100 Things, part two

100 things, part two. This is hard.

21 – I like to laugh at things. I have a very sarcastic streak, but I never intend to be mean about it. It’s among the worst feelings I know when an attempt at humor hurts someone I care about. (My father is *exactly* the same way about this.)

22 – I actually have quite a lot in common with my father, personality-wise. Apart from having him as a friend, one major benefit of this is that I really can learn life-lessons from his experience.

23 – My parents divorced when I was three. I don’t remember my parents ever being married. I used to think it was strange when a friend’s parents were “still” married.

24 – I have two dogs; a 7-year-old Golden Retriever, and a 10-year-old mutt.

25 – I will have been married to the girl who does Jennifer’s Nest for ten years this May.

26 – Northern Wisconsin is my favorite vacation spot. I don’t go for sun and beaches.

27 – I was baptized into my church just this past winter. Almost 20 years to the day after I finished my confirmation class as a 12-year-old. I resisted the church for a long time, for reasons I now recognize as ignorance, pride and selfishness. And – stupidest among the bunch – terminology.

28 – I could never have really accepted Christ if I’d been forced into it. I am deeply grateful for the freedom to choose to accept His offer.

29 – I am profoundly grateful to the people who have served in our armed forces. I can only begin to imagine the difficulties of such a life. It’s incredible to me how easy we all have it in this country because of the people who choose that life.

30 – Sometimes it bothers me how easy we have it – how safe and painless things are for us today. I fear that it makes us weak, and magnifies what should be minor difficulties.

31 – Mom doesn’t like me to mention this, because she doesn’t want people to think she’s wierd, but I was born in my parents’ bedroom. I think that’s kind of cool, but I would never suggest that anyone do that.

32 – I don’t watch much TV. Favorite shows are Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs. Beyond that, there’s nothing I watch habitually.

33 – I want to know how good I can be at drawing and painting. Practicing is truly theraputic for me.

34 – I come from a family of tall people. At 6′2″, my brother is the shortest blood-related adult male in my family. My sister is 5′11″. (I get uncomfortable if too many other tall people are around because I can’t see over their heads.) I’m 6′6″, but have a fairly average 34″ inseam – all my height is in my spine. I don’t fit in a lot of cars.

35 – When I paint the walls of my house, I don’t use a ladder or stepstool.

36 – I think it would be fun to be a painter. A house painter. Indoors only, though.

37 – I used to be afraid of heights, but got over it by subjecting myself to them.

38 – I used to want to try skydiving, but decided after getting married and having children that I missed my chance to take such a needless risk.

39 – I have eaten raw eel. I wasn’t terrible, but I did not like it.

40 – I like to mow my lawn, wash the dishes in the sink and split firewood.

41 – I can start a fire without matches.

42 – I try year after year, but just can’t get into watching sports. This is to my detriment at work, where everyone is an Ohio State fan.

43 – I love to fly two-line stunt kites. I want one of the big, power-lifting four-line kites that can pull you into the air.

44 – I’ve never been outside North America. I have been to Canada, once one foot (across Niagara Falls, where I proposed to that girl I mentioned earlier), and once by plane for work.

45 – The day I met my future in-laws was the day I moved into their basement for a two week visit over Christmas. My girlfriend lived in Pennsylvania and I lived in Illinois.

46 – I think it would be fun to be a high school physics, math or chemistry teacher.

47 – I have learned more about people and getting things done at work through being a parent than through any other thing.

48 – I rank training wheels on children’s bicycles among the world’s worst inventions.

49 – I have run a half-marathon. (That’s a real race. I didn’t stop halfway through a full marathon.) It took me 2 hours and 19 minutes. That’s nowhere close to fast, but I don’t care.

50 – When I started training for that race, I couldn’t run a half-mile.