25 Random Facts

Another of the “On This Day” posts from Facebook Land was “25 Random Facts”. It was a series of ‘random facts’, posted as a status, by a few friends from 2009. I got tagged in a few of these statuses; I did something similar but can’t seem to find the post. So, here is an updated, 2018 version “25 Random Facts“. I’ll spare you the “I can’t swim/drive” facts.

1. My middle name is Zuri. It is Kiswahili for “beautiful” or “good”. It’s become an unofficial nickname over the last few years. I also go by Ant, Bonner, (An)twan, or Cyborg (current nickname given to me by my heart surgeon and some of the nurses at UofL Hospital).
2. I’ve lived in 7 different neighborhoods in Louisville/Jefferson County: Oboe Drive – Shively (a year or 2); 34th Street – West End (about 23 years); York Street – Downtown (2 years); 3rd Street – Old Louisville (a little over 5 years); Taylor Boulevard – South Louisville (a little over a year); 27th Street – Portland (about 5 years); Southern Parkway – Wilder Park (currently)
3. I miss my childhood home (34th) more than any other home or apartment, minus 3rd Street. We did not have much at that home but we made do with what we had. Plus, some really good moments happened while I lived there, including: high school graduation, first jobs, The Winter Storms of 1994 and 1998, and going to college for the first time.
4. I’ve mentioned it a few times on here but I’ve become a big fan of Roleplaying Gaming podcasts.
5. I did not buy my first tie until 2016, for my High School 20 Year Reunion. I’ve still never bought and owned a full suit.
6. I do not cuss. I don’t even like to read curse words out loud. The strange part: “Cards Against Humanity” is one of my favorite games. A weird quirk, I know.
7. If I had to pick a “Biggest Fear”, it is “being buried alive”, with “trapped in a small or low space” a close 2nd. Seeing Nature and Nova episodes where spelunkers have to crawl through passages less than a couple of feet high? No thanks.
8. I do not view sex as ‘taboo’ as many others in my age bracket. I’m not saying that I sleep with a different woman every night (it is the exact opposite, actually); I’m saying that having sex with someone you’re not attached to, relationship-wise, is not a crime. It might burn off some daily tension, in fact. What’s wrong with that? 😉
9. I have never been on a plane or flight that didn’t involve Pep Band or Marching Band. I would like to change that this summer.
10. If you are a Facebook friend, especially if you live in Louisville, you know about my heart surgery. What many don’t know is that I also had to have surgery on one of my lungs. The infection that caused the heart damage also partially deflated that lung. It was a rough February 2010.
11. I used to wear 2 watches, for a few months in HS. I liked a watch I got from Walgreens that had hands like an analog clock, but it was a digital watch. I wish it was the watch pictured above.
. a. I HATE being late or even close to being late. For example: If I have to finish something by 1:00, and I’m not done by 12:50, then I get irritated. b. I HATE giving something up that I didn’t finish.
13. I got a ‘late start’ with parties, gatherings, and other social events. However, even at 39 years old and one who loves video games, I still need to get out of the house. I don’t like skipping things because of an early bedtime, but I will, on occasion, skip something to recharge. The life of a full-time student, full-time 3rd-shifter, demands it.
14. I don’t know what my religion is, or even if I have one. I believe in God. However, I will ignore anyone – and their religion – that comes to me with “(my religion/belief) is right and everything else is wrong” or “it’s in (my) Bible, so it’s true”.
15. Most of them aren’t in “pristine” condition and some aren’t even in “great” condition, but I still have at least 300 trading cards in a shoe box. 90% of them are baseball cards, the rest are NHRA and NFL cards.
16. I did not wear shorts outside the house until my sophomore year in high school. Thank you for changing that, Overly Hot Band Camp Rehearsals!
17. I will try to block out at least 30-60 minutes for video games or reading every night after homework and studying. It lets my mind digest the study material before going to work or, on weekends and off days, going to bed. I wish I had done this more at UofL – it might have boosted my G.P.A. even more.
18. One wind instrument I’ve always wanted to play is the Mellophone (not necessarily the French Horn). I’ve also wanted to learn the piano. This may be the year to learn both?
19. I’ve attended 4 colleges in my long college career: Purdue University (Spring 1997), University of Louisville (Fall 2000, Fall 2001 – Spring 2007, off and on, part and full-time), Jefferson Community and Technical College (2014-2016; A.A. in Computer Information Technology, With High Distinction), and Western Kentucky University (2016-present; online).
20. I’ve cut my own hair since I was 15; I’ve shaved my head semi-regularly since I was 20. I’ve had grays in my beard since I was 20.
21. I have always been fascinated by weather. Cloud formations, thunderstorms, sever weather, snow… it’s a very interesting topic to me.
22. I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with asking for help. It’s not that I don’t need help sometimes, it’s that I don’t like feeling like I’m being a burden. This is one of the reasons that, when I get a vehicle, I will repay as many of the rides to/from home, school, and events that I can. I’ll have no problem being a DD, when needed!
23. I’ve wanted to write a short story for a long time. It would either be a Fantasy or Horror story, with some comedic elements.
24. During my Pep Band days, we would play a song or 2 after most games, especially Women’s Basketball games. After one of those games, a group of little kids, maybe 4 or 5 years old, asked some of us for our autographs. It was one of the strangest and coolest moments of my college career.
25. There is a very good chance that when you see me out and about, I’ll either have headphones over my ears or in my pocket. I can’t remember when I started carrying around something to play music with – I think it might have been 6th or 7th grade (somewhere around 1990). From a Garrard Cassette Walkman (with Reverse Play!!) to Aiwa CD player to mp3 Players to Cell Phones, I have spend thousands of hours on buses, in cars, and walking with something playing in my ears. Today, it might be a mix of podcasts, music, and ESPN Radio, but there will be some headphones with me.