So You Wanted to Know About Mike Raven…

~ Adele Archer

Hi, I’m Mike, and Adele’s seen fit to let me loose on her blog again (bless her). Here’s a few nuggets of information about me:

  • I work in construction, procuring and managing construction contracts;
  • I’m overweight, and while I’d like to be slimmer, I like beer and meat and cake more;
  • I live in northern England in the UK with my wife and son, and;
  • I am a geek, and love computers.

Now, before you read further down, I’d like to set you a challenge. Right now, scribble down (or remember it in your head, or even type it in MS Word, I don’t mind) what you think I might do in my spare time.

I wanted to blog about how it’s interesting that people can have a wide range of interests. I attended a seminar on lateral thinking, and the keynote speaker talked about how we try to fill in the blanks by taking what we know about someone and looking around for what information we could generate – the example he gave was that he invited us to describe his interests based on what we knew about him, and one of the things that several people said was that he might like surfboarding because he lives on the coast (which he doesn’t, he hated it!), but because humans don’t have a full catalogue of information about a person, we do our best to look at comparable information and attempt to use it instead.

Now I would guess from the first four bullet points of information you’ve come up with various points such as perhaps:

Playing computer games or fixing computers, or perhaps something like administering a website

Socialising (where you have the opportunity to drink and/or eat pies)

Anyway, so, the other week, I went to my first group singing lesson.

I’ve always enjoyed singing – in fact, thinking about it, I challenge anyone to say that they positively do not like to sing, you might not like singing in front of other people, or where anyone can hear you, but I bet you’ll at the very least throw out an odd line when the mood takes you.

I went with my head filled with the songs from Pitch Perfect (yes, I know, but I don’t care – I like the film, I like its sequel, and I like watching Glee too!), and while it wasn’t quite all strobe lights and dancing – although there was a little bit of movement – it was really enjoyable and I’m looking forward to my next lesson.

The other things I tend to do in my spare time include playing computer games, blogging, dancing (badly! But I do take weekly lessons in ballroom and latin), making videos, watching TV, going to the cinema, as well as of course looking after my son and doing chores round the house.

I guess the bottom line is don’t assume that you know everything about someone or something, they can (possibly) surprise you.

Let me know in the comments what you guessed I might do in my spare time and if you got close!

Mike is a blogger and YouTuber who, as already stated, likes pies.

Pies are great.

For more of Mike’s work, check out his blog at http://thoggy.blogspot.com and his videos at youtube.com/ravenswingthog

Published by Adele Archer

Author of contemporary women's fiction for smart, witty women who like to read about smart, witty women. And men. And children. And cats. Sometimes mistakenly classed as chick-lit, but the paperback versions are certainly good for propping open heavy doors.

13 thoughts on “So You Wanted to Know About Mike Raven…”

    1. Cheers David 🙂 I’m not a huge rugby fan although I’ll watch it if it’s on, I did use to play darts when I was younger so not a million miles out 🙂

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  2. I guessed that you played guitar and had converted your garage into a sound proofed practice room where you and your mates met up to play and create music. At first I thought you’d be into Indie rock but then I wondered if you might prefer something a bit folkier. Do I get half a point for guessing something to do with music?

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    1. Wow! I’d love to be a musician Wendy but I’ve never learned an instrument – I did make a couple of rave tracks in my teenage years though! Music wise I listen to everything from pop, rock, dance to more chilled out stuff (I’m planning to go to a jazz night on Tuesday), I definitely think that you deserve half a point at least 🙂

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  3. Mike Raven, thank you! I bloody miss pies. I can’t eat them any more (or any kind of pastry) as they make me ill. But I dream of a good pie. A pie with a base, not just a crust because that’d sodding well cheating!

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  5. I have to confess I was dreaming up all sorts of unusual hobbies, just to see if I was right, but I missed the mark entirely! (I had Falconry and Welly Wanging on my list 😉 but not singing and dancing).
    I have a dreadful voice so I am always in awe of anyone who can sing and not kill wildlife with the noise :).
    Very nice to find out more about you Mike and I shall look on you with a new admiration now! 🙂

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  6. Also I confess to being quite jealous. I’ve done a lot of dancing over the years, including ballroom and Latin American and I’d really love to take it up again. My other half is a committed non-dancer and won’t partner me though!

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  7. Cool post! For guesses… Maybe hanging out… An easy one to guess is reading… Cuz no way one can write so well without reading.. Am I right with any of the two…?

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