1. Whey protein powder makes my esophagus spasm, but I really like my soy protein powder. I mix up a tasty soy protein shake after every long run to help my leg muscles recover.
2. I get annoyed when servicepeople come over to do a job and spend half their time talking. You’re certainly welcome to your opinions, but your boss is paying you to fix stuff, not try to convince me that global warming is fake or that the government is evil. (I’m looking at you, AC guy!)
3. We change insurance companies every couple of years, it seems. I learned last night that we can save about $300/year by switching back to Progressive. I’m sure Flo will be happy. I would rather NOT have a local agent (ex. Allstate, State Farm, etc.) with whom I must interact.
4. Even though I’m not a fan of unions in general, with the Southwest-AirTran merger looming, it’s nice to know that some people will fight for my interests with regard to seniority. (It’s painful to admit that, though.)
5. I greatly admire people who fight for a cause they believe in. Some of my friends fight for animal rights or try to help homeless pets. Some write letters to elected officials. Some volunteer with local or foreign organizations. It’s awesome. I talk about causes a lot and give money to various groups, but I don’t give much of my time other than occasionally giving blood. That bothers me.
6. Whenever I enter the breakroom at work, I secretly hope that someone has set out some free desserts. We don’t have much sugar in the house anymore, which is good, but I miss it. When people bring stuff in, I tend to go a bit nuts.
7. Sometimes I toy with the idea of making extra cash by setting up WordPress websites for local businesses. Part of my motivation, other than money, is my frustration with some of the hard-to-use, unattractive small-business websites I find. (You probably know what I’m talking about.) WP is a great platform that can be used for a blog or just a static website. For various reasons, I haven’t pursued it yet, but I might. I haven’t figured out how to pitch myself, though. “Hi, your website sucks. Will you pay me lots of money to fix it?” doesn’t seem quite right.
8. I’m decent at writing stories but horrible at telling them out loud. That’s why I don’t do it unless coerced. It just doesn’t come naturally to me because I need time to figure out the best way to tell it.
9. On a cold winter’s night, I love to step outside and breathe the air, which smells so clean at that temperature. It reminds me of walking through ski villages at night on family vacations, a nearby fireplace garnishing the air with a hint of smoke.
10. I started thinking Jenny might be “the one” at the end of our first date. I’d never clicked with anyone so quickly as I did with her. Turns out I was right.

It’s been a while, so let’s see what I can dig up…

1. I’m reading a lot more books than I did a year or two ago, all nonfiction – some theology, some parenting, some historical. As a kid I loved both fiction and nonfiction. As an adult, I prefer to learn something when I read instead of just being entertained, although I certainly don’t find fault with those who love fiction.
2. A couple of weeks ago, I ran a mile in under seven minutes. That’s still pretty slow compared to some (the record is under 4 minutes), but for me that’s a huge accomplishment. Take that, asthma!
3. Speaking of asthma, I fear I have passed it on to Brenden. In the last couple of months, he’s done two ER visits and three urgent care visits due to breathing troubles. We now have a home nebulizer with which we give him preventative meds twice daily and albuterol as needed. Even though I didn’t choose to give him asthma, I still feel bad about it.
4. The older I get, the more postmodern my spiritual views become.
5. Except for a sip of wine as a kid, which I hated, I didn’t drink at all until my 21st birthday. My first real drink was an Ultimate Mudslide at TGI Friday’s in Waco. Good stuff right there.
6. I support a soda tax.
7. I’ve gone to Irving Bible Church since 2001 and still am not officially a member. I don’t see the point of church membership. IBC doesn’t seem to care, either.
8. I started shaving my armpits like a swimmer. It helps me smell better, especially after I work out. Men, you should try it. Ladies, if you don’t already, it’s time.
9. My first kiss happened at age 15, right before my 16th birthday, with a girl I knew from church. She was a good kisser. That helped prolong our doomed relationship.
10. I find it disturbing that during our bedtime prayer, Brenden consistently wants to thank God for McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A.

