sex with him at the time we worked together but about 14 years later he got back in touch and we ended up dating for a few months.
Who was the last person to call you? Nikki.
Do you have a lock number or pattern for your phone? A lock number.
Is your pantry messy at the moment? I'm so surprised everyone is using the word pantry without question - to me it's a very old-fashioned word used to represent a sort of larder separate from the kitchen. I haven't heard it used for years but the room itself must be quite a common thing to find overseas is it?
List all of your siblings’ middle names. Ian's middle name is Ross which was one of Mum's middle names. For some reason the remaining 3 of us never reached middle name status!
What was the last present someone gave you and what was the occasion? One of Nikki's Christmas presents was slightly quirky - she searched and found on eBay the original version of the board game Sorry! which we'd played loads as a family and which Mum had played with all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren right up until a few years before she died.
Unfortunately Nikki neglected to find out first if I'd snaffled Mum's one from her flat after she died - which I had - for some reason she thought her cousin had taken it. What really made me laugh though (inwardly) was - as you can imagine, having been on the go for a multitude of years, Mum's game was pretty decrepit and had food spills and stains and the like on it but because it was hers we overlooked that. Well the eBay one also had someone else's food spills and stains and crappy stuff on it as well and it was all I could do to touch the thing far less play with it!!
Do you ever let your phone go completely flat before charging it again? No.
When was the last time you left the house? Yesterday - I went out to Nikki's new house, brought tea and helped her unpack and sort things out.
Are you in any sort of physical pain right now, even if very mild? A bit achy from yesterday but nothing too awful.
What was one of your favorite movies as a small child? First one I can remember watching when I was around four was The Three Lives Of Thomasina which had the same little girl who played Jane in the original Mary Poppins. I cried buckets and had to be carried home early by my poor sister!
Do you know the middle name of the last person you texted? It was Nikki and she doesn't have one - it was bad enough getting Boyd to agree on ONE name never mind two! :)
Do you have any food intolerances? Not that I'm aware of.
Is there any cereal in your house? Yes - a large box of Alpen and I think there's one of those multipack thingies in the depths of the cupboard somewhere.
What’s the most number of people you’ve ever lived with? Five growing up and 13 when I first moved to Aberdeen. I stayed in 'digs' (like a boarding house) and there were 4 of us in my room alone! The landlord was really creepy and would walk into the rooms (all female) unannounced but his wife was lovely and quite motherly but stern with it. They must have been raking the money in from that house though when I think of it.
What is in the drawers beside your bed? It's a bedside cabinet sort of thing so just one drawer which has medication, a paper punch, a bookmark, lip salve, an old watch and a pen in it.
Where’s your favorite place to be when you feel depressed? Nowhere.
Are you currently looking forward to tomorrow? Yes - get to see my table tennis buddies :)
Have you ever faked sick? I had to 'invent' things a few times when I was dealing with the fatigue when working because I couldn't explain it properly.
Have you gone to a coffee shop within the past week? [i.e. Starbucks] I sat in Starbucks writing last Monday for a wee while.
Have you ever slept in a tent, outdoors? Yes. The last time was around 20 years ago in Lochaber near Fort William - it was absolutely freezing and poured all night so I eventually took my sleeping bag and crawled into the car. 10 minutes later Boyd joined me and we snuggled together to try and get warm!
Last three texts on your phone are from? Daughter Nikki, friend Jane and friend Andrea.
Are you afraid of flying? Not really.
Do you have freckles? Yes there's always an outbreak when the sun shows its face :)
Do you have plans for today? I have the unenviable job of trying to get together a document to be considered at a tribunal hearing in protest at my benefit being stopped. Not looking forward to that :( (And it never happened - I ended up going back out to Nikki’s for more unpacking and sorting!).
Would you rather date someone five years older or five years younger than you? This is interesting in that I wouldn’t have been that bothered when I was younger - as long as it feels right and love is there, age shouldn’t really matter. However that’s changed slightly as I’ve got older - I’m now far more aware how much someone’s life can change in such a short time and what a difference five years makes when you’re at this stage of life. There’s a guy at the table tennis group I quite fancy but I have to admit the fact he’s 68 is putting me off a bit which I feel really bad about! Not that I have any chance of anything with him or anything but I was just surprised when I caught myself thinking that.
