When Knitting Was a Manly Art

1. I’m a native Oregonian.
2. I was born in Salem, Oregon on March 20, 1947
3. I graduated from North Salem High School in June 1965, from the same building that my father graduated as the first class for this location in 1937.
4. I’ve only been east of the Oregon border one time. A job interview with the CIA that didn’t pan out. But, I got a great vacation in Washington, D.C. out of it.
5. I’m a Pisces, though I don’t believe in birth signs.
6. I’m the oldest of 4 boys.
7. I’m a city boy who’s grown to love the country.
8. Though I grew up with nothing but dogs, I’ve come to completely enjoy the companionship of cats.
9. We have 17 cats.
10. I thoroughly dislike little yappy dogs.
11. I like good beer. Budweiser and Coors is *not* good beer.
12. I’m currently unattached, but hopeful
13. I call myself an Old Hippy, but in fact I spent much of the Age of the Hippies in the US Navy.
14. I’ve been to nearly every country in the Western Pacific
15. I’m a Shellback – I’ve crossed the Equator.
16. I joined the Navy to stay out of Viet Nam. My first command out of Tech School made landings with Amphibious Marine Corps units in Viet Nam.
17. I got shot at nearly as often by Marines as by Viet Cong.
18. I never fired a weapon while in Viet Nam.
19. I can’t swim.
20. I nearly drowned while in Japan. One of my closest friends saved my life.
21. I get seasick very easily, but only for three days.
22. I can sleep through almost anything, including a firefight in Viet Nam.
23. I haven’t had a haircut since sometime in 2001.
24. I love knitting lace.
25. I hate knitting swatches.
26. I hate finishing, which is why I have never knitted a sweater. (Well, actually I’ve completed two since I originally created this, but I still hate finishing)
27. I have only knitted a few things for myself — Two sweaters and a couple pairs of socks. Everything else has been given away to friends and family.
28. I love challenges and puzzles.
29. I learned Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky for a class play at the age of 12 and still remember most of it.
30. I’m messy and a procrastinator. Anything worth doing is worth waiting until tomorrow.
31. I’m a packrat — I don’t throw anything away.
32. I hate televison and love “Classic” rock and roll and J.S. Bach.
33. I’m a computer geek.
34. I’ve been playing with home computers since about 1978, when I helped my younger brother assemble a Processor Technology Sol20 computer kit.
35. My Operating System of preference is Linux.
36. I have a two year Community College degree as an Electronic Hardware Technician, but spent the better part of 15 years as various forms of Software Engineer.
37. I like gadgets.
38. I hated High School and my grades were proof.
39. I ended my two years in Community College with a 3.98 GPA.
40. I’m an Amatuer Astronomer.
41. I hate telephones. Thank god for answering machines.
42. I dislike anything mechanical – Cars drive me crazy.
43. I love trivia and I’m full of it – trivia, that is.
44. I love spicy food, though my stomach doesn’t.
45. I prefer quality loose tea to coffee.
46. I really enjoy our sheep, but there are mornings when I wish they could feed themselves.
47. My first close contact with a horse ended in utter fear. I now own and ride a sweet little Arab gelding.
48. I love cooking and am pretty good at it. Even taking some classes from The Oregon Culinary Institute.
49. I hate cleaning up dirty dishes.
50. I read constantly.
51. I read more non-fiction than fiction — especially historical non-fiction — especially Northwest historical non-fiction.
52. I’m a Bleeding Heart Liberal and proud of it.
53. I believe in the need for more handgun control.
54. I own a handgun.
55. I hate volunteering, but I appreciate those that do.
56. I hate teaching, but appreciate those that do.
57. I dislike and distrust Doctors and Dentists.
58. I had my first visit in 12 years with a Doctor on September 11, 2006
59. I’m very cynical about politics and the people who lead us.
60. I vote in every election.
61. I’m full of contradictions.
62. I smoked two packs of Marlboro’s a day for most of the 10 years I was in the Navy. I now can’t stand the smell of tobacco smoke.
63. I smoked pot on and off while I was in the Navy, but it’s been more than 20 years since my last toke.
64. I’ve never been tempted to try anything stronger than pot.
65. I pierced my left ear in November 1981 and still wear a diamond stud it it.
66. I don’t have any tatoos. Never got drunk enough.
67. I collect Marbles, Toy Cannons and Early American Pressed Glass.
68. I hate budgets, but have learned to live within one.
69. I’m agnostic.
70. I’m currently an unemployed Software Evaluation Engineer and a cook in a local pizza parlor.
71. I’ve never been good at company politics. I tend to speak my mind, which usually gets me in trouble.
72. I play no musical instruments, though I keep trying.
73. I have a green thumb and love to get out in the garden.
74. I hate driving in the rain.
75. I love walking in the rain.
76. I am not much concerned with clothes. I live in 501’s and t-shirts.
77. I hate shopping.
78. I love going to Antique/Collectibles shows.
79. I’m afraid of heights.
80. I’m not afraid of much else, except pulling lambs.
81. I don’t like any sports, which is strange as all the male members of my family are crazy about sports.
82. I’m left handed, though I can do most things, except write, with either hand.
83. My Dad and my second youngest brother are also left handed.
84. My favorite flower is Peony.
85. My favorite color is Blue, though I think I look good in Purple.
86. My middle name is Gaius. I’m named after Gaius (Caius) Julius Caesar
87. I’m a Junior. I went through life as ‘Little Jerry’, even when I was 3 inches taller than my Dad.
88. I’m a morning person. While I’d prefer to be up early and in bed early, my current job is mostly swing shifts and I’ve learned to adapt.
89. I don’t like confrontation.
90. I don’t gamble — anymore.
91. I’ve had a beard, except for one short period, for over 20 years.
92. I’ve had a moustache, to hide a big mole on my upper lip, for more than 30 years.
93. I’m not very close to my family. I only see my folks once or twice a year, even though they live less than 60 miles away. I haven’t seen the two brothers that live in Oregon for over two years and I haven’t seen or talked to my third brother since he moved to Australia 20 years ago.
94. I love the outdoors, though I don’t hike as much as I’d like. I do a bit of off-road bicycling and following abandoned logging railroad grades.
95. I’m partially deaf in my left ear.
96. I worry about Diabetes. Nearly everybody on my Mother’s side of the family has/had either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
97. I’ve worn glasses since the 7th grade, but these days only wear them if I drive.
98. I was in the hospital room when Eileen’s Mother died.
99. I’ve only been to one Funeral.
100. I hate making lists.

Popularity: 4% [?]