by Anita Finlay
On a dare from my buddy Linda, who has already risen to this challenge on her own blog, I am sharing a list of ten things you might not guess about me, since I strike people as pretty earnest. They should only know how much I love defying expectations and being surprised by something new. Here is the photographic evidence of behavior number one:
…graceful as ever…
Hubby and I had a blast. We got water in places I didn’t even know you could get water…
2. I do a great Bruce Springsteen imitation; second only to my imitation of Cousin It (then again, I too, have a lot of hair on my head).
3. I like boy movies. Die Hard. Bond. Big stunts. Fast action. Loud crashes. And let us not forget Aliens — the ultimate girl movie, or archetypal mother movie. If I could have been anyone, I wanted to be Ripley… I also cry at my favorite mushyfilms: Love Actually (pretty much a blubberfest from the beginning), Sense and Sensibility (I was going to blow up the screen if Miss Dashwood didn’t get a happy ending) and Wall-E (if you don’t fall in love with him in the first 5 minutes of this flick, you have no heart!)
4. My home used to look like an arts and crafts pavillion. I was big on needlepoint, petit point, rug making, knitting, collage — and wishing boxes (you’ll have to figure out what those are for yourself).
5. I wanted to be a rock star and would pretend I was Jimmy Page — yes, I played a mean air guitar in high school. Actually, I also played classical guitar and was one of a group of girls who played and sang the Canticle/Scarborough Fair at our graduation from Hunter College High School in New York.
6. I used to do corporate presentations for Fortune 500 companies and made a bunch of dough talking about High Speed Ethernets, T-1 lines and fancy-schmancy software applications. No, I had no idea what I was talking about — but nobody could read a teleprompter like me…
7. I fell headfirst into an empty bathtub at age nine. Which might explain a lot.
8. I wrote and produced a 5-minute short called “She’s Gotta Have that Frozen Yoghurt” which I co-starred in with Jeremy Renner. Yes, he was the cute young guy behind the counter and I was the customer (with big hair) who drove him nuts while I sampled every single flavor. Come to think of it, that was probably Jeremy’s launching pad to his two well-deserved Oscar nominations! 🙂
9. My husband and I like to call our friends and pretend we are Elvis and Marilyn when we sing “Happy Birthday” to them. Our cat just yawns in disgust and walks away.
10. I make the world’s best rice. Don’t laugh. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
Okay. A bonus round…
11. Four times, I saved the life of a fish (no, not the same one). We have a raised koi pond out back and sometimes the koi inadvertently leap out and jump to their deaths. Well, they try anyway. The first time it happened, we saw the little guy lying on the ground. Flies had landed on him! My hubby was so crestfallen, but the koi’s mouth was still moving ever so slightly. All of the color had not yet gone out of him and I said “Not on my watch!” …Just call me Necromancer!
I called the aquarium store right away. The man said you have to put him back in the water, gently support him under the body and make him swim backwards, forcing oxygen into his gills. I plunged my arms into the icy water and dragged him around to and fro, until he started to swim around by himself.
I find that about ninety minutes of determined, gentle dragging (and lots of side coaching) usually does it…
The koi get annoyed as hell, but at least they are all still alive to tell about it.
*****************************
Anita Finlay is the author of Dirty Words on Clean Skin: Sexism and Sabotage, a Hillary Supporter’s Rude Awakening, available on Amazon in print and kindle editions.
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19 Comments
It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Yes, water can go into the most unusual places. LOL
1. So then you can name where this came from.
2. Sounds like you received excellent training and credentials on TY&R. You probably dawn your white coat and scrubs, and call out code blue near the pond when you spot a Koi languishing nearby. All the while concerned for the poor soul you are about to revive confidently, and in just one episode too. Hmmm. Consider adding this to your IMDb hit parade.
Ahem…
But yes, it was an amazing day. The best was our guide — who could contort his body into the wackiest positions to control that craft down the rapids. We just took orders! And while he was super calm, he was working his a** off back there!
Looks like the quote “In space no one can hear you scream” did not capture in the blockquotes.
Too funny, towncrier. I do feel like a doctor at times. Once I had to play a nephrologist. I actually had so much technical training to do this very strange theatre job, by the end of it, I could have operated on YOUR kidneys! What was peculiar was that some of the koi were obviously grateful and one in particular (who was covered in flies before I got to him) looked at me like I was nuts for the entire following year when I went out to feed him. He has since gotten over his trauma.
Oops just dawned on me it was supposed to be “don” your white…
Not to worry, towncrier, the grammar police are napping. 🙂
What a great compilation, Anita! I may have to do this some time. But for now, I am enjoying thinking abt you in all of these different situations.Reviving the Koi so sounds like something I would do, though. And good for you for your quick action to save it/them. Well done!
LOL abt the cat walking away in disgust when you and Hubby sing “Happy Birthday” in your way. I can totally see that happening.
Right there with ya abt the movies, both the action movies, and the mushy ones. We often watch “Love Actually” around the holidays. Yes, indeed – who could not love Wall E??
Thanks so much for sharing this. And you were right, dear friend – your list brought a smile to my face!
You would really think the koi would be more grateful, but they just want the koi kibble — and for me to keep my big paws off them!! I must sy, doing this list was therapeutic. I highly recommend it. Thanks for stopping in at the Inn!
You Wouldn
Excellent Morning, I just stopped in to visit your website and imagined I’d say I liked myself.
The Birch of the Shadow
I think there may become a few duplicates, but an exceedingly useful list! I have tweeted this. Numerous thanks for sharing!
Souls in the Waves
Fantastic Early morning, I just stopped in to go to your internet site and assumed I would say I liked myself.
The Absent Game
Concerning me and my husband we have owned a lot more MP3 players through the years than I can count, like Sansas, iRivers, iPods (traditional & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few many years I’ve settled down to one line of gamers.
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Who would have thought that my favorite commentator and Hillary expert can do crafts (I can’t), is an adventuress (I river rafted one time too many), a pseudo health care professional and can sing like Bruce and Marilyn. Like you more than before!! Perhaps one day we can watch other Jane Austen movies together and boo hoo it in harmony!! Glad you shared.
Thanks, Elaine! Let’s make a date to watch Sense and Sensibilities! THE BEST!!! Thanks for chiming in! 🙂