100 things about me

from the "too much information" department...

i got this idea from the blog of my friend, jon schneck. i thought it might be a daring way to open the world of blogging for me. i found it to be a fun and even therapeutic exercise. it was a nice challenge and it didn't take as long as you might think. i encourage you to compile one of these lists for yourself. as i dip my toe into the water of blogdom, here are...

100 things about myself

1. One of my childhood heroes was Evel Knievel. (Sad to hear he passed away recently)
2. Another one was John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics.
3. As a kid, I was fascinated with magic. I thought I was king when my mom ordered Marshall Brodiene’s “TV Magic Cards”. I was thrilled when I got his “Magic Kit” for Christmas. It contained several beginner magic tricks to amaze and astound your friends. I did neither.
4. My first dreams: To compete in the Olympics and play in the NBA.
5. I didn’t date much in high school.
6. I wish I read the Bible more often than I do.
7. I’ve been a fan of all things Batman since I was a boy.
8. My favorite Saturday kids show was “The Shazam/Isis Hour”.
9. Autumn is my favorite time of year.
10. I once had a ventriloquist doll named “Danny O’Day”.
11. The first “special” I performed in church was a banjo solo. Yes, you read that correctly. Banjo. I was 9 years old.
12. I grew up in a small, coal-mining community in southern West Virginia.
13. There were 79 people in my graduating class.
14. I LOVE to fish.
15. I enjoyed hunting when I was growing up. I don’t do it anymore.
16. My first favorite rock band: KISS. I once actually met KISS without their makeup. That was, obviously, back when they wore makeup and would not allow themselves to be photographed without it. It was a big deal at the time.
17. My mom took me and a few of my friends to my first KISS concert in Huntington, WV.
18. The only other person I’ve seen in concert more than KISS is Ted Nugent.
19. I loved heavy metal in high school.
20. My wife is the most wonderful woman I've ever met.
21. My first acoustic guitar was a blue Ovation, which I later sold to Mark Stuart of Audio Adrenaline.
22. I love going to Dollar General Store.
23. My favorite shows are Law & Order and Monk.
24. I’ve collected autographs since high school. I have around 1,800 (meager by autograph collecting standards).
25. I started playing guitar in 8th grade. My dad taught me my first chords. I started practicing a lot when I was out of school for several weeks nursing a broken ankle (which ended my basketball season).
26. I have avoidance issues.
27. I'd like to visit Alaska. Maybe go on an Alaskan cruise.
28. I have been bitten by a snake.
29. I have had seven different surgeries (eye, tonsils, left ankle, 2 on left hip and 2 hernias). I still have part of a steel pin in my left hip.
30. When I was a boy, I had a pet skunk (de-scented and ordered from an exotic pet store in North Carolina).
31. I’m afraid of spiders. (And yet I’m a Spider-man fan. Go figure.)
32. I love the movie, “The Shawshank Redemption”.
33. At times, I have been guilty of being a full-time pastor and a part-time follower of Christ. That makes me feel ashamed.
34. I’m not a fan of Jay Leno. I think he’s a terrible interviewer and he always tries to “one up” his guests. Conan rules!
35. My favorite worship band: the David Crowder* Band.
36. One of my big pet peeves: men who don’t wash their hands after using the restroom.
37. I worry a lot about finances.
38. I live with a good amount of regret. There are a lot of things I wish I could do over.
39. I played little league baseball for one season.
40. My first job was working as a disc jockey at a radio station. I loved it and went on to major in Broadcasting in college. I worked as a radio DJ for six years. My first radio job in college involved running “Casey Kasem’s American Top 40” and doing the weather twice an hour.
41. I want to write a song that gets used in a movie.
42. My favorite Christopher Guest movie is “Waiting for Guffman”.
43. I love roller coasters.
44. I hate to say “goodbye”. Always have.
45. My favorite cereal is Cap’n Crunch.
46. I love the cheese sticks at Sonic. Ahh….fried cheese. Does it get any better than that? I submit that it does not.
47. I dunk my Oreo’s two at a time.
48. I’m a great starter, but a lousy finisher.
49. I would one day like to serve as an elder at a church.
50. My dream acoustic guitar: A custom-made Genesis by Tom Bills (a custom guitar maker in St. Louis). Unfortunately, it will remain a dream because they start at $10,000. I played one once while it St. Louis and it was so good it made me cry. Literally.
