10 Things You May Not Know about Me

I've never seen "Ghostbusters"

I have one shred of empathy for George W Bush. Here's why - one summer night 20 years ago, when I was 12 years old, my parents and six siblings left me home alone while they dealt with a very awful family crisis (I'm being deliberately vague). Eager for a distraction, I found myself watching "Designing Women" and nervously grazing on whatever I could find in the kitchen. As I was chomping on some honey roasted peanuts, I laughed at one of Dixie Carter's hilarious quips, and then I choked on a peanut. I tried to give myself the Heimlich maneuver. It didn't work, but somehow, I dislodged the peanut and regained the ability to breathe. I think that was the loneliest moment of my life. When the W peanut story broke, I pretended to laugh with everyone else, but I actually cringe whenever I think about it.

I have no piercings or tattoos.

I bake my own crackers.

Last year, PBS aired a 10 week Masterpiece series that included adaptations of every Jane Austen novel. I wrote a 10 week blog series called Jane Addiction, in which I reviewed the series, as well as every Austen-based film I could find on DVD. You can read my reviews at www.pixilatedponderings.blogspot.com, or on my myspace page (if anyone actually uses that anymore).

I dated my first boyfriend for nearly five years. We've remained very good friends. After he and I broke up, I figured that I would stay friends with all of my future ex-boyfriends, but it doesn't really work that way.

Without contact lenses or glasses, I'm like Mr Magoo. I can't function.

I'm a big fan of violent fantasies as an alternative to actual violence (or even just frustration). I discovered this several years ago, when I dreamt of beating my bitchy boss's head against a cement floor. She didn't bug me so much after that dream.

I can't stand saying something mean to a person, even if I hate them.

I met several celebrities when I worked at a theater. Henry Rollins was the most down-to-earth. Crispin Glover was a dick. Bonnie Raitt was really beautiful and polite. Eric Idle was the tallest. But my favorite experience was meeting Gene Kelly's daughter at a presentation of "Singin' in the Rain" which is one of my all-time favorite movies. She was super nice, but the really amazing thing was that she had her father's eyes. When she spoke to me, I was entranced.