Seven times seven

Dilemma: I HAVE to write a blog post today to keep up with the at-least-one-post-a-week promise I made at the beginning of this year, but I’ve been so busy with admin, paperwork and other tasks that planning, thinking and drafting has fallen by the wayside and I now have blogger’s block. This can only mean one thing: meme to the rescue! This one (which I discovered here) struck me as worth doing, partly because I can’t spontaneously think of more than a couple of things to write for some of the categories, and also because I’ve always considered the number seven to be my lucky number…

Seven Things that Scare Me:

• the prospect of failure
• darkness (especially outside, e.g. in a forest at night)
• death (though largely that of those I love, not so much my own)
• being in an enclosed space with uncontrollably drunk people
• the belief that science is the solution to everything
• having to address a room full of strangers (e.g. at the beginning of term)
• Googling ailments

Seven Things I Like:

• rain on the roof at night when I’m tucked up in bed
• lots of colour in my surroundings
• tulips
• red wine
• sundried tomatoes
• getting people to be interested in and more knowledgeable about language(s)
• historical fiction and drama

Seven Random Facts About Me:

• I don’t have a driving licence (and don’t want or feel I need one, either)
• However, I do have lots of qualifications and awards, including a fire safety certificate, a primary school sports victrix ludorum trophy, and a Blue Peter badge
• I have never read any of the Harry Potter books, or seen the films
• I have always wanted to have curlier hair (but would never have a perm and dislike using curling tongs etc.)
• I sleep on my front and find it impossible to fall asleep lying on my back
• I never snack on chocolate
• I am very bad at thinking of random facts about myself that might actually interest other people

Seven Things I want to Do Before I Die:

• make sure that those I love really know what’s so special about them
• learn to use a sewing machine properly
• improve my French
• paint a picture someone else could imagine hanging on their wall
• work out how to cook the perfect curry for my tastes (and then do it often!)
• learn not to regret the past
• get everything organized so no one has a nightmare dealing with what I leave behind

Seven Things I Can Do Well:

• cook
• do word games and puzzles like crosswords, Scrabble etc.
• remove the faff as far as possible from administrative tasks
• worry myself into a frenzy about trivial things
• manage money
• plan trips etc. to optimise resources and time available
• load the dishwasher (isn’t it sad that I take pride in this?!) 😉

Seven Things I Can’t Do But Wish I Could:

• ski (though I’m only interested in cross-country skiing, not downhill)
• repair computers
• always be able to think of something to say
• dance (properly)
• argue convincingly
• lay tiles
• play the organ (as in a proper pipe organ, with pedals and multiple manuals – it is not just the same as playing the piano)

Seven Phrases I’m Known to Use:

• “Let’s have some quiet, please!” (said invariably at the end of groupwork sessions)
• “Hello, it’s me” (apparently all phone calls to my parents start this way)
• “It’s OK, I’ll do it” (said not often begrudgingly, but more often because I think I’ll do a better job or would rather do that task than a more boring one)
• “Where are my keys?” (I have never lost my keys (touch wood!), but am forever mislaying them in the moment I need to leave)
• “Oh for *%&$’s sake!” (uttered most frequently when I’m alone in the kitchen)
• “Give me a second” (as in five or ten minutes)
• “I love you” (I hope I say this every day)