Neil - over at Citizen of the Month had the brilliant idea to interview the common blogger...and how better to interview the common blogger than....the common blogger!!
i immediately signed up for this and i was assigned to interview Penelope over at its me penelope and it was a fun trip! This bubbly blond hails from the U.K. and has only been a part of the blogging world for a few months now, so it was easy to catch up on her full body of blogging posts. and now, with out further ado, Laura vs Penelope:
1. Over in Canada, the General feeling is that England is Canada's oldest sibling and The Queen is everyone's kindly grandma (i maybe over generalizing, truth is, that's just my take on it.) How do the British view Canada?
I think that there are still a lot of Brits that believe Canada is part of the USA - and I know how much that irks you all! Personally I think Canadians don't seem to try and attract attention, in the way that some other Commonwealth siblings do, we see a polite nation that gets on with their business with no fuss and bother, and of course we see snow...and beavers! (Oh come on...I had to...)
2. How has being an Air Force brat shaped you as the person you are today? would you have changed anything?
Being brought up in a Forces family means one thing when you're a child - every 2 years or so you start a new school. As the oldest sibling my job was usually to blaze the trail and get us settled in, which I didn't find difficult. By the time I was 11 years old I had started and left 8 different schools. As a result I'm not exactly the shy type, and have always found moving and settling into new surroundings exciting. We were lucky enough to live in Germany on 2 occasions and eventually came back to England to go to boarding school (very common with Forces brats). Living in Germany meant that we were just a few hours drive away from many other countries and our parents always had the travel bug. We travelled all over Western Europe, it was fantastic! I wouldn't change any of it.
3. What do you want to be when you grow up? What is your absolute dream job?
When I grow up? I'll be 40 in 3 years! Oh bless you! I don't want to grow up any more if I can avoid it really. I have a wonderful job now and can't imagine doing anything else.
4. what is the hardest part about your diet, and what do you do to conquer/overcome that?
The hardest things to cut out were sugar and wine. I have a terribly sweet tooth so switching to artificial sweeteners in tea and coffee was tough. I have cut out coffee altogether because I couldn't tolerate it without sugar and am now addicted to peppermint tea instead! The wine thing...well...that's just down to will power and then treating myself to a few (several) glasses on a weekend. The main thing is that I really want to do this, so when I feel tempted I just remind myself of that rather scary number on the scales the first time I weighed myself!
5. As you've got the complete set, which is easier to raise - a little boy or a little girl? (This is my form of research as i'm due in August with my first)
I never thought I would say this before I had children, but boys are SO much easier than girls! I can only go on my own experience though. My son is seriously laid back, there is rarely any drama from him. He does what I ask, when I ask, usually without any fuss or argument, and for a 14 year old boy that is very unusual in itself. My daughter....woah...drama ALL the way! Someone looked at her the wrong way at school - drama, she lost something - drama, I asked her to do something for me - drama...get the picture? I stay sane because I know that outside of our home, she is quiet as a mouse and good as gold, according to anyone who looks after her for me - typical!
(Huge congratulations on yours!!)
6. What has been your most favourite trip/holiday - and where would you go if you could?
My favourite trips are when I stay with my friends in Texas. I just LOVE Texas! It brings out the devil in me for sure. I feel so at home there and the second I land at the airport I can't stop grinning and I don't stop until it's time to leave. There are still so many places I want to visit, Canada, (of course!), Australia and New Zealand, I would love to go back to South Africa and see a lot more of that amazing country. Winning Lotto numbers would be useful huh?
7. How has blogging effected your life? What are your plans for the future of itsmepenelope.com?
Well, I haven't been doing this for very long so it's not had a massive impact yet. I was reading blogs for a long time before I started writing mine though - after swearing blind that I never would, of course! I have started the writing in my head thing that people mention a lot. I do a lot of that during my drive to work in the morning. As for the future, who knows. I'm enjoying this so far, the discipline is good for me and as long as I'm having fun, and have at least 1 reader, I'll carry on.
8. Someone once said "A home is not a home with out a cat", and as you are a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady, how have your fuzzy feline friends made your house a home?
Don't start me on my cats! How long have you got? I didn't start out intending to be a crazy-cat-lady, it all happened by accident. All of my cats, and my dog are rescue pets who treat the house like a hotel! I do love wandering from room to room and finding them lying about though, it makes me smile. They all have very different personalities too, so some will sleep on my bed and really snuggle, while others will only cuddle when THEY choose, and God help me if I try to approach them without being invited! The dog has the patience of a saint to put up with them - as do I. My oldest cat (almost 16 now) greets me on the driveway whenever I have been out somewhere and despite my daily worry that I'll run my own cat over as I park the car, that's when I know I'm home.
9. You talk a lot about your online backgammon crew - what is it about backgammon that turns your crank? i've tried to learn to play it several times and it never takes, and i have a lovely backgammon set a friend brought me from Turkey and it sits in the cupboard, unused.
I learnt to play Backgammon when I was about 15 and then picked it up online about 15 years later. I love the strategy, but also the risk, as the game is ultimately ruled by dice. You can do everything right and then 1 lousy roll will lose you the game, you never know what's going to happen next, and that's what's so addictive about it. If I didn't love the risk, I would play Chess, but Chess bores me rigid! Someone said Backgammon takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master - very true.
10. You are a glass of wine, describe yourself in detail; i.e. colour, personality, glass, etc.
(I LOVE this question!) I am definitely a glass of Champagne. I'm pale blonde coloured, very bubbly, fizzy, with a crisp, dry flavour and lingering softer, fruity undertones. I like to be seen in long elegant glasses (well, I will soon enough!) and I'm expensive if you want to try and buy me ;o) (I also may have slight delusions of grandeur!)
to read other interviews by other bloggers, click here!
i wish i could take credit for these photos
they're so pretty. 
