25 Random Things About Me

There’s this thing going around Facebook where you’re supposed to share 25 random things about yourself. Wow, is coming up with 25 random good things difficult.

1. I still play with Legos. Ok, so I haven’t touched them in nearly 2 years, but that’s still pretty recent, right? The tub of Legos my brothers and I played with as a kid are in our closet right now.

2. When I was 11 I entered an art contest (“Youth in the Electronic Age”) which focused on communications. I drew bugs talking to each other through amateur radio. My drawing was chosen to represent the United States and made a seven-stop tour of the world. My family took a trip to Washington D.C. to visit the Smithsonian to see it there. There are photos of that trip somewhere at my parent’s place.

3. I would love to have long hair again. Actually, I’d still have long hair if I weren’t going bald.

4. I remember being in grammar school and always noticing guys and chicks with earrings. I loved them, but my parents would never let me get my ear pierced. I remember always telling myself that was ok because if I still wanted one when I was 18, I could get it without their permission. And so, when I was 18 I had the cartilage in the my left ear pierced. When I was 19 I had the cartilage in my right ear pierced (with just one I felt a little lopsided). At 21 I got a double navel (two piercings at about 11:00 and 1:00 around my belly button), and at 23 I got my left nipple pierced (something which has freaked out many Scouts). I still have them all, and really like them. I think about getting more sometimes, but the desire passes fairly quickly.

5. I’ve been involved in Scouts for more than 25 years. My parents got me involved in Tiger cubs when I was seven and I haven’t really left since. I earned the Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts, but the farthest I got in Boy Scouts was the rank of Star. I kind of regret not making Eagle, but I really didn’t have the mindset to do it. Once I turned 18 I signed up as an Assistant Scoutmaster, and have really enjoyed that role. A few years ago I took over as Scoutmaster for a Troop for a year — an immensely difficult job — but am now serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster again.

6. I’m rarely completely comfortable in group settings, except with Scouts. I always fit in there, have something to offer, and can relate to everybody there, at least a little bit.

7. My parents took my brothers and I to the circus one time, and I remember getting this souvenir toy gun that was made of translucent plastic. When the trigger was pulled you could see a lot of bright sparks inside the body of the gun. One time we were outside playing army and I hid that gun in a bush, as a spare. I forgot about the gun that day and (as I remember it) went to look for it the next day, but it wasn’t in the bush anymore. Thievery!

8. Sarcasm is a little bit of a turn-on for me.

9. When I was very young (3? 4?) we had a Collie. I don’t remember his name, but I vaguely remember playing with him. The next dog we had was named Blackie, and I really don’t remember playing with him at all. We left him with a neighbor when we moved from PA to an apartment in CT. After moving to Bozrah we had a string of dogs: Toby, Murphy, Ernie, and Daphne. There were some hamsters, guinea pigs, and fish in there throughout the years, too. Of course, now we have the cats, Pinball and Mikey.

10. When I was 4 or 5, I ran up the stairs to get something. As I reached the top I slipped and bounced all the way down the steps, biting completely through my bottom lip. I have a scar there still. I can remember running up the steps and bouncing down them, but I don’t remember it hurting, going to the hospital, stitches, or anything like that.

11. Like Sherree, I can’t just write a simple list of things — I need a story to go with it.

12. My Mom wanted me to go shopping with her one day to help her pick some G.I. Joe figures for my brother Jim’s birthday, which was in just a few days. I had saved enough money to buy a new G.I. Joe, too, and my Mom said I could buy it but had to keep it a secret so that Jim wouldn’t get the idea that he might get any, too. And so, for a few nights I was only allowed to play with my new G.I. Joe after he went to bed.

13. Something about fire makes me a better cook.

14. I went to summer camp with Scouts in 2005 and (with the help of another adult leader) won the Cast Iron Chef cooking competition. I’ve been in a lot of cooking competitions with Scouts, as a competitor, advisor, and even judge on a few occasions. Honestly, if there’s a cooking competition I’m going to be involved, my Troop will make at least one entry, and we are going to place if not win.

15. When I was 15 or 16, I was out riding my bike one day. I was hit by a car and flew over the handlebars. When Sherree and I were married we decided to get new bikes, and I tried to get back into riding but was just too nervous and uncomfortable to really enjoy it, and couldn’t get over that. I’ve tried riding a few more times since then and I still feel too nervous to be really comfortable on the bike.

16. Prior to working for myself, out of a home office, I never thought that social interaction is something I would crave. In fact, for a long time, I expected that one day I’d end up with a reclusive, hermit-like lifestyle.

17. With animation, if I don’t like the style it’s drawn/painted/rendered in, I’m not going to enjoy the short/cartoon/movie — no matter how good the story may be.

18. For a few minutes, I seriously thought I lost Sherree on our honeymoon. We went to Acadia NP. I went down a cliff path on the shore to get some photos, and Sherree was going to explore the rest of the area a bit. I eventually came back and was looking around for her, but was unsuccessful. There weren’t really any other trails at this location, so I started back towards the cliff thinking I might have missed another path or something, when a thought popped into my head: It was quite windy and she doesn’t have the best balance — and so, I had to take a look over the cliff edge, just to be sure. Happily she wasn’t there and I found her walking on the road back to the car shortly thereafter.

19. I used to eat peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches.

20. Cheddar is my favorite kind of cheese. On hamburgers or mashed potatoes or whatever, I prefer it to not be all melty. I like to put a slice on a hamburger after it’s been pulled off of the grill, for example. This lets the cheese keep a little more of it’s texture. For me, texture is a very important part of taste.

21. I’ve climbed Mount Washington several times. Two great contrasting times I remember: once getting to the summit on a clear day and seeing the famed multi-state view, and once getting to the summit when cloud cover was so thick I couldn’t see my boots.

    It’s also worth noting that one time we climbed it as a family. I was probably 13 or 14. Jim and I wanted to go ahead because Mom, Dad and Chris were too slow. We moved on and reached the summit, and sat there waiting for the rest of the fam, as we were instructed. It started getting late (like 4:00, maybe?), and I remember talking to Jim about maybe heading back, but we stayed put. Eventually my Dad and Chris made it to the summit. Jim and I were sent to help my Mom down the mountain (asthma made it very hard for her to make it all the way), while my Dad tried to bum a ride for him and Chris. We all made it down ok (and in fact, went back the next day to let my Mom finish the trail and reach the summit), but it was a crazy day!

22. I shave my head and face in the shower with a little mirror. Despite having done this for several years, I still occasionally get a little overzealous and shave off part of my eyebrow.

23. The best vacation I’ve ever been on was the canoe trip on the Allagash with my Dad, brothers, and Troop 60. That said, our trip to Wyoming to see Jim, Jackson Hole, Grand Teton NP, and Yellowstone NP was really fantastic. And the first time Sherree took me to Disney I was surprised that I enjoyed it a whole lot more than I thought I would!

24. I think Saturday Night Live has had some great talent on it. Bill Murray, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, etc. Sure, they all have ups and downs, but they’re still great. Will Ferrell is not.

25. I have spent far too much time on this list.