NotJustAHatStand

I got paid today. And there's some left!!!

I have two cats, one a Brown Burmese named Roo, pictured here in her usual pose, asleep:

and the other a little black Bombay named Coco: Coco was born deformed - she has a little club foot (club paw I should say!) and a stumpy little tail that looks just a little bit like a pig's, except that it's fuzzy. Neither of these things seem to bother her too much though (apart from the odd bout of tail envy, during which she will attack Roo's perfectly-formed tail).

The title of this post refers to Coco as she follows me about CONSTANTLY whenever she's awake (which granted isn't all that often!). Because of her gammy leg she can't jump as high as a normal cat but unfortunately she is approximately three times as nosy as a normal cat, therefore she HAS to know what I'm doing, AT ALL TIMES. If I'm in the kitchen, washing the dishes or cooking, she sits at my feet and miaows plaintively until I pick her up. When I'm buzzing about doing housework or tidying up, she follows me. Everywhere. I trip over her frequently, but she doesn't seem to mind as she persists in running around my feet. So Coco's theme tune now is 'Me And My Shadow', duet sung by the late great Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr (with a heinous cover version recently by the not-so-great Robbie Williams).

A couple of Mondays ago my fiance got out of bed earlier than usual (7am being earlier than usual!) to go and have a shave before work (he's fairly hairy y'see), and the bulb in the bathroom blew. You're probably thinking 'So what? Put a new one in and off you go', but I'm afraid it wasn't that simple, dear reader...

There are two spotlights in our tiny, thimble-sized bathroom and the bulb in one of them had gone a couple of months before this. Although we'd changed the bulb it still wasn't working and we'd never gotten round to fixing it. This turned out to be our first mistake.

So when the OTHER bulb went, it turned into the Worst Ever Start To A Working Day, EVER.

Fiance got out the stepladder and clambered up (in the dark) to the offending light fitting. After much grunting and swearing he finally got the old bulb out of the fitting, and handed it to me, saying that he'd never seen a light bulb like that before. I hadn't either, the main reason being that he had managed to get the bulb part out, leaving the screw part still in the fitting. After another (prolonged) bout of swearing he concluded that he was unable to remove the screw from the fitting without a) Equipment and b) Light. By this time we were both running late (despite being up EARLIER THAN USUAL!) and couldn't afford any more faffing around. So I brought through a table lamp, and set it up at the bathroom door, to allow my beloved to shave his beard. Unfortunately, it didn't end here: after running a full sink of hot water and getting out his shaving stuff, Fiance realised that he had no shaving foam left.......... Not a sausage.

He is a grumpy get before 10am anyway, but my fiance was just unable to compute such a run of bad luck, and wandered off to work, hairy and in a state of shock...

Today the Scottish Rugby team beat England at Murrayfield for the first time since 2000. So the Calcutta Cup is coming back to Scotland - and ABOUT TIME TOO! I missed the game as I was visiting my granny, but by all accounts it was a great game and Scotland deserved to win -well done boys!!

I wish I'd been there. It's a bit of gamble going to Murrayfield to watch Scotland v England, as there's always the chance you're going to see your home team getting steamrollered by the English (nothing worse!). That wasn't the case today though - and I'm VERY jealous of all the people that were there to see the tables being turned on Dallaglio, Dawson and co!

There are SO MANY drunk people in Edinburgh right now...

1. NAME ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
On the back on my hand from where my last cat Jules clawed me. I like it because it’s a lasting reminder of him.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
A print of The Persistence of Memory by Dali that my sister gave me, and a picture of an elephant.

3. WHAT DOES YOUR MOBILE PHONE LOOK LIKE?
It's a black flippy Motorola one

4. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
Am lovin the Chili's new album - not listening to anything else just now. Normally Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age etc. Anything with geetars.

6. FAVOURITE BOOK
Anything by Margaret Atwood, or Bill Bryson. Or Dickens. Or Tolkien. Ooh, and I love Harry Potter. And The Wind In The Willows, Winnie The Pooh, Heidi and Little Women. This is too hard.

