Listography - The Laminated List

I've not joined in with The Listography for AGES (sorry Kate), I just haven't had the time but I'm making time for this one for sure.

You all remember that episode of Friends where Ross bleats on about his 'laminated list' of women he can sleep with without Rachel being upset?  You know...the one with Isabella Rossellini! Well, Kate has brought it up for this week so I'm in.  Hurrah!

In no particular order, here are my choices....

Gerard Butler - I absolutely ADORE this man.  Even when he was all hairy and shouty in the film 300.  That body, that gorgeous Scottish voice, those eyes.  He can take me to Sparta or wherever he wants!

Ashton Kutcher - I wish I was Demi Moore for lots of reasons but this >>
would be the main one.  Enough said.

Christian Bale - Probably a highly controversial choice given his rant the other year but I just love him.  I also had dinner on the next table to him and his wife years ago in London. I wasn't really majorly aware of him but my boyfriend at the time was completely star-struck.  He's also the one guy on my list that I know my husband probably would let me sleep with.  

Nick Valensi - Guitarist for The Strokes.  I've met him.  I've shared a bar stool with him.  He's gorgeous. At the time he wasn't on my list.  Damn!







That's it.  I'm not doing 5, I'm not greedy.  Hope that's okay Kate? I'm secretly keeping it open incase I think of a 5th.

See how I've also gone for a couple I've met/seen?  Clever eh?  Jake Gyllenhaal almost made the list as I've seen him too but there again I've seen Danny Murphy and Warrior from Gladiators before and they sure as hell aren't going on the list!


Head over to Kates place and check out the other entries

Listography - 5 Pet Hates

I haven't joined in Kate's Listography for a couple of weeks as time hasn't allowed. However, I love nothing better than a good rant sometimes so this weeks is perfecting for letting off some steam!

So, I give you my 'Pet Hates'...

image source: BBC news

1.  People who can't drive on motorways
Is it not a simple rule to understand?  Stay in the left-hand lane UNLESS you are over-taking FFS!  Having spent a good couple of years driving 600 miles a week commuting to work and back, I got to see a lot of idiotic drivers who really don't know the rules of the motorway.  I'm ashamed to say that most of these drivers tend to be women who just seem to pick a lane and stick in it (usually the middle one) or they are older folk or really young drivers.  I honestly think that motorway driving should be part of learning to drive.

2. Bad manners
No, not the 80's ska band!  People that forget to say their 'please and thank yous', it really bugs me.   My daughters not even 2 yet and she can say them so why can't you? If I'm feeling in an especially ratty mood (usually around a certain time of the month) I will actually say it for them to try and embarrass them.  I've actually held doors open for people before and 4 people walked through in quick succession without one glance at me, let alone a thank you.  What am I?  The fooking doorman?  THANK YOU!

3. Spitting
It repulses me.  Surely no-one can produce that much saliva in their mouths that they need to deposit it on the pavement every 30 seconds?  It's bad enough that we have to play dodge the dog shite on the pavements (I'm a responsible dog owner), nevermind having to play dodge the globules of phlegm.  Oh and don't get me started on the people who hold one nostril and blow the other one, emptying the contents of their nasal passages out...this is usually footballers.  I feel sick just thinking about it.

4. People leaving dirty plates and cups on the work surface
Okay, so this is directed at my husband mainly.  Now, I'm no Kim Woodburn so my house is far from immaculate but I can never understand the need to place dirty crockery on the work surface above the dishwasher.  For an extra 5 seconds, surely it doesn't do much harm to open the damn dishwasher and place them in?  No, wait!  Yes the dishwasher fairy does that for you doesn't she?  She works the same way as the toilet roll replacer fairy.

5. Noisy eaters
I'm all for someone enjoying their food.  I love food - a little too much if I'm honest - but I can't stand it when people make me feel like I'm inside their mouth about to be digested with the food.  It makes me feel ill listening to a noisy eater.  You know the ones?  The ones that slurp, smack and gulp to extremes.  The people that take a drink and hold it in their mouth for ages then perform a loud gulp as it goes down.  The people that chomp so loudly and you hear every little thing going on inside their oral cavity.  This is even more of a pet hate in the cinema.  It's also especially annoying if they also feel the need to show me what they're eating.  Keep your cake hole shut will you?

Oooh, that felt good.  Head over to Kate's place to check out the other entries...

Listography - 5 Top Movies (it's an 80's thing!)

