Ouch! I've been tagged!

posted at 03:58:19
By Flipping Heck!

Posted In
Personal

The social medium of the internet, and blogging specifically, always makes me smile. You get to have conversations with people whom you necessarily wouldn't interact with in the "real" world.

One person I have met in the "Real World" is Wayne Turmel (although now I know his name isn't really Wayne ;)) from "The Cranky Middle Manager Show" and it was all thanks to new media technologies (I'm a fan of his Podcast, but not in the "Play Misty for me" way - honest!).

So, what's this tagging thing all about? It's the new modern equivalent of the good old fashioned Chain Letter! Although this particular one doesn't tell you you'll have 10 years bad luck if you don't forward it to everyone you know and their next-door neigbours! And what do I have to do? Tell you 5 things about myself you don't know... that could be tough!

My "real" name is Katherine, although I only get called that on the first day of work, when I've done something wrong or visit the doctor. My Mum wanted to call me Katie but my Dad said that it wasn't posh enough and I should have a name that looks good on a CV. You may call that great foresight but I call it annoying. After much rowing, I was indeed called Katherine although my Mother (bless her) got her own back by only calling me Katy and it stuck. I get really annoyed when people shorten my name to "Kate" as my name's already been shortened enough thank-you-very-much, and whatever you do, don't call me Kathy - my goodness, I hate that!
I once attended "Anger Management" and "Anti-Stress" classes. Yes, I was a typical "Angry Young Thing" and used to throw a wobbly everytime something didn't go my way. Fortunately I didn't hurt anyone but myself (I have the broken bones in my hand to prove it) but it wasn't a healthy state to be in. Now I'm a picture of calm and emotional stability (yeah, right ).
This isn't one I'm proud of, but it helps me shrug off my "goody-two-shoes" image. I've been cautioned by the police twice, arrested once and have been interviewed on tape twice - and yes, it's just like the TV shows portray it, although you don't get a coffee and they don't let you smoke. I hasten to add I've never been convicted of anything and all 3 times I've been let off without charge - mainly due to the fact that a) I did nothing wrong and b) The police were incompetent (hoorah)! The worst time of my life was having to spend 8 hours in a police cell - and there wasn't even any graffitti to look at, plus they took my belt so my trousers kept falling down.
I'm a huge fan of musicals, I can't get enough of them. Anything with singing and dancing in it and I'm there! Actually, I don't know what to do when "Strictly Come Dancing" finishes (and I'm going to miss the final - boo!) - Although I couldn't stand "How do you solve a problem like Maria. I'm not sure what my favourite musical is, there's too many to chose from but I'm going to have to mention the obligatory "Wizard of Oz" and "Easter Parade" (hmmm, there seems to be a worrying Judy Garland theme running there!) and to show I'm not stuck in the '40s, I also love more modern "Dance films" like "Bring It On" and "Strictly Ballroom".
Weirdly though, when I'm sick I love to watch a good disaster movie. For some reason it really perks me up!
I went deaf for a while when I was a kid and had to endure a barrage of tests where they put me in a little soundproof booth with headphones on and played horrible beeping noises at me. They had to prove that I wasn't putting it on because bizarrley I couldn't hear a word that my parents said to me unless it was "Do you want a fiver?" (which was quite handy actually). They could never quite find out what caused it and I got my hearing back a few months later.
I still struggle with my hearing now (due to dodgy sinuses and - as my doctor puts it - "very persistant earwax", yuck!) and as a result 75-80% of conversations I have are based on lip-reading which is really handy in a crowded pub but not so handy on a 'phone call.
So, if we ever meet in real life and I completely can't hear what you say or ignore you - I'm not being rude, honest!