What were you doing at 7:45AM this morning? Dreaming in Italian!! (honestly)
Are you usually awake at midnight? Yes unfortunately. I've long had a suspicion that getting to sleep before then is much more beneficial for you but I always seem to struggle to make it happen.
Does it get really cold where you live? That's relative depending on what you're used to. It can get pretty cold in winter over here.
When you get home from school/work do you change into your pjs right away? I don't work or go to school now but no matter how late I get up (and on very bad days it can be as late as half past 3), I always get dressed and stay dressed until bedtime. I had too long an enforced stay of pyjama time not that long ago and it left its mark!
What is the temperature currently in the town you live in? It's currently 8 C (46 F) just now.
What is one thing in the room you’re in that reminds you of somebody? There's a coloured glass bead necklace of Mum's hanging on the wall.
What is the last thing you plugged into an electrical outlet? My hairdryer.
The last time you went to the mall, what did you go for? I was there last weekend to return a jumper to TK Maxx.
What are your favorite hobbies? Reading, writing, music, walking. I'd like to add drawing to that list this year if possible.
What are your favourite foods? I'm not really a foodie so I'm not sure - I like most kinds of pasta and I would find it hard to resist a big, doughy cherry scone! Just on its own though - no butter or jam or anything on it thanksverymuch :) Oh and a cup of Earl Grey to go with it is a must!
Is there a rail line near your house? If so, is it noisy and bothersome?
There is one not too far away but it doesn’t bother me normally. However a couple of years ago there were major alterations to the main northbound line which had to be carried out over many months and mainly at night. The folk in my area weren’t informed as they didn’t think we would hear it and I remember waking up to this horrendous noise like an enormous chainsaw making its way towards the house one Saturday night - it was like about 30 drones all flying about together the whole night! The next day our online neighbourhood group was buzzing with folk asking what the hell it was and some bright spark eventually figured it out. They had to return for more work over 6 months a year later but thankfully it must have been further away as I wasn’t kept awake this time (ironically we were informed about this one!). I was soooo grateful for this because I was still in bed for a lot of the week at that point.
And some of the answers to that question from other diarists brought back a lovely childhood memory of me coming to Aberdeen to spend holidays in the summer with my auntie and uncle down here. They married late in life and had no children so they loved to give mum some much-needed respite by being able to spoil me for a couple of weeks :) My uncle worked in the local paper mill and they had a tied house which the mill owned and which was just down the road from the northbound railway line. One of my favourite things was to go out for a walk with my auntie and Roy, their golden retriever, up the brae to the little railway bridge just in time for the Inverness train and wave to the driver at the front of the train. He always waved back. Along with a lot of the passengers. Those were the days when folk actually looked out of the window and didn’t have their noses permanently stuck in phones or iPads :)
What’s your favorite flavour of potato chip? Salt and vinegar or tomato sauce.
How far do you live from the nearest international border? I’m in Scotland so I suppose the nearest border is England but internationally I’m assuming it would be France?
Do you know anyone born on the 29th of February? No but that was Nikki's original due date. Thankfully she wanted a 10 day long lie so we missed it!
What’s the tastiest thing inside your refrigerator right now? A lovely chunk of sirloin steak with my name on it.
Do you have a name that can also be used for the opposite sex? No.
What model of car do you drive? A 2010 Nissan Micra.
Have you ever dated someone you work with? I just had sex with him at the time we worked together but about 14 years later he got back in touch and we ended up dating for a few months.
Who was the last person to call you? Nikki.
Do you have a lock number or pattern for your phone? A lock number.
Is your pantry messy at the moment? I'm so surprised everyone is using the word pantry without question - to me it's a very old-fashioned word used to represent a sort of larder separate from the kitchen. I haven't heard it used for years but the room itself must be quite a common thing to find overseas is it?
List all of your siblings’ middle names. Ian's middle name is Ross which was one of Mum's middle names. For some reason the remaining 3 of us never reached middle name status!
