Sunday, January 12, 2014

11 Facts, 11 Q&A's, and 11 Bloggers

A fellow blogger linked my blog to her post with the following questions on it, so I decided to follow her lead and do the same.  Enjoy!

Share 11 random facts about yourself
  1. I'm a widower, and have been for almost 10 years.  I was married for less than half that, almost 5 years.
  2. I played in the Orange Bowl and at the Carrier Dome...as a member of the Mighty Sound Of Maryland Marching Band.
  3. Best job perk ever was a 2 1/2 hour helicopter ride with the Los Angeles Police Dept. all over LA, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills.
  4. My favorite movie of all time is IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.  My favorite actor is Jimmy Stewart.
  5. I've driven to 41 US states and 5 Canadian provinces.
  6. I've never lived there, but Pittsburgh is my favorite city.  I plan to retire there.
  7. My grandfather, who was a professional trumpet player, had Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis among his fans.
  8. I was in a bad car accident at age 18 in which my grandparents were killed, and I was pulled out of the burning car by my father.  I had a head injury in the accident that affects my short-term memory to this day (25 years later).
  9. I am a diehard Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins fan.
  10. I love Godzilla and other Japanese giant monster movies.
  11. I am a Christ-follower, and trust Him as my Savior.  I attend Grace Community Church in Fulton, MD.  It's a great place to be!

Answer 11 questions

What was your favorite food when you were a child?  Pizza was and still is my favorite food.  I consider myself a pizza connoisseur.  I used to make the Chef-Boy-R-Dee pizzas for dinner every Friday for my family while growing up.

What's the #1 most played song on your iPod?  I don't have an iPod, but the most listened to song I have is TAKE FIVE by the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

What is one of your favorite quotes?  Aside from many Bible verses, one of my favorite quotes is, "No man is a failure who has friends," Clarence the Angel, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

What's your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?  Indoor:  watching sporting events/playing fantasy sports; outdoor:  Road trips!

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?  Jesus; Abe Lincoln; my grandfather, Chester "Pap" Freed.

If you could witness any event past, present, or future, what would it be?  As horrible as it was, I wish I could be there in the moments before my wife died.  I would pay so much more attention to every detail, and every word shared between us.  Though I remember much of that moment, I was in too much shock to really remember the details.

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?  Usually, I check the Tivo to see if there is anything worth watching in those 30 minutes; otherwise, I'd check my iPhone for emails, etc., or read something online.

What would you name the autobiography of your life?  The same as my blog:  "Away From the Things of Man."

What was the last movie, TV show or book that made you cry or tear up?  Every year, I go to the AFI Silver Theater in downtown Silver Spring just before Christmas and see IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and every time I see it, I get teary-eyed.

What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?  I was the good kid growing up (my younger sister and brother hated me because of it), and I rarely ever got into trouble.

Where IS Waldo?  He's in a small town just outside of Boston, Massachusetts.


List 11 bloggers - You should check out these blogs:

Village Green/Town Squared, whose author posted a link to my blog from hers and provided the questions I answered, above, is a regular reader and commenter of my blog.  She loves her community, and it comes out in her writing.
The Adventures of Tom and Atticus - If you love dogs, you'll love this blog about a man and his dogs in the mountains of New Hampshire.
Writing Ruth - Written by a dear friend from school (Kindergarten thru high school), Ruth is a professional writer based in Southern California.
That's Church - Written by wonderfully funny Pittsburgh native Virginia Montanez, it's all about her love for her city.
Mr. Garner Goes To Washington - Written by my friend and prayer-partner, Rick Garner; he's a pretty good writer, too.
Flexible Dreams - If it wasn't for Amy, I wouldn't be blogging regularly.  Her influence and writing inspired me to write regularly.  She is a very funny, very intelligent young lady and great mom.
Blessed Family Chaos - Michelle is another of my influences.  Like Amy, I wish she would write more often.  Her faith is inspiring.  And she's a great mom, too.
The Matt Walsh Blog - Rather than describe, let me just say that this is a blog worth reading.  Every post makes me think.
Dejan Kovacevic - Best sports writer, period.  And I'm not saying that because he's a Pittsburgh sports writer.
Sean's Ramblings - Sean is the first blogger to reach out to me by linking my blog on his.  His is a fun read with a Pittsburgh slant.  Good stuff.
Baron Batch - Tremendously talented young man who grew up in West Texas; former Steelers' running back turned artist and salsa maker.  He is an awesome writer, as well.

No comments:

Post a Comment