Twenty-five Fascinating Facts...

Fifth Week after the Epiphany

... about me. Yep, finally did it.

1. I cook a mean lasagna, but I hardly ever do it because I want to make three at a time, and decide that lasagna is somehow too expensive.
   
   
2. Except for the two month period that I lost it in my backpack, I wear my name tag at work all the time. You think it’s because I want to be helpful, but it’s really because I’m terribly narcissistic and think everybody should know my name.
   
   
3. One of my most surreal moments working at the bookstore was explaining to management that middle-aged Baptist women buy Beth Moore books, and that therefore we should stock them. Also, emo kids buy eyeliner, gamers have minty green skin, and the Pope is Catholic.
   
   
4. I take that back – the most surreal moments probably involved the ugly guy who was angry we didn’t have more/any books on “tantric sex” (sir, I don’t know what either of those things are, frankly), or the woman who demanded that Chris draw her a map to Barnes and Noble.
   
   
5. I really enjoy Science Fiction. Can’t stand Star Wars. I fell asleep in the cinema when I tried to watch the big re-releases in high school. I did watch a pirated copy of Episode I when I was in Kosovo, however. Couldn’t really follow it.
   
   
6. I love horror novels, especially short stories. I can’t stand anything in the Fantasy genre.
   
   
7. I’m an introvert, specifically an INTJ: the “jerk” type in the Myers-Briggs. I know what I know, and I know what I don’t know. I also know what you don’t know, which can make it really bad.
   
   
8. If I like a particular food, I could eat it for at least 7 meals in a particular week. I also chew each bite 32 times.
   
   
9. I once threatened to physically fight a roommate over a hygiene concern (no, not my hygiene). He moved out the next day.
   
   
10. I reject much of institutionalized Christianity, but sadly, I usually accept the really unpopular bits, and condemn the parts that most people really like. That’s okay, though. It’s really bad for them.
    
    
11. I have no independent taste in music or films. I watch, listen to, and generally enjoy whatever my friends tell me.
    
    
12. I get really nervous that I might end a sentence with a preposition… in public.
    
    
13. I’m rarely capable of hiding my emotional state. Especially when I think I’m playing things cool, people can read me like a book. It took me forever to discover this; Jim just told me one day, “I would love to play poker with you. You don’t have any unexpressed emotions.”
    
    
14. There are a few people in my life, that regardless of their faults, I would defend them in almost any situation: “Really? He buried a guy in cement after knocking over a liquor store? Hm. He must have had a good reason.”
    
    
15. My housemates and I rescued an old cat from the Humane Society in Summer 2007. The cat follows me around constantly and cries if I come home late. He meows constantly and annoys the piss out of all of us, but I can’t help but delight in a little critter that thinks about me all the time – could you? So much for my tough guy image. Ahem.
    
    
16. Every few months, somebody sits me down to (re)explain the concept of “tact,” and explains how it might be useful in a particular situation – sometimes with diagrams. I always respond with wide eyes and a smile, and vigorous nods of my head, but never have a clue what they’re talking about.
    
    
17. I was in a college play.
    
    
18. No man ever loved a dead woman like I love Flannery O’Connor.
    
    
19. I believe that much of the grave error in American religion stems from asking the wrong questions.
    
    
20. The broader I smile at you when you talk, the wronger you must be.
    
    
21. The people I trust the least are the people I never hear say “I’m sorry” to anyone.
    
    
22. I have no problems beginning twenty-five sentences in a row with the word “I.” I could have a problem, I think.
    
    
23. I was within a week of buying an engagement ring, once.
    
    
24. I broke my neck and my back during my senior year of college.
    
    
25. Sometimes I think my primary “ministry” to some people is to be an enacted parable of judgment. Demonstration to follow, so stay tuned.

"Out of the Closet" Meme

That's pretty funny. Anyway, Rob has tagged me for Ben Myer's new meme. Sigh. I'm going to take the opportunity to say some potentially argumentative things. I'm tired and cranky, what do you want?

