Category Archives: Meme

Eleven Things About Me

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Rebecca tagged me with the “11 Things About Me” meme.  Must be my lucky day.  It has been a rainy day, so I’ve spent some time carefully considering answers and preparing this post.   (Between naps that is. :lol:)

Rules:

# 1 – You must post these rules.
# 2 – You must post 11 things about yourself.
# 3 – You must answer the questions from the tagger AND post 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
# 4 – You must choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post. Let them know they’ve been tagged! Don’t tag back the blog that tagged you.

11 Things About Me:

1. My eyes are brown.
2. My hair (what little is left) used to be brown.  (Those are not coffee stains in my beard.)
3. I have three sisters—all younger.
4. Sylvia and I met when we were in high school.  (Different schools)
5. We’ve been married for over 50 years.  (Yes!  I’d do it again.)
6. We have two sons.
7. At times, we have called Michigan, Connecticut, Costa Rica and Ecuador home.
8. I have been a ham radio operator for over 50 years.
9. I have been interviewed on TV in Europe and Africa (both in Spanish).
10. I retired 11 years ago.
11. Eleven generations ago (1634) Richard Hutchinson came to America, bringing the first plow with him.  I am directly descended from him.

11 Questions From Rebecca:

1. What is the best food on a hot summer day?
Potato salad

2. If you had an extra room in your house, how would you use it?
Already have that “extra” room and it serves us as an office

3. What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
Guinea pig (Cuy in Spanish) and some other stuff in rural Ecuador and I have no idea what it was

4. What do you remember about your first day of school?
Nothing, but in kindergarten I do remember being sent to the closet for non-stop talking and I sat on the basketball while I waited release

5. What Olympic sport would you like to try?
Shooting, even if they means I’d have to ski too

6. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Why?
Sunsets, because I’m awake and rest will follow

7. Where is the farthest you have ever traveled?
By distance it is Bologna, Italy.  By culture it could be Morocco, but it could also be a village in Ecuador where we had to walk a long way after the road stopped.

8. Have you ever been mentioned in the newspaper?
Yes.  I was in grade school when the neighbor’s barn burned to the ground.  The picture I took was featured in the local newspaper.  Later there were engagement and wedding announcements.  After that, I’m not sure.  (It’s not really important.)

9. What do you miss from your childhood?
Sitting on the screened porch on warm evenings

10. Share a favorite picture of yourself (or, if you don’t want to use a self photo, use any photo you like), and tell us about it.

This is never going to happen! If you get one, don't try to spend it.

11. What habit would you like to be able to break?
Accepting invitations to participate in memes?

Now, it’s my turn.  I tag you.  (Sorry, I’m not very good at this part.)  There are a few of you whom I hope will respond.

Here are the questions:

1. What is your favorite food on a hot summer day?
2. If you had an extra room in your house, how would you use it?
3. What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
4. What do you remember about your first days of school?
5. What Olympic sport would you like to try?
6. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Why?
7. Where is the farthest (distance or culturally) you have ever traveled?
8. Have you ever been mentioned in the newspaper or on TV?
9. What do you miss from your childhood?
10. Share a favorite picture of yourself (or, if you don’t want to use a self photo, use any photo you like), and tell us about it.
11. What habit would you like to be able to break?

Are you willing to participate?  I’ll be watching.

Meme ~ Six Names You Go By

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Here’s looking at you kid

This meme was sent to me in an e-mail from my friend, Wendi, who is not a blogger. She is a friend from church and we frequently exchange jokes and serious stuff by e-mail. I liked this so much that I wanted to share it with you. Here goes:

Six names you go by:
1. Charles (Everyone called me this until I met Sylvia)
2. Chuck (Sylvia changed my name)
3. Chazz
4. Hutch
5. Señor Hutchinson (Pronounced Say-nyohr Oot-cheen-sohn)
6. Mr Hutchinson (Nobody in my family has ever called me that)
 
Three things you are wearing right now:
1. Flannel shirt
2. Jeans
3. White shoes

Three things you want very badly at the moment:
1. To go to bed (I’m writing at my bedtime)
2. A drink of water
3. To hear that Lin’s Hobbes is feeling better
 
Two things you did last night?
1. Updated my blog
2. Watched some TV

Two things you dislike today:
1. Licorice
2. Phony people
 
Two people you last talked to on the phone:
1. CPA’s secretary (our electronic tax filing has been accepted — refund coming)
2. My ISP (He needed access to the church for equipment maintenance)

Two things you are going to do tomorrow:
1. Visit my favorite blogs
2. Watch the NASCAR Nationwide Series race

Three of your favorite drinks:
1. Water
2. Coffee
3. Orange juice (Yes in that order) 

Be a friend and publish this meme on your blog if you will.  I’d like to know more about you.

