Monday 5 May 2008

Meme, Margo & Rewrite

I was tagged by the lovely dj kirby to reveal 6 random facts about myself. I've done something similar to this before and had to think what to write.

Fact number one: When I was in my teens I spotted David Essex arriving at The Grand Hotel and raced up to him with my disposable camera and pretending to be a journalist, I asked for his autograph. Being a kind-hearted chap he signed the piece of paper I thrust in front of his nose and smiled at my plastic camera.

Fact number two: As an animal lover I have owned five horses, three dogs three cats and two rabbits and every time one has been sold (horses) or died (dogs, cats, rabbits) I have been so heart-broken that I've sworn never to have another pet again.

Fact number three: I was asked to leave the convent where I was a pupil from four till twelve years old. My father still refuses to say that I was expelled and insists that 'I was asked to leave'. Apparently, I was utterly charming but if I didn't want to do something nothing could make me do it. I have since met up many times with my ex-headmistress, a wonderful woman and pretty much a legend in her own life time, who unfortunately remembers me very well.

Fact number four: I can't ride a bicycle. Well, I can but very badly. When I was about six, I rode straight into a neighbour's wall and it hurt rather more than I had expected it to. I then had another go when I was about eighteen on my brother's racer and squeezed the front brake without bothering about the rear one and went straight over the handlebars. Nope, cycling is definately not for me.

Fact number five: I'm pretty good at DIY, mainly because we've spent several years doing up this house and so I can wield a paint brush, remove tiles (though not that brilliant and putting them back on again), work a compressor (yes the kangohammer things that they use in the road). Unfortunately with the compressor, I am not strong enough to lift it up but if it is stood up for me, I can then start it and work through layers of concrete with the best of them.

Fact number six: When doing the garden, DIY etc my husband's nick-name for me is Margo (a la The Good Life) because by the time I've put on gloves, boots, sun peak to keep out the sun, sun glasses and lipsalve, he thinks I look most amusing. Cheek!

I'd like to tag anyone who wants to have a go at this meme. You never know, you might remember some incident that will lead you to a plot or short story theme.

Thank you for all your good wishes for Grumpy. He still looks miserable but that's his natural expression and is feeling a little better now.

I'm working on a short story at the moment and trying to remember everything that I've read on plot structure, characters and I'm slowly getting there. The rewrite is moving along at snail pace and I'm up to the chapter on Plots in my Donald Maas book. Yes, I know I'm taking an age working through this book but hopefully most of his advice is finding a place in my brain where it will reside and I can remember it when necessary. I'm nothing if not a wishful thinker.

18 comments:

Yvonne said...

Loved your random facts! I feel your pain about the edit, it's taking me ages...I was warned about the snail's pace but I didn't believe it!

John said...

Brave you. We have four horses (three of which are fall-out from out growing daughters) and we just can't bring ourselves to part with them. It's silly I know because you can find good homes. It now looks like a "till death us do part" situation and I'm dreading that even more. OMG!!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

yvonne - thanks, they are pretty random though aren't they?

I'm slowly making progress.

ernest de cugnac - I'm sure my father would feel sympathy for you and was left with two of the horses for a while until he sold one and gave the other to a riding school for the disabled.

Kerry said...

Good luck with short story - very exciting!!

Liane Spicer said...

I did this meme twice. This was fun reading.

You were expelled from the convent at what age? I'm really, really impressed. Both my primary and secondary schools were convent schools and I can't remember anyone being expelled. Those nuns had us exactly where they wanted. I've seen some girls get seriously slapped around, but that was the worst we thought could happen.

I have an elbow scar from the time I went over the handlebars riding a friend's bike. Haven't gone near one of those things in decades.

HelenMWalters said...

You shouldn't admit in public that you're good at DIY! Now, when can you come round and fix my leaky tap and put up a shower curtain for me?

Lane Mathias said...

Interesting facts Debs:-)
One girl was expelled from our convent for pushing a nun down the stairs. You didn't so anything like that did you?:-)

I'm useless on a bike too. No sense of balance and can't go round corners.

lol at your Margo getup complete with sun peak!:-)

Karen said...