51. I’m afraid of open heights.
52. My favorite breakfast food? Biscuits and gravy. Hands down.
53. I am frustrated by my own inconsistency.
54. My favorite female country artist is Trisha Yearwood. My favorite male country artist is Brad Paisley.
55. My first car was a ‘Vette. A brown, 4-door, hatchback 1980 Chevy Chevette.
56. One of my favorite finger-style guitarists is Tommy Emmanuel.
57. My favorite vacation spot is the beach. For me to stay sane, I NEED to get to a beach at least every eighteen months.
58. I absolutely love going to movies with my family. The popcorn, the overpriced snacks, the sticky floors – I love the whole experience.
59. I hate it when people scrape their forks on their teeth when they eat. It also bugs me when people chew with their mouth open.
61. My dad died of a heart attack in 1995 at the age of 64. I miss him every day.
62. I think I wrestle with mild bouts of depression.
63. I wish I had more self-discipline.
64. My favorite restaurant is Buca di Beppo. Their chicken marsala is the best I’ve ever tasted.
65. I suffer from practical atheism. I believe God exists, but sometimes I live as if He doesn’t.
66. I like capes. It just dawned on me one day. Many of the people I admired growing up – magicians, Elvis, Gene Simmons of KISS, Batman, Evel Knievel – all had one thing in common. Capes. At first, that realization disturbed me. Then I got over it. Don’t judge me.
67. I think it’s fun to scare people.
68. I was embarrassed to go to my junior prom because I had a HUGE zit between my nose and upper lip which had its own zip code. I went, but I was extremely self-conscious about it. I'm pretty sure it was visible from the hubble telescope.
69. I love to swim.
70. I don’t like to hear recordings of myself.
71. I played snare drum and saxophone in marching band (not at the same time.)
72. I think the iPod is one of the greatest inventions of the last twenty years.
73. Other than worship, one of my main passions if Biblical Leadership.
74. When I’m eating a meal, I ration my food to make sure that my last bite always contains equal portions of each item. Example: If I’m eating a burger and fries, I won’t eat all of my burger and then all of my fries. I eat them together, little by little, until I have a few fries left to eat with my last bite of burger.
75. I HATE when people around me talk during movies.
76. The loudest concert I’ve ever attended is Aerosmith.
77. I wish I played lead guitar.
78. I’ve considered leaving the United States to serve as a missionary in a foreign country.
79. I don't like to waste time and I don't like having my time wasted by other people.
80. I tend to procrastinate. I’ve been meaning to attend a support group for it, but ...
81. As a boy, I spent a lot of time playing in the woods.
82. I drink too many soft drinks.
83. I love bologna sandwiches with mayonnaise.
84. I’ve been watching the NFL for about ten years.
85. I’m not very mechanically inclined. I do well to put oil and gas in my car.
86. I’m also not very handy around the house. I’m much more Tim Taylor than Al Borland.
87. One of my favorite pieces of classical music is Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major, "Pastoral".
88. When I was growing up, some of my favorite TV shows were: The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, Batman, The Partridge Family, The Monkees, Fantasy Island, The Andy Griffith Show and Night Stalker.
89. Brian Regan (comedian) makes me laugh out loud.
90. I know all the words to School House Rock’s, “I’m Just a Bill”.
91. I have way too much clutter in my life.
92. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition always makes me cry.
93. I still think of myself as someone in his 20’s. My body doesn’t share the sentiment.
94. I got all straight A+’s in the third grade.
95. If I could have a cup of coffee with anyone (past or present), it would probably be Jimmy Stewart.
96. Both of my grandfather’s were coal miners. Both died of complications from Black Lung Disease.
97. In college, I earned extra money by playing in coffee shops, clubs and bars. Someone once threw beer on me for singing “Amazing Grace” in a bar.
98. I can be critical, cynical and melancholy.
99. I had a ponytail for eight years. At its longest, it ran down the length of my back. I donated it to “Locks of Love”.
100. It’s largely unimportant to me what other people think of me. Naturally, I’d love it if everyone liked me, but I know that’s unrealistic. If some people don’t like me, I’m OK with that. I'm mainly interested in pleasing God.