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Biography

I'm a 40 something IT professional living in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) with my two cats.
(My friends have warned me that any more than two cats for a single woman signifies weirdness)

I have liberal social values. I believe in human rights - for everyone - if you are racist, sexist or homophobic or think you have the right to tell anyone how to think or live - we will not get along.

The photo you see featured on my page was taken in Barbados - it is a mural painted on a roadside rock walls in the countryside. It is located in the parish of St Joseph - my favourite spot on an island filled with many beautiful scenes to choose from. It was painted by a local artist.

I find life an amazing adventure and I try to find fun and contentment in it. I am interested in almost anything, but my day-to-day interests are - current events, reading, movies, food, music, sports and travel.

I run, walk, cycle, ski (xc), hike and do weights, yoga and pilates. I'm a sort of vegetarian - not for political or health reasons although I think its healthier. I do eat fish, dairy and eggs.

I'm a reformed smoker - and giving up cigarettes was probably the best thing I've ever done and I still marvel (after almost 7 years) that I actually was able to do it.

I have travelled a lot - some for work and some for pleasure. I spent 7 years on the road working on various IT projects in the Caribbean, USA and Canada. This involved moving to the project locations for anywhere from 6 months to 18 months depending on the length of the project. This was a great opportunity for me and I highly recommend this type of travel to anyone. It shaped my life far more than anything else I've done. I had the chance to experience being a minority, being a foreigner, working someplace where I did not speak the language well and trying to get by in that language. I loved most of my project locations - but not all - I learned a lot about myself in all of them. Barbados in the end is the one for which I have the most affection. I stopped doing this type of travel a few years ago and my main regret about that was not doing a project in either London, Chicago or New York. I might be tempted to start travelling again if any of those three were put on the plate.

This is my '100 Things Experiment'

1. I am a Virgo and always read my horoscope.
2. I don't really believe in them though.
3. I love having my fortune told and have had my palm, my tea leaves and my astrological chart done.
4. The most accurate reading was done my a friend of mine and it was a palm reading - she told me many things she could not possibly have known.
5. Several of these things have come true - I'm still waiting for others.
6. I love to travel.
7. I have travelled a lot - the majority by myself.
8. I'm tired of travelling alone.
9. I've never been married but came close when I was 23.
10. Even though my heart was completely broken when that did not work out, I am eternally grateful now that it worked out as it did.
11. I am a QA Manager for a smallish company that is part of a huge company.
12. I love my job 90% of the time.
13. I am obsessed with system quality and testing as a field of study.
14. I love fiction but don't get to read as much of it as I would like to.
15. I am a news junkie and read the paper everyday.
16. I read two weekend papers.
17. Most nights I also watch the news.
18. I am addicted to magazines and subscribe to 'a ton' of them.
19. I quit smoking 7 years ago.
20. I started exercising when I quit smoking.
21. I ran the Chicago Marathon 3 years ago.
22. I do all my cardio type exercise outside - even in winter.
23. Most days I think that is what keeps me sane.
24. I have 2 cats and have always wanted a dog.
25. People who know me now are surprised when I tell them I used to be painfully shy.
26. I have a huge collection of cookbooks and read them all the time.
27. I love to give gifts and take enormous care in choosing them.
28. Same with cards.
29. One of my closest friends is someone I have not seen in over 20 years but write to at least 3 times a week.
30. I've been in love 4 times and am still a little in love with each of the 4. I've never gotten over the 4th.
31. My longest relationship was not with one of the 4.
32. I had laser eye surgery almost 5 years ago and have close to 20/20 vision now.
33. I wear reading glasses though.
34. After being skinny for most of my life, I have to watch what I eat now.
35. I have the suit my mother got married in and it fits as if it were custom made for me.
36. I suffer from migraines and think mine are weather related.
37. I have two brothers and no sisters.
38. My older brother's wife was like a sister.
39. She died of lung cancer when she was 33 years old.
40. My father died of a sudden heart attack with no warning when I was 24 years old.
41. My hair is naturally curly and I have straightened it all my life.
42. I have art everywhere in my house.
43. It is my goal to collect a new piece every year.
44. I try to buy a new piece of jewellery as well.
45. My favourite painting was a gift from the artist who painted my portrait.
46. I love the painting but am not crazy about the portrait.
47. The portrait is unframed and tucked away in a closet.
48. I have an affinity to English men.
49. I have had 3 English boyfriends - one of those was my longest relationship.
50. I have dated very few Canadian men.
51. More non-Caucasians than Caucasians
52. I have done a lot of partying in my day but rarely have the inclination for that now.
53. I love to dance to Caribbean music.
54. I can't waltz to save my life.
55. I love music but at home often prefer silence these days.
56. My favourite meal is 'fish and chips'.
57. I don't let myself eat that very often.
58. I eat at least one but more often two huge salads everyday.
59. I am low maintenance - a half hour to get ready (beginning to end) max.
60. I love clothes.
61. With a passion .... and I love to wear skirts and dresses.
62. Also jeans.
63. I love shoes ... also with a passion.
64. Robin Williams is my favourite actor.
65. I love country and western music - but hate new country.
66. I also love bluegrass.
67. Song lyrics are more and more important to me.
68. I still think I will get married someday.
69. I like living alone.
70. I would love to live in an old stone house out in the country.
71. But I'm not ready for that yet.
72. I live life as it comes and don't worry about the future very much.
73. I think I am a genuinely happy person.
74. I am very compassionate.
75. I have a temper though.
76. I took both piano and ballets lessons as a teenager.
77. I'm a really strong person - probably too strong.
78. My favourite colour is yellow and orange is a close second.
79. I haven't had my colours done, but I think I am a spring.
80. I worked on a project in French for a year and became fairly fluent.
81. Unfortunately I haven't kept it up.
82. I really miss travelling for work sometimes.
83. I started going to a Unitarian Universalist Church in January.
84. I will probably join.
85. I was raised Baptist but religious fundamentalists scare me half to death.
86. I am pro-choice but am grateful that decision has never come up in my life.
87. If I were American I would be a Democrat.
88. I would love to live in London for a year.
89. If I won the lottery, I would travel.
90. I love watching Olympic sports - especially the winter games.
91. Hockey is one of the few sports I don't mind watchng on TV.
92. I have been a spectator at four Ironman Triathlon Competitions.
93. One of those was in Hawaii.
94. I drive far too fast.
95. I took up gardening last year and love it.
96. I have blond hair, green eyes and am 5'4".
97. I have really vivid dreams.
98. I have never been hospitalized.
99. I can't swim.
100. Morning is my favourite time of day.
and ....
101. 'Back in Black' is my favourite song.

Interests