I'll play along

Found this on bluez blog yesterday and thought I'd throw my two cents in:

Five names you go by:

1. xxx (insert real name here)

2. Dad

3. green

4. The big T

5. [can't think of a 5^th name right now]


Three things you are wearing right now:

1. LL Bean Wicked Good Slippers (a staple of my leisure time wardrobe).

2. white sweat shirt with "OCEAN PARK MAINE EST 1881" embroidered on it.

3. t-shirt with Super Bowl XXXVIII logo on it.


Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. enough money to relocate out of New England into a warmer climate.

2. to be self-employed.


Three people who will probably fill this out:

I have no idea who will because no one usually answers the tags and plays along.


Two things you did last night:

1. watched a very funny Christmas-y themed movie for an upcoming post of SNMR or possibly for BIG SCREEN.

2. sorted through some Christmas presents that came in the mail from www.amazon.com.


Two things you ate today:

1. Roast beef and swiss cheese sandwich on a poppy seed bun with mayo, honey mustard and onions. (mmmmm)

2. large chocolate chip cookie half dipped in chocolate.


Two people you last talked to on the phone (not counting work related calls, of course):

1. My dad.

2. My ex.


Two things you are going to do tomorrow:

1. go to work. (unfortunately)

2. finish a book I've been reading.


Two longest car rides:

1. Driving to Myrtle Beach, SC last November.

2. Driving back from Myrtle Beach, SC last November.


Two of your favorite beverages:

1. Mountain Dew

2. Frozen Mudslide (the only alcoholic drink I have with any regularity and that not too often.)


Three people I'm tagging who I hope will play along:

1. southern sweetheart

2. kayla

3. ladybug

My voting record

Now that I've officially earned my right to complain for the next four years by voting, let me do a quick rundown of my Presidential election voting record:

1988: George HW Bush vs Michael Dukakis: Growing up in Massachusetts, I voted for the home state guy. The Duke. No apologies. Something about Bush I didn't like from the start. Though I did hear GHWB speak once in person (at Salem State College) after he was out of office and I was impressed.

1992: George HW Bush vs. William Jefferson Clinton: Didn't vote for Bush the first time, certainly wasn't gonna do it the second time around. Clinton had a magnetic personality and like this current election, the country needed a change from a Republican stranglehold on the Presidency.

1996: Bob Dole vs. WJ Clinton: Dare you think I would vote for Mr. No personality over Bill? Oh, no. Despite Clinton's sexual promiscuity, I think he was a better than average President.

2000: Al Gore vs. George W Bush: I voted for Al, who would have done an admirable job in the Oval Office. Too bad Al couldn't even carry his home state of Tennessee... never a good sign. I have four words about GWB: "Deer in the headlights." 'Nuff said. Damn Florida chads. I must say though that I was never more proud to be an American during this election. Amid all of the confusion and dispute over Florida's electoral votes, there was never any violence when the country went from a Democratic administration to a Republican one. How many times have we heard of fighting, murders and crime breaking out in other countries over elections where a different party is coming into power?

2004: John Kerry vs. King George: I am proud to write that I have never voted for a Bush and I never will. John Kerry, another Massachusetts guy, still would make a good President if he decides to run again someday. [Even better for him if he gets tabbed for a Cabinet post in 2008.] Damn Ohioans. Get it right in '08, will ya? One headline I read after the last election asked something like, "how can 50 million Americans be so stupid?" (referring to the re-election of Bush). Well you get what you ask for most of the time and America did with four more years of the current administration. "Deer in the headlights" still applies to W. Always will.

2008: Barack Obama vs. John McCain: At the beginning of the Presidential race I was a supporter of John Edwards and attended a town hall meeting of his last December in Derry, New Hampshire (my first such event, ever - of which I have photographic proof.) But since he dropped out, I've made no secret of the fact that I've thrown my weight, such as it is, behind Barack Obama. Another precedent broken - for the first time I've contributed financially to a Presidential campaign. Heaven help us if McRabid puffy cheeked squirrel guy wins...

I've even gone so far in this space to predict an overwhelming Electoral College victory for Obama, similar to the beating Mondale/Ferraro took in 1984 at the hands of Reagan/Bush I. Now let's see what the final results will be this time. No matter who wins though, I'll be happy to be done with the political ads and mailings that go along with such campaigns.

Five things I am not

Found on the blog of the incomparable bluez at some time in the distant past:

So here goes.

ORGANIZED: The organization I picture in my mind somehow does not always translate into the material world. Don't ask me why, because I do not know.

OVERWEIGHT: Sure, I weigh more now than I ever have in the past, but I'm far, far from overweight. I could probably add 15-20 more pounds and be right in the preselected, insurance table weight range for a person of my age.

