It’s a fair cop.

Fish tagged me. Or, more precisely, fouled off a pitch he’d already been thrown and showed yours truly one of the perils of box seats behind the dugout. His heart was in the right place, though.

So. Five Things About Me You May Not Already Know (and Have Never Before Revealed on This Blog).

1. My first live “rock” concert was Styx at Veteran’s Auditorium in Des Moines, IA. I think it was the Paradise Theater tour. “Tonight’s the night we’ll make hiiiissssstoreeeeeee…”

2. I have congenitally crooked pinkies. (Imagine a little finger that’s a little too needy-clingy with a ring finger.) The left more than the right. The person in my family who had them before me was my maternal great-grandmother. But I passed them to my son. Go figure. So far, this genetic mutation has yet to translate into anything resembling a super power. Although it’s good for one-fifth of a blog post, and that ain’t nothin’!

3. I was an Armed Forces Radio DJ. Yes, like “Good Morning Vietnam” only 15 years later and about 85% less funny. I must've done something right, though; I managed to woo my wife, who applied for a work-study job at the station so she could stalk me. So far, it’s worked out pretty well. I have to say that being a military broadcaster is (or was) about the least military job you could do and be in uniform. What attracted me to the Army life, you ask? The thought of moving around only once every year or three was somehow strangely appealing. Maybe it was because...

4. I went to five high schools in four years. One in Oregon; four in Iowa. Go Millers! Rail-splitters! Indians! Cardinals! Tigers! My sophomore year, I was the new kid three different times. Which blew every bit as much as you can imagine. But wait, there’s more: I also went to five middle schools in two years. The fact that not one had the Nomads as their mascot is, I think, a sign that the universe has no sense of irony. It just enjoys fucking with me.

5. I’m pretty handy in the kitchen.* When we lived in Seattle, I came up with a recipe for salmon with blackberry sauce that got me into the finals of in the first Sunset Salmon Cook-off. The magazine flew five finalists and their guests to Palo Alto for a weekend of food, drink and conviviality that remains a gustatory high-water mark for me. Still, I can’t believe I came in second behind a guy from Phoenix. The shame! The ignominy! Don't get me wrong. It was a really good dish, but still. Phoenix!

*Actually, ADS regulars and pork-loving googlers know this, but I thought some elaborating evidence might be nice. If you ask nicely (maybe in the comments section [nudge, wink]), I’ll consider sharing the recipe.

As I understanding these things, this being my first tagging and all, I'm supposed to spread the love to five other unsuspecting fellow-rubesbloggers. So I nominate:

Ed, who despite being an old friend and a founding inspiration for A Drinking Song, is always good for something unexpected.

Tammara, who's probably weary of these things and will be hard pressed to come up five things she hasn't already blogged about with great eloquence and wit.

That Little Round-Headed Boy, the hardest-working, most underrated arbiter of the zeitgeist.

Irene Done, about whom I know only that we share the same job title and the same shameless zeal for Battlestar Galactica.

Mr. Seed, who seems to be having a little trouble getting out of the gate.

And, as a special holiday bonus, I'd love to know more about Aunty Christ, the second coming of one of my all-time faves.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not sure I have 5 interesting things about me.

fish said...

My first concert was Blue Oyster Cult in a high school gym in Manchester NH. Awsome at the time, sad and pathetic in retrospect. During Godzilla they had a 6 foot across plastic head with sparklers out the nose. Straight out of Spinal Tap.

Mr. Middlebrow said...

JT:
Don't sell yourself short, you're a tremendously interesting slouch. Hell, I can think of five TR-related things alone.

Fish:
Great story. (See how easy it is Jamie?) Of course it begs the question: was there, like, a 6-minute cowbell solo on "Dont Fear the Reaper"?

One of my favorite lines from TIST (after the obvious "These go to 11") is "Well, Boston isn't much of a college town." I figured the native New Englander in you might appreciate that.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'm scratching my head to think of stuff I haven't already blabbed about... I'll either come up with some or make something up!
;-)
I love that your wife stalked you.
I was laughing so hard at #4. You poor thing!!
Dammit, I still have to try that pork chop recipe of yours... thanks for reminding me!

Mr. Middlebrow said...

Tammara,

Thanks for popping by. Feel free to deflect the meme over to Paul if you think it might help him get over his post-crastination. Also, promise him pork chops. It's blogging synergy. Wee!

Elvis McFatPants said...

Ha ha! I have met your challenge and have come up with 5 really boring things about me. It was fun reliving the past. I have responded with this list on my site.

scorpionsandwich.blogspot.com

Thanks and enjoy. :-)

fish said...

"Well, Boston isn't much of a college town."

I remember laughing out loud when I saw that (in my apartment in Brighton, about 3 blocks from Boston College).

Anonymous said...

you had me at the Jeopardy entry - thus, your tagged on me blawg.

WINE comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.
-William Butler Yeats

Did I get her right?
Check out the one by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, same title.
Cheers, mate!

Mr. Middlebrow said...

WEOTT:

You got it exactly right--a welcome change from the usual association of A Drinking Song with JAWS. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Look for some reciprocal link-a-liciousness, coming soon.

Anonymous said...

First time I've seen this blog, I like your facts. :)