So, are you ready to be bored dazzled by 7 Random Facts about me? Probably not, but here we go anyway.

FACT #1 : I was in the military.

Yeah, and I survived! Ha! Ha! I did 8 years in the Women’s Royal Air Force, to be exact, as an Air Traffic Controller. Does that fact scare you knowing I was in charge? Well, okay, maybe not in-charge and it was military fighter jets, not passenger flights, that we landed!

FACT #2 : I jumped out of a hovering helicopter over the sea.

Not once, or twice, but several times. No, really! See, this one ties in with being in the military. We got to do some really stupid things, like this. But it was all in the interest of teaching Search and Rescue techniques to SARs Crews, and survival (that would be me, bobbing around in frigid waters) — yes, we had survival suits on.

FACT #3 : I was a qualified Netball Referee.

See, I bet you never saw that one coming either. Ha! Again, this is the kind of thing you get up to, while in the military. I had to go to London to train and then, had an exam. Yeah, for netball!

FACT #4 : I’ve been to, London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, and New York.

Okay, now don’t laugh, as I kid I was fascinated by those glossy perfume ads in magazines that featured these seemingly, exotic cities. So I had this thing about wanting to visit them all, and I did. Thanks Mum!

FACT #5 : Growing up I wanted to be a marine biologist.

Yeah, I  know, go figure. It was watching all those TV shows featuring one of my dad’s heroes, Jacque Cousteau, that started it, that and I love the ocean. I’m convinced I’m part mermaid or was a tardigrade in another life. The water and I are best buddies.

FACT #6 : I love to cook.

This one is in homage to my mother. And while I don’t know if I’m as good a cook as her, I know I learnt a great deal from her. I do all the cooking here, and I’m always trying new things and tweaking recipes to suit my taste buds. I do love me some spicy food and love my herbs. I cannot imagine life without bay leaves.

FACT #7 : I still have my childhood teddy bear.

It’s a small Steiff Bear and if the apartment was burning down, that would be the first thing I would grab and save. My dad bought it for me when he found out my mum was pregnant with me. There is nothing more precious to me.

Now it’s your turn to share 7 random facts with us all. Go on, you know you want to.

Following in Joel’s footsteps, I thought to tackle the Blog Challenge: TV Show Edition, especially as I have watched a lot of TV shows in my time.

So, here we go, wish me luck.

What TV character from a beloved show do you wish you could be best friends with in real life?

I’m sat here staring at a blinking cursor thinking about all the myriad shows I’ve watched over the years and wonder who, out of all the shows watched, would I want to be best friends with? And it’s like, what, I can only pick one? Really, are you kidding me?

Well, of course it’s an impossible task. But … when push comes to shove it’s comes down to who would I have the most fun with and, the answer is … drum roll please …

The Doctor. Any of them, but more specifically, if I were to pick one out of all, it would be the eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith who, out of all of them, captured my heart. Though I have to say, the latest incarnation, played by Ncuti Gatwa, is a really really close second.

I mean, can you imagine all the adventures you would have zooming around the universe with one of them in the Tardis? Priceless.

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David from over at Forking Mad has challenged us to share 10 Pointless Facts with everyone and, as everyone seems to be on a challenge kick these last few weeks, me included, I thought, why not.

Do you floss your teeth?

Yes, religiously every night before bed. Doesn’t everyone?

Tea, coffee, or water?

Tea.

Footwear preference?

Flip flops. Except in winter then it’s boots baby, boots all the way.

Favourite dessert?

Lemon merengue pie.

The first thing you do when you wake up?

Honey, I’m old. I pee, doesn’t everyone?

Age you’d like to stick to?

Maybe somewhere in my late 20s.

How many hats do you own?

Way to many, and I mean dozens.

Describe the last photo you took

I hunkered down to about ground level to snap a beautiful cluster of primulas in full bloom.

Worst TV show?

The one I watched last night … Lioness. Utter load of twaddle.

As a child, what was your aspiration for adulthood?

To be either a marine biologist or, an astronaut. I did eventually study earth science at university level, but as of now, have yet to make it into space. Maybe I’ll have them poot me into space when I’m dead?

And now, it’s your turn. Pop on over to David’s blog and join us in answering 10 pointless questions, or maybe, make your own up.

