8 Things You Didn’t Want to Know About Me

A quick shuffle back through my records reveals the somewhat shameful truth—only about thirty blog entries during the whole of 2007. I’d be amazed if I had any readers at all beyond a few friends, though I do know a few boardgamers drop by now and then to download my game reference sheets.

I really do have to pick up the pace a bit, because I do enjoy having a blog. It just gets relegated to the bottom of the ‘to do’ pile too often. I’ve been planning to change my blogging system for a while so that may give me the impetus to jazz things up a little round here.

Anyway, let’s kick off the year. Pat included me in one of these ‘viral meme’ things (who comes up with these wanky names?). I have no idea what the point is (actually, maybe I’ll pick up some new readers …), but here goes …

The Rules:

• Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves
• People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules
• At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names
• Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog

So here goes, eight things you didn’t know about me:

1. I’ve played the drums in bands for about 25 years, and only gave it up as a relatively regular activity recently. Back when I was about 16 my friends started playing music and I wanted to join in, but I couldn’t be bothered learning music. I can’t remember if a tendency to bash things in time started before then, but drumming was a natural choice. I tried getting lessons a few times but the teachers would always try to get me to start from scratch, which was annoying after I’d be playing live for a few years and considered myself a pretty good drummer. Don’t ask me to play a decent paradiddle though, I’m technically crap.
2. I still occasionally enjoy listening to prog rock bands like Yes, early Genesis and even Rush. Deeply unfashionable, but I love the complexity, the pretentiousness, and the fact that sometimes they really hit an incredible emotional high note. Listen to the end of ‘And You and I’ on the live Yes album Yessongs, or the last bit of ‘Supper’s Ready’ by Genesis if you don’t know what I mean. A more innocent musical age.
3. Every Tuesday night my girlfriend and I cook fish fingers, mashed potatoes and broccoli and sit down to watch Time Team. We even have a little song about this particular ritual.
4. I have a mild Indiana Jones obsession. My 40th birthday party was themed around it. When I went to Egypt I quietly imagined I was Indiana Jones when I entered tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Needless to say, I’m really hoping they don’t stuff up the fourth film.
5. I write a letter to myself every ten years, something I started doing when I was 12 after reading one of L.M. Montgomery’s ‘Emily’ books. I just opened the one from myself at 32 to myself at 42, and am currently wondering what the hell I’m going to say to myself at 52.
6. I keep trying, but I just can’t bring myself to like olives.
7. The older I get, the more I want to move away from everyone and just go live in the country with the love of my life and not have to deal with annoying people, traffic jams, selfishness and corporate and commercial bullshit. Does everyone get like this?
8. I’m terrible at watching ads and shutting up. I can’t help commenting on the absurdity of every one. Similarly, I tend to point out misplaced apostrophes on signage, bad kerning and inappropriate typographical choices, and advertising photography clichés. I imagine it can be very annoying for people around me.

There you go, now you can go forth into your day with a little bit more knowledge about Headless Hollow. Lucky you!

Now, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to spread this somewhat benign virus. I’m talking to you Reverend, Atlas Cerise, Steelbuddha—hold on, I don’t read eight other blogs! Who has the time?