May 31, 2005
1. My uncle once: took me for a ride in the hills of Los Angeles in his Porsche 911. I was maybe 12. It was hot.
2. Never in my life: have I been sorry I met, dated, and married my wife.
3. When I was five: I used to have a Great Dane named Claudius. He was my refuge when I was sad. He was so big, I could lie on top of him and cry.
4. High School was: a long time ago, but I can't seem to let it go. In some ways, it was a better educational experience than anything that followed. It was that good. Really.
5. I will never forget: what I was doing when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Rest in peace, Mary Joe.
6. I once met: Peter Graves. He lived across the street from my aunt and uncle and I went and knocked on his door. He was pretty nice to me, but then, I was just a little kid. I also once met Danny Glover and his wife in Paris. They were lost and I stopped and gave them directions and some recommendations about where to go, all without ever letting them know I knew who they were. I figured that they were on vacation and the last thing they needed was my telling him how much I admired his work in Lethal Weapon.
7. There's this girl I know who: used to piss us all off as a control freak, but then she had kids and, believe it or not, totally relaxed and became very easy to be around. Odd, huh?
8. Once, at a bar: what do you mean, once? Ok, how about my friend almost got beat up by the bartender when he asked said bartender what his background was that facilitated his writing a book on Irish mythology. The bartender took exception. Tips may have been lower than usual that night.
9. By noon, I'm usually: wondering where the day went.
10. Last night: I came up to go to bed and found that the Girl Child was still awake. She came in to keep us company while we brushed our teeth and then she got into my bed with her two stuffed animals. I joined her and we cuddled. It was delicious.
11. If I only had: taken that stupid Chinese language course pass/fail Freshman year, I would have graduated Summa from college. Grrr.
12. Next time I go to church: it will most likely be for a funeral.
13. Terry Shiavo: should be left in peace and not used as a poster woman for anything.
14. What worries me most: is the very real possibility that I may fail to equip my kids with everything they need to get the most out of this great big life. And that the people I love won't know it always, which could be why I'm relentless and obtuse in making the point. [This was Jenn's answer and I have left it pretty much the way she put it -- how can you improve on perfection?]
15. When I turn my head left, I see: File cabinets overflowing with papers and files, representing years or work and tens of thousands of dollars worth of time.
16. When I turn my head right, I see: a wall with some old French legal prints and a print of a clipper ship under full sail. I like maritime art.
17. You know I'm lying when: beats me. Ask my wife. She always seems to know and she won't tell me how.
18. What I miss most about the eighties: the music. And my youth. Lacrosse. That big old Oldsmobile I drove. My buddy, Jeff and the people he and I used to be.
19. If I was a character in Shakespeare, I'd be: wearing a cod-piece and waving a bodkin.
20. By this time next year: I will have hopefully settled into a new house, new community, new life, and be totally and utterly consumed by a piece of litigation so large that it makes everything else I've ever done look like a rounding error.
21. A better name for me would be: something that shortens better.
22. I have a hard time understanding: ketchup on a hot dog (or catsup, for that matter). Also, why people reflexively blame America for everything that is wrong in the world. May be related to the ketchup thing.
23. If I ever go back to school, I'll: take a Ph.D in something I really want to know more about -- like Classical Studies, or Architectural History, or Economics, or Renaissance Studies.
24. You know I like you if: I give you shit. In a nice way. Not in that this is an invitation to step outside kind of way.
25. If I ever won an award, the first person I'd thank would be: my grandfather. Unless my wife was right there. Then I would have to thank her. I love my grandfather like nobody's business, but I have to go home with my wife.
26. Darwin, Mozart, Slim Pickens & Geraldine Ferraro: Marlin Perkins, Schubert, Johnny Cash & Maggie Thatcher.
27. Take my advice, never: if you want me to get so pissed off after I take the time to give it to you that I will write you off completely as not worth the time. I am only partially kidding.
28. My ideal breakfast is: brunch. I love brunch. And bloody mary's. Seriously, everything about a yummy brunch -- the eggs benedict, the roasted beasts, the salmon, the shrimp, the dessert tables, the sausage. Love brunch.
29. A song I love, but do not have is: nothing really comes to mind, actually.
30. If you visit my hometown, I suggest: brunch. There really isn't much to do in my hometown *cue Paul Simon -- my hometown. . . * but there is a hotel that does a nice brunch. See #28 above.
