Can't read my, can't read my, can't read my poker face

Last question... Matt has just posted a comment on one of my blogs so I'm guessing it's a race to the finish post...


Who is your anti-role model?

Or, as Josh rephrased, "Who stands for everything you don't stand for?" Of all the people in the world (well, current people, I hadn't considered Hitler and Stalin...) Lady Gaga is probably one of the people who best fits the bill. I would never wear anything that she wears... or maybe I should say doesn't wear... I really don't like/understand/appreciate her choice of clothes and I bet it doesn't fit my "don't wear it if it isn't comfy" philosophy. Also, Josh mentioned something about her posing as a motorbike in a calender or something. I'm not going to find the picture because I don't think I'd like it however who poses as a motorbike?! On a motorbike is one thing, I can handle that but as a motorbike?!

I think the list of things where me and Lady Gaga don't meet eye to eye as it were goes on. Her single "Judus", her music videos, how I've seen her act on some talk shows..... I think if you lined up everyone in a big line with the people who I admire most standing nearest me and those who are nearest my "anti-role model" at the other end, she would be very near the end, if not actually at the end. I wonder if that line was real whether she'd wonder what she was queuing for? I digress...

I know a few people who really like Lady Gaga and when you hear her songs played on the piano with no lyrics, I have to admit some of them aren't bad but generally..... she fits the "anti-role model" bill almost perfectly.

DFTBA

(Quick! Type the stats to see if I've won!!)

Twenty Questions status: 20 down! None left!

programs open: Sticky notes, windows live mail, windows media player, chrome (blogger in draft new post)

Latest music listened to: Tom Milsom's song which I can never remember what it's called because I never changed it from "bonus track" when I took it off the CD

Last film/tv watched: Still My Family

Latest book read: Alice in Time

Latest edible item consumed: Still the raspberry Sorbet

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: blue

Days until Roothill: 2

Following the theme of what came before

Has Steven Moffat dropped the ball?

In my opinion, no. Well, unless he's been playing catch with his sons in which case, maybe, but I don't tend to pry into his private life.

So why no? Because his writing is still awesome. Frustrating and confusing maybe but still awesome. It's the sort of writing that is probably appreciated more on a re-watching of his work when you know all the little intricacies and can appreciate all the little pointers that you missed first time but it is still fantastic. (Imagine that fantastic being said in the voice of the 9th Doctor, that's how fantastic it is in my opinion.)

Do I need to expand on that? I've filled the 100 word criteria and I'm adamant the answer is 'no' soooo....

Adios!

Twenty Questions status: 19 down, 1 to go! (goes to check if Matt has sneekily done another blog and won...)

programs open: Sticky notes, windows live mail, windows media player, chrome (blogger in draft new post)

Latest music listened to: That Will Be The Day - Mike Lombardo

Last film/tv watched: Still a short bit of My Family

Latest book read: Alice in Time

Latest edible item consumed: Still the Sorbet. I'm very full!

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Still blue..

Days until Roothill: 2

And the obsession continues....

I'm going to be rather predictable in answering the next question. It will involve a certain time travelling TV show....


If you ruled the universe, what’s the first law you would pass?

Well, while I could be all world loving and say something that would increase world peace or I could pass some law that gives me all the chocolate I desire I think this law would be much more beneficial for all people: At least one episode of Doctor Who (Classic or Current) should be shown each day of the week. Preferably in order. Obviously my perfect ideal would be that Doctor Who was the same as friends in that you turn on the TV and you're almost certainly going to find an episode playing somewhere however if we go through the episodes too fast, firstly, we'll run out too quickly and will have to start from the beginning all too soon and secondly, the rapid viewing may lead to the BBC wishing to make new episodes way too quickly and therefore spoiling the quality. I don't really want the quality of Who episodes to drop just because I desire to watch Who more often....

How is this beneficial? Well, kids these days (and the adults too probably) need to be educated on what good TV is. No more rubbishy soaps that seem to be on for the sake of something to watch. Hmm, maybe that should be my second law... No more TV soaps... or Big Brother...

anyway.... Alons-y!

Twenty Questions status: 18 down, 2 to go!

programs open: Sticky Notes, Windows Live Mail, Chrome (Blogger in draft homepage and new post)

Latest music listened to: Remix of EddPlant's song Debut

Last film/tv watched: I started watching an episode of my family and then realised I REALLY should get to bed as it was late.

