Randomness

Welcome to South Manchester on a pleasant autumn day. The sun is shining and the sky is blue, but it is a little chilly, as you would expect towards the end of October. 

Before I answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing, I just want to give a shout out to Sir Patrick Stewart, who sadly passed away a couple of days ago. He was a wonderful British actor, known primarily for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but also many other parts over the years. Of course, I knew of him before he became well-known in America because he was already a well-respected British TV actor both on stage and screen.  He was born in Yorkshire, not too far away from where I live now and although he had a booming proper English accent, tinged with the bombast you would expect for a renowned Shakespearean actor, he occasionally and for comedic effect, slipped back into his West Ridings Yorkshire accent, as shown in this silly TV ad:

And of course, he brought his acting skills superbly to Star Trek, as shown in this, one of my favourite Captain Picard clips from Star Trek: First Contact:

While I am on the subject of Star Trek, I also want to mention Walter Koenig who famously played Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek series. He also recently passed away. As well as playing Chekov he also played a psychic villainous Psi Cop called Alfred Bester in one of my favourite science fiction series of all time: Babylon 5. 

Rest in peace, Patrick and Walter. 

Now – let’s get to these silly questions.

1. Do you have a business card? If yes, what's your job title?

I used to have a business card when I was working – and in fact I may still have some in a box in the loft. 

My job title was “Senior Software Engineer”, although that didn’t reflect fully what I actually did. 

2. What day of the week were you born?

I was born on a Monday morning at 5am at home. According to my mum, I weighed 9 lbs. 

3. What vegetable do you refuse to eat?

I eat most vegetables but there are some that I am not that fond of. I eat them but I am reluctant to do so. They are parsnips, turnips, aubergines (or known as eggplant in the US), artichokes, savoy cabbage, kale, courgettes (known as zucchini in the US), fennel, water cress  and celery. 

4. How many times have you stayed overnight in the hospital? 

I have never stayed in hospital overnight. 

5. Do you have more piercings or tattoos?

I have neither piercings nor tattoos. I am very squeamish so the thought of having either of them fills me with dread. That said, even if they were painless, I wouldn’t have them. I don’t like the idea of a misshapen tattoo on my saggy aged skin making me look even more weird than I already do. 

6. Do you like to shop?

Not really. I don’t mind walking around electrical stores, looking at the latest gadgets. Every other form of shopping is tedious and boring. That’s why I do most of my shopping online these days. 

7. How much cash is in your wallet right now?

About £30. I only carry cash these days in case of emergency, since paying electronically is the new normal at the moment.  

8. Let's play MASH: Do you live in a mansion, apartment, shack, or house?

I live in a three-bedroomed house that was built in 1906. It has high ceilings and many period features such as picture rails and dado rails. It is perfectly adequate for Mrs PM now. I have lived here since 2002 and I have no plans to move because I like the house and the location. 

9. Where are you in the family birth order (oldest, middle child, youngest, or only child)?

I am the oldest child, which means that I was the one who had the first go at everything, with mixed success I have to say. 

10. When you were 5 years old, what did you call your parents?  

I can’t remember what I called them. I know that I definitely didn’t call them by their names (Frances and George). I would hazard a guess that it was “mummy” and “daddy”.