100 things that you may want to know about my boy (but probably not)

J-L wanted to do up a list of 100 things but doesn't have a blog so I offered to share mine with him for this one time only. Note: These are his words, not mine.

1. I’m 6’1", my wife is 5’6" and her legs are longer than mine.
2. The older I get the more grateful I am for the things I have.
3. Talking to my parents about their wills is a little unnerving. Not being able to talk to them about it is more unnerving.
4. I belong to a good church with good people.
5. I love being a salesman. I get to solve people’s problems and I’m not stuck indoors all day.
6. It’s easier to gain weight than to lose weight.
7. As outgoing as I can be for work I can be shy in certain social settings.
8. I will go out of my way to help just about anybody.
9. A phone should be answered before 3 rings.
10. I always look forward to Saturday morning cereal with my wife, Cynthia. It gives us a chance to hang out, laugh, and enjoy our time alone together, because soon that will change.
11. I am my oldest sister’s substitute decision maker, something that both humbles and scares me.
12. I love my work but not all of the people I work with.
13. I get very nervous every time my boss comes to town but things always seem to work out.
14. I prefer having something on my feet rather than going barefoot (in the house).
15. I enjoy doing housework, it relaxes me.
16. I don’t enjoy any hot beverages except for Tim Hortons’ honey lemon tea when I’m not feeling well.
17. I drove to Arizona all by myself. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
18. I am proud to say that I have never seen a single Star Wars movie and I hope that that will never change.
19. My wife is the kindest person I know.
20. I am proud of the fact that my wife has a close group of friends that she would do anything for and they would do the same for her.
21. I look forward to going to G&D’s cabin every August long weekend. Beach volleyball, good food, and great company. It is a very good time.
22. The older I get the cooler my parents become.
23. The older I get the more uncool I become.
24. I have seen my nieces grow up way too fast.
25. I am going to become a father on or around October 29. I am so excited about that fact that I can barely contain myself. I have wanted to be a dad for so long, and I am grateful to finally see that become reality in my 39th year with a woman who is WAY too good for me.
26. Extreme Makeover:Home Edition, reunion shows and birthing shows all make me cry.
27. My siblings and I will go out to celebrate each other’s birthdays. Just us, no spouses or kids. We laugh, tell silly stories, and bug Lynne about when is she going to get married.
28. My favourite colour is orange.
29. I believe you can never eat too much cheese or Twizzlers.
30. The best music group in the world is The Police.
31. I miss my dog Wiley. He was a big part of my life, and died the year my first marriage broke up. In many ways, he was the best thing about my first marriage. I know, sad isn't it?
32. I lived with my brother and his family for 4 months after my separation. I will be eternally grateful to Marcel, Heather and the girls for putting up with me in those difficult first months of being alone. They saved me, and gave me their home as my own. I want them to know how much I love them and how thankful I am to have them as family.
33. Seeing babies always makes me smile.
34. I failed gym in high school.
35. Sugar Mountain on Free Day is a good thing.
36. My brother is also my brother-in-law.
37. I am happy to say that I get along very well with my in-laws even though some of them had doubts about me in the beginning.
38. I have 5 nieces and 4 nephews, all of whom make me very proud for very different reasons.
39. I doubt I will ever collect $1,002 from my 7 year-old nephew for beating him at Connect 4.
40. My dad always has been, and continues to be my hero.
41. My mother-in-law has just remarried, and I’m not sure how I feel about that yet.
42. My father in law, Arthur Plett, died on August 8, 2003, barely 2 weeks after Cynthia and I started dating. Even though I had met him on several occasions before, we never had the chance to get to know one another. Some people may think it is odd to miss someone that you barely know, but I miss him very much. I never had the chance to tell him how much I love his daughter, and that I will always be there for her. And I get sad when I think that he will never see his youngest daughter’s children, and that they won’t get their special nickname from Grandpa.
43. I can’t wait to hear our child call me "daddy" for the first time.
44. I check TSN.ca and CNNSI.com at least 10 times a day. I need to know what is going on in the sports world, even if I barely ever watch a game.
45. I envy my wife that she has it all put together.
46. 5 days a week I wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning to go to the gym. It’s a routine that I’m strangely comfortable with and miss when I stray from it.
47. There are 4 blogs I read everyday. This one, Debaucherous and Dishevelled, Fumbling for Words and Accidental Poet. Ladies, I may not comment all the time, but I love your writings. You make me think, and I thank you for that.
48. I prefer to be a leader, not a follower.
49. M*A*S*H is the best television show ever.
50. I’m very comfortable admitting that Air Supply kicks ass.
51. The chair in our computer room squeaks WAY too much.
52. It is difficult to eat pasta with a can opener, but not impossible.
53. I love making people laugh, especially kids.
54. My wife makes the best soups EVER.
55. When you forget the words to a song, using "scooby dooby doo" and "cha cha cha" is perfectly acceptable.
56. Diet Pepsi Twist is much better than Diet Coke with Lime.
57. I can forgive others much easier than I can forgive myself.
58. I admire my brother for going back to school at 38 to get a degree. I could never do it.
59. Cynthia and I cooked and served the meal at our wedding. It was one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. And when I say "we", I really mean "she". I was the prep cook, she was the chef.
60. As a sales "professional" (roll your eyes, dear), I know that the customer is always right. But every now and then, just once in a while, is it possible that something can go wrong because of something THEY did?
