Random Facts About Me

I read a pretty funny blog post on www.laughwithusblog.com recently. The author listed 25 random facts about herself she felt might be interesting. Or humorous. Or both!

Regardless, I thought that might be a good challenge for myself. Considering how long I've been writing my blog, you probably know all sorts of random facts about me that you hoped you might forget by now. You are in luck! Here's 25 more to store away for future knowledge!

I haven't always been a health nut. As a kid, the only green items I ate were M&M's, jelly beans, Skittles, freezer pops...

My favorite color? Green!

I'm not the laid back, chill individual I profess myself to be. Sometimes I can be a little uptight.

I make my own dishwasher detergent.

My fastest 5K ever was just under three minutes. My fastest running time, however, was 33 minutes and 16 seconds.

I once put an entire peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my mouth. It was a dare. I won.

I died once. Well, I thought I had, at least. It turns out our black cat just wanted a warm place to sleep and curled up on my face while I was asleep!

My first career goal that I ever remember making was to be a mountain man. I didn't know what it meant, but that was my goal.

I originally went to Cape Fear Community College to be a marine biologist. The marine diesel mechanics class scared me off.

I went to NCSU for a few years. I took fencing, archery, rock climbing...

I finally graduated from High Point University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in creative writing. (Imagine that!)

I drowned in a pool once for a Raleigh news station.

I like meat. Doesn't matter what kind. I'm a carnivore.

When I was a kid, I used to wish something bad would happen to me. Something bad enough that when I was "fixed" or healed, I either had bionics, or super powers.

Though my first attempts were nearly fatal, I'm a pretty good chef. And I enjoy cooking.

I once made a spaghetti sauce that a skinny, stray dog refused to eat.

I tried to change my name once to make myself more distinguished. I added Forrest. (Yes. This was before Forrest Gump!)

At 10 years old, I knew I was destined to be a professional stunt man.

The Beatles were still a band when I was born. "The who?" my first-graders used to ask. "No. Not The Who. The Beatles." Lame joke, but it amused me.

I like to amuse myself.

I find things. Like my sister's lost earring in the front yard. And a diamond ring once in my own back yard. And a five dollar bill on a recent run. And...

I've had dogs, cats, turtles, gerbils, a parakeet, rabbits, snakes, frogs, fish and snails. I think there were some others, but I don't remember!

There are some beef jerky dog snacks that taste like cheap human beef jerky. Deduce what you will from that statement.

I know the numbers one through five in Spanish. I know seven through 15 in French. I know six only in English.

I like to make lists!

Expert Tips and Advice on Dieting

One of the most popular New Year resolutions people make is to lose weight. I think I've actually made that resolution before. Maybe.

This, of course, explains why you see so many articles lately, online and elsewhere, about various aspects of weight loss. Some tout the virtues of weight loss. Some tell you how to do it. Some tell you how not to do it. Some tell you how to think, be or act in order to do it. Some even tell you how to do it psychologically. Hmmmm...

I've yet to see an article on where to find it once you've lost it. I usually find mine lurking in a dark corner of my bedroom. It's obedient, though, and usually comes back.

Regardless of whether or not you've resolved to lose weight, here are my expert tips and advice on weight loss.

The freeze pop diet is still a work in progress. I think that, in order to make it work, I may have to switch to healthier freeze pops instead of the generic, sugary store brands.

I've also experimented on the collard green diet. Though collard greens are healthy, I advise against this one simply because of the gastronomical effects and the 'outcome.' It's not pretty. Nor is it conducive to others wanting to remain in the immediate vicinity of the collard green over-eater!

Glory collard greens? Simply the best!

I'm currently working on a Pop-Tarts diet. I've been working on this one for quite some time. It's still a work in progress.

I've heard good things about hiring a personal trainer. Unfortunately, that means I'd have to clean my house and -- gasp! -- keep it clean. That's a lot of exercise in and of itself. Also, I can't find a free personal trainer.

Workout videos work well for some. However, the few times I've tried them, my dogs seem to think I'm trying to play with them and crawl on me like a toy.