SHY: I used to be real shy as a young-un. For the most part not anymore. There are those few instances when my former shyness rears its butt-ugly head. However, a quiet and reserved public demeanor (my usual, normal self) should not be mistaken for shyness.

A FAN OF WINTER: It's been well documented by me here on this blog that I do not like winter. Snow at Christmas is OK, otherwise I can do without it. Cold temperatures? For me, that's anything below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. I'll pass, thanks. Autumn is okay, but if you've seen one dead leaf, you've seen them all.

A REPUBLICAN: For that matter, I'm not officially a Democrat, either. I'm a registered Independent. I believe in using my vote for the best candidate available no matter which party they are affiliated with. However, it just so happens that I've never voted for a Republican in the 21 years I've been a registered voter. That's not going to change this time around, either.

And there you have it, a brief list of five of the things I am not. I'd tag people to do it but no one usually does.

Six unspectacular quirks o' mine

At some point in the past, I borrowed this from dabich.
I'm not posting any rules, since no one follows them anyway,

Six "unspectacular" quirks that I have.

Here we go:


1) I don't get creeped out by many things, but someone else's stray hair stuck to the bar of soap in the shower gives me the heebie-jeebies. Someone else's stray hair stuck to the wet shower walls are almost as creepy. I make darn sure none of my stray hair remains on the soap (or on the walls of the shower for that matter) when I'm done washing myself. Please extend me the same courtesy. Oh, and no stray visible hair clogging the drain, either. That's just as bad as stray hair on the walls.

2) My ex-wife asked me once if I minded sleeping on floral-patterned sheets. I promptly told her that I do not care one bit if the sheets I sleep on are flowery, striped, polka-dotted, solid, checked, plaid or whatever. I go to bed (primarily) to sleep, not to look at the linens.

3) Nightlights and wall clocks that tick loudly/make noise: Can't stand either of them. Like Dracula, I need total darkness and total peace and quiet when I sleep. (One exception would be my (eventual) partner lightly snoring next to me - that and the warmth of a female body next to mine is actually quite soothing.) Nightlights blare like the midday sun in a room I'm trying to sleep in. Little ambient noises like clocks ticking or water dripping seem magnified in a quiet dark room. Both of these things will keep me awake. I needs mah beauty sleep, goshdarnit! Can't you tell it's not working!!

4) When I sleep alone on a large mattress, I tend to lay diagonally.

5) Doesn't bother me to have uncoordinated towels/washcloths in the bathroom. Nor do the pillowcases on my bed pillows have to match with the sheets. See #2.

6) More on linens/sheets: I absolutely cannot fold them neatly when they come out of the dryer, so my sheets are usually wrinkled ( I can fold the pillowcases, though). Just like the patterns, wrinkled sheets bother me not (see #2). AND I make my bed all nice-and-neat-like only once a week when I change the sheets. Otherwise the covers get hastily pulled up in the morning.

BONUS QUIRK: I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I like to put grape jelly on top of my grilled cheese sandwiches. Speaking of cheese sandwiches, please - any cheese but American. Swiss or Provalone are the preferred cheeses for sandwiches.

There are a few people I'd love to see do this but I'm not tagging anyone. If you're gonna do it, do it! Ultimately, I'd love to see you all play along but I know that's not gonna happen.

Do it, don't do it, whatever. However, please let me know if you DO do it, so I can visit and read your responses! If you did it already because you were tagged by someone else, let me know that too, so I can read your responses also.

How well do you know me?

Today begins the fourth year of my blogging experience.

(And there was much rejoicing....Yaaaaay!)

I really do appreciate all of you who take the time to read here and share in this corner of my life. The only complaints I can muster are that y'all need to leave more comments AND because I usually tend to post alot, I think some of you miss out on some of the posts I write (hence comments would help here because then I know you're not missing stuff), so please scroll down and catch up on what you might have missed. [Not to mention three years of archives...LOL!] Mucho gracias.

Since this is my 3^rd bloggiversary (and some of you amazingly have been reading here nearly from the get go) I wonder, after three years, how well do you really know me? How much have you actually been paying attention to what you read?

Fill out what you think are the correct answers to the following 25 questions and leave them in the comments section. I may offer a prize to the lucky stiff with the most correct answers. I'd offer a prize for the most amusing answers too, but I'm too cheap for two prizes.

That's not really true, though, I'm really a very generous person. ;>)

I really do want to see how much you've been paying attention and what kind of answers you manage to come up with. In the three years I've been with you here in bloggy-land, I've probably answered every one of these questions at one time or another. Go nuts. Knock yourself out. Have fun. Play nice with the other children.

At some point I'll leave a comment with the correct answers.

1. Did we meet in person?

2.If so, Where did we meet and when?

