It's Meme Time Again
Feb. 9th, 2013 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
therealsnape I've had two exceedingly busy weeks, but the one ahead is slightly calmer and the two after that will feel almost like a mini-vacation. Which is good, because I'll get my Beholder-assignment soon, so I'll have to do some serious writing.
Last week I've bought the full Ngiao Marsh collection for Kindle online, for just $16,50, at a place called forumsoftware.com, and now all 33 books are mine! I plan to spread the fun and read one per month. I also plan to throw out my old paper copies as soon as I've read the kindle version. Except for the one I bought in Canterbury because, well, books I bought in Canterbury ... they're more than just books.
So, as you can see, ye of little faith who called me a naive old thing and patted my starry-eyed head when I first announced my good Kindle intentions, the Kindle does help to reduce the amount of shelf-space.
Also, The OLSB has missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime. There was a British mansion that was for sale, Wymering House in Portsmouth. We could have bought it for a mere song because it is haunted. And then we could have put in some repairs, and it would have made the OLSB Retirement Home of our dreams.
The ghosts were nothing, really. Sudden drops in temperature? That's called a draught - English houses often have them. Get a door sausage. Inmates feeling hot and cold at the same time? Either a bad cook or a very exiting fanfic. Bad cooks are a risk we can easily avoid, and if it's that good a fic we'll all want to read it.
The house also boasts a choir of nuns. It is reported that they sing to the sound of music, and there's only so much of "Climb Every Mountain" I can take, but Tetley and Minerva's_Eule would have improved their repertoire.
And there seems to be a Lady in Violet who tells tales of dying old aunts. They sound rather boring, but surely the OLSB could have converted her to the joys of true story-telling? She might have been quite a pleasant addition to our merry little brigade - nothing wrong with a Great-Auntie as main character, she just needed to spice up the plot a bit.
Alas, it's not to be. We were that close to The Best Exotic Poppy Hotel and we missed our chance.
1. What’s your favorite candle scent? Scent-free.
2. What female celebrity do you wish was your sister? Judi Dench might make a fun half-sister, and it's just possible; my father would have been a 24-year-old Dad. It's highly unlikely, though.
3. What male celebrity do you wish was your brother? Not sure. Perhaps a really good chef. But not Ramsay. He's too adjective-challenged.
4. How old do you think you’ll be when you get married? I got married at 30.
5. Do you know a hoarder? I am a bit of a hoarder. I do fight the tendency.
6. Can you do a split? Not for the life of me.
7. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? Five or so?
8. How many oceans have you swam in? Atlantic.
9. How many countries have you been to? Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Jordania, Oman, Germany, U.K., Ireland, USA, Switserland, Egypt - 15.
10. Is anyone in your family in the army? No.
11. What would you name your daughter if you had one? I suppose Flisty would sound odd?
12. What would you name your son if you had one? He'd have had the traditional first name for the Eldest Son of the Eldest Son in Lord S's family, and probably my father's name and his father's name.
13. What’s the worst grade you got on a test? My math results were Troll level.
14. What was your favorite TV show when you were a child? Calimero! The adventures of the one black chicken in a nest of yellow ones. He always tries to help, and they always blame him. The clip shows his most famous line - it was in every episode. "They is big and I is small and that's not fair!" I still think that. Frequently.
15. What did you dress up as on Halloween when you were eight? Nothing. Stop visualising! I don't mean 'nothing' as in 'nothing'. I meant we didn't celebrate.
16. Have you read any of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight series? I'm familiar with the Minerva McGonagall books, yes.
17. Would you rather have an American accent or a British accent? British.
18. Did your mother go to college? No.
19. Are your grandparents still married? They're no longer alive, but my paternal grandparents got a divorce.
20. Have you ever taken karate lessons? No. Given my temper that may be for the best.
21. Do you know who Kermit the frog is? Yes. May I admit to not liking him overmuch? Only in very small doses do I find the Muppets palatable. And they should have kept their filthy paws off the Christmas Carol. *karate-kicks Kermit to Kingdom Come* - and how's that for alliteration?
22. What’s the first amusement park you’ve been to? The Efteling A Dutch theme park - changed out of recognition now. When I was young it was a fairy-tale-wood, all childish innocence. Now they have rollercoasters. Doom!
23. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in? Fluency is aiming rather high, but I wish my German teacher could have been bothered to teach.
24. Do you spell the color as grey or gray? Grey.
25. Is your father bald? No. It took some careful work with the comb, though.
26. Do you know triplets? Louie, Huey, and Dewey. And the Three Little Piglets, but we're not on first-name terms.
27. Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook? Apple Notebook? I approve of the comparison with the Titanic.
