5 Personal Things: The Quotation Edition

Well, well, well ... look what we have here: The final day of #NaBloPoMo.

Plus, it's November 30th, too. Readers of this blog will no doubt recall that dates divisible by 5 mean it's time for Michael to whip out his 5 Personal Things list yet again! I know! You're champing at the bit to get to the meat and potatoes of it all!

But this time it's going to be a little different ...

It goes without saying the vast majority of you would like to be face to face with me and see how I actually interact in the flesh, right? Well, to accommodate you I've devote this 5 Personal Things posting to quotations I actually say, things indicative of me, just so you can get an inkling of how I conduct myself in real life situations. I know ... what fun!

Strap in tight folks 'cause away we go ...

"It could be worse, it could be raining." I say this when someone notes a dire situation or predicament they might find themselves in at a given moment. I like to think it eases their tensions and anxiety about what they're about to take on ... but I could be wrong. (I mean, I have been wrong before ...)

"Zounds!" "Egads!" "Woof!" Common exclamations in light of unexpected events, happenings or otherwise.

"The only thing that belongs in your eye is your elbow." Stated when anyone tries putting anything into their eye other than their elbow. Examples: a contact lens, eye drops, a low-hanging branch, etc.

"Oh my gordness!" Another exclamation, said with gusto.

"That was my next guess." Said with an over-stated, frustrating tinge when trying to guess something - no matter if it's the 2nd time guessing or 100th time - when the other person asks me to guess something then answers for me.

"Huh, buoy ..." I use this in place of "Oh, boy" when someone says or does something embarrassing, when an action could turn out to be regrettable and other applicable moments.

"Oh, look at the time." Said hurriedly when someone suggests something to do or somewhere to go and I don't want to do it or go there.

"Well, people in hell want ice water, too." A pithy response to someone who informs me what they want.

"And how's that working for you?" This phrase has endless possibilities in any given conversation. Usually proffered when the thing someone is doing or thinking is ineffectual.

"Bring your dog and we'll give him a bonus, too." Offered when anyone says something which contains the word "bonus." (Thanks, Groucho.)

"I'm right here." An outstanding reply to the common question "Where are you?" Usually said during telephone conversations for maximum impact.

"It's like pullin' teeth." One of my go to responses when someone is stubborn.

Any Blues Brothers quotation. You'd be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't) how many times a good quote from the film The Blues Brothers is appropriate during the course of the day. And on multiple occasions throughout the day.

And there you have it, folks. The final #NaBloPoMo posting of 2018. While I didn't make the cut of 30 individual postings because I flubbed a few during vacationing, I feel I more than made up for it in relevant, entertaining content.

Hope you had as much fun reading as I had writing.

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

Juggler Extraordinaire

Remember at the beginning of the month I told you I was insane? (Click that link and go review if you need to.)

Well, it's caught up with me in a manner of speaking.

The lack of sleep, the constant repetition of "on the fly" projects, the multiple commitments I've promised not to mention work, holiday preparations (4 Christmas trees are up! Christmas lights on the exterior of the house are in place and active!), the Thanksgiving holiday and Life in general has beat me into submission. So to speak.

Here's what I've failed ...

#NaBloPoMo: I missed 3 posts in a row (November 21st through November 23rd) as well as an earlier jotting on November 10th. (But I did sort of make up for that post by doubling my 5 Personal Things offering on the 15th.)

#crystalvember: I missed several drawing challenges as detailed in that first #NaBloPoMo post, too. "Godzilla" (prompt of the 12th of November, which I have started but have not finished), "Wasp," "Snowman," "Robot," "2001: A Space Odyssey" (prompts 22 through 25, respectively) and "Mosquito" which was yesterday's prompt. Today's, "Salamander," I won't get to either. At least not today.

There's nothing I can do about the #NaBloPoMo pieces; I've chalked up a big failure on my part to post every single day in November as I'd hoped. But the #crystalvember challenge is easily remedied. I simply have to sit my ass down and get drawing. And, beginning tomorrow morning, I'll finally get the opportunity to do just that.

