Stylish???

Laura over at The Everyday Life of a Young American Girl in France has awarded me the Stylish Blogger Award, which is very exciting.

Laura's blog is very funny - so wry and astute and cheeky, well worth a look.

I’m not sure that there’s anything stylish about me or the rambling conglomeration of thoughts and rants that makes up my blog, but I’m honoured that Laura thinks I’m interesting enough to win an award.

Whoo me.

Now the rules go that I have to tell you 7 interesting things about me, but since you already know so much about me due to my embarrassing honesty, this is tricky.

I asked M when we were driving on Saturday what he would say about me and his answers were:

• I give terrible directions
• I lose the ability to read maps when I’m with him even though by myself I manage fine
• I have a nice set of tits

Which seemed both topical (due to the fact I’d just gotten us slightly lost) and inappropriate.

So he was useless.


So I’m sorry if my 7 things are a tad boring. And typically long-winded.
Should my 8th thing be that I’m annoyingly verbose? Nah – that’s a given.


This will probably be the last award this blog ever gets.


1. I have ordered a fitness DVD.
It’s the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred.
Yes, that Jillian, from The Biggest Loser USA.
Now, this is despite the fact that I’m almost positive if I met and trained with Jillian in person, I’d probably punch her in the face as she annoys the crap out of me. I have never owned a fitness DVD but thought this was worth a shot.

However I’m not exactly sure what “shred” means – is it like “to shed” as in "If I don’t shed some of the fat off my arse I will be harpooned on the beach this summer as an escaped albino whale”??
Or does “shred” mean to get more muscular or "shredded"? Colour me confused. It just makes me think of Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Either way, the DVD is on its way and I am ready to shred.
Or shed.
Either way – I’ll keep you posted.


2. I have a morbid fear of bike-riding.
Several bad experiences including FAINTING the last time we went for a serious ride means that, for me, it’s NOT as easy as riding a bike.
M has decided that his next physical challenge might be Triathlons.

Awesome. - So he’s decided we need to get bikes.

Firstly: I don’t like DRIVING on the roads around here, let alone riding on them. I also hate hills. Both uphill and downhill. I’m a non-discriminatory hill-hater. I’m a “flat” specialist. Hills: Just say no is my motto.


3. Idiosyncrasies make the heart grow fonder ...  right? 
I’m at once incredibly messy, always leaving shit everywhere and unable to put lids on jars, things back in cupboards AND extremely anal-retentive about things being in order and filled away properly and put in their proper place. This means when the house needs cleaning, I will sit down and sort out the bathroom cabinet, or organise my bedside table drawer instead of - say – doing the dishes.

Drives M bonkers. Hehe, sucker.


4. Po-ta-to Po-tah-to
I’m a fairly decent cook and I generally really enjoy cooking and baking when I have time.
Today I whipped up this yummy, moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Yes I tried some before I took the photo. 

What? 

This was half to do something with the huge bag of carrots we bought at the markets last weekend, half because carrot cake = GOLD . And "healthy" because there are carrots in there. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

And yet the dish I am most famous for, and all that anyone ever asks me to bring to any event is the easiest, albeit tastiest Potato Salad. Don’t get me wrong, the Potato Salad IS ridiculously good, but I’d like to be known for more than just my lovely potato lumps. A man is not a piece of fruit!
(Sorry – I’m teaching Death of a Salesman at the moment and Loman-isms keep creeping into my conversations.)


5. Umm .. on a related note
“moist” is one of my least favourite words in the English language. 
It’s gross.
If you combine it with one of my other least favourite words “flap” - ......... you’ll see my point.
Ew.


6. Memory ... all alone in the moonlight ....
I have a phenomenal memory for lines from movies, plays and songs. For the names of actors and actresses. For names of movies and TV shows. For trivia related to all of the above. I’ve mentioned my domination in the Pink section of Trivial Pursuit before yeah? I RULE

Then why, for the love of god WHY can I not remember French possessive pronouns or the past participle for various verbs? Why is my mathematics level about that of 3rd grader? (and a slow 3rd grader at that).

Answer? - I have the most Selective.Memory.Ever.


7. Say hello to your friends ...
I religiously read and collected every single edition of The Babysitter’s Club (including 6 of the "Super Specials") from #1 to about # 73. Same story with Sweet Valley High and Sweet Valley Twins.

Many of my disappointments in life can be traced back to not living in a fictional American world in the late 80s/early 90s. I wanted to be in the Unicorn Club soooo badly.

Then I turned 13 and started reading Stephen King and Partricia Cornwall instead
And the Wakefield twins and BSC were left behind.

At least until the Saturday morning Sweet Valley High series started
“Look right down any crowded hall
You'll see there's a beauty standing
Is she really everywhere
Or a reflection?”


That's all from me - off to eat some carrot cake.

A Stylish Blog that I'd recommend?

Fashion me French - Melissa is in Lyon and I've recently fallen in love with her blog - so many of her experiences are familiar and she's very very funny.Go. Read. Enjoy.


xxx