Probably not worth reading this...

I think I've put this off about as long as I can. About two months ago, I was "tagged" (not sure what in the world that is supposed to mean) by one of my dearest friends and former mission companion Rene Martinez. For a long time, the fact that he lived in El Salvador made it hard to keep in touch. However, it turns out that thanks to the web, apparently laziness is my only reason it’s hard to keep in touch. Ouch, so here I go.

As far as describing 7 unique things about me goes, I wish I had more interesting items to write about. I haven’t really ever aspired to Climb Everest, I’ve never really wanted to jump from an airplane, and I’m not sure that I’ve ever done something no one else has done…… But, there are a few things that probably many of you don’t know about me. Mostly quirks and bad habits, but here it is.

1. S.W.A.S.W.A. Does anyone remember that? Back in Desert Valley Elementary, once a year we would have the swaswa (save water and save water again) assembly where we would learn how to reduce the amount of water we used in our daily activities. I’m not sure what we actually talked about in the assemblies, but I do remember having some sort of a panic attack and thinking that the world was almost out of water. As a nine-year-old I was convinced that my prolonged morning showers were surely the main culprit and felt extremely guilty for several years. Probably scared for life actually. The interesting thing is that even with all the hysteria and paranoia, I never really changed my habits. Even today I find myself leaving the water on while I brush my teeth. I’ll just sit there and look at the running water start to think, “I should probably turn off the water.” But somehow, every time, I talk myself into thinking I’m almost done and tell myself I shouldn’t go to the trouble of reaching all the way down to the handle with my busy hand to shut it off. Then, to avoid the guilt, I’ll put my face down near the sink like I’m almost ready to rinse. Sometimes I’ll have my face two inches from the running water for like five minutes while I’m “almost finished.” Other times, I’ll find myself brushing my teeth as fast as I can, just so I can turn the water off. It’s like once I start, I lose the ability/will power to reach down and turn it off. Man, as I write this I’m realizing how ridiculous that is; I’m not sure what’s going on there. Anyone?
2. I like trucks. In my mind, there is nothing cooler than a well done truck. The right wheels, the right color, the right amount of chrome. Beautiful. Nice try Ferrari.
3. I have a ten dollar limit on shirts. I just can’t do it. I have the hardest time spending more than ten dollars on any upper-body clothing. Although I have been able to come across some pretty sweet stuff in that price range, sometimes I find myself buying a shirt just because it’s under 10 bucks. About once a year, I’ll go through my closet and have to get rid of 30 really ugly shirts that boy did I get a deal on!

FYI. Doesn’t work for shorts or pants. Trust me.

4. I hate lotion. Ok, let me clarify, I hate having lotion on my hands. Specifically, I CAN NOT have lotion on the palm of my hands. As you may have guessed, applying lotion without using the palm of your hand is extremely difficult. I’ve tried everything, putting gloves on and then applying, using the pump nozzle as the applicator; it’s really all quite cumbersome. The unfortunate side effect of my phobia is that very little lotion ever reaches my body. Luckily, my sweet wife, who absolutely loves lotion, is always willing to taint her palms with the slippery nightmare while she lovingly helps keep me moisturized. Thanks Jen!
5. I drive the speed limit. Is that the norm or the exception? Everyone always tells me I’m OK to go “nine over”, but ever since my ticket in Middle-of-Nowhere, Idaho and the ensuing drama it provided, I go the speed limit. I actually find it kind of liberating in a way. To be honest, for a long time I was somewhat of a slave to seeing how fast I could go over the posted speed without getting a ticket. It’s like I just had to push it to the edge every time we jumped on the freeway. I was constantly checking my rearview mirrors, scouting out ahead, looking for anything that resembled a police car, etc… So for now, I get there when I get there…and I love it.
6. I’ve never had a headache. Don’t worry, I’ve already knocked on wood, but to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t mind having one. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my bell rung before and my head has been banged-up plenty of times, but as far as just all of the sudden having a headache…never happened. Is it the same? Is it worse? I don’t know. Any thoughts?
7. Probably the most unique and exciting part of my life is my wife Jen. I don’t know what else I could possibly say besides that she is amazing. I guess I’ll just leave it at that. #7 is Jen.