Tagged by Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

I was tagged by WUASTC and I had to dig deep so as not to bore you. Yesterday I had the 1001 Nights treatment at the spa at Moving. I will tell you all about it tomorrow, but here is a hint - I may never be able to bathe myself again! It was heavenly.

1. Most favorite celebrity sighting:
Had to be Catherine Deneuve at a party at the French Embassy in London. She is physical perfection. I was in my twenties and so much in awe I could not talk. She was so kind to me, I have never forgotten it. She pretended I was not a complete klutz and my husband pretended I was prettier than she (you have to love that). At the same party was Elizabeth Taylor wearing that HUGE diamond necklace that Richard Burton had just given her. Some snotty London aristocrat (no doubt one with title and without money) said within her hearing (purposefully), “I think a diamond that exceeds three carats is vulgar.”

Ms. Taylor went right up to her and said, “Would you come over here for a minute?” She led her to a large mirror next to the bar, followed by a crowd of course, and took off the necklace and put it on her Ladyship who went a bit pale as she reached up to touch it with her fingers and observe herself in the mirror. “Doesn’t seem so vulgar now does it darling?” Ms. Taylor said taking her diamond back with a smug smile.

I was watching all of this intently, trying to learn from the pros here. Standing back away from the main event I was tucked in-between a large chap in his tuxedo with a cigar and another snotty Aristocrat who was so loaded down with her family jewels I imagined she needed a forklift to get in and out of the Rolls - Ms. Taylor looked right over at me when she was putting the necklace back on and winked. It was so cool.

2. A little known fact: I was born in the United States! That’s right my friends I have an American passport, but I used to have a British one as well until they enforced the new rules. I was there for about two hours then left for Lucerne, Switzerland with my grandfather. I did not return until 1980.

3. Concert I am most likely to admit going to: The Three Tenors in Paris in 1998. It was brilliant. I saw more celebrities that night than I can remember! I did think of making a list but then I had champagne after and… My very good friend Jeff had purchased me seats right down center on the fourth row! I think I stopped breathing there for a while. It was magnificent. They were all in top voice and the crowd was ecstatic.


4. Life changing event: the birth of Q. She gave me a reason to live again after the deaths of my husband and my son, and has brought me joy every day of her life. Because of her I never have to ask, “Did my life matter? Did I make a difference?” I am unspeakably grateful to the Universe for this gift.

5. When I went into the Hindu Kush in the late 1970’s I had to go disguised as a man because I couldn’t get the “woman’s walk” down and I kept staring men in the eyes (a real no no). I wore a breast binder (try that and keep your oxygen levels up chaps) and had a fake scar over my throat to explain why I could not speak (because I do not have a Lauren Bacall/Kathleen Turner voice). I had to stay dirty, really dirty, all the time to hide my pale skin, and I wore a pakol all the time to hide my long red hair.

When we arrived back in Srinagar I showered then stayed in the bath for two hours then showered again. My hair was the consistency of Crazy Glue.
It took three washings to get it clean. Afterwards sitting on the deck of our houseboat on Lake Dal, having tea and watching the sun set over the Himalayas I have never felt so clean.

6. Best trip; My honeymoon with John has to be at the top of the list. We went to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro before the wedding then after the wedding in Paris; we started in Venice then Monaco, Greece, and ended by taking the Royal Scotsman for a seven-night trip. It was very fairy tale, as well as hilarious in spots due to my total lack of knowledge in the “intimate areas”. I was after all, the oldest living virgin in Europe and the U.K. – not something I was proud of. I packed my dog-eared copy of the Kama Sutra along with my trousseau. Really, I’m not kidding. Sad huh?

A close second are the two trips to Alaska with Q. It was another train (I love trains), this one from Anchorage to Seward, it was breathtaking; and the trip we took to London for Christmas after I was well again from being ill a rather long time was memorable. We snagged second row center seats to see “Phantom of the Opera” purely by chance which made it even more fun, saw “Mama Mia” which was hysterical; and visited all the tourist places I had never been because I lived there – the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, et al. It was so much fun to see the city through her eyes.

7. My favorite physical attribute: I have dimples and I know how to use them.

I tag James of Nourishing Obscurity; Annie of Blooming Marvelous, Scarlettscion of long way home, and Drunk Mummy because I want to know what she was drinking when seven great things happened to her!

Then last night before bedtime I saw this on CNN. It’s like President Bush has the ego of Stalin AND Genghis Khan and the unlimited power to back up his belief in his omnipotence. I cannot get over this. The act is just one more piled on a mountain of ignoring the law.

AND THEN I SAW THIS:
"An empty can of gourmet dog food taken from Paris Hilton's rubbish has sold for over £150 on an Internet auction. " In the IHT! What are people thinking? I’m all for relaxation and brain candy when needed but this? I’m going to go hit something with my boxing gloves. Talk amongst yourselves.