31. Tulips, character flaws, microchips & track stars: Honeysuckle, idiosyncracies, chocolate chips & shooting stars.
32. Why won't people: drive better?
33. If you spend the night at my house: you will stay up too late chatting and drinking wine and will fall asleep in our guest room, amidst many, many books.
34. I'd stop my wedding for: a Menthos.
35. The world could do without: cruelty to children. It lacerates my heart.
36. I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: Really? There's an answer to this?
37. My favorite blonde is: my wife, followed by my children.
38. Paper clips are more useful than: most other Norwegian inventions. Did you know that? Yup, a Norwegian invented the darn thing.
39. If I do anything well, it's: listen.
40. And by the way: did you really read everything or did you just skip to the end?
Posted by: Random Penseur at
11:21 AM
| Comments (12)
| Add Comment
Post contains 1156 words, total size 6 kb.
PMay 20, 2005
Eric got me on the this one:
List five things that people in your circle of friends or peer group are wild about, but you can't really understand the fuss over.
Ok, since I like Eric and I sort of think this one is interesting, I'll give it a shot.
First: Reality Television.
Reality television is not reality. I have seen very little of it and what I have seen is execrable. I don't really need that much crap in my life.
Second: Competitive Admission Pre-School
Ok, while maybe I do understand it, sort of, that there are a limited number of slots at good pre-schools in New York City (read: Manhattan) and every parent is convinced that his or her child will not get into Dalton if they don't go to Ms. Frobishers' Finishing School for the Pre-School Years, it's the hysteria part of this that I don't get. Schlepping your poor kid from interview to interview and test to test. For what? A pre-school where you get the chance to spend $12,000 a year for nose picking and finger painting? Please.
Third: College Savings.
Much of my peer group is consumed with the idea of college savings. We are more concerned at this point with retirement savings. As my wife points out to me, the kids can, if they have to, borrow money to go to college. No one will ever lend us money to retire. That said, we are putting money away for the kids, we're just not consumed with it.
Fourth: Golf.
I'm sure it's very nice and all, but have you ever been part of a golf conversation without wanting someone to come along and either shoot the people talking about golf or shoot you and you don't care anymore which it is?
Fifth: Crackberrys
Why do you want to be reachable from work all the time? Why is constant availability a virtue for most people? Why sit there and peck away, looking so terribly important, when all you're doing is exchanging bullshit with a friend? I don't get it. I don't have one and I don't want one.
END OF MEME ONE
START OF MEME TWO
Tinklebelle tagged me with a book meme:
1. Total number of books IÂ’ve owned
No idea. I can say that when we bought our last house, I had an additional 80 linear feet of shelf space put in and I've outgrown it in three years. We are voracious readers in my house.
2. The last book I bought.
I'm not 100% sure. There were two books. Right now, I'm not supposed to be buying any more books in light of the impending move. But the two I bought were:
Alexander Hamilton: A Life, by Willard Sterne Randall (currently a bargain selection on Amazon, I note); and,
Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything,
by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner.
3. The last book I read.
I am almost finished with Rubicon : The Last Years of the Roman Republic,
by Tom Holland. I would have finished it sooner, but I keep falling asleep on the train at night!
4. 5 Books that mean a lot to you.
Gee, I am not really sure. Some books have meant more to me at other times than now, for instance.
How about, and only as a partial list:
*Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth (a must read for any new parent)
*Kim, by Rudyard Kipling (inspired a life long fascination with the whole region)
*The Three Musketeers, Dumas (love historical fiction)
*The Norton Anthology of Poetry (enough said)
*Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950, by Martin Russ (the heroism of these brave men during a war we often forget about will take your breath away).
I think this list could go on and on, but I have to get some work done today.
5. Tag 5 people and request they fill this out on their journal.
Nope.
END OF MEME TWO
If you want to identify yourself and play along with either of these two memes, that would be great, but I'm not inclined to tag anyone else with any memes. Not really my thing. But thanks for asking me to play!
Posted by: Random Penseur at
10:36 AM
| Comments (12)
| Add Comment
Post contains 726 words, total size 5 kb.
62 queries taking 0.0338 seconds, 139 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
