The Magnet Interviews – A Half Baked Idea…

Source: The Magnet Interviews – A Half Baked Idea…

The admirable and lovely Cameron more widely known as The World’s Biggest Fridge Magnet has paid me a flattering compliment by interviewing me for his new series The Magnet Interviews.  Here is the result … the questions are quite brilliant, the answers the best I can muster.  Do please visit The World’s Biggest Fridge Magnet if you never have – it started as the story of a man facing bariatric sleeve surgery, follows his journey both to the point of morbid obesity and to where he is now.  A strong advocate of educating the youngest to understand healthy choices, he appears regularly on radio and TV and is preparing to walk for the charity HENRY and to raise awareness of obesity issues and solutions.

Today we have a return to the questions so please allow me to bring you the Magnet Interview questions as answered by my dear darling friend Fiona of Osyth fame whilst being the creator of the wonderful Half Baked In Paradise. Fiona was one of the first people to follow me on my blog and has been a staunch supporter ever since. She is an inspiration and (if she will let me say this) my mentor. She always manages to take time to come up with ideas and is honest with her opinions so I though because of that, I thought would put her to the test with the Magnet Interviews and so here is what she had to say…..

The Magnet Interviews – Osyth

Are you usually late, early or right on time?

Early – even to my wedding. My naval officer father’s fault. But on that logic train how do you explain my mother’s latent lateness when she was the daughter of the admiral of the fleet ….

What are three positive things your friends would say about you?

I’m beautiful, talented and brilliant obviously 😉

If you were a shape, what shape would you be?

A CIRCLE – no hard edges, no complications. I wish.

If you were an animal, which one would best describe you?

A piglet. Preferably a truffle trained piglet.

Why did you want to become a blogger?

I thought it would force some discipline. I was epically wrong – I’m just as discursive as ever.

What are your top three personal interests?

Reading – reading anything. People – I love people watching (weird but true). Being in nature – walking, climbing, hiking, rowing, running – outside is better for me.

What do you do for a full time job?

I write drivel.

What type of car do you drive?

In France a funky yellow SEAT called Franck and in the US a chic cream and black Mini Cooper S that needs a name – suggestions?

Where did you go on your last holiday?

I’m permanently on holiday since quitting my corporate job but the last formal one was Russia.

When did you last go on holiday?

If it’s Russia it’s May 2014 if its really truthful the vacation started the day after my birthday in 2013.

What would you do if you were the one survivor in a plane crash

Panic. Loudly!

If you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them how would you choose which ones to answer?

Delete the lot – they’ll write back (That’s the theory and my brother actually does it). In my case it would be accompanied by vocal hysteria.

What’s your favorite film?

It’s a Wonderful Life.

What would your Desert Island Disc choices be?

1. Gorecki – Symphony No 3 ‘sorrowful songs’
2. Arvo Part – Für Alina
3. Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
4. She’s Electric – Oasis
5. Sit Down Next to Me – James
6. Suddenly I see _ K T Tunstall …

3-6 are the songs for my daughters to be played at my funeral
7. Suzanne – Leonard Cohen (or preferably everything on ‘Songs Of’) …
8. How can I tell you – Cat Stevens
9. It aint you babe – Bob Dylan
10. Elgar – ‘Nimrod’

But SO much more. This is a torture … And the inevitable addition is that my girls do demand ‘Don’t stop me now’ by Queen to be played at my funeral…

Batman or Spiderman

Robin!

What did you have for breakfast?

Bob’s Red Mill Muesli and proper English Tea – thank the Lord for Ocean State who sell Typhoo and Bob’s Red Mill at less than frightening prices!

Describe the color yellow to somebody who’s blind.

Warm. Not hot. That warmth you feel stealing up on you from behind, the sudden and intense warmth on your face when you lift it to the sun. Happy.

If you were asked to unload a 747 full of Jelly Beans, what would you do?

I never shirk a task so I’d do it and bathe in the beans.

What’s your favorite animated film?

Anything Disney EVER did, but overall. The favourite EVER? Right now – Pocohontas because I see animals and birds that appeared in the film. It’ll change. I never stop loving Disney but my favoured one is ever fluid.

What was the inspiration for your blog/pen name?

I was originally just Osyth (it’s actually one of my given names and I hated it as a child, embrace it now) but I needed a change to reflect the altering slant of the blog. I’m half-baked so it is too. And Paradise? It’s there if you reach out wherever in the world you are.

What happens when you get scared half to death twice…?

You jump out of your skin twice.

Why aren’t blueberries blue?

They are if you mix them with anything liquid – they bleed blue into muffin mix for example. Or porridge.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is the fear of long words, but why is that word it so long?

Because it’s showing off. Like Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch which is a place in Wales for those who aren’t in that particularly British mode . Egos the size of a small country if you ask me. Or an indecisiveness disorder.

What was the last lie you told?

I don’t lie. Not since the conviction 😉

What is the best compliment you have ever received?

‘ Just the right combination of Englishness and Chutzpah’ … my mentor over 30 years ago,  who also invented the strap line ‘Just Do It’ Which I do and frequently curse him for the advice but the times it is right are worth the fall every time.

Would you prefer to be ugly and live to be 100 or attractive and live for 30 years?

Ugly to 100 – Bugger off all shallow fools I’m in for the long haul. and if you don’t like what you see go swivel.

Do you have any relatives in jail?

Nope.

What single piece of food could you never give up?

Cheese every time and if I have to be specific Vacherin de Mont d’Or but I could eulogise for hours on the relative merits of several hundred contenders.

Who do you most admire in life?

The mother-in-law I never knew. My husband’s mother was abused and lived as the slave of a working class man. My husband was over 3 months premature in 1952 the fifth of her children. His elder sister was only 9 months older than him, therefore. When he was two years old she ran away with all the children to Kent (North West to South East) where she hid for eighteen months before returning to their home town. She lived in a council house thereafter with her children – and as each one left home she fostered more. She never ever took benefits nor handouts. She never asked for anything. She must have wanted for much. That is inspirational. My husband once remarked that ‘She had nothing.  Asked for nothing.’  Take note modern world – we still have women like Ada, men like her too. Help them to help themselves. Because the chances are far higher that they want to than that they don’t.  It is easy to turn your back but far harder to understand that you yourself, whoever you are, are only ever 2 steps from the gutter. I admire those that are within a flake of skin of the gutter and help themselves. That is the size of it. My one regret is that I will never meet Ada but when I go to her city I always visit the crematorium and leave flowers for her.

Do you spread butter on before peanut butter?

It depends. If I have butter winking seductively at me I find it hard to resist with anything… but not jelly (that’s jello my U.S friends) or ice-cream.

Would you prefer to date someone older or younger than yourself?

Older as it turns out though I did go through a reverse spiral of young and younger some years ago …. I might need to write that one myself 😉