Questionnaire: Tracey H.

1. Happy Abbey moments?

Nothing too specific. Just general happy moments in Ms. Tramble's Art Class mixing paint, or hanging around the cafeteria with friends.

2. Favourite class(es)

Art, Italian, French, English, Biology

3. Despised class(es)

Gym!! I never did run that mile. Math, though it's funny to say that, since I was most recently working as a Math tutor!

4. Knowing what I know now, I would have studied _______________.

I would have studied, period! I would have applied myself, just like I nagged my students to do. I would have stuck with Maths and Sciences more.

5. Knowing what I know now, I never would have studied __________.

Drama. I hated Drama. I thought I'd like it because I like to write. But I HATE to act.

6. Favourite films from your Abbey days.

Hair! The Breakfast Club. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Secret Policeman's Other Ball.

7. Favourite TV shows

Love Boat (don't tell). I was also addicted to Historial Romance novels. Was? I mean is. Oops.

8. Favourite bands (or at least a song or two).

The Who. The Stones. Adam Ant. Captain Sensible. I was more a 60s and 70s classic rock gal.

9. How about a fashion crime story? What do you regret (or miss) from the 80s fashion scene?

Leg warmers. No one should wear leg warmers unless one is about to dance or has been dancing. I looked so stoopid in them. I hate to say it, but my mother was right. For once.

10. Have you/are you living outside of Toronto? If so, where? And what brought you there?

I ran away from home in Grade 12 (for those of you who wondered where I got to) and lived on a farm in Queensville with my boyfriend and his family. I can't even look at cabbage now! I moved back to Toronto in the mid-80s. In the late 90s I was living in Montreal while doing my MA in Creative Writing at Concordia. Back in Toronto now.

11. Who are you hoping to reconnect with? Classmates you are hoping to find in 2010?

Irene McGrath.

12. What are you doing these days?

Currently, at stay-at-home mom to a 22 month old boy. Before that, I was tutoring full-time (thank God for homeschooled kids). Years ago, I was at KPMG (84-94), then CBC (94-03). For a while, copywriting and business development for a design firm. Tutoring was and is my favourite gig though.

13. Anything new and exciting to share?

I'm FINALLY learning how to drive. Yes, it's true.

14. Anything dull and boring? Anything mediocre to share?

I managed to have a shower and go to the bathroom ALONE yesterday. For those of you who've had kids, you know that this is actually not dull and boring! Other dull news, I got my taxes in on time for the first time since 1998.

15. Are you where you thought you'd be at this point in time?

Not even close. I thought I'd be a doctor or a professor by now. I never imagined I'd be a stay-at-home mom at 42. I'm glad, though, that I'm here.

16. How many checkmarks do you have on your Bucket List?

Lots. My first husband was constantly ill, and died very young. Made me re-evaluate my life earlier than planned. So I took up guitar at 35. Piano at 38. Can now speak reasonable French and Spanish. And hey, I even finished a knitting project. Because we both knew his time was short, we spent a lot of time doing things on our 'list'.

17. In ten years time, what will you be doing?

Finishing my second knitting project, likely.

18. Any regrets?

My biggest regrets: that I ever smoked. I quit in 1990. I regret that I didn't apply myself in school. I regret that when I finally did run away from home, I moved in with Loser Guy rather than my nice neighbours who offered to take me in. I never finished high school because of this. I did eventually move in with them, though, after a few years wasted with His Creepness. So all was not lost. I eventually got into U of T as a 'mature' student.