The A-Z of Divinyl-ness... (aka Alphabet Meme)

I was tagged in a meme recently by Canuck Chick, aka Bamboo Blitz and, let's face it, I am rubbish/lazy/preoccupied/delete as appropriate* lately, therefore I have decided to wimp out and simply repost something from my pre-Blogger days (although I did migrate it over here with me, so it comes straight from way back in my archive somewhere). Well, it fits the bill..! I shall not tag anyone directly, but feel free to meme away...the original meme asks for one fact about yourself for each letter of the alphabet!

A:
Atheist. Ambition. Something I wish I had more of! (The) Arena…the place of my misspent youth (well mid-teen years anyway!). Albert Herbert Hawkins: The Naughtiest Boy in the World...was one of my favourite books...all about spacemen being scared of mice...what could be better? (The Beast in the Bathtub is also worth checking out!).

B:
Boobies. Yes, they are rather large. No I didn't have them surgically enhanced for your viewing pleasure, so you can stop looking now, my face is up here! (See also 'jubblies'). Boudoir (by Vivienne Westwood)…my 'signature scent'. Blonde…something which (as I have got older) I am no longer…which is also kind of true of blue-eyed.

C:
Creative. At times. Colour co-ordinated. It's important! Caring…according to Gil who, when I asked her about this blog, immediately said I was "Kind, caring, sensitive"…I don't think she really got that it wasn't a 'big myself up' kind of blog…but I'm including it here anyway, simply because Gil is fit! Coca Cola…way superior in taste to Diet Coke, however it does leave your mouth feeling like something's died in it. It's a tough one. Canada…is somewhere I want to go (and I have new 'relatives' in Calgary…and had a penpal in Quebec as a child). Celibate. I might as well be!

D:
Dancing. Or not, as the case may be. Something which is, to me, extremely scary and awkward, and which should be avoided at all costs! Dresses…yes, I do wear them…people never believe me until they've seen it with their own eyes. Possibly because I also own dungarees (I like them…sod the stereotypes!). Dreamer (rather than doer). Dual nationality…lucky me eh?

E:
Enthusiastic…often rather hyperactively so. Edible. There's a cheese with the same name as me (minds out of the gutter please!). Elvis…surely the most beautiful man ever (although Marlon Brando was sometimes pretty hot too!).

F:
Fuller-figured…or maybe even (gasp!) FAT! Fag hag…most of my friends are gay men. It just happened that way. Can you be a fag hag if you yourself are of a somewhat bendy persuasion? Football bores me rigid (as do most other sports). Future. Something of which I am unable to conceive (this links in with 'ambition'!).

G:
Gateshead. Well, it's where I live. Also gin…is rather smashing :o) Goats' cheese…actually, also gherkins…food I love! Geek…we rule! Gigs.

H:
Horizon. My favourite concept when playing 'I Spy' as a child…unfortunately this meant that it was always rather easy to guess what I had spotted…it was either that or 'tree'! Also horizons (plural)…something I was very fortunate to have been provided with growing up, and Horizons, a group I worked for as a volunteer in my time at uni. Homo…wner.

I:
Indescribable…seriously, why am I bothering? Indiscreet (at times…see also 'loud'!). Indecisive. Individual (see 'U'). iPod…the best invention ever? Certainly the best Christmas present I have ever had.

J:
Journalist. Something I would love to be (of the print variety…ideally a critic) should I have any of the requisite drive or motivation. Jubblies (as per 'boobies'). Joanna. It's my middle name. Junior VIP (or UM)...British Midlands frequent flier when I was only wee.

K:
Kitsch…a great word and a great home decorating scheme! Kissing. A wonderful pastime…and I have been told (lots of times!) that I am rather good at it, thank you very much ;o)

L:
Loud…for this is the word that is most often used to describe me. Laugh. I am frequently told I have a dirty one. Lazy…yes, I admit it. Lori…in which case, 'L' also stands for (blummin') long story. Labels…none of them fit me very well (I'm not talking clothes, I'm talking being put into nice little discrete boxes).

M:
MUSIC!! Is life. Also Middlesbrough, for that is where me roots are, mon. And minky…tee hee. Mushrooms. Are truly evil things…bleurch! Misfit. Well, it has to be acknowledged. Messy! Mature…yeah, right! Mud, mud glorious mud...is possibly the first song I learnt to sing...although it may have been It's A Long Way to Tipperary or Be Bop A Lula...my dad's not quite sure and I certainly don't remember.

