Rica Night:  

Life When not working with words (I'm a semi-retired editor), I love playing with them: solving puzzles (esp. cryptic crosswords), playing games (esp. Scrabble), and of course reading voraciously. For balance (playing *without* words), I also knit, watch movies (and, okay, a fair bit of TV), volunteer in various communities (personal and professional, actual and virtual), and dance whenever I can (mainly Contra Dancing, plus some English Country Dancing and a smattering of ballroom). In January 2010, I rejoined a Pub Trivia league. A compulsive learner, I pursue an eclectic mix of mid-life enthusiasms: guitar (which I took up in 2009), psychology, and currently (starting January 2010, an online course via Skype in African-American Literature, taught by a dear friend who is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Kentucky). School I had so many great teachers. In public school, one standout was Harold Moscoe (now a Toronto city councillor; then a terrific science teacher who used toy cars to teach physics and read great science-fiction stories aloud). In high school, there were *so* many. I'm still in touch with my Grade 9 English teacher, Priscilla Costello, and have even spoken to her classes about editing as a career. And if I ever figure out how to get a message to Roger Martin, one of my Grade 12/13 English teachers, I'd tell him this: "You told me my essay writing was good enough to publish, and look at me now! I get paid to read (and fix) other people's writing, and to teach editing and writing. I only hope I'm half as good at teaching as those who taught me--and that I stick in my students' memories as long." And to Bruce Adlam (my Grade 11 history teacher and "Reach for the Top" coach): the grounding you gave me in essay writing stood me in good stead not only throughout the rest of my formal education, but also in my editing career. To Vic Ramanauskas (sp?)--my other Grade 12/13 English teacher--I've never forgotten the lesson you tried to teach me about meeting deadlines, by giving me 100 on an English paper (about euphemisms, if memory serves), and then docking me 50 for lateness. For every drama teacher, choir teacher, and teacher who incorporated a "public speaking" component into a class, I also owe you all a huge debt of gratitude, since I have made a significant chunk of my living doing presentations, seminars, keynotes, etc. (and enjoyed performing at karaoke bars in my spare time). Crushes? I had a few, I guess, but I'm not ready yet to 'fess up. Of the folks I actually dated, however briefly, there are certainly a few who still turn up occasionally in happy memories. Several in both the secret-crush and actual-date(s) categories have turned up here on classmates.com, and it's been delightful to reconnect with them. If I had it all to do over, though, I hope I'd have the sense to pay more attention to some of the really sweet, smart, funny fellows who apparently had crushes on *me*. Awash in ...Expand for more