50 Things

1. I cringe when people introduce me as Josh from Ohio. I am not sure why, but I have a mental image of Ohioans in my head and I am not that. I am East Coast, not Midwest.

2. I spent 3 years in Southern California. It was fun, but I would not want to settle down there.

3. I spent a year in Texas. It was fun, I might be able to settle down there.

4. I went to an all boys Catholic High School, Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland.

5. Unlike DNasty, I love computers and enjoy my job.

6. I have two younger brothers that still live in Maryland and I wish I lived closer to them.

7. My wife is a huge Steelers (Stillers) fan also. That is not the only reason I married her.

8. I have a Beagle named Copper and a Himilayan Persian cat named Zebus. They get along great.

9. I bought a convertible in 2001 because I thought it might answer the longing I had to ride a motorcycle. Let me save you $28k, it did not work.

10. Sometimes, I miss my time and the camaraderie of the Army. I think that our military branches are great institutions and the soldiers get more than their fair share of criticism. The military structure is like a pyramid, the few at the top that make the decisions and policy deserve the criticism, not PFC Velasquez who is actually out there doing it.

11. I loved working for the Defense Intelligence Agency. Despite the traffic and parking problems in DC, it was amazing to come around the bend on 295 each evening and see the Capitol unfold to your left. The Washington Monument, White House, Marine One choppering overhead. I really felt like I was where it was at.

12. My mother refused to let me play high school football. I am not sure if I ever forgave her.

13. My first car was a 1985 Plymouth Reliant that was given to me when my grandfather passed away. It had a vinyl bench front seat that made driving long distances in California fun. Can you say salt rings on your shorts and back of your T-shirt?

14. I met my wife in Ocean City, MD. We were both on vacation and she pinched my butt in a bar. "Seacrets"

15. I knew right away that there was something about this butt pincher and I broke things off with the "dancer" I was sort of seeing at the time. Best decision of my life.

16. It took me 10 years to finish my Bachelor's degree, but the Army paid for all of it. I graduated from the University of Akron. I am a Zip.

17. The best job I had growing up was landscaping. If there was enough money in it, I would do it today. You get to be outside, keeps you in shape, and Bobcats are fun as hell!

18. I was raised Catholic, but have deep issues with the institution of the Church as it exists today.

19. I ate lunch on top of the Zugspitze, the highest mountain of the Alps in Germany.

20. I don't feel like I am going to be 30 this year. I have no plans to get a tattoo like DNasty did.

21. If I did get a tattoo, it would be a Steelers emblem. I used to think it would be sweet to get the Dave Matthews Band Fire Dancer logo... I am not so sure now. See? That is why tattoos are risky.

22. My mother and father both rode motorcycles before they had me. Empirical evidence kids ruin perfectly good lives?

23. Despite #22, I love kids and am looking forward to 2 or 3 of my own.

24. I know that they are all going to be girls and will cause me to go prematurely gray. I have all brothers and the thought of daughters terrifies me. Feelings? Periods? Puppy Love? Oh man...

25. If I have daughters, they will understand football, cheer for the Steelers and make a man very happy some day.

26. My youngest brother already kicked the daughter thing off with my niece, Madison. I am looking forward to the week I will get to spend with her at the end of July. She is 14 months old.

27. The beach is my favorite place to vacation.

28. I promised DNasty that I would take a vacation and ride my motorcycle to Florida if he gets a bike when he moves down there.

29. I cannot verbalize the pleasure and excitement I get from riding my motorcycle.

30. You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

31. You meet nice people through poker blogs too.

32. DoubleAs was the first poker blog that I read. It was inspirational to improve my play and start blogging.

33. I enjoy poker for the different levels of stimuli it provides. I enjoy the strategy and competition. I enjoy the thrill of winning. I like winning money. I enjoy learning.

34. I currently do not enjoy Sit N Gos on Ultimate Bet. I have never had much success with them, but find the Party Poker SNGs very beatable, even though you start with almost half the chips you get on UB.

35. DNasty's wife blames me for him playing online poker and wanting a motorcycle. It is well placed blame. I blame DNasty for me playing SOCOM online on the PS2 and blogging.

36. My wife dreads fall when the new release of Madden Football comes out for PS2.

37. She looks forward to the football season because we tailgate for at least 4 Steelers home games each year, even if we do not have tickets. If we don't have tickets or get them from scalpers "dahntahn" we drive 15 minutes to her parents house and watch the game there.

38. I have seen the Steelers play at Ford Field, Heinz Field, Ravens Stadium, Browns Stadium, and will see them play at the Bengals stadium this year.

39. I only wear defensive players jersies. I love linebackers and that is the position that I would have wanted to play.

40. No football, but I was encouraged to play an instrument in grade and high school. I can play the saxophone and the flute.

41. I played the flute in grade school so I could sit next to Kate Nicodemus. In my 5th grade world, she was HOT!

42. Sitting next to her was as far as it went. I still have a flute. No band camp comments please.

43. I was moderately successful in soccer where I played defensive positions, fullback and eventually goalie.

44. I would not call myself athletic or fast, but I did run 2 miles in under 11 minutes for a PT test in the Army. 2 miles in 10:54 is my personal best.

45. Shooting the 120mm main gun of an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank is like nothing else in the world. The first time I sent a round down range, I popped wood. It is that intense.

46. If I am not playing poker online, SOCOM online, riding my motorcycle, or spending just enough time with my wife to keep her from leaving me, I love to read. Specifically Tom Clancy, crime thrillers, court room thrillers, Dale Brown, and international thrillers. I read pretty fast and can finish a good book in a day or two but I can never re-read one.

47. Growing up, I wanted to be a garbage man. They got to do all the stuff that my mom would not let me do: Ride hanging on the back of a truck, throw garbage around, etc. I would get up early on garbage days to watch them and my day was made if they pulled the lever that brought down the garbage compacter thing while in my view. Good times.

48. After I got over the garbageman fixation, I wanted to be a lawyer (my father passed the bar but is not in active practice) and then a firefighter. I wonder how many other people were inspired by the movie Backdraft?

49. If I get the chance to move back east, I would jump at it. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, DC, Philly all sound good to me.

50. I have been in the studio audience of the Price is Right twice, but have never made it to stage. Someday....

Hahaha - Even the spell checker agrees with me on #1. It suggested "heinous" for Ohioans.