N:
New Zealand. The place of my birth, and the origin of my first name. Also Northern…something which I was known for being in my time at sixth form college, due to relocating to Hampshire from Teesside and being something of an anomaly. Needles (as in syringes)…absolutely petrify me :o( (It's called trypanophobia). Noses…I love a good, unusual nose.

O:
Obstreperous. Just because it's a jolly smashing word and reminds me of a jolly smashing friend. Onomatopoeia…a great concept, in a word that is spelt horribly (see 'vowels'). Oldies…but goldies (this could go for my musical or romantic preferences!).

P:
Photography. Is fun (except for when I am the subject). Perfume…is a great book, in my humble opinion. Pal Ben would, I reckon, be a good name for a band (well, better than Red Leather anyway…as my friend Kate and I were called as children singing for pennies in her front yard!). Portrait of A Legend…my Desert Island Disc. Plucking…I am addicted to my tweezers…unhealthily so. Piercings. I have two, despite the aforementioned trypanophobia (go figure). Paul Simon…one of my favourite recording artists. Pubs…beat clubs every time.

Q:
Queer. Well what else begins with 'Q'? Queuing, just because I'm British? Erm…Queen Latifah? She's hot! Qi…is a jolly useful word to know when playing Scrabble.

R:
Riki Pickle. My dad used to call me this (basically because it sounds a very little bit like my actual name I think). Red wine…yum yum, yes please! Reflective observer (and abstract conceptualiser)…my dominant learning style(s). Roland Rat...important to my childhood for so many reasons!

S:
Singer. Something else I would love to be (see 'journalist')…if I was brave enough and, erm, could sing consistently in tune! San Francisco…the place I lost my heart…fnar. Stars…are my favourite shape. Spendthrift…I am so rubbish with money. Which brings us neatly onto shoes…love them, love them, love them…especially trainers. Stentorian (look it up). Shy…no, really. Scrabble. Split ends…I am lazy about getting around to having my hair cut. Sabre...was my Auntie's dog when I was a kid...even when he got really old he used to climb the stairs so that he could sleep by my bed. One of the best friends I ever had. Sixties Mania 2. My favourite tape in the car aged 6ish...my dad would get sooooooo sick of it! Sam :o(

T:
Taurean. Well, I am. That's all there is to say about that really. Touc…a nickname I tried to create for myself as a kid (this never really works)…simply because I'd never had a proper one. Tapestry…possibly my favourite album. Tabitha. Was the name of the cat I had at my Auntie's house when I was young…she was named after the little girl in Bewitched…and was my muse in winning a Bellamy's Bugle Pet Poetry Competition (one of the very few things I have ever won!). Tartan Asia Extreme…have released some super films. Tokyo. Is somewhere I would love to visit.

U:
Unusual…I have been referred to as 'special' in the past, which perhaps is not so great…particularly when it's your friends saying it! But "Nice…different…unusual" is ok. Definitely unique. Ditto unforgettable. "Umb-er-ella…ella…ella" is a truly pants song, yet still made it to the top of the charts! I despair.

V:
Vowels. I have a thing about vowels being all up next to each other in spelling a word…they make horrid sounds when you have to say them out loud. Example words are moist, poignant, the name Phoebe…and the way onomatopoeia is spelt is like this too. Vinyl. As in LPs. Vegetarian…mostly (chicken's a vegetable right?). Verbose (this will not come as any great shock!).

W:
Walrus. Because, as a wee little snip of a peep, I had an alphabet book where 'W' stood for 'Walrus' and I used to point it out convinced that it was a picture of my Uncle Mike! Yes, these good looks are hereditary ;o) Water…drinking it, swimming in it, listening to it run, looking out at it (in sea form). Walkers' cheese and onion crisps. Wellington Hospital…the more specific place of my birth (see 'New Zealand'). Words…are brilliant and I am a little bit obsessed with them.

X:
XX. Is my chromosomal make-up…at least as far as I am aware (see also 'boobies'!). Xmas…comes but once a year…and is a totally unnecessary way of shorthand-ing Christmas. "Xanadu…ooo…hey, Xanadu!" (well, 'X' is a rather difficult one!).

Y:
Yodelling. Well, not really…I just thought it would be an amusing thing to put! Yan tan tether nether pim…yan dick, tan dick, tether dick, nether dick etc. This is how Cumbrians count sheep…what a bloody useless piece of knowledge! Yonder…I word I recently decided that I would try to use more frequently. Yorkshire…a place I am not from, so quit telling me I sound like I am!

Z:
Zaftig…hell yeah baby! Zami (see 'queer'). Zzzzzzzzzzzz…and that's your lot! :o) I'm off for a snooze now.