That 5 topics thing...

So, Delvy asks me to write on the following topics:
Letters, Driving, Birth, Religion and Food.

So here we go.

Letters
I'm quite fickle when it comes to my moods for writing letters.
I often wanted a penpal when I was a lot younger, but knew that I'd never keep it up. I joined a couple of fanclubs for various things that involved staying in contact with people mostly via letter, and while they were around I did actually write back.
Then the clubs folded and while I tried to keep in contact afterwards, eventually I just stoppeed writing letters once again.
TBH I think it might have mostly been when I went to sea and the lack of contact for days on end that stopped me writing letters.
I started writing letters again when I started playing Omega, as I'd just developed a new IC relationship and both Sally-Ann and I wanted to get to know each other better both IC and OOC, all the better to know how to react in the IC relationship if you know how the other is OOC.
But then someone killed the world including Loran and Aria and so brought that to an end to that chapter of letters.
It's only recently that I've started writing letters again. I'm also quite happy to receive IC letters as well. Certain events at a recent M! player event have given me a lot to do now and one of the best ways to do this is to write letters and start some groundwork that way. Although that said there really is only so much you can do and should do with letters before you have to take it IC face to face, which is always the best way for all involved.
I'm currently trying to practice my handwriting with a new classic style fountain pen and ink well, but am finiding that I have no real handwriting to speak of.
I'm tempted for the next events to buy a small printer and keep it with the netbook in the car to print the letters I need there and then, and just seal them IC, so at least the words are not lost in my atrocious handwriting...

Driving
I love driving. No really. It's one of the best feelings just sitting there with something good on the stereo driving down an open stretch of road either going to or coming from an event or some variety.
I passed my test in June 99 so I've been driving for nearly ten years, and officially at least, I have never had an accident or an insurance claim.
I passed my test the day befroe my aprent flew out of LPL on holiday and left me with the Rover. So that night I went round to a couple of friend's house in Southport (trevordavies will remember Eve and Steve and their little house just out of town centre.) At some point we realised that drinks were needed and so I took the car out to the shops about 5 mins drive away. yes it was slightly lazy and I paid the price for it, as when reversing out of the park, I reversed into a bollard that was lower than the boot window.
In my time I have driven many different cars, most of which have been owned by me. I have never yet met a car I could not control almost immediately.

Birth
Now I wonder why this has been chosen...?
I'm gonna have to be quite light on this one as it's an unlocked post and as some of you already know, I have issuesthoughts on birth that I will never mention out loud or in public.
So in less than 3 days I will be a father offically. Ninfa doesn't know it yet, but I will be disobeying her orders to go to work on Monday, and have taken the morning off to go to hospital with her, even thought she has said repeatedly that she doesn't want me there...

Religion
Ooh. Controversial topic.
I was raised Christian and had little choice but to attend church each Sunday, as at that age the only choices you have are the ones your parents give you.
The only real giggle I ever had was turning up to church parade one sunday after a friends 18th and the rest of the VSU were just assleep deprived and recovering from alcohol abuse as I was.
I escaped from them at 18, and never really looked back.
When I joined my first ship in Inverness I accidentally wandered into a New Age shop and bought a couple of books on alternative religion and witchcraft. Yes I am now well aware that the books I bought then were of the fluffiest fluff that ever fluffed, but I cannot deny that they got me interested. And interest that gave me to research more and more, learning different perspectives and truths.
Now I would state my religion as Pagan as although I was previously a coven Wiccan, I am not any longer, however I still retain some affinity for the beliefs and practices.
Ninfa and I quite quickly decided that when Cassandra is born we will be raising her in our own beliefs, although if she ever decides to investigate other ideas, we will not restrict her much.
I have no intention of raising my daughter to have affection for either Christianity or Islam.
Neither of those religions have done much to promote peace and harmony, and while Paganism has not really done anything overt in those lines, neither has it actively caused war and conflict.
Christianity in the Crusades and Islam in it's very meaning and modern day existance.
Yes I will quite happily agree that there are devotees of both religions who do their very best to live a peaceful harmonious life, and who decry current ideology. I have met many of that camp in both religions and reamin friends with a few of them.
However the moderates are more focussed on telling the public that extremist views are not the mainstream in their religion when i believe they should try focussing more on preventing extremist views from within and therefore not have to defend their religion constantly.

Food
I'm not the worlds biggest fan of food in general. Most people are well aware by now that I am a fussy bastard. I know what I like and I like what I know.
I don't eat for the taste of food.
I only really eat to keep me going. That's why I snack. I will eat a proper meal if it's in front of me, but mostly I'll eat as and when I feel the need and not at "proper" times. My house mates will probably attest to my odd eating times and frequent forgetting to eat. The forgetting occurs when I am either not hungry or not in a position to eat imemdiately and so i just forget and carry on.

If anyone wants topics setting, post and I'll throw you some subject matter. Like wise, if you want to chuck me another topic, do so and I'll write another one of these when I get five.
It's a source of great irritation to Ninfa as she loves food, as you could expect given she is Italian.