What was the last present someone gave you and what was the occasion? One of Nikki's Christmas presents was slightly quirky - she searched and found on eBay the original version of the board game Sorry! which we'd played loads as a family and which Mum had played with all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren right up until a few years before she died.
Unfortunately Nikki neglected to find out first if I'd snaffled Mum's one from her flat after she died - which I had - for some reason she thought her cousin had taken it. What really made me laugh though (inwardly) was - as you can imagine, having been on the go for a multitude of years, Mum's game was pretty decrepit and had food spills and stains and the like on it but because it was hers we overlooked that. Well the eBay one also had someone else's food spills and stains and crappy stuff on it as well and it was all I could do to touch the thing far less play with it!!
Do you ever let your phone go completely flat before charging it again? No.
When was the last time you left the house? Yesterday - I went out to Nikki's new house, brought tea and helped her unpack and sort things out.
Are you in any sort of physical pain right now, even if very mild? A bit achy from yesterday but nothing too awful.
What was one of your favorite movies as a small child? First one I can remember watching when I was around four was The Three Lives Of Thomasina which had the same little girl who played Jane in the original Mary Poppins. I cried buckets and had to be carried home early by my poor sister!
Do you know the middle name of the last person you texted? It was Nikki and she doesn't have one - it was bad enough getting Boyd to agree on ONE name never mind two! :)
Do you have any food intolerances? Not that I'm aware of.
Is there any cereal in your house? Yes - a large box of Alpen and I think there's one of those multipack thingies in the depths of the cupboard somewhere.
What’s the most number of people you’ve ever lived with? Five growing up and 13 when I first moved to Aberdeen. I stayed in 'digs' (like a boarding house) and there were 4 of us in my room alone! The landlord was really creepy and would walk into the rooms (all female) unannounced but his wife was lovely and quite motherly but stern with it. They must have been raking the money in from that house though when I think of it.
What is in the drawers beside your bed? It's a bedside cabinet sort of thing so just one drawer which has medication, a paper punch, a bookmark, lip salve, an old watch and a pen in it.
Where’s your favorite place to be when you feel depressed? Nowhere.
Are you currently looking forward to tomorrow? Yes - get to see my table tennis buddies :)
Have you ever faked sick? I had to 'invent' things a few times when I was dealing with the fatigue when working because I couldn't explain it properly.
Have you gone to a coffee shop within the past week? [i.e. Starbucks] I sat in Starbucks writing last Monday for a wee while.
Have you ever slept in a tent, outdoors? Yes. The last time was around 20 years ago in Lochaber near Fort William - it was absolutely freezing and poured all night so I eventually took my sleeping bag and crawled into the car. 10 minutes later Boyd joined me and we snuggled together to try and get warm!
Last three texts on your phone are from? Daughter Nikki, friend Jane and friend Andrea.
Are you afraid of flying? Not really.
Do you have freckles? Yes there's always an outbreak when the sun shows its face :)
Do you have plans for today? I have the unenviable job of trying to get together a document to be considered at a tribunal hearing in protest at my benefit being stopped. Not looking forward to that :( (And it never happened - I ended up going back out to Nikki’s for more unpacking and sorting!).
Would you rather date someone five years older or five years younger than you? This is interesting in that I wouldn’t have been that bothered when I was younger - as long as it feels right and love is there, age shouldn’t really matter. However that’s changed slightly as I’ve got older - I’m now far more aware how much someone’s life can change in such a short time and what a difference five years makes when you’re at this stage of life. There’s a guy at the table tennis group I quite fancy but I have to admit the fact he’s 68 is putting me off a bit which I feel really bad about! Not that I have any chance of anything with him or anything but I was just surprised when I caught myself thinking that.
What were you doing at 7:45AM this morning? Dreaming in Italian!! (honestly)
Are you usually awake at midnight? Yes unfortunately. I've long had a suspicion that getting to sleep before then is much more beneficial for you but I always seem to struggle to make it happen.
Does it get really cold where you live? That's relative depending on what you're used to. It can get pretty cold in winter over here.
