The mummy rises...

...slowly and sleepily, anyway. Mimey points out that it's two months since I last posted, and tags me with a meme. The meme in question is a bit freeform for someone blinking in the glare of bloglight for the first time in a while, so I dug out an older and more hand-holdy one:

1. Do you still talk to the person you last had a thing with?
Funny story there! Which, er, I'd better not go into.

2. Have you ever seen your best friend cry?
Seen it? I've been the equivalent of those little moistened pads they used to have in the post office for wetting the backs of stamps. We could probably have airmailed Easter Island over the course of this year.

3. What kind of vitamins did you take as a kid?
Were there vitamins in Findus Crispy Pancakes and Neapolitan Ice Cream? I expect so!

4. What is the last thing you ate?
Two red sweets and a green one.

5. Did you get any compliments today?
Normally on a Monday morning that would be a really pointless question, but I took the precaution of having a haircut over the weekend, so, amazingly, I did!

6. Have you ever gone to court?
Yes.

7. What does the seventh text message in your inbox say?
"I'm butching it up in lanzagrotty!..."

8. Are you friends with your neighbours?
Friends is stretching it a bit, but I'm cheerful enough, and was mildly helpful when one of the girls upstairs locked herself out the other night.

9. Do you have any regrets?
Probably not.

10. Do you remember your first kiss?
Vividly. I had to go for a little lie down afterwards.

11. What towns have you lived in?
Are we including cities? Manchester, Oxford, Cardiff, Halifax and London.

12. What's the last piercing you got?
Well it must be coming up to twenty years ago, but it would be the second piercing in my left ear.

13. When was the last time you drove more than 15 minutes?
I do sometimes have dreams in which I'm driving a (particular) car, but that's as close as I've got.

14. Have you ever thrown up from drinking?
On many an occasion. But I mix my drinks less these days, so not so often.

15. Do you get jealous easily?
Not at all.

16. Have you ever played Spin the Bottle?
No, I ended up launching straight out of prudery and into full-on debauchery, with none of the in-between ambiguous teasy bits like that.

17. Toilet papered someones house?
Er no.

18. Have you ever had a crush on your brother or sister's friends?
Not really.

19. Have you ever gone to a beach?
Loads of beaches! I prefer the ones that are all rocky and splashy.

20. Do you remember your teacher's names from primary school?
How sad, no I don't, although I remember crying for about an hour when it was the last day with one of them.

21. How good is your eyesight?
Pretty good.

22. Would you ever want to swim with the sharks?
Sounds great! And I've pretty much done the metaphorical version so the real thing'd be good.

23. What would you say if I told you I was in love with your brother?
Brother?! And who are "you"?

24. Have you ever been out of your country?
I have an enquiring and restless mind, and used to have money for holidays, so yes.

25. Have you seen your best friend naked?
Well, bits.

26. What's the best wedding you've been to?
Everyone tells me that my own wedding was the best in the world ever, and it certainly was both sumptuous and beautiful yet idiosyncratic and personal. Shame that it was just a mirage disguising quicksand.

27. Would your parents be mad if you got arrested for fighting?
I think they get disappointed rather than mad.

28. Where are your siblings right now?
Probably at work.

30. Do you have a Honda, Toyota or Nissan?
No...

31. What's the last dream you can remember?
Travelling by ship.

32. Who was the last person to call you?
A friend called regarding developments with the spot of bother he was in.

33. What time did you wake up this morning?
About 7.

34. What are you doing this weekend?
Celebrating Mimey's birthday! (yay!)

35. What does the 5th text message on your phone say?
"The three in the middle?..."

36. Do you drunk dial/txt?
I do drunken emailing/internet abuse quite a lot, but until a couple of weeks ago I don't think I'd ever done the slurry-phone-call-that-everyone-concerned-will-regret thing. Great fun it was too. Brrr!

37. What's in your back pocket?
The little security toggle thing to open the main door at work. And about 37p.

There's no "I" in Meme

This comes courtesy of Mimey (new! reborn!) via Chezza and Clive...

LIFE SURVEY
LAST:
1. Friend you saw: I'm at work, the fools are everywhere!
2. Talked to on the phone: Hmm, it's been a while, not sure.
3. Texted: I sent happy birthday wishes to my ex this morning.
4. IMed: I've managed to avoid IMing mostly.

TODAY:
1. Wearing: Well, all things considered.
2. Better than yesterday? So far there's been less whisky, but everything could change. And the amount of music is about equal.

