Sunday, June 03, 2007

Come on 7…

AndreAnna at Diary of a Diapering Madwoman tagged me with a meme the other day. So, I need to provide 7 random things about myself. That didn’t seem like too hard of a task until I sat down and tried to figure out what I was willing to share with blogsville. I mean do I really want people knowing that some day I want to buy an ice cream truck to go cruising around in with my friends? Shoot, I guess that cat’s now out of the bag. Well, I’m not counting that one, and since my heart problems, PEZ dispenser collection, hatred for office cubicles and addiction to NASCAR have already been chronicled, here are 7 extraordinarily random things about me. Thanks for tagging me AndreAnna; the bruise is almost a purplish brown now, which I think is the last shade before it disappears…

1. I would like to own a restaurant one day. It would also serve as a place to hang out with friends or family and I could have my very own booth, like Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Sinatra did at Toots Shor’s. The restaurant wouldn’t be anything fancy and would serve BBQ, burgers, fries, breakfast (like my favorite, the breakfast burrito), etc. Possible names for it would be Little Mike’s, Ordinary’s, or maybe Grubby’s Grub Garage – not that I’ve given this a ton of thought or anything. I don’t want the food to be too good though because I would really prefer that Bobby Flay doesn’t show up one day to challenge me to a Food Network Throw Down. If Giada wanted though, I’d probably be ok with that, but I’m straying from the point here.

2. I really like Christmas. This one is a little embarrassing, but I love the music, the décor and the lights. In fact, by about the 9th of December Lucy and Ethel are already sick of me throwing them in the truck to go and look at Christmas lights. Gheesh, they’re only 4 ½ so I hope I haven’t already ruined that experience for them. One of my favorite movies ever is ‘A Christmas Story’ (I finally got a lady leg lamp last year – woo hoo) and I still throughoughly enjoy watching A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph. By the way, if you are new to this blog, I am still wondering why all of the figures in Rudolph have black, dirty hands. Don’t believe me? Wait until it airs next December. I am very proud of my A Christmas Story and Charlie Brown t-shirt collection. Wow, I can’t believe I’m sharing this stuff! I’ve always figured that this enjoyment of the holiday is linked to the fact that my birthday is on Christmas Eve, but it could just be a chemical imbalance in my brain…which serves to explain a lot about me.

3. I met Ronald Reagan in his Los Angeles office in 1997. When I worked for the FOX Network’s Publicity Department, I worked just a few floors below his massive office and knew someone who knew the secret service and they hooked me up. He was already under the grips of Alzheimer’s, but his secretary took pictures the whole time I was there, so I will always have that to show people. Although he didn’t say much, he actually uttered his famous ‘well.’ I remember thinking how cool that was, especially since I had been trying to impersonate him since elementary school. I also got to have a nice conversation with one of his secret service agents. You know, they aren’t as intimidating as I thought they would be. The President had a chunk of the Berlin Wall in a display case as soon as you got off the elevator, which was neat to see too.

4. I think that David Letterman, Dave Barry, Fred Willard, Bob Newhart, Tina Fey and anyone else associated with Saturday Night Live are the funniest people on the planet. Although I should admit that there might be a few funny Russians. It’s just that I have never seen them and I don’t think Yakov Smirnov is a good representation of Russian humor. Anything that any of those people have been involved in make me giggle incessantly like a 12-year old schoolgirl from the time they start to the time they finish. Seeing their work makes me feel like I have the sense of humor of a German rocket scientist…or a monk who has taken a vow of silence.

5. I think Frank Sinatra was the coolest cat who ever lived. In fact, I almost bought a Sinatra type fedora a few weeks ago to try to capture that coolness. However, it didn’t capture my coolness (which is directly proportionate to the fact that I have no coolness) and thus I did not purchase it.

6. My Lucy and Ethel have to me my favorite things in the world. They are by far the best accomplishment I have ever or will ever achieve. In my opinion (granted I’m a biased Daddy), they are beautiful, full of energy and the funniest people (aside from those listed in #4 above) I have ever witnessed. They try so hard to make people laugh and usually succeed. At 4 ½ they are already smarter than I am, which is quite a handicap when I try to deal with them. I also think they are way cuter than the Olson twins are, which means we’re losing out on millions a year, but I’m not counting. There would be a huge void in my life without them, though I may get more sleep and not have to share my food as often (which is something I’m really, really bad at).

7. I’m not a fan of big cities. Before a recent change at work, I had to drive into LA several times a week and I hated it. Although I enjoy going to sporting events in LA, I hate the crowds, traffic and so many people in one place. I guess I’m a big fan of suburbia, but given a choice, I would rather live on a big spread of land without a fence separating me from my neighbors. I feel lucky that I have such a big backyard now with only one neighbor on one side of me. While I like lakes and streams, I am more of an ocean guy. I think I’ve strayed off topic again, but I don’t care a whole lot for large, crowded metropolitan areas. Did I already mention that? I guess I just like space. Besides, when I have more space, I can sing aloud without fearing other people hearing me and I can blast the Bee Gees in my truck with the windows down without people in the lanes next to me laughing. Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam…

28 comments:

Patti said...

quirky, a bit crazed...it was an enlightening read.
I almost cried reading your description of your little daughters.