28. Have you ever had Indian food? Yes.
29. What’s the name of your favorite restaurant? L'huitre et Demie in Paris used to be fab - haven't been there for too long. Also, there's a rainbow-coloured Currywurst stand I'd like to have near me.
30. Have you ever been to Olive Garden? There is a restaurant of that name in my town. No idea they were this famous. Must check it out. Will report back.
31. Do you belong to any warehouse stores (Costco, BJ’s, etc.)? Those of you who know my real first name know that I can only be purchased at the best kind of warehouse store. I'm a luxury few can afford.
32. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender? I've no idea.
33. If you have a nickname, what is it? TRS.
34. Who’s your favorite person in the world? Until five minutes ago that would have been Lord S. But he just came in to tell me that, now that he has a tablet that will double as an e-reader and now that a friend has given him lots of Dutch ebooks, he may throw out paper books including the Dutch translation of Harry Potter. That sort of thing makes one reconsider one's relationship.
35. Would you rather live in a rural area or in the suburbs? the City.
36. Can you whistle? A little bit.
37. Do you sleep with a nightlight? No.
38. Do you eat breakfast every morning? Not every morning, but I would if I had the time.
39. Do you take any pills or medication daily? No.
40. What medical conditions do you have? None.
41. How many times have you been to the hospital? Five times for several-night-stays. Not after the age of 9, though.
42. Have you ever seen Finding Nemo? No.
43. Where do you buy your jeans? Erm ... actually ... if I'm to be totally honest ... I don't have any.
44. What’s the last compliment you got? "This was such a very useful training," from yesterday's students.
45. Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning? No, but when I do it's a nasty one.
46. What flavor tea do you enjoy? Anything from Mariage Frères.
47. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own? Define 'shoe'. Do we count boots? Espadrilles? Let's just say a fair amount.
48. What religion will you raise your children to practice? Tolerance, and a reasonable knowledge of the Christian culture.
49. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn’t real? I always knew Santa wasn't real. The real thing is Sinterklaas. As I would teach my children.
50. Why do you have a tumblr? I don't.
Last week I've bought the full Ngiao Marsh collection for Kindle online, for just $16,50, at a place called forumsoftware.com, and now all 33 books are mine! I plan to spread the fun and read one per month. I also plan to throw out my old paper copies as soon as I've read the kindle version. Except for the one I bought in Canterbury because, well, books I bought in Canterbury ... they're more than just books.
So, as you can see, ye of little faith who called me a naive old thing and patted my starry-eyed head when I first announced my good Kindle intentions, the Kindle does help to reduce the amount of shelf-space.
Also, The OLSB has missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime. There was a British mansion that was for sale, Wymering House in Portsmouth. We could have bought it for a mere song because it is haunted. And then we could have put in some repairs, and it would have made the OLSB Retirement Home of our dreams.
The ghosts were nothing, really. Sudden drops in temperature? That's called a draught - English houses often have them. Get a door sausage. Inmates feeling hot and cold at the same time? Either a bad cook or a very exiting fanfic. Bad cooks are a risk we can easily avoid, and if it's that good a fic we'll all want to read it.
The house also boasts a choir of nuns. It is reported that they sing to the sound of music, and there's only so much of "Climb Every Mountain" I can take, but Tetley and Minerva's_Eule would have improved their repertoire.
And there seems to be a Lady in Violet who tells tales of dying old aunts. They sound rather boring, but surely the OLSB could have converted her to the joys of true story-telling? She might have been quite a pleasant addition to our merry little brigade - nothing wrong with a Great-Auntie as main character, she just needed to spice up the plot a bit.
Alas, it's not to be. We were that close to The Best Exotic Poppy Hotel and we missed our chance.
1. What’s your favorite candle scent? Scent-free.
2. What female celebrity do you wish was your sister? Judi Dench might make a fun half-sister, and it's just possible; my father would have been a 24-year-old Dad. It's highly unlikely, though.
3. What male celebrity do you wish was your brother? Not sure. Perhaps a really good chef. But not Ramsay. He's too adjective-challenged.
4. How old do you think you’ll be when you get married? I got married at 30.
5. Do you know a hoarder? I am a bit of a hoarder. I do fight the tendency.
6. Can you do a split? Not for the life of me.
7. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? Five or so?
8. How many oceans have you swam in? Atlantic.
9. How many countries have you been to? Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Jordania, Oman, Germany, U.K., Ireland, USA, Switserland, Egypt - 15.
10. Is anyone in your family in the army? No.
11. What would you name your daughter if you had one? I suppose Flisty would sound odd?
12. What would you name your son if you had one? He'd have had the traditional first name for the Eldest Son of the Eldest Son in Lord S's family, and probably my father's name and his father's name.
