31 things

I was thinking about trying out 28 again, staying there for awhile, but eh- with age comes wisdom, right?

By accepting my age with grace, I also get to add three things to my list: 31 things about me.

Here goes:

1. I lived on a farm in Quebec till age 5, and according to pictures (and some hilarious home movies) spent the majority of the time roaming around naked with sister Barb and cousin Carina. Hardly ever saw/knew about traffic, airplanes, etc.

2. I visited that very farm for the first time since moving away two Septembers ago, as part of a cross country odyssey with Louise, my partner in crime. Just about smack in the middle of 5 and 6,000 kms we drove the beast to that beautiful potato laden red isle out east.

3. I got to visit the absolute furthest possible point west in Canada from there just a few weeks ago on a surfing trip.

4. I believe in trying things you have never done before (especially if it scares you) every once in awhile. Take surfing, for example. Well, body surfing in my case ;)

5. I have one big unexplainable irrational fear: deep water that I can’t see the bottom of. Nope, can’t say I like boats much and if I ever won a cruise, I’d have to send my mom instead.

6. I have never been to Vegas

7. I have been in love 2.5 times (if you don’t count the at-first-sight infatuation with one Sean Robinson at age 12 ½).

8. I love to bake and cook, although I rarely follow a recipe accurately and tend to throw in anything and everything I can find around the kitchen (new taste sensations!). I also will hardly ever try a soup/sauce until I’m done making it.

9. Wine is a big passion that I intend to follow through with a Sommelier course in early 2006.

10. I have experienced a handful of nights where a few hours ‘go missing’ as the after effects of consuming too much of the red in too short a time period.

11. I absolutely love fresh flowers. If I could afford it, I would have a bunch around my home & desk at work at all times.

12. Amsterdam is my favorite city in the whole world. I think everyone should have the chance to visit it once in their lifetimes.

13. I am only superstitious about black cats and walking under ladders.

14. I love hip hop (and reggae) and used to ride my bike through a shady part of Munich to go dance to it by myself at a nightclub that played it on Friday nights. One night when I resurfaced to go home, I found that said bike had been stolen. By some miracle, I had enough change to catch a cab back home.

15. The only time I have ever thought about killing myself was on a trip to Turkey in 1996.

16. My mom and I were visiting Malta at the same time as ‘Gladiator’ was being filmed there.

17. J’ai passé tout mes années a l’école dans un programme bilingue. J’aimerai bien etre capable de parler comme avant.

18. My most memorable ‘trip’ to a museum was in Paris to see Monet and co. I twisted my ankle walking in (too busy reading the brochure to look down, missed a step). Ended up getting callused thumbs rolling myself around in a wheelchair, all for the sake of Art!

19. Volunteered in the following races:
Cross Calgary Marathon
24 hours of Adrenaline in Canmore
Parkinsons Super Walk, Fish Creek Park

20. I have never bungee jumped, parachuted, been tattooed or pierced anything other than my earlobes.

21. I had my first orgasm at age 24. Have been playing catch up ever since!

22. As a teenager, I adored George Michael, River Phoenix, Robert Downey, Jr. and Johnny Depp (who remembers 21 Jump Street?)

23. I am a Gemini Tiger and believe I match a few of the qualities of each.

24. I believe in the power of crystals.

25. I tend to have bad dreams if I watch anything violent on tv just before going to bed.

26. I haven’t watched more than an hour or two if tv a month in the past 3 or 4 years.

27. I met my best friend in Grade 6 while we were both attending Westgate Elementary. She and her husband have very recently purchased a home right down the block from it.

28. I stopped eating red meat 17 years ago. The only exception I make is at my dad’s house two or three times a year (especially for his moose sauerbraten mmmmm)

29. Ich habe fast neun Jahre lang in Deutschland gelebt, verheiratet und alleine (manchmal sogar gleichseitig!)

30. The mountains, my hammock, the movie theater, the highway, the hot springs and the beach are a few of my favorite places to frequent.

31. Every year I get wiser and a little closer to figuring out (and achieving) my goals to live out the ideal life for myself…