Yet another getting-to-know-you list from Rick's blog. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery)

1. Saddest movie you've seen: Shadowlands, and any other movie in which men cry. Seeing men cry always makes me cry.

2. Funniest movies you've seen: Clockwise and Rat Race

3. Irrational fears you had as a child: I used to believe that if the light from lightning touched you, you would die. Many summer nights I huddled in the stairwell terrified during a thunderstorm, until my mom set me straight that the lightning itself had to hit you.

4. Was there a book you had as a child that you were scared to read because the pictures were scary? My mom's Raggedy Ann books had some pretty freaky creatures in them

5. If you could have one talent in the world, it would be... skiing, but I'm so afraid of heights, I could never even get on a ski lift. Guess that's why I admire those who can.

6. Language I'd most like to master in my lifetime: English, of course. After all, I'm an editor!

7. What is your favorite city? Philly. It's a great place to live. My second choice would be London.

8. What is your favorite memory about the city in #7? The first time I went to the 4th of July fireworks with Joel. We brought bubbles and entertained some adorable kids we'd never seen before. Then we snuggled on the blanket and enjoyed the pyrotechnics show. It was fun feeling part of a community and individually loved at the same time.

9. Do you root for the favorite or the underdog? Underdog. I think Christianity has hard-wired this preference in me.

10. Left-handed people are: Fun to date. You can hold hands and still eat, write, etc. (Yes, Joel is a lefty.)

11. Animal you'd most like to see on the endangered species list: Merlins. They are the most adorable bird of prey, and I've only ever seen one in the wild. Okay, it was actually my parents' back yard...But they are rare!

12. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? dark

13. Movie with worst casting decision: Anything with Jack Nicholson in it. He gives me the heebie-jeebies.

14. Most interesting foreign accent: I love African accents (except South African). Russian accents are just downright sexy.

15. Rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, well, or just plain tartare? Medium well

16. Have you ever had fondue? Of course. It was all the rage in the 70s.

17. Something interesting you've learned listening to NPR: That I know tons more about cars and car repair than my husband.

18. Can you balance a redox equation?: I love those crazy things. They seemed so incredibly easy that it helped me shed my math phobia once and for all. Redox equations are my only fond memory from high school chemistry, because my lab partner and I were total clods when it came to doing experiments. But that's a story for another time...