Stripped

I went snowboarding this past weekend. I had never been snowboarding before. Growing up in the South, albeit in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, we rarely had enough snow. Sure, several ski resorts are within easy driving distance, but I always enjoyed hiking, kayaking, and waterskiing more. Not anymore, though.

Snowboarding kicked my ass. Now I am surfing, shopping for a board, boots, pants…. Of course, I only am window-shopping. I am hoping for great sales when late spring and summer come. Next winter, I want to be ready. Meanwhile, I have two more trips planned, with time in between for sufficient recuperation. I thought my legs would be sore, but they have yet to bother me. However, the muscles across my shoulders, my stomach, and my butt… very sore, in that good, man-I-need-to-work-those-muscles-more, cool way.

So, if you are located further north, where the season lasts a little longer, we need to work something out. Do you have room for a boarder? Just for a night or two. I am handy around the house, can fix most anything, and I even can cook fairly well. What do you say?

Wendy tagged me with a book-themed meme:

1. Name one book that changed your life.

Fred Chappell’s It is Time, Lord. I first read this when I was 17 and was amazed at the way Chappell captured the language and atmosphere of the South. This book still has a profound affect on me.

2. Name one book you have read more than once.

I have read It is Time, Lord three times. I have also read Steinbeck’s Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights three times. I first read the latter when I was 15. I thought it was cool that Steinbeck wrote such a book and that no one seemed to know.

3. Name one book you would want on a desert island.

The Bible is the obvious choice for me, if for no other reason than it contains examples of almost every genre. Other reasons exist, though, of course.

4. Name one book that made you cry.

Good Hearts by Reynolds Price.

5. Name one book that made you laugh.

A Short History of a Small Place by T. R. Pearson made me laugh aloud and seek someone to whom to read it. How to Eat Fried Worms made me laugh. Johnathan Franzen’s The Corrections made me laugh (and almost cry) and inspired me to write.

6. Name one book you wish had been written.

What You Should Do in November 1999 should have been written.

7. Name one book you wish had never been written.

I love books, but if I have to choose one here… off the top of my head, I’d say Earth in the Balance.

8. Name one book you are currently reading.

John Marshall and the Heroic Age of the Supreme Court (Newmyer)
Chronicles: Volume One (Dylan)
Fire Sale (Paretsky)

9. Name one book you have been meaning to read.

Having read The Name of the Rose, I have been meaning to read Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum.

10. Tag three more.

It’s up to you guys, but I’d be interested in reading how you respond.
I suggest that Lime, Shhhh, and Phain answer the questions.

I have seen others post about Googlism. Of course, I decided to find out more about me, so here are some secret and not-so-secret facts about Jericho. Oh, I highlighted the ones you should pay closer attention to.

jericho is right
jericho is back
jericho is world’s oldest
jericho is war
jericho is everywhere this fall
jericho is a honey
jericho is going to have a farmers market
jericho is agriculture
jericho is that recorded in the bible
jericho is very rich in historical sites
jericho is not just a city to conquer… jericho is not merely the enemy… jericho is not simply an obstacle to overcome… jericho is not a racial issue
jericho is everyone’s jelly
jericho is the man
jericho is classified as hot and dry in summer (dry?!)
jericho is relatively free and so the system has become a haven for all sorts
jericho is sure going to make an impact in the world wrestling federation 
jericho is misguided and void of substance 
jericho is now cut off by an israeli trench
jericho is mentioned only seven times in the new testament
jericho is a java
jericho is the peak of defilement
jericho is thought to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world
jericho is a memory resident
jericho is actually extremely different from his ringside persona
jericho is charged with murdering gamey
jericho is a man haunted by a past he can’t remember
jericho is not the man to spare his five
jericho is a student production
jericho is perhaps one of the most interesting archaeological sites
jericho is a quiz game where you create the questions and the kids have a lot of fun
jericho is about 5′10" tops
jericho is one of the more experienced males on the mars police force
jericho is our paragon of virtue
jericho is a city in palestine on the west bank of the jordan river
jericho is good
jericho is your prototypical paleontologist
jericho is the best
jericho is situated on a mound overlooking the oasis
jericho is fond of saying
jericho is proof that a band reforming after decades isn’t necessarily treading water
jericho is afraid
jericho is one of the best in the business today
jericho is still a broken man 

I was checking out The View from Crazy and liked the idea of devising a soundtrack for certain of life’s moments. That is, I liked the idea until I tried to do it. You can see my attempt below. Understand that I would be apt to change these tunes often. Anyway, it was fun to try but aggravating to realize, already, that I left out many of my favorite tunes that would be just as applicable to some of these "moments."