January Observations

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Some of you have asked, so here’s an update: I’m continuing to improve as the antibiotic is overcoming that nasty infection. Sylvia brought home some yogurt for me today. That seems to help replace the beneficial bacteria in my innards.

I shot this in July 2009 from the driveway here on Secondary Roads.

Here’s an interesting meme that I first saw on Lin’s blog and then on PJ’s. I hope to see it next on your blog. It goes like this:

I am . . .

saying no to: Getting out of bed early. I’ve had my time of beating the sun up everyday and waking up the rooster.

saying yes to: Continuing this blogging madness. I thought about doing a year and then calling it quits. I’m enjoying it too much to quit.


giddy about: Very little. However, I do get excited by what I see happening in my granddaughter’s life. She is a lovely gal on the outside and on the inside. She is well balanced with excellence in achievements in academics and in athletics. In her final year of High School, she is charting a course for further education and a bright future. Fortunately, she has two wonderful folks for parents.

deeply inspired by: Those who have overcome despite physical or mental handicaps and adversity or persecution. I’m reading Sermons in Solitary Confinement by Richard Wurbrand. The author was a Christian pastor who was imprisoned by the communists when they took over Romania. He spent 3 years in solitary confinement 30 feet below the ground. His first sermon starts with taking God to task for unjust laws. It doesn’t end there, however. But you ought to check it out for yourself.

obsessed with: This blogging stuff. I spend way too many hours on it. And yet I continue to learn and grow, and the inner nerd needs to learn and grow.


in love with: My bride, Sylvia. Everyday I find something new to love, appreciate and admire about this beautiful person and mother of my sons. She’s my everything.

scared of: Stampeding elephants. No, seriously! I have one of those whistle things on top of my car to frighten them off. I think it must be working, because I haven’t seen any around here lately.

haunted by: By this feeling that I’ve forgotten something . . .

saved by: Faith in Jesus Christ for my eternal salvation. In this world, the love and support of family provide the impetus to continue and to strive.

How about you?

Christmas Meme

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This meme was borrowed from Lola and Clara.
Here it is:
1. What is your favorite holiday show/animated show?
– – – I like A Charlie Brown Christmas.
2. What holiday character do you think you’re most like?
– – – A fat cheerful elf.
3. What holiday character does your spouse think you’re most like?
– – – I’m so cool she call me “Frosty.”
4. Favorite Christmas/holiday song?
– – – Silent Night
5. Most hated Christmas/holiday song?
– – – Blue Christmas. Not because of Elvis, but the choir is as pleasant to me as nails on the chalkboard.
6. If you have an all holiday music radio station when do you start listening to it?
– – – If we have one, I’m unaware of it.
7. If you have an all holiday music radio station do you love it or hate it?
– – – N/A
8. Have you ever wrapped yourself as a Christmas/holiday present? Come on…you can tell!
– – – No.
9. Who is Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer’s father?
– – – Donder?
10. Do you drive your neighborhood or one near you at night to look at other people’s holiday decorations?
– – – No, no special trip, but we enjoy seeing the tasteful decorations around our neighborhood.
11. When you see a heavily decorated house do you think, ‘oh that’s lovely’? Or do you think, ‘oh criminy, that looks like Christmas threw up all over their lawn’?
– – – I prefer the elegance of simplicity.
12. Are you counting the days to Christmas/Holidays with excited anticipation or dread?
– – – I’m looking forward to the family gatherings and church program.
13. When was the last time you had your photo taken with Santa? Did you sit on his lap?
– – – I don’t remember. Santa at Hudson’s Deparment Store in Lansing, Michigan was a friend of the family. He knew us and called us by name. Now that was neat!
14. Do you make a Christmas/Holiday list for your spouse or significant other or do you rely on them to pick your gift(s) without a clue from you?
– – – For the most part, we talk about bigger items. This year a family will receive a goat, which is our present to each other.
15. When do you put up your tree and/or menorah/and or anything else?
– – – The tree, creche and other Christmas adornments usually go up the day after Thanksgiving.
16. If tree- Real or fake?
– – – A plastic, fake, phoney baloney tree.
17. When do you take your tree/decorations down?
– – – It stays up through Jan 6 for Three Kings Day.
18. Do you shop the day after Christmas sales? What do you shop for?
– – – No.
19. Is your work/office having a holiday party this year? Will you attend?
– – – When I did work, our department usually had lunch together to celebrate.
20. Do you have your New Year’s Eve Plans set yet?
– – – Yes. I celebrate on Madrid (Spain) time — 6 hours ahead. After watching a movie on DVD, I’ll go to bed early. I’ve seen enough new years to realize it’s no big deal.

