These are a few of my unusual things...

Maggie May tagged me during a recent, deadly bout of illness. Well, obviously not deadly, but I was on the brink I tell you. Anyway, it gave me time to think about 7 unusual things about me. I can always come up with idiotic or embarrassing things, but unusual stretches one a bit.

1. I've mentioned it before, but I think it bears repeating becasue I'm the only person I know who can - touch their nose with their tongue. (Small space between mouth and nose, before you ask.)

2. About ten years ago exactly, I cut a CD. Not for commerical reasons, but as a school fund-raising effort along with about ten other parents. Nevertheless, it was in a real, state-of-the-art recording studio and was a blast, as they say. I am a passable singer, but if anyone wobbled off-key at all, the sound recordist could correct the tone on a computer. Brilliant. Wonder if I could wheel hubby along before major singing embarrassments like weddings? Perhaps they now have a chip we could put in his top pocket (or his head for a longer-lasting effect) that would make his voice sound bearable?

3. Having studied dance from 5-17 years of age, I prefer not to think of the torture of ballet (complete with pointe shoes) but still enjoy the odd tap routine. I was actually in the middle of a rousing adult tap course five years ago when I had to stop everything and go on bed rest. Obviously, I have had zero time since then to do very much for pure pleasure, but given enough of the Pinot nectar and a good linoleum kitchen floor I can still be persuaded to demonstrate my time step.

4. My dentist takes my molar x-rays to dental conferences. (I am actually convinced he is making big bucks off this and not cutting me in on the deal!) Years ago, I had a dying nerve in the huge molar on the bottom left. (That's a technical term.) An x-ray showed it had three roots and five nerves, which of course meant a prolonged root canal experience. (The other one has the same). With my British teeth I have spent a lot of "correction" time in my American dentist's chair, and have discovered more teeth on the top right with extra nerves. Apparently it could be genetic but, despite our similar upbringing, my siblings seem to have perfect teeth and rarely a need for x-rays.

- Three more. Oy.

5. Our kids go to a school in Chicago which goes from JK (Reception) to Senior (which I would call Upper Sixth) - or age 4-18. Fabulous given that we live two blocks away. I think we are the only family at the moment with a child in each school - JK, (Lower school), 6th grade (middle school) and 9th grade (High school). That means at the beginning of the year, we have to go to three times all of the "Welcome meetings", and I get called on for all sorts of voluteering things because "I know the school so well". But no, we don't get a volume discount towards the school fees.

6. My maiden initials and surname were A.M. Summers. I first became aware of the Ann Summers chain of sex shops when I ventured south to university. People used to make a huge fuss whenever I signed a cheque/check as my signature looked like Ann Summers. Since I had never heard of the shops, I would sweetly reply, "Oh no, that's my sister", because her name really was Ann Summers!

7. I am one of the 0.01% who managed to have a baby some time after hubby underwent a certain procedure.

(Nothing like finishing with a flourish!)