Can't think, must meme

Ugh. I wish I had more to write about. But all I could muster would be talking about how watch-able American Idol was or how after only three days I can already notice a difference in weight and how well I can "run" on my Gazelle.

So, I decided to steal this 20 questions "meme" from Lisa. I believe hers is more interesting than mine.

1. Best memory?
My absolute best memory, the absolute, most solid, "this is why I'm alive" moment came just hours after the birth of our first child. My wife has to deliver via C-section and Tori was a bit early. Shortly after being birthed, she was taken to the nursery and put under oxygen. If you have never been through this, I do not recommend it. I have had to go through it with all three of my children.

My wife wanted to breastfeed. Actually, she had really wanted to have a natural childbirth experience and had really been doing a lot of holistic-type research. Well, genetics robbed her of her ability to do that. Now, with our youngest being under oxygen, my wife's ability to breast feed was slowly ticking away (of course, we didn't know this at the time).

How is this a good memory? Well, I have never been a nurturer. Or, at least, I hadn't been up until this point. I was (and am still in many ways) too selfish. But after making sure my wife was okay, I walked down the hall to the nursery and the nurses let me hold my daughter. I got to feed her her first bottle.

So, it's a great memory. Me holding my tiny, tiny girl. Sitting in a rocking chair, slowing rocking. Feeding her. An oxygen tube running near her nose. Hoping that I'm not doing anything wrong.

2. Most terrible day?
Sorry, I am not willing to share this with blog land. However, one of my worst days I chronicled here.

3. Birth City?
Jonesboro, LA

4. Favorite thing to do?
This is a more difficult question than I thought it'd be. I mean, I'm really thinking about it as I type a little bit here and then pause to think. I guess I'd have to say watching a movie at home with my girls. Turning the lights down and having popcorn, "Just like at the movies," as my oldest says.

5. Hollywood Crush?
Scarlett Johansson; Rachel Weisz; Cate Blanchett

6. Favorite food?
Grilled Porterhouse Steak. Close second is New York Strip.

7. City you want to visit most and why?
I don't have the burning desire to see one place like I did when I was younger. I was a bit of an anglophile when I was a pre-teen/teen and I was dying to see London. I would still like to spend time there, but no more so than, say, Athens or Moscow.

8. Fantasy/dream that you want to come true?
Man, I could probably get into some serious Freud shit with this one. Being a long-time comic-book fan and having a vivid imagination, of course I had super-power fantasies when I was young. Young being, like, yesterday. Seriously though, every power or money fantasy goes to one source: I fantasize about not having to deal with the day-to-day doldrums of life. Either being financially above it or something of that nature would be nice.

Realistically, I hope my kids survive their childhood with me and grow up well adjusted. Since, you know, it's too late for me and all.

9. Favorite sport?
Couch potatoing.

10. How long have you been married?
11 years, 4 months.

11. Favorite song and why?
I don't have a favorite, but there was a little "Best Songs of 1987" retrospective on talk radio this morning. I know all the words to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," so I got that going for me.

12. Someone you most admire?
Ronald Reagan. For being one of the few (and last) politicians to actually take a stand for something he believed in and unflinchingly strive to achieve that goal.

13. Someone you hate and why?
I should say things like, "Ooh, hate is wrong and you really shouldn't hate," but I can't help myself hating Sean Penn.

14. Secret crush?
I'm with Lisa on this. I don't really have a "crush" outside the (light) Hollywood ones.

15. One (maybe 2) rule/s you live by?
Treat others as you'd like to be treated. Failing that, be funny.

16. Do you believe in God?
Yep.

17. A dark secret (we won't tell):
Not on your life, brother.

18. Most treasured item and why?
My guitar. I love it. It could be better. But it's the one thing I own that I pined for years before I bought it. The one thing I didn't settle for a cheaper variation (although it's not like it's an expensive guitar or anything).

Oh, my burr grinder has been quite cherished lately.

19. If you could turn back time, what would you do and why?
EVERYBODY: "If I could turn back ti-uhm. If I could find
a way I'd take back those words that hurt you and you'd stay ..."

20. Last but certainly not least, what kind of "work" do you do and do you enjoy it?
I edit a military newspaper for the Marine Corps. I enjoy military Public Affairs and am very happy I was able to get a civilian position after getting out of the Army.