Things You Might Not Know About Me

It’s a meme on Facebook. Someone writes a few things that you might now know about them and then anyone that “likes” the post gets tagged with a number. My lovely wife tagged me with 32 (or 13), and I decided to go with it.

However, I’m wordy. I would probably say prolific, some might say verbiage vomitus. Either work, so here’s what I put on Facebook. Longer version below:

What you might not know about me. 32 things, thanks to Tia Jones.

TL;DR Since I’m a bit verbose in my literary activities, here’s the short version:

1. My first job was as a paper boy. I mourn that my kids won’t experience that.
2. I’m cheap. I went in the grocery store, saw fresh blueberries on sale for $4/lb and decided to get frozen. When I got to the frozen aisle, they were $4.10/lb. and didn’t buy them.
3. I’m lazy. see #2. I was going to go back and get fresh blueberries, but decided not to walk across Safeway.
4. I have kitchen OCD. If the sink is full of dishes, I can’t cook until I clear things out.
5. I’ve been to é by Jose Andreas twice, and I’m not sure I could tell you anything I ate by name, but both might be the most memorable dinners I’ve ever had.
6. I get really, really, really frustrated at things. I once threw a mug and broke a door. And the mug.
7. I’d rather have cheese than chocolate. Actually pizza is probably my favorite food.
8. I once wore a tie to school, college actually, while living in London. Almost every day for months.
9. I need a routine. I tend to do the same things over and over, in the same order. Breaking that routine in too many ways causes me issues (see #6)
10. I am a bit erratic. I don’t have a problem with dropping $200-300 on dinner (see #5), but I used to plan my gas station fill-ups to save $0.03/gal. I still do some of that.
11. I love the idea of travel, but hate traveling. I look forward to trips, but by the time I’m driving to DIA (if not sooner), I dread the trip. I’ve gotten better, but it wears on me. Thankfully #6 hasn’t come into play.
12. I got a C one semester in middle school. I flipped out and never got less than a B the rest of my high school, or first college career.
13. The idea of riding horses is neat, but having been on a few, I don’t like the actual practice of riding. (similar to #11)
14. I had big dreams as a high school/college age kid. I thought I’d find a way to be a millionaire by 30.
15. I’m the gray man. I don’t let too many things get to me and usually don’t love or hate anything. Food, politics, music, whatever. Most things wash over me. However, #10, therefore #6
16. I hated writing in high school. I never got better than a B and couldn’t have imagined that it would be my job someday.
17. I grew up lower middle class. I always assumed that I’d be a worker bee for my life, buy a 3 bedroom house, single car garage in a blue collar neighborhood like Aragona Village (for the VB peeps) and dream of bigger things.
18. I’m an introvert and fairly shy. I’ve given, volunteered for, a speech in front of 500+ people. See #10.
19. Since I was 15 or 16, I’ve spoken to my father once. He’s still alive, but we had a falling out and I don’t really regret it.
20. My kids have changed me in ways I can’t begin to count. I assumed I’d have kids someday, but I never had any idea how it would go. Having had no role model (#19), I hope that I’ve done OK.
21. When my fingers get too dirty, they stop working. I walk around with them like this: My middle son has the same affliction.
22. I can sing. However, as my brother noted, I just can’t hit the right notes at the right time.
23. I never knew what marriage would be like growing up with a single parent. Having been married to Tia for 15 years, I couldn’t imagine not being married, nor could I imagine how it could be better.
24. I can’t really hear out of my left ear. If I’m ignoring you, that might be the reason. It might not be, but it might be.
25. The symbol for “making it” in my mind (see #17) was when we bought a side by side fridge, with water in the door. In 2002.
26. I tried to join the Navy, submarine service. I went to the induction center, and did the physical, and didn’t get in. See #24. Not sure how life would have gone if I had.
27. I love sports. I play baseball in the summer, in the 40+ league, and wish I could play football. I look forward to playing basketball again in the 50+ league. Where there isn’t much contact. Or running.
28. I grew up on the water and always thought a dream would be to live on the water. I still think about it, but living in the mountains, I think I’ve made a better trade and am not sure I’d leave.
29. I’m an Apple fanboi, ever since the Apple II. I just abandoned my (POS) Galaxy S4 to go back to my iPhone.
30. I see racism in places and believe it exists. When I was growing up in (Southern) Virginia, in 1979, the fine specimens of crimson collared humanity kicked my ass for looking like an Iranian. I try desperately to be fair and judge on actions, not prejudice.
31. Despite the incredible frailty of humans, the unbounded ability to be rude, disgusting, mean to others, take advantage of others, I am always amazed by the limitless ability and strength of other humans to overcome all of that and think of others before we think of ourselves.
32. I don’t want to be famous, or even popular. When I teach, either speaking or writing, it’s a success for me if one person takes something away.

Bonus: 33. I'm not afraid of death. I think about my mortality all the time, especially as I get older and things hurt. I'd like to see my kids grow up, but I've had an amazing life and I can't complain about anything. If I go tomorrow, I'm at peace with it.

Longer versions of a few items

#2 – I am cheap. I make buying decisions with pennies of difference in the grocery store. I struggle to buy non-generics. I wait to buy things like shoes on sale. I let my clothes go with holes in them because, well a) I like them, and b) they work, so why spend money? It’s crazy sometimes and I catch myself. I didn’t buy the blueberries partially because I’m lazy, partially because I was mad at myself for worrying about a dollar or two.

#3 – I do struggle to get going sometimes. I’ll bail on chores in the fall and watch football some Sundays. My running streak was partially because I was sitting around too much and being lazy. I leave projects unfinished all the time.

#4 – I’m getting better, and I try not to get upset at the family, but dirty dishes bug me to know end. It’s slightly under control. Sometimes. Some days.

#7 – I struggle with my weight and health, at least I think I do, because of this. Too much carb stuff. Life is short, live long and prosper, ugh. This is one of those tough things for me.

#8 – I can’t explain this. It wasn’t even for a girl, though I was hoping to impress someone, American, English, anyone. For some reason I wanted to grow up and I bought 3-4 ties in London and wore them to class, around town, basically if I wasn’t running, I was in one. Now I hate ties, and avoid them like the plague.

#13 – I think of The Rifleman and Rin Tin Tin from my youth. I can’t figure out how they jumped on horses, bareback and raced across the fields. Were they eunuchs? WTF?

#15 – whatever

#16 – I can’t believe I actually choose to write. I just can’t. I hated this with a passion in high school. Somewhere, somehow, some teacher reached me.

#17 – I really never expected to have a house like I do. Still pinch myself sometimes and smile when I go through the gate.

#18 – Still some attacks of shyness when getting ready to speak. Weird.

#21 – My wife saw me do this a few weeks ago. Can’t explain it. Maybe that’s my superpower? Hypersensitivity in my fingers?

#22 – I like Rock Band. The family likes it when I drum or play guitar.

#23 – The single best thing in my life. By far. No comparison, nothing else close.

#24 – I’m probably not ignoring you, but I might be. No matter which, I’m often glad I can’t hear the jibber jabber coming out of peoples’ mouths in public.

#27 – 4 years to basketball. Wed and Fri at lunch. I wave to the guys when I go swimming on those days.

There’s more, and I could probably get 50 things easily if I wanted. Enough for today.