3. If we haven't met in person yet, would you like to meet at some point?

4. Take a stab at my (real life) middle name?

5. Do I smoke?

6. Do I drink (alcohol)?

7. If I do, what would be my favorite drink?

8. What are the color of my eyes?

9. Do I have any brothers or sisters?

10. What's one of my favorite things to do?

11. What's one of my least favorite things to do?

12.What's my favorite type of music?

13. What's my favorite movie?

14. Who is my favorite actor?

15. Who is my favorite actress?

16. Am I shy or outgoing?

17. Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules?

18. What special talents do I have?

19. How long was I married for?

20. How many children do I have?

21. What are their names (or the blogger equivalent of)?

22. If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is one thing that I would bring?

23. How many times did I have surgery?

24. what was it for?

25. Where did I go on the best vacation I ever had?


=================

Must take care of business - Happy 25^th birthday, C.

Personality test

I took this quiz a few months ago and just took it again earlier today. Just goes to show that some people are hard to define, since I got slightly different results (ISFJ v. ISFP). For the most part, I think both types apply to me.


You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer (and my comments.)

You have a strong need to belong, and you are very loyal. (Yes.)

A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways. (True.)

In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through writing, art, cooking, and music. (Uh-huh.)

You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. (Yes I would.)

In love, you express your emotions through actions. Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well! (Thank You.)

At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time. (Yes. Well, for the most part anyway.)

You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist. (I don't want to do any of those things professionally.)

How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, (Definitely on both) and detail oriented. (Some things more than others...)

When other people don't get you, they see you as: boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut. (Interesting observations...)



You Are An ISFP

The Artist (and my comments.)

You are a gifted artist or musician, though your talents may be dormant right now. (You might'n be sayin' that.)

You enjoy spending your free time in nature, and you are good with animals and children. (I agree.)

Simply put, you enjoy beauty in all its forms and live for the simple pleasures in life. (Right on the mark.)

Gentle, sensitive, and compassionate - you are good at recognizing people's unspoken needs. (Good to know...)

In love, you are quiet and sweet yet very passionate. You love easily. You have an underlying love for all living things, and it's easy for you to accept someone into your heart. (Closet romantic? Yes.)

At work, you do best in an unconventional position. You express yourself well and can work with almost anyone. (and I have...)

You would make a good veterinarian, pediatrician, writer or composer. (hmmmmm...)

How you see yourself: Sympathetic, kind, and communicative. (I'll buy that!)

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Incompetent, insecure, and overly sensitive. (Don't rush to judge...)


What's Your Personality Type?

Middle Name game

I found this on Lee Ann's blog a few weeks ago.

The Rules:
1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.



D- Diligent - Always giving 100% in whatever I do - or attempting to do so, anyway... ;>)

E- Exuberant - Generally in a good mood. No gloom and doom here.

A- Ally - If I count you as a friend, then I've got your back. No better ally could you have than I.

N- No-nonsense - I can fool around with the best of 'em, but when it comes to important things that really matter to me, I'm all business.



Required tags (see above mentioned rules...): Dabich, Esther, Autumn and Nunzia.

G-R-E-E-N

G	Gregarious
R	Responsible
E	Enchanting
E	Exciting
N	Normal

Name / Username:

Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com

32 more questions you want answers for.

1. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be? A beautiful woman who happens to be my significant other (girlfriend, fiancee', spouse - depending on the circumstances)

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? Yes. I despise people who don't return carts. So I'd better do it or I'll hate myself... and I can't have that, you know.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? It depends on who I'm with or what social setting I'm in.

4. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? I don't know. Ask me when I get there. If I don't answer, then no, I wouldn't.

5. Do you like to ride horses? Don't know how. Never done it. Maybe I would. Maybe I wouldn't.

6. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Yes, every summer from 1973-1988. Great experiences, all.

7. What was your favorite board game as a kid? Monopoly, Risk and Trivial Pursuit. Still are.

8. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was taken what would you do? Stop. Wait for them to catch up. LOL

9. Are you judgemental? In comparison to whom? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

10. Do you know how to shoot a gun? No. Never tried. Looks simple enough though.

11. If your house was on fire, what’s the first thing you’d grab? My kids and my laptop. Books and such can be replaced.

12. How often do you read books? As often and as many as I can.

13. Do you think more about the past, present or future? Good question. I have no clue.

14. What is your favorite children’s book? Tie: "Trumpet of the Swan" and "Charlotte's Web", by E.B. White.

15. How tall are you? 67 inches, suh.

16. What are the keys on your key chain for? To unlock and lock stuff. My car and the house, mainly. I've got a bunch of other keys I have no idea what they are for anymore. Problem is, I dare not throw them out.

