Randomness of the Random Kind

1. What was the last thing about which you procrastinated? ~ Um, getting up this morning.  There are some days i really just want to stay in bed.  I try and allow the bliss of unconsiousness to wash back over me, but then i remember my obligations and responsibilities and i force myself to go ahead and get out of bed.

2. How long does it take you to fall asleep, and do you sleep through the night? ~ That is a multifaceted topic.  There are some days when i am asleep within two minutes of getting horizontal.  Then there are other nights where it can take me an hour or more.  Especially on a night when i might be a slittle tired, but i do not allow myself to just slip off into slumber.  Eventually my body goes into military mode and begins to produce small amounts of adrenaline to keep me alert.  This in turn keeps me awake.  But in either scenario i will usually wake up between two and five times a night.  Most times i can get myself to fall back asleep in a few minutes, but at least once it takes a good 20-45 minutes.  I am not sure why i wake since i do not HAVE to go to the bathroom.  I am not consiously worrying about something.  I try and remember to take these times to go over in my head things that i am thankful for, people to pray for, or i will even read a chapter from the Bible.  I am not always heavenly minded to be honest though, to be completely honest.

3. Which decade would you choose to exemplify your favorite fashion styles? ~ I remember my all time favorite "style" was wearing woodland camoflauge pants, a tee shirt, and an open flannel pattern shirt.  Very comfortable, but not very good at attracting the girls.  I am not a real follower of fashions, or trends.  I could not tell you even when something was in style.  If i am watching a period piece and i do not know in advance what period it is, i could not discern it by what the people are wearing.  I have a hard enough time noticing what the person next to me is wearing on any given day, so... basically i have no clue.

4. What is your personal best dish to feed a crowd? ~ Um... i hope i do not sound sexist... but, that is my Beloved's forté.  If i have to feed more than my family i am more inclind to go to KFC or Sam's or somewhere i can buy prepared meals in bulk.  Preferably a catering service.

5. Are you an impulse shopper? What was the last thing you bought on impulse? ~ I am almost entirely an impulse shopper. 8(  I bought Shadow King by Gav Thorpe in my impulse to learn more about how Elves think.  I have also pre-ordered his book, Path of the Warrior which is due out in late June/early July.

6. What is one wish you have for your own funeral? ~ There is something that has always appealed to me about the Jazz Funeral you typically see in a New Orleans setting.  People are dancing, playing lively music, celebrating life. 

I know people typically experience sadness at the loss of someone in their lives, but i tend to view that as being selfish to some degree.  People are sad because they have lost someone, or something.  But for the Christian it should be a time of celebration.  The Christian who has passed is no longer suffering, no longer feeling pain.  They are now in the presence of God where all their tears are wiped away.  I pray that when it comes time for my own funeral that i have shared my anticipated joy to such an extent that those who come to my funeral will be celebrating with me.

7. If it's true that joy is in found in the simple things in life, what does your joy look like today? ~ Today it is the joy of writing.  I enjoy writing this blog, i enjoy writing stories for my fictious characters.  Sometimes i even enjoy writing at work.  I don't know why i am finding joy in this today... it even caught me by surprise.

8. What is your favorite type of bread? ~ San Franciso Sour Dough Bread.  My mouth is literally watering as i think about it right now.  And there IS a difference between the sour dough breed you can get in the local market versus the stuff you get in San Francisco California.  I say this from personal experience.  The local stuff is good, but the original from the likes of Fisherman's Wharf is so much better.  The crunch, the smell, the taste.  Ok, i have to stop before i impulsively buy a ticket out West...

9. What trait do you fear developing the most? (Laziness, greediness, grumpiness, etc.) ~ Laziness... sadly i have seen this trait creeping in to my daily life.  It has been a life long battle, and i worry about succumbing to it. Laziness, at least for me, is a contributor to other bad traits.  One day, i am lazy and i don't feel like washing the dishes.  The next day i get grumpy because there are no clean glasses to drink out of, etc.  The Bible warns us in several places against "a little slumber, a little folding of the hands" in many places.  We must be diligent.  We must take the extra steps.  It is in the little things that are all too often the first things passed over in laziness, that make the biggest differences.

10. What trait would you like most to develop? ~ Diligence... i would like to develop persistance in following up on the little things i mentioned above.  Not the pursuit of perfection, but the pursuit of doing the things that i can do in order to contribue to the whole.

11. Which room in your house best reflects your personality? Why? ~ Sadly i do not have a room in my own home that reflects my personality.  Why?  Because it would not go with the overall decor of the house.  I desperately need a "man cave" in order to be able to display my retirement present, the canister from my first live fire when i became a Howitzer Section Chief.  I would love a place to build, paint and display my "little army men".  To hang up my Carolina Panthers paraphanalia.  It's not that my Beloved has denied me, it is that i have never exerted myself to stake a claim for my own turf within our home.  Maybe in a decade or so, when the kids are all out of the house and on to college or their own families.

12. How do you maintain balance in your life regarding, work, family, church, other organizations and activities, and blogging? ~ I have a secret weapon that God has graciously provided me.  This awesome gift to me helps me keep my ego and pride in check, it helps me keep straight the events that are coming up, helps me set my priorities in regards to spending and life choices.  This secret weapon is indeed a gift from God.  I am confident that without this gift i would still be working a blue collar job with no real prospects or desire to improve.  I would still be whittling away the precious hours of my life on things that have no real signifigance.  This secret weapon, this incredible gift of God... my Beloved.  The blog is just me rambling and pittering away on trivial things.  8)