13. What’s the worst grade you got on a test? My math results were Troll level.
14. What was your favorite TV show when you were a child? Calimero! The adventures of the one black chicken in a nest of yellow ones. He always tries to help, and they always blame him. The clip shows his most famous line - it was in every episode. "They is big and I is small and that's not fair!" I still think that. Frequently.
15. What did you dress up as on Halloween when you were eight? Nothing. Stop visualising! I don't mean 'nothing' as in 'nothing'. I meant we didn't celebrate.
16. Have you read any of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight series? I'm familiar with the Minerva McGonagall books, yes.
17. Would you rather have an American accent or a British accent? British.
18. Did your mother go to college? No.
19. Are your grandparents still married? They're no longer alive, but my paternal grandparents got a divorce.
20. Have you ever taken karate lessons? No. Given my temper that may be for the best.
21. Do you know who Kermit the frog is? Yes. May I admit to not liking him overmuch? Only in very small doses do I find the Muppets palatable. And they should have kept their filthy paws off the Christmas Carol. *karate-kicks Kermit to Kingdom Come* - and how's that for alliteration?
22. What’s the first amusement park you’ve been to? The Efteling A Dutch theme park - changed out of recognition now. When I was young it was a fairy-tale-wood, all childish innocence. Now they have rollercoasters. Doom!
23. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in? Fluency is aiming rather high, but I wish my German teacher could have been bothered to teach.
24. Do you spell the color as grey or gray? Grey.
25. Is your father bald? No. It took some careful work with the comb, though.
26. Do you know triplets? Louie, Huey, and Dewey. And the Three Little Piglets, but we're not on first-name terms.
27. Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook? Apple Notebook? I approve of the comparison with the Titanic.
28. Have you ever had Indian food? Yes.
29. What’s the name of your favorite restaurant? L'huitre et Demie in Paris used to be fab - haven't been there for too long. Also, there's a rainbow-coloured Currywurst stand I'd like to have near me.
30. Have you ever been to Olive Garden? There is a restaurant of that name in my town. No idea they were this famous. Must check it out. Will report back.
31. Do you belong to any warehouse stores (Costco, BJ’s, etc.)? Those of you who know my real first name know that I can only be purchased at the best kind of warehouse store. I'm a luxury few can afford.
32. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender? I've no idea.
33. If you have a nickname, what is it? TRS.
34. Who’s your favorite person in the world? Until five minutes ago that would have been Lord S. But he just came in to tell me that, now that he has a tablet that will double as an e-reader and now that a friend has given him lots of Dutch ebooks, he may throw out paper books including the Dutch translation of Harry Potter. That sort of thing makes one reconsider one's relationship.
35. Would you rather live in a rural area or in the suburbs? the City.
36. Can you whistle? A little bit.
37. Do you sleep with a nightlight? No.
38. Do you eat breakfast every morning? Not every morning, but I would if I had the time.
39. Do you take any pills or medication daily? No.
40. What medical conditions do you have? None.
41. How many times have you been to the hospital? Five times for several-night-stays. Not after the age of 9, though.
42. Have you ever seen Finding Nemo? No.
43. Where do you buy your jeans? Erm ... actually ... if I'm to be totally honest ... I don't have any.
44. What’s the last compliment you got? "This was such a very useful training," from yesterday's students.
45. Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning? No, but when I do it's a nasty one.
46. What flavor tea do you enjoy? Anything from Mariage Frères.
47. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own? Define 'shoe'. Do we count boots? Espadrilles? Let's just say a fair amount.
48. What religion will you raise your children to practice? Tolerance, and a reasonable knowledge of the Christian culture.
49. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn’t real? I always knew Santa wasn't real. The real thing is Sinterklaas. As I would teach my children.
50. Why do you have a tumblr? I don't.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 04:17 pm (UTC)The mansion is indeed such a loss - why did we not conspire to bid earlier... it sounds just so right!
I'm glad you will get some time to catch your breath the next weeks ♥
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:19 pm (UTC)I'm quite looking forward to the next weeks.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 05:07 pm (UTC)Ah, you dear naive thing (pats your starry-eyed little head). You seem to believe that once you get rid of some print books, you will not eventually replace them with other print books -- and probably more.
No jeans? That's the answer that surprises me most.
I'm familiar with the Minerva McGonagall books, yes. ♥♥♥
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:24 pm (UTC)And the mansion would have been perfect. If we had clubbed together we could probably have afforded a share each - bedroom and use of common rooms.
Like in Quartet, we could have tottered towards the end in the style we're accustomed to.