17. What did you do last night? Watched the Red Sox lose among other things.

18. What movie do you want to see right now? Bourne Trilogy

19. What will you do for New Year’s? How the heck should I know in August???

20. Do you own a camera phone? Yes. But I hate this particular model. Can't wait to get a new one.

21. What’s the first letter of your middle name? D

22. How many hours of sleep do you get at night? 6-7 on average. I'm always tired, though.

23. What do you sleep in? A bed, silly. What did you think?

24. Anything big ever happen in your hometown? Yes. I live here so it's all big all the time. 24/7 baby!!

25. Is your tongue pierced? No, no, no, no, no, no.

26. Who is the funniest person you know? ME. I'm a freakin' riot!! HA!

27. Do you like funny or serious people better? Definitely funny... but serious can be good, too.

28. Did you eat a cookie today? Yes I did. More than one. Several, actually. Ssshhhhh, don't tell, okay?

29. Do you use cuss words in other languages? No. I can't even speak English properly.

30. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? Don't do that. I'm an old fart, CD guy. I don't even own an ipod.

31. Is your cell phone usually on Vibrate or ring? Neither right now, cuz it's not working.

32. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend? Need? No. Want? Yes. Will have in good time. Patience is key or so they tell me.


Saw this on ee's blog & had to do it for myself. Had to. Yes, I did.

Things that happened on my birthday

I've been tagged by the incomparable bluez for this assignment.

I should clarify that today is not my birthday. That happened just about a month ago.... ;>)

I have to find my birthday on Wikipedia and list three events, birthdays and a holiday that happen on that day. I've added three deaths too, just to be a trifle morbid.

June 25^th is the 176^th day of the year (177^th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 189 days remaining in the calendar year after this date.

Three Events that happened on June 25^th:
1788 - Virginia becomes the 10th state to ratify the United States Constitution.
1876 - Battle of the Little Bighorn and the death of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
1947- The Diary of Anne Frank is published.

Three births that occurred on June 25^th:
1903 - George Orwell (pen name of Eric Arthur Blair), British writer (d. 1950)
1945 - Carly Simon, American singer
1947 - Jimmie Walker, American actor (Good Times - "Dy-No-Mite!")
1969 - yours truly.

Three deaths that occurred on June 25^th:
1533 - Mary Tudor, queen consort of Louis XII of France (b. 1496)
1673 - Charles de Batz-Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan, Captain of the Musketeers under Louis XIV of France (b. 1611)
1997 - Jacques-Yves Cousteau, French oceanographer and explorer (b. 1910)

One holiday/observance that occurred on June 25^th:
Holiday - Mozambique's Independence Day
Observance - National Catfish Day

Ok, Since I haven't tagged anyone for anything in a while, I'm going to tag: AM, Southern Sweetheart, Kayla, Kristi, Lee Ann, and JLee.

15 Questions...

I found this quiz on Southern Sweetheart's blog, back when I was reading her archives. I may have answered a quiz like this at some point in the last two years of blogging but can't remember. I'm not tagging anyone else to do it. Play along at your own risk.


1) Name a CD in your car that you are embarrassed to admit that you have: I don't get embarrassed by the CD's I listen to. I have them because I like them. I don't care what others think.

2) Name a song currently on the radio that you sing to in your car, that you are embarrassed to admit that you know the words to and like: I sing along with a lot of songs on the radio, when I'm in the car alone. I'd be embarrassed for others to hear me "sing".

3) TV show(s) that you secretly watch that you are embarrassed to admit: While I'm not an addict, I like Entertainment Tonight, Hard Copy... Hollywood tabloid shows like that.

4) TV or Movie Star that you would sleep with but are too embarrassed to admit that you would, because he/she is not your “normal” type: After thinking about it long and hard, my type or not, I'd sleep with the Jennifer trio: Garner, Aniston and Love Hewitt. Not to mention the English Kates: Winslet and Beckinsale. And even though she's on the young side for me, add a little Natalie Portman in for good measure. Elisha Cuthbert, too. Definitely.

5) Musician that you would sleep with but are too embarrassed to admit that you would, because he/she is not your “normal” type: As a youth I always thought Cyndi Lauper was sexy, so yeah her.

7) Admit HONESTLY what REALLY attracts you to the opposite sex at first site: I'm a boob man BUT if she doesn't have an attractive face/body then it doesn't matter how sweet her rack is.

8) Even though you are not gay, admit HONESTLY someone of the same sex who you would have sex with if you were gay: Umm, the thought of having sex with another man never crosses my mind. Ever.

9) Name an Olympic sport that you are embarrassed to admit that you like watching: Gymnastics in the Summer Games, Women's Figure Skating in the Winter Games.

10) Have you ever masturbated in a public place? Yes.

11) Have you ever had a job that no one knew about? If yes, what was it? No.

12) If you could be invisible for one day, who would you spy on? You babe. Only you.

13) Be honest… Have you ever had phone sex? No. What a waste of time.