Since I started blogging I've been joining in with the Kate Takes 5 Listography but I missed out last week because of real life - damn that real life getting in the way ;-)

When I saw it was films this week I had to join in. I'm a big film fan.  Infact...this (right) is just part of our DVD collection we have at home.  I say part as we are having a big sort out at the moment...infact I may be brave and sell some *gulp*

Oh and yes...they are all in alphabetical order.  I'm a freak.  I admit it.

Anyway, it's really difficult for me to pick 5 films as there are so many so I decided to pick my favourite 80's movies so I could be more specific.  I have a bit of a thing about 80's movies and those with very quotable lines that you never forget, these do it every time...

1. Heathers (1988)

An obvious choice for me really isn't it?  Although I should hate a film about someone who loathes 3 girls with the name 'Heather' but this film rocks.  It's an amazing satirical take on life inside a high school with the 'popular' people and the black comedy is just genius.  Plus how can you not love a film with these lines in it:


"Grow up Heather, bulimia is so '87"
"Heather, why can't you just be a friend?  Why do you have to be such a mega bitch?"
"It's your turn Heather"..."No Heather, it's Heathers turn.  Heather?"..."Sorry Heather".
"I brought you to a Remington Party and this is my thanks? It's on the hallway carpet.  I got paid in puke!"..."Lick it up baby...lick...it...up!"
"I use my grand IQ to decide what colour lip gloss to wear in the morning"
"She's my best friend.  God I hate her"


2. Top Gun (1986)

Yes it's incredibly cheesy but I love it.  These are the days when Tom Cruise wasn't a big alien loving freakoid but an incredibly scrumptious bit of eye-candy.  I think I have watched this film more than any other film in my DVD collection.  My love for this film is what brought my husband and I together before we'd even met (we met online) and I even recall when we did get together he left me a paper aeroplane note on my pillow one morning. Cheese overload!  Word of warning, don't ever watch this film with me as I know pretty much every line.  I'm not going to line quote as you'll know them but just leave you with my favourite:

"If you screw up just this much you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong"

3. The Lost Boys (1987)

For me, this is the ultimate vampire flick (although I do also love From Dusk Till Dawn) long before the days of Team Edward and whoever else is in the Twilight saga.  Some great performances from the young actors in this movie (and the Grandpa has some brilliant lines) and the best by far from a young Corey Haim - I still love the bath scene so much and when Max comes to dinner...hilarious!  Some of my favourite quotes have to be:

"No.  I just like to read the TV guide.  Read the TV guide, you don't need a TV"
"You're a vampire!  I knew it!"..."No I'm not"..."So what are you?  The flying nun?"
"There's one thing about living in Santa Carla I could never stomach. All the damn vampires!"


4. Weird Science (1985)

This is a strange choice I know - it's the daftest story...2 geeky guys crave female attention and end up creating a woman who ends up wreaking havoc in their lives whilst their parents are out of town. Again, I think I love it for it's comedy and daft quotable lines...and maybe the toilet humour.  The bit when Garry takes Lisa to meet his parents is genius and has me laughing my ass off every time.

"Mom, I never toss off to anything"..."You told me you were combing your hair!"

5. The Breakfast Club (1985)

It was hard for me to pick a 5th as there are so many (see below) that could have easily made the list.  The set up for this movie sounds as dull as anything - 5 students in detention over a weekend. But the mix of personalities from these students who have absolutely nothing in common apart from their punishment is fabulous.  This is the ultimate                                                          'Brat Pack' movie.


Some more 80's movies I like: All Of Me, Back To The Future, Big, Brewsters Millions, Class, Cocktail, Coming To America, Dirty Dancing, Ferris Buellers Day Off, Footloose, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Gregorys Girl, Highlander, The Karate Kid, Labyrinth,  Mannequin, The Money Pit, The Never Ending Story, An Officer And A Gentleman and Risky Business

Listography – Things I Wish I Could Do.

Hurrah!  Kate Take 5 has her blog back this week!

Do you ever wish you could do something (apart from punch a celebrity – see earlier post!)?  Well, now’s your chance to tell everyone the 5 things you wish you could actually do.  Keep them as simple as you like or just go plain crazy, whatever floats your boat.  Then head over to Kate Takes 5 and join in the blog hop with all the other lovely bloggers.

Here are mine, in no particular order:

1. Sing and dance

I’m certainly no Madonna.  Think more Mr Blobby on acid and you’re on the right tracks.  I can’t sing and I can’t dance. Fact.  I really envy people who have a natural talent to perform.  I have a male friend who wowed us all with his vocals playing on the PlayStation Sing Star last year.  I got on it and it sounded like a cat being slowly strangled.  Still, at least my daughter likes my singing voice.  Poor child.