TOMORROW
1. Is: Only as good as you make it.
2. Got plans: I might do a little dance.
3. Dislikes: Potentially I'll be a little sleepless and hungover. But I've had practice, and I intend to have fun getting that way.

FAVORITE:
1. Number: 6!
2. Color: Tangerine, lime, black, silver.
3. Season: You can't beat the symbolism of Spring, really.

CURRENTLY:
1. Missing someone: No.
2. Mood: Should be working but feel a compulsion to meme. Is that a recognised mood?
3. Wanting to: Smoke. But I'm cutting down.

QUESTIONS / ANSWERS:
Q: First thing you did this morning?
Turned off my alarm, excitingly enough.

Q: Last thing you ate and drank?
Had some Weetabix earlier on, and a couple of thousand cups of coffee since then.

Q: Do you have anything bothering you?
Not really.

Q: What's annoying you right now?
I'm really very content.

Q: Do you support long distance relationships?
I think that a decent relationship can survive all sorts of travails, if both parties really want it to.

Q: Is there a person who is on your mind right now?
That last question did put me in mind of a certain someone, yes.

Q: Do you think that that person is thinking of you too?
Almost definitely.

Q: Where is the last place you went?
To the toilet. There was a strange whiff of TCP in the cubicle, someone had been disinfecting some part of their body or other, and I do wonder who and what.

Q: Do you look like your mum or dad?
Not really.

Q: Do you smile often?
Fuck, yes. And I have the crow's feet to prove it.

Q: Choose one to have (love, beauty, creativity)?
Creativity, which gives you the ability to bring the others into being.

Q: Are you a friendly person?
Very. And I give the benefit of the doubt. And extra chances. But if a line gets crossed, consider me a block of stone.

Q: What color shirt are you wearing?
Black and dark grey stripes.

Q: What were you doing at 9 last night?
Celebrating a birthday in my fella's family. Then soon afterwards we were sat at a bus stop, I had a bag of chips and a beef patty (mmm, yellow softness). Then it was cans of Stella on the back seat of the bus. One of those perfect moments, really.

Q: When is the last time you saw your dad?
The other weekend.

Q: When was the last time you cried?
Last night, in a happy way, with loving arms circling me.

Q: Do you get angry easily?
No. But then I used to NEVER get angry at all. These days I can do it if I have to.

Q: What were you thinking about before you went to sleep?
Lazy summer days.

Q: What song are you listening to right now?
Devotion by Ten City. This is what we call "showing your age", I believe.

Q: Rate life as of right now 1-10:
10.

SAD SECTION:
01. Have you ever really cried your heart out?
Yes, very much so.

02. Have you ever cried yourself to sleep?
That too.

03. Have you ever cried on your friend's shoulder?
Not all that much, to be honest.

04.have you ever cried at an injury?
No.

HAPPY SECTION:
01. What can always make you happy?
Music, friendship, alcohol, good sex.

02. Do you wish you were happier?
It would be a bit creepy if I was.

03. Is being happy overrated?
Not by me.

04. can music make you happy?
I pity the fool who even thought it necessary to ASK that question!

LOVE SECTION:
01. Anyone besides your family ever said they loved you?
Yes.

02. Have you ever told someone you loved them?
Yes.

RELATIONSHIP SECTION:
01. Are you in a relationship?
Yes.

02. Are you happy with it?
Very happy.

03. Ever Been cheated on?
I don't have a handle on the whole concept of 'cheating'. I've been with people who have seen other people too, and vice versa. Big deal. It really doesn't have to be the dramatic ordeal that so many people think it is.

04. Like somebody?
Many people.

HATE SECTION:
01. Who do you actually hate?
Nobody really. I find it hard to sustain that sort of focussed negativity. There WAS a flare-up, briefly this year, but it's gone now.

02. Have you ever made a hate list?
Gosh no.

03. Are you a mean bully?
Yes I'm horrible. Really.

04. Do you like George Bush?
I vomit in his general direction.

E V E R:
[x] ridden in a taxi
[ ] jumped a ramp on a bike
[x] been used
[ ] been fired
[ ] celebrated New Year's in Times Square or Disney World
[x] gone on a blind date
[x] had a crush on a teacher
[ ] celebrated Mardi-Gras in New Orleans.
[x] been to Europe.
[ ] been to Australia
[ ] been to Hawaii
[ ] skipped class.
[x] played Spin The Bottle.
[x] had a sleepover.
[x] gone ice skating.
[ ] had your tonsils taken out
[ ] have/had a TRUCK.
[ ] driven a car.
[ ] totaled a car.


