Game On, Sista!

As if I don't have enough to do -- now I am in this competition with my sister, Linda. Again! It seems like we were always competing with each other for something or other while we were growing up in Brooklyn, Ohio. Boys. Interesting things to do and/or get into trouble doing. Dad's attention (here in about 1958).

It's probably because we were (and are still?) so different than each other. I mean, really. There I was: Miss Prim and Proper, mathematical, logical, future wannabe Astronaut, eventual Fed. There was Linda: hippie, extremely creative, wildly anti-establishment. I still marvel that I managed to pass security clearances to get into the Bureau. I was certain some of Linda's liberal notions and activities would lead to my rejection.

Anyway. I thought we had stopped competing long ago. In fact, I very distinctly remember a long walk in Alexandria, Virginia -- back about 1990 -- when we decided to stop competing. And when Linda finally visited the Villa here for dad's surprise 80th birthday, about the only thing we competed for were tequila shots for our margaritas. Gotta hand it to Linda: her creativity extends not only to photography, animal herding, Web design (and just about anything else), but to making horses douvers and "Margaritas to Die For." Of course, the honky tonk bartending she did out there in Albuquerque probably didn't hurt none.

But this one is just too fun to pass up. So I accept the challenge.

Linda tagged me today with a game called “MEME.” Here's the rules:

• Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
• Post the rules on your blog.
• Post seven random or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
• Tag seven people and link to them.
• Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.
  

SEVEN RANDOM / WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I love to stand on my head. It's my favorite yoga pose - Shirsashana.
2. I do math problems in my head when I'm running: always working the numbers for pace, distance, time until I drop into exhaustion.
   
3. I've been counting fish for REEF since 2001: I am a Level 3 Fish counter, have conducted 74 fish surveys in 4 Caribbean regions, spent 63 hours underwater, and identified 185 different types of fishes -- the most common: Bluehead Wrasse and Stoplight Parrotfish.
4. My favorite food is sushi. (I know. I know. Kind of a conflict with #3.) If I don't eat raw fish at least once a week, I go into withdrawal.
   
5. My husband tells me I should be a "Beta Tester." I break things: stuff around the house, mechanical objects, and (this is really bad) computers.
6. I'm a "Sex and the City" addict: I TiVo the girls and watch reruns over and over - especially Carrie and Alexsander Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov).
7. I sometimes regret "retiring." I loved every minute (well, almost) of my 21 years with the Bu. There's a lot of things I could still do.

Well, like Linda, I don't know a whole lot of people who blog - so tagging seven others may be tough. But here's a start:

• The 7MSN Ranch --- Linda's Ranch: 7 Miles South of Nowhere Place
• TraSea Dives --- Tracey's Place: My Best Dive Buddy
  
• Alexander's Addictions --- Tracey's Hubby (and My Other Best Dive Buddy) Alex's Hangouts (or Hang Ins)
  
• The Infinite Knot --- Jeremy's Family: Cousin of Claudia (my stepdaughter) and Gianni's niece
  

I also have a secret game plan I'm implementing. We'll just see who gets the most hits/responses! Game On Sista'!