Bio Project

For fun at my job we were all given an opportunity to make a collage to describe ourselves. When everyone's project was finished and collected, they were all put in a photograph album and set out in the lobby for clients to look at. Being an Architectural / Design firm, there was no lack of creativity - I wish I could post everyone's creation here.

Anyway, above is mine. I intentionally didn't explain the meaning of the images so if someone was curious, they could ask. You learn more about a person that way. However, for this post, I put numbers on the image so i can put a brief description there for you - though I think most of them will be easy guessing, especially those of you who know me well. For fun, see if you can tell what everything is before looking at the 'answers'...

1. "More Cowbell" is a reference to the classic Saturday Night Live skit: "VH1's Behind the Music: Blue Oyster Cult". By far my favorite skit. Gotta have more cowbell!

2. If you read the small seal closely, it says, "Alden Kindred of America Incorporated." Through my paternal grandmother's side of the family, I am a direct descendant of John & Priscilla Alden, who were of the original 100+ pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower back in 1620. Pretty cool.

3. A humble wooden cross. The center of my life.

4. My beautiful kids, Jude & Kerrigan.

5. A djembe drum. I love all music, especially percussion But more than anything, I love the simple primitive sound of a djembe.

6. Putto Musicante by Rosso Fiorentino, circa 1500. My favorite piece of art.

7. 'Jesus Shaves' is... muti-dimensional. People often overlook the humor and automatically see Jesus Saves, but no... he shaves. I think many will see this as sacreligious, but I think it's funny.

8. Our wedding day: July 3, 1998. This is our favorite shot from that day. I remember we were the first one's out of the church and we were alone for just a moment. Kimber Brownlee, our photographer, caught our only real private moment of the day between us. It would be an understatement to say that was a really great day. We are more in love today than we were that day.

9. Tabasco rules. It belongs on everything.

10. 'Shaun of the Dead' is one of my favorite movies. Probably my favorite comedy. You've got red on you.

11. Jack Black rocks. This is him in 'School of Rock.' One of my fav's.

12. Amerigo Bonasera speaking with Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather". Never get tired of The Godfather.

13. I am a closet Harry Potter geek. I have all the movies, hardback books, audobooks on disc narrated by Jim Dale and even the UK versions on disc narrated by Stephen Fry.

14. Hidden in the background is an 'Oshkosh B' Gosh' logo. I was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, though the brand is no longer centered there. Most locals are pretty bitter that they left... who am I fooling, they're all bitter.

15. Star Wars. I'm such a nerd. I love it.

16. Baseball cards. Though I haven't seriously collected since I graduated high school, I still have all my old cards. Even though I do not own any of the following, these are some of my fav's:

16a) 1954 Topps Hank Aaron rookie card

16b) 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card

16c) 1968 Topps Johnny Bench rookie card

16d) 1909 T206 Honus Wagner tobbacco card

17. Moe's Southwest Grill is my favorite mexican place.

18. BEER! My fav's are Labatt's, Honey Brown, Rolling Rock... but mostly Miller Lite.

19. 'Ecstasy' by Maxfield Parrish. Both he and M.C. Escher are my favorite artists. Many people mistake Parrish as a Renaissance era painter, but he was actually born in Philadelphia, PA in the late 1800's.

20. NFL Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Pack has three of these puppies.

21. The famous Bucky 'effing' Dent home run in the 1978 season ending tie-breaker game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The Yanks went on to win the World Series that year. I love being a Yankee fan! Though I must say that I am deeply a Brewers fan at heart.

22. If you've been on this blog at all, you've seen how I feel about the Packers. The only major league professional sports team in the US that is community owned. They may not always be great, but they are by far the best team in the NFL... regardless of the standings.

23. Back to baseball, this is "The Catch." Willie Mays made this catch in the first game of the 1957 World Series off the bat of Vic Wertz. The Giants ended up sweeping the Indians in four games for the championship. One of the greatest catches of all time.

24. This is the logo of the A-6 Squardron I was in while I was stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana. VA-35 Black Panthers.

25. Another Navy reference, classic WWII military propaganda... er, I mean poster.

26. A-6 Intruder logo. This is the type of aircraft I worked with while in the Navy.

27. Old-style Milwaukee Brewers logo. Like I mentioned earlier, the Brewers are my home team. I grew up with Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Gorman Thomas, Rollie Fingers, Pete Vuckovich (et al.). I am just now starting to like the Cardinals... I have hated them indiscriminately since 1982.

28. The Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams. Being a Yankee fan, albeit a transplant fan, I respect and love all the old Red Sox greats: Ted, Carl Yaztremski... uh, are there any more? Anyway, Ted was amazing, even though he is cryogenically frozen in a Scottsdale, AZ lab. Way to go John-Henry.

29. Bucky Badger. I did not attend the University of Wisconsin , but as far as college loyalty goes, they are my team.

30. Just a football... thought it looked cool.

31. Max, from 'Where the Wild Things Are.' My favorite book as a kid and now.

Hope you enjoyed and learned a little more about me.

I had fun making it.