I get so MAD!

June 23rd, 2005 at 06:45pm Posted by Bill

Go here and here to see what this is all about.
 

1) You have unlimited funds to buy Kathy ONE gift. What do you buy her and how do you present it to her?

I’m going to veer off the reality highway and rush headlong into the realm of make-believe. I would go back in time and give Kathy a proper marriage proposal. Allow me to explain why: I proposed to Kathy over the phone. No engagement ring, no tearful soul-baring on bended knee, no man-to-man talk asking for her father’s permission; nothing but a “Hey, would ya marry me?” She deserves so much more than that.

In my defense, I was only 16 years old, and didn’t know any better. Yes, 16. Kathy and I have been going out since we were 16. We were married at 19, and our first child was born when we were 21. That’s how we can be about to celebrate our 17th anniversary, have a son who drives and will be a sophomore in high school, and still be just 36 years old.

But if I knew then what I know now, I would have made sure to do it right, and I’ve regretted it ever since I knew enough to know that I should be regretting it.
 

2) Tell us a secret….

I once ate an entire 1/2 gallon carton of Breyer’s Cookies and Cream ice cream (the original, not that newfangled stuff with Oreos) in one sitting.
 

3) You’ve just laid the deed to your house on the black jack table. You’ve been dealt a seven and a five; the dealer has a nine showing. Do you take a hit? Tell us your thought process.

Take a hit? I didn’t even inhale. Drugs are bad, mm’kay? Now pass the Doritos, I got the munchies reeeal bad.

Seriously, I’m not a gambler, I don’t know anything about playing the odds in blackjack. I guess I’d take another card and hope for the best, and whatever happens, happens. If I lost the house, I guess I’d be pretty ticked, but I’d do what I’ve done in the past: Start over. One thing I’ve learned over the years is no matter how bad the situation is, you can always start over, especially when it comes to something as insignificant as money. The things that are really important can’t be lost in a card game.

Quick example: When Billy and Matt were babies, I was working three jobs (yes, three) to support us, and Kathy had broken her ankle and so she couldn’t walk or even take care of the boys. I had to drive them down to L.A. to stay with her mom while she healed for several months (driving straight through and back in one week-end with no sleep, ’cause I couldn’t take any time off), and I wasn’t able to even talk to them for several weeks since our phone had been shutoff. I even missed seeing Matt take his first steps. At the time, I felt like a complete and total failure, and pretty much worthless. Now, 13 or so years wiser, I realize that a person’s worth isn’t measured by how much money they make, or where they live, or how many letters are after their name on their business card (or if it says “trainee” on the nametag on their uniform.)
 

4) It’s all up to you; does the United States re-instate the draft or instate a mandatory two-year military commitment from everyone over eighteen? You must choose one, and state why.

Whoa, tough one. My dad was in the Army when I was tiny (I was actually born in a military hospital on an Army base in what used to be West Germany.) His service was up and we moved back to the States when I was about two. I have no recollection of any of his service, so I’ve never considered myself the son of a military man. My brothers and I have never served either.
Billy and Matt have occasionally mentioned that they might like to join the military when they get out of high school, to help with education, serve their country, gain experience, etc. Not much serious talk of that recently, however.

As much as I may disagree with idea of forcibly inducting some people into the armed forces, I guess I am even more strongly against a mandatory stint in the military for all adults. That just seems more un-American.
 

5) Why do you get so mad?

Stupidity makes me mad.

People can be ignorant, and people can be stupid. Ignorance is not bad. All of us are ignorant of most things. If something goes wrong with my car, for example, I can’t fix it for the life of me. I’m ignorant of the knowledge needed to make it start working. That’s OK, because I don’t really have a desire to learn it, it’s not worth my time, and I’m fine with paying someone else to fix it who does have that knowledge.
However, if I keep driving when I notice the “check engine” light come on instead of taking it to a mechanic, and my engine explodes, I’m not being ignorant, I’m being stupid.
 
 
OK, so I’m supposed to extend the invitation to be interviewed by me to the first five people who request it. However, seeing that it took almost three days just to post my answers to RM’s questions, I probably won’t get around to coming up with five interesting questions for five different people within our lifetime. So… I’m going to extend this invitation to just two people. I know, I’m probably going to suffer a terrible accident for “breaking the chain” or something, but I’m willing to risk it. Any takers?

Entry Filed under: Family, Friends, Fun, Bill