More About Me...Alphabetically Speaking

Sometimes, having no life, I run into a roadblock as to what there is for me to write about.  I sit and stare at the wall wondering what I can come up with to share.  I have to admit, some members of Gather help me get over that hump...by coming up with a survey...or twenty.  There are times when they hit the spot just right...and just in the nick of time...so I don't have to beat my head against that wall I'm staring at.  The ones with 'no strings attached' are the best and make it so everyone can participate; no rules, no tagging others, no sneaky tricks where, at the end, you find out simply by reading; you're 'obligated' to do your over version.  The lists of questions that give you the option of whether you want to take part or not are the best.  This happens to be one of those kind of surveys...feel free to help yourself and share your answers, so all of your connections can learn a little more about you.  You can never know too much about a friend.  It also fills a void for those who are nosy about others and want to know all there is to find out.

Some, you may already know, but you might learn a thing or two you never knew before.  With a complicated person like me, you have no idea what I may come up with...interesting, strange, shocking.  I'm all that and much, much more.  You all have to admit, you've never met anyone quite like me before...and you never will again in the future.  Not only was the mold broken when I was created; it was pulverized and completely destroyed so there will never be a chance for another to come along to rival me.

You can't help but roll your eyes at me sometimes; but not to worry.  I'll always roll them back to you...so you can see all there is about me you always wanted to know...or really didn't care about, but had to check out.  I'm like a bad accident you come upon.  You're scared to look, but can't help to take a gander as you pass by.  Here's more about 'The Rob' I've decided to share.  If you're brave; check out the info...

A - Age - I'm old enough to know better...but don't.  With me, age is a state of mind.  I have no mind; therefore, I have no age...or, if you'd like...Age is mind over matter...I have no mind, so it doesn't matter.  Since no one really remembers my birthday and I never have anyone to celebrate with, I have decided to institute a new rule.  As long as I never get cards, presents or a cake for my birthday; I no longer have to increase the years.  I get to stay the same age until I'm forced to raise it by one by having someone observe it with me. That means I'm 39 once again.  39 is mature enough, but not too old.  Hey, it's my lie.  I get to tell it may way!

B - Bed size - Sometimes, size doesn't matter; sometimes, it does.  If I'm tired or bored, I can fall asleep almost anywhere...in a movie theater seat, a car, on the couch or even sitting in my chair at the computer.  I can hear the snickers now.  'He's gay.  I'll bet he's got a 'queen' size bed.'  Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not THAT kind of 'gurl'.  I'm a big boy at 6'3" in height, so it's only appropriate I have a king size bed.  I wish they made them bigger.  Even in this size bed, my foot hangs off the end.  That's one of the advantages of losing a leg.  I don't have as many parts that dangle off the edge.

C - Chore you hate - I wish I didn't have to do anything around the house, but with no partner to help out or a maid to do it all; if I don't do things myself; they'd never get done.  I'm not a fan of cooking or doing the dishes.  I'm not thrilled with laundry or taking out the trash.  Cleaning the kitty litter isn't my idea of fun, either.  The one thing I absolutely despise, though, is dusting.  I have come up with a couple of solutions to getting around doing this chore all the time.  Keep the curtains closed and the lights down low.  This way, you'll never see that you can write your name on the coffee table.  Whatever you do, don't move a thing and you'll never see the dust rings where objects have been sitting.  I'm still in the process of training my cat to rub up against everything and let her fur do the dusting for me.

D - Dog's name - I've never been a puppy person, though I do love them as much as cats.  The closest I come to having a dog now is my 'nephew'; my best friend's pooch.  We call him 'Pooper Dog', though his real name is Dakota.  The last dog I had was when I was around 12 years old.  He was a white, English Sheepdog who had a black ring around his right eye.  I called him Patch; a take off on a pirate who wore a black patch over one eye.  People always asked for an explanation on his name as his fur was so long; the white covered the black patch so it couldn't be seen.  I'd have to pull his facial fur back so they could see he actually had an eye patch.  The only other dog I had was a little mongrel I called Bubbles.  He got that name after he got car sick when we were bringing him home...and the bubbles that formed on his mouth from throwing up.

