If you’re on Facebook, you’ve seen this thing being passed around like (insert inappropriate remark about women or drugs here).

I’ve been ignoring it and finally decided to just go ahead and do it, and I figured why not post it here as well so you guys can see it too.    And… Here… We… Go

1. I love musicals.  Seriously.  I got into them back in high school when I was actually in them, and have liked going to see them ever since – I’m going to see Avenue Q and Wicked in the next couple months – I’m very excited.
2. I don’t own a microwave.  I got rid of it (I think) 2 years ago.  Missed it for the first two weeks and now don’t see any point in owning one.  The only time it’s ever an issue is when someone brings over microwavable popcorn and I have to break the news to them that I can’t make it and we’ll have to use my “old school” popcorn popper instead.
3. I find watching the news to be cruel and unusual punishment.  I hate it.  It depresses me.  Did you know that happy people watch less TV?  Look it up, they’ve done studies.  Television stations want you to be depressed so you “consume” more of their garbage.
4. I don’t use drugs.   No, not those.  I’m talking about medications.  Won’t take ‘em.  Not prescriptions, not over the counter.  The last time I had so much as an aspirin (or its equivalent) was 2003 when I was skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado.  I do love beer, though, and have come to appreciate a morning cup of coffee so I’m by no means perfect.
5. Speaking of beer.  Have I mentioned my affinity for the bubbly stuff?  I developed an appreciation for Guinness after a trip to Ireland.  Stateside, it’s not nearly as good so try not to judge until you’ve had it in Ireland.  It’s so hard for me to pick a favorite, but I have to say I really like Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat (Boulevard Brewing Co), Spotted Cow (New Glarus Brewing), and whatever Samuel Adams seasonal is on tap (as of this writing, it’s the White Ale… mmmm…. White Ale… one moment please…)     Okay, that hit the spot, onward…
6. You know those blenders in the “Will It Blend” videos on Youtube?  Yeah, they got me.  I bought one.  Oh, and they’re freakin’ sweet!
7. I went skydiving last year.  It was awesome.  And here’s the weird thing.  You’d think it’d be this huge adrenaline rush, right?  Not really.  It’s actually quite peaceful.
8. I bought an Xbox for one reason… so I could buy more DDR games.  Those are the only games I own for the system.
9. Some people know me as someone who is extremely intense and competitive.  Others are certain I’m laid back and fun loving.  And they’re both right.  Just depends on the situation.  The problem becomes when those separate groups of friends come together, then I’m just confused at who I’m supposed to be.
10. I’ve been to Orlando twice and have never been to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World.  Last time I even stayed in a Disney Resort right across from the Magic Kingdom and still didn’t manage to get there.
11. I enjoy a good argument.  Not the get mad and get out the fisticuffs type of argument.  Think more like debate.  In most cases, I can argue either side of the argument convincingly regardless of my personal thoughts on the matter.  And when I’ve been drinking, like most people, I get smarter (okay, fine, I think I’m smarter)… and louder.  I think it just makes arguing more fun but for some reason not everyone feels that way…
12. I think ADD is bullshit.  It’s just an excuse to give kids (and adults) more drugs, and an excuse for teachers to suck at their job.  Think about it.  If the kids aren’t paying attention, it must be that they have ADD, not that the teacher is boring the kids out of their skulls.  I’m just sayin’…
13. Kids, how do I say this, make me uncomfortable.  Perhaps this is why I never see my friends who have kids anymore.
14. I have three copiers, two laser printers, and 3 inkjet printers in my office… my home office.
15. I no longer use an alarm clock.  The idea of waking up to that incessant beeping every morning makes me a little sick to my stomach.  I wake up when I need to.  I do have one of those watches that monitors your sleep patterns and then wakes you up when your body is ready to get up in a specified time windows – it works surprisingly well… not that I use it all that often.  I mostly just let my body decide when it is ready for the day.  (usually logging between 6-9 hrs of sleep)
16. Songs on my iPod that I’ll deny having on there if asked: “I Kissed A Girl” Katy Perry – “Womanizer” Britney Spears – “Candyman” Christina Aguilera – “See You Again” Miley Cyrus – “Boyfriend” Ashley Simpson (the song that has the highest play count of all the songs on my iPod)
17. I wouldn’t say I’m a health nut, however, at least once a year I tend to go on some crazy health kick.  Things I’ve tried: following the PH Miracle Diet, a week long juice fast, a 100% raw vegan diet.
18. Best energy drink in the world (you’ll need a juicer for this): 1 head or romaine lettuce, a handful of spinach, 1 lemon, 1 lime, 2 small apples, 1 stalk swiss chard, 1 or 2 brussel sprouts, a handful of carrots.  Run everything through the juice.  Drink immediately (for optimal taste).  Feel free to say things like “holy crap, that’s amazing.”
19. I have worms.  And I’m proud of it!  In my basement, I have two composters using redworms to decompose food scraps and make fertilizer for my garden.  (that probably sounds a little better than just saying I have worms)
20. Coming up with 25 random things is actually harder than it sounds.  I’m only on 20… and I’m already really struggling… hmm… oh, how’s this one – I don’t like gambling.  If I go to Vegas, I might play blackjack for a bit, but just $5 per hand or so.  I won’t play slots at all – so boring.  People find that strange considering I’m an entrepreneur – risk comes with the territory.  However, that feels a lot different than gambling.  In the business world, I take risks all the time, but I also feel that I can stack the odds of success in my favor unlike the world of gambling where it’s based on chance and the odds aren’t in your favor.
21. The video card on my laptop has 6 times as much memory (256mb) as the hard drive on our first computer did (40mb) when I was a kid.
22. My toothpaste is basically flavored soap.  It’s called ToothSoap.  It’s really weird at first to use, but it makes your teeth feel really clean when you get done using it.  I’m rather partial to the chocolate fudge flavor myself.
23. I own over 100 pair of sunglasses.  It’s true.  I used to be a sunglasses dealer and finally sold the businesses last year but still have some of the discontinued styles and samples I accumulated over the years.
24. In my house you’ll find volleyballs, dodgeballs, racquetballs, foosballs, ping pong balls, floor hockey balls, and even bowling balls, but not a single basketball, football, or baseball.
25. I developed an obsession over wool socks a few years back, Smartwool brand in particular.  They’re oh so comfortable – I won’t wear cottons socks at all anymore.  I’m willing to deal with the fact that I look dorky when I’m playing sports with gray, brown, or black socks instead of the standard white ones because my feet are so much more comfortable.

Whew, all done.  There you have it – 25 random things about me, Gary Ruplinger.