I've been tagged!

My friend Chad has “blog tagged” me. The way the game is played is I am supposed to answer the following questions and tag five other bloggers. Sadly, I don't know that many bloggers so I guess the game stops here.

Chad asks the following questions:

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was directing a child care center in Bennington, Vermont by day commuting home to Valley Falls, NY and teaching adjunct courses at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. My kids were 8 and 11—simply unbelievable when I think about it now. My wife was the Registrar at the New York State Museum in Albany. Wow! Our lives have changed.

What were you doing 1 year ago?

I was settling into our first year in our new home in Wheeling, West Virginia. I was commuting daily to and from Pittsburgh to a job as an Early Intervention Service Coordinator. The kids were 17 and 20. Isaac was in New Zealand and Jess was at school in Hiram, OH. My wife was the pastor at First Christian Church in Wheeling. My son is now on Long Island and I have left the commuting lifestyle.

What were you doing 1 hour ago?

I was fixing myself a dinner of stir-fried vegetables, bread, and fruit and chatting with my wife who is eating at a church meeting tonight.

List five creative things you want to achieve this year:

1. I want to get my business off the ground—I want to successfully host several one-day training events.
2. Further develop the Green Party in the Wheeling area.
3. I want to travel to do out-of-state training through my business.
4. I want to visit with my daughter in England where she’ll be spending next year.
5. I want to begin exercising and running again as my back heals.

List five snacks you enjoy:

1. I absolutely adore a great pear!
2. I am looking forward to blueberry season.
3. I wish I could find a really good bagel. I’ve missed them since leaving NYS.
4. Ben & Jerry’s Pistachio! Pistachio! ice cream. (Granted this is more of a dessert than a snack and I have been without it for years.)
5. Fresh pineapple.

List five things you would do if money were no object:

1. I would donate a large chunk of change to my church to Reconciliation, our anti-racism ministry. I would donate a large chunk of change to hunger relief and other anti-poverty programs both through the church as well as secular groups. I would donate a large chunk to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
2. I would donate a large chunk to GLBTQ rights organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign. I would donate to the ACLU, to Green Party candidates, and to progressive Christian groups.
   
3. I would donate a large chunk to the Albany Free School and other schools that truly respect young children as human beings.
4. I would pay off my home and debts and buy a few toys.
5. I would travel home to see my Dad more often and I would take lots of little vacations with my wife around the world.
   

List five bad habits:

1. I bite my nails.
2. I can become too righteous in tone during an argument.
3. I can be a little anal retentive about housework (at least the kids think so).
4. I over-think and overanalyze things.
5. I expect too much of myself and don’t relax.

List five things you like doing:

1. I love reading intelligent science fiction and other good fiction. You know, the kind you can't put down and the kind that invades your thoughts and causes you to rethink your daily life.
   
2. I love watching BBC comedies and dramas (I think Dame Judi Dench is an amazing actress), Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9, & Voyager) and the Stargates.
3. I like effecting change, making a difference in lives.
4. I like writing.
5. I like just “being” with my family (once I get past that anal retentive thing my kids complain about) including my dog, Jade.
   

List five favorite gadgets:

1. Laptop
2. Digital camera so I can share my experiences visually.
3. The cool travel alarm clock my Dad gave me for Christmas.
4. Indoor/outdoor thermometers so I can pretend I can control the weather.
5. Things that play music for me

Name one thing you like about yourself:

I am a basically good person who strives to see the God-given good in everyone. The reward for me is that I get to know people who have very different views of the world.