Five questions from the ever-lovely meredyth_13, and others!


1. If you had the choice between the perfect lover, who was a bastard to you, or the perfect partner, who was a lousy lay, which would you choose, and why?
Argh. This is tough, especially because I like sex, and it's been a bit of a sticking point between the last few boys I've dated and myself (in terms of, it's generally considered polite to make sure your partner is enjoying themself as much as you are). Anyway, I'm sure you all didn't want to hear sordid tales from my sex life (and if you did, please see the end of the post), so. Back to the question at hand.

If said perfect partner (but lousy lay) could be given a few helpful hints, as it were, then I'd have to choose them. If not... well, we might have to have a discussion about obtaining sexual satisfaction elsewhere - and if they really are the perfect partner, then they wouldn't have an issue with it and so it would all be wonderful, really.

2. You're given a return ticket to spend a week 100 years into the future, or 100 years into the past. which way would you go?
Tough! I'd have to say past - but not anywhere remotely connected to 'civilisation'. I'd spend a week out camping somewhere remote in Western Australia and seeing it in it's pristine state.

3. If you could wave a wand and change one thing about yourself, what would you pick, and why?
My tendency to easily put on weight. I love food, I really do, but I hate having to exercise. I'm just naturally lazy, I guess. So if I were less likely to put on weight, I could enjoy food more often than I can now, what with watching what I eat and so on - and with less of that pesky exercising business!

4. There's a 99% off shoe sale on the day of your best friend's birthday. What do you do?
Go to the shoe sale first, very very early, and score as many bargains as I can. Besides, they'd probably want to sleep in on their birthday, anyway? Right? And then I'd go over and make a nuisance of myself cook breakfast for them.

5. What do you picture when you think of yourself in ten years time? Work, Relationship, Personality, Achievements, Family?
Well, I don't really want kids, so that rules out family. And I'd hate to define myself purely by my job (I love it and all, but it's not the whole of who I am), so that rules out work. Achievements... the me of two years ago would have chosen this. I had such huge plans, following my Ph.D. and endless papers I was going to publish... but again, your achievements aren't really who you are. And I don't want to be one of those 1950's housewives types, so I guess not relationship either.

That leaves personality. Hm. I'm not sure that's quite right either, but ten years - I'll be 34, and honestly? Really truly honestly? I've never ever thought that far ahead, mostly because I never thought I'd survive that far, and now because I don't really have a long-term plan or anything that goes that far. Maybe that's something to think about.

From fivil:
What freakish AU could we cook up to mix all your favourite fandoms? Brokeback Potter? Hanson meets SPN?
Heh. I'd have to say the one where the Supernatural boys visit a Hanson concert to check out some strange happenings, which turn out to be the result of Harry and his mates mucking around, and discover that Captain Jack is there with the rest of the Torchwood crew, also investigating the strange events. Of course, Connor and Murphy from the Boondock Saints would *happen* to drop in, because there's this drug dealer they've been chasing, you see - and - yes. Okay. It would certainly be a little cracked out.

From dessilyn:
What, specifically, is your favorite part of Australia -geographically- (since I know you've seen lots of it) and why, please include descriptions.
Oh God. This is a hard question. There are so many parts of Australia that I love for different reasons.

I love Perth because I was born here. I think I'll always feel at home here, no matter if I move on and spend the rest of my life somewhere else, there'll always be something inside of me calling me back to this flat sandplain, with an incongruous reflective city on the riverbank.

I love Melbourne because it's the closest city in Australia to a European city, with all that that implies. I find Sydney is too - insulated. Melbourne lets you taste everything.

Most of all, though, I think I love the outback. And there's not just one place that I can put my finger on and say that the place I love is right here - the bush goes on forever and you're just a tiny speck in the middle of it.

If you want me to get specific, though, the last half of the drive on the unsealed road (the Newman-Marble Bar road, I think it is) from Newman to Nullagine goes through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen anywhere.

From tipgardner:
To return to the ten years' time question, though perhaps whatever time in the future you'd like, what do you see in each of those categories (not which of them will define you, but how do you see each of those things changing, progressing, &c)?
Work is probably the easiest, so I'll do it first! I want to involve my genetics background into this botanical stuff I'm doing, so ideally I'll be investigating the difference between plant species at a genetic level, and writing papers for scientific journals (Ha!).

I hope by then I'll be in a (relatively) stable relationship with someone who genuinely cares for me, and who loves me, and whom I'm able to love back. I hope I'm over this not-trusting people thing, and that I've learnt that you can't always fix people by giving everything you can and more into a relationship.

As to family, well, I hope my mother is still alive. I hope my parents will remain in good health and I'll never have to face the decision of what should happen with them. I hope Merri finishes and excels at uni, and gets a job she loves. Mostly, I suppose, I just hope my family stays as happy as we seem to have been lately.

Achievements is a funny one. I've never really thought about my life in this way, so it becomes a little "well, what do you consider an achievement?" I suppose I'd like to be happy, later, and enough money to not have to worry about it. I mean, I guess I could get really specific here, but is "planting a veggie garden" and "learn to let go" really a list of achievements?

You know, I'm pretty happy with my personality and the person I've become. I do hope I get over this worry that no-one actually likes me sometime in the next ten years, and that I stop cracking awful puns that incite my friends and family to physical violence, but apart from that, I think I'm settled into this personality now.

From gembrat:
Jamie Oliver's motorbike broke down outside your house & he's staying for dinner. While shopping for said dinner, you run into Curtis Stone. What's on the menu? It's up to you if either/both offered to cook or you're doing the cooking.
Well, for a start, we're not having seafood because I don't like it all that much. I'd probably get Jamie to help me throw together a roast chicken, but with a spinach salad on the side, with pine nuts and a few cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese curls, and some roast pumpkin, and a simple dressing - Curtis could probably take care of that - and we'd have pikelets and fresh berries and whipped cream for dessert.

Excuse me. I seem to be drooling on my keyboard.



So, mostly because today I'm uninspired and lazy, rather than getting you lot to leave a comment for me to interview you, why don't you drop me a comment with a question you have for me.

I promise I'll answer it, and edit the question and reply into this post.

Nothing's off-limits, so ask away. (Anon commenting on, IP logging off, as always).