This is my Harry Potter Lego world thus far. It continues to be a work in progress.
Everyone has random things about them that makes them unique. And we need to embrace our little quirky behaviors. If everyone had the same fingerprints, and if everyone left the same impressions on each other, the world would be a pretty dull place. The below is a list of some the random things about me that make me a little different.
1) I'm a creature of routine.
I must get up by 6 a.m., clean my son's bottles, eat breakfast while watching Simpsons reruns, and write. I usually know what breakfast I'll eat before I come downstairs, and I'm watching The Simpsons in order by season again. I never really watched them past season 10, since after that it really went downhill fast, but I'm determined to finish the series regardless. I've always been this way I believe. And when you have a toddler, I tend to get him on a similar routine - dinner by 5-5:30, bath by 6-6:30, bottle by 6:30-6:50, and in bed by 7. That doesn't mean there isn't excitement in my days, there is, but I just like having a plan.
2) I am Mr. Organization.
As a kid, I used to color code my Lego. As an adult, I color code my clothes and categorize them by summer and winter wear. Everything has its place. If a dirty piece of clothing hits the floor, it must immediately be taken to the laundry. When I was a kid and we'd go to the grocery store, I would organize the shelves by the check-out. The cashier would say that she wished I worked there. My son, on the other hand, does everything in his power to destroy the house. I guess everything evens out that way.
3) I am Will Ferrell from The Lego Movie.
I even went out of my way to buy Lego glue. Yes, there is such a thing. It's called Brickshield Plastic Brick Glue Spray, and it comes in a spray paint-like can. My Harry Potter Lego world is like something you'd see out of that movie, and my wife makes fun of me that I won't let my one year-old play with them. But I say he can't, for safety reasons of course. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with being an AFOL - Adult Fan of Lego - just ask all those guys at brick cons or those who compete on Lego Masters. I'm not alone there.
4) I get on weird artistic kicks.
What I mean by this is I have to oftentimes categorize what I listen to, read, or watch. At one point, I would only watch movies off the Best Picture List. I must have watched about 25 of them, and was generally disappointed in some of the picks. I mean Out of Africa was a horribly boring movie! I made Spotify playlists that include the best music of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. I had my wife listen to all the Beatles records in order. I typically listen to band's discography this way to listen for their progression as artists. As far as reading is concerned, I go on similar kicks. Recently, I am only reading books that have TV shows or movies attached to them. Don't judge me.
5) I eat Elevenses.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Hobbit diet from The Lord of the Rings, Elevenses is a short break around 11 to consume a light drink or snack. One breakfast just will not cut it for me when I eat at six, so I typically eat a bagel or muffin around this time and then I'm ready to go for lunch a few hours after that.
6) I'm obsessive about getting my 10,000 steps every day.
When you raise a toddler, it's a little harder to work out. I find that between going on walks with him and doing work around the house, I can get at least the recommended 10,000 steps. I also make it a habit to do at least 50 push-ups in the morning every day. It's not much, but it at least keeps me in shape.
7) I really love breakfast.
We have five boxes of cereal in the house right now, bagels, eggs, and pancake mix, and that's actually less than what we usually have. I usually eat three bowls of cereal at a time or five packets of oatmeal at once. Whenever we go on vacation, I have to book a hotel that has free breakfast, or we have to stop for breakfast. I think it's the most important meal of the day. When my friend Matt hid my cereal on me in college, he never heard the end of it. Not cool, Matt. Not cool.
8) I tell the worst corny jokes.
When I was on the baseball team in high school, other players asked me to tell them jokes every day. So, I started coming up with my own jokes. Maybe it's a combination of that and being in improv in high school, but I could come up with puns like no other. And I always thought they were pretty punny. Maybe one in ten people find them funny, but I always like them because they don't offend anyone.
9) I tend to have long conversations with random people.
On a plane ride to New Orleans, I talked to the gentleman sitting next to me about his diving experiences and his boating adventures. I didn't know anything about any of that, but I basically let him talk. He felt so comfortable with me by the end of the flight that he showed me where he lived on Google Maps. I usually talk to locals on vacations and taxi drivers too. They are usually the ones with the best stories to tell. Maybe I get it from journalism and my past with interviewing people. ​
10) I have a rather ambitious travel bug.
I don't know if this really makes me unique, but maybe to the extent that I want to travel it does. I've been to 48 states and six countries. I would love to make it to the remaining states (North Dakota and Alaska) and all the continents, including Antarctica some day. Will all of that happen? Maybe. But it is just a tad ambitious, and if I don't see another place in my life, at least I can say that I've had quite a many adventures already. ​