Technology Coordinator, cat lover, and former mid-westerner Matt Montagne tagged me to participate in the “Seven Things You Don’t Know About Me” meme that is making its way through the blogosphere.  In the spirit of full disclosure, here goes:

1. Although I live in a major metropolitan city (St. Louis), I grew up on a small farm in rural Minnesota.  My youth was spent caring for livestock and working in the fields; I keep a tractor calendar in my office to remind me what a real day’s work feels like.
2. Despite my protests, my parents made me join the school band, I played the tuba for eight years, and marched in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl parade.  To this day, the Beer Barrel Polka makes me shudder but I have a deep appreciation for music and musicians.
3. For two summers in college I worked as the maintenance man at Camp du Nord near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  I lived in the tool shed and spent many wonderful, underage evenings at the infamous (and sadly now defunct) Chainsaw Sisters Saloon. I always make a point of saying “thank you” to the maintenance people at work because I know how difficult their jobs can be.
4. I severely disliked science in high school and entered college with the intent of majoring in journalism.  Four years later and thanks to the influence of one extraordinary professor, I graduated with a degree in geology, went on to earn teaching certification in physics, chemistry, biology, life science, earth science, and physical science, and eventually served as the Department Chair at my current school.  One person can change your life.
5. I’m a certified archery instructor and had the privilege of meeting the legendary Ann Hoyt, widely regarded as one of the finest female archers in history.  I own a custom recurve bow, handmade in her small shop, and it’s a testament to true excellence.
6. If given the chance, I would go into space without a moment’s hesitation.  I’ll probably never realize that dream, but some students and I were fortunate enough to participate in Project Aria and send passive experiments up on STS-106.
7. In 1999, I was involved in three automobile accidents, on two continents, within the span of 24 hours.  The first occurred when the shuttle I was riding between LaGuardia and JFK was side-swiped by a semi truck that knocked off the right rear-view mirror and a good deal of paint.  After landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport, I was hit by a bus while carrying my luggage to the parking lot; the real wheels rolled over my right leg and did a fair bit of damage (I was later given snow and vodka for the pain/swelling and diapers to stop the bleeding).  Later that evening, the taxi taking me from the Bolshoi Theatre to my hotel crashed into some construction barriers, jumped the curb, took out a lamp post, and left a nice bump on my forehead (Russian taxis don’t have seatbelts).  That said, I still love to travel, firmly believe flying is much safer than driving, and am grateful for each day I live to see.

I apologize for breaking tradition, but given that so many of my friends and colleagues have already participated in this meme, it would be difficult to single out individuals still waiting for a turn.  Consequently, I hereby invite any/all who read this to have a go and share a bit of yourself.  It’s good fun and I would encourage you to enjoy the experience.

Posted: 01|6|09 at 7:20 pm. Filed under: Misc.
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