Tagged: Seven random facts about myself

(from Bobby, in late-night rambling mode)

Terry tagged me (and Tamie).

Our assignment: List seven random facts about ourselves on our blog, then tag five other bloggers. If you are a blogger and reading this, consider yourself TAGGED. Please stopping tagging yourselves after we reach FIVE.

Tamie is asleep, no doubt dreaming elaborate dreams about David Duncan, pulpits and pizza. So, I'll take the liberty of providing random facts for myself, and Tamie can offer her own sometime when she's awake.

BOBBY'S RANDOM FACTS

1. I am in three fantasy baseball leagues. The Fellowship Fantasy League is a points-based keeper league in its fourth season, meaning that my Ross Rangers score points based on offensive stats each day (such as 1.5 points for a run, four points for a home run, etc.) My team started today in first place (for the first time in a while). "Keeper league" means that we don't redraft every year, but keep and develop players over time through free agent pickups, the waiver wire and trades. My pitching is collecting points "over its head" so far this season, but my offense is pretty nice and should produce all year. My lineup includes the likes of C Russell Martin, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Chase Utley, SS Jimmy Rollins (with SS Troy Tulowitzski on the bench!), 3B Chipper Jones, OF Ichiro Suzuki, OF Josh Hamilton (budding Texas Rangers superstar) and a number of other stars. I also am in two other head-to-head leagues where teams play each other weekly and you get "wins and losses": My team "Goober's Gamers" are in the Mayberry League and my other "Ross Rangers" are in the Brothers of the Barbecue League. I am so far doing OK in Andy's hometown, but struggling pretty badly in the BBQ world. Alas, enough rambling about fantasy baseball! But it is FUN!

2. I attended two summers of high school journalism summer camp at Abilene Christian University and planned to attend college there until Oklahoma Christian sent a nice recruiter to my house and made me change my mind. I had never been to Oklahoma until the spring of my senior year of high school when I attended a scholarship dinner at Oklahoma Christian. Who knew that I'd meet my wife at Oklahoma Christian, all my children would be born in Oklahoma, and that -- 22 years after my high school graduation -- I could say that I have lived 19 years in the Sooner State?

3. My three years away from Oklahoma were when I worked for The Associated Press for a year in Nashville and two years in Dallas before moving back to Oklahoma in 2005 to join the Chronicle. In a strange way, the best decision I ever made was when I left The Oklahoman after nine years in 2002 and moved away to work for AP. I grew so much as a person and a journalist in my time with AP, and proved to myself that I could succeed in a big-time news environment. So, I have no regrets -- and feel like I am fulfilling my life's calling back "home" in Oklahoma. Monday marks the beginning of my fourth year with the Chronicle. Time flies when you're having fun!

4. I have had "writer's block" lately when it comes to blogging. Not sure why exactly. But the thoughts are flowing tonight, or is it morning? Guess Tamie's frequent posts in recent days have inspired me to contribute myself to "our" blog.

5. Mom and Dad are coming to watch Brady, Keaton and Kendall next week when Tamie and I fly to Los Angeles for the Pepperdine Lectureship. I am looking forward to returning to Pepperdine (it is just such a beautiful campus), but as much as I fly, it always makes me nervous. I like nothing better than LANDING!

6. I sleep with four blankets and two fans running, 365 nights a year (well, as many nights as I'm home). The blankets are necessary because it can get quite chilly with those fans going full blast. My wife thinks I'm NUTS, and maybe I am.

7. I just watched the first four seasons of "JAG" on Netflix and can't wait for season five's release on May 20. Tamie, on the other hand, thinks this is an awful show. She laughs in all the wrong places. In the interim, I have started season one of "NCIS." It appears that my TV critic wife may like this "JAG" spinoff" better than the original.

OK, tagging assignment completed! Well, almost ...

Bonus random fact: The last two digits of my Social Security number are LOW. And I read tonight where my economic stimulus money from Uncle Sam and George W. could be deposited into my account as soon as Monday. Given that we get paid monthly and payday isn't until Wednesday, I must say that an early deposit of economic stimulus money on Monday would not be an unwelcome surprise.

Cheers! Thanks for reading!