101 Things About Me...

I got this idea from a friend of mine who created a similar post on her blog called "100 Things you Didn't Know About Me?". I really liked that idea and thought I would post something similar. These are by no means in order of importance or relevance. They are all important to me, that is why they're on the list. Some things may be surprising, some you may know already.

1) I miss my dad. He passed away over 2 years ago and the pain doesn't subside ever....I just cry less.

2) I cannot stand confrontation. I like peace and calm discussions with cool heads.

3) I love cold weather. Bundling up and getting all toasty. Snuggling up in my favorite chair with a good book while the wind howls outside with a nice warm fire crackling.

4) I am dedicated. I following things through to the end no matter what. Even if it takes me awhile to get my task accomplished, I don't rest easily until it is finished.

5) It makes me very sad and angry when people make fun of people who are mentally handicapped or have a disability. I hate it when people use the "R" word to describe mentally handicapped people.

6) I don't like "know-it-alls". People who have a story for everything and seemingly make up some things to appear as if they know what they're talking about. I am in the presence of someone like that as I type this very post.

7) I'm a family man. I love hanging out with my wife and my boys. They're my best friends in the world.

8) I am a simple man. I don't like alot of clutter. When you've moved from city to city like I have, you learn not to have alot of junk.

9) I am sensitive.

10) My love language is Words of Affirmation.

11) I am really reserved in large crowds. If I have to go to a function where there will be alot of people, I prefer to go with my wife or a close friend so I can be sure to have someone to talk to. I am not good at striking up conversations.

12) I don't like being the center of attention. I'd rather remain in the background.

13) I am very shy. However around my friends and loved ones, I am quite out-going.

14) When I was a child, I wanted to be an astronomer as I was, and still am, fascinated with the universe.

15) I used to get my sister in trouble when we were younger by slapping my leg then yelling "Ow! Julie! Stop hitting me!". I still feel bad for that.

16) I don't get star-struck at all. Actors, musicians, and "famous" people in general are all just like you and me. They have just chosen to act or sing for their career rather than being a banker or a designer. Just because they are on the television or on the radio, what makes them more important than me?

17) I have always wanted to be a sniper in the military. Still do.

18) I didn't shoot a real gun until I was 30 years old.

19) I love to cook.

20) My least favorite thing to do, cleaning-wise, is folding laundry. Although I certainly love the result of fresh, clean clothes.

21) I love feeding my youngest son his bottle late at night when he wakes up around midnight. He's so sleepy, and so peaceful. He lays in my arms and closes his eyes, and takes his little hands and puts them on my hands as I hold his bottle.

22) I always wanted to be a stuntman.

23) I find myself loving to write and always think that I have brilliant ideas for a book. I will start typing my thoughts and trying to formulate them into a book but once I get 2 pages completed, I realize that I'm out of ideas and the story is going no where.

24) I sometimes wish I would have gone to a "real" university so I could have experience the full college experience....in a Christian way of course.

25) I was a bartender.

26) I miss the easy access to a beach.

27) It makes me sad seeing how quickly my boys are growing up.

28) When I am in the car, I can sing like a rockstar.

29) I don't like when people are upset with me. I want to make everything better right then.

30) I know how to crochet.

31) I love downtown metropolises. I love seeing huge skyscrapers and all of the lights. Traveling to New York City a couple of years ago was one of the most fun trips that I have ever been on; seeing all of the buildings, one after the other, it was awe-inspiring.

32) I cry at sappy movies

33) Whatever happened to writing letters by hand and mailing them. That seems like an art to me and I like to write notes to my wife every once in awhile and give them to her like we're passing in the hall between classes in high school.

34) I love surprising my wife with things that she wants unexpectedly.

35) I took swimming lessons for 5 years and received 15 badges for various accomplishments in swimming including life saving and distance swimming.

36) I was on the golf team in high school.

37) I still play ice hockey and inline hockey whenever I get the chance.

38) The best round of golf I ever had I shot an 82. That same day Tiger Woods shot his worst round of golf at the British Open and coincidentally shot an 82.

39) I own a 1957 Chevy Bel-Air and a 1986 Chevy Custom Deluxe Pick-up

40) I cannot STAND forwarded emails

41) I believe that every single life is precious. The thought of abortion makes me sick to my core.

42) I don't like liars.

43) I don't like people who play mind games

44) I worked on the ice crew for the Nashville Predators (NHL) hockey team for 2 seasons. I would go out during commercial breaks and scoop the ice from around the nets and move the nets in between periods as the zamboni would drive by.

45) I love to laugh.

46) You can tell what kind of mood I'm in by the type of music I'm listening to.

47) I'm a people pleaser.

48) I love fashion and trying to look "put together".

49) I had a bully in high-school. One day, he tried to push me down the stairs. As he pushed me, I, all in one motion, jumped backwards and grabbed his shirt dragging him down the stairs as I landed safely. The next day, he tried pushing me around again, so i tactically took my gum out of my mouth and stuck it in his hair. He had to cut it out and it left a huge bald area. He never bothered me again.

