Sunday, January 27, 2008

Better ... Or Worse. A ... or B

Richard over at smartlikestreetcar tagged me with a meme. I have done a similar in the past, but it has been a while so I am going to do it again. Besides, it is either this or nothing since most of my free time has been dedicated to plundering booty. Ninety-nine percent of y'all get that but if you are new here my current novel in progress is called Plundered Booty. For those keeping track I'm now officially 2/3rds of the way done.

On to the meme ...

Six Random Facts About Me

Yes, believe it or not there are at least six things about me that have as yet to appear on this blog. (good thing the meme didn't specify they actually be interesting)

1) I was in honors classes starting in fifth grade and continuing through high school, but for fifth grade they called them enrichment classes and they were by far the most fun. Our teacher was great and she made learning fun. At the end of each year the class had an election where we as peers chose class leader, class genius, class athlete, and a few other things. I still have the four certificates I won as class clown and class motor mouth both of those years.

2) My first and very short lived job was as a sacker for Albertson's grocery store, but I quit when the bosses would not let me off to attend a stock show. At the time, made $3.25 an hour sacking. At that show I won and sold my pig for $14,400.00. I would have had to work a little more that 4,430 hour, not counting taxes to make that much at the grocery store. That's better than two years of 40 hour weeks so I count that as one of my good choices in life. ***addition*** To see a picture of me and that pig click here.

3) Not long after I won that money I, along with friends, consumed 2 two liter bottles of purple passion. On the way home I became violently ill and I crawled on my hands and knees out out into the middle of dark and desolate farm to market road. The cold black pavement felt good on my flushed skin. My worried friends tried to drag me back over to the shoulder so any coming traffic would not run me over, but even then I weighed too much to be easily drug. They kept yelling at me to get up before I got ran over. My response - "Good, put me out of my misery."
No cars came, but I still consider that to be one of my poor decisions. Combined shortly thereafter with another dumb drunken decision I did not drink any alcohol for five or six years after that. Have I told that story before?

4) I got a flat tire the night of my bachelor party. One of the lug nuts was stripped and it took me forever to get it off, so I ended up being two hours late to my own party. At that same apart a coworker of mine passed my soon to be father-in-law a joint. The guy thought Jennifer's dad was the "entertainment's"chaperon, but then again he never was to bright which led to him being fired from the post office. Far as I know no one else was toking up that night though I have had my share of questionable friends over the years so I can't say for sure he was the only one. Good thing my father-in-law had already known and liked me for five years at that point.

5) Yes, I was in the room when both of my sons were born, but unlike most men I do not cherish the moment as being the most spectacular of my life. I was a nervous wreck. I hated every last minute of it and to this day I consider it be one of my most torturous experiences. Both were born by C-section and no the blood did not bother me in the least it was just having to stand by helplessly and watch that I did not like. Afterward, I was torn wanting to be two places at once.
I'm envious of the days when the fathers got to stand in the hall and them pass out cigars afterward.

6) I can't read the big E on an eye chart without my glasses or contacts on.


As far the title of the last post I meant it to refer to the lyrics of the song A Boy Names Sue which I references but upon further reflection I think they say cut off a piece of my ear instead of bite. I could have looked them up then, or know, but I'm too lazy.

Here's a random question. what is your favorite Johnny Cash song and why? I'll answer in the comments sometime tomorrow. Also I'm going to start throwing out obscure title for my post that bear some kind of connection to something in the post just to see if any of y'all can get them. Not for every post, but some. I'll let you know when. There may be prizes involved.


20 comments:

Sizzle said...

that's some special pig! (not that i know the going rate for pigs.)

johnny cash- good stuff. it is probably cliche but i really like get rhythm. and i honestly liked the phoenix/witherspoon version of jackson better than the original. that's got to be some kind of blasphemy, right?

Penelope said...

Wow, that must have been "some pig"!!!

Anyway, my favorite Johnny Cash song is "Walk the Line".

-- P

Alyssa Goodnight said...

Sorry about that 'Big E' problem...

Is Johnny Cash the one that sings 'Ring of Fire'? I feel like this should be obvious... If so, that's my favorite. Although, I'm not sure I know any other ones...

Vesper said...

But they are very interesting facts, Travis, all of them! :-)
Class clown - not bad at all! :-)
The pig and the decision - wow!