Bucket List Meme

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I’m stealing a meme from the Freaky Frugalite! It’s called a Bucket List Meme. Supposedly, a “Bucket List” is stuff you want to do in your life before you kick the bucket. See the post that I stole from here.

My personal list would not have some of these items and would include others. So this is a generic Bucket List. The reason for using the generic list is that it allows us to compare our answers. That said, here is the list. Things I have done are in bold face.

Been to Canada
Been to Mexico
Been to Florida
Been to Hawaii
Visited All 50 States
Been to Europe — and Africa
Been to South America
Been to Central America
Been to Asia
Been to Australia
Been on a plane
Been on a helicopter — but only one the ground
Been in a hot air balloon
Been sky diving
Been on a Cruise
Been to Washington, DC
Been on the opposite side of the country
Driven across the United States
Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
Been deep sea fishing — Tarpon fishing at the mouth of the Colorado River in Costa Rica
Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
Seen the Statue of Liberty — from land and air
Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
Swam in the ocean — Atlantic and Pacific
Swam in the Mediterranean — Only crossed it by boat
Gone on a blind date
Watched someone die
Been lost in a neighborhood
Cried yourself to sleep
Played cops and robbers — cowboys and indians was a favorite of us kids
Recently colored with crayons
Written a letter to Santa Claus
Sang Karaoke
Paid for a meal with coins only — not recently
Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t
Made prank phone calls
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose — it was milk and very unpleasant.
Caught a snowflake on your tongue
Danced in the rain
Watched the sunrise with someone 
Blown bubbles
Been kissed under the mistletoe
Been skinny dipping outdoors
Gone ice-skating
Gone to the movies
Gone snorkeling
Skipped school
Gone snowmobiling
Lived in more than one country — three
Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
Seen a falling star and made a wish
Truly believe in the power of prayer
Seen whales in the ocean
Ridden on an elephant
Ridden on a camel — watched friends do it
Swam with dolphins
Saw and heard a glacier calf
Traveled by train
Traveled by motorcycle
Traveled by subway
Been horseback riding
Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
Been to Disneyland or Disneyworld
Been in a rain forest
Been to Niagara Falls
Walked on the Great Wall of China
Been to the Olympics
Been spinnaker flying — (it means sailing)
Been water-skiing
Been snow-skiing
Been to Westminster Abbey
Been to the Louvre
Been to a Major League Baseball game — big ho hum
Been to a National Football League game

Feel free to steal the meme. I stole it from someone who had stolen it from . . . Well, you get the idea.

Stealing a Stolen Meme

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I saw this meme at the Freaky Frugalite. It looked like fun, so I stole it. Freaky said it used to be 33 questions, but she posted the ones she was interested in. So I’ve used the same ones that she did.

What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
A Tootsie Roll — one of those itsy-bitsy ones.

Where was your profile picture taken?
In front of my garage.

Can you play Guitar Hero?
I have, but I’m not very good at it.  Shaky arthritic hands can’t keep up with the younger folks, but they can still have fun.

Name someone who made you laugh today.
The black kitten as it frolicked on the driveway. That kitten is hyper.

How late did you stay up last night and why?
I try to get to bed shortly after 10 PM, but it’s usually closer to 11. I seem to need at least 9 hours of sleep each night.

If you could move somewhere else where would you and why?
I’m really satisfied living here. Of the other places I’ve lived, I like San José, Costa Rica the best.  The climate is as close to perfect as you can get.

Do you like Dr. Pepper?
Not really. Pepsi is the soft drink of choice, but I like coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day.

Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Without a doubt.  Itsy-bitsy Tootsie Rolls aren’t a drug, right?

When was the last time you cried really hard?
I think I’ve only cried really hard twice. The first was when my cousin, Bruce, died after trying to retrieve a Sunday School paper from the burning trash. Only my grandmother could comfort me. The second, and last time, was when she died. They had lived next door to us for many years.

Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Sylvia as she was sketching a peony for a painting that she is now working on.

Was yesterday better than today? Why?
No. Yesterday was another day — just like all the rest, it was filled with its share of joy and sadness. And like yesterday, today is ripe with possibilities and opportunities to live, to learn, to love and to be.

Can you live a day without TV?
Yes, but having a DVR is cheating, isn’t it? There are only a handful of programs that I watch. I could do without it. I have a high-speed (broadband) Internet connection and with Hulu and the network feeds, why does one need TV?  (Answer: Hulu doesn’t provide closed captioning.)

Are you upset about anything now?
Yes, I’ve caught a skunk in the live trap. Now, I have to deal with that. Okay I’m not upset, but then I’m not exactly happy.

Are you a bad influence?
I certainly hope not. Please don’t visit while I watch the news. I’m apt to say something impolite to the TV set. Fortunately, I can do without it and frequently do.

