7 Things You May Not (Want to) Know About Me

My friend, Dave, has tagged me apparently. So in good blogger fashion I will accommodate his tag and post my responses to the above prompt. Without further ado here are 7 things you may not (want to) know about me.

1. If I ever appear on the Late Show with David Letterman it would be for my stupid human trick in which I blow spit bubbles off the end of my tongue. This hidden talent was unearthed sometime during middle school. I like to do it from high elevations so I can watch the bubbles dance all the way to the ground. In case you want to check this out for yourself the best spit is available just after brushing your teeth. Good luck to you.
2. I went to speech classes when I was in grade school. I had a difficult time with my r's and l's. My most vivid memory of my speech problem is when we were vacationing in Washington DC and I tried checking out a board game from the KOA campground office and the lady behind the desk spelled my last name G-I-L-D-N-E-W.
   
3. I have a habit of doing activities in multiples of 4, 8, 16, or 32. It's usually small things like cracking my knuckles or biting my cheek, but I'm not satisfied until I've reached one of the multiples listed above.
4. My initial career aspirations were to be an attorney. I was set to attend Albion College in the footsteps of my older brother, Mike. In high school I delivered the closing argument in a mock trial our poly-sci class did with another high school.
   
5. As part of a high school poly-sci project I took on the persona of Bill Clinton in a mock debate in front of the whole school.
6. I am registered as a conscientious objector. The Church of the Nazarene allows a person to register under this status just like any of the traditional peace churches. While I know this status is pretty hard to live up to given the fact that we all participate in violent acts every day, it serves as a reminder that the trajectory of my life is to be lived peacefully with others and with creation.
7. I eat pizza almost every day. Usually it's in the form of some sort of Red Baron's pizza or pizza rolls or some other pizza-related item. I can't get enough pizza. Recently I learned how to make stromboli, which is just another way of combining those same delicious ingredients. My favorite pizza joint is Chicago Dough in Bourbonnais, IL. I can't tell you how many times I've eaten there.