The Untold Story of... Tobi Kirschmann

1. I had supernumerary molars. When I was 17, I had all four wisdom teeth removed. A few months later two more teeth appeared on the top!
2. I am from California. Born and raised in Eureka, California, I grew up with a dozen redwood trees in my backyard.
3. I played volleyball in college. It was junior college, but it counts! I was also the captain because I’m bossy but nice.
4. I was a phlebotomist. I drew blood in the ER, ICU, med-surg, and maternity wards. Top stories include the time a drunk driver in for a legal blood draw escaped the handcuffs and bolted for a door marked Exit that was blocked by concrete due to remodeling and the time I successfully drew blood from a combative Alzheimer’s patient by acting like his military sergeant. 
5. I love salsa dancing. I worked at Raleigh’s Pub in Berkeley during college and many of my coworkers were from Mexico. I learned salsa, cumbia, merengue, and went dancing every weekend.
6. I like reading. Always have!
7. My favorite country is Poland. I fell in love with Poland in 1993 while studying abroad. They were so excited to be politically liberated, and they offered me Coke with pride.
8. I speak French. I took French in high school and college. I returned to France this summer and loved it still. Their wine is tops, as is their fashion, food, and relaxed lifestyle.
9. I love the Adirondacks. In California, when my husband and I were priced out of a house, were victims of repeated burglaries, and couldn’t walk or jog due to air quality, we bought a home sight-unseen in Saratoga Springs and moved 4 cats, 2 children, and my mom to a better life. In the Adirondacks, I camp several times a summer, stay a week on Lake George in July, and hike whenever I can. I take the deepest breaths in the world.
10. I am a volunteer caretaker for a cemetery. Quarterly, a few of us gather at the Cady Hill Cemetery to rake leaves and tidy the grounds. There are so many of these tiny historical cemeteries in New York!  So where is my cemetery? I would have to verbally describe it or give you GPS coordinates. So fricking cool.

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