I, too, got tagged by Jeff.

First, the Rules:

1. Post these rules before you give your facts
2. List 8 random facts about yourself
3. At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
4. Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged

Second, I wonder, “why eight?” Why not five? Or ten? Is it a hexadecimal thing? Probably not. I bet it’s a reference to the power of Octarine.

Third, the Facts:

1. I don’t have a stationary home. No, wait, if you’re reading this you already know that.

1. I lived in a van for 150 days. Nope, you know that too.

1. I am insanely jealous of anyone who can speak more than one language. Okay, I stole that one from Jeff, but I’m jealous too. I have tried and failed to learn Spanish, Russian, German, Japanese, and Welsh. The annoying part is that I can remember some bits and pieces and occasionally endeavor to trick myself in to thinking I can carry on a conversation.

1. I am strikingly bad at self reflection. I don’t know if I’ll even be able to come up with eight random facts.
2. Between February and March 2005 I lost 25% of my body weight. I’ve since put some back on, because that was a bit much, and my doctor seems to think I’m healthy now.
3. Both my father and my uncle were Boy Scouts, but I’m the first Eagle Scout in the family. I’ve been to four National Scout Jamborees1 and have always been kind of bummed that when I was younger I had no desire to go to the World Jamborees.
4. I once got stuck in a garage door for several minutes before my mother rescued me. You know how if an automatic garage door will stop and go the other way if it hits an obstruction? Well, I used to stand on the handle and ride the door up as it opened when I was little. Eventually, I was less little and my butt got caught on the top of the door opening. This caused panic such that when it tried to lower me down I had my head up, which also got caught, and so started a vicious cycle that continued until my mother noticed the repeated sounds and came to see what was up. (Thanks Mom!)
5. In 1997 I was “almost mugged” behind Victoria Station in London. I was heading to the station at some moderately late, but not “early morning” hour when two gentlemen, best described as street thugs, stepped out and asked me for a light. Classic, eh? The shorter one, grinning through the dozen or so teeth he had, said to the other that they shouldn’t bother me because I was “too perty ta mug.” I’ve never been quite sure if they actually intended to cause any harm or if they were just having a laugh, but it creeped me the hell out and I still don’t remember how I actually got from there to the train.
6. I never proposed to Ceridwen. She proposed to me a few days before we started dating. Four years later, when I had a ring to present and all, I gave her one last chance to change her mind. After making her complete a series of labors to locate and liberate said ring, of course.
7. I have an unbalanced aversion to spending money; I will drag my feet to research a major purchase until it is no longer relevant. Yet other times I will spend money without thinking and end up in a heap o’ debt. My extra special weaknesses are CDs and gifts for my wife. Fortunately, said wife is pretty good at helping me curtail the former.
8. I absolutely hate computers and technology in many, many ways.

Fourth, I’m supposed to tag eight others?! I don’t even know if I know eight people with web sites, let alone “the B word.” The internet virus gods will have to settle on two: Dave and Iestyn. I guess that’s our collective tag. I’ll let them know in the morning. We could tag Gwen too, but she’s only one, so that doesn’t seem right.

1. As a Cub Scout, my parents brought me to the 1985 Jamboree, where we enjoyed Hurricane Bob from the confines of a very small motel room (which was at least stronger than a tent!). I attended the 1989 and 1993 Jamborees as a scout, and the 1997 Jamboree as a junior leader (too old to be a scout, but still under 21), much to the chagrin of my girlfriend who had just moved down from New Hampshire to live with me in Lancaster, PA.