Tagged

I have been tagged by Grant in Prague.

1. Growing up, my family had a variety store/snack bar that was located a few yards from an Army Base main gate. I was friendly with the kids of the top brass that lived on the base. The Colonels, Majors and a couple of Sargents. However being a non military kid, I was also "adopted" by many of the enlisted. I was the son, or little brother they left behind. I had as many meals in the mess has as those prepared by the "staff" at the Colonels house.

2. At the age of 23, I was invited to a tryout in the NASL. I had played lots of footie overseas while in the service. The team was interested, and offered a contract which also came with a job selling mens suits. At the time I was making more than ten times the offer working for a utility company. Naturally, I never played professional soccer. A few months later, I was offered a full scholarship to play soccer at the University of West Virginia. For the same reason, I declined. Three months later, I was layed off.

3. The layoff led to a cross county (US) trip in the early 70's. by bus. Greyhound had a ticket called "Ameripass". For $165, the company gave a book of blank tickets that was good for thirty days. I could go into any Greyhound station, tell them where I wanted to travel and they would stamp a ticket. In those days the driver would tear it out of the book, and off you go.

4. Open heart surgury in t 2001 put a cramp in my activities for a while. I gained a little weight, gradually began fitness again, running, racquetball, hiking then injured my back. Gained a little weight recovered, began excercising again and injured my knee. I gained a little weight.... All those little gains leveled off at 40lbs. Things are much better now and there are no injuries holding me back. Weights, racquetball and biking are helping to shed the pounds. Nutrition is also creeping it's way into my life to prevent the weight gain if something else should go wrong.

5. I'm still a footie fan and have been to some of the great stadiums of the world. San Siro, Camp Nu, Gelsenkirchten, Amsterdam. My wife and I will be tourning (by bike) this fall in Austia, and I hope we can get to see a game or two.

I tag the following.

James at ridelugged
Michelle in Alaska
Tex in Louisville.
James in Columbus.