I've been afraid to try dancing. I worry that the neighbors will call 911, thinking that I may be having seizures. Or else assume that my fuzzy, black dogs have finally turned on me and are trying to maul me within the confines of my own home.

My father, who is an actual medical doctor (hence the M.D. after his name), suggested I eat less and exercise. He also told me to cut out some of the food he perceives as 'junk.'

Leave it to a medical practitioner to come up with such a crazy, radical idea! Chocolate does contain antioxidants. Potato chips and French fries come from potatoes. Peanut butter cups contain protein. And don't gummy bears now have vitamin C?

List-itis

Like most of us, I suffer from many maladies. Some of them are real, but a large majority of them, I've been led to believe, probably are not.

During my youth, for example, I suffered debilitating, nearly fatal, food allergies to anything that could be misconstrued as healthy. Boy, that was rough period of my life!

My latest malady, however, seems to go in a different direction entirely. It seems I suffer from a chronic case of needtamaykalistitis.

This disease has managed to integrate itself into almost every aspect of my life. On my iPhone alone I have lists of potential blog posts, songs I want to download, books I want to purchase, my ongoing Christmas list, my gluten ingredient list and my 'to get' list for items I need from my little pharmacy.

On my computer, I have a running, continual list of all the novels I've read since my teen years. Yes. It's long. I have a notebook with a numbered list of countries that have viewed Fuzzy, Black Dogs. (It's 62, in case you're wondering.)

My strange need for lists has seeped into other areas of my life as well. The first thing I do upon arriving at work? I make a list, of course. There are few things as gratifying as a checked off list of things to do.

I can't even walk into a grocery store without a list in hand. There's no telling what would come home if I didn't have my list.

My wife recently sent me to the store for three items. I pulled out my ever present pen and began to write them down, but she quickly stopped me.

"You don't need a list for three items," my wife said. "Butter, baked beans and bedding. Three things. Remember B-B-B. You can do this! Butter, beans, bedding!"

I went to the store chanting butter, beans and bedding. Butter, beans and bedding. I grabbed a cart. Butter, beans, bedding. I rolled into the store. Butter, beans, bedding.

Imagine my surprise when I arrived home with butter beans, beer and bacon nestled innocently in my grocery bag! My cashier must have switched bags on me. Pretty sneaky.

I think the lists are due to the massive amounts of knowledge I've crammed into my brain. By writing down the nonessential things, I make sure there's room to cram more important things.

My wife, being the awesome woman she is, seems to have figured this out as well. That would explain the "butter beans bedding" text I received on my second trip to the store.

Victimization? Or Simply a Case of Bad Timing?

Two things that simply should never take place at the same time are as follows: start a new healthy diet plan and take up cooking to relieve yourself from the boredom of not having a job.

I've recently started back on my Sugar Busters diet plan, which is kind of a modified Atkins Diet. The plan is to cut out as much sugar from your diet as possible. That includes cutting out those things that break down as sugar in your system like starches and breads.

I've also recently started donning my denim Goddess apron, diving into the kitchen and creating some serious culinary delights. This, it seems, combats the lack of excitement in my day that would normally be created by having a full time job. Unfortunately, I seem to be lacking in that area.

Now it seems the two have collided into the cooking diva's disastrous diet plan. I'm definitely eating better, but I'm eating more of it. Honestly, a lot more! On top of that, I've discovered Southern Living's Comfort Foods Cookbook. Now my goal is to start at the beginning and make every single dish in the book.

My chicken tetrazzini came out splendiferous. The meatloaf gonzales and buttermilk mashed potatoes I made tonight set my taste buds atingle! For Christmas I made the hashbrown casserole and macaroni and cheese... Mmmm, heavenly! I always start with good intentions, but I never follow through correctly and embellish each of the recipes to suit myself and my family. So far, I have received no complaints.

And the diet? I lost five bad pounds and gained ten healthy pounds. I'm hoping the healthy pounds will outweigh (no pun intended) the bad pounds and mold me into an image of glowing health. I'm haven't gotten there yet, but I will post another picture of me when I do.

In the meantime, perhaps, I should put leashes on my two fuzzy black dogs. A little bit of walking might just do me some good.