Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “NOTES” under tabs on your “PROFILE” page (you may have to add the tab by clicking on the + sign), click on “Compose New Message” and paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

NOTE: I absolutely HATE doing these things, but I’ve been tagged so many times, I feel I must. I hate doing these things because I tend to reveal a lot more than I should and it can come off sounding either too flowery, too dramatic, sounding much worse than it truly is… or, most likely, some bizarre conflagration of all three. [EDIT: I have two #2's... weird... so this is really 26 Random things]

1. There’s only one person with whom I share all of my hopes and dreams, my discontentments and my hurts – I married her. She soothes my hurts, encourages my dreams and loves me through my discontentments. I am in constant awe of how blessed I really am.

2a. I have two beautiful little girls that bring me more joy than I would have thought possible. Again, more blessed than I deserve.

2b. I am amazed at God’s faithfulness to keep picking me up every time I do a gleeful swan dive into the cesspool of my sinful nature.

3. I was born in Seoul, South Korea and moved to Texas at 2 1/2.

4. I am plagued by self-doubt – it crouches at the door of my mind at every moment waiting to smother me into complacency – this plague is victor more often than I care to admit.

5. I spent my entire childhood singing – completely unaware that I had any talent for it until late in High School… I sometimes lament all the years of camraderie I lost with other vocalists in my school years… might have had a better impact at keeping me humble (which was brought full circle into a disastrous crash in my college years… trust me, pride does come before a fall)

6. I have not been in a performing band or vocal ensemble (except at church) since I gave up music after the college crash – it took a few years of forced contrition before I trusted myself to pick it up again.

7. I have an expressive, showy personality that has been beaten down by years of self-doubt (see #4) that rarely shows itself. I love to perform and act… I rarely, if ever, do so.

8. I cry… often… especially at movies. It’s more like “a strong tearing up” (there are no sobs), but it happens so often it’s almost embarassing.

9. I love Star Trek. I always have, I always will. Deep down inside I am an uber-Trekkie. When I was a child, I could quote every line of every TOS episode. As I’ve grown older, my social conscience prevented me from sharing this uber-geekiness and much of the old knowledge has since passed away, but the love has never waned. When I heard J.J. Abrams was rebooting Star Trek, I was conflicted… then I saw the teaser trailer, heard Leonard Nimoy utter the opening words of the opening monologue… and, yep, I cried. I can’t wait until it comes out!

10. I believe the ZunePass combined with a Zune is the most incredibly underrated subscription/player package ever made. It’s amazing! (Apple lovers… sue me.)

11. I do not have a favorite band, song, or genre of music. I simply can’t… if you were to look at my Zune, you would see thousands of songs covering genres such as bluegrass, folk, alt-country, some country, lots of rock, some pop (not much), blues, R&B, and much, much more (though little to no hip-hop… just have never been able to get into that).

12. I love movies… passionately. I love the craft, the acting, the music, the story… all of it. I have two small children… I miss movies (but my children more than make up for it).

13. When I was a wee lad in El Paso, I once got my head stuck between two small tree trunks… my parents took pictures before getting me out.

14. When I was not quite as wee a lad in Germany, I got stung by a bee on the outside of my ear… I am now incredibly phobic of bees and wasps… I have learned some control, but it doesn’t last long. In my 30′s, I once jumped out of a moving vehicle because a bee flew in the car… now, it was a slow moving vehicle, but moving nonetheless.

15. I love writing, but I obsess over it to the point of rarely posting or writing. I hate to take the time it takes to really write quality stuff because I think it always sucks… but my love for it has never waned.

16. I’m afraid that I’m becoming addicted to Guild Wars.

17. I’m 41 and still not certain what I want to be when I grow up.

18. I am a slave to variety. I am always trying new coffees, new music, programs, new books, new anything… I can never have a favorite coffee, song, application, book, anything!

19. I am the least handy person I know – put me in front of a computer and I’m totally at home… put a tool in my hand and I suddenly become an idiot.

20. I do not like going to parties… it takes immense willpower for me to go, but I almost always end up enjoying myself so I do try to force myself to go. If you’ve invited me and I haven’t come… I’m sorry, it wasn’t you.

21. When I was in the 4th grade in Copperas Cove, TX – I stuck a marble in my nose that was painfully difficult to remove, the nurse almost sent me to the hospital. I can’t believe I just shared that.

22. I have successfully lost 21 pounds on my diet… but have gained 4 back since the holidays and I’m finding it almost impossible to get back on the wagon… blasted holidays! (Yeah, that’s right… the calendar is to blame – keep on thinking that Larry, because that’ll fix EVERYthing! [rolls eyes at self])

23. I have a desperate desire to be helpful but it is constantly interrupted by my selfish desire to do as little as possible… I truly hate this about myself.

24. I only watch recorded television – I never watch something when it is regularly scheduled because I refuse to have my life dictated by a schedule

25. I love to shop… it’s weird, but I really do.