Ten more…line ’em up!

1. I was quite possibly the worst baseball player ever as a little kid. After getting hit in the arm by a pitch or two, I decided I was afraid to swing in case I got hit again. So I went to the plate and either walked or struck out. I quit after that season.
2. Speaking of baseball, I attended the final game at the old Arlington Stadium and the first game at the new Ballpark in Arlington.
3. In a quiet setting, I can hear faint noises quite well. In a noisy situation, I often find it difficult to filter out the background noise so I can understand what people are saying.
4. My musical tastes depend on the setting. In the car, I like rock and pop. If I’m studying or napping, I prefer classical or silence. If I’m relaxing at home alone or the only one awake, I like smooth jazz and new age.
5. To save water and heating costs, I sometimes turn off the water while I soap up and turn it back on to rinse. Hey, it saves a few gallons! Supposedly Jennifer Aniston does the same thing.
6. My first real job was taking care of kids at the City of Coppell Day Camp during the summer after my freshman year of college. I made 10 bucks an hour, not bad for a college summer job. I couldn’t stand my boss. I liked my coworkers and most of the kids. Most of them are probably in college right now. I feel old.
7. When people ask how tall I am, and I tell them six feet, they are generally shocked that I’m not taller. I don’t understand why. Maybe it’s my boots with the two-inch heel?
8. I admire people who tell me the truth straight-up instead of sugar-coating everything and hiding what they really feel. I like to know where I stand with you. However, I find it difficult to do myself, especially in-person.
9. Cruises are my favorite form of vacation. We’re planning one to the Bahamas in October. I can hardly wait!!
10. I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Sam Adams Winter Lager or Summer Ale or Corona with lime.

Let’s see if I can dig up 10 more…

1. Like my brother-in-law Phillip, I get grumpy when I’m hungry. It’s hard to think about anything other than food. Anything other than my quest for food becomes an irritation. Maybe that Maslow guy was onto something after all.
2. When I’m watching or feeding Brenden, I find it difficult to concentrate on anything else. When we’re at dinner with friends or family and I’m the one responsible for him, don’t be surprised if I can’t have a normal conversation with you. I’m sorry! It’s probably hard to understand if you don’t have kids yourself.
3. Strangely, some guys are intimidated by smart girls. I dig them. I even married one.
4. January 18, Jonathan’s scheduled delivery date, is the same date that my best friend’s son Lacy IV was born 2 years ago.
5. I HATE being teased – not really because it hurts my feelings, but because I never know how to respond. I might think up a good comeback an hour later. In the moment, I just feel stupid and awkward, especially if other people are around waiting for my reaction. Fortunately, my inability to fire back significantly reduces the fun factor, so I don’t get teased very often.
6. I am strongly anti-abortion. Life begins at conception, period. I have seen a baby’s heart beating at 10 weeks old. Yes, unplanned pregnancies are inconvenient, but it’s not the baby’s fault the woman doesn’t want him. Thousands of loving families, including one I know, would give almost anything to adopt the baby she doesn’t want to raise.
7. Several years ago my dad and I went skiing in Canada during a freakish cold snap. The resort had an outdoor hot tub that we couldn’t pass up. Guys had ice on their eyelashes, and their adult beverages turned to slush in their hands. After I got my hair wet, it froze in place.
8. I finally understand why my parents were so concerned about my safety during my childhood. I feel a tremendous sense of protectiveness over Brenden and search often for potential dangers. When he gets hurt on my watch, I will feel terribly. I’m thankful that nothing serious has happened so far.`I’m curious to see how my views will change as he grows older and more independent.
9. I can pull both shoulders out of socket. No, it doesn’t hurt. No, it hasn’t made me any money, either.
10. I honestly enjoy my job and don’t mind being at work. I’m also thankful for the past jobs that I hated because they make me appreciate my current one even more.