Latest book read: Alice in Time 

Latest edible item consumed: Raspberry Sorbet at a nice restaurant because my parents took me out for an A level results congratulatory meal :)

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Blue. Couldn't be blue-er

Days until Roothill: 2

Preparing for the hate mail...

I know so many will hate my answer for this one. However, in the words of Charlie McDonnell: "The people that mind don't matter and the people that matter don't mind."

What’s the most overrated book out there?

Harry Potter. Yes, there, I said it: Harry Potter. Now, just to clarify, I'm not saying Harry Potter is the worst book out there, that's not the question. I'm sure it must have some good points that I'm missing and not appreciating but I do think that Harry Potter is overrated.

Even as an 11 year old, I never got into Harry Potter, the world never captured me and that was odd considering I was the biggest bookaholic you could have found. (Well, maybe I exaggerate... but my point stands.) For all the fuss made of Harry Potter, what I've read isn't as well written as I'd expect, the plot isn't as compelling and, well, I just don't see what the fuss is about. Sure, it's not a really bad book, I'd even go as far as saying it's a good book but does it warrant all the fuss and hype that it has? In my opinion: no.

So I shall leave you with my favourite four words of the first book: “Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!” (and you know what, even these annoy me a bit...)

Twenty Questions status: 17 down, 3 to go! Neck and neck!
programs open: Skype, Steam Chat, Sticky notes, Windows Live Mail, Windows Movie Maker, Chrome (YouTube, blogger in draft: new post, facebook, a tangent relating to google homepage...)
Latest music listened to: I Love Brains - ALL CAPS (Although I have You're Not There by EddPlant running round my head trying to persuade me that it instead was the last thing I listened to)
Last film/tv watched: The Doctor's Wife
Latest book read: Alice in Time
Latest edible item consumed: Crunch Cake
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Black/blue
Days until Roothill: 3

If Matt had a TARDIS....

If you wrote a comic strip, what would it be about?

I'd really love to write a comic strip. I really enjoy drawing the episodes to Fort Paradox and I'm always doodling little characters that have the potential to be stars of comic strips or maybe even a whole web series but it's always the plots that I fail at. I can never think of a decent story arc, not even for a comic strip of a few pictures long and so every effort usually falls flat on its face. I'm not going to embarrass myself by sharing the cheesedoodles comic strip I did in year 9 and the Sockpup Chronicles never came off the ground (I blame Terrie, she was meant to be doing the scripting and I can't draw something if I don't have a script!). However, Matt's response to my question  "You now have a type 40 TARDIS. Where and when would your top destinations be?" gave me an idea.....

(Matt, I apologise in advance for my drawing. Please do not get offended!)

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 16 down, 4 to go

programs open: Steam chat, Skype, Windows Live Mail, Windows Media Player, Sticky Notes, Chrome (Youtube, Blogger in Draft: new post, The Who Shop's website, A White Horizon, Page for Picture Unrelated)

Latest music listened to: I Love Brains

Last film/tv watched: The Doctor's Wife

Latest book read: Alice in Time

Latest edible item consumed: Crunch Cake... I think....

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: black/blue (Yours Forever, lessthanthree!)

Days until Roothill: 3

Unlikely endings

Now to dive into the world of hypothetical questions.... Would you prefer an alien invasion or a zombie apocalypse?

At this point I'm tempted to point out how both are basically impossible... How the probabilities make it unlikely for there to be any intelligent aliens and then times that by the practical impossibility of interstellar travel... And as for a zombie apocalypse, the police force, army, national health service, all those sort of things mean that any sort of zombie-like infection is unlikely to spread. Have you not noticed how all zombie films start after the police, army and all that sort of thing has disappeared? Anyway... we were talking hypothetically...

I think I would probably prefer an alien invasion because, seen as this is hypothetical, that means, hypothetically, the likelihood of the Doctor turning up is much more likely. So with an alien invasion, it would be so much more exciting, so much more like an episode of Doctor Who... plus the ending would be so much more satisfying. Have you noticed how zombie films just, sort of... end... There's no satisfying conclusion so much, it just... ends. There suddenly become a cure or something and it just ends... or everyone dies.... Plus I'm not sure how good I'd be with a shotgun.

