Tuesday, February 03, 2009

 

25 boring things

Well, I don't think I can come up with 25 things about myself that would not put everyone to sleep, but here goes.

1. My Favorite book from an entrainment perspective is probably "Catcher in the Rye" from my formative years and Jurassic Park in my "golden years". One of the most informative books I have read is "The Great War for Civilization". I highly recommend it for people who have only seen the middle east from the view point of American journalism.

2. I love trees! I don't see how anyone could doubt that there is a God if they have ever seen a giant redwood or a sequoia. The greatest tragedy in American forestry was the extinction of the American Chestnut. The last one died out in the 30's.

3. I must not be a person that easily makes close associations with people. I have not made any friends since college, I have acquaintances, but not close friends. My two best friends have passed away. Hap died of lung cancer in his early forties and Danny died in 1999. I still miss Danny terribly. I used to call him at least 5 times a w eek and the conversations would go on for hours. We laughed, talked about the 'Horns and discussed what was going on, both the good and the bad. I think AT&T dropped three points the day Danny died. Interestingly, Hap and Danny were my best friends but I was not their best friend.

4. Sharon was my first love at the ripe old age of 25. I was lucky enough to have met and married the only girl who would have put up with my sorry butt for over 40 years.

5. The most relaxing sound to me are cows baying and a train whistle, both at night. Earlier blogs explain why.

6. I have always been a conservationist or environmentalist. Not to the extent of Joey and Petie, but extreme in my age group. I was writing letters, with little or no response, in my early twenties. I guess that some of that rubbed off on Petie and Joey. I am sure that the yearly camping trips during their early years also helped form their views.

7. I loved to play sports when I was younger. I now say, you know, I played a lot of sports when I was younger, but I wasn't very good. I hated organized football. Those two a days before school started were terrible. I am amazed more high school football player do not die in Texas. Back in my day, you were not allowed to drink water, even in the extreme heat. The coaches were making us tough.

8. One of the things I miss most is the wind in your face after you have been running for more than a hour. I wish track had been more of a sport when I was in high school. I believe I could have been a good middle distance runner if I had worked at it and didn't smoke.

9. I never could dance a lick. I didn't understand why. I guess I just did not have any rhythm.

10. I like a wide variety of music. I used to really like county music but I do not like what it has evolved into. Give me Hank Williams, Ray Price and Patsy Cline. You can have these new guys, they suck.

11. My childhood heroes were Ted Williams and Don Drysdale. I could tell you the line up of every major league team and come within 3 or 4 points of their batting average when I was younger. Now, I couldn't even tell you who plays for the Houston Astros. I completely lost interest in major league baseball in the 70's when utility infielders made over $100,000 dollars. The last pro basketball game I watched from tip off to buzzer had Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain as opposing centers. However, I still like pro football, but not as much as college football.

12. I was a computer programmer for 35 years and never learned to type. That is the main reason for so many typos and it is embarrassing.

13. Hate the phrases "How fun is that?" and "How are we doing". "How are we doing" is a phrase used by a lot of nurses. I take it like they are talking down to me as a child. I'll bet my IQ is a least 20 points higher than theirs and they are talking down to me. I usually respond by saying "I cannot speak for you". I also do not like it when a doctor introduces himself as "I am Doctor Smith". I have on several occasions replied " I am computer programmer Stultz".

14. The dumbest thing I have ever done happened while I was in high school. One weekend during the summer, I went with Glenn King to visit his girl friend, Robbin. We drove from Longview to Queen City, or something like that, Arkansas. Glenn, Robbin, another girl and I dove out of town to where a bridge crossed a river. There was a board, like a two by twelve on a very high cliff overlooking the river. The girls dared Glenn and me to dive off. Glenn refused but I had to be "macho". I climbed the cliff and dove off the board into the river. I now shudder to think of what might have happened.

15. The longest, loneliest night I have ever spent was in the CICS unit of the LDS hospital in Salt Lake City. As Homer Simpson said, "The longest, loneliest night, so far".

