draliman on life

Every Sunday I participate in Share Your World, hosted by Cee over at her wonderful photography blog.

But wait a minute, I hear you ask, this isn’t Sunday! Why are you doing your Share Your World post on a Thursday?

BECAUSE I CAN bwahahahaha.

Do you prefer ketchup or mustard?
I have to choose? How about ketchup and mustard simultaneously? Both have their place.

Ketchup (or “tomato sauce” as it’s more commonly called round these parts) is good with chips (that’s “fries” if you’re in the US). Of course, so is mustard. If you get those rubbish chips from fast food joints you almost have to have ketchup. If you have proper chips from a good old British fish and chip shop (or van) such condiment is not required! Just a bit of salt and vinegar.

Currently though, I have no tomato sauce in my cupboard/fridge. Just mayonnaise, Branston pickle, chilli pickle, Dijon mustard, hot dog mustard, barbecue sauce, HP brown sauce, Worcester sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce and extra hot Tabasco sauce.

Anyone would think I don’t like the taste of food.

“Food is but a delivery mechanism for the condiment.” (draliman, 2014)

This is all I have in. I hope it will do.

I’m not sure I actually answered the question.

If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction?
It would be a story of betrayal, betrayal by the people I trusted above all else. Of a love lost, of danger, espionage and car chases. Oh sorry. My life? Not Jason Bourne’s life?

Okay then, it would be a massive box office flop. Floppity floppity flop. There’d be a normal childhood, then an unfortunate amount of booze, a dodgy bit in the middle which I don’t remember very well (thankfully) and then me now.

Yaaawn.

Let’s stick with Jason Bourne.

If you could be given any gift what would it be?
Wow, anything? The gift of happiness? The gift of health and long life? Dare I dream, the gift of love? Tell you what, just give me a shed load of cash.

‘Cos I’m shallow like that.

For potlucks or parties do you cook it yourself, buy from a grocery store, or pay for catering?
Me, cook? Are you mad?

Actually, I’ve been wondering about trying to make some little savoury appetisers. That’s still at the dream stage, though.

I would pop down the shops and buy something like sausage rolls, and if it’s pot luck I’d buy a little dessert thing as well because I’d be worried that everyone would bring sausage rolls. I worry about things like that.

See you all again next week, probably on a Sunday!

It’s hard to believe it but it’s already time for another Share Your World, hosted by Cee over at her photography blog.

If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? (guest can be dead, alive, famous or someone you just know)
Wow, tricky one. There are so many people to invite, especially since I can have dead people as well. I assume they won’t be dead when they arrive on my show, because that would be gross.

I’ll invite on authors Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. That’s right, we’re having a comedy author smack-down! They went head to head over in the Fishbowl and Adams got the top slot, so this is a rematch.

Obviously this could get a bit ugly, so the third guest would be Jerry Springer. It’s not actually him I want, but he comes with bouncers and I might need them.

What can you always be found with?
My mobile phone. Obvious answer, I know, but it’s true. Camera, torch, calculator, navigation etc etc all in one. I hear that in a pinch it can also be used to make phone calls.

What is the most fun thing you did in school?
I don’t usually think of the words “fun” and “school” together. The most fun I had at school was leaving.

We did go on a weekend trip to London when I was in the first year (which is now called “year eleven” or “year twelve” or something) of secondary school. That was a laugh. A friend and I got lost in Harrods and we nearly missed the train home when another pupil wandered off to buy a newspaper. We visited some museums and stuff as well 🙂

It was on this trip that I made friends with a guy who turned out to be a childhood friend back from when we were babies (our fathers used to work together). He now lives round the corner from me and I’m Godfather to his youngest.

What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
I’ve been thinking about this through the week but I can’t think of anything that I do differently to other people. Maybe leave the house? I check and double check all the doors, windows and power points and then check them again if I don’t get out the house fast enough.

Now I sound like a crazy person.

See you again next week!

Hello there and welcome to me Sharing My World. Share Your World is hosted by Cee at her photography blog. There are some tricky questions this week.

List 2 things you have to be happy about.
I’m really bad at things like gratitude lists, but the word here is “happy” rather than “thankful”. Phew.

I’m happy that I’ve got my little house. It’s somewhere I can finally call home.

I’m also happy that, um, I’m not unhappy.

There you go. Two things!

List at least 2 things in nature do you find most beautiful.
I like little streams and waterfalls. I also like lakes, and looking down at the sea from the top of the cliffs.

Show us 2 of your favourite photographs. Explain why they are your favourite. If you are not a photographer (serious or otherwise), think of a two favourite scenes in your life and tell us about them.
How can I choose? I’ll do a couple of nice nature photos. These are places where I could happily just sit and enjoy the scenery.

Somewhere in the North of Scotland

A waterfall in Coed y Brenin forest park, Wales

List 2 of your best personality traits.
The questions are getting harder and harder!

How can I choose two of my best personality traits? There are so many because I’m so supremely awesome. That’ll do for one.

