50 Things about me.

Ok, so I’ve seen this on a few blogs, and to compliment them, I'm going to steal/borrower their idea. So 50 things about me will start....now.

1. I grew up in a town of 500, and miss that feeling living in Des Moines. I want to move out of town so my kids can have that experience.

2. My favorite music is Country. Will listen to most anything but prefer country. It dominates my iPod other than....

3. My daughter's songs are taking over my iPod. She is 5, and likes Hannah Montana, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry. So when I listen to the "All Songs" option I'll get a hand full of her songs that I'll skip through. But when she's listening to my iPod she'll sing the songs word for word...there's no better sound.

4. Speaking of my daughter, I picked out her name from the street Wrigley Field is on in Chicago. Mrs N found out when she was 7 mos pregnant and was like "really Matt?" She had already liked the name to much though!

5. If I could skip from spring to fall and skip summer, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I have a comfort level of around 65-80 degrees. If it’s any hotter or humid I say screw it. And plus it would get me to football season quicker.

6. I've been enrolled at 4 colleges. Started out at the Univ of Iowa. Then went back hom to MCC, and then graduated from Iowa State Univ. I've also taken classes online at Univ of Phoenix.

7. I've also had 4 majors. One at Iowa, One at MCC, 2 at ISU. I went to ISU as an MIS major because everyone said "you should do this you’d be good at it." Well I knew that I would but would I have more fun at something else? So I graduated in Sports Marketing/Management. Almost had a job with the minor league team in the Quad Cities, but ISU messed something up and lost that opportunity. Haven't sniffed a job in that major yet. Should have stayed in MIS i guess.

8. I'm photo happy. I love taking pictures. Tailgating at Iowa games we'd have 400-500 pics a year of our drunkenness. Any trips or anything too I'll snap pics of kids, family and friends.

9. I've lost 40 pounds since Feb 2010. I thought I should get in shape and well I have. Did my first 5k this year too. Got 15-20 more to lose and I'll be happy.

10. I balance the checkbook about 3 times a day. I'm obsessed with it and cutting corners and saving and paying off debt.

11. I hate having a cell phone and iPod touch...one reason I’m getting an iPhone, I only want 1 thing to carry around!

12. In the 7 years I've had my job with WF, I've taken the 2nd Tuesday off in July every year to play the new release of NCAA Football all day long with no interruptions. This year though is the first year I didn't do it.

13. I've had 3 of my 4 grandparents pass away within a week of my birthday. The one I was closest too passed away 2 days from my 21st birthday. My mom's dad passed away on my Dad's birthday, a week before mine, and my other was a week or so after mine and close to my cousins. I stopped celebrating my birthday till really Mrs N was in my life and we started celebrating.

14. The only reason I like summer and glad it’s not skipped is because I get to play SOFTBALL! And well Drink Beer!

15. Texting and twittering and facebooking while drunk is probably something I shouldn't do. Those who have received messages from me while drunk know why! :P

16. On more than one occasion I've sat and watched all 3 original Star Wars movies back-to-back-to-back.

17. When I had my Iowa Hawkeye football website I had almost 10,000 hits….9500 where probably from me.

18. I have my own college football ranking computer poll. It will be available after week 2 and posted prominently all year on my blog. Stay tuned.

19. I’ve been to over 100 Iowa Hawkeye football games in my life, but only one in the past 2 seasons.

20. I hate the drive back from Iowa City now. Those 2+ hours are just dreadful when I know if I was home watching it on my big screen in HD I would already be home! Being hung over also doesn’t help.

21. I saw Star Wars: The Phantom Menace twice on opening day, the midnight showing and then again at 7pm.

22. I didn’t have my first date/kiss till I was 19 and a sophomore in college. She was 16 and her dad was a sheriff. (Well do the ones when I was 5/6 and sneaked them at the babysitters, do those count?)

23. I was really shy from JH to HS. Broke out of my shell in college and especially at Iowa State. If only I would have done that earlier what could have been!