P.S. Speaking of meeting national pols from the past, I met Walter "Fritz" Mondale.
P.P.S. And I've also met Richie Havens, Harry Chapin and B.B.King.

Michael C said...

Patti: Wow, that's quite a list of people you've met. I've met thousands of people in my lifetime, but thousands of them weren't famous ;-)

captain corky said...

It's scary how much we have in common Michael. Christmas, Happy Days, and Sinatra etc. Only subsitute Nascar for Football and I'm you. ;)

Michael C said...

Captain: I've always wanted a twin. Do you want to be the evil one or the good one ;-)

Patti said...

Sadly I've never met Paul McCartney.
I love Christmas too, since my birthday is four days after it and my daughter was born on my birthday.
Capricorns will one day take over the world, I predict.

Michael C said...

I got to see Paul in concert once, but it was in the very last row of Angel Stadium. The big screen gave the idea that he was there, so I'll just have to take everyone's word for it ;-)

AndreAnna said...

Thanks for humoring me! You are way more interesting than I am. lol

However, growing up in the part of Jersey I'm from means I've crossed paths with Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen at least a half dozen times.

Your descriptions of your daughters were sweet. I feel the same way - that my baby is my best accomplishment and will always be.

Michael C said...

It was my pleasure. Wow, the Boss and Bon Jovi? Pretty cool. Have you ever been to Hoboken where Sinatra was born??
;-)

Odat said...

You're really a well rounded kinda man michael....lol....Can I be a chef at your restaurant???
What a nice lil tribute to lucy and ethel....you're blessed!
hope you're feeling better!!!
Peace

Michael C said...

Odat: If I ever get my own restaurant I will end up very well rounded, if you get my drift ;-)

mist1 said...

I fear people who like Christmas that much. I can't explain it. Your kind make me nervous.

Michael C said...

Mist: Sorry about that. I'll try to use a few less light strings this year.

C... said...

Well... that Reagan bit was pretty funny if you ask me. You were excited to meet a man who said next to nothing and had Alzheimer's. You are easy to please.

Patti said...

You're not one of those people who go crazy stringing lights, are you?
come to think of it, you probably are.
I'm kidding. I love all the Yuletide spirit. But the electric bill!

;-)

Patti said...

P.S. My mother has been to Hoboken. She grew up nearby

Michael C said...

C: I've always been easy to please. I find life is cheaper that way.

Patti: I don't go too crazy, trust me. Maybe I'll add Hoboken to my travel list some day ;-)

Ralph said...

Sinatra, nothing like the Chairman...If I could se him at his best, it would be the mid '60s, with the great Nelson Riddle orchestra, and those tight arrangements and Frank's great phrasing...Come Fly with Me, The Way You Look Tonight, I Get a Kick out of You, etc, etc...Nobody cooler!

Michael C said...

Ralph: The early/mid 60s Nelson Riddle stuff is my favorite. All of the 'concept' or 'themed' albums from those years are the best! Great artwork illustrations on those album covers, too!

James Burnett said...

When you open that restaurant I want a good table by a window. And it's funny. But the older I get the less a fan of cities I am. I used to scorn suburbia. Now I can't wait to get there. I'm halfway. There's still enough of me that likes urban life that my neighborhood is squarely in the neutral zone between concrete jungle and soccer mom-ville.

Michael C said...

James: How does the Burnett booth sound? I'd say we are in a neutral zone here as well.

magickat said...

I loved learning all these things! That's great that above all Lucy and Ethel are your proudest achievement.

And yes, The Olsen Twins suck. Giada and the breakfast burrito, on the other hand, do NOT suck. A breakfast burrito comprised of Giada and some hot sauce would be really amazing. Please put that on your restaurant menu!

magickat said...

and p.s.

have you ever been to NYC? You say you don't like big cities but this here is the mecca and I think you will find that you can sing anything at the top ofyour lungs and it would sesem normal here because there is always someone doing something crazier right next to you so no one cares.

Michael C said...

Kat: If they make the movie version of Full House within a few years, me and the twins will be ready.

I have never been to NY (flown over it on the way to Maine a few times) but would like to one day despite my fear of the big city ;-)

ShadowFalcon said...

Well itas always nice to get to know someone better and I still find it mad that anyone can like xmass, prehaps there is something I'm missing. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you do get the restraunt one day

Patti said...

Michael, if you open a restaurant Ralph and I will be there. I would also like a table by a window.

One of our favorite movies is "Big Night." If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
;-)

Michael C said...

Shadow: Thanks, it would sure be more fun making my money that way.

Patti: I will definitely save you both a table.

Rebecca said...

Hey, we have *almost* the same birthday! And you now officially qualify as "cool" in my book for having met Reagan!

Michael C said...

Frigga: Then for those reasons, you are cool in my book too!!