2. Play either the guitar or drums

This is a follow on from above.  Although, I can actually play the guitar.  I can play ‘There Was An Old Man Called Michael Finnegan”.  Impressed?  Thought not.  I learnt to play it in high school with a guitar my Grandparents brought back from Spain.   A member of our family writes his own songs, plays guitar and sings beautifully – check him out here.  He just does it as a hobby too.  I love his music and I would love to be able to be as talented as he is.

3. Speak Spanish

Ever since I spent a week in Barcelona with a guy who could speak Spanish I’ve been longing to learn the language.  That was about 9-10 years ago.  I’m sure I could have learnt 10 languages in that time.  I’m just rubbish at starting things then not carrying through with them.  I’ve bought a ‘Spanish’ book and downloaded an iPhone app but only got through the first few pages.  I told myself after I gave up Facebook last year that I’d use the time to learn the language.  I still haven’t.  Fail.

4. Ride a motorcycle

About 12-15 years ago I was motorbike crazy.  My ex had numerous motorbikes and every weekend we were leather clad astride some hot metal.  Yes, we were biking before you start thinking gimp masks and stuff – mucky pups.  We used to go to the World Super Bike championships at Donington Park every year cheering on the mighty Blackburn Bullet, Carl Fogarty.  I even took my CBT (compulsory bike training) and started to save to buy myself a bike.  2 years passed, my CBT went out of date and I did nothing about it.  Another fail.  See a pattern emerging here?

5. Be a great photographer

I’ve always had an underlying passion for photography and have been a member of Flickr for a number of years (must reactive my pro account!).  A few years ago I bought myself a Nikon DSLR and you couldn’t stop me photographing everything.  This went on for a few months and I got better and better.  Then I fell pregnant.  Suddenly my life became engrossed in birth and baby books and programmes and learning photography fell by the wayside.  I still take the odd nice shot now and again but not half as much as I used to.  I want to be skilled enough to get all the ISO and DOF right all the time but 99% of the time I shove my camera on ‘auto’ and hope for the best. 


So, what are your top 5?

Photo credit top: renjith krishnan

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Listography - 5 Celebrities I'd Like To Punch

Usually hosted by Kate at Kate Takes 5, the Listography is being hosted by Hannah at Metal Mummy this week and it's a cracker.  List the 5 celebrities you'd most like to punch.Great!  Time for a bit of a rant as I have a small handful of celebrities who wind me up something rotten.  I'm not a violent person in the slightest but I'd love to give these lot a bit of a slap.

1. Cheryl Cole

What?  I hear you cry.  How can you include the 'Nations Sweetheart' as I hear her repeatedly called.  I used to think she was okay but my dislike for her has grown immensely over the past couple of years to the point where I couldn't bear to look at her or listen to her on X Factor this year.  I'm sorry but my little finger has more personality than her - and probably more talent.  She's  so up herself it's untrue, acts like Lady Muck.  Oh and she's so NOT worth it.

2. Carol McGiffin

Gah!  This woman is just vile.  She quite literally makes me squirm.  I've seen bits of Loose Women a couple times (I can't bear it for obvious reasons) but every time she's on she can't get through 5 minutes without mentioning sex or her bloke who's about 22 years her junior.  Fair play, I'd probably be pretty proud of that but she's irritating, looks dog rough and acts it.

3. Cat Deeley

In the good old days of SMTV with Ant & Dec I used to think she was good fun.  But since then she's turned into a whiney, conceited and false presenter.  She irritates me so much so I'm glad the USA seems to be stuck with her now.





4. Davina McCall

Another 'favourite' with the nation so sorry people! Another one I used to like.  When she first properly burst onto our screens for the cult show Street Mate I used to think she was fab.  In the early days of Big Brother she was good but now I watch her and I just cringe.  Is it just me or does she come across as presenting in a way that she's trying to act like she's drunk?  She's false and irritating, slurring some of her words, doing camera close-ups and generally being annoying.

5. Frankie Boyle

He wasn't going to go on my list but I couldn't have a whole list of women - that would make me look SO bad.  I actually went to one of his live stand-up gigs about 3-4 years ago and I used to love him on Mock The Week.  I know he's a 'shock' comic and you have to go into his comedy knowing he's going to make you feel uncomfortable about some of the things you may (or may not) laugh at but he seems to be feeding off this more and more.  His latest television program 'Tramadol Nights' was no exception.  We recorded it, watched the first two (watched the second one hoping it may get better) and then deleted the rest.  I simply want to punch him right now for his comments about Katie Price's Son Harvey.  That sunk to a new depth of low.  Don't get me wrong, I don't like Katie Price - infact she very nearly made this list but what he said was disgusting.  For that, right now I want to punch him.

