25 Random Things About Me

Okay, this was a Facebook exercise, but in case you're curious, I figure I'd post it here as well.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You can tag the person who tagged you but don't do it if you don't want to. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I really don't care for these exercises where you get tagged and then feel obliged to play the game. I feel the same about them as I do emails that say you must forward this to 10 people you know. It's just one more responsibility imposed upon me. That being said, this one was interesting, so I'll do it. If you care enough to actually read this, then thank you. If you were tagged by me and haven't done this yet, I hereby waive the imposed responsibility mentioned above. :-)
2. I love waking up to a cold quiet house. In high school and college I was a night person. I was often known to sleep in until noon or later. Nowadays, if I sleep past 6 am, I feel like a bum. The best part of my day is from 5-7 in the morning and it's made only better if I have a good cup (or two) of coffee.
3. I'm a trend-breaker. I refuse to go along with the crowd. For instance most people will go to Starbucks and drink their extremely dark coffee. Me? Well I'm happier with a medium roast coffee. Of course, if all of my friends are going to Starbucks, I'll go with them.
4. I don't believe logic explains everything. What I mean is that there is no way for us to try to grasp what is in the mind of God.
5. Upon saying #4, I have to also say that logic explains a LOT and I don't like inconsistencies in belief. If you tell me hunting is wrong while we're eating burgers I'd like to know your reasoning. This is also why I no longer affiliate myself politically with any party. Neither side is consistent.
6. I was born without wisdom teeth and so was my wife. Assuming Punnett squares are right, our kids can thank us later.
7. I have five freckles on my left forearm that look remarkably like a mirror image of Cassiopeia. I usually save this for one of those annoying icebreakers when the facilitator asks us to tell the group something they didn't already know. If you ever sit in a group with me, I reserve the right to use this one again.
8. They say there are five languages of love; Words, Deeds, Gifts, Touch, and Time. My primary language is touch and secondary is words. Want to brighten my day? Just give me a hug or pay me a compliment. Oh, and I want you, the reader, to know that I think you're pretty cool! :-)
9. Home is where my wife is. It's that simple. Having my boys with us is icing on the cake. :-)
10. I lived in New Jersey for almost 7 years. My assessment is that it's expensive, fast, crowded and filled with some of the best people that I've ever met!
11. Oh, the Italian Bakeries, Bagel shops and Pizza joints in Jersey are incredible.
12. After living in Jersey, I now refer to Pop as Soda and Tennis Shoes as Sneakers. Soda makes more sense than pop. Sneakers makes about as much sense as Tennis shoes since I don’t play tennis or typically “sneak.” Sneakers wins out because it’s one less syllable.
13. It's ironic that I sometimes can't believe how much I remember about high school and sometimes can't believe how much I've forgotten. I suppose Facebook is a good mental exercise for the aged. :-)
14. I’m a big-time people pleaser. This isn’t a good thing and if I ever say “no” to you, do me a favor and tell me I did a good job not pleasing you.
15. I hate conflict. I mean a lot! It’s even worse because I think I may have just mentioned I’m a people pleaser. If we’re in conflict, then obviously, you’re not pleased and I hate that. So, if ever you have a disagreement with me, do me a favor, just apologize, compliment me on standing up for myself, and thank me for setting you straight.
16. I discovered books about two years ago. I didn't care for them too much when I was younger, but now find time to read whenever I can. This was one of those things that happened about the same time I decided that I liked 5 a.m.
17. I have way too many hobbies and interests than I do time or money. If I were independently wealthy I might have enough time. I’m not, but I take handouts.
18. I love playing bridge. I was lucky enough to learn how with Jim Theis and his folks when I was about 20 years old. Unfortunately, I rarely get to play. (See #17).
19. I'm usually not happy unless my feet are higher than my head. OK, that's not really true, but I am a huge fan of ottomans, coffee tables and desktops (when my boss isn't around). Oh and if I have to wear shoes, I’d prefer sneakers.
20. I didn’t realize how much my mom loved me until I had children of my own. Once I realized how much I loved them, I realized that I could never love my mom like she loves me. One of my greatest earthly rewards is being a father to my boys.
21. I'm not very patriotic. I don't hate our country or anything, but I don't typically wear the flag on my sleeve either. That being said, I still get chills whenever I see "flyovers" at sporting events.
22. I have a music degree and taught for four years. I have played my trombone once publicly in the past 9 years, and that was eight and a half years ago. I have practiced once since then and that was about 6 weeks ago. Is that sad or what? I still miss teaching.
23. I had my left ear pierced for about 6 months. My girlfriend, (now my wife) talked me into it, but I took it out before going on a short term mission trip. The hole closed up so much that no one could ever tell. If my mother-in-law is reading this, she is likely just now finding this out.
24. Much like the economy, my hair has gone through a recession. Unlike the economy it has been in recession for about a decade. I still hope for a recovery but I refuse to buy any “stimulus packages” and really kind of like the “high and tight (and sparse)” look. I love the fact that I don’t own a comb and don’t care what shampoo I use.
25. My favorite book in the Old Testament is Ecclesiastes. People who have read this book are now scrunching their head and wondering how such a “depressing book” could be my favorite. I found it incredibly liberating. My second favorite OT book is Isaiah.
26. I used to do grounds keeping at one of the golf courses at Wright Patt AFB. My second day on that job had Rush and Mr. Big coming and playing a round. I didn’t know this until afterwards which was incredibly frustrating. That being said, I’m pretty sure I saw Alex on #7 and the lead singer of Mr. Big playing in tight leather pants. He looked a bit out of place. The up side was that I got free tickets to see them the next night!
27. One of the best things I’ve ever heard is my wife laughing. Unfortunately, she’s pretty used to my sense of humor so I sometimes have to work hard to hear it. The good news is that I get the rest of my life to try.
28. I sometimes have problems following directions. Like say, if someone asks me to do 25 things, I may decide to do more….or less. It’s just who I am.