Tags 2: Blood from a stone

Or, in other words, I've been tagged again, this time by the lovely Anna Mr. Could there possibly be a further eight remotely interesting and random facts I can trawl up from de profundis or somewhere nearby? With the emphasis firmly on random, and a modicum of sweat dripping from my brow, here we go....

1. I was in a band with someone who is now a journalist and published author. During a rehearsal one evening when his guitar prowess was particularly slack, we made a bet. The bet was that I could do an impression of his guitar-playing better than he could hit me (I'm not quite sure how we came to agree on that).

"You're on," he said.

I did an impression of his guitar playing. He hit me square on the jaw.

"Told you," I said. "Fair enough," he said, accepting defeat graciously.

2. I can bend my thumbs back 90 degrees (without having to push them). Someone told me that's a sign of having an incredibly bad temper - but they can just piss off, what the fuck do they know?

3. Aged 18, I had a minor operation, which required me to have general anaesthetic. The nurse who brought me back to consciousness had, coincidentally, been one of my play-school teachers when I was aged 3 or 4, and I had not seen her since then. I was seriously convinced, when I saw her face, that I had actually died. I remember it taking her a good few minutes to convince me otherwise.

4. The very first record I bought was "Baggy Trousers" by Madness. However, the first record I considered to be my own, some years earlier, was my dad's copy of "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones. I'm sure he and my mum were amused to hear me singing along with the lyrics at such a tender age. Another memory is of hearing a song on the radio and asking my mum what it was.
" 'Fernando', by ABBA" she replied. I then had to get her to explain the distinction between the name of the song, and who was singing it, which was the first time I was aware of the difference. (Incidentally, the most recent record I bought was "Jealous of Shit and Shine" by Shit and Shine)

5. 11 years ago this weekend, my father died (on the 22nd).

6. I don't own a television and haven't done for at least 10 years. When anyone asks about this I tell them, "I can't stand spending all evening sitting in front of a screen - I much prefer to pass the time using my computer instead."

7. My favourite whisky is Laphroiag. Pure heaven in a glass - or straight out of the bottle (no I'm not that bad). Favourite beer is currently Theakston's Old Peculier. Favourite wine is La Chasse du Pape (red, of course. If anyone is passing through Carrefour at Calais...).

8. Anna Mr mentions mild vertigo in amongst her 8 facts. I discovered (though whether this is medically true has not been established) that I too have mild vertigo. The moment of discovery was when I was half way across Striding Edge, by which point it made more sense to carry on than to turn back. I was terrified, and spent the rest of that particular walk feeling euphoric that I was still alive.

Hope you don't mind me not tagging anyone else. If I was going to do so, they've already been tagged in the first place - but feel free once again to call me a spoilsport.