CURRENTLY WEARING:
01. Shorts?
Not with this brisk pre-autumn chill in the air, no.

02. Shoes?
Yeah.

03. Necklace?
Yes.

HAVE YOU EVER:
01. Hugged someone?
Oh there's been lots of that.

02. Been on the phone until the sun came up?
None of THAT!

03. Put a song on repeat for more than an hour?
Despite veiled accusations of this over at Mimey's new place, I think I've - just - stopped short of an hour's worth. And who cares about grammar when the beats are so fine?

LASTS:
01. Last person you talked to in person?
Just spoke to one of my workmates.

02. Last person you talked to online?
I was chatting with Puds and George on Last.fm a short while ago.

03. Person you talked to on the phone?
Ooh, I've had a call from my Glamorous Assistant since the earlier phone question.

04. Person you hugged?
My fella this morning.

05. Person who made you laugh?
It was Camille Coduri as Jackie Tyler, late last night. "I know she IS Greek, but that's not the point!"

06. Person you messaged on myspace?
It was Chezza!

OTHER:
01. Do you get along with your parents?
Yes.

CURRENT:
01. Current Mood:
Didn't we cover this before?

02. Current hair:
My lopsided double rat's tail is getting quite feisty.

03. Current Thing You Ought To Be Doing?
WORKING!

04. Current desktop picture?
It is the greater temple of Abu Simbel.

05. Current music?
I seem to have moved on to a bit of Basement Jaxx. Keeps the workmates cheerful and all.

I Am Not Your Boyfriend

Well, my new EP is causing quite a stir on Last.fm. And has attracted mild interest on MySpace!

This time around I've brought you a mixture of surrealist electro, cheeky Europop, Egyptian horror hip-hop, and the saddest song ever sung. You can download the MP3s from here for free.

But don't blame me if you listen to Box of Spiders first thing in the morning and spend the day making up surreal dance routines that only weirdos like us would enjoy.

And don't blame me if you listen to Looks Don't Hurt at lunchtime and spend the afternoon jumping around and making inappropriate propositions to someone gorgeous.

And don't blame me if you listen to The Tutankhamen Break in the evening and are too scared to turn the lights out that night.

And don't blame me if you listen to This Is Not A Date at bedtime and cry yourself to sleep.

Heroic

So, like the rest of the geek world*, I'm getting increasingly excited about Heroes on the telly. I especially like the sense that the series has an intricate master plan, with most of the main characters still being kept apart and pieces of information being carefully dripfed. If they fail to bring everything together in a gradual and satisfying way I won't be so much disappointed as incredibly surprised.

But while there's no real indication yet as to why the Heroes have started sprouting their powers (the breathy voiceovers go on about new evolutionary patterns, but some of the plot points hint at secret experiments and the like), there's no doubt that all the powers we've seen so far, even if some have their downsides, will prove startlingly useful in a pinch.

Why can't we see some people developing some really pointless superpowers for once? Here are the top useless superpowers I would like to have:

1: The ability to cry baked beans. Perhaps as I mastered my powers, other bodily excretions could be tamed too, a nosebleed of anchovies, a shitting out of Rubik's cubes or an ejaculation of glitterpen ink comes to mind.

2: The ability to leave muddy footprints everywhere, even when there's NO MUD ANYWHERE NEARBY!

3: The ability to temporarily transform my left hand into a clown's wig.

4: The ability to make 50% of the contents of any given bowl of fruit invisible.

5: The ability to make people forget that the royal family exists. Actually, as that one sounds quite useful, it would need a Heroes-style limitation (yes, but only when you give in to your debilitating drug addiction/evil mirrorbitch persona/stand near someone else sort of thing) on it. So perhaps, only when I clip my toenails.

Any more useless superpowers people are hankering for?

*Except for those with advanced geekery levels, who have seen it all already through bitsplashing it or whatever.

Tourist attractions

So today I got well lubricated and pumped full of cream. Yes, it's that English institution, Tea At The Ritz. It was a family day out, to treat my mum for her 60th birthday, and a good time was had by all.

