I've Been Tagged!

I don't often participate in playing blog tag, but I'll play along with this one because The Merry Widow victimized me.


Six Unusual Things About Me

1. Before 9/11, my cousin got me invited to attend an autopsy. Fascinating! I'd go again in a heartbeat, but now visitors to the medical examiner's autopsy room are restricted because of concerns about exposing visitors to dangerous factors, including bioweapons and radiation.

2. In 1992, I attended the Lizzie Borden Symposium in Fall River, Massachusetts. I have reams of notes, which I've loaned to various students doing research on the case. In fact, I've been to Fall River several times. In 1985, I met Florence Brigham, who, as little girl, knew Lizzie when the latter was an old woman. "She did it!" Ms. Brigham declared. On that same visit in 1985, while sitting on the jail's prisoner's stoool, I was photographed holding Lizzie's lunch pail. On my last visit to Fall River, I enjoyed a private tour of the house on Second Street. On my next visit, I plan to stay overnight in that house.

3. I turned down a voice-major scholarship to Juilliard. Why? See the next two points.

4. I hate opera even though I love oratorios, especially Handel's Messiah.

5. I used to suffer from paralyzing stage fright. Throughout high school and college, I had to take prescription medication just to give a speech to a group as small as two people. I'm not sure how I got over my stage fright and became an extrovert.

6. I'm allergic to dill seasoning, but I love the taste of it. What happens to me when I ingest dill isn't pretty! The other night, I accidentally ate a delicious dish seasoned with dill and suffered for a full 24 hours.

I won't tag anyone, so feel free to blab away here in the comments section.