Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

There’s a game of Tag going on here in blogville, in which each of us have to post five things nobody knows about us and then tag five more bloggers. I’ve been tagged by both Starbucker and Maria Palma. Does this mean I have to post ten things? Hmmm. I’ve already told you a lot in past posts, particularly my Friday martini musings. The challenge is coming up with something that’s at least somewhat interesting and suitable for mixed company. Well, here goes:

1. I once dreamed of being a cardiovascular surgeon. This lasted until Organic Chemistry (groan). Of course, if I’d known that there could be a McSteamy and/or a McDreamy in my future, I might have toughed it out.

2. I took an honors course, “The Philosophy of Death and Dying,” at OU. The young professor, a Rhodes Scholar, was very full of himself. However, the class taught me to think. And, even more importantly, the professor gave us a chance to debate one-on-one with him to raise our grades on tests. Party girl that I was (study? me?) I had to debate after every test and after the final. Those debates stood me in good stead in the corporate world and contract negotiations.

3. I love trash television (in small doses), preferably involving vampires and/or time travel and/or immortals of some sort. Highlander, Blade, Witchblade, etc. - I’m there.

4. The best French bistro food I’ve ever had was in…London. This when I’ve been to Paris. (Lovely little place on Old Brompton Road, Kensington)

5. The best fish and chips I’ve ever had was in…Amsterdam. This when I’ve spent a lot of time in England. (Amsterdam’s “Le Garage”)

The bonus round - five more things:

1. I once spent the night drinking Bulgarian red wine out of my hair spray cap, on the night train from Minsk to Moscow. There were no glasses. There was wine. There was good conversation. And so…We were not a pretty sight, however, as the train rolled into the station at dawn.

2. I love to travel alone. I don’t have to suffer through jet lag and be considerate of a fellow lagee. I can spend the entire trip in museums if I so chose. I can change my mind on a whim. I can walk all day or sit in the British Museum reading room and, yes, read. Etc. etc.

3. One of my dream vacations is to fly into the north of Italy, rent a car and spend a month driving south. Meandering and stopping at will, no set itinerary.

4. Forrest Church and his book, Life Lines: Holding On (and Letting Go) changed my life. (And ultimately led to my becoming a Unitarian.)

5. I think we should be far less concerned about being “politically correct” and focus instead on being “personally considerate.” Some of the “correct” stuff gets really silly really fast, hurting the very people it’s supposed to be helping.

Whew! So, now Bruce, Susan, Yvonne , Maureen, John - you’re it!

Update/Read More:
Susan’s Five Things (Susan, can I borrow Spike sometime?)
John’s Five Things
And, from another round of the tagging game: Tom Asacker’s five things (tagged by Trevor who was tagged by Starbucker, and so it goes.) Sure, we’re being a bit silly, but as Tom notes, it’s fun and that’s important - to saving our souls and sanity, as well as building relationships and making worthwhile connections.