So these are 10 confessions: some things that you may or may not know about me, and stances that may or may not be defensible.

I confess the following...

1. I don't have an opinion about the ordination of women.


2. I once turned my hair orange, and that I might do it again.


3. I would break or avoid fellowship with other Christians on the issue of Eucharistic practice before I would on matters of doctrine, theology, or morals.


4. The reason I am not an Episcopalian has very little to do with the current controversies over the blessing of same-sex unions or the consecration of Gene Robinson.


5. I have for a long time believed that it is anti-gospel to jettison non-reciprocal friendships. I no longer believe this.


6. I confess that I have a strong prejudice against Christians who are teetotalers out of alleged conviction rather than any sense of propriety. I usually believe them to be prideful and arrogant, and it takes time for me to become convinced otherwise. If it really weren't a matter of pride, I wouldn't know they're teetotalers...


7. I believe that people who get upset and angry about the English speaking-abilities of Hispanic immigrants are racists.


8. I would be perfectly happy to never hear a "relevant" sermon again.


9. I have long since decided that if I were to visit a church but no one there cared to learn my name or engage me in conversation for at least 3 minutes, I would never return. And then I would talk about them.


10. If I had to look at an American flag during Mass, it would be really hard for me to concentrate on anything else.
    

I thought Kim Fabricus' contribution was fun.

Bookshelves!

Ordinary Time
22nd Sunday After Pentecost

The cool kids were doing this awhile back...


Pretty exciting.

Desk Meme

Ordinary Time

Ben tagged me way back when, but I've gotten around to it. Ta da!

Messy desk. This was when I was writing my last essay.

Nice, neat desk. Isn't it great?

Silly Things About Me

Eastertide

I can't stand the feel of jeans on my ankles, so I am almost never barefoot while wearing them, even just sitting around the house.

It's very important to me that I keep up correspondance with people, and knowing that I probably know too many people to do this with regularity doesn't alleviate my guilt. I have a number of friends that I love but I have not spoken with in about two years. I hate that.

When I was 17 I turned my hair bright orange. It was awesome, and I've always entertained the idea of doing it again.

I love coffee. I never liked the stuff, but started drinking it a little in response to peer pressure friends. It's also the thing to do amongst VBCC. Between the inherent coolness of the activity and the Eucharistic overtones, I eventually became hooked. Alan and Liz have this neat coffee machine that grinds the beans and doesn't use paper filters. Best stuff ever. I lived in their house for about four days before decided it would be my little "job" to make the coffee.

Other than that, I'm pretty much their Kato Kaelin.

The other Kyle is one of my best friends, and except for that whole "me living in Dallas or Oxford" thing, we've been almost inseparable for the last 5 years. This is why it continually amuses me that we have few common interests, except that we're both just so awesome. Case in point:

I have never stayed awake through an entire Star Wars film.

ESPN's SportCenter makes me want to poke myself in the eye.

My favorite bits of are this icon of the Emmaus Road encounter (it's my favorite gospel story) and Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son.

My favorite breakfast for myself is coffee and toast with jam. If I'm with other people, I love to make pancakes or a fritata.

My friends make me a better man. I could name at least a dozen people who give me more than I could ever imagine to offer in return, but I won't because we're all a bit shy.

I could listen to Jen or Johnny talk for a very long time, because their Northern Irish accents amaze me. They're also great people.

I almost never listen to music while I study.

I think about Rowan Williams at least once a day.

My reading for Biblical Interpretation is a bit more boring than I thought it would be, and that bums me out.

I love throwing frisbee, but I don't like formal games. Sports have rules, and that really upsets me.

One of my favorite things is sitting in the Creeches' living room and exchanging clever remarks with Alan as we surf blogs on our laptops and watch EWTN.

I have so much stuff to go get done right now, but I wanted to sit down and write something fun.

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