And the Kindle really, truly works. It won't stop me from buying books, but it will make me buy less paper books. It's working already.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 05:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 05:32 pm (UTC)And I'm with Kelly: "the Minerva McGonagall books" Indeed.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 05:42 pm (UTC)Fun read, your survey.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-10 04:21 pm (UTC)But I still think Jacob and Robert Marley were a triumph of the modern artform of sly pop culture injokes. :)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 07:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 08:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-09 10:22 pm (UTC)Episode One: How the OLSB bought TRS a pair of low-rise skinny-fit stretch jeans with a Swarovski belt. And these, for a woman can never have too many pairs of boots.
On 31, it is also well known that you are a fine brand that brings a bit of exotic spice to appreciative people all over the world at affordable prices.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-10 09:46 am (UTC)we can just sell the film rights in advence. This, however, is extremely sound thinking.
The jeans would make for a most entertaining episode. And episode 2 will be how the malfunctioning dishwasher gets (preferably) a viking funeral on the lake, or (if there is no lake) gets burnt on a pyre on a cross-point of ley-lines.
I see a box-office success with related merchandise in our future.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-10 01:38 am (UTC)I'm familiar with the Minerva McGonagall books, yes.
:) M.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-10 09:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-10 08:07 am (UTC)And after all they mostly sell loose tea, and I mostly use sachets, so not that I'm really interested.(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-10 09:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 09:39 pm (UTC)But not Ramsay. He's too adjective-challenged.
You are just too perfect; knock it off. :D
Ooooh that little bird is just so cute! That would have been quite the favourite of mine, I imagine. "They is big and I is small and that's not fair!" I think that every time I have to get something out of the cupboard. And I didn't visualise nottin', nottin' at all.
*Slithers away when roller-coasters are mentioned. Hides behind the nearest Bigger Thing.*
That sort of thing makes one reconsider one's relationship.
Too true! Now, I don't keep a whole lot of books once I've read them, but I'm certainly keeping all my US HPs and will keep the UK ones, too, once I get the other four.
No jeans! No, you're certainly not American. :P
The real thing is Sinterklaas.
He was in our holiday pageant this year. (We did a sort of "Winter Around the World" pageant with things like solstice and the meanings of the plants we use to different holiday figures. See, religious institutions can be fun and educational sometimes, too. :B )
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 09:48 pm (UTC)Slithers away when roller-coasters are mentioned. So you should. *drags you from behind nearest Bigger Thing and Throws Looks*
I really ought to get a pair of jeans. Some day.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 09:53 pm (UTC)To be fair, I had little to do with your getting on the Dragon ride! I certainly take responsibility for the Hogwarts ride--it surprised me when I got back on it and was getting jostled around! It should be retitled "Hogwarts: The Blur Before the Headache". We should get on making that slow and leisurely ride around Hogwarts; I'm sure Rolanda would be up for the challenge.
I've heard America is a great place to buy jeans. Perhaps you should come back soon. (; (And of course if you need a guide around any outlet mall in the country, it is to my utter shame that my suburban history has apparently made me useful for such jobs.)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 10:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-11 10:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-13 09:17 am (UTC)I'm sorry I haven't commented anything yet about your new kindle, particularly since I was so exited to see you join the community. ;o) Mine is so well-used I'm needing a new battery already, I'm down to two days until I need recharging...
Yes to the kindle reducing shelf-space! For me, it was all my English Georgette Heyers. I have the full set in partly a beautiful German edition, partly in the old, kitchy edition (they never released these in the new ed.), but my three parts complete English edition was not that pretty. I also dislike the way the printing ink rubs off with many English volumes, like these. So I have several for the kindle now, and the paperbacks became Bookcrossing books.
I've also bought the newest Elizabeth George as Ebook, but I will keep the printed volumes I already have. The WW got hooked on A Song of Ice and Fire when we were travelling, we had the first volume already, and now the whole ten volumes (the German edition consists of ten rather sizeable volumes) are not existing in the shelves, which is very practical.
On the other hand, I also got myself a new Lord of the Rings in the older and much better translation, the one vaysh11 edited ♥, and absolutely need more beautiful editions of the Silmarillion and the other "historical" Tolkiens, so it's really filling the shelf space with more beautiful books than before. *g* The right way to go for a bibliophile, though, isn't it?
Wymering House sounds awesome. I'd have volunteered for the repairs I could do and could knit door sausages in a jiffy, in everybody's preferred colours and patterns. And in Portsmouth! ♥ I'm absolutely convinced that the ghosts would have been tamed in no time - which ghost proud of its heritage could resist the treats the OLSB has to offer?
#11: *lol* Sounds nice!
#16: ♥
You know Calimero! ♥ *whistles tune* I've never met anybody before except the WW who did.
#34: Good gracious! How can he even consider that!