Five singers I love: k.d. lang. Leonard Cohen. Diana Krall. Nat King Cole. Michael Buble/Dean Martin (tie).
Five bands I love: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Queen. Squirrel Nut Zippers. Pink Martini. Brian Setzer Orchestra.
Five great soundtracks for dancers: The Mambo Kings. The Mask. Dance With Me. Down With Love. Saturday Night Fever.
Five desert-island tracks: "Busy Being Blue," k.d. lang, Shadowland. "Layla," Eric Clapton, Unplugged. "Sway," Pussycat Dolls, Shall We Dance sdtrk. "One for my Baby," Diane Reeves, Good Night, and Good Luck sdtrk. "Tango de Roxanne," the company, Moulin Rouge sdtrk. (I wanted to put a Leonard Cohen track here, but couldn't choose just one.)
Five favorite movies made before I was born: Singing in the Rain. Top Hat. Rear Window. Casablanca. All About Eve/Key Largo (tie).
Five favorite mystery writers (still writing): Aaron Elkins. Sheila York. Laurie R. King. Elizabeth Peters. J.D. Robb.
Five favorite mystery writers (deceased): Dick Francis. Ngaio Marsh. Kate Ross. Bruce Alexander. Arthur Conan Doyle.
Five great fictional characters: Mr. Spock. Ramses Emerson. Sherlock Holmes. Mary Russell. Eve Dallas.
Five science-fiction movies I love: Gattaca. Minority Report. The Matrix. Star Trek II-III-IV. Star Trek 2009. Galaxy Quest.
Five favorite romance writers: Jennifer Crusie. Carla Kelly. Jill Mansell. Liz Carlyle. Patricia Veryan.
Five recent romantic movies I love: Sense & Sensibility. Love's Labour's Lost. Moulin Rouge. The Guru (NOT "The Love Guru." Please.) Notting Hill. Honorable mention: all but the first twenty minutes of "50 First Dates."
Five great dance moments in movies: "Cheek to Cheek," Top Hat. Scott and Fran's paso doble, Strictly Ballroom. "Dancing in the Dark," The Band Wagon. "Moses Supposes," Singing in the Rain. Every dance scene in The Tango Lesson.
Five great places we've traveled to in the U.S.: The Big Island, Hawaii. Whidbey Island, Washington. Sedona, Arizona. Cocoa Beach, Florida. Every place we've been in California.
Five places I can't wait to travel to: The Florida Keys. Asheville, North Carolina. New Zealand. Oregon. Taos, New Mexico.
Five foods I didn't expect to love: Foie gras. Escargots. Marrow. Oxtail. Sashimi.
Five fun movies about food/wine: Ratatouille. Bottle Shock. Big Night. Julie & Julia. Sideways.
Five favorite ways to exercise: Dancing. Walking state-park trails. Yoga. Walking on the beach (barefoot, at the waterline). Dancing. (So, I cheat. You just noticed?)
Five favorite colors: rose, champagne, petite sirah, cabernet, and brandy. (Just kidding!)
Comments