100 Things About Me - Part One (aka: 1 - 50)

Have seen this thing called 100 Things About Myself going around the blogger world.  Thought I'd take a crack at it even though it's probably a little self-indulgent.  Will start out with 50 so you won't get too tired of reading.  Know quite a few people reading this already know me, or, at least think they do.  But, might throw something out there you didn't know about me.  Heck, might even learn something myself.  Will try not to mention anything you'd rather not have known.  If I do, hope you'll continue to be my friend, anyway.  So, if you're interested, here we go:

1. Was born June 15, 1968, in Mobile, AL, also the birthplace of Mardi Gras in the US.  (Sorry NOLA friends, you only resurrected it first after the Civil War);
2. Married since 1996 to my wonderful wife, Stacey
3. Have boy/girl twins who were born in 2001.  You'd be surprised how many times I've been asked if they are identical;
4. Although was born in the South, have lived here a majority of my life, and am dang proud to be a Southerner, will tell folks I grew up in Towanda, IL, cuz that's where we were during my formative years; 
5. Hobbies include golf, deer hunting, and fishing, or at least they used to be.  Now they are attending my son's sports games and my daughter's cheerleading events, playing with them when I am at home, exercising, and toodling around on the computer.  Really enjoy my new hobbies, but wish I had time to do the originals every now and then; 
6. Both of my parents are still alive as are both of my grandparents on my momma's side.  Am truly blessed all around to still have all of them;
7. Am a Christian; 
8. Member of First Baptist Church of Trussville; 
9. Graduated from W.A. Berry High School (it's now Hoover High for all you Two-A-Days fans);
10. Have a history degree from the University of Alabama.  Roll Tide;
11. Read the Bible just about every night.  Wife bought me an archeological Bible for Christmas this year.  Have learned a lot from it so far; 
12. Love a good debate (NOTE - debate, not argument) every now and then.  The subject don't really matter as long as I learn something from it;
13. Have a tendency to be a smartalec.  Because of the dry nature of my wit, people can't always tell whether I am joking or being serious.  Sometimes I really enjoy that ambiguity;
14. Love Clint Eastwood movies, especially the westerns; 
15. Love the entire Lonesome Dove series of novels/mini-series; 
16. Favorite animals: Tigers (an odd thing for an Alabama graduate) and ducks
17. Am in TV heaven right now since Biggest Loser, Amazing Race, Pawn Stars, Ax Men, Madhouse, and the granddaddy of them all, Survivor, are now on the air.  Will reach the next level of TV heaven when Deadliest Catch is back on the air with them; 
18. Really gonna miss Captain Phil Harris of the F/V Cornelia Marie.  Have some more thoughts to share on that in my next random subjects blog;
19. Drive a 2007 Toyota Tundra; 
20. Favorite vehicle I ever owned was a 1994 4-wheel drive Chevy S-10;
21. Duck Hill, MS, is one of my favorite places on earth.  Used to deer hunt there when I was a kid; 
22. Worked on my grandfather's farm in Sarah, MS, for four summers growing up.  Wouldn't trade those experiences for anything in the world; 
23. Favorite food:  Grandmama's apple pie.  That's all I'm gonna say about that; 
24. Second favorite food:  Sushi from Yamato's in Pensacola, FL.  Used to be like Terry Bradshaw when it came to sushi.  (You know, "they call that bait where I come from")  A friend of mine had me try it when I was in Miami once.  Been hooked ever since.  Yamato's has the best I've ever eaten;
25. Have met family all the way up to my great, great grandmother.  Think I was 5 or 6 when she died at the tender age of 98.  Her daughter (my great grandmother) was 93 when she passed.  Her daughter was mentioned in # 6.  Hope my longetevity gene comes from that side of the family; 
26. Can't always tell it, especially when you read this blog, but I minored in English.  Bet my ninth grade English teacher, Mrs. Hughes, wouldn't be happy to read this blog.  She got mad whenever we would say 'tin' instead of 'ten' for the number 10.  She was still one of my all-time favorite teachers, though;  
27. Not a very formal person.  Probably already figured that out, though;
28. Although I know the South had no chance of winning and we were dang fools for actually starting it, will still refer to the Civil War as the War of Northern Aggression when I'm in a playful mood;
29. Abraham Lincoln is my second favorite president.  Few people could have saved the US like he did.  Went to his memorial while in DC.  Took my hat off when I saw his statue and didn't realize it until I put it back on.  Only time can remember ever doing anything like that;
30. Would rather you think I'm not the brightest bulb in the bunch than think I'm a genius.  Realize that might not be much of a stretch for most of you;  
31. Have lived in Mobile, AL, Bloomington, IL, Towanda, IL, Knoxville, TN, Hoover, AL, Mobile, AL and Trussville, AL; 
32. Been known to sing in public, on purpose.  Ain't been booed off the stage, yet, but don't know why; 
33. Although I claim to be independent, have a tendency to vote Republican.  Did vote for Ross Perot back in 1992, though; 
34. Will usually write in a candidate whenever I'm not real happy with whoever's on the ballot.  Voted for my college bud Scott C for state supreme court once.  Now that he's moved to California, usually vote for my friend David V in the local/state elections.  Will still vote Scott for president, though, although we are on opposite ends of the political spectrum;
35. George Washington is my favorite president.  Hard to top the original cuz he could have turned it into a kingship if he were a lessor person.  Glad he didn't;
36. Believe the ancients were actually a lot smarter than we are today.  We could never build the things they did today without a computer, calculator, or some other sort of technology not available back then.  Ronald Reagan once said, "We might not have had those things.  But it took our generation to make them" in response to some kid asking him how RR's generation could understand the younger generation when they didn't have many of today's amenities.  Think that applies to many prior generations; 
37. Sometimes I wonder if we really are better off than our ancestors; 
38. Love Milk Duds and Milky Ways;
39. Would sit down and eat a gallon Cold Stone Creamery's Cookie Doughn't You Want Some if my wife would let me; 
40. Have enjoyed jogging a lot more than I thought I would, but don't think I want to run much further than a 5K; 
41. People seem to follow me but ain't figured out why, yet.  Maybe they are just curious to see where the monkey is going;
42. If it weren't for my wife, might not have a personal laptop or cell phone, yet; 
43. Always glad when I realize new friends are now old friends but wonder when the exact moment is that the transition is made; 
44. Learned a lot more about corporate life while working on the farm than you would think.  Will have to write a specific blog about that someday; 
45. Often wonder when all this gray hair showed up.  Gonna blame it on the time I had hi-lights put in my hair.  Don't ask; 
46. Got nine tattoos:  Calvin and Hobbes, a mallard, Taz, Yosemite Sam, a Christian fish, a black panther, a smallmouth bass, the Japanese symbol for twins, and the Japanese symbol for deer; 
47. Few things warm my heart more than listening to my children sing and/or hum; 
48. College was four of the best years of my life but don't think I would want to relive them; 
49. Can't think of many things in my life I would change if I could have a do-over; 
50. Hope to drive the Alaska Highway someday.

Well, that's all for now.  Not as easy as you would think.  Will finish in the next week or two.  Will have a random thoughts post before the week is out.

I am outta here.