If I'd known about your DIY skills before, I'd have asked you round here Debs!!

Glad Grumpy is feeling better, and good luck with the story :o)

Hilary said...

I just love number 3. It's supposed to be shameful to be 'asked to leave' but I would be so proud of that. A bit like my daughter who walked out of her school when she was 8 because her teacher had spoken disrespectfully to her. He admitted that to me when he rang me at work to say I had better come home and find her. Kudos to both of them was my attitude.

Phillipa said...

Debs - I just love the idea of you being 'expelled'. I'm sure you weren't! And if you were, that is SO cool. Much better than being a girly swot. LOL

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

kerry - thank you.

wordtryst - the worst thing was that my aunt is a nun from the same order, which only caused my father to be even more embarrassed.

helenmh - I'm better at the demolition side than the putting up bit.

lane - no I didn't do anything too dreadful, I simply didn't do as I was told and made everyone laugh, which was rather disruptive.

karen - I'm probably more of a hindrance than a help to be honest.

hilary - I hated school and am so amazed that my two children are so happy (my daughter is at the school I had to leave, strange).

phillipa - I'm such a nag to my two about homework and good behaviour at school too! Thankfully they don't take after me and do behave at school.

Anonymous said...

Glad Grumpy is feeling a little better! Twinkle is ill too at the moment. Keeping finding sick piles where I least expect it!!
Good luck with the rewrite.X

Annieye said...

I was 'expelled' from ballet dancing lessons at the age of six.

Best of luck with the short story, Debs!

Tamsyn Murray said...

I had a horrible nun teach me at school and I'm sorry to say I've never really found it in my heart to forgive her for being such a cow!

Faye said...

Will you tell us some of the escapades that led to your being dismissed from convent school? Interesting reading, I'm sure. I was once told to get serious about English studies or find another major. On second thought--the same thing happened with home economics major. . .

Poor Grumpy--he's having a rough time, it appears, but not lacking TLC. Good for you. Hope he's tiptop soon.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

motherx - sorry to hear that Twinkle is so sick and that you've had to do so much cleaning up after her. Hope she's much better soon for both your sakes.

annieye - six is so young to be expelled! Didn't you remember your 'good toes, naughty toes'?

tam - I had one of those. She was actually a teacher who loathed me and went off to the Congo (as it was) to become a nun. Unfortunately she returned. I remember the horrible woman well.

faye - Grumpy is much better now, thanks.

They simply said that although I was charming, I refused to do anything I didn't want to do.

I suppose the fact that I found school utterly boring and wasn't fazed by detentions or extra homework meant that the poor teachers became completely frustrated with me and so I was asked to leave.

Nothing very exciting unfortunately, just a revolting child who was disruptive and found the whole school day as one long joke. I have to sympathize with the teachers.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

motherx - sorry to hear that Twinkle is so sick and that you've had to do so much cleaning up after her. Hope she's much better soon for both your sakes.

annieye - six is so young to be expelled! Didn't you remember your 'good toes, naughty toes'?

tam - I had one of those. She was actually a teacher who loathed me and went off to the Congo (as it was) to become a nun. Unfortunately she returned. I remember the horrible woman well.

faye - Grumpy is much better now, thanks.

They simply said that although I was charming, I refused to do anything I didn't want to do.

I suppose the fact that I found school utterly boring and wasn't fazed by detentions or extra homework meant that the poor teachers became completely frustrated with me and so I was asked to leave.

Nothing very exciting unfortunately, just a revolting child who was disruptive and found the whole school day as one long joke. I have to sympathize with the teachers.

DJ Kirkby said...

Loved these facts, thanks for playing along. I am hoping to get some writing time this weekend but really wanted to catch up on my blog reading first. I havent written a short story for over a year now as I have been so wrapped up in writing my books, short stories are fun! I am telling myself to view work as paid writing research at the moment as I am too exhausted at the end of the day to get any writing done. Writng withdrawl...:(