25 Random Things

From Facebook:

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

For no real reason, here is a screencap of Michael Jackon's Moonwalker for Sega Genesis.

1. I now live in what is very clearly the South. Despite this, however, I can rest assured that my kids won't have southern accents. I have a number of students in my youth group who have lived here their whole lives who have not even a touch of a southern accent. This is not a slam against southern accents (I actually love the Carolina accent), it's just weird when kids have different accents than their parents. Unless the parents have British accents. Then it's cool.

2. I really like sports, but find myself easily able to not care about them. I wouldn't say that this makes me a "fair weather fan," as I still passionately love the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are working hard to make this season the official worst team in the history of professional sports. What I mean instead is that, when life steps in, I can remove myself from sports in a way that a lot of people cannot. I am not someone who gets burnt up about someone revealing a score to them prematurely, or that sort of thing.

3. I like to challenge myself sometimes to expose myself to new stuff. Right now, I'm listening to Bruce Springsteen's collected works. Not trying to make myself a Springsteen fanatic, per say, but trying to learn how to appreciate him. I think I'm almost there.

4. I miss snow in a way that probably makes people up north annoyed right now. I really do like the weather here, though, as it is cold in the winters (30's-40's - not snowy weather, but cold enough to know that it's winter). Much better than Florida's 360 days of summer and 5 days of spring/fall.

5. I love what I am doing (Youth Minister), and love where I am (Mooresville, NC). Five years ago, I would have never thought that I would either be living here or doing this, but I wasn't ready for either of them yet. It really helps me understand how God is always working in our lives to get us ready for what's coming next.

6. I genuinely love spending time with my wife. Pretty much every situation I can think of, I would prefer to have her there. She is the most fun person I know, and is truly my best friend. Things are more fun when she's there. I know that sounds sappy, but it's true.

7. I often get mad/envious at my cats for how comfortable that they look when when they are sleeping. Stupid lazy cats.

8. We have three cats, two snakes, and one dog. We take pride in naming pets. Cats: Akira, Truman, Schroeder. Snakes: Norton & Dinah. Dog: McFly.

9. I really like things to be clean, but I'm also a pile-maker. By that, I mean that I am often making piles of things that need to be put away. Soon those pile build and suddenly I have made a mess. This takes a good effort to organize and put away. Then everything is clean. Then I start making piles. Rinse and repeat.

10. I still consider myself a Mac person, though I have not owned one as my primary (or even my secondary or tertiary) computer for 5 years. Prior to that, though, every computer that I owned was an Apple (IIgs, Performa, iMac, iBook), so I think that gives me some credit. One day I will return.

11. I am not sure how long it will take living in the south before I start saying "soda" instead of "pop." Hopefully never.

12. I'm not sure that there is a movie that I wouldn't watch at least once (and given enough encouragement, twice - yeah, I'm talking about you, Armageddon!).

13. I have now, for the time being, stopped listening to Bruce.

14. I like to collect things, but not in any official way. More like a pack rat. I collect movies, books, and drinking glasses from the 80's. Like the ones that they used to give away at McDonald's that have The Muppets on them. I collect these things as though there will be a nuclear winter someday soon, and our new currency will be movies, books, & drinking glasses from the 80's

15. Two things make me realize that I am getting older: how often I think of what the world would be like if we still were without the internet & cell phones, and my inability to understand why America suddenly decided to love Lil Wayne.

16. Much of my time in my office, I am listening to background music from Disney parks. I love it. It's perfect to work to. Especially music from EPCOT. I don't know what this says about me, but it's true. When I switched from Bruce a few notes above, I put on the EPCOT opening medley from 1982. Hmm. (I don't get it either.)

17. Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I'm not sure that I can legitimately claim to be someone who reads books, especially books that aren't commentaries or something directly pertaining to my job. I wish this wasn't true.

18. The two things that have changed a lot of how I organize my schedule in the past 7 years have been getting a cell phone & getting a DVR. I can't think of another thing that has so fundamentally changed the way I viewed that particular medium.

19. Each of my "random things" are way too long.

20. When I was a kid, I subconsciously gave personality traits to letters and numbers, traits that I have realized are still embedded in my brain. For instance 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, & 8 are all guys. 4, 6, & 9 are girls. I don't know why, but they just are. A, J, K, M, Q, U,V, W, & Y are also ladies. That's just the way that my brain has always seen it, as plain as day. Also, R is really cool, and S & T hang out with R to be cool, but they are not as cool as R. I know that this sounds like I'm making this up to try and sound quirky or clever, but it's absolutely true. X is the coolest letter, and he doesn't need to prove it by being in a lot of words. He and Z just hang out at the end being the coolest. I am kind of that way with months of the year, too. (example: April & May are girls).

21. I haven't thrown up in at least 8 years. My goal is to never throw up again. I have never thrown up from my own behavior (something I did, like eating or drinking), which I think is the dumbest reason to throw up.

22. I have long planned to buzz my head if I ever start going bald, though I have realized over the past few years that I have a very oddly shaped, bumpy skull, so hopefully it won't have to come to that.

23. It is very interesting now living at an age where it makes sense to start having kids, and not yet having any. I am very aware of that sense that someday, I will look back at where I am now, and think, "I can't remember exactly what it was like to not have had kids."

24. I really like the smell of Yankee candles and Bath & Bodyworks Hand Sanitizers, both of which are often seen as rather feminine, but I don't care. They smell good.

25. I always wish there were more time.

Now that you read it, you have to do it, too.

Them's the rules.

Tag me in it so I can read it.