Welcome to a cloudy but pleasant South Manchester. I thought I would have a go at Sunday Stealing which has taken a bit of a break over the last couple of months. It’s a fun diversion to answer some daft questions so let’s dive straight in shall we?
1. What book are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading a science fiction series called The Gamma Recruits which involves parallel universes and time travel. Such novels totally appeal to a geek like me. But I don’t care. I love this kind of thing.
2. Have you ever smoked?
My dad was a smoker and he tried desperately to give up. Nevertheless he always told me not to do it and of all the ways he tried to influence me, somehow that one stuck. I did rebel briefly at school and joined the other smokers behind a certain building at school. I tried to take a drag and I ended up coughing like a lunatic and gave up there and then. The second and last time I tried smoking was at university. I was drunk and took the offer of a cigarette and then took the smoke all the way down into my lungs. The reaction was spectacular – I threw up. I decided at that moment that I would never try it again – and to this day I haven’t.
3. Do you own a gun?
I live in the United Kingdom so of course I don’t own a gun. Whenever I watch the news about America’s massive gun problems and mass shootings I shake my head with incredulity. People are shot so much in America because there seems to be no gun control whatsoever and it seems that a proportion of the population feel the need to have one for whatever reason. It’s absurd.
I am glad the UK has such strict rules about guns.
4. What is your favourite candy?
I don’t eat “candy” that much but at the moment we are approaching Easter, which means that Cadbury’s Creme Eggs are available. I love them and at this time I do buy them as a treat.
Other than that, I love Lindor Chocolate, especially the dark ones.
5. Hot dogs: yay or nay?
I haven’t had a hot dog for a while. I think the last time was in the last decade when I went to the cinema. I wouldn’t normally have a hot dog there but I recall I was a little peckish.
So I guess that’s a “Yay”!
6. Favourite movie?
I simply don’t have one. There are too many movies that I love to be able to cut it down to even 100 let alone just one. Here are a couple that I have seen recently that may qualify but if you ask me again tomorrow I will pick others.
300
Avengers: Infinity War / Avengers: Endgame
Inglorious Basterds
Inception
Mission Impossible : Fallout
7. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
I always have a large cup of decaffeinated tea, with a little milk and no sugar. Also a glass of apple juice and orange juice mixed.
8. What do you drink throughout the day?
Again, I drink decaffeinated tea and the odd glass of water.
9. Do you do push ups?
I have done push ups in the past (or as we in the UK call them - press ups). In fact the most recent time I did them was at the start of 2024 for a couple of months until I got fed up. I think I may try them again.
10. What’s your favourite piece of jewellery?
I don’t wear jewellery so I don’t have a favourite I’m afraid.
11. Current worry?
I can honestly say, at the moment, that I don’t have any serious worries I can think of.
Having said that. we are having the garden redesigned and this will involve the whole thing being ripped up and re-laid. I guess that counts as a worry because I hate that sort of upheaval at home. The good news is that it is outside rather than in the house, and our garden is quite small so it won’t take more than a week. Thinking about it, even that isn’t a worry – just an annoying inconvenience for a short while. It will look good when it is complete though, hopefully.
12. Current annoyance?
Where do I start? I’ve stopped watching the news recently because it makes my blood boil. I always thought that if Trump were ever re-elected it would have global consequences and it is proving to be far worse than even I considered.
Trump seems to be systematically trying to dismantle all the alliances that the US has. He is alienating his country from Europe, from his nearest neighbours (especially Canada), he is trying to annexe Greenland and he has a vice president who seems to enjoy shooting off his poisonous mouth wherever he goes.
Add to that unleashing Elon Musk on his own government and pandering to Putin’s needs and his treatment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House in front of the whole world and you see dangerous times ahead. The idiot has only been President for a couple of months and we can see scary times ahead.
Rant over.
13. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
I have never slept on satin sheets but I think if I did my hair would be so full of static electricity that I would never be able to get it under control.
14. Can you whistle?
Yes I can.