It’s not always easy to come up with ten facts! Let’s see how I do…

1. My left eyelid droops a bit, especially when I’m tired.
2. I weigh about what I did in high school, actually less than I weighed when I played on the tennis team. I credit good genetics rather than any particular effort by me.
3. My mind frequently moves faster than my mouth, giving me a tendency to mumble, talk too fast, and combine words improperly (e.g. if I’m quickly debating whether to call something either fast or quick, I might say it’s “quist” instead). That’s one of the main reasons I would rather write than talk. At least in writing, I have a delete key.
4. I wrote a novel in high school. It wasn’t all that great, but I’m proud that I finished it because it took a lot of work. I rewrote it over the next few years and then turned it into a screenplay. Neither has been sold or probably ever will, and I’m OK with that.
5. I wish I could play piano and compose like Vince Guaraldi, the guy who provided the fantastic jazz music for the Charlie Brown Christmas special. I just downloaded that album using one of my iTunes gift cards I got for my birthday.
6. I do a lot to be green, but not as much as I could. I drive an efficient car conservatively, reuse shopping bags, go easy on the thermostats, try not to water my lawn, etc. One of the greenest changes I could make would be to go vegetarian, but I just can’t bring myself to do it because A) it would make my life much more complicated, especially when eating out or at family functions, and B) I just like meat too much.
7. I once had dinner in New York sitting a few feet away from the stuttering lawyer from My Cousin Vinny. No, I didn’t bother him. And no, he didn’t stutter.
8. Childishly, I am still bitter that I got wait-listed by Rice University instead of accepted outright. I wouldn’t have gone there either way, but I still wanted to be accepted. It’s a pride thing that I need to work through.
9. Although I have a very Western perspective on medicine (measurable, scientific, evidence-based, etc.), I wonder whether Eastern medicine has validity as well. After all, hundreds of millions of people believe in it and trust their bodies to it.
10. In sixth grade I studied tae kwon do for about a year and really enjoyed it, reaching the intimidating rank of green belt. Someday I’d like to try it again, possibly with Jenny and the boys if they are interested. It was a great way to improve balance, strength, grace, discipline, and self-confidence.

I’ve posted dozens of random facts about me already, some merely amusing, some strange, some perhaps a bit surprising. This time I thought I would post ten things that might actually shock you. I’m proud of a few of these but ashamed of most. Drumroll, please…

1. Remember those naked 5k races I posted about a couple of years ago? Yeah, I ran one. It was awesome. I placed third in my age group. I can show you my medal. And my souvenir t-shirt.
2. I once broke up with a girl over IM.
3. As a teenager some friends and I threw Monopoly and Life money all over a local televangelist’s yard. Years later he mentioned the incident to a reporter while complaining about how mistreated he was.
4. My shortest dating relationship (if you use a very broad definition of “dating”) lasted about 18 hours. We were on a church beach retreat. I made the mistake of telling current girlfriend that I still needed to break up with Internet girlfriend once I got home. Honesty isn’t always the best policy when you’re an IDIOT.
5. I broke up with another girlfriend the day after I took her to prom. This time I used the phone.
6. I once delivered alcohol to a minor. At Baylor. To a dorm room.
7. I skipped one class during my sophomore year of high school. At the time I thought I had a good reason, but it was actually a pretty stupid reason.
8. I once wore a red bandanna on my head to Six Flags. Somehow it made sense at the time. No, I’m not a Blood. Just thought I would clear that up.
9. I wish some people could be forcibly sterilized because they don’t deserve to be parents.
10. During a Truth or Dare session in high school, I was forced to pole-dance in my underwear under a streetlight. Three people were present, two ladies and a dude. They were friends from my youth group. I don’t think any of them read this blog, but I’m sure they remember the incident. Unless they had that memory erased.

Please vote in my new poll for the one that shocked you the most. As always, I welcome your comments.