"Oh man I hate, hate, hate frigging zombies..." - ALL CAPS

Twenty Questions status: 15 down, 5 to go

programs open: steam chat, sticky notes, windows live mail, chrome (blogger in draft: new post, bbc iplayer  "The Doctor's Wife")

Latest music listened to: EddPlant - You're Not There

Last film/tv watched: Almost finished The Doctor's Wife

Latest book read: Alice in Time

Latest edible item consumed: An Apple

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Still blue. Haven't changed yet.

Days until Roothill: 3

How is something that looks like mud so tasty?

Which is the best chocolate bar, and why?

I like chocolate. I mean I really like chocolate. So much so that making me chose the best chocolate bar is like making me chose a favourite sibling. (Then again, I only have one sister so that decision is pretty easy) however there are soooo many different types of chocolate bar that making me decide is just... well, I can't settle on just one. Plus, anyway, my mood does have a slight affect on which I think is the best.

Firstly, I think Galaxy is just that bit better than Cadbury's. Galaxy is that little bit creamier, just a little sweeter and I really like the shape of the squares now.

However, Cadbury's flake is probably my favourite Cadbury's chocolate bar. There's something wonderful about the flaky texture that makes a flake wonderful. I would have about 5 with every 99 cone I had if that weren't considered so ridiculous.

Nevertheless, I usually maintain that Aero bars are my favourite kind. There is something wonderful about 'feeling the bubbles melt'. Soft, sweet, light, scrummy...

Then again, Mars bars, Bounty bars, Galaxy Cookie Crumble, anything with caramel...... To be honest, I could argue that any chocolate bar that isn't Snickers was the best so if you had asked me which chocolate bar was the worst I could just answer with something simple: Snickers because peanuts are DISGUSTING!

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 14 down, 6 to go

programs open: steam chat, sticky notes, windows live mail, chrome (blogger in draft: new post, bbc iplayer  "The Doctor's Wife")

Latest music listened to: EddPlant - You're Not There (Reliving Saturday evening!)

Last film/tv watched: Half way through The Doctor's Wife

Latest book read: Alice in Time

Latest edible item consumed: An Apple

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Still blue. Haven't changed yet.

Days until Roothill: 3

Home is where the heart is

I've got to the point in twenty questions where I've realised that I've got to the point where the questions I've left are gradually getting harder and requiring more thought to answer.... So seen as I've only got four days left I better get thinking!!

What would your dream house be like?

When I was younger, I used to tell my parents that when I grew up that I would live in the family house and I'd build them a 'granny annex' at the bottom of the garden. I told them I never wanted to move out. So, I guess, my dream house wouldn't be much different to that which I live in now.

Now, where I live now isn't a grand mansion or anything like that before you jump to any conclusions. However, I think a dream house is more than having a gigantic garden, lots of big bedrooms, beautiful architecture and a fashionable interior. My dream house is much more to do with a house that feels like a home.  Sure, enough rooms for everyone to have their own area to escape to and a big enough garden for me to attempt to grow a few plants (at least tomatoes!) and for kids to play in (must be room for swings!) and a large enough kitchen for cooking to not be a squeeze but too big of a kitchen and you feel lost, too big of a garden and it will end up looking messy and too many rooms will lead to empty rooms, losing that cosy, homely feel.

However, one thing my house is missing is a studio. If I had my way and if this house ever truly became mine, the one thing I would do to it would be to add an art studio come music studio. Somewhere where I can splash paint around at one end to my heart's content without having to worry about clearing up because it makes the place look 'arty' and the other end (possibly divided by sliding doors) made into a music studio with recording capabilities, a piano (even though I can't play) and a collection of musical instruments because I'd hope that any kids I had would at least try to learn an instrument.

As you can tell, a dream house isn't just a house, it's a home. Full of family making it cosy and full of - however cheesy this may sound - love.

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 13 down, 7 to go

programs open: steam chat, sticky notes, windows live mail, chrome (blogger in draft: new post, bbc iplayer [I have an episode of Miranda tabbed to watch, similarly "The Doctor's Wife" and I've just finished watching Bang goes the Theory so that tab is still open too], YouTube

Latest music listened to: EddPlant - You're Not There (Reliving Saturday evening!)

Last film/tv watched: Bang Goes the Theory (first episode of new series!)

Latest book read: Alice in Time

Latest edible item consumed: An Apple (I really like Discovery apples and could eat them for England. I'm making the most of there being lots of them in our house atm!)

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Still blue.

Days until Roothill: 4 (3 in less than 10 minutes...)

