Shenanigans

That's what the teenagers are calling a blog meme that is based on this reality: Once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a note with 16 random things, shortcomings, facts, habits or goals about you.

1. Few things frustrate me more than when something doesn't work the way it's supposed to work when it's supposed to work. For example, yesterday, 70% of the pre-lit tree works. Fuses checked. Store no longer makes the replacement bulbs. Whenever that happens, in whatever form it takes, can change my entire mood and set it there for a lengthy period of time.
2. The thing I've been struggling with lately is gluttony...and not just because of Thanksgiving, either. Diet and exercise (actually, the lack thereof) are the chinks in my armor for some time.
3. I don't get into many television shows, but the ones I do, I REALLY get into. Every episode, in order. That's the only way I can do it.
4. I double-check all the doors to see if they're closed and locked before I go to bed, even if I watched someone else do it a half an hour earlier.
5. I made straight-A's my junior and senior year of college and only pulled my grade point average up to a 2.94. That GPA will go down a lot faster than it goes up. Seminary was a much happier GPA experience, which I think was due to the reality that I was paying for it.
6. As much as I try to learn about Kid2's ballet (steps, variations, insider vocabulary, etc.), there's no escaping the reality that it's like trigonometry to me. It simply doesn't compute in my brain. I do try, though.
7. I generally do well with New Year's resolutions. This year, however, has been an unmitigated disaster.
8. I've generally enjoyed every stage of parenting: Late night feedings (I got to watch SportsCenter), toddling, Legos/Sesame Street, elementary school, even middle school was enjoyable. Now, high school seems pretty good, too. Of course, my girls have made it somewhat easy on me thus far.
9. I've learned that being a father and husband DO NOT give you character. Both actually REVEAL what character you already have...or what you need to work on.
10. Night, rain & cold are way better to me than day, sun & heat.
11. I can juggle really well. Seriously. I can. I'm pretty good with a hackey-sack, too.
12. I've learned that most Christian literature is more weeds than grass, and I do want to do my best to fix that...I just have no idea when I'll get around to that.
13. I like my in-laws. All of 'em. Murray, Frances, Jodie & Stephen, Shane. Nieces & nephews.
14. Sometimes I think I'm callous about death. I don't know if that's because both my parents and grandparents all passed away by the time I was 40 or if it's theological in nature based on my beliefs. I'm kind of a "circle of life" kind of person in that regard. I understand grieving & loss, though, in spades. So, I get the IMPACT of death on those left behind.
15. I can't imagine my views will ever change on mobile phone rudeness, the importance of mass public transportation that works, lazy or overinvolved parents, and the damages of legalism in the spiritual life.
16. I can't envision a time in my life that our family will not have a dog.

Well, there you have it. I don't know if there's much there you didn't already know regarding me since I've likely blogged about some of these things over the years. But, these were off-the-cuff today.