What a damned slacker I am ...

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

5 Personal Things ... Or "Cult Of Personality"

Here we are: Yet another day ending in a multiple of 5.

That means it's another round of features that make up your favorite #NaBloPoMo personality - ME!

The hits just keep a'comin' ... !!!

#1: My first exposure to classical music was the film 2001: A Space Odyssey where I immediately fell in love with "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II.

#2: I'm often loud and boisterous. In other words, you'll know when I'm around or you can find me in a crowd.

#3: I'm a card-carrying member of The Grammar Police and I'm not afraid to point out grammatical syntax errors, punctuation violations and the like. Keep in mind, that's not to say I don't make (and admit to) blunders myself.

#4: My favorite color is stripes.

#5: I have a knack for making up music lyrics on the fly, warping a song to some silly or comical iteration just for the sake of it all. I used to do this for my kids all the time to keep them entertained. I still do it during the most awkward of moments to break up tensions and add levity to stressful situations.

<< BOOM! >> There you are. More tidbits of information for you to tuck away in your mind and recall at an opportune moment!

You have to admit: The valuable information you receive by simply reading this blog is uncanny ... !!!

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

Again With The 5 Personal Things

Greetings, People of Earth!

It's November 20th! You know what time it is, don't you? It's Michael facts and fodder time - five personality traits (or quirks) about me you don't yet (or maybe you do, I don't know) know! I've done this twice already (here and here) you'll recall and here's the third iteration!

Let's dig in!

#1: I subsist on 5 hours' sleep and have for years. Once in a while (it averages about every other month) I'll need to crash and get a good 8 - 10 hours slumber under my belt which resets things. Yes, I know it's killing me but it is what it is.

#2: I've continually found the need to give names to people and things other than what they're named or what they are: My kids had the nicknames "Gut," "Gak" and "Goof" (the youngest one still has that moniker, I call coffee creamer "coffee stuff," I use the word "hoochamuhwaggit" often to call out particular items ("Do me a favor and hand me that hoochamuhwaggit") and when I refer to items in conversation I often call out "the thing" ("Hey ... where's 'the thing'?").

Image not indicative of Michael's personal set up

as he prefers salt and pepper grinders.

#3: The dining room table isn't complete without three items: Salt, pepper and napkins.

#4: I've never had an "eyeFone" (my mocking term for Apple's product) and I don't see that fact ever changing.

#5: For years as a kid, in the summertime I used lemon to bleach my hair blondish so I could run around in summer as the blond god of beach parties.

Wow! Another successful listing! The hits just keep on coming, don't they?

The 25th of the month and 5 more things will be here before you know it.

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

5 - No! 10! - Personal Things

Hello, Faithful Readers!

It's the 15th of November ... and that means it's time once again to detail five individual and personal pieces of information about myself!

If you'll recall, I missed out on posting an entry on the 10th of the month and promised to make up for it in today's post ... and, sure enough, you get twice the knowledge for your money! You get to glean 10 spiffy things about me instead of the usual 5! Lucky you!

Ready? Here we go!

#1: I have a series of "Life Rules" which pop up at any given moment when a situation presents itself. Among these rules: "The only thing that belongs in your eye is your elbow" ... "No sharp objects around the groin area" ... and ... "Never say never."

#2: I constantly, continually open doors for people in public, women especially. And, yes, I often glare - and even make comments or blurt out "You're welcome!" - to oblivious or rude folks.

#3: I often strike up a conversation with unsuspecting people or make comments to break the ice in public. Life's short, make a move.

#4: I have a "leaves in the driveway" problem. I don't like leaves in my driveway. I will go out of my way to make certain leaves aren't in my driveway. It bugs me to no end if there are leaves in my driveway. (As of yet, this affliction hasn't caused any serious relationship problems and hasn't affected my well being personally that I know of, but I monitor it just to make sure. It is unknown if I'm effective at doing so.)

#5: I don't give a rat's ass if a penny is facing up or facing down on the ground; if it's lying there, I'll pick it up.

