I’ve been tagged by K. Scott Allen in meme tag. Guess I’m it – and I have to tell 5 things about myself that you didn’t know... Hmm... that’s kinda tough, ‘cause I kinda live a public life so there’s not too much that I haven’t publically posted here or elsewhere, but here goes...

1. Fuzzy Bears

Ok, so this is not a great secret any more. I have helpers around here. My bears help with everyday work at West Wind. The bears are a make-do substitute for a real fuzzy companion that I can’t have because I travel too much and have no one to take care of a real life dog... But they are nice and quiet and you don’t need to a bag to pick after them <s>...

2. Rock on Garth

In my past life I was playing very loud music somewhat professionally (although I would never refer to myself as a professional musician by any stretch <s>). I played in various bands (Attitude Adjustment, Attitude, Two-Bit Thief) that managed to put out 5 records of hardcore punk rock and later some more plain old rock/metal. I did it for about 6 years, starting with several friends in a garage picking up playing as I went along. It was a fun ride stilling an aggression that had no outlet and it was all about the music never for ‘making it’. I was what most people would call a social dropout (heck I still am <s>) rebelling against anything and everybody. Music was held it all together at the time. I got burned out when the business of music started really sucking the life out of the fun. Next step – software development... Hmmmm! <s>. Music and pictures can be found here and here. I took a 10 year hiatus from playing music and only recently started playing again.

3. Scrooge

My favorite comic book character is Uncle Scrooge. It’s a relic of my childhood in Germany I guess and I showing my European heritage where various Disney characters are wildly more popular than they are here in the States especially in comic books! If you want to check out some fun Scrooge stuff it starts and ends with Don Rosa.

4. Lousy Surfer

Eh, I live in Hawaii, I have a surfer image, but I suck at surfing. Sad but true. Surfing is not my thing – my body isn’t built for it – I hurt. Something about neck and back not bending right. Every once in a while I give it good run, but it just doesn’t click with me. I’m a windsurfer at heart and I’m spoiled because Windsurfing which is sooo much more intense and fun. And has so much less of a work for reward ratio <s>... I can go out windsurfing on a 25+ foot wave day, but give me head high waves for surfing and I get yella.

5. Chocolate Fiend

I have no self-control when it comes to chocolate (and the occasion German x-mas candy like Dominos). If you have any chocolate around you had better watch out or you won’t get any of it! Unfortunately a few of my friends know about this and send chocolate, which invariable is gone within a single binge session. I can’t help myself.

Don’t you just feel so much more informed now? <s> Thought not... But let’s have some fun and tag five other folks. You’re next folks to keep the meme going:

Markus Egger

Bertrand LeRoy

Peter Bromberg

Jeff Atwood

Rod Paddock