100 Things about me

Chong laid the gauntlet down, so here is my response. Some of this is random. Here goes...

1. When I was younger I wanted to be a plumber. My reason, I thought it didn’t involve maths (duh!).
   
2. I had two mice when I was younger one called Sandy and the other Whitey. 10 points to those who can guess what colour they were.
   
3. Yabbies grow their claws back, if you give them long enough. I learnt this by being a responsible yabby owner.
   
4. Yabbies stink if you don’t clean their cages out regularly (thanks Mum!). What can you expect, I was 14!!
   
5. My dream when I was younger was to be taller than my older sister. I am now. She was 5 ft 1 and I was 15 (OUCH)
   
6. I used to play tennis for Wantirna South tennis club. My name is etched onto their honour board for winning the Men’s doubles title when I was 16.
   
7. My first game of “real basketball” was when I was 18. I played for the Knox City Cougars. Sexy blue shorts, and yellow singlets.
   
8. If I was busting to go to the toilet when I got home from school, I wouldn’t wait to go inside. I’d go under the pine tree.
   
9. When I was in year 8, the front wheel of my bike came off and I stacked into a bush.
   
10. My first dog, Cindy, was so hyperactive that my Dad injured her by getting her to jump at a broom which he spun around. She tore a tendon in her leg.
    
11. I use to think that my dad beat our dog with the “Cindy-basher” when she barked too loud. I found out years later that he just used to hit the kennel (If you know my Dad you’d know that in reality he wouldn’t hit ANYONE ever, but for some reason it made sense to me as a 7 year old).
    
12. I went to Bayswater Primary School.
    
13. I went to Bayswater Secondary College.
    
14. When I used to go to Sunday School, my friends and I would bible bash each other…literally!
    
15. I have two older sisters, 8 and 10 years older than me
    
16. My sisters used to dress me in all kinds of stupid outfits. One Christmas I cracked it because I refused to wear brown stockings, even if I was a Christmas tree, because they were “girly”. Every photo of me that year has my giant lip protruding forth in a pout!
    
17. My sister had a boyfriend once who was a kick boxer. He once head butted a guy while playing football claiming “I just fell on him”
    
18. This boyfriend also refused to wear a helmet while playing cricket, he once had the BIGGEST red mark on his head from being hit with the ball.
    
19. The first cassette tape I ever purchased was the Snookles.
    
20. The first CD I ever purchased was “King for a day, fool for a lifetime” by the band Faith No More.
    
21. The last CD I purchased was “Fear of a Blank Planet” by Porcupine Tree AND “Black holes and revelations” by Muse (two at the same time)
    
22. I love music because it can express a whole range of feelings.
    
23. When I was 12 my favourite band was Metallica
    
24. When I was 14 my favourite band was Pearl Jam
    
25. When I was 18 my favourite band was Counting crows
    
26. Generally speaking, I don’t like Christian music (ironic I know), but I feel like it doesn’t really connect with my experience of faith, God, the world that I am living in, and the reality of the pain that I see (not in my own life necessarily but in the world in general)
    
27. Now, I like a whole range of stuff within those genres, plus a whole lot of random stuff.
    
28. When I was a teenager I didn’t like the person I was, I thought that no one knew the “real me” and I didn’t know how to express who I was inside.
    
29. This is how old I am now.
    
30. I began to really love myself once I met my wife. She showed me how to.
    
31. I struggle a lot with self doubt, always wanting to be sure that I do the “right” thing by everyone.
    
32. I follow the New York Knicks in the NBA even though we are the WORST franchise in the NBA at the moment, with minimal hope of improving.
    
33. I love cycling and riding my bike (mainly fast). My fastest speed ever on my bike is 74km/hr and I was stressing!!
    
34. I’ve only had one bike accident. I was hit by a car and managed to hold the bike upright. I escaped with only a minor bruise.
    
35. I have watched the entire 10 seasons of Star gate only to wonder “Was it really that good?”
    
36. When no one is looking, I like to eat entire packets of sweet biscuits.
    
37. I have a tattoo on my right shoulder. It’s Japanese and it says “Faith, Love, and Hope” These words are found in Corinthians 13. They are my inspiration for my life journey.
    
38. At the moment, I am loving playing basketball on Monday nights. We’ve only won 1 game out of 3, but it’s great to be on the court.
    
39. I’ve been in ministry (paid) for 5 years. It’s the longest time I have spent involved in any job…ever.
    
40. The best part about ministry is being able to spend time with people asking some of life’s tough questions. It’s also cool to play games that you’re way too old for, and count it as “work”.
    
41. The hardest thing in ministry is being honest with people, mainly because there is a blurry line between “friend” and “congregation member”.
    
42. I love June. It’s the time of SYG. I meet my wife there. This will be my 9th year.
    
43. Sometimes I am too competitive for my own good. Most of the time I can control it though.
    
44. When I ride my bike, I ALWAYS have to catch up to other cyclists who may be in front of me.
    
45. In January this year I rode in the Alpine classic. The HARDEST thing I have ever done in my life in relationship to sport.
    
46. The hardest thing I’ve ever done so far is preach in front of people. I detest public speaking (well, a little less now because I’m used to it).
    
47. I auditioned once to be a singer in a death metal band (couldn’t do it, too hard on my voice, plus I can’t sing)
    
48. I play the guitar.
    
49. I also play the drums, well, I whack the skins anyway.
    
50. I used to think that riding my bike to Knox City was a massive ride (Primary School/High School)
    
51. I am an uncle of two boys. They’re 3 and 5 and totally cheeky.\
    
52. Something I hold true is that God is intimately involved in creation and us. Religion sometimes burns this idea which I don’t like.
    
