10 January 2007

Tagged by Scott, Who Needs A Good Thwacking

I've been Orc-cootied…errr, tagged by Scott Oden to name "5 Crazy Things About Me".

That's kinda tough. I'm not a very wild and crazy person. As a matter of fact, I'm downright boring, I think. So following Scott's lead, I went with quirky. And stupid. I can do quirky and stupid.

1. When I lived in Italy I passed on the chance to go to Egypt on my fall vacation… because it involved getting nine shots. Instead I took a train by myself up to Amsterdam to go see a painting. (Like that wasn't more dangerous?) Yeah, you heard me. A painting. Wheatfield with Crows. Hey, it was a Van Gogh. To reiterate, I skipped a side trip to Egypt to go visit the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum. Then I turned around on Christmas break and hitchhiked across Sicily to see Greek temples. What did I know, I was like, 20, okay?? Get off my back.
2. In the Army Corps of Engineers, my job was blowing things up. (To be fair, we built things too, but it wasn't as much fun). I like alien killing video games, or war/covert ops games. I read military history for fun. I love Rome- the TV program, the era, the Byzantine parts, the whole Empire ambiance. I have a purple belt in karate. I'm the most non violent person I know -- or I'm schizophrenic, I haven't quite figured it all out yet, but I also have a counterculture hippie side that is into Tarot, aromatherapy candles, and Buddhism. Go figure.
3. I never was comfortable giving people orders even though I was a military officer. I still don't. I'm far too polite. (I even say please and thank you to the dogs. They seem to appreciate it.) The problem with being polite is it comes back to bite you. I'm taking mean lessons. My best friend went so far as to give me a new motto, soon to be emblazoned on a coffee cup. "No good deed goes unpunished."
4. I like toys. Still. I have a collection of action figures, model planes, helicopters and cars in my office, including a 12 inch tall Sgt. Lee Ermey (Mail Call) action figure that spouts Marine talk, and Butters from South Park complete with Underpants Gnome. I also have Happy Meal toys, and a foot tall Spongebob Squarepants doll my son won in a crane grab. A hyena that laughs from the Discovery Store. Origami desk calendars. A set of scale model CAT construction equipment painted in military camouflage. LOTR action figures arranged in a cheerleader pyramid. (Elves on bottom) A stress ball in the shape of a grenade. A D&D campaign map as a mouse pad. You get the idea.
5. Much to my teenagers dismay, I can whoop their butts at Halo and Republic Commando. Yeah, I still play games. Mostly video games, but board games, chess, and RPG's when I find willing victims. I tried playing my oldest child's favorite video game, Katamari, but rolling the world up in a ball didn't do anything for me. Neither does youngest child favorite Need for Speed, Various Incarnations, although racing willy nilly through the streets in a muscle car being chased by cops does have its appeal. And he starts driving next year? *shudders* I prefer the simple game pleasures of frag grenades, assault rifles, and kamikaze charges. Who knew?

I hereby tag KC, Carla, and Linda. You're it. Go, girls!

2 comments:

Carla said...

Fascinating list :-)

I'm not at all sure I can think of five remotely interesting things to say about me, but I'll give it some thought - don't hold you breath, though, as I may be some time!

Constance Brewer said...

Carla, I went with weird. I can do weird. My life is surreal, so it wasn't too hard to pick 5 things. Talk about why you like to write book reviews. What got you interested in history. Which periods in history. Hey, those are things I'm interested in. :)
Maybe I'll make up the Complete Idiots Meme for us after thinkers to do.