Betcha Didn't Know These 5!

Thank you Bro. Gene for the challenge to find things you don't know. I had many things that rushed through my mind and finally found 5 I don't think ya'll know.

1. As a young "man", I loved to mow the yard. Not just a push mower, but with a 12.5 horse power riding lawn mower. Where they get a half a horse I will never know, but anyway, I was about 13 maybe 14 and I kept the yard emacculate. Never a stray blade of grass, it looked good. Well, one day, doing what I loved most, I was riding around with my "WORK" Boots, Wranglers, a T-Shirt, Cap and "Cool" Shades, and I saw some people I knew driving down the road. Well, being the friendly neighbor that I was I had to turn and wave so they would look and see how cool I was on the mower. If you've ever been to my parents home, you know of the wall I am about to speak of, it's oh about 30 ft. long and at it's tallest, 8 ft. SOLID BRICK!!! Well, you guessed it, I had all 12 and 1/2 horsepower-a-racing and turned to wave and ran HEAD ON into the wall!! Kinda messed up the headlights and the poor ole Craftsman from Sears never rode quite right again.

2. When I was even younger, I would always fall asleep at about 9 PM. Now, it's much earlier, but anyway, my very wonderful and loving sisters always liked to play tricks on me after I fell asleep. Well, this one night, I went to bed at 9 on the dot and fell fast asleep. About 10 PM, my very wonderful and loving sisters decided to wake me up and pretend we were late for school. Yea, I fell for it!! I got up started getting ready and my sisters left the room laughing at me! I was so mistreated by my wonderful and loving sisters.

3. I am a "Scetcher". I love drawing, I drew most of my life thru high school. I won awards from first grade for drawing the State Capital and in high school, I had a drawing of a 40 model Ford submitted to the Fain Fine Arts Building at Midwestern State University(MSU). Didn't know that did ya now?! I stopped for a long time until I took up the lovely career of being a Funeral Director. It took me a year to realize I needed something to releave my stress and so I started drawing again. Now, I draw on an almost daily basis. I love just sitting and dootling or trying to figure out shapes of faces and how to draw vehicles just so perfect. They never are, but I must admit, I am getting better, what my band director always said, "Perfect Practice makes Practice Perfect" for what that's worth.

4. This next one, is a fairly major accomplishment in my life, my sophomore year in high school, my dad took me to a political rally or social or something for then Senator Tom Haywood. It was election year so he wanted to draw a crowd. Well, this event was special to me because there was a man there who I absolutely admired, not only for his skill of pitching a baseball, but also for his moral life he upheld while playing the sport. He is the same age as my dad and at that time was still playing Major League Baseball. If you haven't guessed by now, I actually got to meet my then, I guess idol, Lynn Nolan Ryan. Yep! His first name and my second are the same. Betcha didn't know that either! I was able to receive an autograph in his autobiography book, which sits on my shelf close to the autographed baseball, and I got to shake is hand and realize that he is SIX FOOT FIVE INCHES TALL!!!! He made me look so small....

5. The fifth and final betcha didn't know is, about wow, I guess it's been 8 years now, ago I was in Electra Texas, supporting our Funeral Home we had there when a very special lady showed up to award the small town of Electra with the title of "Main Street Community" This means they receive moneys from the State to refurbish streets, old historic buildings, and to beautify parks and things of that nature, no pun intended. I was able to shake her hand, speak with her and the only regret was that her husband wasn't there so I could meet him too. She was then First Lady of our Great State of Texas and is now the First Lady of our Great Nation, Laura Bush. Yea, pretty proud of that one!

And a special 6th one for my Wonderful and Loving Sister Lori, MY BAND WENT TO STATE!!!!!
I'm a band nerd, I know.... I have noticed that there are not many choices to tag, I guess I'm the party pooper on this end. Love y'all and it's been a lot of fun thinking of all this!!