But it does leave you feeling a little uncomfortable. For one thing I had to get trussed up in a jacket and tie. For another, the only black face in the room was stuck behind the piano. Oh, and I'm sorry to say it was very half-hearted piano-playing too. You go to the Ritz, you want the pianist to give you Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Noël Coward, Rodgers & Hart. But he was stuck in a mire of easy listening hits from the 70s. Well I love those songs to be sure. But there's a time and a place. And that bum note in 'Just The Way You Are' REALLY stuck out.

Anyway, for those curious as to how the other 0.01% of the population live, and I know I was, you get gorgeous surroundings, all the sandwiches you can eat, some fantastic scones (which the waiter, in an accent reminiscent of John Cleese's French Knight, told us he was keeping 'soft and warm' for us until we were ready) and some of the most elegant and dainty pastries you can imagine, including the single most inventive use for crème pâtissière I've ever seen. Everything is geared to give you a feeling of decadence and plenty, so they keep refilling the three-tiered stand. All those leftovers! They have a no doggy-bag policy. I'm pretty sure the waiters scoff the lot.

As long as you don't mind rubbing shoulders with the haughty élite for a couple of hours, it's well worth the cash.

The London Aquarium on the other hand, seems to have paled. Maybe it was my recent visit to the brilliant Birmingham Sea Life Centre (gastric poisoning notwithstanding), maybe it was the fact that on a cold wet day in the school holidays every boisterous bastard in London has crowded in there, and the 'friendly' rays in the pool are quivering in fear at the bottom.

If anyone cares to treat my blog as a tourist information service, may I continue to recommend the London Dungeon? I was there again this weekend, and the picture at the top represents only the fun to be had in the (three hour) QUEUE - imagine the fun inside! Yeah, I left off explaining the picture till my last paragraph. Just to make you read all of this. I have a day job in junk mail, you know.

Chalk and Cheese #37: Donna Summer vs. Kaiser Chiefs

Oh it's been a long time. So long that I couldn't remember how to type a hash sign.

So here's Donna, submerged in a high school fantasy, all hand claps and swooping strings and castanets and parpy sax. She loves a guy who's into her best friend, who in turn loves someone else altogether. The guy asks the best friend to the high school dance, at which point Donna promptly loses it and tearily runs off, leaving them behind. I suspect she'd have been a lot better off if she'd hung around to find out what happened. Her best friend might well have just let the guy down gently, even put in a good word for her. Lovers coming between friends is one of the worst possible outcomes of a romance, after all, and between true friends it's not going to happen easily.

As it is, you can't help feeling that she's exulting in the unkindness of love. It is a pretty jaunty song, after all. Maybe the protagonist of the song wants all the attention you get from being part of a doomed love affair, without ever opening her eyes to the reality that the guy never actually did anything to hurt her. Just "Love's unkind, cos he's not mine," over and over again. She revels in the pain, only ever seeing the guy as a symbol for what she believes she's missed out on, rather than being able to imagine what he might be going through himself.

A welcome synthy chug about the bass parts just about connects the Kaiser Chiefs' musical world to Donna's in 'Every Day I Love You Less and Less.' And here we find the opposite end of the pain, a singer who's disgusted by ever having gotten close to someone he's now realised is repellent. "I can't believe once you and me did sex, it makes me sick to think of you undressed." More unkindness? But the signs are there in the song, the ex-lover has gone a bit off the rails, even stalkerish - "It's plain to see that you've become obsessed... everyone agrees that you're a mess... you're turning into something I detest." And whatever they did, it's left the singer in need of medical advice, pills and rest just to get through the aftermath.

Let's not shy away from love altogether though. After all, the singer has already got another girlfriend, who even as he sings the song, is nurturing her collection of photos of him. And he's got a proper support network too. 'That's enough love for me," he tells us. Was he wrong to love someone else as well, especially considering how it turned out? Maybe he thought he was boosting the sum total of happiness in the world, at the time. The amount of righteous anger in the song suggests a pretty thorough betrayal of trust and general pissing into faces.

And it's that exultation in the negative that brings these two tracks together. Maybe Love, the abstract force, IS unkind. You don't get to choose who you fall for, after all, or get any say in how they end up feeling about you. It's tough, really.

Anniversaries and Grey Areas

What draws us to mark the significant days in our lives and make remembrances when the date comes around again? I lay in bed last night and I pictured the earth making its year long jaunt around the sun, with all of our joys and traumas crawling unnoticed across its surface. Even the idea of a year isn't terribly accurate, or else we wouldn't have to insert an extra day every fourth February*. Then a moth crawled, far from unnoticed, up the back of my shoulder, and I lost my train of thought.