Others that just missed out on the list: Victoria Beckham, Katie Price, Paris Hilton, Piers Morgan, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry.

Jeez, I have a lot of celebrity hate in me today.  I'm a nice person honest!

Who would be your top 5?  Join in the fun here!

Listography - Top 5 Places I've Visited

It's time for the Listography from Kate Takes 5 and this week it's the top 5 places you've visited.

I've been fortunate to visit some great places so it's really difficult to pick my 5 favourite but here goes (click on the place titles to get a taster) and these are in no particular order:

1. Tromso, Arctic Circle, Norway

It was the one place my husband has always wanted to visit as he longed to see the Northern Lights so being the lovely wife I am (ahem) I secretly booked a 5 night trip for a 30th birthday surprise.  We went over New Year and stayed in the most lovely hotel. I'd already arranged with a local photographer and guide, Kjetil Skogli (who has since appeared on a program about the Northern Lights with Joanna Lumley) to take us up into the mountains outside the city and we were lucky enough to witness this:

Seeing the Northern Lights was an unforgettable experience, it was so magical is moved us both to tears. We also went husky sledding through the mountains and ate reindeer (don't tell your kids!)

2. Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii, USA

We stayed on the islands of Oahu and Maui in Hawaii and they were both very different but I've picked out Waikiki for the very reason we had a beach front suite hotel room (well, it was out honeymoon) and the view was amazing.  We also had surfing lessons and to say you've surfed the waves of Wakiki Beach is something to be fairly proud of!  I was going to post a picture of me riding the waves but it's the most tiring thing I've ever done in my life so the photos are NOT flattering.  

3. Chicago, USA

America is close to my heart.  I've got relatives in a few different states and so far I've visited about 18 States.  We even did the ultimate road trip in 2005 traveling from Chicago to L.A. following Route 66 in a cabriolet!  We've been to Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, New York and Washington DC.  All great cities apart from Las Vegas and L.A. which weren't for me (but that's another story).  But my pick is Chicago.  It's not just because I have relatives there, I just love it because it has this busy but also relaxed atmosphere.  It's less 'in your face' than other places.  The skyline is amazing overlooking Lake Michigan you have Navy Pier and Millennium Park - it's fab!

4. Santorini, Greece

This place just takes your breath away.  I will never forget sitting on a rooftop restaurant watching the sun set over the caldera.  This island is said to be the location of the lost island of Atlantis and I like to think it is :)  All the whitewashed churches and houses with blue domed rooftops are just absolutely stunning, they cling to the volcanic island edges surrounding the Aegean Sea. 

5. Tallinn, Estonia

Thankfully we visited Tallinn before the 'budget airlines' bombarded it and it's cheap booze made it a surefire destination for the Brit Stag Party.  Tallinn's old city is a maze of cobbled streets which are filled with medieval houses and alleyways.  The people here were so friendly and the city was relaxed and picturesque.  I'm not sure if we visited again it would still be the same which is sad.

So, what would be in your top 5?

Listography - My Top 5 Famous Dinner Party Guests

Another link up with other lovely bloggers.  This time it's the Listography started by Kate Takes 5.

Here are my choices (in no particular order), which I'll no doubt want to change within 15 minutes!

1. Stephen Fry - A sure fire favourite for most people I think.  He'd be an excellent choice to share his knowledge across the dinner table. The man is like a living breathing 'Google'.  You'd never tire of interesting conversation in his company.

2. Nigel Slater - I have a great admiration for this guy, he's a legend who cooks simply and effortlessly creating stunning food.  I'm sure he'd help me in the kitchen.  Again, someone I could listen to for hours.

3. Dawn Porter - I adore this woman.  She's funny, mad, cute and energetic.  She'd have some great stories and we'd definitely have a giggle.

4. Dara O'Briain - Being a lover of comedy I've seen many a comic live (Russell Howard, Alan Carr, Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr, Sean Lock, Rich Hall, Rob Rouse - but to name a few) but my favourite has to be this guy.  He's also intelligent and would bring a good 'craic' to my dinner party.

5. Gerard Butler - because we all need some eye candy at any dinner party and those dulcet Scottish tones would have me melting quicker than the butter on a hot plate.


So who would be on your list?  They can be living or historical.  I know there's no-one historical on my list but I'm a simple gal!



Photographer: Pixomar