E - Essential to start your day - Aside from that mad dash to the bathroom when I wake up, I have to have my coffee or I'm worthless.  Alright...even more worthless than I usually am.  My doctor told me I needed to give it up for 'health reasons'.  I tried...and decided it was easier to give up the doctor rather than my coffee.  I just can't wake up without my daily dose of caffeine.  Midway through the morning, I was ready to crawl back into bed and sleep for a few more hours.  I'm so much more awake after starting my day with a full pot of black brew and have decided not to give it up for anyone.

F - Favorite color - Though it's actually a combination of all the colors there are mixed together, I do have a preference for black.  I enjoy many other colors; just not nearly as much...all the colors of the rainbow...reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues and purples.  Just no pink!

G - Gold or silver - Silver is nice, especially if it's sterling, but I prefer something a little more expensive.  Give me gold any day, especially if it surrounds precious gem stones.  Diamonds, rubies and emeralds go so well with it.

H - Height - As I mentioned with the size of my bed; I'm 6'3".  This just goes to confirm they do, indeed, stack it that tall where I come from.

I - Instruments - (Feel free to roll your eyes on this one.)  I'm not even going there by mentioning I'm a master at playing the 'organ'.  I never had the co-ordination to master playing a musical instrument.  There are times when I can't even walk and talk at the same time without tripping...and that was even when I had two feet.  The best I can do is hum a happy tune, so about the only instrument I can play is a kazoo.

J - Job title - I've worn many hats in the past.  Among them; radio personality, school teacher, bar tender, waiter, chef's assistant, pizza delivery boy, retail clerk, actor, band manager...and a few others.  Currently, many refer to me as a 'bum', as I'm unable to find anything I'm capable of doing with my 'limitations'...or employers are unwilling to give me a chance because of those 'limitations'.

K - Kids - I may act like one, but I have none.  In the past, I've had many 'adopted' children.  There were students I taught and athletes I coached.  There were those who were 'fans' when I was on the air in radio.  I've had some younger than me who looked up to me as a 'big brother'.  At this point in my life, I've come to the conclusion I'll never have any of my own to carry on my name.  When you think about it, what child would ever want to have to point to me and say, 'That's my father.'  Lucky for them they don't have to go through that horror.

L - Living arrangements - Being single with no children; I live alone in a small city apartment.  At least it's on the hottest strip in town...Park Avenue.  I've cohabitated in the past, but I'm by myself now...unless you count my cat, Shimmer...'The Shim'.

M - Mom's name - She's Eleanor Louise.  Very few refer to her as 'Ellie', though that was one of my nicknames for her when I was young...and only behind her back or I would have received a whack to the back of my head.  When she made me mad; she was no longer 'Mom'.  She was 'Smelly Ellie with a rubber belly'.  It was bigger and used to jiggle even more than Santa Claus' did.

N - Nickname - Some I can't include here without flagging this post.  My parents used to call me a few nasty things when I was growing up.  For awhile when I was little, I used to think my name was 'Blankety Blank'.  (Fill in your own guesses.)  Relatives used to call me 'Robbie'...and some still do.  I hate that name and prefer the shortened version, 'Rob'.  When I was on the air in radio, I went by the name, 'Bob'.  That was confusing for some of the listeners the way they heard it when announced...Bob Appell.  I would get fan mail addressed to 'Baba Pell'.  With my last name and the confusion of how it's pronounced, I was called 'Apple' a lot.  It didn't help that my paternal grandparents were known as 'Ma and Pa Apple' by their backwoods friends.  Once in awhile, my best friend calls me 'Mary Louise'.  That's when I have to refer to him as 'Tina Marie.  Just don't call me 'Late for a good time'.

O - Overnight hospital stays other than birth - I had my tonsils out when I was 20 months old.  When I was 12, I had to have my adenoids shrunk.  (For those who don't know, they're located up in your nose; not 'lower'.)  When I was in my early 20's, I contracted rheumatic fever and spent a couple weeks in the hospital until they could figure out what was wrong with me, since it had been so many years since any of the doctors had even seen a case. Fast forward to the past five years and complications from diabetes..,and gangrene.  I had my left index finger amputated in 2003, two metatarsal bones in my right foot removed (the bones behind my second and third toes) in 2006 and just last year, my right leg was amputated...my longest stay of over two months.

