Liebster award

I was tagged to do this post (called the Liebster Award) by Rachel from Things that make me go aagghh!. It is apparently awarded to blogs with less than 200 followers to encourage them to stick with it.

The Rules

1. The nominees must link back to the blogger who awarded them 
2. If you are nominated, write "11 Random Facts" about yourself, then answer the 11 questions the awarder wrote for you 
3. Make up 11 new questions to be answered, then nominate 11 other bloggers to take part

I'm going to be a bit stuck here as I've only just started with this blogging lark, have no followers (although my wife says she reads it - bless her!) and I am only following one other blog so far and don't feel I can involve them although I suspect they have far more than 200 followers.

I'm going to have to post my questions to anyone who reads this and ask them to pick up the baton and keep the momentum going.  Do link back if you decide to do this, I can use all the help I can get and it would be good to find someone new to follow myself.  

11 Random Facts about me...

1. I took up mountain biking a few years back and almost gave it up after a nasty crash.  I'm glad I didn't as I still enjoy it but am a lot more cautious now!
2. I joined the Institute of Advanced Motorists after putting my mothers car into a ditch when 17.  I strongly recommend it to all drivers.
3. Since becoming a Finance Director I've learned more about computers and servers than anything else.
4. I grew up having a dog (cocker spaniel) as a pet and constantly nag my wife to let me have one again.  She says I can when I don't work such long hours.
5. My Great Grandfather held the patent for railway fog signalling lights and was knighted for his part in keeping the London Underground operational during WW II.
6. I'm a hereditary Freeman of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
7. I love curry.  Not too hot but not too mild and creamy.
8. I read Fantasy Fiction to escape reality.  Nothing like dragons and elves to leave the world of accountancy behind!
9. I got married on 18/08/08 - the 8th was already taken at our chosen venue.
10. I want to live in a lighthouse and spend my retirement reading books and walking my dogs.
11. I really dislike the general public.  Most, on the whole, are pretty unpleasant.  There should be some way of culling them so that only reasonable and pleasant people remain...

My questions from Rachel

1. If you were invisible for a day where would you go and what would you do?  I think I would go and find lions, or tigers or Bears and just live amongst them and observe them up close without scaring them or getting eaten.  As well as dogs I love big cats and bears of all varieties.
2. Have you ever Googled yourself and been surprised by what you found?  I don't recall every Googling myself.  Must do that when I've finished this blog.
3. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?  It would be a remote bit of coast, up on a cliff, miles from anywhere.
4. What is the best book you've read?   Hmm.  Tricky to narrow down to one as I tend to read series of books.  Most influential was probably the Dragonlance series as they were the first Fantasy Fiction I tried and was hooked thereafter.
5. What is your favourite film?  Again, tricky to narrow down but I can watch Star Wars over and over, but then its the same for Indiana Jones.
6. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?  That's easy, a Police Dog Handler.  Unfortunately my parents talked me out of it saying I was too short and too shortsighted (there were stricter requirements when I was a kid) and so I became an accountant.
7. What was the last song or album you bought or downloaded?  I rarely buy music so I can't remember what I bought last.  For Christmas I was given Kylie's Abbey Road Recordings and Eva Cassidy's album which are both great.
8. If you could only take three items to a desert island what would you choose? Probably a stack of books, a really comfy chair for my back and a cask of Lagavulin.
9. Do you have any goals you hope to achieve in 2013?  Not really, although I'd like to move house as the local University are doing my head in.
10. What is your most treasured possession?  I suspect that its my wedding ring, soft as that sounds!
11. What three words would you use to describe yourself?  Short, chubby and bald.  No seriously, loyal, taciturn and inquisitive.

Questions for anyone reading this who'd like to take part..

1. What do you think your best attribute is?
2. What would you most like your friends to say about you at your funeral?
3. If you could run your country for a day what would you do?
4. If you could be any animal which would it be and why?
5. If you only had one day to live what would you spend it doing?
6. Do you think its better to be popular or respected?
7. If you could afford not to work, would you still?
8. If you could make it so that everyone believed in the same religion but couldn't choose which one it was, would you?
9. If you had the opportunity to travel to distant planets would you take it?
10. Would you rather be able to fly like a bird or swim like a fish?
11. Do you think humans are really the most intelligent life form on this planet?

I'm hoping that someone is reading this and responds.  I'm waiting and listening....