50) I wonder how long I'd last in a UFC fight.

51) I have two tattoos. A cross on my right arm on the inner bicep. And a tattered American flag with angel wings representing my dad. My dad and sister and I all got tattoos. I got the cross, my sister got a dandelion and my dad got an American flag. 27 days later, my dad died. So I got a tattered American flag with angel wings to represent him.

52) I am a night person. I despise the mornings as I generally stay up way too late so I'm extremely tired come morning.

53) Growing up, I would take my baseball glove to the St. Louis Cardinals games with my dad hoping that they'd need a replacement and would be all out of players and they'd need someone from the crowd. Rest assured, I was prepared.

54) When I was in high school, my lung suddenly collapsed which resulted in a chest tube being rammed into my chest leaving an aweful scar that I am extremely self conscience about.

55) I played the quads (drums) in marching band.

56) I love quoting movies in my daily conversation, even if the recipient doesn't catch the quotable.

57) My passion is art

58) When I was in school, I was always the teacher's pet. However that never helped me to receive better grades like it does in the movies.

59) Comfy clothes, a blanket, my wife, and a good movie is my idea of a fun Friday night.

60) I learned to draw from my grandma.

61) Now that I have children, I understand finally what my parents meant when they told me "they know what's best for me".

62) I can't watch news channels such as Fox News or CNN when there are multiple people talking and yelling at each other trying to talk louder than one another. It stresses me out.

63) I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. I have lived in Sarasota, FL, Tampa, FL, Orlando, FL, and Nashville, TN.

64) I have driven through, or visited, 26 of the 50 states and would like to visit Hawaii and especially Alaska. I have never traveled outside of the United States though I want to travel to Scotland and Germany.

65) I have taken piano lessons, saxaphone lessons, and drum lessons.

66) I have acted in a couple of commercials and I was a leather coat model on Shop at Home tv.

67) The longest I have ever stayed at an office job has been 2 1/2 years (and counting).

68) I love elephants.

69) I want to own a house in Celebration, FL one day.

70) I am addicted to coffee

71) I am an orange belt in karate. Although I haven't utilized my skills in some time, so I'm sure I'm not at an orange belt level any longer. An orange belt isn't the highest ranking by any means, but hey, it's not bad! :)

72) I still have my wisdom teeth, however I am not any wiser.

73) I have two siblings, an older brother and an older sister. Yes, yes...I'm the baby.

74) I am a cat person. Dogs are great and all, but I am not into taking them out to "potty" at 6am when it's freezing cold outside. Cats are great because they do their business in a box. However I'm quite allergic to cats.

75) I struggle with the meaning of life from time to time, but then remember that God is in control.

76) I don't believe in "global warming".

77) I am sometimes a work-a-holic.

78) My favorite color is blue.

79) I love rainy days. Especially rainy Sundays.

80) I like reminiscing to music

81) Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year

82) I got married to my beautiful wife on the beach. She and I dated for only 2 months before we got engaged. After we got engaged, we got married 5 months after that.

83) I never got into the whole "super hero" thing. Batman, Superman, Flash Gordon, never really interested me. Ok, out of those three I liked Batman the best. But it never consumed me my any means.

84) I once gave my last taco from Taco Bell to a homeless woman that was walking down the street as was I. I was really annoyed when she tossed the wrapper on the ground. But I was glad that I gave her the taco.

85) I used to be a strict PC user, now I only use Macs. What was I thinking?!

86) I worked at Walt Disney World at the Disney/MGM Studios as a backlot tour guide. I had a 51 page script that I had to memorize. My favorite part of working that attraction was when it was my turn to drive the tram. We had to use "trucker lingo" over the CB.

87) I have an extremely vivid imagination.

88) I love getting caught up in a great book or an amazing epic movie series.

89) I don't know what I watched on T.V. before Lost came on.

90) My first car when I turned 16 was my grandmas 1986 Ford Fairmont

91) I am extremely faithful

92) It bugs me that I wasted so many years of my life dating the wrong women! Why couldn't I have just met my wife when I was 18 so I didn't have to go through the heart ache.

93) Sometimes I annoy myself whenever I start talking to much. I generally get very quiet as I feel that I'm annoying everyone else as much as I'm annoying myself.

94) I still watch Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Christmas Eve. That's been a family tradition ever since I can remember.

95) I would rather have quality friends than a quantity of friends.

96) Sometimes I listen to sad music just to get a good cry out.

97) One of my favorite moments in life was laying in bed with my wife until 4 in the morning singing 80's songs at the top of our lungs.

98) I love getting new manly smelling lotions, soaps, face washes, etc.

99) I think my wife is SO cute whenever she first wakes up because she has no idea where she is and has the sweetest, most innocent look on her face.

100) I would rather be poor and happy, than rich and unhappy.

101) I had a scholarship to go to college for drumming, but opted to pay out the nose to go to art school.