Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Blog Chain

Xavier has tagged me with a meme. We're supposed to:
share five off the wall, strange, unusual or just little-known facts about yourself. Then you "tag" five other bloggers who are supposed to do the same thing.
Well, okay.

1. I have a bachelors degree in Business Administration, with extensive graduate hours in that field. After my first active duty stint in the Army, I was trying to keep a family fed, clothed and housed. My paycheck never stretched far enough and the Army said they'd send me to school and pay me on the GI Bill, so I signed up for an MBA program at the local university. It was supposed to be a 2 year program, done at night for working stiffs. The only problem with that is that if I graduated, they'd cut off the subsistence checks and I needed that money. I went to school for eight semesters and never graduated. I have 40 graduate hours in Business Administration, yet never wrote a thesis, never took the GMAT, never intended to graduate.

2. I'm a member of the Iron Butt Association, a collection of long-distance motorcycle riders. There is no way to join the club but by riding. The basic minimum ride is 1000 miles in 24 hours. They call this ride the Saddlesore. The IBA members I've met have been unfailingly helpful, friendly, and just a little insane. Every other year they host a rally, called the Iron Butt. In it, the riders ride one lap around the United States in 11 days. A rider who wants to ride from checkpoint to checkpoint may log over 8,000 miles in that time. A rider who wants to win the rally will ride over 11,000 miles in those 11 days.

3. I'm an Eagle Scout. An Eagle Scout who holds the Vigil Honor, which is an honor reserved for those who serve. I believe service to be the highest calling for which any person can aspire. To be unselfish in service and devoted to the welfare of others is a dramatically difficult task, and one in which I have often failed. Still, the lessons of youth haunt me and give me a guiding point.

4. When I retire the next time, I intend to learn basic metal machining. My grandfather had some lathes, presses, and equipment that allowed him to build almost anything. His shop was always a magical place where the imagination reigned supreme. He did things out there that still leave me amazed.

5. I want to learn fine woodworking. My shop will be just about equally divided between woodworking and metal working. Blending the two knowledge bases will let me really work on guns. And cabinets. And toys. Real toys that craftsmen used to make during down times.

And I'm tagging:

Rivrdog
The Oyster
LawDog
The Cajun
Nick

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No. 3 says more about you than anything else. I was a late bloomer as a Boy Scout and must have stayed as a Tenderfoot for 2 or so years. I finally did make my Eagle (with Bronze palm) when I was 17. That you made Vigil Honor in the OA is an honor indeed. I only got to the Brotherhood level. I still get chills when think about the campfire ceremony after the ordeal - and that must have been 35 years or so ago.