Pump am y Penwythnos / Friday Five 20/07/2018

Welsh General / Questions
#1

Pnawn da! Sorry I’m late with the Friday Five today!!

Today’s questions are all about making plans. My fairy godmother/the little devil on my shoulder/the person who owns my voodoo doll laughs wildly at my organising and plan making.

Because we are now caring for Aran’s mother and are therefore currently unable to go away for a family holiday, we decided to take the kids out of school a week early and have a family staycation. I created a Trello board with a list of varying fun activities and outings in our area and Aran planned to squeeze a weeks worth of work in to one day. Anyway, our first family day out left Aran’s back in complete and very painful spasm. Our second family outing left Angharad our eldest with an equally painful dislocated elbow, a procedure under general anaesthetic and an overnight stay at Ysbyty Gwynedd! All of this happened whilst Milla (@Novem) was staying with us for the week! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Geraint (@gruntius) knowing us as he does by now would tell you that such a string of events in this household wouldn’t surprise him one little bit.

Anyway on that note…

1) When was the last time you had to drastically change your plans?

2) How good are you at thinking on your feet in emergency situations?

3) Does, or has bad luck ever followed you around?

4) Who has a voodoo doll of you and who do you have a voodoo doll of?

5) How clumsy are you and please give evidence.

6) Make up your own Friday Five question and answer it…

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#2

1) When was the last time you had to drastically change your plans?

“Drastic” is too strong a word, but we were asked to babysit for our grandson today, more or less at the last minute. He is a delight, so this is always a pleasurable duty. However, I’d arranged an important meeting for the morning, on the basis that I would be free all day. We managed a compromise, fortunately.

2) How good are you at thinking on your feet in emergency situations?

I had to do a lot of this when I was an operator, later shift-leader on an IBM mainframe computer. It (they) mostly ran smoothly, but when they failed, it was a fairly major occurrence, and the work of a lot of people was affected. It was not so bad overnight, because at least then you didn’t feel the pressure of the phone constantly going to ask what the blue blazes was the problem, and you had the relative “leisure” of being able to call up the relevant hardware or software experts, without “management” breathing down your neck.

Later on I moved into systems programming on the same system (a not-uncommon career path at that time), and became one of those “experts” who got called up in the middle of the night (what joy!).

I wouldn’t say I was good at thinking on my feet, but I got used to it, as I had to do a lot of it.

What I was quite good at was not panicking, or not showing panicking, as I’m told I have a poker face, and can (usually) hide my panic! In reality, I was panicking plenty, I can assure you!

3) Does, or has bad luck ever followed you around?

No. I’m not saying any more. Hey, is this a re-run of that Superstition series of questions?
You don’t fool me that way! :wink:

4) Who has a voodoo doll of you and who do you have a voodoo doll of?

What an amusing thought. I don’t know the answer to the first, but if I had a voodoo doll (I would actually need a lot of them), it would be for a certain brand of politician, and also some of the senior people in the world of banking and finance. No names, no pack drill (whatever that means).

5) How clumsy are you and please give evidence.

Extremely. I’m always ripping the seams in my trousers. I’m fatter than I should be, but it’s not just that. I’m always bumping into things. (I blame v. bad eyesight in one eye, but it’s not just that).
I’m really clumsy. Better believe it. Don’t trust me with your best china, unless you want to say goodbye to it.

6) Make up your own Friday Five question and answer it…

What are you just about to do?

Have a drink or three, after a moderately stressful week.

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#3

That seems like a quiet week for teulu Jôs! :laughing:

I hope the wounded are feeling a lot better now.

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#4

@CatrinLliarJones Oh no! I hope everyone is feeling much better now! Hope you have a much better weekend! :slight_smile:

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#5

1) When was the last time you had to drastically change your plans?
Not really drastic but quite a while ago now my wife and I were sitting in a restaurant having just ordered some lunch when the school phoned (well, someone from the school to be more accurate) asking us to pick up our daughter because she had had a nasty fall and split her chin open. We had to cancel our order and leave straight away. Gutted.

2) How good are you at thinking on your feet in emergency situations?
Not too bad but I always think of a better way of handling the situation AFTER the time has gone. A life pause button would be incredible just to give a little thinking time.

3) Does, or has bad luck ever followed you around?
I don’t believe in luck, good or bad, but I have had some very bad days. Yesterday wasn’t very good including banging my face on a pipe, cutting my hand, getting splashed by a really nasty liquid and hurting my foot almost making a trip to A+E. Draw a line under it and start again.

4) Who has a voodoo doll of you and who do you have a voodoo doll of?
A voodoo doll conjures up thoughts of prolonged suffering and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I have hoped for momentary suffering in reaction from time to time but that soon passes. I do also like the thought of certain people falling from grace, I would get some pleasure from that too.

5) How clumsy are you and please give evidence.
Refer to question 3. I used to think I was really coordinated and graceful but I think I’m coming to terms with being moderately clumsy these days.

**6) If you were to choke a Smurf what colour would it turn?

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#6

Oh dear, Catrin, I do hope that you manage to salvage a calm, pain free, but very enjoyable weekend. Lots of love and prayers for you all. xx

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