Mark Olson, who I mistakenly thought went to college in the 60s (which he quickly corrected), tagged me for a meme. Here are the rules:

1. Let others know who tagged you.
2. Players post 8 random facts about themselves.
3. Those who are tagged should post these rules with their 8 facts.
4. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

Accordingly, I offer eight random things about myself that you probably don’t know.

1) Duped by a friend’s older brother, I once tried to make gum from the spongy insides of a Northwest tree (the name of which I do not know). Instead of gum, my friend and I ended up with a black, cinnamon-flavored plug that strangely resembled chewing tobacco when we inserted it in our lip. Really, there are few things more pathetic than 10-year-olds pretending to chew tobacco.

2) I took piano lessons for 12 years, including a semester in college. The thing I regret most about my college experience was stopping those lessons.

3) I dream about conducting an orchestra someday in a performance of Handel’s Messiahor Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations (see my “reader’s response” to the piece). This will never materialize, but it makes for a good excuse to practice conducting while listening to music in my car.

4) My favorite books growing up were Hank the Cowdog (which I would like to re-read), Rifles for Watie, the Hardy Boys (naturally), and Maniac Magee (not to be confused with McGee and Me ).

5) My senior year of high school, I recorded 45 excused absences in Chemistry…..out of a 90 day semester.

6) When an English teacher quoted “to die is gain” to me as a junior in high school, I had no idea what she was referring to. I have since found out.

7) I was on a Knowledge Bowl team that took second in State my junior year. My senior year, we took third in our district (behind Oly and Capital, which were both a classification above us). We were the first team from Elma to do that well at Districts.

I tried out for Jeopardy…..and didn’t make it. That doesn’t stop me from continuing to insist that Jim try out, as I’m convinced he’s the next Ken Jennings, except with better style.

Who am I tagging?

1)  Nobody.

2)  John Schroeder.

3)  The Bourgeois Burglar.

4)  Brant DeBow.

5)  Richard Radcliffe.

6)  MakeLoveHappen

7)  The Unbridled Warhorse.

 The Nick Family.