14) Be honest… Have you ever hooked up with a friend of your gf/bf while you were dating? No.

15) Have you ever hooked up with someone that you would never tell your friends? No.

Way too many fun little quizzes all at once

Deal with it. I've got nothing else for you today.

You Have Good Karma

In general, you like to do the right thing when it comes to others. Your caring personality really shines through. Sure, you have your moments of weakness - and occasionally act out. But, all in all, you're karma is good... even with those few dark spots.

How's Your Karma?

You Are a Turkey Sandwich

Conservative and a bit shy, you tend to stick with what you know and trust. You are very introverted, and you prefer to blend in whenever possible. Though you may be hard to know well, anyone who does know you considers you a true friend. Your best friend: The Ham Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Tuna Fish Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

You've Been a Little Ruined by American Culture

Whether you live in the US or not, deep down you're a little American. And there's nothing wrong with loving American culture, but it may have negative effects on your life. Slow down and enjoy what you have. Reconnect with life's simple pleasures. You don't need to be in a consumerist rat race. Life's too short to overwork yourself!

Has American Culture Ruined You?

You Are a Freedom Rocker!

You're stuck in the 70s - for better or worse Crazy hair, pot soaked clothes, and tons of groupies Your kind showed the world how to rock Is that freedom rock?... Well turn it up man!

What Kind of Rocker Are You?

Your Kissing Technique Is: Perfect

Your kissing technique is amazing - and you know it. You have the confidence to make the first move. And you always seem to know what kissing style is going to work best. Sometimes you're passionate, sometimes you're a tease. And you're always amazing!

Are You a Good Kisser?

Your Blog Should Be Green

Your blog is smart and thoughtful - not a lot of fluff. You enjoy a good discussion, especially if it involves picking apart ideas. However, you tend to get easily annoyed by any thoughtless comments in your blog.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

You Are a Beagle Puppy

Cheerful, energetic, and happy go lucky. And you're sense of smell is absolutely amazing!

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

You Aren't a Natural Entrepreneur

But you could be an entrepreneur with some work. You've got the vision and guts to make it happen. You just need a little more practice in the business world. Find out what you truly love to do, and the money will follow.

Are You a Natural Entrepreneur?

You Were Born Under:

Resourceful and practical, you are a quick thinker. You are very observant - and it's hard to get anything past you! A total perfectionist, you are especially picky about looking your best. You're a big dreamer - such a big dreamer that reality can disappoint you. You are most compatible with an Ox or Snake.

What Year Were You Born Under?

Star Wars Horoscope for Cancer

You may whine at times, but you've developed a thick hard shell (like that of a crab). You are strong willed and persistent - until you get what you want. You never shy away from a fight, even when things get dangerous. Mentally sharp, you are starting to master the elements of mind manipulation. Star wars character you are most like: Luke Skywalker

What Is Your Star Wars Horoscope?

People Envy Your Compassion

You have a kind heart and an unusual empathy for all living creatures. You tend to absorb others' happiness and pain. People envy your compassion, and more importantly, the connections it helps you build. And compassionate as you are, you feel for them.

What Do People Envy About You?

You Are Not Destined to Rule the World

You are destined for something else... Like inventing a new type of dessert. You just don't have the stomach for brutality. But watch out - because many people do!

Are You Destined For World Domination?

Tagged 'n' bagged.

As one of the contributors to GvD, Jason Hughes tagged me a while ago to do this and Priscilla just tagged me with it on Saturday. I know I've done similar posts before but here goes again:

Yes! It's a dream come true (no it isn't, if truth be told) and here are da rules: 1. You MUST post these rules at the beginning of your post. (okay) 2. Those tagged must give up eight secrets that most of us bloggers don't know squat about. (sounds fair since that's the purpose of this thing) 3. At the conclusion of your post, you have to name 8 other people you are tagging and link to their sites. (sorry, no can do compadre - see below) 4. If you don't follow these rules those of us who did will hunt you down and beat you, but in a nice way. ;) (make my day boy-o.)

8 more things about me that you may not know, though I wouldn't necessarily call them weird:

1. I have no musical talent whatsoever (and don't want any). I was forcibly made to learn to play the trumpet and coronet as a ute, but could never catch on to NOT being able to puff out my cheeks. One Sunday, I left the thing in a storage closet at church, told my parents I couldn't/wouldn't learn how to play anymore and have never picked up a brass instrument since. I'm still traumatized by it to some (admittedly very small) degree, and that was more than 25 years ago.

2. From 1973-1988, I spent my summers at The Salvation Army's Camp Wonderland in Sharon, MA. My family went there at first because my mom's boss was the Camp Director and she had to work there because dats where da boss man was. From 1982-1988 I worked there myself. For the most part, I've got fond memories of the place. In the spring of '89, I convinced a college friend to apply for work there during the summer, telling him I was going to work there too, but then I didn't. He did though and had a good time.

