Ever since my 20th high school reunion last year, I have been subscribed to receive registration notices from the Lanier High School reunion site. It was fun last year to watch the familiar names appear each day in my Inbox, but a few months ago, the Class of 1986 began to register in force and the registration notices were becoming annoying. I was just about to unsub when a straggler from the Class of 1985 popped-up. It was (the former) Lisa Slagle! Lisa, Leah Langsdorf, Mat Farabee and I sat together at lunch every day of our freshmen year at Lanier and were good friends back then.
I dropped her an email and we are currently trying to get together with Mat for some catching-up. The last I heard, Leah lived out of state, or else we could try to find her, too. Maybe we can snap a photo of ourselves and send it to her.
Anyway, I told Lisa that if she wanted to get a head start catching-up with what has been going on with me, she could read my blog. So, in that spirit (and only in that spirit), did I agree to answer this ridiculous questionnaire that Rob sent me today. I did not do it because Rob argued that, “…you have to do it because I’m a veteran and disabled. So you have to do what I say.”
These were my responses:
1. FIRST Name
Jimmy aka James (on paper and in basic training) aka Jamie (Air Force) aka Jim aka Jimmay! (a current trend)
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
The James comes from my father and his father. Kenneth, my middle name, comes from a friend of my dad’s who helped my mom a lot while she was pregnant with me and dad was out working the roads of San Antonio as a state trooper. Kenny drove a green Corvette Stingray with side pipes and a custom license plate that read “BUNS.” You can lower your eyebrows, I’m almost a perfect genetic copy of my dad.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
I cry all the time. You mean that deep, gut-wrenching crying that hurts? Six months ago.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Meh. It’s serviceable and even neat, when I bother to make it so.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I am interpreting lunch meat to mean pressed meat or a sliced meat loaf. Pressed chicken breast.
6. KIDS?
No.
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOURSELF?
Statistically, no.
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
I used to keep a journal. Now I have a blog, which shares some elements of a journal, but isn’t quite the same thing.
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Yes, quite a lot.
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
No.
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
BTDT, bought the video, and would do it again.
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cold cereal is one of my favorite foods and with so many varieties, it would be very difficult to narrow down my list of favorites. Over the past few years, I suppose the one I keep going back to is Frosted Mini Wheats.
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
If I have to.
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG ?
[Russian]Strong like bear?[/Russian] I have been working out, so I’m pretty strong. At least I’m strong enough to keep my back from collapsing, which is what drove me to work out in the first place. I’m strong enough to pull my shoes off without untying them, so yeah, I guess I’m strong.
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Homemade vanilla, slightly soppy, with fresh cut peaches and a dash of cinnamon.
16. SHOE SIZE?
10½
17. RED OR PINK?
Red for steak, pink for hamburger.
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My ghostly pallor.
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
I miss a lot of people. I miss my grandmother the most.
20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Yes
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW?
Khaki pants, brown shoes.
22. WHAT DID YOU EAT LAST?
A small Quizno’s Sierra Smoked Turkey sub.
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The hum of the computer.
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Black. Use me, oh child. Let me be a tool to cry out your anguish. Wear me down to nothing drawing a thousand thick black tears streaming from your family portraits. Let the ochre and the lime green stand silently, mute against the travasties. Let the sky blue and yellow turn a blind eye. But not me. Not black. I will cry out for you.
25.FAVORITE SMELLS?
Wine fermentation
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
A co-worker asking me if something is wrong with the network.
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Eyes, smile, intelligence, sense of humor.
28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yes, I like him enough to indulge his request that I reply to it.
29. FAVORITE DRINK?
Sweet tea, vanilla malts. Drink drink? Bourbon Whiskey (lately it has been whiskey sours).
30. FAVORITE SPORT?
Auto racing
31. HAIR COLOR?
Dirty Blond. Grey has started to appear this year.
32. EYE COLOR?
Blue
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No.
34. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?
Steak, cheese, eggs, sandwiches, and cold cereal.
35. SCARY MOVIE OR HAPPY ENDING.
Ambiguous ending.
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
John Frankenheimer’s “Grand Prix”
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Black. Why didn’t you ask me that a minute ago, when you asked about my pants?
38. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Fall
39. HUGS OR KISSES?
Kisses
40. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Ice Cream (and variants), Pie (and variants, like cobbler)
41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
n/a
42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
n/a
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
On the Road (Audio) – Jack Kerouac
On Mexican Time – Tony Cohen
44. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Nothing.
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
Smith
46. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
Footsteps on gravel
47. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
48. THE FURTHEST YOU BEEN FROM HOME?
In miles? Prague, Czech Republic
49. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
No.
50. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
July 14, 1967 at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.
jimmy
Thanks for answering that “ridiculous questionaire”. And thanks to Rob for sending it to you. I enjoyed reading your responses. We can talk about this further over dinner, but Leah is in Ohio these days. We can raise a glass to her and take a photo. She’ll love it!
you crack me up Bro.
your wit and humor never fail to make me grin. I”m passing your blog on to another blogger. I think he might enjoy your site. is that okay? is that a faux pas in cyber world? I don’t want to do anything culturally offensive.
sis boom ba
by the way:
I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WENT TO LANIER! so did I, before meeting my best friend, your wife, In Rockdale.
small world. And of course, I wouldn’t have known you there since you are such a youngin’. But I bet we had some of the same teachers!!!!
Hey sis,
Glad you are enjoying the blog. Go ahead and send it to whomever you want. Heck, my readership might go up to eight or nine people! Big time, here I come!
jimmy