But we need to stop and reflect, sometimes, on the things that have happened to us over the years, and the calendar is a handy hook to hang our pasts on.

In the last month I had my first anniversary of starting a new life, it was very much on my mind and I managed to scrape out a blog that mentioned it. Then there were all the anniversaries that logically followed, of making new friends, finding new places to live or hang out in. I got my karaoke anniversary completely wrong, as it turns out, that day was Independence Day of course.

Celebrating something on the wrong day doesn't make it any less valid, though, the important thing is that we remember. And as for the main date I was conscious of, that day brought ludicrous and unforgettable new events of its own. It's fair to say that there have been episodes in my life in the last year that would have tried the patience and credulity of the most avid soap opera addict or the eagerest Victorian follower of serialised melodramas. I don't seek out the extremes of eventfulness, but I don't shy from them, and I do my best to stay calm and keep my head up when they surge around me.

Apologies for the vagueness, I would say more if not for the sake of others' privacy. The last week, through the course of various improbable developments, has brought an end of sorts to one vivid chapter of recent life. I'm hoping that the pace of things will slow down a bit. I'd like to get back to writing, and working on music. I see that the whole of my June archive here is nothing but memes and what I did at the weekends. If you're still reading this blog, you might remember when I used to post fun and creative things too. That'd be nice, eh?

*except during years ending with 00 that aren't divisible by 400, blah blah. Some excitement for the next generation, during their old age, there.

b*r*u*m

I've made some great friends since I started blogging. But when it comes to Mimey, 'friend' doesn't quite cover it. Because we've seen each other through some shocking difficult times, and found our lives crossing over in all sorts of unexpected and meaningful ways. It's a connection that I treasure.

Regular readers of either of our blogs might remember some of her eventful trips to the capital - the vomit! the dancing! the vomit! (as Radiohead so nearly put it). But to celebrate a whole year since I burdened her with my life story in a nuit blanche email and everything kicked off for real, we planned a special occasion. So I got onto a train and visited a place called "Birmingham", where she lives. It's a place that looks like this...

...and where magical things happen. Well, we went to see a mummy, and I heard some mesmerising music from her own fingers and tongue, and later we sheltered in the protection of an Ibis. To my enormous delight, we got turned away from a bar because I was too scruffy, which is a GREAT indication of whether I actually wanted to go in there or not. Fortunately that wasn't the Saturday night destination Mimey had planned us to end up in, for not only had karaoke been laid on there, but it was ORANGE karaoke...
...no retouching involved, folks! The lovely BB had joined us by this point, and the three of us basically ruled the entire bar for the duration of our stay. Just the way I like it.

Sunday brought miles and miles of beautiful canals, and the thrill of colourswirls in the water that are caused by, and redeem, the tonnes of shit and sludge that drift beneath. Nothing's wasted.

Finally I dragged Mimey into the Sea Life centre and we marvelled at the lovely fishes and their friends. On sighting a big pool full of swooping and frolicking rays, constantly splashing hopefully up to the surface, I ignored the blatantly cruel 'DO NOT TOUCH THE RAYS' sign and gave one what he wanted (yeah yeah, fancy London ways, it's all the rage - positively encouraged, in fact - to stroke them in the Aquarium here). Mimey links this subversive action (which started a whole Mexican wave of fish/human bonding all around the edges of the pool) and my lack of hand-washing before eating a tuna sandwich afterwards, to the stomach upsets which came on for me in the following week. But I was hoping that the principle "if you're putting something in your mouth, it shouldn't be a problem if you've been touching it too" would apply to fish as well.