Opening Credits: Up to Me by Bob Dylan
Waking Up: One Day When the Weather is Warm by Joe Henry
Average Day: Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight by Amos Lee
First Date: Shave Yo’ Legs by Keb’ Mo’
Falling In Love: Better Together or Broken by Jack Johnson
Love Scene: Fuse by Joe Henry or Your Body is a Wonderland by John Mayer
Fight Scene: Irrelevant by Matthew Ryan
Breaking Up: Wreck of the Day by Anna Nalick
Back Together: Amazed by MoZella
Secret Love: Collide by Howie Day
Life’s OK: Three Little Birds by Bob Marley or Simple as It Should Be by Tristan Prettyman
Mental Breakdown: People are Strange by The Doors or Just Dropped In by Willie Nelson
Driving: Rollin’ Home by Tyler Hilton
Learning A Lesson: Ah Me by Griffin House
Deep Thought: Shelter from the Storm by Bob Dylan
Flashback: Feeling Gravity’s Pull by R.E.M.
Partying: Use Me by Bill Withers or What I Got by Sublime
Happy Dance: Pop Life by Prince
Regretting: What If by Coldplay or Sorry to a Friend by Edwin McCain
Long Night Alone: Everything I Do by Whiskeytown
Death Scene: I Miss You by Randy Newman
Closing Credits: Things Have Changed by Bob Dylan

Exit, Stage Left.

Go to The Name Generator and have some fun. I would love to hear some of the names you generate.

My Western Name: Nelson "Frontier" Vaughn

My Wrestler Name: Sean "Eternal" Dunn

My Vampire Name: Xavier Moriarty

My Wild Elfen Name: Tailhand

My High Elfen Name: Nenahh

My Dark Elfen Name: Daram Chantcaster

My Angel/Demon Name: Labael

My Tavern: The Broken Prayer

My Realm: Savage Sables Realm

My Country: Country of the New Passenger

My Kingdom: Kingdom of the Lost Trades

My Planet: Wrab 4

My Weird Name: Tsar Hell

My General Purpose Name: Pablo Alford

My Heroic Name: Rock Cody

My Evil Name: Shadowblink the Dark

Lime tagged me! I was safe for far too long, I suppose. What to do, what to do… Answer the questions, I suppose:

4 Things I Need Every Morning
• shower
• glass of milk
• glass of juice
• breakfast

4 Things that Turn Me Off
• Relentless neediness ("relentless" is important)
• Arrogance
• Poor drivers
• Selfishness

4 Things I Believe In
• God
• Love
• Forgiveness
• Laughter

4 Things I Am Afraid Of
• Something damaging my children
• That I may damage my children
• Making the wrong decision
• Asking directions (I am a guy)

4 Things I Do Everyday
• Read
• Listen to music
• Think of my children
• Make a mistake and learn a little more

4 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
• Hang glide
• Finish my “project”
• See my children reach adulthood & all of us wanting still to be together
• Sail around the world with a few of my closest friends or family

4 People I Want to See
• Much too difficult to answer, but I want to see one particular friend who I have not seen in over ten years. I want to see my great aunt. I want to see some fellow bloggers.

4 Numbers that Rule My Life
I’m OCD in many ways, and one of them makes this impossible to answer unless I simply say: all numbers are capable of ruling my life when I let them.

4 Favorite Colors
• The green of mountain laurel
• The gray of an afternoon storm cloud
• The deep orange of an autumn sunset
• The blue of my children’s eyes

3 Names You Won’t Answer to
• Belvedere
• John
• Angus

3 Parts of Your Heritage
• Irish
• German
• Cherokee

3 Things You are Wearing Right Now
• boxers
• deodorant
• t-shirt

3 Favorite Songs
…. but not necessarily my top 3 ….
• Tangled Up in Blue
• This Morning I was Born Again
• Wreck of the Day

3 of Your Hobbies
• Writing (including blogging)
• Listening to & playing music
• Hanging with da kids

3 Places You Want to Visit
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• Washington state

3 Ways You are Unstereotypically Male/Female
• I put lotion on everyday
• I can make a bottle, change a diaper, & iron my own clothes
• I like to shop

4 People to Tag
…ok… only if you want to….
• Cowgirl
• Tricia
• Pieces
• LL

There you have it. Nothing earth-shattering or even enlightening, but hey! I been tagged