24. I’m not as good as I once was, but I still have my moments…..

25. If my dvd’s aren’t in alphabetical order I will take them all off and put them back in order. I’ve had family members switch them up on me to freak me out and have me redo them just to get a laugh. And having a 2 and 5 year old doesn’t help either!

26. I was lucky enough to see the last RedSox-Yankees game in OLD Yankee Stadium with my dad and brother. Something I will never forget and is probably my best trip ever.

27. I went on a lot of dates in my college and after college years and spent lots of money on them, and they lead to nowhere. The 1st date with Mrs N cost me $1.00. Went to the dollar movie theater on half price night.

28. Prior to the first date with Mrs N, I cancelled on her 4 times to go on dates with other girls. She cancelled on my 3 times to go on other dates and another time she just didn’t want to. She only went out with me that first time because quote “she had nothing else she could find to do.”

29. I proposed to Mrs N in a dark alley/plaza in Tempe, Arizona outside of ‘My Big Fat Greek Restaurant’. Didn’t have a ring and we were on a Hawkeye Road trip to watch Iowa play Arizona State. She said yes still though.

30. I named my dog after Iowa's legendary coach Hayden Fry. She's a sheppard-lab mix and will turn 7 this December.

31. I graduated from Iowa State Univ though being an Iowa Hawkeye fan. Some teachers called me Hawkeye.

32. In high school once I was called into the guidance consular’s office because some teachers were accusing me of being a bookie.

33. I have many regrets in life, but my biggest is not going out for football in high school. I loved Iowa football so much that I didn’t want to give up my Saturday’s for practice or games that I’d miss going to Kinnick Stadium with my dad.

34. I hope one day I’ll be able to take my son to an Iowa game along with my dad and do the same routine my dad and I did. Stop at the Amana’s for breakfast and then show up for warm-ups, game and then leave afterwards, get home, grill out and watch the late game till we crash.

35. I was once stung by a Portuguese man-o-war. It’s a bad ass jelly fish whose stings are deadly. I was in the ocean, just swimming around then felt a sting on my arm, yanked it out of the water and from my wrist to bicep I couldn’t see my arm, it was covered in purple tentacles.

36. Every time I come across Shawshank Redemption on TV I stop and watch it till the end, no matter where it is in the movie. Top 5 all time movie!

37. My son is an exact copy of me. Eats the same way I do. Facial expressions, talking. And sense of humor. Watch out world!

38. I was and am still a nerd. I won my awards on my senior day of computer programming, and recognition for Quiz Bowl and Knowledge Masters. And messed around with computers and gadgets all the time. Guess that’s why people thought I would do well as an MIS Major? (SEE #7)

39. My dream car is a 1969 Dodge Charger. AKA The General Lee! And if I ever get one it’s getting painted just like the General. And I guarantee that the day after I get it all done up I will die trying to jump it over a creek or river with the bridge out. I also learned to drive by watching the Dukes of Hazzard.

40. I haven’t seen my best friend since about 2001. I saw her every day from about 1998-2001. We are now in different towns and when we chat it is too far and few in between and usually on facebook. We made a pact we were going to marry each other if we were single at age 27. We were a month or so from that!

41. I spent and wasted way too many hours of my life playing video games! Something I hope to halt my kids from doing! Damn you Tecmo Bowl and NCAA Football!

42. I enjoy watching Iowa football more with my son than being there now.

43. In college for a Halloween costume I dyed my hair platinum blonde and left it in a bit too long, and well it was really bright.

44. I have a Yoda sitting at my desk at work on my computer.

45. I think Heath Ledger's Joker is one of the best performances on film I've ever seen.

46. Since college it’s been harder and harder for me to drink liquor. If I do it’s going to be either a wild night or rough night.

47. Laundry is my ultimate nemesis!

48. Sometimes I think the twitter/facebook/myspace world is just an offshoot of highschool cliques and popularity contests.

49. Life…if I could do it all over again, I would. See what different paths I would go down.

50. I know that I'm blogging and writing and no one is reading it, but who cares, its stored here on the net. Maybe one day someone will find it and enjoy it. Till then, I'm just talking to myself.


This isn’t as easy as it looks…I dare you to try!