Monday, October 15, 2007

Seven Facts


Facts are simple and facts are straight
Facts are lazy and facts are late
Facts all come with points of view
Facts don't do what I want them to

-Talking Heads, "Crosseyed and Painless"


I recently got tagged by Samurai Frog, and ordered to reveal seven facts about myself. A similar meme-like object circulated through blogworld back in July; since those big 8-fact Facty McMansions didn't move, they've now been reduced to more manageable 7-fact duplexes.

At times I find facts to be very much overrated, but for now I'll let that go and just, uh, stick to the facts:

1) I frequently plan trips that I will probably never take, sometimes in great detail. At least now that we have an interwebs connection, MizBubs no longer has to hear the words she used to dread: "
I've sent for some brochures." I used to have a file cabinet full of travel-related maps, catalogs and brochures.

2) I recently dropped my plan to attend graduate school and get an MBA. I'll take sanity instead. I initially postponed my entry (I was scheduled to start classes the week after my friend died) but now, thinking through things more clearly, I've decided that I really don't want to go back to school. Really, most of the time, other than being around MizBubs, the girls and my friends, I'd rather not do much of anything at all.

3) I love camping, canoeing and hiking, but I only went camping once in all of 2007. I need to get out more, because those are all things that make me truly happy, and they've been missing from my life for the past year or so.

4) I own six guns and will probably buy some more in the next few years.

5) I've taken swing dancing lessons twice with MizBubs, and want to take some more. I've gotten rusty, and I was never slick in the first place.

6) One thing that's kept me out of trouble all these years is my firm belief that if I ever do anything wrong, I
will be caught. When I was in 8th grade we lived close to the Delaware river, and my parents forbade me from fishing along its banks. I had to fish in the canal or at a local pond. A friend of mine, an avid fisherman, fished in the river and was always trying to get me to go with him. One day, my mom, dad and brothers took off to go somewhere for the day. Once they left, I called my friend and we headed down to the river, where we spent most of the day fishing. After several hours, we climbed up the riverbank, back to the edge of River Road. Just as we emerged from the trees and prepared to cross, my family drove by. I had one of those frozen-in-time moments, where the car seemed to slow down as all its occupants turned in unison to stare at me. The day did not end well for me, and I've stayed out of trouble since.

7) I'd like to take cooking classes for fun. I don't think MizBubs knows this about me.


Now for the passive-aggressive tagging part, where I inflict this on others whether they like it or not.

You're it:

MizBubs
Splotchy
Dale
Kirby, of I Make No Promises
Mr. Write Procrastinator
Beckeye
Evil Dictator

And anyone else who'd like to share. Knowledge is power!


15 comments:

Dale said...

That number 6 has the best smirk inducing imagery I've read/seen in a while Bubs. I'm not sure there are seven things left about me anyone needs to know. I'll ponder it though.

Dale said...

I meant to add smile to the smirk up above. Oops.

SamuraiFrog said...

I'm with you on number 2; I'd like to be doing not much of anything myself. Independent wealth, why haven't you come to me yet?

Seriously.

I'd love to taking cooking and dancing classes, too.

Great post. Number 6 made me laugh; I know the feeling all too well. I didn't learn from it.

Writeprocrastinator said...

"I recently dropped my plan to attend graduate school and get an MBA. I'll take sanity instead."

Jinx The Cat: I hate those thesis, to pieces.

I can relate to 6, though the thought of karma compensates, where the fear of getting caught doesn't.

Moderator said...

You and I lead very similiar lives with the exceptions of: 2 - I've long eyed a law degree, not an MBA, 3 - I only like to read about hiking and camping, 4 - I was willed guns via my grandfather but sold them, and 8 because I'd much rather go out for dinner than cook because I'm lazy.

Other than that...

Danny Tagalog said...

Procrastination - my biggest sin too. But cheers for reminding me to listen to Remain In Light:)

Dino said...

I have to agree with you on number 6 I would always get caught so I rather just don't do it. I like camping (with a tent) but I haven't been able to go in years

Erik Donald France said...

"I've sent for some brochures" cracked me up. All interesting.

Delaware River? I'm from near the Del. Water Gap, East Stroudsburg, PA. But we moved out when I was a kid -- to near Chicago.

Joe said...

Erik, no kidding? I lived in Yardley, across the river from Trenton NJ, a couple miles from where Washington crossed the Delaware.

Katy, doesn't it stink that you can't get away? I realized that not camping had really bummed me out.

Danny, good to see you! I love what Write Procrastinator says--something like procrastination: it's crack for writers. Well, I'm here to tell you it's crack for non-writers too.

Grant Miller, it's uncanny isn't it?

Samuraifrog, it's kind of liberating when you decide you really don't care about achieving anything.

WP, if I stop long enough to think about karma I'll REALLY be scared.

Dale, we must know more. We MUST. So please, give it your best effort. Here we are now, entertain us.

Anonymous said...

Thy will be done.

Splotchy said...

I'll get this as soon as I am able. I have that hook up my cassette deck to my computer first.

Don't ask.

Mizbubs said...

Fact #1, you love forcing me to be public.

Oh, that's about you, not me...

I didn't know you want to take cooking classes! That could be good to relieve the February blahs.

lulu said...

You know, you could plan a trip (and actually take it) to Thailand, to take cooking classes! Wouldn't that be fun!?!? You and mizbubs would LOVE LOVE LOVE it, and I would love the conpany!

Coaster Punchman said...

Poor George would be happy to provide you one cooking class some time.

I think you made a good choice on the MBA thing - for me, going back to school as an adult nearly killed me, and I wasn't even working full time.

Melinda June said...

Tell you what, bubsy. Some trip to the midwest you and mizbubs can make me a slew o' those bourbon cocktails you bang on about and I'll impart all of my recently acquired MBA knowledge. We'll make up some MJ University and you can add that to the old resume instead.

I'm much more entertaining than your average 4x4 matrix, if I do say so myself. And I have 200 travel brochures sitting in a recycling bin at my desk, so I can bring those along and save you the postage.

This is a most excellent list. You sound like a happy man.