25 Things... Plus a Few More

1. It pleases me that I’m a fourth-generation native Texan, and that both my kids are native Texans.


2. I often remind myself of Kathy Bates’ famous quote from The Waterboy: “You don’t have what they call the social skills.”


3. Speaking of which: My first date with Staci was to the Wesley Foundation’s annual Spring Banquet. I got the Office Manager to find out if Staci would go with me (and I was 22 years old!).


4. I don’t have allergies, but I have been diagnosed with “chronic non-allergy rhinitis,” for which there’s no known cause and no known cure. Every couple of months or so, I have an “allergy meltdown” day, which involves uncontrollable sneezing and dozens of Kleenexes. On those days, the only thing that really gets the symptoms under control is sleep.


5. My biggest fear in life is that I’ll get to the end of it and realize how much more meaning and depth God had intended for me.


6. I’m still pleased that I was able to complete a sprint triathlon in 2008. Also, considering that it took me two years to raise my swimming ability from “Certain to Drown” to “Below Average,” I’m confident that anyone could do a triathlon.


7. I’ve become one of those weirdos who takes a fistful of vitamins every day. I figure I’m especially strange because I also take a supplement that’s made for livestock (there’s a link with more info on my posted items).


8. I used to go skydiving with Jon Mitchell. I was going to quit after jump #15 because it was getting time- and cost-prohibitive, but on jump #14 I forgot to pull the ripcord and nearly died. That was it for me.


9. Staci and I had a son who was stillborn in October 2005. Observing my daughter over the last six months has taught me volumes about what honest grieving and heartfelt remembrance looks like.


10. I realized nine weeks into my junior year of high school that I’d been referring to a classmate by the wrong name. Now, if I’m not at least 99% sure I have your name right, I’m likely to greet you with something like, “Hey! How’s it going, Mmmth?”


11. I was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan until Jerry Jones bought the team. These days, I give the Cowboys a polite golf clap when they do well, and I’m an avid baseball fan. (If I don’t point this out, someone else will: Since Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys, they’ve won three Super Bowls; meanwhile, the Texas Rangers have won one playoff game.)


12. One time on a spelunking trip, and friend and I got left by the rest of the group. I was kinda disappointed when the guide came back and found us, because I knew we’d found the right trail to get out.


13. I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I wasn’t a Christian. I’m pretty sure I’d be more financially prosperous, and a whole lot more miserable.


14. I’ve sensed for a while now that my life will eventually revolve around missions work, although I still don’t know when, where, how, or why.


15. I never drank until after I got married. Now I enjoy a variety of beers and wines, although mainstream American beers (e.g. Coors, Budweiser, etc.) are an abomination, and should be used only for killing weeds and cockroaches.


16. People at work tease me about how strict I am with my kids, but really I think they are absolutely delightful! (That is, my kids are delightful. My co-workers are… also human beings.)


17. One of these days, Staci and I want to be in Sydney for the New Year’s Eve fireworks. New Year’s Eve, fireworks, middle of summer: It doesn’t get much better than that!


18. I have extensive, first-hand knowledge of the tunnels under Monterey High School. Other guilty parties tagged in this note shall remain nameless (at least until their kids are old enough to appreciate hearing the stories!).


19. I’m in a covenant group with Monty, Jeff, and Jason. The relationships I’ve developed with those guys are among the biggest blessings I’ve ever received.


20. I think it’s pretty cool that I’m left-handed, and I think it’s pretty cool that my daughter is, too.


21. I’m a horrible dancer. People tell me I need to listen for the beat, and I say, “The what?” (Side note: I took a beginning swim class a while back [see #6 above], and the instructor told me I needed to move through the water like I was dancing. When I mentioned I’m not any good at dancing, she replied, “No shit!”)


22. I’m getting better about this, but I’ve never really been comfortable being who I am. Staci once told me, “I wish you could see you the way other people see you.”


23. I’m incredibly near-sighted (-9.50 in both eyes). I’d like to have Lasik surgery, but my optometrist told me that since I’ve been wearing contacts for 20+ years, I would probably end up needing a corneal transplant five years down the road.


24. I can wiggle my ears (but it embarrasses me greatly whenever somebody asks me to do it).


25. I appreciate having a job that includes air conditioning, but I experience life most when I’m outdoors.


26. I’d pretty much always rather be too hot than too cold.


27. Like so many people who grew up in Lubbock, I had to move away to appreciate what a great place to live it is.


28. I’m convinced God has a sense of humor.


29. My future goals include running a marathon and completing the Buffalo Springs Lake triathlon, although my training has been affected by a bad psoas muscle. I believe it’s caused by a leg-length deficiency.


30. I’m basically a nerd, but this is just about the nerdiest thing ever: I really wanted to graduate magna cum laude from Tech, but I was poised to finish with a 3.699 GPA. I added a bowling class to my final 12 hours of summer school to raise my GPA to 3.701.


31. I’m a competitive person, but only when I feel like I can or should win. If we’re playing air hockey, spades, or Text Twist, then my goal is to crush you in the most gracious and merciful way possible. When it comes to playing something like miniature golf, I’m more able to just enjoy the experience.


32. I think pigeons are rats with wings, and I secretly cackle when I see one of their eggs splatted on the sidewalk outside my building. Some people say they’re God’s creatures, too. I say we should send as many as possible back to heaven so He can enjoy them more intimately.