61. I tend to have a obsessive/compulsive personality. With working out and eating right, for example, when I go, I go hard. But when I fall, oh boy, do I crash. I keep hearing about this thing called balance. I hope to find it one day.
62. I help out at our church with the nursery. I love playing with and looking after the kids (ages 1-3), and I help to organize the schedule. It brings me great joy (and good training for the future!).
63. I help out at our church with food bank. I've gotten to know some good people there, and enjoy helping out. But it bothers me that someone getting food AND diapers AND formula AND a nice warm meal can complain because the bread isn't the brand that they are used to getting. It also irks me that they go outside to smoke after picking up their products. I can't be the only one to see irony in this, can I?
64. I like the smell and sound of rain. But any more than one hour's worth of rain is hard to handle, especially when June is just around the corner.
65. Yahoo! Cribbage isn't as much fun as it used to be. And that is a good thing.
66. Watching the World Series of Poker on TV gives me much pleasure. I like the strategies, the mind games, the competition. I even like Gabe Kaplan as a commentator, but I still can't get past him being Mr. Kotter, Teacher of Sweathogs.
67. I hate shaving. I always clean up around my neck, and I keep my beard neat and trim. I think I still look professional in it. I usually shave for 3 reasons: for a special occasion (anniversary, wedding, etc.); when Cynthia has had enough of me scratching her face when we kiss; and when my boss comes to town (see item #13).
68. I don't drink coffee. I love the smell of coffee brewing, but have yet to acquire the taste for it. And I don't see that happening anytime soon.
69. One of my most cherished moments was driving through 11 states in 12 days with my wife on our honeymoon last year. Not one argument or misunderstanding, just camping, touring, and enjoying being with one another.
70. I've been married before. My first marriage lasted 7 years, and I never should have married her. Aside from the odd moment of bitterness, I wouldn't change a thing because everything that has happened to me up to this point in my life has brought me to where I am now, and I would not change that for anything.
71. On a business trip to NW Ontario, my co-workers and I came on to the scene of an accident where a 23 year old man had been killed and we saw his body in the ditch. That vision stayed with me for a long time, and all I could think about was this kid’s parents getting a visit from the police that no parent should ever have to get.
72. I cut the tip of my finger off making a bowl of coleslaw for dinner. I was 12. Those K-Tel Miracle V-blade machines aren't really that safe after all.
73. Peas are my favourite vegetable.
74. I could sit and stare at my wife all day.
75. I don’t like hockey. I root for the Montreal Canadiens (I have no choice, it is a birthright thing), but I haven’t watched a game in years, and I could care less if the NHL ever plays another game.
76. My good friend Dino lives in Calgary. We don’t see one another very often (every year or so), but when we do get together, everything falls in to place, and it’s like we just saw one another yesterday. I am grateful for his friendship, and don’t want to lose it.
77. I like Guinness beer. Like scotch, you have to acquire a taste for it.
78. I would choose a pinball machine to a video game every time (except maybe Galaga).
79. I am the "assistant" in a part-time photography business. Oh yeah, my wife is the photographer. I carry around the film and the extra camera, stuff like that. And I enjoy it, because I get to see my wife do one of her favourite things: take amazing pictures of her friends and family.
80. My ultimate desire would be to become a world-class chef, yet I rarely cook at home.
81. The sight of Cynthia’s pregnant belly almost makes me cry.
82. I can juggle 3 balls.
83. I cannot juggle 4 balls.
84. I can spin a basketball on my finger.
85. Nicole and Julie call me "crazy Uncle J-L", and I am very cool with that.
86. Cherry pie filling straight out of the can is so good that it is sick.
87. I cannot believe how good my life is now.
88. I miss my Mémère. She was one of the hippest 96 year old ladies you could ever ask for, and a beautiful woman in every sense of the word. One of my greatest regrets in life is knowing that she will never see my children, and that saddens me.
89. The best movie that I have ever seen is The Shawshank Redemption.
90. I lived in Regina for 2 years. It is a nice place, and I met a lot of very good people there, but it was never home.
91. Winnipeg is home.
92. I kiss my Mom and Dad when ever I see them, and am very proud of it.
93. I drive a 2000 Dodge Caravan. I am not a car person at all, but I like my van. It is comfortable, and I know its nuances.
94. Two of my biggest pet peeves: people who think the world revolves around them, and people who don’t use signal lights when they are driving. Argh, it drives me up the frickin’ wall.
95. My wife is an amazing hostess. We have people over most Thursday nights. She cooks up these fantastic meals, makes sure that everyone is happy and makes it look effortless.
96. I think that we are having a girl, Cynthia thinks that we are having a boy. Supper at Green Gates is riding on the outcome.
97. I’m the only person in my family that thinks George Bush is doing a good job.
98. My niece Danika and nephew Corin call me by my first name. No "Uncle" or "Mon Oncle", just Jean-Louis. Works for me.
99. Growing up, I would help my father outside with various projects. We wouldn't talk very much; I would ask him questions and more often than not there would be no reply. It bothered me for a long time, until I got old enough to realize that it was ok, that we didn't have to talk a lot. We were just happy being with one another. I miss that, because we don’t do it very often any more.
100. I make a mean tuna casserole, just not very often (sorry Moodge).