The View From Wisconsin

Sheesh… one of my MySpace friends, Amy, has "Tagged" me to do a "tagged" blog of ten facts about me. Normally, I don't blog on MySpace, but I guess I'll have to make an exception (though I will cross-blog this on my "View from Wisconsin" Blog):

10. Biggest regret in my life was that I didn't get to say goodbye to my mom.

9. Best moment in my life (other than my wedding to Sarah): June 6, 2004. You ever taken a phone call from a drunk Latvian who just won the Calder Cup? I did on this night. And a few short nights later, I got to place a nice wet sloppy one on that oversized fondue pot.

8. I have over 45,145 sports and other collectible cards, and over 600 different card sets from 60 different years. That's from a 1949 Bowman Baseball card (Jerry Priddy) to 2008 Topps and Upper Deck baseball cards.

7. The lady that I got "tagged" by and myself share something – even though I've never personally met her. That something is our birthday, October 6.

6. My alma mater high school has won two WIAA Division I Boys Football championships – both after I graduated from Racine Washington Park. They also have produced three NFL players since I graduated – one of which was in my graduating class (Jerry Woods).

My college alma mater did something they'd failed to do in the last three tries: win the NCAA Division III National Championship game, aka the Stagg Bowl. And the new head coach of the UW-Whitewater Warhawks, Lance Leipold, was one of my classmates at UW-W when I went to school there back in the 1980's. In fact, he and I had a class together in my first year of post-grad studies.

And, to add to my preoccupation with local football, I have a second cousin (Jerry Mertens) who was an NFL defensive back in the 1960's. Two odd things about him: first of all, he didn't go to Park (he was a St. Catherine's HS grad, same as my mom); second, he was the guy who wore the number 80 for the 49ers before that one guy did in the 1980's and 90's. Can't remember his name...

5. Worst job: that would probably have to be my first "real" job, which was busboy at the Denny's Restaurant of Racine. I'll be honest: I hated it. I also don't look fondly back on my days as a Milwaukee Journal paper carrier (especially on those really cold Sunday mornings where I had to deliver those extra-large copies of the Journal). I do laugh a bit more about my two summers working at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois – except for when I came down with a case of the chicken pox during my first summer there.

4. I have been a season ticket holder for the Milwaukee Admirals since their last season in the IHL, and was also (briefly) a season ticket holder for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002-03.

3. The job I held prior to my current job with the state of Wisconsin – other than my bus driving days – was a part-time sports writer for the Racine Journal-Times. I covered mostly high school sporting events and took stat information on Friday nights. I did the Golf Preview for two years (1992 and 1993) under Sue Shemanske.

2. I have two strange medical conditions: a Patulous Eustachian Tube and Raynaud's Phenomenon. One is more annoying than the other; one is also caused by the next fact…

1. I have lost over 100 lbs. since 2006, and weigh less now than I did back when I was in high school. And, I did it by doing what you're supposed to be doing – eat less, watch calories, fat and carbs, and exercise more. My motivation was simple: I didn't like the prospect of being a Type II diabetic. I've fluctuated back up to about 165-168 lbs. again, but I'm still a lot lighter than I was in years past.

I'm going to "tag" ten people in hopes they'll send out a similar one to find out info on them (and those people can't TAG me back, but let me know that you have filled one out).

Labels: Myspace Tag ten facts