Ronda’s my mentor so when she says, “Get on it!” I get on it!

(First Published: May 16, 2007)

Man, I’m floating. Just got done meditating and I’m loose. My breathing and mindset are both smooth like a Seven and Seven or a nice Macanudo cigar.

It’s almost like being high without the lighthearted juvenility part. Hey, my blog, my words.

Yeah, yeah, I’m a metaphorical Christian now (well, I sin MUCH less) and no longer partake of such vices.

But I remember how good they were when they fit the bill and that’s how I feel now. You go with what you know.

I just feel really damn good but in a peaceful sense. No worries. Read my book and you can have the same feeling.

So my authoring coach, Ronda Del Boccio, started a little game. A form of blog tag, if you will.

There’s a purpose to it beyond the bonhomie and warm feelings it will inevitably generate to be shared by all involved.

That’s what Ronda does. Helps you get the point across and further your cause at the same time.

Ronda’s a pro. Digging my story out of my head was like trying to eat grapefruit with a spoon and getting all the flesh with no mess. That’s a hard task for most of us I would think. Not for Ronda.

It’s both her job and her passion. Check her out: www.WriteOnPurpose.com

So the game calls for me to list eight interesting things about myself that maybe you don’t know. That’s a broad range of material and much of it is not fit for public consumption. But I did come up with an acceptable list:

1. When I was very young, I snuck into a tent at a street fair and got to shake Tiny Tim’s hand. He’d just wrapped up “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” on his ukulele. I had no clue who he was. I only knew he was famous. I’m glad I took the chance now.
2. Some when in the late 90’s I was walking through Little Italy in NYC. I was talking over my shoulder and not watching where I was walking. Someone small literally bounced off the front of my chest. I turned around to apologize and make sure I hadn’t hurt this person and was looking down at Billy Joel! As he stood up I turned to my wife at the time and said, “Hey! It’s Billy  f***in’  Joel!!!” Immediately my social faux pas dawned on me and I sheepishly apologized to Mr. Joel who only stared at me. Then my wife called me a retard. Holy cripes was it funny!
3. After replacing a 150 pound mixing arm inside a concrete mixer at one of my most pain filled jobs I had an epiphany. So did my friend who had helped me. We needed a new plan. That plan turned into a 3 day event at an expo in Denver called The Ascension Celebration. Totally New Age, holistic health, alternate healing-o-rama! Think what it would be like to put the entire town of Woodstock under one roof.  132 vendors who’d paid $400 – $600 per booth. Not bad for two field mechanics.
4. As a young man in the Marines and a devout Metal Head, I lived in fear that someone might one day learn that I also loved Phil Collins songs.
5. During the Gulf War I left a certain establishment with one of my crazier friends. We passed two Air Force cops who were walking in. With a brief glance between us the deal was done. We jumped right into their HumVee, started it up, and drove right past them before they’d even made it into the structure. They never realized we’d just heisted their vehicle and said vehicle didn’t survive the ensuing joyride we put it through. I did countless such antics while I was enlisted.
6. Always wanted to tell someone this: I was privileged enough to watch and act out The Rocky Horror Picture Show in front of 2000 other Marines and many Bahraini soldiers in a war zone. The virgins in the audience, which was most everyone there, were freaked beyond description! If you’ve ever been, you most assuredly understand what a unique situation this was.
7. About three years ago I had four metal spikes sticking out of my face in my lower jaw. Two just under my lip and two more just under the top two. Admittedly, this was BEFORE I got better. But man, they looked radical!
8. I have three tattoos. One inside my left wrist, one on my right middle knuckle, a huge one covering my right upper arm and a profane comment inside my lower lip. Really. There are two unbelievable stories to go with three of these tats.

Now for the rest of this game. I only know of five other bloggers at the moment. Here’s who I’m tagging:

SEP 2016 Update

Had to delete all the original material that would have come next. Old links. Not worth fixing.

But don’t fret! In all honesty, I just wanted to show where my head was at this particular day when I shared the stories above. And I wnated to mention my mentor, since Rhonda was truly a godsend in my life when we met!

Plus, I love those stories!

OK. As you was…