3. I was a virgin until I was almost 22 years old. To this day I've only been sexually intimate with one woman: my ex-wife (girlfriend at that period in history.)

4. I turned 22 while I was working in Budapest, Hungary for The Salvation Army's Summer Service Corps. That's the only birthday I've celebrated while outside the continental US.

5. Normally I hate to go shopping for pretty much anything, especially for clothes. When I get depressed, though I like to shop and spend money (hello credit card bills!)

6. I had never been admitted to a hospital for any reason nor had any surgery at all until I had my kidney stone surgeries in the fall of 2005 at age 36.

7. I've worn glasses since the summer before I started 6th grade. During this time, I've had all kinds of frames made from plastic and metal. As long as they make them, I'll never change from the style of glasses I wear now. When it comes to glasses, minimalism is always best.

8. I was facial hair-less until my daughter was born in 1997, when I grew my moustache. I grew the Fu-Manchu style beard after my Russian woman debacle in 2005. It would take some pretty hard convincing by an extremely attractive woman to ever get me to shave them completely away. I think I look better (and older) with them than without them.

9. I'm not proud of the fact that I used to be quite the little thief as a ute. I worked at a store in my hometown called Paperama (which since has corporately gone out of business) that had no security system whatsoever. I made myself quit that job for fear I might get caught shoplifting.

10. It was at Paperama that I tried smoking for the first time. There was always a pack of cigarettes and a lighter on the table in the employees break room. One day I lit up a cigarette, took two puffs, gagged uncontrollably and thought to myself, "How in the world can anyone enjoy this nasty, gross, disgusting habit?" I've never picked up a cigarette since, or had any desire to start. Plus, I'm super sensitive to secondhand smoke.


There you go. I even added two bonus things, 'cuz you're special. I'm not tagging anyone, since everyone I know on blogger has done this at least once, maybe twice, possibly thrice.

What have I done?

While recently snooping around Southern Sweetheart's blog archives, I saw this fun little thing and thought it would be neat to answer & share. And since she posted it two years ago on my birthday, I decided to post it today - my 38th birthday. How appropriate.

X = have done

(_) snuck out of the house
(_) gotten lost in your city
(_) seen a shooting star
(X) been to any other countries — Jamaica {2x}, Germany (does just changing planes at the Frankfurt Airport count?), Hungary, Austria (briefly), Israel and Egypt.
(X) had a serious surgery - kidney stone in Oct/Nov 2005.
(X) gone out in public in your pajamas – no, sice I don't wear them.
(_) kissed a stranger
(X) hugged a stranger
(_) been in a fist fight
(_) been arrested
(X) laughed and had milk/coke come out of your nose
(X) pushed all the buttons on an elevator
(X) swore at your parents
(X) been in love
(X) been close to love - many times.
(_) been to a casino
(_) been skydiving
(X) skinny dipped
(X) skipped school
(X) seen a therapist
(_) done the splits
(X) played spin the bottle
(X) gotten stitches
(_) drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour
(_) bitten someone
(_) been to Niagara Falls
(X) gotten the chicken pox
(X) kissed a member of the opposite sex
(_) crashed into a friend’s car
(_) been to Japan
(X) ridden in a taxi
(X) been dumped
(X) shoplifted
(X) been fired - too many times (once is enough).
(_) had a crush on someone of the same sex
(X) had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back
(_) gone on a blind date
(X) lied to a friend
(X) had a crush on a teacher
(_) celebrated Mardi-Gras in New Orleans
(X) been to Europe — Germany, Austria, Hungary
(_) slept with a co-worker
(X) been married - 9 1/2 years. maybe sometime again...
(X) gotten divorced
(X) had children
(_) seen someone die
(_) had a close friend die
(X) been to Africa - Egypt
(X) driven over 400 miles in one day — many times - road trips are fun!
(X) been to US - I certainly hope so, since I live here.
(_) been to Mexico
(_) been to India
(X) been on a plane — many times and love it!
(X) seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show - dumb movie.
(_) thrown up in a bar
(_) purposely set a part of myself on fire
(_) eaten sushi
(_) been skiing/snowboarding
(X) met someone in person from the internet
(_) lost a child
(X) gone to college/university
(X) graduated college/university
(_) fired a gun
(_) purposely hurt yourself
(X) taken painkillers — most recently after my kidney stone surgeries in Oct/Nov 2005


So there you have it.... a little bit more about me, your humble correspondent.
I'm not going to tag anyone, so feel free to copy and post this and play along yourself.

How do I define myself?

In the comments to my last post, Priscilla asked me what my deal is - how I see myself or how I define myself. She wanted me to sum up in a short paragraph what I'm all about.