1. Supremely awesome
2. Exceptionally modest

There you go!

What, you wanted sensible? Hmm, I’m not good at self-analysis stuff. Good sense of humour, though it’s a bit odd sometimes. I’m also a good listener. This is because I don’t know what to say in any social situation and I’m rubbish at giving advice, so all I can do is listen!

Phew, some toughies this week.

It’s Week 29 of Share Your World, hosted by Cee at her photography blog.

Have you ever been in a submarine?  If you haven’t, would you want to?
I’ve never been in a submarine, but it sounds cool. I’d like to look around a military submarine in the dock as they look quite interesting, but it would be boring taking a trip in one as they have no windows. One of those tourist subs with a glass floor would be great for looking at coral reefs and such.

Read more…

It’s half-way through the year and time to Share My World once again. The questions are posed on a weekly basis by Cee – go check out her wonderful photos!

Is your refrigerator, organized or a mess inside?
I’d call it organised, though some might brand it a mess. Everything always goes in exactly the same place every week, so I know where everything is, so that makes it organised.

However, I’ve had it for nearly 6 years and have never cleaned it, so that makes it a mess 🙂

When I moved house in February, the freezer part at the top was so full of ice it filled an entire sink. There’s lots more room in it now!

This is the day before my weekly shop, so it’s quite empty!

As I’m feeling generous, here’s a bonus pic – the freezer portion, which sits on top of the fridge.

Ice cream and pizza. Who’d’a thunk it?

If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?
I’m not really sure I want to be famous, but if I were I think it would be as a novelist, in common with many others who have answered this challenge.

Then I would be invited on all those comedy panel shows and I’d be awesome and everyone would love me and I’d be rich and I’d be the nation’s hero and women would throw themselves at me etc etc BWAHAHAHAHAHA.

But I wouldn’t let it change me ‘cos I’m really well adjusted.

What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?
Choose just one thing? That’s a tricky one. Maybe visit New Zealand. Did I ever mention Hobbits before in these challenges? I think I did.

The scenery is very beautiful!

Where do you eat breakfast?
On a weekend, I only have coffee. In fact, coincidentally, some is brewing at the moment! I drink it in the living room.

Here it is, sitting in front of my trusty George Foreman grilling machine.

On a work day I also indulge in a Kellogg’s Special K “Biscuit Moment”, which I eat at my desk.

That’s all for this week, see you next week!

Here we are at week 25 of Share Your World, hosted by Cee over at her photography blog.

What is your favourite type of dog?  (can be anything from a specific breed, a stuffed animal, drawing, cartoon or character in a movie or TV show)
I’m really a cat person. I spent my childhood afraid of dogs ever since one ran off with my underwear on the beach while I was tiny 😦

I prefer cute little dogs, like the Andrex puppy (in case you don’t have this brand where you live, it’s toilet paper).

The Lads.

Name one thing not many people know about you.
If I told you lots of people would know it, instantly making my answer a lie.

Have you ever gone scuba diving?  If you haven’t, would you want to?
I’ve never gone scuba diving, but it sounds wonderful. Floating around in the peace and quiet, watching all the little fishies swim past.

What was the most important event in your life last week? (anything goes it can be a good nights sleep, finished a reading book, winning the lottery, or getting married)
I didn’t win the lottery and I didn’t get married (not that I remember anyway). I was on holiday, so nothing important really happened that I can think of. It was more a time of little victories. I got out of the house (it’s not unknown for me to spend my two week holiday never going out except to get groceries). I did jobs around the house. Stuff like that.

It’s time to Share My World again, courtesy of Cee over at her photography blog. Check her blog out for great photos and tips!

What makes you feel the most secure?
Money. Cash. Moolah. Dosh. Readies. Dough. Nelsons.

Just enough so that I’m not constantly worried about paying the bills.

If you were a shoe, what kind would you be and why?
I’d be a trainer. It’s pretty much all I ever wear, unless I’m going somewhere special. Soft and comfortable. Here are my current trainers. I wear them until they fall to bits, then I buy a new pair.

Although, thinking about it, would I really want to spend all my time all sweaty and smelly? Maybe a clog would be a safer bet.

How many languages do you speak?
Well, English of course. I’ll add American English to that, as thanks to American TV programmes and books I know a lot of strange American words, such as “elevator”, “sidewalk”, “airplane”, “diaper”, “stroller” and “faucet”. The list goes on and on!

I know enough German to hold a conversation and more or less understand TV and simple books. I can order food and stuff in French, but unless they slow down I can’t understand what they are saying.

What was the largest city you have been to?  What is the one thing you remember most?
I guess that would have to be London. I most remember the parks – little oases of green and peace in a sea of confusion and noise (I apologise for placing an oasis in the middle of a sea there – sloppy I know but this isn’t fiction).

I think I was so traumatised by all the people and noise my mind has blocked it all out, leaving only the parks 🙂

See you again next week!