Beth, Doritos only has one 'i'

The week of Beach Mission, I discovered a few things about my friend Beth that some people may consider worrying. I certainly found some of them shocking. I mean, what 17 year old British girl has neither listened to Bohemian Rhapsody or played Scrabble? However, most relevant to the next question, Beth calls Doritos, Doritios.... Yes, note that extra 'i'....

What’s wrong with Doritos, anyway?

When I first read this question I didn't really think there was anything wrong with Doritos. I mean, I like them, they're a good party snack and they're good for sharing but I hadn't really thought much more about them besides 'sure, I like them.' However, now that I come to think of it, there are a number of issues with Doritos....

• You always get the flavourings all over your fingers. What is with that? Can they not flavour them in a way where you finish eating and you don't go 'ah, I should probably go wash my hands. Although I'd lick it off, but then I should still go wash my hands cause I'll have spit-covered hands...'
• The flavouring dust also means it's eat or do something else, for a snack-y type food, it makes it really hard to eat them whilst doing something else. Like playing cards...
• Why have I never seen small bags of Doritos? It's as if they only want you to eat them when you're with friends and never as a small snack by yourself.
• The dip jars are always too big compared to one bag of Doritos. One bag of Doritos should have a one bag size of branded dip to go with it.
• According to Wikipedia, the Sour Cream and Onion flavour was discontinued in the 80s. I like sour cream and onion flavour....
• 'Dorito' means 'little golden' in Spanish but most Doritos are more orange than golden..
• .... I think I'm clutching at straws now...

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 12 down, 8 to go

programs open: Steam Chat, sticky notes, windows live mail, Chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, Doritos wikipedia page)

Latest music listened to: Safety Dance...

Last film/tv watched: Heroes, season 3, episode *checks disk* 22

Latest book read: Alice in Time by Penelope Bush (This is actually a book my sister has been borrowing from the library... Quite good for a book aimed at young teenagers)

Latest edible item consumed: Crunch Cake I think.

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Blue. Very blue

Days until Roothill: 4

Summer in the City!

When I first read this question, I wasn't really sure what to answer with. It's one of those questions that when asked, my mind goes blank and I'm all "but I can't think of anything now!" However, after this weekend, I guess you could claim that in some people's opinion, it answers this question: What’s the strangest activity/project/group you’ve been involved with?

On Saturday, I headed over to London for the main day of Summer in the City. So far, if you don't know what I'm on about you probably think this is fairly normal. However, most people (especially those who don't 'get' the YouTube community) may think that my spending an afternoon in Regents Park with a bunch of people who I've never really met before, some of whom I watch on YouTube and the main thing we all have in common being YouTube, is a bit odd. Plus the crowd around one certain Charlie McDonnell would definitely confuse those who don't realise his 'internet fame' as it were.

Only at Summer in the City would you get hundreds of nerds emerging from behind their computer screens, filling Regent's Park with cries of 'DFTBA' and chants of 'Maureen Johnson, where are you?!', or so many people in the same obscure T-Shirt such as that of Sons of Admirals or a Pizza John shirt or so many people dressed up; Only at Summer in the City will you get two Eleventh Doctors, one Amy Pond, one Tenth Doctor, a monkey, and an Aperture Science test victim complete with portal gun. I think those who weren't either dressed up or wearing an obscure and/or nerdy shirt were severely outnumbered.

Oh, and then there were the cameras. Everywhere you looked on Saturday there were cameras, video cameras, people talking to cameras as they vlogged, people pointing cameras at other people as they were challenged to do silly things or asked to say something, cameras taking pictures of fangirls with their YouTube obsessions and cameras taking pictures of groups of friends who know each other over the internet but so rarely get to meet up. CDs and notebooks and my giant, almost filled scrapbook were handed over to YouTubers with a pen asking for signatures, drawings, a message, a random fact, anything to remind them of the time they actually met the person rather than just seeing their face pop up in their subscription boxes once again.

Saturday was a great day. Getting to know YouTubers, having others randomly come up to you and say hi, going through my whole scrapbook with Tom Ska (Hello parking meter... Hello!) while Charlie McDonnell is mere meters away getting fangirled, being able to sing along to EddPlant's music live, being able to tell YouTubers in person how much you appreciate their videos and realising that they are all just normal people. Normal people in this sub-community where they are 'internet celebrities' as some call them but ultimately so normal. Thank you everyone who was there for a great day and DFTBA!!