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
My daddy.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
I can't remember but probably the Fiance.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOGNE / PERFUME?
Flower by Kenzo

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS
Coffee! Energy drinks taste like wee.

17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PIZZA TOPPING?
Pepperoni I guess. Not a pizza fan.

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Hot toast slathered in Skippy Peanut Butter

20. DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE?
Used to have a tiny bit of Spanish and German, but nothing that would ever be of any use.

22. DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE?
Other than the fiance, tattooed rock gods. Namely Anthony Kiedis and Dave Grohl. Also have a newfound appreciation of Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam!

27. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MARRIAGE?
All for it, so long as I don't have to change my name!

28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
I guess I'd try not to, but don't think you have much option who you fall in love with.

29. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU?
By doing little things to make em happy, and giving lots of cuddles.

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
Brunettes are the best.

32. WHAT IS THE ONE NUMBER YOU CALL OFTEN?
Sex lines. Best to call from work though as it's expensive.

33. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST?
Bad manners!

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES
Books, and handbags. Also, I'm too soft.

36. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I'd get my ankles made skinnier, and a flat tummy.

37. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN IN LOVE?
Once. So far anyway ;o)

38. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
Having shiny hair I suppose.

39. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL?
Rejoice! No more stinky beer breath or whinging about hangovers from the Fiance.

40. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
Would like some more books. Cause I don't have enough.

41. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?
Two

42. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Fraid not.

43. WHICH FINGER [S] IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
I like my little deformed pinkies.

44. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
At the weekend when I was chopping onions.

45. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No - I'm a leftie so it's not very neat and it smudges.

46. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE VEGETABLE?
Carrots or parsnips!

47. ANY BAD HABITS?
Farting.

48. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING CD?
Sad boy band album.

49. HAVE YOU EVER TOLD A SECRET YOU SWORE NOT TO TELL?
Yes! Oops.

50. DO LOOKS MATTER?
Yes but other things are important too. Like a big schlong. No I'm kidding!

51. HOW DO YOU RELEASE YOUR ANGER?
Throwing things. For reference, see the dent in my bedroom wall.

52. WHERE IS YOUR SECOND HOME?
My mammy's

53. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY?
Too easily!

54. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TOY AS A CHILD?
Casey Jones, a dog dressed as a train driver.

55. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR MOBILE PHONE?
Pass. Lots of old random ones that I don't use.

56. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
Sense of humour and a big schlong.

57. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
Kat and Teeny.

58. WHAT IS THE MOST PAIN YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED?
When I was eight I fell off my bike and landed on my face.

59. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE COLOURS?
Greeny-blue, and brown.

60. LAST THING YOU ATE?
A salad from M&S, and some raspberry jelly!

61. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Someone at work – boring.

62. WHATS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Skin, teeth and clothes. And their schlong.

63. FAVOURITE THOUGHT PROVOKING SONG?
Anything by Radiohead.

64. FAVOURITE DRINK:
Tea!

65. FAVOURITE ZODIAC SIGN:
Geminis are the best.

66. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT?
I like watching rugby and snooker, and I used to play badminton. I HATE football.

67. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
Sludgy brown.

68. EYE COLOR?
Blue

69. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES?
Not yet.

70. SIBLINGS?
My big sis

71. FAVORITE MONTH?
May

72. FAVOURITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
A nice spring day when the sun's out.

73. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?
Yes – if I was on the market I’d make eyes at someone and get him to ask me out!

74. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Neither, I like spring.

75. KISSES OR HUGS?
Both

76. BIGGEST FEAR?
Being eaten by a lion.

78. IS ANYONE IN LOVE WITH YOU?
The fiance, hopefully.

79. ONE THING THAT NO-ONE ELSE KNOWS ABOUT YOU?
I stole a bouncy ball from a shop when I was little. Only my bezzie mate knows about it, as she did it too!

80. FAVOURITE FILM
I love The Man Who Would Be King, An Affair To Remember, and Benny and Joon. The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies are good too. Too many to choose!