Saturday 13 March 2021

Ask Anything

 

Welcome to an unsettled South Manchester on day 363 of Covid-19 restrictions. The weather is a little odd at the moment, sunny one minute and raining the next. It is typical or late winter/early spring and thankfully it is starting to get warmer. 

Shall we just dive straight in with another set of questions from Sunday Stealing

1 Do You Sleep With Your Closet Doors Open Or Closed?

I don’t have a closet in my bedroom. If I did I would close it, simply because if I didn’t then Ziggy and Star(dust) would creep in there and start creating mischief while I slept. In fact, we have had to ban the cats from our bedroom because they have a tendency to wake us up in the middle of the night by walking all over us, playing with our feet, jumping on us, sticking their bums in our faces, play fighting with each other on the bed or a combination of all of the above.

Talking of closets, we do have a cupboard under the stairs that is a little like a closet, which remains closed for the same reason, i.e. potential cat mischief.

2 Do You Have Freckles?

I am blonde and fair-skinned so the answer is yes. In fact when I am a hot place and in direct sunshine they are clearly visible.

3 Can You Whistle?

If you mean the kind of whistle that doesn’t involve putting my fingers in my mouth then the answer is yes. I can, as they say, whistle a happy tune.

4 Last Song You Listened To.

Heart of Amsterdam by The Gentle Storm, featuring the incredible Anneke van Giersbergen on vocals. It is a real potpourri of styles, with elements of folk and symphonic rock, including pan pipes, strings and electric guitars, with a joint guitar and violin sole towards the end.

The video is pretty good with images of the city of Amsterdam, one of my favourite cities in the world, a place I have visited through work countless times as well as being there for weekends. Here it is.

I need to go back to Amsterdam when all of this pandemic nonsense is over. I miss the place.

5 Name Something That Relaxes You.

Ambient music. Something like this:

6 What Sounds Are Your Favourite?

One of the good things about walking first thing in the morning while everybody is still asleep is that you can watch the sun rise, especially at this time of the year. As the sun peeps up over the horizon, you can hear the dawn chorus, as just about every bird announces to every other bird that the day’s machinations are about to begin. It is a paradox; so peaceful and yet so noisy. I feel totally relaxed. Similarly, a walk in the countryside during the summer can have the same effect as I listen to a soundscape that is devoid of cars and full of nature with birds, insects and farmyard creatures composing their own music for my pleasure. 

I also love the sound of the ocean gently lapping onto a beach. 

7 What Do You Wear To Bed?

It depends on the time of year and how warm it is. During winter, I wear a long-sleeved T shirt loungewear trousers. In the summer I tend to just wear underpants. I am not a pretty sight when I get out of bed.

8 Do You Sing In The Shower?

Sometimes if I am the only person in the house. If Mrs PM is around then no. The reason is that my singing voice is like that of a cat being tortured.

9 What Books Are You Reading?

At the moment I am reading two books. The first is The Creative Writing Coursebook which is full of tips and tricks and advice for budding writers. The second is a novel called Recursion by Blake Crouch, which I have just started.

10 Do You Believe In Magic?

No. I do love to watch a magician in action and I always try to work out how they have done what they have done. The truth is that they are basically entertaining tricksters and it is just an illusion. This guy is one of my favourites.

11 Can You Curl Your Tongue?

Yes I can. 

12 Have You Ever Caught A Butterfly?

I have caught a moth and thrown it out of the window. In Australia, however, I inadvertently caught a few butterflies at the Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda, Australia. A couple of them landed on me.

13 Name One Movie That Made You Cry.

I have been known to blub like a baby at some movies but the one that got me the most was The Elephant Man. This scene in particular.

14 Peanuts Or Sunflower Seeds?

I love peanuts, particularly dry roast peanuts. Mrs PM hates them, especially the smell of them, which she says makes her want to vomit. 

15 Are You A Heavy Sleeper?

No, sadly. If a mouse moves a pebble in my front garden I ping awake and sit up saying “What was that?” This is another reason why the cats are banned from the bedroom.


24 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

I do like Enya. Thanks for that clip.
I am an early riser and delight in the dawn chorus (though as you probably remember our birds are often not musical). It is too long since I have heard the ocean.
I hear you on the light sleeping front too. I was once woken (with a start) by a cardboard fridge magnet falling from the fridge - two rooms away.
Jazz does have access to the bedroom - because he shrieks (and scratches the door and the carpet) if he doesn't.

Bev Sykes said...

Interesting Heart of Amsterdam song.

Kwizgiver said...

Fortunately, as I get older my freckles have faded. I was/am covered from head to toe.

River said...

I would love to know how he got fish from the 'empty' bucket. The Enya song was very soothing to listen to.
I also love the dawn chorus, the evening 'conversations' as the birds all settle down again, the laughing of babies, the rolling of thunder the crashing of waves, the winds in the trees.
There are many movies that have made me cry, but I can't recall any of the titles.

Annie said...

You know I had cats for many years and they never went in the closets! T never thought of that before you mentioned it.. now I wonder why they didn't! Enya is indeed relaxing.

songbird's crazy world said...

I enjoyed your answers. My cat likes to jump from the dresser to the bed at 2 in the morning. Usually I sleep right through it. But sometimes...well, I understand why you’re are banned.

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi EC,

Enya is amazing - a vital part of my CD collection. The cat's do try to get into the bedroom but give up if we ignore them.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Bev,

The whole album is interesting and a similar style.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Kwizgver,

I don't mind freckles to be honest - nothing I can do about them even if I hated them.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi River,

Dynamo is an incredible magician and I struggle to see how he does some of the things he has done. I would love to meet the guy because apparently his street magic is mind-bending.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Annie,

Star in particular is the most cusrious cat I have ever owned. She is into everything and Ziggy just tags along. We have had to block off things like the chimney to stop her from climbing it.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Songbird,

Mrs PM would have the cats running rampant. She's not a light sleeper like me.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Lori said...

I love Enya! That would be relaxing to me too and I love listening to the birds chatter. Last year I sat in my gazebo and listened to them during the covid shut down. Loved your answers! Have a nice day!

https://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/

CountryDew said...

I enjoyed the Heart of Amsterdam, and listen to Enya, too. I am going to look up that creative writing book you're reading.

Jodi said...

I enjoyed that Enya clip. Happy Sunday!

zippiknits...sometimes said...

Kato was our climber. She was a Manx. The highest honor goes to my sister's cat, Midnight, whose climbing days are over but were the stuff of legends! He mostly sleeps not as he is 23 years old. Poor dear.
Ah.. you have a wife repellent in eating peanuts. Very nice! lol

2 gators said...

the older I get my freckles mostly faded but like you if I get hot and in the sun they come back out. Our cats play till 3 or 4 in the morning then sleep all day and being a light sleeper it stinks hope you have a great week

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Lori,

Enya is very talented and good to listen to when you want to wind down.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi CD,

It's from a British University - well worth a read even if you are an established writer.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Jodi,

She has plenty more songs to enjoy.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi Zippi,

That's good going for a cat.

Wife repellent? That made me chuckle. I'll tell Mrs PM - she'll never l;et me eat them again.

:o)

Cheers

PM

Plastic Mancunian said...

Hi 2 gators,

Being a light sleeper is a pain in the backside.

:o)

Cheers

PM

MedicatedMoo said...

So with you on 'The Elephant Man.' I have only seen it once and don't think I could bring myself to watch it again.

Plastic Mancunian said...

G'Day Kath,

Do know I have only ever seen it once. I'll have to watch it again.

:o)

Cheers

PM