The Monday Meme: Abandoned trolleys

1. The phone rings; whom do you want it to be? Someone with something sane to say.
2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? It's been so very long since I've done a shopping trip of the scale that warrants getting a cart. When I was a kid our house was quite famous for having discarded shopping trolleys in the front garden though. We did take them back eventually.
3. If you had to kiss again the last person you kissed, would you? Oh I expect so. Even bearing in mind the very unusual circumstances, and the likely consequences.
4. Do you take compliments well? I really like compliments and hopefully I'm nice and gracious when I get them.
5. Do you play Sudoku? I did have a spell of doing them when they first started getting popular. It's a seductive myth, that everything could fit into place in such an orderly way, and that there's always only one possible solution.
6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? I think that my lack of practicality and my lack of fear would counterbalance each other towards a hopefully positive result.
7. Do you like nipple rings? I'm not bothered one way or the other.
8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? There was a week away when I was about eleven, involving abseiling, orienteering, canoeing and the like. I was desperately lonely and hated most of it. But the caving was brilliant.
9. If a sexy person were pursuing you, but you knew he/she were married what would you do? Oh, blunder straight in, bringing happiness and despair in equal measure to everyone involved.
10. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you? It's a stumbling block to be sure. But not insurmountable; I'd hate to be the thought police and insist that someone I cared about modified their beliefs to be as godless as me.
11. Do you like to pursue or be pursued? Both are fun. Until pursuing crosses over with stalking. Which is officially not fun.
12. Use three words to describe yourself at the moment: Conflicted, delicately balanced.
13. Do any songs make you cry? They used to, and hopefully will again.
14. Are you continuing your education? I'm still learning, every single day.
15. Do you know how to shoot a gun? No, and it's not a skill I hope I would ever need.
16. If your house were on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed? My hard drive.
17. Who was the last person you shared a bed with? It was a platonic bed-sharing night of much comfort and loveliness.
18. Whom do you text the most? Oh my texts are very scattershot, I send to whoever I think's going to most appreciate reading whatever it is that I think's so interesting.
19. Favorite children’s books? It's still Charlotte's Web.
20. What do you buy at the movies? I really object to foyer prices so tend to buy any refreshments from the nearest shop instead.
21. Do you know how to play poker? Not in any great detail, but then I always think it looks really annoying. And I hate how in fiction a game always comes down to two players with ridiculously strong and statistically improbable hands.
22. Do you wear your seat belt? I'm almost never in a car. Let's answer metaphorically. No.

The Execution of Lady Jane Meme

Mimey writes to remind me that it's been another ten day gap between posts.


Honestly, that means that every time I blog about something, it's quite possible for you to have time to go out, get crowned Queen of England, reign over your subjects for a while and get your head chopped off. And STILL be back home in time for my next entry.

Anyway, when in doubt, steal another meme:


What I was doing ten years ago… ?
I was living in a one-bedroomed flat in Acton where the strong light of day was filtered through giant white roller blinds and the summer days were spent with pots of coffee and piles of newspapers.

What I was doing 5 years ago… ?
I was living in a maisonette in Bermondsey with a little paved garden and a tiny fountain that trickled happily into a corner mini-pond. In a strange and appropriate twist of events, as I write these words the Knife's 'Marble House' has just come on.

1 year ago… ?
It was a busy day at work, but there was so much to do at home as well, and I ran to catch a train to get there. Home, when I woke up, was a Deptford townhouse full of possibilities and sharp half-landings. But by the end of the day I was free.

Yesterday… ?
Trying to sleep. Trying compassion and hope once more.



5 Snacks I enjoy…
Wholemeal toast with a thick gloss of marmite, cherries dripping from a cold rinse, ice cream studded with nuggets of toffee, six handfuls of glowering sultanas, a whole bowl of olives like shiny beetle carapaces.

5 Songs I know all the words to…
Grandaddy's The Crystal Lake, Patrick Wolf's The Libertine, Bodies Without Organs' Voodoo Magic, Al Green's Let's Stay Together, The Dears' There Goes My Outfit.

5 Things I would do with $100 million…
Be generous to the people I love, get a shitload of music equipment, travel across my favourite parts of the world extensively and without hurry, be comfortable and secure in terms of living arrangements, save some for rainy days & Mondays and accidents & emergencies.

5 Locations I would love to run away to…
Luxor, New York City, Blackpool, Easter Island, South America.

5 Bad habits I have…
Assuming people will understand what is meant by the things I DON'T say, smoking, putting others first, forgetting to eat or sleep properly when I'm excited about something, falling in love.

5 things I like doing…
Making music, touching people, dancing, getting drunk, coming. Actually that could be the perfect evening, right there!

5 things I would never wear…
A top hat, a crown, a fez, comedy underwear, the colour red.

5 TV shows that I like…
Doctor Who, Buffy, Six Feet Under, Sapphire and Steel, Spaced. It's possible only one of those is still going.

5 Biggest joys of the moment…
My forthcoming weekend in Birmingham, the four songs I'm working on.

5 Favourite toys…
My keyboards, my laptop, my iPod, my acid green phone, my pestle & mortar. (Well, define 'toy'! I have fun using it, OK!)

5 next victims…
I wouldn't be so pushy.