Jeremiah Johnson, Red Rock West... Am drawn to films starring John Cusack, Nichoals Cage, Kevin Spacey, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Tommy Lee Jones, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Harrison Ford, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russel, Susan Sarandon, Meg Ryan, Glenn Close, Myrle Streep, Julia Roberts. Am NOT drawn to films starring Tom Cruise.

I love big band/swing/jazz vocals from the 30's, 40's and 50's. Johnny Mercer. That's Trixie music. It was a sad Preakness weekend when we lost Susannah McCorkle. I like country (big female vocals a la Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, Tanya but no big hair or ribbons & curls)(I'd love to go on a trail ride with KD Lang and Jerry Jeff Walker, though not necessarily together on the same ride) oldies, classic rock, folk and classical. Don't care much for music where I feel I'm being yelled at. Perhaps my favorite is a style of music I've dubbed barefoot music. Just gentle easy tunes you listen to walking around the house barefoot: James Taylor, Carole King, Jim Croce, CSN, Dead, etc...

Anything by Carl Hiaasen, described as 'hilariously barbed'.



"Yet even the most centered and well-grounded young woman would have been rightfully terrified to be kidnapped by an armed militia. However, waitressing in ludicrously skimpy shorts had given Amber an unshakable confidence in her ability to handle jerks of all kinds."



“...I will tell you there’s probably no peace for people like you and me in this world. Somebody’s got to be angry or nothing gets fixed. That’s what we were put here for, to stay pissed off.” ...Skink to Twilly Spree

I enjoy all aspects of culinary arts and am as happy spending several hours at home preparing a meal as I am dining out. Love to shoot APA 8-ball pool. I spend much time camping on the banks of the Shenandoah River. I enjoy animals of all kinds with a special fondness for horses, dogs and wildlife. Having grown up with horses, I enjoy riding Western, English and bareback and am calmed by the smell of a barn with it's scent of sweet oats, hay, horses and saddle leather. I enjoy photography, performing arts, museums, antiquing, crafts, acoustic music, camping, riding and have an open mind to experiencing new things.

A Texas native, I was born in Galveston. While I spent much of my childhood in rural Michigan, I claim Houston as my hometown. A card carrying member of the Cult of Brighter Days, I celebrate my Bohemian roots, embracing it's eclectic culture and lifestyle. Even though I now work for a technology firm which supports the hospitality industry, I was raised in hospitality and still consider myself a member of that world rather than an IT one. I transition easily between the boardroom, the ballroom and the bar room. I believe in celebrating the ordinary as well as the extraordinary and prefer to be a participant rather than an observer in life.

I adore Main Street USA, Mom and Pop/independent restaurants/cafes. Love soaking in my antique claw foot tub, surrounded by bubbles, candlelight and soft music, a glass of wine within reach. Love all sorts of weather events, whether they be thunderstorms, gentle rain, or climatic lightning shows.

In spite of the fact that I live in a historical district in Baltimore city, I prefer rural/small town environments. I abhor the suburbs and chain restaurants and believe that a field left in it's natural state is a thing of beauty that should remain as is rather than be paved and turned in to strip mall.