53. I like to take care of the environment when I can (lights off, walking places, riding bike, taking trains, using less water)
    
54. When I was in primary school, my friend got angry with me and told his little brother to throw a trowel at my head, he hit and I was bleeding.
    
55. I loved playing cricket at my friend’s house during the daylight savings months. It felt like we could play forever before I had to go home.
    
56. I had my first girlfriend when I was in grade 6. We never spoke.
    
57. In year 8, we had to study our own poo as part of a science experiment. I think it was all about seeing how healthy you were. Floating solids were good, but not too solid; mushy sinking=bad.
    
58. I was told by my year 11 maths teacher that I shouldn’t continue studying maths in year 12. I didn’t care and did Math Methods anyway, I struggled, but I still passed.
    
59. At Uni, I studied computer science. I worked out after a semester that maths was really essential in computer programming, I dropped out and it was the healthiest thing I could’ve done.
    
60. The best thing I’ve ever done is marry my wife. She has brought out the best in me, and as helped me understand my shadows, thanks hon.
    
61. I love playing risk, although I hate people complaining about how “Everyone’s attacking me” THAT’S THE POINT OF THE GAME!!!
    
62. I used to mentor a child at our local primary school through the Kids Hope Aus program.
    
63. I still own the chest of drawers that I had when I was in primary school and they are an ugly green. I’m too tight to buy new ones.
    
64. I’m tight with money.
    
65. I get really frustrated at TV ads that don’t sell you a product, they sell you a lifestyle, or sex, or happiness. Cars won’t get you sex or make you happy! It’s just stuff you own.
    
66. Fight Club is a frightening movie, but has so many interesting themes. Its well worth seeing (I own it if you want to borrow it).
    
67. I went to the Olympic Games in 200 and saw my favourite Knick play, Alan Houston. I almost got him to sign my jersey but he knocked me back.
    
68. I slept in the boot of a hatch-back car on my Olympic trip to Sydney. We couldn’t afford to stay in a motel.
    
69. One of my all time favourite songs is “Repentance” by Dream Theater. It explores the idea of giving up, struggling to find yourself, discovering salvation (not heaven/hell stuff, but being restored to wholeness).
    
70. I have slam dunked a basketball once, real ring, proper height and all, before a game.
    
71. The greatest NBA game I have ever seen live (on TV) was LA vs. Sacramento in 2002 game 7. LA wins on Sacramento’s home court in overtime becoming the first team in 14 years to do that. My brother in law is a mad LA fan watching it too and he was going ballistic!
    
72. I was the best man for my best mate’s wedding. It was a great honour and I brought the house down with recycled best man jokes.
    
73. I am my best mate’s Godfather.
    
74. I love marinara pasta.
    
75. Our dog, Favre, is named after Brett Favre. She’s a fox terrier.
    
76. Skipper is our other dog. He loves people. He also loves to attack other dogs.
    
77. We once owned a German Shepherd who attacked a small dog. To save the small dog I spear-tackled our dog, Max, and wrestled him to the ground.
    
78. I used to own a Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo because I thought that people actually cared about what kind of car I drove. I thought that girls would like me because of it. If only I could’ve turned back time and not bought that lemon! And also realised that people who like you for what you own probably aren’t the best type of long term friends.
    
79. I hope to see the Knicks play in Madison Square Garden at some point in my life…preferably when we don’t suck.
    
80. I used to be a grocery manager at Safeway (lasted a year). Looking back it was fun but I think that I am blocking out all of the terrible memories and the reasons why I left.
    
81. I constantly bite my nails and it drives my wife nuts!
    
82. I like to read about theology. My favourite books as “The shaping of things to come”; “Velvet Elvis”; “Let Your life speak”; “The Jesus I never knew”; “A Quaker book of wisdom”; “The Road less travelled”; “Re-enchantment”, and others I can’t think of.
    
83. The greatest trilogy ever is Star Wars. Obviously I disregard the new “money” spinners;
    
84. This is closely followed by Lord of the Rings.
    
85. The worst trilogy ever is Police Academy (not technically a trilogy but man it sucked), and probably every single sequel ever made, or anything with a “2” in the title (See Hot Shots 2, Revenge of the nerds 2, Saw 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, ok I said 8 twice there).
    
86. The most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen was on the news. A man in Nigeria was running away from another group of opposing men, when he tripped and fell. He was beaten to death (they didn’t show it, but the fear in that mans eyes still sticks in my head), and I wondered what God thought about that.
    
87. The worst sport to watch is golf. You can’t even see the ball people!!
    
88. My dad has worked at the same employer for 42 years, what a milestone.
    
89. My mum makes the best lemon slice in the world.
    
90. When I was younger I learnt to never say “Gee Mum, I love this food”. If I did, I’d be eating that dish for the next six months.
    
91. Be the change you want to be in the world. That’s my favourite quote.
    
92. My favourite bible verse is Ezekiel 23:20.
    
93. I like the colour green.
    
94. I can’t stand not having a shower in the morning (unless I’ve got to ride somewhere)
    
95. I cut my own hair because I’m too cheap to pay for a haircut.
    
96. When I’m at McDonald’s I order a medium quarter-pounder meal with a cheeseburger. I then run 20km to get the fat out of my system, or I ride 100km to do the same.
    
97. I eat more junk food than I really should. One day it’s going to catch up with me…
    
98. I love playing team sports. It’s great to achieve something together, each person playing their part, to accomplish a bigger goal. It’s also great just to hang out with the guys.
    
99. I really wanted to play European Handball and almost joined a team.
    
100. My wife and I own only one car. We thought it’d be hard to get by, but it’s a lot easier than we thought and we’re glad that we can do our bit.

Whew, I got there.