Tagged by Skittles

Barb is calling this the "Thinking Meme." But these look an awful lot like beauty contest questions to me.

I'm terrible with beauty contest questions... however, for Barb, I'll try. But I'm going to be all over the board on these....

1. If you had to choose one vice in exclusion of all others what would it be?

Right away, a tough one. See, I have so many that it's hard to choose. And that's after having already given up so many.

But if I could take an occasional wee dram of something warm, that wouldn't be so bad, would it?

And that's "Blue Label" in the background. I'd like to acquire a taste for that. Heck, I'd like to acquire a single bottle of Blue Label... but that's going to be some time in the distant future, I'm afraid.

2. If you could change one specific thing about the world what would it be?

I'd make cars run on seawater instead of gasoline. When you think of all the changes that would follow from that one, you'll see I'm serious....

But I'll get over it as soon as we get to the next question.

3. Name the cartoon character you identify with the most.

This is another toughie.

There's a resemblance here. But I'm no hunter.

There's a resemblance here as well. Although my eyesight is a little better....

But this is either my Communion picture or Alfred E. Neuman.

And if I can't tell which, I'm guessing this
must be the cartoon character I most resemble.

4. If you could live one day in your life over again which one would it be?

I'd pick a day on which I received a big check. Live it over and over again for a month. Maybe two months. And then retire. The checks would cumulate, right?

5. If you could go back in history and spend a day with one person who would it be?

Only a day? That doesn't seem fair. And only one person? I'd like to be with Lincoln the day he visited Richmond. I'd like to be with Washington at Fraunces Tavern.

I'd like to hang out with Julius Caesar... any day but March 15, 44 B.C. I'd like to spend a night at the White House when Churchill was visiting FDR.

I wish I could have been with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969. I was there in a sense, watching TV, but I mean really, truly there with them. That would require some revision of history and equipment, however.

But if I get only one person, and only one day, I suppose I'd have to ask for a good seat at the Sermon on the Mount.

I'm not partial to fish, but when they passed the bread around after, I'd take some to be sociable.

6. What is the one thing you lost, sold or threw away that you wish you could have back?

I wish my mother hadn't thrown out my baseball cards. But they probably weren't in near as good shape as I remember them now. I can still smell the bubble gum. And I regret that my aunt got rid of all the Lego I'd accumulated as a kid. It wasn't all kits then and I think my kids would have enjoyed it more. (I know I would have.)

7. What is your one most important contribution to this world?

Barb said it best: Her children.

Not that her children are my most important contribution. No. No. That's not what I mean.

Well, you know what I mean.... don't you?

8. What is your one hidden talent that nearly no one knows about?

Please. This is the Blogosphere. What's hidden?

9. What is your most cherished possession?

I'd like to be "deep" and say something like 'possessions aren't important to me.' I'd be lying, of course.... I suppose I'd have to say my law license. Without it, we don't eat.

10. What one person influenced your life the most when growing up?

Finally! An easy one!

I watched Bozo every day -- heck, my mother watched the show long after we kids were grown up and out of the house.

Or maybe this guy -- Frazier Thomas -- the Prime Minister to Garfield Goose, King of the United States.

Oh, wait, I'm kind of imitating the Bill Murray routine from Scrooged, aren't I?

No, my parents were the biggest influence on me. That's probably true for most people, for better or for worse. In my case it was largely for the better. This question should probably be amended to exclude parents....

11. What one word describes you better than any other?

Cowardly?
Cheap?
Boring?
Insufferable? (And, no, I'm not opening this to a poll!)
No, in the end, I think I'll go with "curmudgeonly."
Kind of ties in with the blog, anyway.

Under the rules of meme-ing -- and there's a word I'd challenge at Scrabble -- I'm supposed to tag some other suckers unsuspecting victims innocent bystanders.

With no malice aforethought, and without meaning to impose any obligation whatsoever, I'll tag Bennie, of the tag team of Ben & Bennie; Susan, of stuff and nonsense; Sari, of The Geek Inside; Shel, of Musings of a Phenomenal Webmistress; and Sarge, of Sarge Charlie. I don't think any of the aforementioned have been overly burdened with memes of late... I think Sarge may be looking for a break from the vacation stories anyway.

Anyone else who wants to wade into this voluntarily, please feel free to do so. And if you wished I'd tagged you, please let me know! I may need victims volunteers in future.