Tagged (I'm it)

ExpatMum tagged me, which was rather nice of her, as it gives me something to write about. Feel free to play along - you have to answer the questions, replace one of them with a question of your own, and then pass it on. Here's my attempt:

1. What are your current obsessions?
The sterling/dollar exchange rate. Seriously, I check it several times a day. There are pros and cons to relative strength/weakness of the dollar. I just like to know where it is, so either I can tell all my friends and family to come and visit me, or I can start daydreaming about going back home and being able to afford to buy more than one round of drinks and crisps in the pub.

2. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?
Hmmm. I've just switched to summer clothes, so I'm enjoying wearing stuff I haven't worn in yonks. I probably most often wear black work trousers from Zara. And even in the summer, it's hard to stop me wearing jeans at the weekend.

3. What's for dinner?
It was Pad Thai from a Trader Joe's packet. I love cooking but the later in the week it gets, the more I tend to cheat. I used to feel guilty about this, but somehow I've slowly got over it...

4. Last thing you bought?
Errr, I just bought a light box. Craft-geek alert. I am hand-writing wedding invitations at the moment.

5. What are you listening to?
The sounds of ESPNs Baseball Tonight on the telly in the other room. (It will never quite make up for Match Of The Day....) Oh, and there's a bus idling outside the window. There are pluses and minuses to having a bus stop right in front of the building...

6. Favourite kids' film?
This is a tough one. I like the Christmas ones like The Snowman (though I still don't like to watch the end) and Box of Delights.

7. Favourite holiday spots?
I fantasize about going back to Argentina on holiday. It always seemed like such a good place to be if you weren't being paid in the local currency. I've been to some pretty brilliant places but some of the most memorable and enjoyable holidays have been just lazing around home with friends. I like camping holidays too.

8. What are you reading right now?
Mostly posters on the subway at the moment. I don't seem to have the focus to read more than two paragraphs in a row. I just finished Go Tell It On The Mountain and before that The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (which I loved). I've been about half-way through Le Rouge et Le Noir for several months, in an attempt to keep my French going. I'm close to abandoning it though, I think.

9. Four words to describe yourself?
Cripes. I had to do a self-portrait in my second year of grammar school. I don't think it was very accurate, but the art teacher said he showed it to everyone in the staff room and they said, "Oh yes, that's the worried one in the second year." I'm going with:

Worried. Keen. Conscientious. Clumsy.

10. Guilty pleasure?
Checking my gmail account at work. It's a very open-plan office and I still feel new enough that I shouldn't be using personal email in work time...

11. Who or what can make you laugh until you're weak?
My friends. I'm very lucky to know a lot of good story tellers.

12. First spring thing?
Bluebells in the UK. Anything that survives the cold in New York.

13. Planning to travel to next?
A roadtrip round Tennessee and Kentucky. Want to come? It's going to take up all my measly holiday allowance, but I'm really looking forward to seeing some of this country, finally.

14. Best thing you ate and drank recently?
A cheeseburger from Royale last night...

15. When did you last get tipsy?
That would be Saturday. I made sangria...

16. Favourite ever film?
I think this might be Wall-E. Although I've only seen it once.

17. Care to share some wisdom?
I had to move all the way over here to relax and learn to be just a little less uptight. If you're insecure and English and you can't get over it (no matter how much you drink) I highly recommend moving to the U.S. Even if you're neither insecure, nor English, I highly recommend living somewhere different to where you grew up.

18. Favourite daydream?
Most of mine revolve around somehow, magically, getting all my favourite people to live closer to wherever I am. I haven't found the perfect place yet, but once I do, and if I win the lottery, I'll be inviting you all over...