I'm not one to respond to every silly little viral blog thing that comes my way, but when a person like internet superstar Steven Garrity (I totally work with him!) tags you, you have no choice but to respond.

The rules:
1. Link to your original tagger and list these rules in your post.
2. Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.


7 things:

1. I have a Masters of Religious Education from Acadia Divinity College. This 2 year program was the hardest i've ever worked at anything in my life and i consider it to be one of my proudest accomplishments. Upon graduating, my goal was to work full time as a youth pastor - instead i spent 4 years working in a call center. Eventually i did get full time work in a church - then after a couple of years of that, realized it really wasn't for me. Now i'm a full time nerd.

2. This might come as a surprise to many of the friends i grew up with, but I like country music. I need to clarify that - i like older, classic country music. Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings - all the old dudes. I even enjoy some of the cheesy 70's country music - like Kenny Rogers, and Conway Twitty.  I DO NOT like modern country music. In fact i consider it to be the modern day 'Hair Metal' - which i think this video actually proves. Though i should also confess, i do have a fondness for actual Hair Metal.

3. Random confession time - I am oddly addicted to the show John and Kate Plus 8. I never actually plan to sit down and watch it, but if it's on, and i happen upon it while flipping through the channels, i have to stop and watch it. As a single guy with no kids, i'm not sure why this is. The kids are hilariously cute, and as parents, it must be cool to have 8 little people like that who have to love you back... I think my biological clock is ticking and my vagina might be showing.  

4. In 1983, as an 11 year old, I worked security for Prince Charles and Lady Diana. I can't imagine something like this happening in this day and age - but at the time, all Cub Scouts on PEI were recruited to 'hold the lines', while the Royals made their way up and down Grafton Street to shake hands and meet with the common people. We were told  by our Scout leaders to lock arms and we formed a line in front of the crowds. I can remember feeling like this was the most important job in the world, and looked forward to maybe actually meeting Prince Charles. Instead, Lady Di was on my side of the street. She stopped in front of me and spoke at length with the people behind me. She really was a beautiful lady.

5. I have served as a groomsman in 8 weddings and have performed 1 wedding ceremony. Always the groomsman, never the groom.. or something like that.

6. Throughout high school and university, I loved to write and receive handwritten letters. In the days before email, i had a number of friends off Island that i would write to on a semi regular basis. I should also note that if you have ever sent me a handwritten letter, i still have it in a box somewhere. Though not generally a 'pack rat', i find it hard to throw away letters. I still go back to those letters sometimes and reminisce about old friends - some that i haven't heard from in many a year.

7. I didn't get my drivers license until i was 26 years old. My family didn't own a vehicle, so there really wasn't a need for it when i was younger. I took a lot of Taxi's in my university days, and it wasn't until a job i was applying for required that i have my class 4 license that i decided to take the test. I passed the driving test my first try, and a week or two later passed my class 4 first try as well. I then spent the summer working as a camp director and drove around in a 15 passenger van that had a giant smiley face on the front that said 'Smile, Jesus Loves You!'. 4 realz.

Now the hard part.

I have to tag 7 people.

- Ami Seymour - my sister, who is newly married and living in Australia.
- Aaron and Erica Kenny - old and dear friends who are serving as missionaries in Kenya.
- Rodney Macleod - good friend who hasn't updated his blog in many a moon - but has the best domain name ever.
- Ben Wright - another old friend who hasn't updated in a while. Probably because he is too busy with his job blogging for the Atlanta Thrashers.

Every other blogging friend that i have seems to have already been tagged for this, so i will now resort to people i don't actually know, but kinda wish i did.

- Spencer Tweedy - son of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, and an amazing young blogger.
- Donald Miller - Author of Blue Like Jazz and a number of other great books. A guy i would really like to have coffee with.
- Zach Lind - drummer for Jimmy Eat World, and part time theologian.