Twenty Questions status: 11 down, 9 to go
programs open: windows live mail, sticky notes, chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, My blog,)
Latest music listened to: Mike Lombardo: If I Say (Let go)
Last film/tv watched: How to Train Your Dragon I think because I wasn't really watching whatever was on Terrie's TV earlier and I don't think I've watched anything since...
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed:A pint of Coke
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Pink and Grey PJs! I'm ready to go to bed as soon as this is posted!
Days until Roothill: 4..... 9 posts left to do in 4 days... eek!!

Painting by Numbers

I've just finished painting an episode of Fort Paradox for Matt so I think it's rather appropriate that I answer this question next: Ink or Acrylics?

I don't actually have a straight out answer for this. When I'm doing art, it usually depends what mood I'm in as to which medium I use. If I'm in a messier mood then I'll probably pull out my acrylics but if I'm in a more monochrome mood I'd go for inks (Biros usually being my preferred type of inky pen). I'd also say that it depends what I'm planning on drawing. Something with more detail and less focus on colour will usually be done in ink while a less detailed, more colour dependant piece would be done in acrylics. Also, the larger the artwork, the more likely I will do it in acrylics. However cool it would be to do an A1 piece entirely in Biro, I don't think I'd have the patience. Maybe someday I'll do a massive Biro piece....

I have to say, I do love acrylics. Despite being fond of doing ink drawings, there is something satisfying about acrylics which blends colours in a certain way and fills in big blocks so quickly in as equally as satisfying way. Choosing between the two is hard but however easy it is to just pick up a pen and draw, usually I will choose acrylics if I have the time, space and desire to be a little more messy. :)

An interior without an exterior can hardly constitute itself as an interior - Salvador Dali

Twenty Questions status: 10 down, 10 to go
programs open: windows live mail, steam chat, sticky notes, chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, My blog,)
Latest music listened to: Journey's End by Chameleon Circuit
Last film/tv watched: How to Train Your Dragon
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed:Classic Magnum
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Black/blue/grey sort of equal amounts
Days until Roothill: 7

I'm not obsessed or anything...

When I first read the next question, I have to admit I wasn't totally sure what to answer with. I couldn't really remember what I should answer with but then last week... well, you'll see.

What’s your most recently formed life ambition?

As of about last week, to have a Doctor Who themed wedding. So most of you will think I'm crazy, others will think that's pretty cool, others will just dismiss it as me being "one of those girls who likes to plan early". However, since I found out that a couple I met on Beach Mission last week had their wedding with a slight Doctor Who theme, I've embraced the idea myself...

I've probably put way too much thought into this. Waay too much thought...

• Using Doctor Who character's names when doing the practice run through...
• Somehow materialising in a TARDIS rather than a car?
• Having the theme tune or some other part of the soundtrack play on the way out
• Bridesmaids in TARDIS blue
• TARDIS blue balloons rather than just the usual white ones
• Somehow incorporate trock? Maybe get Chameleon Circuit to play if they're still a thing...
• Tables with names after Who related characters rather than boring old numbers
• Encourage people to dress up as Who characters?
• Have a TARDIS cake like Terrie did for her birthday except BIGGER!
• Marry the Doctor... wait... stick to reality Hannah...

I think you get the idea.....

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 9 down, 11 to go
programs open: Windows media player, windows live mail, steam chat, sticky notes, chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, My blog, Facebook, Fort Paradox
Latest music listened to: Everything is Ending by Chameleon Circuit
Last film/tv watched: How to Train Your Dragon
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed:Classic Magnum
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Black/blue/grey sort of equal amounts
Days until Roothill: 8

Sssh! Don't wake me!

Do you like mornings?

No. Well, no is usually my immediate answer to this question but seen as I need more than one word I've been thinking about this a little more. My hatred of mornings isn't really just as simple as 'no'. At least, not if you think about the different ways you could interpret this question.

The most obvious interpretation and the cause of the flat out 'no' response is the "do you like getting up in the mornings?" way of looking at it. I suck at getting out of bed. Anyone who's ever shared a room with me, or a tent, or ever seen me in the morning for any reason knows that I just don't get up. I'm too fond of staying tucked up in my duvet, snuggled down in the warmth of my bed and even when I'm in a sleeping bad on an air bed, I rarely want to get up. I'm just too fond of sleep and that warm snuggly feeling that you pretty much only get in bed.