16. I am not a lucky person. That does not mean I am unlucky. Lucky people win the lottery, win free stuff, get that big break by sheer chance. Unlucky people just get dumped on financially, medically and politically. There is a 1 in 100,00 chance you will die during open heart surgery. That 1 in 100,000 is unlucky. I used to play the weekly football pools. It didn't cost a lot, usually just a buck, After 10 years of never winning a pot, I just quit. When I was in college, I went to a bingo game at the country club with Danny and Emily. Dollar a card. The last game was blackout worth $1,000. With 5 numbers to go, I needed one number to win. It went from 5 numbers to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1. No winners They kept calling 5 more numbers before someone won the vastly reduced pot. I really could have used that grand. I was working three different jobs in Austin trying to hang on.

17. I consider myself a failure in the game of life. In my high school class, there is a CEO of a major corporation, a law graduate who has been featured in Newsweek as the most influential American in Taiwan, many very successful and wealthy lawyers, many PHDs. I was on a peer with the most successful grade wise and better than most of the others that have gather a lot of wealth. I do not feel I am a failure from my standpoint....I have everything I want. I have a beautiful, loving wife, two children with a wonderful value system and are generally good, intelligent honest citizens. I don't even worry anymore about Joey now that he is 40. I quit worrying about Petie after her 16th year was over. I am lucky to have three healthy, beautiful intelligent grandchildren. I have everything I want and would live same if I had 20 times my current net worth. I feel that I have let Sharon, Joey and Petie down though by not being able to guarantee their financial future.

18. I have a trait that I keep trying to change. I expect everyone I have a financial dealings with to treat me the same as I would treat them. Hasn't worked out very well.

19, My Favorite Sitcon is WKRP. It was short lived and I watch any reruns if I find them. I do not re watch movies.

20. I changed political parties after 2003. I had voted Republican all my life but George W. Busk changed all that. I started looking into the issues instead of listening to slogans and platitudes, I studied executive orders and legislation and figured out that the republican base consisted of Corporate executive management, wall street movers and shakers, the wealthy, radical religious right, the ignorant and the uniformed. I hope I was uninformed and not ignorant. I am now yellow dog democrat and consider my self very educated on the real issues.

21. I am a lot more religious that my church attendance and language would indicate.

22. I talk very pessimistically but deep down I am really an optimist.

23. One of my favorite things is to do something with my children and grandchildren. It just doesn't get any better than that.

24. I have said that if a doc ever says, "sorry pete, your terminal", I am going out a buy a pack of Salem Longs and a six pack of Coors light and finish them both in one setting.

25. I love my life.

26. Sharon insisted that I include one more "dumbest things" I bought a motorcycle in my early 30's. It was a Yamaha 350. Not too much on the top end but could get from 0 to 50 in a screaming heartbeat. Sharon and I took a weekend trip one spring....went to Fulshear, on to Orchard and back. Not too much traffic back then so it was pleseant. There was one problem. You don't turn the wheel when you want to turn left or right at speed, you lean in the direction you want to go. Therein was the problem, I would lean right to turn right but sharon leaned left trying to stay straight up. We were all over the road. That was our one and only trip. I dropped the bike in the neighborhood, hit some gravel during a turn, which is biker slang for I had a wreck. The muffler came down across my calf and fried it. I still have a back mark on my left knee where I ground some gravel into my leg on impact. I just prayed that my son or daughter would never get on one of those things...they are very dangerous. I hope Petie and Joey forbid their children to ever get on one of those death traps.

I wanted it here rather than facebook....I have my reasons.

Comments:
I agree -- particularly about WKRP. But not the Coors Light! If you're diagnosed terminal, live a little or at least a little more and upgrade to a dose of Ballantine Ale or a great Pilsner.
 
Not boring at all!
I totally agree with 13. Makes me laugh to imagine you replying like that to a doc. Wish I was there to see his/her face.

14 made me think immediately of that Javier Bardem movie. Brrr...

Somehow I suspected 22.
 
1. Funny. Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorites too. You should read Nine Stories by Salinger.
2. I definitely got your love for trees!
14. Made me think of the Javier movie too. Mar Adentro - The Sea Within. You should rent it - You'll have to read substitles, but its worth it!
15. Blame me for this one! I was so tired after a night in the ER. Not a very good son I guess.
19. Your WKRP prayers are answered! http://www.hulu.com/videos/search?query=wkrp
Enjoy!
24. Coors light and salem longs? Yuck. Mine will be Chimay and an H. Upmann cigar.
26. I hope Joaquin doesn't get a motorcycle, but I have a bad feeling he's gonna be rebellious
 
don't blame anyone except myself. I put myself there...no help.
 
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