Okay, another challenge that, well, isn’t a challenge, more a ‘Hey, you wanna to do this fun quiz?’ kind of thing. This one was stolen from Thomas Rigby whose answers to these questions made me laugh.

So here we are, answering another quiz/challenge/tag and why not, they’re silly fun. Join in if you want to, or not. The choice is yours.

Would you live in Chicago?

Are you kidding? It’s colder there than here in Quebec City. No.

Aren’t people who turn off Read status on WhatsApp fundamentally a bit sinister?

Huh, what’s what?

Do you fold or scrunch your toilet paper?

Oh, honey, you poor thing. Fold … fold all the way. Who the hell wants sh*t on their fingers?

If you had to be in a committed 18-month live-in relationship with one of the following former Liverpool football managers, which one would you choose:

• Rafael Benítez
• Roy Hodgson
• Kenny Dalglish
• Graeme Souness
• Roy Evans
• Brendan Rodgers

Bobby Charlton, what, wait, no, who?

Have you ever slapped anyone?

Yes.

Coke or Pepsi?

Water.

Babies or toddlers?

Only when well seasoned.

Who was the best Spice Girl?

The spiced what now?

Are there too many podcasts?

Yes.

Costa, Nero, Starbucks, Pret — what’s your ranking?

I don’t drink coffee.

How many people do you trust enough to lend £200 to?

None.

How many people in your family would turn down a peerage?

Too late …

Which is the most basic Monopoly piece?

The iron.

When was the last time you blocked a toilet?

Eww … never.

And, there you go, another glimpse into my exciting life … not! Now, off you go, answer these on your own, or not.

I was tagged by the lovely Ariadne over at Noisy Deadline to answer the Technology Questions Challenge.

Never one to turn down a good challenge …

When did you first get interested in technology?

I would have to say almost at the same time I was starting to read and write. Growing up with two older brothers and a dad who loved to tinker with, well, everything. I learnt a lot about what went on inside radios. And I’m not talking the kind you might be thinking about. But something your grandma might have had back in the day. Those Bakelite behemoths that side on people’s sideboards back in the 50s. Ones that, when you undid the back to look inside, housed vacuum sealed valves that glowed and hummed.

I was endlessly fascinated by how all those weird looking items, together, allowed you to tune into “radio” waves that bounced around the world in the ether.

Fast forward what feels like several decades and those radios were supplanted by a whole host of gadgets. I’m really not afraid of getting inside the guts of a machine, and or getting my hands dirty. But these days? It’s more about coding or tweaking than actually playing with a computer’s innards. I’ll leave that to the experts.

What’s Your Favourite Piece Of Technology All-Time?

My first radio? My first car? My first computer? Hmm … I would have to go way back to when I was about 7 years old and say the first long wave radio my dad bought me one birthday. I had that for years and years. I loved that radio, I loved how it put me in contact with the four corners of my tiny universe, able to listen to programmes and music from anywhere I could tune in a signal. I loved it so much, I went to bed with that thing.

What’s Your Favourite Piece Of Technology Right Now?

Hmm … that’s got to be a toss up between my iPad air and my aging iMac. Both of which I use constantly, though, of course, these days, don’t go to bed with. Now that would be awkward if not, a little uncomfortable.

Name One New Cool Piece Of Technology We’ll Have In 25 Years!

As a huge Star Trek fan, I would love to think that besides the first flip phone, inspired by ST, we could have maybe more medical tech like a bio-bed or tricorder, or less invasive surgery. Though maybe not a phaser or the transporter tech, no thanks. I’m with Dr. McCoy when it comes to transporters, you wouldn’t get me in one for love nor money.

Final thoughts.

Well, that was fun taking a quick trip down memory lane. My thanks again to Ariadne for nominating me.

I’ve been tapped by one of my favourite writers, Annie over on Annie’s blog, to share my fav music picks. 🎶

This ain’t going to be easy, choosing just five top albums and songs but, here goes nothing.

What are five of your favourite albums?