You could also take it as "do you like the period of time pre-lunch but post dawn?" and for that, I'd have to say I do. There is something satisfying about getting stuff done in the morning and knowing, when you've finished that you've still got the whole afternoon left to do things. The weather in the morning of a hot day is winding up to the sunny climax of noon rather that winding down to the balmy evening (although I do love that, who doesn't love the smell of a cool summer evening?) and mornings give you the feeling of a fresh new day that you miss when you don't get up until 11 or 12...

Although I say that I like the time period of morning, I'm afraid to say that my hatred of getting out of bed generally overrules. Rarely do I get up earlier than I need to and more often than not I try to squeeze an extra five... ten... fifteen... thirty minutes of sleep before I actually get up. No wonder I so often set my alarm so long before I actually need to be out the door...

"Tweet tweet, time to sleep... or are you waking up?"

Twenty Questions status: 8 down, 12 to go
programs open: I'm going to try setting a schedule for this to post in the morning....
Latest music listened to: One of the songs off Chameleon Circuit's "Still got legs". 'Although I can't remember which track
Last film/tv watched: BBC 10 O'clock News. Although I have to admit not the whole thing
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed: I had a glass of milk before I went up to bed.
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey/White
Days until Roothill: 8

So… what to do when life gives you lemons?

With the title being the next question, all I can say is, "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade!" This being a quote from the highly regarded computer game, Portal 2. (Funnily enough, it's the sequel to Portal!)

Now, I would launch into how awesome this game is, how it tests your logic rather than just getting you to point and shoot, tests your reactions and captures you in a great story arc however seen as I still haven't completely finished the game, I don't quite feel qualified.

Right, before any of you who have played Portal and/or Portal 2 start telling me off for taking so long:

1. I didn't order the game until after exams had ended
2. I haven't been playing it non-stop
3. I haven't played it since I got to a point where I was having a bit of difficulty, stopped to think about it and never really got back to it because I got distracted by rereading of The Hunger Games, playing of other games, visiting friends, and being away last week.

I really want to finish it and maybe I'll find out more about Cave Johnson and most likely realise I was really close to the end when I stopped playing but for now I will leave you with this: Valve make awesome games.

DFTBA

Sorry, the stats haven't really changed since last blog, I haven't done anything much in the past 10 minutes or so!

Twenty Questions status: 7 down, 13 to go
programs open: Steam chat, sticky notes, chrome (blogger in draft: new post)
Latest music listened to: One of the songs off Chameleon Circuit's "Still got legs". 'Although I can't remember which track
Last film/tv watched: BBC 10 O'clock News. Although I have to admit not the whole thing
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed: I had a glass of milk before I came up to bed.
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey/White
Days until Roothill: 8

No, not the man with the ark

Rolling straight on to the next question: Why is your car called that?

So, for those of you who don't know, my car is called Noah. Yes, you're right to jump to conclusion that this is from the Bible but no, the name is not from the guy who built an ark when God told him to but actually, it's after a lady in the Bible.

"What? There's a female Noah in the Bible?" is probably what you're saying if you haven't heard this story before. The answer is most certainly yes. In fact, she's mentioned in two separate places. I can't remember who said this or when it got said but it came about that I relayed this fact (I believe the original claim was that there are more female Noahs than male in the Bible but it comes to pass that this actually isn't strictly speaking true) to a friend which led to a long time on Easter Camp trawling through the Bible to back up our facts. Eventually, and a long time later, two accounts came up separately in my bible readings (Numbers 26v33/36v11 being in effect one account and Joshua 17v3 being the other). If you read it, you find that Noah is one of the daughters of Zelophehad and her and her sisters had no brothers so asked for their father's land to be passed on through them in the Numbers account and in Joshua we see it being given to them.

Now what has this got to do with the name of my car? Well, when we got the car, we (well mainly me) decided it should be named. My mum suggested Alfie due to my Grandma giving me a chocolate car called Alfie rather than a chocolate egg for Easter and I suggested Noah just because it would be a good reason to tell the story of the above. Plus only a car can get away with being female and called Noah. So for a while Noah Alfie Newcombe was the car's name (NAN for short) however only the Noah bit seems to have stuck until this day to leave you with this rather bizarre anecdote...

