My 25 List:  (the hardest thing I think I’ve ever been “assigned”)

1.  I am completely turned off by photos of men in sleeveless T-shirts no matter how lovely their bodies are (the one exception being Marlon Brando).  On the other hand, a man in a uniform, and I mean almost any uniform, is a turn on.

2. The actor Bill Murray asked me to shoot hoops with him in his private basketball court.  I am a terrible basketball player, otherwise I would have said yes.

3.     I love books that involve humans in perilous circumstances.  Don’t know why, but devoured “Into the Wild”, “Into Thin Air”, “Alive” and the tale of Ernest Shackleton.  I’m attracted to risk takers (I am not one myself), and these stories give me hope and insight into how strong we can be when things are at their worst.

4.     I sometimes wonder how I would hold up under torture since I would tell you anything if you simply refused to serve me coffee in the morning.

5.     I took a Bikeroads tour to New Zealand and did two “Centuries” which means I pedaled 100 miles in a day (twice).  I came in last, but I did it.

6.     On that same trip, I stood on the original bridge (at Kawarau) where bungee jumping was first started, and tried to get myself to get in line to do it but I chickened out.  Sort of regret it.

7.     I keep my pillow cases in the refrigerator in the hot summer nights so they’re nice and  cold when I slip them on my pillows at night.

8.     I love to write almost more than anything, and love being alone to indulge, but sometimes get lonely.

9.     I hate to talk on the phone.  One of my brothers hates to do email.  Therefore we seldom communicate.

10.  I have 4 brothers by my dad’s marriage to my mom, and two half brothers by his two other wives.  No sisters which is why my female friends are so important to me.

11.  I am totally into tornados and wish I had the nerve to be a “storm-chaser”.  I own 6 tornado videos.  It’s kind of like my porn.

12.  If I had to choose between being invisible, being able to fly, or being able to time travel, I think I’d choose being invisible.  I would like to know what Bill and Hilary talk about over dinner.

13.  I’m such a good listener, I sometimes forget to contribute.  I’d make an excellent therapist.

14.  I’m not that into chocolate.

15.  I have never made a turkey.

16.  The first piece of sushi I ever tasted was Uni (sea urchin) after which I couldn’t even look at sushi for 6 months.  It was like eating a ball of snot.  Someone made me try again, and now I love it.

17.  Borrowing from O’Steph’s list: I am a compulsive editor and can find a typo or grammatical error in any book you give me, no matter who has edited it previously.

18.  I am an excellent skeet and trap shooter.  

19.  I was attacked while jogging many years ago, and the very next day and for the next 7 days went out running along that same route, sort of in defiance.  The 8^th day, I became paralyzed with fear, and have never run that route again.

20.  Everyone in my family is a scuba diver, including me, and we get along best together when we’re all underwater and unable to speak other than hand gestures. 

21.  I am terrified of spiders and totaled my dad’s car (and broke my nose) when one fell on my leg when I was driving.  I watched it crawl up my skirt and forgot that I was driving until the front of my car smashed into the back of someone else’s.  The next day, the local newspaper’s headline was: “The Little Miss Muffed It”.  Took years to live that down.

22.  On the way to a Grateful Dead concert, an old boyfriend disappeared into a brownstone with some shady characters.  He came out with some crystal cocaine which we smoked at the concert.  Fantastic!  I immediately wanted more.  Later, we found out it was also called “crack”.  I never had it or cocaine again.

23.  I had a bad experience with Tequila as well as a bad experience with (American) Guinness (which is different than the Guinness you get in Ireland), and I can’t drink or be near either.

24.  I envy Tina Fey.  She has the ideal life, and is truly, truly talented.

25.  I fear Alzheimer’s more than any other fate.  Whenever I can’t think of a word, my heart clutches.  A friend of mine was diagnosed with pre-frontal-dementia at age 47 and died at 51.  She was as special as anyone I’ve ever met and is the proof to the adage, “The good die young”.

copyright: dcvdickens 2009