Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Oneta Hayes at Sweet Aroma posted a series of questions that might reveal something  about some of you in the blogosphere.  Might take a little time, but should be interesting and maybe even funny.

QUESTIONS

1. Do you make your bed every morning?
No, I do not at home.  Oddly, I do half the time when on an extended hotel visit to help the cleaning ladies out.  If on the couch at a son’s house, I fold the sheets and blankets daily.
2. What was your first car?
A 1970 VW bug, used.  A design flaw led eventually to the Super Beetle, but mine one the model that cracked heads and blew engines.  After the first engine replacement, I had it painted lemon yellow.
3. What two grocery items do you never run out of?
Toilet paper and Dryer Sheets.  My wife does a menu, inventory, and shopping list each week.  She plans for being healthy enough to prepare meals each day, but knowing that she can feel “off,” she usually has something easy for me to fix for myself while she skips the meal.  Running out means that the item isn’t only her menu, but will return soon.
4. At what age did you start doing your laundry?
I think I was doing chores as soon as I could walk.  I cooked breakfast when I was three, one of my early memories.  I was an old hand at laundry when Hurricane Camille flooded our laundry room.  Understand, we lived five hours from the coast on a hill.  The winds were so bad that it lifted a corner of the garage at the laundry room and deposited enough rain water inside, so that there was about 8-10 inches of water inside the laundry room when I checked the clothes as the eye passed over.  I had just turned 17, but I had been doing laundry for years by then.  That washing machine in the Camille episode was plumbed by me, my first try at sweating copper tubing.
5. If you could, would you go back to high school?
Nope.  I wish I had learned better social skills, but reliving it to improve on things?  Never.

6. Can you parallel park in under three moves?
One or two?  Of course, if there is more than a full space available.  I consider the classic parallel park to be three moves.  Line up in front of the space.  Do an “S” curve backing in.  And then straighten out as you center the car in the space.  The last step is not necessary if you have more than one space in which to maneuver.  So, Yes.

7. A job you had which people would be shocked to know you once had?
Nothing shocking.  I once taught Nuclear Physics to maintenance personnel.  I worked for a NASA contractor, so I could be considered a rocket scientist, but everyone knows that I can be nerdy.  I guess the only “shocking” volunteer job was during my Lay Witness Mission days, I was the young person (18-20) on the alter call team, praying with the youth that came forward during alter call.  The “shocking” part is that I am Presbyterian.  Presbyterians do not have alter calls.  Their excuse is that the table is a table, not an alter, but they don’t have table calls or even invitations either.
8. Do you think aliens are real?
If you have driven in Pittsburgh, Atlanta, New York City, Boston, anywhere in a big town in Texas, you believe in aliens.  It’s the only way to explain the other drivers on the road.  If you think everyone else is an alien, look in the mirror!  Beyond the joke, I am like Kathy in that I don’t discount it, but I feel that God has a duplicate universe, as the comic book people say, a multiverse, but only one extra.  Not solidly sold on it, but maybe, why not have the same thing, existing in the same space, just unspoiled and just beyond our grasp until we are reunited with Jesus.
9. Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes and I made it difficult to drive my old VW bug.  I replaced the shift knob with a plastic eagle from the top of flag pole (mounted to the porch of your house style).  I was a spread eagle.  If someone borrowed the car and shifted into reverse, they had to push down and then toward the driver and then back.  If they didn’t know how, the eagle’s sharp beak would bite them in the palm of the hand.  They’d hand me the keys back and ask how I do it, while they shook their hand.  I had callouses.

10. Guilty TV pleasure?
NCIS, formerly Big Bang Theory added to that, and a long time ago, MASH and the Match Game – including reruns
11. Tattoos?
Absolutely not.  I am no Adonis, but if God made me like this, why change it?
12. If the world ends do you want to be one of survivors?
I recently read how the dead will rise to be reunited with Jesus in the air, before He battles Satan.  I have asked God why He had me go into the Army as an officer.  Maybe that’s it, but regardless, I will survive.
13. Sweet or salty?
I have a monster sweet tooth, but when in a rare binge mode, I will switch from salty to sweet and back again – make it stop!
14. Do you enjoy soaking in a nice hot bath?
Used to, but haven’t in a long, long time.  I think the last was a business trip when I got the hot tub suite – only room remaining, about 20 years ago.
15. Do you consider yourself a strong person?
Kathy, may I repeat your answer?  Kathy:  “Physically, no, but spiritually and emotionally I’d say I’m one tough cookie.”
16. Something people do that drives you nuts?
I do not know why or when it started, but twiddling thumbs.  My wife will cover her hands with a sweater when I am driving, but I know she is doing it underneath the sweater, and I get on edge.  Okay, bonkers.
17. Do you have any birthmarks?
I have had some small odd marks on my thigh and arm for decades, but I don’t know when I got them.
18. Favorite childhood game?
The classic games at vacation Bible school and such – hated all of them.  My fondest memories of playing in the empty lot next to my mother’s mother’s home was playing baseball with a tennis ball to prevent breaking the neighbor’s windows.
19. Do you talk to yourself?
I pray a lot in ‘talking to myself’ mode.  I have even argued with God in that manner.  I have lost those arguments.  Usually, the only talking to myself is when I lose the argument with God.  Listen, dummy, you knew you were going to lose the argument, Why put up a fight?
20. Do you like doing jigsaw puzzles?
Growing up in the country, away from other children, Jigsaw puzzles and television were my babysitters.  I am getting over it.  I downloaded a jigsaw puzzle game on the computer, but do not play it regularly.  I established the jigsaw puzzle Christmas tradition with our boys.  They got a Christmas jigsaw puzzle near Sinterklas Day (5 December).  Amazing how the difficult puzzles would keep them busy and focused while the neighbor kids were going crazy.
21. Tea or coffee?
Nope.  Only hot beverage is Hot Chocolate, although Green Tea in China (not even the imported stuff, yuck!) is pretty good when served during the formal tea service ceremony.
22. First thing you remember wanting to be when you grew up?
Beyond the standard:  Cowboy, Fireman, and for me Turkey farmer like my Dad.  I’d have to say Astronaut, when I was about nine.  (Did work as a NASA contractor and met a few astronauts, but…)  That was followed by the Combat! TV show and wanted to be a sergeant.  I thought the Lt. on Combat! was boring., but I became an Lt.
23. Favorite game now?
A hidden object search game, but some are not very sophisticated.

Now it’s your turn.  Use the list, copy and paste and fill in your answers.

1. Do you make your bed every morning?

2. What was your first car?
3. What two grocery items do you never run out of?
4. At what age did you start doing your laundry?
5. If you could, would you go back to high school?
6. Can you parallel park in under three moves?
7. A job you had which people would be shocked to know you once had?
8. Do you think aliens are real?
9. Can you drive a stick shift?
10. Guilty TV pleasure?
11. Tattoos?
12. If the world ends do you want to be one of survivors?
13. Sweet or salty?
14. Do you enjoy soaking in a nice hot bath?
15. Do you consider yourself a strong person?
16. Something people do that drives you nuts?
17. Do you have any birthmarks?
18. Favorite childhood game?
19. Do you talk to yourself?
20. Do you like doing jigsaw puzzles?
21. Tea or coffee?
22. First thing you remember wanting to be when you grew up?
23. Favorite game now?