5 + 7 or 5 x 7?

Disclaimer of the Week: Colleen and WordWhiz have graciously granted me permission to post two MeMes at the same time. I have the nicest friends, don’t I?

Colleen is a new blogging friend. She’s a sensitive, compassionate, intelligent, Scrabble®-playing writer who, for some reason, wants to know all about my past. I enjoy reading her blog nearly every day; I think others will, too. However, if she were a such good friend, she wouldn’t have subjected me to such a tough Me-Me. I labored over it on Labor Day, 2005, but am just now posting it.

What were you doing 10 years ago? In my diary, 10 years ago Labor Day Weekend, I wrote this: “We’ve been here just about a year now, and I haven’t had a yearning at all to work with my woodworking tools and stuff. Isn’t it amazing how that amazing computer has re-oriented my life!”

1995 was a watershed year for me because I discovered a wondrous connection between me and my new Macintosh. I set my mind to leave the restaurant industry and work with a computer somewhere. It took a couple of years, but I did it.

And My Youngest Daughter married one of the finest men in Texas that year.

Five years ago? Ah, the new millennium. I left the restaurant industry at the end of 1999, moved to Pancake Flats, KS and proudly began 2000 in my first full-time technical writing job. Life was good. What could be better? It lasted 2 months.

One year ago? In my diary, last year, I wrote, “Those vile and evil Islamic terrorists murdered over 300 innocent Russian school children this past week. God, have mercy on their families.”

My First Wife and I met Ying and Wenli, Chinese college students whom we “sponsor.” They’re part of our family now, and what blessed people we are!

The best part of One Year Ago was the arrival of our youngest granddaughter, Mari Wan-Wan.

Yesterday? Well, how about Labor Day Weekend, 2005? On Saturday, lots of errands with My First Wife. We got our car washed by a bunch of cute kids. The money we paid went to “Hell-and-High-Water Relief” through Catholic Charities. We went to two different churches on Sunday morning, then took a good nap. Later that evening, I went to the convenience store gas pumps and cleaned irritating soap streaks off the car windows. (Please don’t tell those kids. They tried.)

Five snacks you enjoy. Ice Cream x 5! And popcorn (I make it on the stove—myself.), tortilla chips, watermelon/muskmelon/cantaloupe, pretzels. My First Wife eats an apple every day, and some almonds.

Five things you would do if you had a million dollars. First, I would invest in a tank of gas. Right now I’m in the mood to send all the money to America’s Gulf Coast. But the selfish part of me will buy some new boots and a lot of hats, particularly a couple of new Stetsons, and then take a road trip around the US to admire this great big beautiful country.

Five things you like doing. Writing/editing, baseball, drinking coffee, complimenting other people’s good cooking, driving, Sunday afternoon naps, dancing, holding grandkids, shooting pool and shooting dinner.

Five bad habits. Not enough Bible study. Pointing out other people’s bad habits.

Five things I wil never wear again. I lost all those clothes in our house fire. I guess I won’t wear them again. I really miss my Mexican white palm cowboy hat. That was a great hat! The perfect lining; the perfect fit. [Sigh] And I looked good in it, too.

Five favorite toys. Baseballs/bats/gloves; pool cues, whatever my grandkids will let me play with; routers, lathes, hammers, table saws, chisels, beautiful wood…

Five songs I know all the words to. Jesus Loves Me • Amazing Grace • It Is Well With My Soul • Star-Spangled Banner (first verse only) • America the Beautiful • O Holy Night • Happy Birthday • most Christmas carols • most of the Beatles’ songs • The Anchor Holds (really good version by Robert Cain) • a bunch of old Rock ‘n’ Roll songs, but I have to be reminded • some Veggie Tales songs, but only when the grandkids and I are having a rollicking, silly good time. (“Agin, agin! Let’s do it agin!”)

Trivia: What is the most popular song in the history of the world? This question is not part of the MeMe. Stay tuned to this blog for the answer next week. Or take a guess in the comment box.

Five people to tag. Please visit Colleen to get the rules for this. You’ll be glad you did. Scroll down to September 3. In the meantime, I’m going to put on a CD and listen to some of those great songs.

Okay, then about the same time that Colleen tagged me, WordWhiz rudely interrupted and said, “Yoo-hoo. You’re it—again.” For the rules to her MeMe, visit her. Tell her Paul sent you and she’ll light up.

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die
Publish 7 novels (one’s written, but not published yet).
Direct all my own plays (Two written; one produced three times so far. Yee-haw.).
Watch Ben, my 2-year-old grandson, play baseball in Yankee Stadium.
Watch my Texas grandkids, Jake and Darby, in the Winter and Summer Olympics (Skiing and Track).
Retire to Mexico (where I can swim with dolphins).
Visit China.
Participate in the Rapture.

7 Things I Cannot Do
Run very well.
Math
Draw/paint.
Sing.
Slow down to 55 mph.
Play any musical instrument (except the radio).
Shoot baskets very well (Although some kids asked me to join a 3-on-3 game the other day. So, relying on my fear of heart attacks, strokes and embarrassment, I enthusiastically declined. But they made me feel good enough to strut.)

7 Things That Attract Me To The Same Or Opposite Sex
Anything I say here—other than compliment My First Wife and my Delightful Grandchildren…

7 Things I Say Most Often
Hey! G’morning. How ya’ doing?
Praise the Lord.
Do the best you can with the tools you got.
“Lord, I hold up Gloria to you this morning…”
Dad gum it. Dad gum it!
It’s not how fast you go, it’s how quick you get there.
Come here and give your Granddaddy a hug. Hmmmm. Mmmm! Good hug!

7 Celebrity Crushes
My First Wife (She sings so good!)
My First Grandson (He’s a real good actor—and has proven it on stage many times! I’m prouda that boy!)
Larry the Cucumber
Bob the Tomato
Red Green
Okay, okay. Halle Berry and J Lo.

7 Things I Will Not Do Again (nothing personal)
Memes.
MeMes.
Meems.
Mems.
Meme’s.
Me-mes.
Get the picture.

Thanks, Colleen. Thanks, WordWhiz. It was fun. I’m complimented.