P - Pet peeve - People who run late after telling me they'll be somewhere or meet me at a certain time.  I'm one who usually arrives ahead of time to make sure I'm not late.  Musicians and gays are notorious for this!  Even when I tell some an earlier time; it seems like most still manage to be late for the actual time.  There I sit...wondering if they're even going to show up at all.

Q - Quote from a movie - 'Go head, punk.  Make my day.' from the 1983 film, Sudden Impact.  I also like 'There's no place like home.' from The Wizard of Oz.

R - Right or left handed - I'm a righty, though there are things I can do with my left hand, as well...just not as much with my left index finger missing.

S - Siblings - I always wanted a brother.  That's why a few of my buddies, especially my best friend now, are like the brother I never had.  Scott is more like family than any of my relatives ever thought of being.  I was so ticked off I ended up with a sister...'The Princess'...treated like she was royalty.  I always called her 'The Little Bisch'.  She got all the preferential treatment 'because she' was a girl'.  Like I had a name I called our mother; I had one for my sister, too..."Michele Appell smells like hell'.  I haven't seen or spoken with her in over 5 years now; even when she lived in the same town I came from.

T - Time you wake up - Since I have nothing to do all day for the most part; I don't have any set time when I have to be out of bed in the morning.  I sleep as long as I like until I wake up.  Despite having nothing to do, there are many times I'm up and at 'em by 5 AM.  That makes for a very long day just sitting around doing nothing.  I haven't used an alarm clock in almost 10 years.

U - Underwear - No one gets to see them anyway...and it cuts down on laundry.  I go 'commando'; meaning I don't wear any at all.  For me, I hate boxers (like wearing pants under your pants), though boxer briefs are fine.  Bikini briefs are just too darned small...and can be very painful when they get in a bunch.  I don't like 'butt floss' riding up my crack with a thong, either.  I can tolerate 'tightie whities' if I have to.  Despite enjoying the feeling of 'my boys' hanging free, I do wear a pair on occasion...like when I have to be somewhere 'high-profile'.  I don't need any accidents happening where my pants might rip and have everything comes tumbling out.

V - Vegetable you dislike - Many veggies I like, but there are others I refuse to touch...because I've tried them before.  I'm not big into hot peppers at all.  The one that really makes me gag is brussel sprouts.  If you're going to get me to eat something not high on my list of favorites; you'd better do a good job disguising it...or it's not going past my lips.

W - Ways you run late - Being one who likes to arrive early...or at least on time, there's not much that makes me run late; not even when I'm ill.  Usually when it happens, it's something beyond my control...like someone else running late causing me to be delayed.

X - X-rays you've had - With every hospital stay I've had, it seems like x-rays have always been involved.  I've had broken bones and sprains that have required x-rays, too.  When I've had dental work done in the past, I've had x-rays taken of my mouth, as well.  No need for any on my head.  I can already confirm it's empty and you won't find anything inside, except for a few cobwebs.

Y - Yummy food you make - Cheesecake has to top that list.  It's my specialty...because I like it so much myself.  I'm a much better baker than I am a cook.cookies, cakes and pies, too.   I can deep fry a mean batch of French fries.  My homemade pizza isn't too bad at all, either.  I really enjoy my own macaroni and cheese, though others say it's too heavy because of all the cheese I put into it.  I could make lots of good things to eat...if I wasn't so lazy when it comes to cooking.  If I have to; I will; but it's so much easier to make toast or have sandwiches or a frozen dinner.

Z - Zoo favorite - I like animals that 'entertain' over the ones that just sit there and do nothing or sleep all the time.  I enjoy meerkats, otters and seals.  My favorites have to be the primates.  They're so active and animated...and act just like humans; too much like people at times to the point they remind me of some I know.

Now, you've got the scoop on a few more things about me, but there's so much more to learn.  We'll save all of that for sometime in the future.  It's fun and easy enough to do.  Help yourself if you'd like and share with all your friends and connections.  It's a chance for all of us to become just a little bit closer here on Gather.  Go ahead and give it a try.  You've got nothing to lose...and a few extra points to gain.  You can't beat a deal like that.  We'll all be waiting to see what your answers are.