I'm not sure what her motivation is for asking or wanting to know, but I think it's rather obvious if you've read any part of my blog over the last two years. I think you can tell a lot about a person by how they write. I really can't sum myself up in just one paragraph and don't think I could if I tried.

First and foremost, I am a Bible-believing Christian. I hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible, relying on the basic principals of exegesis and hermeneutics when I read and study it. I do not just consider it a collection of allegorical stories and think you do yourself a great disservice if you do. I am a Protestant Christian and affiliate myself with a Baptist church, if religious denomination means anything to you. Over the last seven or so years, my faith has become more important to me than it ever has in the past, and is the foundation on which my life is built. Of course there's much more depth to my faith than what can possibly be described here. Let's just say I'm an unfinished and imperfect work in progress. For more on this, you can read what I wrote last year.

With me, what you see is what you get. I'm not politically correct and never will be. If I think you're wrong, I'm going to tell you so, even if my opinion is not asked for. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck and flies like a duck, I'm going to call it a duck. I'm not going to blow sunshine where it doesn't belong just to make you feel good. I know I'm not going to be able to please every one, all of the time, so I don't try to. Either you like me for what I am or you don't. Some people take my attitude as arrogance and that's fine. If you do though then you don't really know me at all.

Since my faith is such an important part of my life, I've become curious about the faiths of others and why you believe the way that you do. Even if you are never asked to defend your beliefs publicly, I believe you should know why you believe the way that you do and at least be able to defend it to yourself. If you didn't believe what you believe was correct, would you still believe it?

I'm a father of two wonderful kids and I think that they are a partial reflection of who I am. I'm very proud of and fiercely loyal to them. I love them more than I can possibly tell you, and they know it. My family is a very important part of who I am.

I love sports and games, which I think shows that I have a competetive side. However, as I always tell V amd M, it doesn't matter if you win or lose. What matters is that you had fun playing. Sports and games are meant to be fun and entertaining and should be enjoyed as such.

I'm a great person to have on your side. If I consider you a friend, then you're pretty much stuck with me for life. Most of the friends I have I have known for a long time. I consider myself to be a compassionate person, always ready to give you the benefit of the doubt. I also consider myself to be a very good listener and am very laid back in my personality. I also can be a bit of a goofball. I like to fool around and am always trying to find the humor in things. My kids, perceptive as they are, recognize what they call my "silly voice."

At work, I'm very organized but in the privacy of home, not so much. Some things more than others, though.

I'm a saver when it comes to possessions. I know that material possessions are not the measure of a person or the key to happiness. That being said, I definitely keep more stuff than I should. My ex would call it clutter. My philosophy is as soon as you throw something away, you're going to need it and if you don't need it now then it's better to be safe than sorry. I love going into Sam's Club, Costco or BJ's and buying in bulk.

I'm a bit of a greenie in that I am very passionate about recycling. Plastic, glass, paper, whatever can be recycled gets recycled. I even have one of those soap molds. When I accumulate enough soap slivers, I'll mold them into new bars of soap.

So there you have it. The basics of me summarized as succinctly as I can manage.


Let me turn the question back on you now. How do you define yourself? Can you summarize yourself as I have tried to do? I'd love to see each of you who read this to take up the challenge yourself and post it on your blogs. And don't forget to tell me that you've done it, so I can come and learn more about YOU.

More about me questions...

1. What kind of shirt are you wearing?
I'm actually wearing a sweater. But it's so thin it could pass for a shirt. It has the printed words "Hebrew University JERUSALEM" on it. Can you guess why?

2. Would you kiss anyone on your blogroll?
Yes. In a heartbeat.

3. Do you have a “thing” for anyone on your blogroll?
Yes, if "thing" is the same as a "crush", otherwise, no.

4. How many people on your blogger friends list do you know in real life?
One.

5. How many kids do you want to have?
Have two already and would be open to more if the right woman came along.

6. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?
Yes.

7. What name would you want besides the one you have?
My names are my names, and though my middle name is not my favorite, I'm satisfied.

8. What did you do for your last birthday?
I probably blogged about it, so go read my archives and figure out when it is. The question is what am I gonna do THIS year???

9. What’s your current ring tone on your phone?
Star Wars theme for calls - some unknown factory set tone for voice mail and text messages.

10. What do you think when you get meme’s with missing questions?
How would I know if there are missing questions if they are missing?

11. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Watching the Red Sox beat the Diamondbacks in inter-league baseball.

12. Where is the furthest place you’ve ever called to talk to someone?
Massachusetts (when I was on a mission trip to Hungary in 1991.)

13. Do you like having your hair pulled?
No. Do you?

14. Name something you CANNOT wait to do every morning?
Check my email and eHarmony.

15. Last time you saw your dad?
Today.

16. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life?
Nothing really. Good experiences and bad have shaped me into who I am today.

