Tuesday 10 January 2017

Meme

What is some of your favourite music? In my phone there's a playlist called 'songs I really like'. Let's have a look. When I decided to try blogging again I did think about the prospect of public self-humiliation, but I didn't anticipate it taking this form nor coming in quite so quickly. Well, anyway, it is entirely out of my hands and I can't do anything about it now, so: Brian Eno - "I'm Set Free"; Sufjan Stevens - "Should Have Known Better"; Todd Rundgren - "Can We Still Be Friends?"; LCD Soundsystem - "Home"; Rdiohead - "True Love Waits"; David Bowie - "Sound and Vision"; Eurogliders - "Can't Wait To See You"; Shonen Knife - "Jet"; Paul McCartney - "Maybe I'm Amazed"; Tears for Fears - "Pale Shelter"; James Blake - "A Case of You" - etc

List your three favourite scents. The oil released by a just-peeled mandarine; clean sea air; liquorice tea. I am also extremely fond of scents that come in bottles and the three I like best are Chanel no.5, Flowerbomb, and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Highly unoriginal and unsophisticated, but I adore them all and there is not much in the way of little everyday pleasures that I like more than rubbing one of these delicious smells onto my own skin and derangedly huffing it exactly like Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet. Oh god, I'm doing it now. Nose to wrists. You freakin freaker!

How do you ground yourself or recharge? If I was an electric car I would do this by plugging myself into the charging station round at Ceres, but sadly I am not, so what I do is get out for a wander - by the creek, on the road, through the trees. Mostly on a bike, and with my headphones in so I can listen to some more of that maudlin etiolated whispery music (or music with great beats - sooky wailing over a very danceable groove is the best, hence Low Bowie) just like a hormonally challenged fifteen year old.

Any ways you treat or spoil yourself? This is a difficult one. I hardly ever deny myself anything that I want. It might take a while before I plunge in, but I pretty much always get there in the end. So I am continually treating myself, I guess - or perhaps am I permanently spoilt? Either way, there's not much that I can do to break the appalling monotony, the drab routine, of self-treating and autospoiling. I did buy myself a very, very lovely and very expensive pair of shoes last year, and it felt awesome but also frightening - like, this is a bridge that I really didn't need to cross.

Besides your blog, do you have a creative past-time? Yes, I love to sew. I really love it and I am pretty good at it now, after all the practice, all the trial and error, and I get such a ridiculous amount of satisfaction out of making my own clothes. I also enjoy baiting some of the more idiotic people in my orbit, and I flatter myself that I am pretty skilled at this too.

Share something difficult you've been through. Well, keep on reading the blog. It's all gonna come out, I fear.

What helps you fall asleep? Falling asleep is easy. Everything helps me fall asleep. It's staying asleep that's the problem.

What is one strength and one weakness of yours? I think I'm quite an accomplished reader of people - I don't always get it right, but often enough. The weakness is that I sometimes succumb to the temptation of then trying to manipulate those people into doing what I want them to do, instead of just asking them politely.

Have you ever received a letter or written one to someone else? Yes. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this question. Mailed personal letters are quite rare. I wrote lots and lots of fan letters when I was a child and a teenager. Some of my grandparents wrote me memorable letters. I received love-letter type things once or twice from people who couldn't or wouldn't speak to me directly about their emotions. And I was once dumped by post. I should have held onto that one (the letter, not the boy.)

What makes you feel powerful, what breathes life into you? Love. Dancing.

What's your favourite thing to do at night? Talk.

(I'm censoring myself now.)

If you could go back to any eras, what would they be? All eras. Pffft.

Your favourite things to wear at home? Clean cotton pyjama pants and a floral kimono.

If you could be immortal or have an extremely long life span which would you pick and why? Easy. I would go for immortality. When this question comes up, and it seems to come up a lot doesn't it, I am never convinced that those who think living forever would become a boring hell are not just being a bit unimaginative.

Tell us about something positive you have done for yourself or someone recently. Well, I'm still here in Warrnambool with Len. I think that bringing him here for a few days of quality beach time fits the definition of doing something positive for another person. That was certainly my aim. As for myself I've enjoyed it in a way. I've unequivocally enjoyed watching him have such a wonderful time playing in the sea.

One thing you like about your appearance? I like my colouring. The shades of white, pearl, silver, mushroom in my undyed hair.

Something that makes you feel better after a hard day? Seeing my doctor always makes me feel better. Everyone should have therapy.

If you have one, name a favourite book & movie. A favourite book: Persuasion. A favourite movie: Dead Man.

2 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

I will have to think about this. Some challenging questions.
Music? Not for me.
Sadly sleep isn't either. I go to sleep with no difficulties, but cannot stay there. And there is a reason sleep deprivation is used as a torture by so many cultures. It is.
I would hate to be immortal. Some days the thought that this will end and I can have eternal peace/nothingness is immensely appealing.

Tim said...

How good is that Eno version of "I'm set free"! Love it.

Good to see you back :)