That's My Answer

 

Welcome to a cloudy South Manchester with some quite pleasantly warm sunny intervals on day 481 of restrictions due to this annoying virus that is going around.

Apparently freedom day, as our resident clown is calling it, is July 19^th when all restrictions will be lifted. Given that the so-called Delta variant is running riot in our country giving us a daily infection rate of 35,000 you may well think that this is a stupid idea. However, the hospital admission rate due to Covid-19 and daily death rate is not following the rise in infections. And those who are getting ill with the disease are generally those who haven’t been vaccinated or have only had one of the two jabs.

In fact, about four weeks ago, Mrs PM and I were asked to self-isolate for a few days because the track and trace app on our phones had informed us that we had been in close contact with somebody who had later tested positive for the disease.

The crazy thing about this was that we were only told to self-isolate for four days. I did some research on this and the recommendation is ten days. So why four? Well apparently, we had been in contact with this person six days beforehand and we had been allowed to walk around the streets for six days potentially spreading the virus (if we had it).

The good news is that we have both been fully vaccinated and during that ten-day period there were absolutely no symptoms in either of us.

It is a bit crazy when you think about it.

No harm was done – apart from to my step count average because I couldn’t go out.

Anyway, enough Covid-19 nonsense. Let’s answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing. 

1. Do you ever feel completely rested and unrushed

Of course I do. I am a fairly laid-back kind of guy and I try not to let myself spiral into the dark place caused by overwork and worry. When I shut my work laptop at the end of the day, I also shutdown any thoughts about work that will ruin the rest of my day. Rest is massively important and I do so whenever I can. Of course, there are times when I am rushed either with work or even outside when something is going on, but for each of these times I try to compensate for it by relaxing whenever I can.

Life is too short to allow yourself to be rushed off your feet all of the time.

2. If you had to wear all white for the entire day, how long before you spilled something on it?

Probably after five minutes.

I wouldn’t wear all white anyway because my skin is too pale. White and yellow look ridiculous on me – all white makes me look like a milk bottle and all yellow would make me look like a radioactive ghost.

3. What would you include inside of your emergency kit?

A spare pair of glasses. I am Mr Magoo without them and if I were to lose them I would struggle. Whenever I travel anywhere that is not within easy reach of home, I always take a spare pair with me just in case.

4. What’s more fun than a barrel full of monkeys?

A bag of frogs. Actually, I have seen a bag of frogs in Hong Kong. When I was working there for three months, I decided one day to go to an area that is outside of the usual tourist areas and saw a woman walk out of a shop with a white bag full of frogs that were hopping about inside. It looked funny but I guess it wasn’t because I know why they were there; they were dinner or at least their legs were.

5. Is it hard for you to let go of certain things, even if you have too many of them?

Yes. Mrs PM thinks that I am a hoarder. I don’t think I am but I do have a lot of things that are off limits to Mrs PM’s desire to get rid of them. Early in our relationship, she persuaded me to get rid of my collection of paperback novels and I regretted it because I have had the inkling since to reread some of them. It wasn’t long before I realized my mistake and from that point onwards I told her that she has to ask me before she gets rid of anything.

And to be fair she does. The worst thing is that she wants me to get rid of my CD collection, which to me is a heinous crime. She just doesn’t get it.

6. When was the last time you were ready to throw in the proverbial towel? Did you end up letting go, or decided to fight on anyway?

I am quite stubborn, a flaw that I don’t really like in myself. Sometimes this stops me from giving in and just letting things happen when perhaps sometimes I should. My tendency is to fight on but on rare occasions I do throw in the towel. I can’t really recall when that last happened though.

7. What is the colour of awesome?

Teal is the colour of awesome.

8. What is your favourite black and white movie?

I love Laurel and Hardy films but if you pressed me on my all-time favourite full length movie it would have to be “Some Like It Hot” with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. I love that movie.

9. If you could describe your mood in a colour today, what colour would it be?

Black … Black … BLACK!!!!!!

Only kidding. I would say a yellow orange because I am reasonably happy and content.

10.  If you could wish for anything and it would come true, you wish for?

Probably immortality and the ability to travel in time. Okay – that’s two things but I think each would be necessary for the other.

11. What are some of the wacky things that you like to do?

I used to like doing wacky things but now, as an older man, I have calmed down to the point were most of things I do are considered quite normal. I guess when I am away travelling though (do you remember when you could travel?) I am more likely to do wacky things, like wearing traditional Japaneses clothes while staying in Hakone, climbing tall buildings when I am scared of heights, going out clubbing in Reykjavík and staying out until four o'clock in the morning, spending the entire day walking around Hong Kong (clocking up 15 miles) and then letting my hair down with Mrs PM in Wan Chai as if I were a man 20 years younger. Those kind of things. 

12. If you could have any author –living or dead – write your biography, who would you choose?

Myself – I have already started one actually. Primarily it is intended for my kids and any kids they have (as I think it would prove interesting no matter how badly written it is). 

Actually, I’m not a very good writer so I would probably select somebody like H.G.Wells. It wouldn’t be Shakespeare – that much is definite.

13. If you could be a “fly on the wall” anywhere and at any time in history, where and when would you choose?

I think I would probably go back to spend 55 years following Henry VIII around his life. The man was as mad as bag of badgers and a ruthless dictator – but he was interesting.

More recently I would love to be a fly with a lot of recording equipment to capture what has been going on in the life of the clown that we have as our Prime Minister and let all of those people who love him know what a chancer and malignant narcissist he truly is.

14.What is the last thing you made from scratch?

Yesterday I wrote some software. Actually, today I wrote this blog post. So this blog post is the last thing I made from scratch (at the time of writing).

15. When we are able to travel again, where would you love to go?

Anywhere. Absolutely anywhere. Actually, thinking about it, Spain would be the first place I would go – but really I don’t mind where.