When you get home from school/work do you change into your pjs right away? I don't work or go to school now but no matter how late I get up (and on very bad days it can be as late as half past 3), I always get dressed and stay dressed until bedtime. I had too long an enforced stay of pyjama time not that long ago and it left its mark!
What is the temperature currently in the town you live in? It's currently 8 C (46 F) just now.
What is one thing in the room you’re in that reminds you of somebody? There's a coloured glass bead necklace of Mum's hanging on the wall.
What is the last thing you plugged into an electrical outlet? My hairdryer.
The last time you went to the mall, what did you go for? I was there last weekend to return a jumper to TK Maxx.
What are your favorite hobbies? Reading, writing, music, walking. I'd like to add drawing to that list this year if possible.
What are your favourite foods? I'm not really a foodie so I'm not sure - I like most kinds of pasta and I would find it hard to resist a big, doughy cherry scone! Just on its own though - no butter or jam or anything on it thanksverymuch :) Oh and a cup of Earl Grey to go with it is a must!
Last updated January 16, 2019
62 Comments
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thesunnyabyss ⋅ January 15, 2019
I have never heard of tomato sauce chips before, but what a fantastic idea,
my grandmother's family came from Scotland, it's one of the few places I've ever wanted to really travel too, one day hopefully!
8C sounds lovely right now, we are at -9
have a great day!
Marg thesunnyabyss ⋅ January 16, 2019
Tomato sauce crisps are really yummy!
Brrrr I won’t complain about the cold again :)
thesunnyabyss Marg ⋅ January 16, 2019
currently -14 ugh, I'm so over winter this year, lol
MageB ⋅ January 15, 2019
Just a delightful piece. Yes, 47 is chilly. No middle names? Goodness. And I'm the lady who gave her youngest three middle names.
Marg MageB ⋅ January 16, 2019
Another noter and I are wondering if middle names are more common across the pond? Food for thought!
Deleted user ⋅ January 16, 2019
I have pantry cabinets on one wall in my kitchen .
Marg Deleted user ⋅ January 16, 2019
Ah now over here a pantry would be a totally separate room - perhaps like your utilities rooms over there? It was normally just off the kitchen.
Deleted user Marg ⋅ January 16, 2019
Nope, don’t have that but I have a laundry room.
NorthernSeeker ⋅ January 16, 2019
Well Marg, I've haven't done the survey so you are not the last one on the bandwagon. One thing that really surprised me after reading these surveys is how many different flavours of potato chips there are. We definitely don't have all of them in Canada. Pantries are not that common in Canada but lots of kitchens have tons of cupboard space.
Marg NorthernSeeker ⋅ January 17, 2019
Oh it's so nice not to be the last to do something for a change!
NorthernSeeker ⋅ January 16, 2019
The Three Lives of Tomasina was so sad. btw, I'd love to have you sitting beside me when I try to watch an episode of Shetland (a Netflix series) so help translate the almost incomprehensible accent for me. I have a feeling you'd be able to do that with no problem. When I watch that show I'm always about 30 seconds behind what's being said with trying to decipher it.
Marg NorthernSeeker ⋅ January 17, 2019
Haha I'm not surprised - it's a very strong accent! A great series though if you can stick with it - I really enjoyed watching it :)
ConnieK ⋅ January 17, 2019
Pantries are common in the states, but are usually not a room, but a closet. I'm surprised so many of us are night owls! Those last two questions were not on my survey. Weird.
Marg ConnieK ⋅ January 18, 2019
Yes I noticed some folk had extra questions from the one I did - I suppose that’s the problem with copying and pasting - if one person gets it wrong then it just perpetuates!
noko ⋅ January 18, 2019
Oh gosh...The Three Lives Of Thomasina was a foundational movie for me and I haven't thought of it in yeas. Thanks for the reminder.
Marg noko ⋅ January 18, 2019
I think that was my first experience of sustained emotion which I didn’t know what to do with as I was only 4 at the time. My poor sister though - having to carry me all the way home from the cinema which was uphill most of the way! She was only 11 - and never complained once.