17. What is your favorite board game?
Monopoly. (Cuz I'm good, real good!!)

18. Do you have a pimp name?
No. Do you? Wait - if you do, I don't wanna know about it...

19. Have you ever talked to Tom (from MySpace)?
Nope. I don't use MySpace. EVER!

20. What’s the last thing you ate?
A bowl of Cheerios before bed.

21. Favorite month?
My birth month… I told you you'd have to go into the blog archives and figure it out - so keep guessing!

22. Least favorite month?
Any month that it snows before or after Christmas. Snow ON Christmas is ok. That's it.

23. What’s the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone?
I don't borrow clothes. Or lend them. Ewwwww.... Though a good-looking woman wearing one of my collared dress shirts is very sexy. Only the shirt, nothing else!! (Think Van Heusen commercials of many years ago and that one scene in "The American President"....

24. Who’s getting on your nerves right now?
No one. I'm the last one up - as usual.

25. Most visited Web page?
A tie- Yahoo Mail, eHarmony and my blog(s).

26. Do you ever sleep in the nude?
No. I need support.... I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

27. What is the strangest thing you have in your purse or wallet?
I haven't cleaned out my wallet in a while so I have no clue what's in there.

28. Last person to make you sad?
I try not to dwell on such things for long.

29. Would you help your best friend fight if he/she is losing?
That depends on if the person they are fighting could kick my butt also and why they were fighting in the first place. I'm just not the kind of person who enters a situation with fists first and questions later.

30. Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi if I must. Mountain Dew is a necessity.

31. Have you ever played 'Spin the Bottle'? While drunk or sober?
Yes, while sober. I don't allow myself to get drunk. I want to be in control.

32. Would you ever engage in a high-stakes game of strip-poker?
Depends on who's playing. There are some people who you just don't wanna see nekkid.

33. Do you have a crush?
Always.

34. Have you kissed or been kissed by anyone in the past week?
Guilty as charged on both counts. Remember, I have kids.

35. When you replace the roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, how does the paper come off the roll (over the top, underneath OR it doesn't matter as long as there is some to use)?
Over the top

Play along if you want. I stole this from someone and you can steal it too...

Five questions

A few weeks ago while wandering around the blogosphere, I happened to find ramblin' girl's blog. She had just posted the answers to five questions that she had been asked by another blogger. I commented that I'd be willing to give it a go myself, and actually forgot that I did so until I was rambling around in blogland again this morning.

Here's how it works: She asked me five questions, which I've answered below. To anyone who feels like playing, leave a comment and I will then ask you five questions, which you must answer on a post in your blog. And so on, etc.

So, here goes...

1. If you could truly live anywhere in the world, where would you move to, and why? Who else would you need to move with you to make it absolutely ideal?

Well, I've visited a few foreign countries and while they were neat experiences, I wouldn't want to live in any of those places. So I'd want to stay in the United States. My most favorite place to visit (so far) is Washington, DC. But I wouldn't want to live in DC proper. So say anywhere in either Maryland or Virginia that was within a two-hour drive of DC would be fine with me. Why? Because the winters there are much milder and they don't usually get as much snow as we do in the Northeast. A second choice would be somewhere in Texas, near either Dallas, Houston or San Antonio, primarily because the real estate is so much more less expensive there than here. And I do love hot summer days.

2. What's the most memorable thing your kids have said to you? A phrase, a question, the answer to a question?

My kids are really remarkable and so smart. Many things they tell me really blow me away. My daughter, who will be 10 in a few weeks, uses words well beyond her age. Not only uses the words, but uses them in sentences in their proper context. My son, who is 7, is beginning to be that way, too. I find it fascinating to see what their divergent interests are and love it when we talk about subjects that interest them.

3. You list "Sliding Doors" as one of your favorite movies (mine too!), is there a moment in your life that you think changed the path you were on? For better? for worse?

Honestly, I'd have to say several years ago, when I was reading the "Left Behind" series of books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. The fictional story, based on the events in the biblical book of Revelation, made me stop and reexamine my Christian faith and what direction I was headed in in that aspect of my life. Coming to the realization that I did strengthened my faith and enabled me to be more open and confident about my beliefs. Now I can share them more willingly than I had ever been willing to before. Though it is a work still under construction..

4. You're obviously a baseball fan. If you had a corn field in Iowa, what three players would you most want to show up to play? ("If you build it they will come.")

Only three? They would have to be three of the greatest hitters of all-time: Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. But then I'd need somebody who could pitch to them...

5. What's the coolest thing you've seen for sale on ebay? What's the most ridiculous?

I can't really answer this question because I don't just go wandering around on ebay just for the sake of looking. When I do use ebay, I'm either looking for a specific item or checking on any items I might have listed for sale myself.