I like the title of your novel. Is there a place on your blog where you say more about it?

Josephine Damian said...

When you said stock show, thought that meant cars. lol Shows what a city slicker I am. Did they eat the big, or breed it?

Of course, I'm gonna have that "Ring of Fire" song in my head all day long, but my fave is "Walk the Line" cause I guess its about the struggle to stay committed.

Charles Gramlich said...

Ghost riders in the sky used to be my favorite Cash song. But these days it's "Hurt," the trent reznor song he sang.

Travis Erwin said...

First, more about the pig. Back in September I posted a picture and more details about the prize wining porker. Since I still do not know how to put a link in the comments you'll have to cut and paste or go into the archives.

http://traviserwin.blogspot.com/2007/09/who-you-callin-porky.html

Vester I have mentioned Booty a few times and the references are sprinkled about. I have just started working on my query and synopsis but I'll tell you this Plundered Booty is a humorous modern day pirate tale that spans from the red dirt of Oklahoma to the white sands of the Caribbean, all told in first person POV.

Josphine - The pig was actually a barrow which is the term for a castrated male swine. I did the dirty work myself and raised him from a young age for the sole purpose of showing and selling him. Yes, he wound up on somebodies dinner plate, but not mine.

Charles - I like that one too. Those last couple of CDs were some of Cash's best even though his voice was shaky and most people never heard them. But my favorite is Sunday Morning Coming Down. A song that Kris Kristofferson actually wrote and sang as well. The first time Cash planned to play it on his show the producers told him he'd have to change the lyric ... I'm wishing, Lord, that I was stoned.

Cash fought with them, but they insisted so he went out and sang it the original way anyway, on live television. I love that story and the way the song takes me to that lonely walk.

Monnik said...

My favorite is "The One on the Right Is on the Left" But I'm weird.

Johnny Cash was born on my birthday. (many years before me, of course.)

Travis Erwin said...

I added a link to the pig picture in the original post since I couldn't do it here.

Anonymous said...

hmmmmmm, are we related? I didn't think anyone even new Sunday Morning Coming Down.....That is my all time favorite! My Dad was a big Johnny Cash fan

Shauna Roberts said...

I'm with Charles—Cash's cover of "Hurt" is my favorite of his, and perhaps my favorite song of the past 50 years. The first time I heard it, it was like a religious experience. My whole life changed.

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

Great random facts! Travis you always have the most entertaining posts!

B.E. Sanderson said...

LOL, great random facts. Too funny. Mine weren't nearly as fun, but I'm keeping those moments close to the vest. No one really needs to know about my drinkin' days. ;o)

Lana Gramlich said...

Cool facts & lovely pig. I'm with you on the big E thing, but only in my left eye. My favorite Cash song is "Give My Love to Rose," because when I was a little kid my parents had convinced me that he'd written it just for me (my middle name is Rose.) I mean, I REALLY believed it. For years.

Patti said...

4-h pig = good eats!

and i like to put a hidden joke in some of my entries to see if anyone notices. i am delighted beyond what is politely normal when someone does.

thanks for the words on the passing of the dog. ~gulp~

~grace~ said...

Sunday Morning Coming Down. No question.

It's one of my top two favorite songs ever, along with "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda." (not THAT one, it's a song ABOUT that song and the battle of Gallipoli. my favorite version is by the Pogues. anyway, not actually the point.)

having finished reading through the comments, I find that this is also your favorite Johnny Cash song. crazy.

Anonymous said...

I like all of Cash's songs, but the one in my head right now goes like this: One piece at a time and it didn't cost me a dime...

I know portions of this song, but it always, always makes me smile. It is Johnny Cash, isn't it?

Shauna Roberts said...

Yes, Deborah, that's one he did, called "One Piece at a Time." It's about how he steals parts from the Cadillac plant where he works because it's the only way he could ever afford a Cadillac himself. Full lyrics are at http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/cash-johnny/one-piece-at-a-time-2214.html.

Jess said...

Great Post, T!

And yes, SOME PIG!

Ring of Fire. I don't care if it is cliche. THAT is brilliant writing.

Mr. Shife said...

I have been meaning to get over here sooner to let you know that I absolutely loved the advice the old guy gave you at the post office. That is some priceless stuff.
I really don't know if I have a favorite Cash song - is that going to get me banned from your site?