1. Folklore, Taylor Swift (2020)
2. Abraxas, Santana (1970)
3. Madman Across the Water, Elton John (1971)
4. The Dreaming, Kate Bush (1982)
5. Hunky Dory, David Bowie, (1971)

Honourable Mentions

1. Tubular Bells, Mike Oldfield (1973)
2. Close to the Edge, Yes (1972)
3. Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)
4. Days of Future Passed, Moody Blues (1967)
5. The Kick Inside, Kate Bush (1978)
6. Hounds of Love, Kate Bush (1985)

What are five of your favourite songs?

1. Running up that Hill, Kate Bush
2. The Man Who Sold The Moon, David Bowie
3. Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word, Elton John
4. Exile, Taylor Swift
5. Sanctuary, Serena Ryder

Favourite instrument(s)?

Violin and Piano

What song or album are you currently listening to?

Pvris by Pvris

Do you listen to the radio? If so, how often?

I haven’t listened to the radio in ages.

How often do you listen to music?

Every. Single. Day!

How often do you discover music? And how do you discover music?

Weekly, I would say. Online, through people I know on Social Media, and through partaking in challenges like this one.

What’s a song or album have you enjoy that you wish had more recognition?

Probably loads but, right now, off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single one.

What’s your favourite song of all time?

This has to be the dumbest question anyone has ever asked me and impossible to answer.

Has your taste in music evolved over the years?

Yes, of course it has. But I still have a preference for female singers and vocals and big belting ballads. But I’ll pretty much listen to anything, and give it a go.

And you, what are you top five albums and songs?

‘ve been tagged by the legendary B from over on BinaryDigit to take part in this challenge. Thanks for the invite, B.

Why Did You Start Blogging In The First Place?

Initially, it was to join in on this online social community craze (remember LiveJournal and MySpace?) and share in this wild and weird new thing with other likeminded people, not in a library, or the YWCA, but online. With this crazy idea of swapping photos, ideas, and book recommendations. I had a MySpace corner until I discovered I could rent space and buy something called a domain name, and create my own little corner of the world wide web. And thus, the Wry Writer was born.

What Platform Are You Using To Manage Your Blog, And Why Do You Use It?

Like everything in my life right now, I’m not just using one platform. I have a blog of sorts on WordPress, but I also have my daily blog here, on Micro Blog because, well, it just works for me. Who knows, that might change, I tried Bearblog, I like Bearblog, Bear is fun but … there’s something about it that didn’t quite sit right with me. I also feel like I want to go try out Pika again, which I used once, as I love seeing what others have done there with their blogs.

Have You Blogged On Other Platforms Before?

Oh, of course. I think at any one time, here and there, I’ve probably used them all. Well, maybe not Xanga. I don’t ever remember creating a blog there. But most of the big names? Yes. I flip flopped around the commercial spaces till I discovered WordPress and, as I say, bought my own domain and rented space to create the Wry Writer.

How Do You Write Your Posts?

I’ve learnt from a lot of costly bad experiences losing lengthy posts to not write directly into the editor. Instead I use a combination of writing in Apple’s TextEdit or Apple Notes, both of which save to the cloud, which is another way of ensuring I don’t lose another post. And only when I’m satisfied, do I then transfer into the editor to post and or schedule.

When Do You Feel Most Inspired To Write?

I’m a first thing in the morning kind of person. I like to come and sit at my desk straight after breakfast, and contemplate. I feel like my thoughts are clear and fresh at this point, and I’m more likely to have better focus than later in the day. This is my me time.

Do You Normally Publish Immediately After Writing, Or Do You Let It Simmer?

As I said, I try, where at all possible to write my posts in advance and schedule them so, if need be, I can check the morning of posting for errors or spelling mistakes. I say I try to do this. Some days it’s not always possible. I find this works for me, and gives me time to really think about what it is I want to write.

What’s Your Favorite Post On Your Blog?

Oh gosh. That’s a hard one. Do I chose the one that speaks to me, or the most popular post by visits, or comments? I guess I would have to pick the post that speaks most to me: There Is Life After Death, a post I wrote about the loss of my parents. Which was obviously a difficult post to write.

Any Future Plans For the Blog?

Quite honestly,no, not really. I would like to think this is it, the last move. I might tweak pages, as there are sections I could add. But right now, this set up works beautifully for me. That said, however, never say no.

Who Will Participate Next?

I’m going to tag David and Michael as I don’t think anyone’s nominated either of them, yet!