I think Kim Moritz tagged me with the “Eight Random Facts” meme as a gentle hint that I should actually write something interesting, so here goes:

Rules:

1. Post these rules before you give your facts.
2. List 8 random facts about yourself.
3. At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them.
4. Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged.

My 8 Random Things:

1. Though I’ve spent most of my life in New Jersey (and I still work there), I went to first grade in Switzerland at the International School of Basel. Goodnight, Ms. Cozens, wherever you are.

2. I have been an ardent fan of Newcastle United FC for the better part of a decade (at least no one can accuse me of being a front-runner!).

3. I first met my wife in a teacher work room at our high school (and you thought prep periods were for grading!).

4. Yeah, so we took our honeymoon in Disney World, so what? It’s not just for kids anymore manchildren like it too.

5. Geek cred – I’ve only been blogging for a week, but I’ve been online since 1992 – how many of you remember connecting at 1200 baud (and when the 14.4 line at your BBS felt lightning-fast!)?

6. My Twitter name is actually a mild malapropism for an album by The Stone Roses called “Garage Flower”.  I picked it because I like the contrasting imagery (and garages).

7. My first instrument? Alto sax in fifth grade; only lasted a year. Picked up bass guitar in eighth grade because it looked cool (and only had 4 strings, therefore easier to learn than guitar, right?). Learned guitar and started singing at 16, and have played out here and there ever since, both alone and with bands.

8. I’ve acted, too. Up until family life and grad school sank their claws into me started occupying more of my time, I acted with Shakespeare ’70 Repertory Company, based in Mercer County, NJ. Favorite role? Sir Walter Blunt in Henry IV, Part I. Not too many lines to memorize, and I got to go out in a blaze of glory after a broadsword battle with a man so bad he precedes his name with a definite article, The Douglas.

My Tags

Much like Christian Long and Chris Lehmann before me, I’m going to forgo leaving comments on people’s blogs, for all the reasons they state. I will, however, create a tag list here for folks to consider:

1. David at Ed Tech Learning
2. Dave at teaching.mrstacey.org.uk (good luck in the slide compo, by the way)
3. Dave at The Principal and Interest
4. Dave Jeffrey at On the other side of the world…
5. Whoever’s in charge over at aBlog (my money’s on Dave)
6. Dan at dy/dan
7. Doug at teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk
8. Marcie at Looksee Fishy Fish, because I saw her slideshow on Dan’s blog (and because she’s in Philly – good luck to you, too)

Participate if you wish, folks, but by no means feel obligated.