draliman on life

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

Do you like having your photograph taken?
No, not at all. I’m always the face hidden behind the hand, or a blur as I swiftly turn away.

Did you have a school photograph taken every year?
Yes, at least during secondary school (that’s ages 12-ish to 16-ish).

Do you take photographs using a phone or stand alone camera?
Usually with my phone as it’s always on me, but if I’m going somewhere special out and about I sometimes take my proper camera.

Are you any good at taking photographs?
Not really. I get some good-ish ones but I usually mess up the composition and get too much sky or whatever. On my proper camera, I also don’t know how to use the white balance properly when it’s very bright.

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

What colour was your school uniform (if you had one)?
There was no uniform at my Primary school (it’s more usual these days) so it was often shorts and sandals with a little leather satchel.

At Secondary school it was black shoes, grey trousers, grey or white shirt, branded grey jumper, school-colours tie and (optional) black branded blazer.

But why tell you when I can show you? Here I am! Presumably aged around 11 or 12.

When working, did you have to wear a uniform or dress colour code?
Nope. Only very occasionally when I was working a particular hall of residence at university and there was a big conference coming in, I had to be “smart”. And when I had my summer job at the county council’s computer department I had to do full shirt and tie. But since then, it’s trainers, jeans and t-shirt/jumper.

What is your favourite colour to wear?
Blue, black and grey.

What colour would you never wear unless there was no alternative?
Anything too bright.

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

Do you revisit or reblog some of your earlier posts?
Not really. I rarely look at old posts and have never reblogged.

Do you have a favourite post/posts?
Maybe some of the flash fictions I wrote back in the day.

How long have you been blogging?
According to that month picker thingy, since July 2011.

Do you have another blog elsewhere?
No, no other blogs anywhere. I have an Instagram account but don’t post photos to it much.

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

Is your home heated by radiators, underfloor heating or an open fire?
I have a couple of electric radiators. One has a built-in fan. I also have a couple of oil-filled radiators.

What is a comfortable temperature in the colder months for your home?
Comfortable would be anything above about 20C. That never happens, though. My house generally sits at around 10-12C. Sticking the radiator on for a little while boosts it to 14-15C temporarily. Hot water bottles, duvets and extra jumpers, that’s how I roll.

What is more appealing, a mug of hot coffee or tea, a bowl of warming soup, or stew and dumplings?
Hot soup – it’s somewhat substantial yet warming.

Would you prefer to share the dawning of a new day or a beautiful sunset?
Photo-wise, it can be hard to tell the difference. Psychologically it depends on my mood. Here’s a sunset taken from where my office used to be before we moved into town.

And here’s a sunrise, coincidentally taken from about the same place.

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

Would you consider yourself creative (writing, projects, hobbies etc)
I can generally write a passable flash fiction story, but sadly on the arts and crafts side I’m completely incapable of making what’s in my head translate to the arty crafty medium.

What is the ‘bravest’ thing you think you have ever done (faced a fear, stood up for someone/something, etc)
I don’t do brave. That’s not me at all 🙂

If you were to come into a substantial amount of money, what would you do with it?
Pay off my mortgage and immediately retire. If it was a really substantial amount I might look at bigger houses nearby so I’d have a couple of spare rooms.

If you could change something that has been annoying you, what would that be?
Blimey, who knows. More and more stuff annoys me the older I get. I’m sure I didn’t used to get so wound up over little thigs when I was younger.

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

What is more tantalising on your taste buds: frying bacon, freshly baked bread, fresh coffee, apple pie.
The frying bacon. As long as it’s “fried” rather than “frying”, which would burn my taste buds clean off.

What is the most unpleasant to you: onions, garlic, smells of the country, personal hygiene.
Poor personal hygiene. Ack.

What is the most annoying: a continuously barking dog, whiny bratty children, loud music, bad language.
The continuously barking dog. There was one where I lived years ago, barked from around 2am to 4am continuously every night. Woke me up and kept me awake.

What is most likely to make you smile: kittens/puppies, toddlers splashing in puddles, a baby’s smile, an elderly couple holding hands.
Kittens!

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

Do you prefer bar food, a restaurant, café or tea rooms?
Bar food, I prefer everything casual. Restaurants are okay as long as they’re not too posh, like pizza places or Indian restaurants,

Do you always have the same thing, or try something different from time to time?
I usually have the same thing. I don’t go out very often, and it would be a shame to waste my trip having something yukky.

Have you ever had to send something back to the kitchen because it was sub standard?
No. I pretty much eat what I’m given. I don’t recall ever receiving anything that was worth complaining about anyway.

If you have a complaint, do you make it in writing after you have left, or before you settle your bill?
I’ve never had a complaint, I’m not sure what I’d do. But if I didn’t complain when I was there I probably wouldn’t bother, I just wouldn’t go back.

Here is my post for Share My World, hosted by Di.

Would you like to relive parts of your childhood?
Some parts were good. I remember a lot of bike riding around the place, and to visit friends. I couple of school trips to outside places stand out in my mind.

But, on the whole, I wouldn’t go through childhood again for anything.

Did you believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy?
Very probably, though I don’t remember “actively” believing. It was a long time ago though.

I was just happy for the presents, the chocolate eggs and the money under the pillow, basically. I’m a believer!

Was there a childhood habit you never grew out of?
I really don’t know.

Were you part of a large family or an only child?
There was me and my brother (plus parents), the “standard” family size.

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

What is your favourite animated movie?
I don’t watch that many. “Zootopia” is the only animated film I’ve deliberately watched more than once.

Who is your favourite cartoon character?
I don’t know that I have a favourite. Many characters from the Simpsons, Pam from “Archer” maybe.

Who is your favourite actor and actress?
I don’t know that I have favourites. There are a few names which make me think “this is probably worth watching as such-and-such is in it”.

Do you think today’s movies give value for money?
Well they’re certainly getting longer in general. Which, funnily enough, makes me less willing to pay to see them in the cinema. I can’t sit there for three hours. It’s not like “ye olden days” where you had to wait 5 years before you could watch a film outside of the cinema.

Here is my post for Share Your World, hosted by Di.

Do you have any fruit trees in your garden?
Not in my garden. The house next door has a huge apple tree, which they had to get permission to cut back last year. I remember the letter I got asking if I had any objections (I’m in a tree preservation area).

If not, do you have any trees at all?
I have sort of tree/bushes. Not trees in the sense of trees you see in the woods, but too big to be bushes, I would say.

Have you ever made your own beer or wine?
No. My dad made his own wine way back when, though.

Which is your preference: fruit pie (tart), lemon meringue, key lime pie, other.
I prefer pies/tarts featuring berries. Blackberry is a favourite of mine. Actually, a nice blackberry and rhubarb crumble with vanilla ice cream is very nice 🙂