The honorable Wes F. from Walk In Brain blogger-tagged me last week and I’m just now getting around to it (which reminds me that Sarah tagged me some time ago and I forgot to respond): eight random facts about me.
The rest is below the fold —
Here are the rules:
1. All right, here are the rules.
2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
4. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Here we go — eight random facts about me:
1. My first concert: Rush, Signals tour, Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum, 1986ish. A friend asked me to go see Kansas in the sixth grade. My mom said it was fine (she had no idea what it entailed), but we couldn’t afford the tickets. Then The Who concert happened (I was in the eighth grade). Later that year, I wanted to see The Commodores and my parents wouldn’t let me. I cried. They finally relented with Rush my soph year. I stood on the arms of my seat in the last row of the Coliseum and went batshit for Neil Peart all night.
2. Breakfast is my favorite meal, with a tie between a skillet from the S&G in Chicago (hash browns covered with two eggs over easy, cheese, onions, peppers, and garlic) and Amy’s vegetarian biscuits & gravy.
3. People whose voice makes me turn off the radio or TV immediately: Dick Vitale, Frank Deford, Andy Rooney, and the morning DJ on a local public radio station who says things like, “turn in later this morning to hear Joan Baez, James Taylor, and Ben Folds!” with such glee as if he’s doing something really neat and keen.
4. My first musical performance was in a grade school talent show at St. Francis de Sales. I was in the first grade. I volunteered to play guitar and sing “I Believe in Music.” This was odd because I didn’t know how to play guitar (and had just a toy plastic one, anyway) and had never sung in front of people. My family kept asking me about it and I kept insisting it would be fine. Eventually, I abandoned the guitar and decided to sing it a capella. As I was waiting in the wings, I must have been nervous because I was cold and shaking, and some eighth grader put his Army jacket around me to keep me warm. I took the stage, and started singing the song and forgot the words halfway through. I kind of made up a few, then vamped for a while for the chorus. It brought the house down and I got a thundering ovation. To this day, I have NO idea what inspired me to do that.
5. First gig: as drummer for The Qubes, Rita’s birthday party in Florence, summer 1982. First “paying” gig: as drummer/vocalist for Carload of Sheep, Sudsy Malone’s, January 1987.
6. If forced to choose favorites: record: The Waterboys – Fisherman’s Blues; book: Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; movie: The Fisher King; city – Portland; beer – Guinness; relaxation: building a fire.
7. I have had dogs my entire life, save for my years away at college, and my high school years when my mom wouldn’t let me get one. My dogs were: Humphrey (1971-74, border collie/lab mix, hit by motorcycle), Shady (1974-80, total mutt, ran away when I was in the hospital my freshman year in high school…I’m still not sure I buy that one), Ludwig (1988-89, beagle, was crazy and had to be put down), Autumn (1989-2002, Australian Shepherd, cancer), Alice and Macy (2003-present, Australian Shepherds).
8. On my work desk: photos of Amy and my dad (WWII-era), a small metal statue of Don Quixote, Babo, a Mexican religious candle, an inspiration note from Amy, and a sheet from my daily Zen calendar with the quote, “I know that I know nothing. – Socrates.”
Wes already used a few of the folks I’d tag, so I’ll tag:
- Ryan Cragun
- Chris Glass
- Ann @ For the Long Run
- The Wizard of Covington
- Embrya @ Sing Dammit
- Karen @ Sadgirlseven
- Sarah @ The Neutral Zone Trap
- Tavern Wench
(If I left you out, it probably means you have a professional or topic-specific blog that I figured you wouldn’t want to clutter up.)
np: The Mice – For Almost Ever Scooter (thanks, Mark!)