Night out or night in?
In!

What items could you not go without during the day?
Time for reading and reflection.

Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
My friend and neighbor the hog farmer (I think it was). He came and visited me later when I had my gall bladder removed.

What does the last text message in your inbox say?
I don’t use text messaging. I don’t own a cell phone. I’m old-fashioned– I use email! A couple of years ago, my son sent me a text message as an e-mail from his cell phone. I forget what it was about.

How do you feel about your life right now?
I feel good. I have a loving wife, wonderful family, and I have found peace with God.

Do you hate anyone?
No, I don’t. I do however, get upset with people in positions of power and responsibility who tell lies and make wrong-headed decisions.

If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find?
Nothing. I don’t do Facebook. My time is consumed with blogging. All of our technology makes a great servant but a very poor master.

Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
No. Is that what you are saying? In the Bible the word “perfect” means finished or completed. It appears that I’m still a work in progress, and the finish isn’t very shiny. I need more polishing.

What song is stuck in your head?
It’s that bluegrass number that I posted Saturday 10/24, Daniel Prayed.

Someone knocks on your window at 2 AM, Whom do you want it to be?
Freaky answered, “Jesus, calling me home. If it’s anyone else, they’re in BIIIIG trouble.” That one works for me too.

Do you (or did you) want to have grandkids before you’re 50?
It would have been okay, but I didn’t and that’s okay too. She came along almost two years after that. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Tell us your Saturday night.
Watch a movie on TV or DVD and go to bed early.

Do you think too much or too little?
Too often, too much. True confession, at first I thought it asked talk (not think). The answer is still the same.

Do you smile a lot?
Yup!

Well, that was fun! At least it was fun for me. Feel free to steal this for yourself and tell the truth about yourself — I did. Be sure to let me know if you do, because I want to read your answers. Thanks.

I’ve Come to Realize . . .

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I recently saw this on my friend Justine’s blog, Tiney’s Froggy Bloggy. I enjoyed reading her answers so I decided to give it a whirl too!

1. I’ve come to realize that my chest-size … Should be larger than my belly. [Ouch!]
 
2. I’ve come to realize that my job …. Was an excellent fit for who and what I am.
 
3. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving … I ignore the climate controls in the vehicle.
 
4. I’ve come to realize that I need … More than 8 hours sleep per night.
 
5. I’ve come to realize that I have lost … Weight only to find it again. [Elastic bands?]
 
6. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when … Evil wins.
 
7. I’ve come to realize that if I’m drunk … I must be in someone else’s life.
 
8. I’ve come to realize that money … Is good up to a certain point, but not the most important thing in life.
 
9. I’ve come to realize that certain people … Are trustworthy — others are not. The challenge is in detecting the difference.
 
10. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always … Be me — complete with warts and wobbles.
 
11. I’ve come to realize that my siblings … Are wonderful gals.
 
12. I’ve come to realize that my mom … Had integrity and character, but was short on self confidence.
 
13. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone … Will probably never be manufactured.
 
14. I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning … I was free to go back to sleep. [Retirement is great – if you can afford it.]
 
15. I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep … I was younger than I am today, but more sleepy.
 
16. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking … Why am I doing this?
 
17. I’ve come to realize that my dad … Was an okay guy.
 
18. I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook … I must be in someone else’s dream. [I don’t do that.]
 
19. I’ve come to realize that today … Is filled with potential and promise.
 
20. I’ve come to realize that tonight … Will bring rest.
 
21. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow … Is going to be a great day.
 
22. I’ve come to realize that I really want to … Increase my understanding. [It’s the nerd in me that wants to keep learning.]
 
23. I’ve come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost this is … Does actually exist. [The name may surprise me.]
 
24. I’ve come to realize that life … Is brief.
 
25. I’ve come to realize that this weekend … Is approaching like a runaway train. [Or as Groucho said, “Time flies like an arrow . . .”]
 
26. I’ve come to realize that marriage … Is wonderful when you have the right spouse. [And it just keeps getting better!]
 
27. I’ve come to realize that my friends … Are flawed, but no more than I am.
 
28. I’ve come to realize that this year … Has been a very good year. [Has resulted in one more orbit around the sun.]
 
29. I’ve come to realize that my ex is … Non-existent.
 
30. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should … Be quicker to listen and slower to speak.
 
31. I’ve come to realize that I love … My wife, family and kittens.
 
32. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand … Some people.
 
33. I’ve come to realize my past … Is past, and deserves to stay there.
 
34. I’ve come to realize that parties … Are frivolous, but can be fun. [Unless they are political parties, and then they are not fun.]
 
35. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified … Of nothing except the person who says, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

Feel free to pick these questions up and post them on your blog with your answers. — Chuck