DFTBA


Twenty Questions status: 6 down, 14 to go
programs open: Steam chat, sticky notes, chrome (blogger in draft: new post)
Latest music listened to: One of the songs off Chameleon Circuit's "Still got legs". 'Although I can't remember which track
Last film/tv watched: BBC 10 O'clock News. Although I have to admit not the whole thing
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed: I had a glass of milk before I came up to bed.
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey/White
Days until Roothill: 8

Did you have to ask?

The next question, I really don't know why Matt had to ask this, surely the answer is obvious? Beethoven or Bieber?

Beethoven hands down. Even if you're talking about the dog! I have to admit, that I'm not generally the sort of person who listens to Beethoven in the car or chooses classic FM. Generally the playing of Beethoven's music is reserved for when I get my flute out but any day I'd choose Beethoven over Bieber. 

Now, my music theory knowledge is a bit sparse (I only just got the pass mark in grade 5 music theory!) but Beethoven has so many positives making his music sound so much better. Plus, there is something magical about listening to a complete orchestra playing together in harmony, something beautiful. When you think about Bieber in comparison, the pop-y music with limited chords just doesn't really match up.

Bieber also has the disadvantage of lyrics. I don't like the lyrics of most pop songs, but when they're sung by someone younger than me, they loose any sort of meaning they had. Also, I can't take seriously any artist who uses "like" in the wrong way so many times in one chorus:

And I was like...


Baby, baby, baby oooh
Like baby, baby, baby nooo
Like baby, baby, baby oooh
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)


Baby, baby, baby oooh
Like baby, baby, baby nooo
Like baby, baby, baby oooh
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)

Do I need to explain my answer of "Beethoven" any more?

Twenty Questions status: 5 down 15 to go!

programs open: Steam, Sticky Notes, Windows Live mail, Chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, Justin Bieber Lyrics.... iPlayer)

Latest music listened to: Something on my DFTBA playlist on the way to the allotment...

Last film/tv watched: A documentary about a girl with a sleeping disorder which means she ends up sleeping for up to two weeks.

Latest book read: If you could see me now

Latest edible item consumed: Oooh, I finished off with crunch cake again!

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey/white, once again in my pjs :)

Days until Roothill: 10

"Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground."

How big are your feet?

You know, this is not actually as straight forward as you would thing. You probably thought I'd give you an integer and then fill up the rest of the blog with rambling but actually, it's just not that easy. I mean, I know I'm roughly around a size 7 but I can never guarantee that a size 7 will fit. Sometimes they're too big and I have to get a size 6, sometimes they're even too small and I have to get a size 8. Sizes seem to vary from make to make and a size 6 in one style of shoe will be just the same size as a size 8 in another!

I could just measure my feet I guess.. Hang on... *grabs ruler from nearby desk* my right foot is.... *measures foot* roughly 26 cm long or about 10.2 inches (ironically less that a foot long) and my left foot is.... *measures foot* 25 cm long about 9.8 inches give or take. Well, that centimetre differences certainly explains why I tend to find shoes never fit both feet equally well.... Then again, I may have measured my feet wrong.. I was trying to use a plastic ruler I got for art in year seven. As you do...

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 4 down, 16 to go!

programs open: Steam, Sticky notes, windows live mail, windows media player, chrome (blogger in draft: new post)

Latest music listened to: Eddplant's "Less Than Three"

Last film/tv watched: Still Top Gear!

Latest book read: Still "If you could see me now"

Latest edible item consumed: Still crunch cake!

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Still haven't changed...

Days until Roothill: 11 (I still have more blogs left than days left....)

Baaalmy obsessions

So now I'm going to answer the big question. The one that so many of you must have been asking as you raise your eyebrows at my blog's name or (if you know me IRL) as you see me sitting next to you complete with sheep t-shirt, socks and shoes with sheep drawn on: Where did the sheep obsession come from?

You know, I think the obsession is something that has sort of crept up on me. I've always loved animals but when I was younger, it was always dolphins I obsessed over. I have a ton of little dolphin ornaments, my lampshade has dolphins stencilled over it, part of my room has a dolphin border round it (where it's not covered by posters) and you can also see the occasional stencilled dolphin peek out from under the things covering the wall around my noticeboard. Everything had to be dolphin related. Once, through school, I met the author of the Roman Mysteries series and my obsession meant I bought the dolphin related book for her to sign rather than starting at the beginning like any normal person. However, this doesn't explain the sheep obsession really does it? But in some ways it's important. Somewhere along the line, my dolphin obsession started to fade and a sheep obsession started to kick it. Maybe something to do with the sheep in the field at the end of our garden, possibly something somewhere harking back to the nightmares I used to have as a very little girl of sheep jumping over the fence and swarming our garden. (Which apparently actually used to happen in a less drastic way before we put in a new fence but it's funny how I remember the dream but not the actual sheep. Then again, I would have been only about 18 months old.)

