Teach42

Well, I done been tagged by a few friends over the vacation that was far too short, so Kathy, Chris and Beth, this post is for you! (As I just discovered, David Jakes too!)

Five things you may not know about me:
1) I’m a geek. No, seriously, I really mean it. I’m not talking about just an ordinary nerd. I love role playing but haven’t gotten to do it since college since none of my Chicago friends do. And I wasn’t content to just play the usual Dungeons and Dragons, I played Shadowrun, Rolemaster (aka Chartmaster), GURPS, and Vampire the Masquerade. Heck, I even dressed up like a Vampire and did Live Action Role Playing on many an occasion. Yes, I love video games and regularly play my XBox 360 and Sony PSP, but that isn’t even geeky anymore. What I really miss is playing obscure board games like Illuminatus!, Axis and Allies, and The History of the World. I even used to play a Lord of the Rings game via mail. You would figure out your turn, mail it in and in a couple of weeks you’d get new information to figure out your next turn with. Yes, I had a map of Middle Earth hanging in my kitchen. I played Magic the Gathering before alpha cards were called alphas and the only rule in a tourney was ‘Don’t deal from the bottom of your deck’. I can read binary pretty well. I’m a huge Star Wars fan and have way more toys than a grown man ought to. If you’ve seen my Permanent Record presentation, then you know that I have also sewed myself a Jedi Costume and have even worn it out in public on days other than Halloween. I still read comic books periodically, mostly X-Men and Spider Man. *sighs* My son has no chance at all of ever winning the Heisman…

2) I have music in the blood. My grandfather taught music privately and I inherited his violin, banjo and guitar. I don’t know how to play any of those though. I’m a pianist and percussionist, but I don’t do much of either anymore. In high school, I played in 6 bands and orchestras daily and performed with 3 others. I started off college in music education before switching eventually to elementary education. Yes, I played in the University of Iowa Marching band for one year. I was on the cymbal line, which was fun to do, but I’ve never been too fond of organized marching. Throughout high school and college I made a living DJ’ing weddings, bar mitzvah’s, fraternity parties and 80’s nights at a local bar. I’d love to hook up with a local symphony sometime, but for now the only drumming I do is on tables and steering wheels. Yes, it drives my wife crazy.

3) I’m a huge fan of the Beatles, but John Lennon in particular. I think one of the things that appeals to me so much about him is the way he was able to strip away all the garbage and get right down to the essence of an idea. Example: War is over (if you want it). You don’t need a degree to understand a song like Working Class Hero or Power to the People. The music is simple, the lyrics are direct, and most of all he emphasizes how much control people really have over their own destiny.

4) I’ve completed a marathon, a triathlon and a 6.5 hour adventure race. I’m not an athlete. Heck, if you’ve met me in person, you know I’m pretty darn far from it. However, you know they say that running is 75% mental? Well, that’s the part that I can do. Mentally, I can keep myself going. At this point, I really do hate long distance running, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. Anytime some task seems to be an overwhelming challenge, I think about to those last few miles of the marathon and it helps put things in perspective. My sister Laura, who is a personal trainer and in amazing shape, ran the majority of the marathon with me. She didn’t sign up for it, she just jogged along with me and helped keep my spirits and motivation high. I hope someday to be able to repay her for the support she gave me that day, mile after grueling mile.

5) My wife kicks ass. She’s a bigger football fan than I am, she enjoys watching poker and wrestling on TV and doesn’t mind at all when I head over to a local cigar bar to partake in the occasional stogie (so long as I shower and change when I get home). She encourages me to enjoy the yearly Vegas trip with the guys and has backed me 100% whenever I’ve had some crazy idea that I wanted to try. She’s always helped me keep my feet on the ground while encouraging me to reach for the stars. She has put up with the all night poker games and Halo LAN parties, and does an amazing job of organizing our SuperBowl party every year. She makes me laugh and she punches me when I’m doing something stupid. She is a fantastic artist and I hope she starts painting again as our son grows up, because he certainly won’t get any art experience from me. She doesn’t rub it in much that she’s way better at Bejeweled type games than I am. She’s so beautiful that sometimes I catch myself just staring at her and thinking to myself how lucky I really am. She’s been an amazing wife for the last 5 years and she’ll be an amazing mother any day now. I must have done something right in a past life, because I get to spend every day with her. Love you Jess!

Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. You wanted me to babble on for five bullet points? Consider it done! Now it’s my turn to tag a few people.
* John Blake
* Mister Teacher, James Tubbs
* Susan Sedro
* Steve Burt
* Brian Lamb

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