Fun Facts to Learn and Tell

I've been tagged by Pixie to come up with 7 (!) fascinating facts about me. So without further ado, here they are:

1. Most favourite celebrity sighting: Central Park's gay section, late '80s. I was walking along with my then-husband and a friend trying to get somewhere else when I heard a distinctive voice. I looked up and saw two older men wearing straw hats emerge from the bushes. One was taller, a little portlier, and blonde, the other a bit weasley looking. The tall fellow owned the distinctive voice. His shirt was sticking out of his unzipped trousers. It was Van Johnson, B-movie leading man of the 40s and 50s (Brigadoon, Caine Mutiny are probably his most memorable films). Perhaps they'd just gone to relieve themselves.

2. Concert I am least likely to admit to going to: David Cassidy, 1972. My best friend and I got all dolled up in our new mini skirts and patterned tights to go see our favourite heartthrob. We saw another schoolmate at the concert, her face stained with tears and mascara. I preferred David to Donny Osmond then, but now I'd have to say Donny is my favourite. He certainly has weathered better, and he seems to have a really good sense of humour about himself.

3. Concert I am most likely to admit going to: Steely Dan, 1973. They opened for Chicago and were tremendous. I went with my two best friends. It was at the big sports stadium in our town and I remember having to beg my dad for weeks to get permission to go. I was only 13 and he thought I was too young. Chicago were the band of the moment, but Steely Dan blew them out of the water. I am so disappointed I couldn't get tickets to go see them this summer in Liverpool.

4. Life-changing event: Meeting my husband. A chance encounter in a bar in South Street Seaport led to me leaving behind my career, friends, and family to start a new life with a new man in less than a year. If I'd thought it through, I would never have made the move. If I'd known how awful my in-laws would be to me, how much of a culture change, how changeable the weather, etc. But I didn't, and that has made all the difference. We have our ups and downs, and the cultural differences are greater than I'd expected, but we're still together, and I'm still here (take that, you in-laws).

5. Worst job: Cocktail waitress, 1978. Let's just say I wasn't cut out for the job. I spilled an entire pitcher of beer on a poor man. I gave the wrong change, got orders wrong, slept with the bartender, who then let me take the fall for not cleaning up that night. Any surprise I was fired? Never again.

6. Best trip with my mates: Amsterdam, 2005. Six of us stayed in a canal house for five days. This really is worth a whole post or even a film script. We went to partake of the evil weed and whatever else was going. We survived the house being flooded, riding bikes all over town while stoned (well, we weren't exactly riding the bikes), stumbling upon a bar where the local ex-prossies went to sing "Love Boat" and other classics, and buying a remote-controlled vibrator and then returning it when it was found to be faulty. We were still speaking to each other by the time it was over, but only just.

7. Worst attribute: I'm sure others who know me would say something different, but I would have to say my worst attribute is procrastination. I leave things far too late, then panic terribly to get them done. It used to work to my advantage when I worked because the stress and adrenaline would rev me up. Now, though, leaving things means my children might suffer. Fortunately, they don't seem to have inherited this trait so will do most things as soon as they can.

OK, so who can I pick on? Right, Debio, Lady M., Stay at home Dad, Kelly, J., Mind the Gap, Crystal Jigsaw, if you're reading this, consider yourselves tagged.