I've had to work up to this in the way I would work up to a really good spit ball, it took me awhile but it should be enough to hit the target...

12.  When I lived in St. Thomas, VI, the alarm that got me out of bed every morning was a donkey who brayed into my bedroom window.

11.  My first pet was a skunk, descented by my father and his best friend, Artie Manara.  Sadly, Pepi died after eating a good part of the shower curtain.  

10.  I felled a guy once with a left handed bitch slap followed by a surprise right hook to the cheekbone. It's the only time I've ever hit anyone and I was probably more surprised than he was.

9. I've never been fashion forward.  My mother and I sewed all of my clothes until I was in high school, then she bought me a Ladybug shirt (Villager) and a Gator skirt (Izod) with a webbed belt for my first day of 9th grade. Other clothes followed when I had a little babysitting change, but I'll never forget that first baptism by labels. I was cool for a minute there.

8.  I had dinner with Mickey Dolenz following a charity polo match in Oyster Bay, NY.  He was a very chatty guy and a funny dinner companion, but he looked like he'd been hit by the last train from Clarkesville.  

 7.  I set the kitchen curtains on fire while babysitting for my 8th grade home ec teacher. Their dog got so overworked with all the excitement that his entire digestive system gave out on the center of the living room carpet.  I put newspaper over both messes and didn't say a word about it.  Mrs. Brannon never said a word either, but I think she probably black balled me for new business in the neighborhood.

6.  I've earned more designing new kitchen/bath spaces for my friends than working as an RN full time, but haven't any training or education in anything other than nursing and business.  Too bad about the construction economy now huh? I could use a design job.

5.  Between dinner courses, my beau and I got it on in the most beautiful bathroom I've ever been in, at the swankiest restaurant in Miami Beach. After dinner he ran a couple of blocks to the car in the rain and came back to pick me up at the door.  Then he drove around the corner and stripped, driving home nakie because he didn't want his sopping wet clothes on the ostrich leather seats.  He was kind enough to offer me his golf towel. 

4.  I cooked with Chef Marco Tremonti in Florence, Italy.  Tremonti became head chef of the Michelin star Guelfi e Ghibellini in the 5 diamond Hotel Relais Santa Croce a few months later.  Without any doubt, it was the best meal of my life.

3.  I've painted my bedroom seven different colors, so far.

2.  I beat my daughter with ski poles to get her to stand up and ski off the mountain with me after her freaking out on a mogul trail had left us 1/2 way up after the sun had gone down. (she was well padded and my whacking and flailing about with the ski poles stopped the screeching, but it made her laugh so hard she wet her ski pants.)

1.  And for the #1 factoid -- I don't have a favorite side of the bed, how 'bout that?

Thanks Heidibeth, whoever you are!  I think this is going to be my new writing exercise, I feel looser already!