Like I don't have anything more important to say....
Based as it is on the premise that everyone wants to read your diary, The Blog strikes me as the ultimate self-indulgence. On top of that, I've actually had a very busy week at work and could probably come up with something truly worthy of your attention for this week's posting. So, brave reader, if you continue, consider this parallel to opting for a trashy magazine over something of substance.
In no particular order, ten things you may not know about me. Of course, if you're Mom, Dad, Becky, Kelly, or most of my other faithful readers, you probably know most of these.
10. I am the tallest member of my immediate family at five feet and nine inches. (In heels, it's gotta be at least 5'11".) My paternal grandmother's maiden name was the Yiddish Kleinerman ("Litte Man") which was in all likelihood purely descriptive from t
ime immemorial. My uncle Ben is over six feet tall but he married into the family. And he's not Jewish, go figure.
9. I own twenty-seven pairs of shoes and regularly wear about eighteen. My wife calls me Imelda.
8. On my right hand I wear the signet ring ("HG") of my late maternal grandfather Harry "Acky" Garb, who served with the First Marines in Iwo Jima and Okinawa during World War II.
7. I subscribe to music magazines Blender and Rolling Stone but intend to let the latter expire because I think their reviewers are in the pocket of the major labels. My tastes run to the eclectic and indie (see elsewhere on this blog) and some of my favorite artists and records never even make it into their pages. What's more, you can now read most of Rolling Stone online.
6. I used to be terrified of flying but now I would describe my attitude toward getting on an airplane with the phrase "strong distaste."
Based as it is on the premise that everyone wants to read your diary, The Blog strikes me as the ultimate self-indulgence. On top of that, I've actually had a very busy week at work and could probably come up with something truly worthy of your attention for this week's posting. So, brave reader, if you continue, consider this parallel to opting for a trashy magazine over something of substance.
In no particular order, ten things you may not know about me. Of course, if you're Mom, Dad, Becky, Kelly, or most of my other faithful readers, you probably know most of these.
10. I am the tallest member of my immediate family at five feet and nine inches. (In heels, it's gotta be at least 5'11".) My paternal grandmother's maiden name was the Yiddish Kleinerman ("Litte Man") which was in all likelihood purely descriptive from t
ime immemorial. My uncle Ben is over six feet tall but he married into the family. And he's not Jewish, go figure.9. I own twenty-seven pairs of shoes and regularly wear about eighteen. My wife calls me Imelda.
8. On my right hand I wear the signet ring ("HG") of my late maternal grandfather Harry "Acky" Garb, who served with the First Marines in Iwo Jima and Okinawa during World War II.
7. I subscribe to music magazines Blender and Rolling Stone but intend to let the latter expire because I think their reviewers are in the pocket of the major labels. My tastes run to the eclectic and indie (see elsewhere on this blog) and some of my favorite artists and records never even make it into their pages. What's more, you can now read most of Rolling Stone online.
6. I used to be terrified of flying but now I would describe my attitude toward getting on an airplane with the phrase "strong distaste."
5. I was rejected from my early-decision college but ended up loving my alma mater. On a similar theme,
4. I once got kicked out of band for a day back in junior high school. I used to play trumpet. Mr. Fegley, our conductor, had finally gotten us quiet enough to begin, and raised his baton. At that moment, I leaned over to my stand partner Matt Kohler, pointed at the music in front of us, and said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Gee, look at all the little black dots," a reference to an old Far Side cartoon. Mr. Fegley made me call my mom to pick me up, and made me explain to her what I had done. That was probably the worst thing I ever did in school.
4. I once got kicked out of band for a day back in junior high school. I used to play trumpet. Mr. Fegley, our conductor, had finally gotten us quiet enough to begin, and raised his baton. At that moment, I leaned over to my stand partner Matt Kohler, pointed at the music in front of us, and said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Gee, look at all the little black dots," a reference to an old Far Side cartoon. Mr. Fegley made me call my mom to pick me up, and made me explain to her what I had done. That was probably the worst thing I ever did in school.
3. I attended the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan in the summers of 1985 and 1986. Next week I'm going to my first-ever Interlochen alumni event, the play Frog and Toad are Friends.
2. I like to cook and experiment in the kitchen and sometimes it even comes out tasting pretty good. Perhaps if enough people ask I'll blog a few recipes, like Adobo Sauce, Afro-Caribbean Salmon, and the snack I made the other night. I was so hungry when I came home at around 10:00 but the fridge resembled a loony bin of unmatched ingredients. (Aging clementines, a salami, capers, greek yogurt, blackberries, a head of cauliflower.... You get the idea.) I scavenged enough fresh ingredients to put together a rolled omelet wrapped in a white-corn tortilla with muenster cheese, tomato chutney, and sliced avocado. Great success!
1. I play XBOX live with some friends (including another rabbi) under the perhaps-too-revealing handle, "RabbiBlake." I am not particularly good as most of my friends will readily attest. Our game of choice used to be Halo 2 but most of my friends in California upgraded to the XBOX 360, leaving me and my archaic black and green behemoth behind. Never fear; I plan to be the first among us to get a Wii.
If they ever restock them.
