Want to get to know me a little better? Here are a few fun things you might enjoy discovering about me. There is really no rhyme or reason to this list other than that it is me. I tried to just let random thoughts pop into my head and wrote down 10 that I thought might be amusing.
Here goes…
I love to cook.
I certainly don’t claim to be a master chef, but I think I can hold my own in the kitchen. I grew up watching both of my parents cook, so I guess it’s just something I took to. I really enjoy the creative process of throwing different flavors and textures together to come up with something new. If I find a great paleo recipe I’ll work from it. But otherwise I like to take a Chopped approach and try to be imaginative with whatever we have on hand.
But, baking? That’s another matter. I don’t have the patience for the measuring and precision that baking requires. That’s why I married a great baker.
My favorite superhero is Spider-Man.
I’ve always loved Spider-Man. Like many Spidey fans, I can identify with the shy, geeky boy turned local hero. But as a kid I’m not really sure that I even took notice of that. I just loved the costume and the web slinging and the wit. And Spider-Man also fought the coolest villains. The Green Goblin, Doc Ock, The Lizard, The Rhino. Every day after school it was Spider-Man and Speed Racer.
Have you seen the Spider Wall on American Ninja Warrior? I used to spider crawl in the upstairs hallway in my parent’s house, hands and feet outstretched on opposite walls. Up to the ceiling and back down. Ah, the good ol’ days. Now thanks to the Marvel Universe my childhood has come full circle.
I am one of six kids.
The youngest, in fact. The baby. I loved growing up in a household of mayhem and hilarity. I had a great childhood. My parents raised us with a good set of morals and values, but also gave us the freedom to be imaginative and expressive. As the youngest, I was probably offered a little more leniency than my older siblings, but like many last born, I think I struggled at times to be heard. After all, in a family of 8 it can be a challenge to swim against the tumultuous tide of torture and torment.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m a big Jeopardy fan.
Ready for this one?
I actually have my TiVo set to record Jeopardy. I know, Supergeek, right? What can I say? I like trivia.
I don’t watch a ton of TV, but this is one show that I really enjoy. I have since middle school. The show’s sponsorship has always told me that I don’t fit the demographic. Geritol used to be a big sponsor. Now it’s Consumer Cellular. I don’t care. I’m still watching. I guess the day will eventually come when my age is more aligned with the products on the show. When my day is lazy enough that I’ll tune in as the show is broadcast. Until then, “I’ll take a 30 minute escape for one thousand, Alex.”
I can’t grow a full beard.
If you’ve been a member of our practice through an NHL playoff season, you already know this. Every year I attempt to grow a playoff beard. Every year it’s an epic fail. You know how they say if you work at something long enough, you’ll eventually figure it out? Not true. I’ve tried and it’s not happening.
As an aside, I don’t dye my hair. When I do try my hand at sporting some facial hair, the portion on my chin comes in snowy white. As a result, someone inevitably asks me if my hair is dyed black. I guess I’ll take the dark hair over a full beard.
I still have my childhood teddy bear.
Call me sentimental. Or call me a hoarder. I’m not sure why I held onto this, but I did. His name is Bear Hug. I didn’t give him that name. It’s printed right on his cool little teddy bear T-shirt. My sister and I had the same bears. One day I found hers in the garbage, so I pulled it out and gave it back to her. She said she was done with it and she threw it back into the trash. She always regretted that she didn’t keep her bear as well. My only regret is that I didn’t keep my original Star Wars figurines. Cha-ching!
And no, I don’t still sleep with Bear Hug. He stays comfortably packed away in a box of collectibles. Unless there’s a violent storm brewing.
I have no rhythm.
I do have good hand-eye coordination if that counts for anything. But ask me to do a two-step and the first one will be on your left foot, and the second one on your right. You know those cowboy movies where the bad guy says, “Dance, partner”, as he peppers lead at his adversary’s feet? My boots would be Swiss cheese.
I used to smoke and drink.
Well, sort of. Here’s the story.
My friend and I once stole a pack of cigarettes from my mom’s purse. I guess the candy cigarettes weren’t cutting it anymore. We snuck off into the woods, lit up, and acted like big shots. I think this went on for a couple days before the novelty wore off. That was my only foray into smoking.
As for my drinking days (day)…I was probably about 10. My sister and brother-in-law were taking my other sister and me to Lake Erie for a weekend of camping. I knew my brother-in-law had a cooler full of beer, so naturally, as soon as he put that old VW Beetle into gear I began pestering him for a can. I had never had a beer, but I knew I needed one. I bugged him nonstop until finally, after what must have seemed like 6 hours on the road, he pulled over. He ripped a beer out of the cooler and told me that if I wanted it I had to drink the whole can. I think I took 2 sips. It was a Pabst Blue Ribbon. I’ve never liked the taste of beer since.
I hated Chinese food as a kid.
Believe it or not. This was in early grade school. For some reason I just wouldn’t eat the stuff. I remember going to a family dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Somehow my parents let me come in with a takeout bag from Burger King. I’m not sure how the restaurant let us get away with that one. I guess back then they had a BYOBK policy.
I’m a closet cat guy.
You’re either a dog person or a cat person, right? I’ve always been a dog person. I never really understood cats. They did their own thing and that was just fine with me. And then we had a daughter. And some years later a couple stray cats found us and my daughter wanted to keep them. She used her superpowers on me, I caved, and now we count 2 cats as members of our family. Although, we joke that one of them is part canine. She holds her own with our dogs and has no problem nudging into their food bowls. Go figure. It took a cat that acts like a dog to break me. In any case, cats are growing on me. And rubbing on me. And laying on me…
But you didn’t hear that from me.
