I
was born in a suburb of Toronto during a Groundhog Day ice
storm in '68 (means I'm a quirky Aquarius), the first of two
children. I've lived in a couple of small towns in Ontario,
including a year or two living in my parent's hotel in
northern Ontario and learning to play poker, drive my own
skidoo and fire a rifle (pretty good shot) before I was
eight. We later moved to the Niagara Peninsula, where I spent
most of my childhood in a tract of suburban land that had
been converted from a turn-of-the-century nursery. The forest
I played in contained perfect rows of poppies, black-eyed
Susans, lilacs, apple trees, and cedar stands. Idyllic, to be
sure, though I have to admit we did use this bucolic
landscape for heated games of "war" with sticks for
guns.
O High school was a blur of purple hair and my mom locking herself in the bathroom (what's wrong with a nose ring, really?). I lived briefly in London, England (NW6, down the street from Boy George and Michael Palin, for those who are keeping track), and worked like a dog as a secretary by day and a Finchley Road barmaid by night. I also learned that I have a tremendous capacity for alcohol, and, to my everlasting sadness, I learned to smoke (bloody English...oops, sorry).
O Finally, I made it to the University
of Toronto, where I studied History and English at University
College. My undergrad was so much fun that I tried my hand at
a Master's in English there (what a mistake -- not
recommended). I left my M.A. just as the perfect job in
Public Relations came up, so I grabbed it. Right now, I live
and work in Toronto, where my job keeps me pretty busy with
lots of special events happening in the evenings.
O When I'm not chatting in Yahoo, I read widely and voraciously -- including lots of Canadian Literature. Lately I've also discovered Ashtanga Yoga, so of course I talk about that non-stop, usually to glazed-eyed listeners. I cannot do the splits or put my feet behind my head yet, but I'm working on it. I also enjoy drawing and painting with watercolours and (this is not a joke) long walks along the beach (I actually live on Lake Ontario) and in High Park.