Oswego ⋅ January 19, 2019
You never know what’s going to come at you in those surveys. I’ve never seen this one before. You had some good answers. One of the things I like about surveys is that they encourage you to be direct and spontaneous. I have a survey bookmarked to take one of these days. I’ve only done one and that was at OD years ago! 🙂
I liked the question about whether you’re awake at midnight. I had to smile at that one. Midnight for me is like 8 or 9 pm for most people. The best time of the day is 2 am — that is if Mom’s asleep.
Marg Oswego ⋅ January 20, 2019
Oh you should totally do it! What I like about them is you get to know the person taking them a little bit better - it provides an increased insight which is nice.
I used to be a terrible night owl I must admit so might have joined you in that 2 a.m. reckoning but sadly not these days! I realise your situation is different though and that determines when you can sleep and get time to yourself :)
kmh. ⋅ January 20, 2019
Here in Australia, a pantry is a cupboard (usually built-in to the kitchen) where you store food.
Concerned about your answer about your benefit potentially stopping... I hope that doesn't happen.
Marg kmh. ⋅ January 20, 2019
It already has :( They stopped it last September so I now have to go to a Tribunal hearing to get it reinstated which means lots of energy I don't have spent on amassing evidence of my illness, documentation of absolutely everything I can think of, statements from medical professionals and wrangling with the bureaucracy of our wonderful government - can't wait!🙄
Mystery ⋅ January 20, 2019
We have a pantry here. It's small but still big enough for the two of us.
Marg Mystery ⋅ January 20, 2019
So are you talking about a room or a cupboard there?
Mystery Marg ⋅ January 20, 2019
No, it's a door, only not quite as wide as one you walk through. There are shelves inside it. Hang on. I'll go take a pic and send it to you on FB.
ODSago ⋅ January 20, 2019
My Goodness, this is a good survey and your answers bring even more interest to it. I've not seen it before myself. I don't think my answers would be half as interesting as yours. I did shudder to think of tomato flavored potato chips. I'm a purest in this regard, myself. Original "Lay's" chips are my favorite. And I only have knowing one person in my entire life to have only two names. Given that I was the editor and very concerned with publication of our HS annual for four years, and that I taught hundreds of students in my twelve years at the local university and taught neighborhood groups...my son-in-law is the only person I can say I have ever known to have only two names...until you and yours of course.
Marg ODSago ⋅ January 21, 2019
Really? Wow that's quite something! One of my noters wondered if middle names was much more of an American thing than over here because she knew so many people with them!
ODSago Marg ⋅ January 21, 2019
I think the answer is clear, they must be more popular here.
Adventure before Dementia ⋅ January 22, 2019
Great survey answers. I checked with Kauri and he reckons Norway could be closer to you than France...dunno.
Marg Adventure before Dementia ⋅ January 23, 2019
Funnily enough I thought that as I was writing it - pretty sure you're right!
edna million ⋅ February 15, 2019
What a great random survey! I've gotten all distracted by what a pantry is, and I think over here it's more of a closet or cupboard (which, LOL, I never realized was such an odd word itself until I tried spelling it!!). At least that's what I call the ex-linen closet that I turned into a place to store non-perishable food. Still I keep thinking maybe the more wealthy people had pantries that were separate rooms.
Apparently I was seriously scarred by Thomasina, because although I can't remember anything about it, just the THOUGHT of it makes me tear up!!!
Kim has had the same thoughts about dating anyone much older at all now- and I would too if I were in the dating pool. Younger is fine, but she doesn't want to end up being someone's private unpaid nurse! Of course there are plenty of older men who are perfectly healthy and active, and you never have any guarantee of what will happen at any age. I think she passed over several 68+ men when she was using dating sites.
Marg edna million ⋅ February 16, 2019
Yeah my age filter was something like 55-65 I think - I just felt above that could open up several cans of worms! I feel really bad for thinking like that but it's purely based on what I see and probably influenced by what's gone on with Ian and Mike (my brothers).
I keep meaning to watch Thomasina sometime just to see what memories it invokes but I think I'm worried it might end up being a disappointment after all these years!