This may have all been building up but I think the turning point came on Easter Camp one year. We were doing some high ropes and in the field next to where we were, there were some sheep. I said, as illogical me would, something along the lines of: "Those sheep must be feeling left out, seeing so many people do high ropes right next to them. I wonder if we could make a sheep harness so they could join in? Ooh! How about a sheep zipwire!" and then for a lot of the rest of the week, I was talking about sheep, saying 'sheep' as the answer to any questions that I didn't know the answer to and sheep seemed to take over....

So really, the sheep obsession partly snook up on me and partly was the result of a rather obscure and random comment...

Alons-y...

Twenty Questions status: 3 down, 17 to go...

programs open: Steam chat, sticky notes, windows live mail, windows media player, chrome (blogger in draft: new post)

Latest music listened to: Driftless Pony Club's American Princes is currently playing

Last film/tv watched: Still Top Gear

Latest book read: Cecelia Ahern's If you could see me now.

Latest edible item consumed: Still the awesomeness that is crunch cake. Unless you count toothpaste but I didn't really eat that...

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: still grey/white, I'm not going to change out of my pyjamas now am I?!

Days until Roothill: 11

Returning to those all important questions...

I’m back!

So, after an extended week away, I am ready to return with vengeance in order to scrape back the lead that Matt has so kindly given himself. I had an amazing week at beach mission with full days on the beach sharing God’s word, playing games, singing songs, sharing memory verses, playing Zonko and all manner of other things whilst gently browning myself, finished off with an extra day or so with Beth and Josh mainly. However, I’m not quite sure how to use one of Matt’s questions to tell you about Beach Mission in great detail so I’m just going to jump straight back into answering questions!

12. If you had to choose between your eyes and your ears…?

This is a hard question. I mean, genuinely hard. It’s like being told to choose between children. I guess the best way to decide is to see which I can least live without…

• ·         Ears give you music. I very rarely go a day without listening to or singing some kind of music whether it’s my mp3 or singing at church or singing on the beach on beach mission. I'm always humming tunes. I can’t imagine life without music pulsating around me. It would just be so quiet.
• ·         Ears mean you can hear what people are saying to you. You can talk over Skype and on the phone, it makes communicating so much easier and quicker and it means everyone else don’t have to learn sign language!
• ·         Ears mean I can listen to audio books, particularly Doctor Who audio books read by David Tennant…. (Although I have to admit I prefer reading books. Which requires eyes…)
• ·         Ears mean I can appreciate wonderful regional accents…
• ·         Eyes mean I can see the beauty of creation, appreciate beautiful butterflies, pretty flowers, awesome animals and stunning scenery.
• ·         Eyes mean I can do art. Sure, you can technically make art without eyesight but I wouldn't be able to paint and draw like I love to.
• ·         Eyes mean I can read and watch TV programs. Audio books and audio description only compensates so much.
• ·         A person with no eyes is more obviously different than a person with no ears. Well, girls at least with their hair down.
• ·         My eyes are already slightly malfunctioning… I need glasses but not hearing aids…
• ·         I could get glass eyes so I don’t look so silly…. Then again I could also get prosthetic ears.

In conclusion… am I ready to come to a conclusion? In conclusion, I think I’d rather keep my ears over my eyes. I love music just that bit too much. I’m just going to have to teach myself to play music by ear if I can’t read the music for playing my flute…

Twenty Questions status: 2 down, 18 to go...

programs open: Steam, Windows Live mail, windows media player, postit notes, word, Chrome (blogger in draft and Alex Day's Blog)

Latest music listened to: Again playing through my DFTBA playlist with the demo version of "Exterminate, Regenerate" by Chameleon Circuit currently playing.

Last film/tv watched: Top Gear. I've been catching up but I think I may have missed an episode... not sure...

Latest book read: Cecelia Ahern's "If you could see me now"

Latest edible item consumed: Crunch cake!! A chocolaty, biscuity, very sweet piece of yummyness made by my sister.

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: grey/white. I'm actually already in my pyjamas...

Days until Roothill: 11