So, are you ready to be bored dazzled by 7 Random Facts about me? Probably not, but here we go anyway.

FACT #1 : I was in the military.

Yeah, and I survived! Ha! Ha! I did 8 years in the Women’s Royal Air Force, to be exact, as an Air Traffic Controller. Does that fact scare you knowing I was in charge? Well, okay, maybe not in-charge and it was military fighter jets, not passenger flights, that we landed!

FACT #2 : I jumped out of a hovering helicopter over the sea.

Not once, or twice, but several times. No, really! See, this one ties in with being in the military. We got to do some really stupid things, like this. But it was all in the interest of teaching Search and Rescue techniques to SARs Crews, and survival (that would be me, bobbing around in frigid waters) — yes, we had survival suits on.

FACT #3 : I was an qualified All-England Netball Referee.

See, I bet you never saw that one coming either. Ha! Again, this is the kind of thing you get up to, while in the military. I had to go to London to train and then, had an exam and passed with flying colours. Yeah, for netball!

FACT #4 : I’ve been to, London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Montreal, Washington DC and New York.

Okay, now don’t laugh, as I kid I was fascinated by those glossy perfume ads in magazines that featured these seemingly, exotic cities. So I had this thing about wanting to visit them all, and I have. Now I only have Melbourne and Tokyo left on the bucket list.

FACT #5 : Growing up I wanted to be a marine biologist.

Yeah, I  know, go figure. It was watching all those TV shows featuring one of my dad’s heroes, Jacque Cousteau, that started it, that and I love the ocean. I’m convinced I’m part mermaid or was a tardigrade in another life. The water and I are best buddies.

FACT #6 : I love to cook.

This one is in homage to my mother. And while I don’t know if I’m as good a cook as her, I know I learnt a great deal from her. I do all the cooking here, and I’m always trying new things and tweaking recipes to suit my taste buds. I do love me some spicy food and love my herbs. I cannot imagine life without bay leaves.

FACT #7 : I still have my childhood teddy bear.

It’s a small Steiff Bear and if the apartment was burning down, that would be the first thing I would grab and save. My dad bought it for me when he found out my mum was pregnant with me. There is nothing more precious to me.

Now it’s your turn to share 7 random facts with us all. Go on, you know you want to.