#6: I have an "everyday" belt I've been wearing for going on 10 years (probably more). You know how people have their "go to" menu item? Their "go to" decision making strategy? I have a "go to" belt.

 
#7: Eye protection, eye protection, eye protection. If I'm outside doing something, be it yardwork, washing the car, what have you, you can bet I'll have eye protection in place. It goes back to those "Life Rules" up there in that #1 slot ...

#8: When I crack open a canned beer or soft drink, I immediately turn the tab a quarter click counter-clockwise out of habit. And it's a good habit, too. In a room full of beer and soda drinkers, I can find my personal refreshing beverage in a jiffy while others are fumbling about wondering which drink is theirs.

#9: I give an inordinate amount of space to the person I'm driving behind, often to the point of annoyance to other drivers. It's a safety thing ... and it's not my problem if you take issue with it. Your issue is your issue, not mine.

#10: Sneeze once? I bless you. Sneeze again directly afterward? I tell you "Cuidado." (Spanish for "careful.") Sneeze a third time in succession? I blurt out "Tamales!"

*whew* I don't know about you but I'm virtually exhausted from putting all that information out there!

Tune in on the 20th when 5 more things get the discovery treatment here!

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

Ball: Dropped

Vacation has been a challenge the last few days.

I won't get into the whys and wherefores of it all and drone on about the reasons except to note I missed yesterday's NaBloPoMo entry. 

*sigh*

The Day: Up ant 6 in the morning and didn't stop until I crashed in the surprisingly comfortable hotel bed after midnight. The entire day was jam-packed.

Breakfast, a couple farmer's markets, shopping and running around all over Boise, Idaho followed by a necessary venture to a popular record store (full disclosure: David Byrne's latest, Utopia, was picked up along with used copies of World Party's Private Revolution from 1986 and Shriekback's 1984 effort Jam Science), dinner, then an raucous Idaho Steelheads' hockey game (they lost in overtime, 5-4). See? Packed. And, bad me, I didn't allot time to sit the back of my front down and plunk out an entry.

Plus ... yesterday was Day 10 which meant I was supposed to share 5 Personal Things about me! I know, I know ... I messed up and dropped the ball ... and you were looking forward to gleaning further information about yours truly. Shame on me!

So ... here's what I'll do about that missing post: On the 15th? When next the 5 Personal Things crops up? I'll make certain there are ten instead of just the usual five to make up for the flub.

Deal? All right then ... we're kosher.

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

5 Personal Things

Hello, Faithful Readers!

Know what today is? Why, November 5th, the fifth day of NaBloPoMo! You know what that means? It means it's the first of six different blog postings where I, your trusty essayist, detail five individual and personal pieces of information about my ownself! Lucky you!

Ready? Then let's get right to it! Here we go!

#1: I have an abnormally low LDL cholesterol level, around 40 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). This is the so called "bad" cholesterol so this is a good thing. Yep, I'm a medical freak of nature.

#2: If it's summertime, I have cherry pits in my mouth. Continually during the summer months (and whenever I can get them) I eat cherries like they're going out of style and I retain the pits to roll around in my mouth throughout the day. It's a habit.

#3: I sported a mullet for more than 20 consecutive years. It wasn't until about 15 or so years ago I finally gave that hairstyle up. Hey, something works for you? You stick with it.

#4: I cannot eat anything off of a metal surface with metal utensils. There is a coppery, metallic tang in anything that transfers to food metal to metal. It's akin to scraping fingernails on a chalkboard for me. If I'm served on a metal plate, it gets returned. I just can't do it.

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO ... !!!

#5: Every time I purchase a pair of shoes, I almost always re-lace them. That's because, for some reason, when they assemble the laces in shoes at the factory the laces constantly begin at the top of shoes going INTO the eyelets. I need those laces coming OUT of the beginning eyelets and doing so with all successive eyelets. No exceptions.

And there you go! Wasn't that fun? And just think: In five more days, on the 10th, you'll get five more pearls of information about yours truly. I know ... the anticipation, it's almost to the point of excruciating. 

Like they say: The waiting is the hardest part ...

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )