100 Things About Me

1. I'm always late into any trend. This 100 Things meme started in 2002 or perhaps earlier.
2. I can trace my ancestors back to the 16th century when they were farmers in the English county of Rutland.
3. I used to be Laser fleet captain at Rutland Sailing Club.
4. My grandmother was married in India - but not to my grandfather.
5. Three of my grandparents worked for the London and North-Eastern Railway company.
6. I hate brussel sprouts.
7. One of my uncles was a champion swimmer.
8. I learned to kayak in the Boy Scouts.
9. I went to the same high school as Isaac Newton. They thought he was dumb and I was smart. (They were wrong.)
10. When I was a kid, a friend and I made a pipe bomb and exploded it. (I told you they were wrong.)

11. I also went to the same high school as Margaret Thatcher. It is a school for girls. I am not a girl.
12. At school I taught myself Russian for fun.
13. The college I attended was built 50 years before Columbus sailed to America.
14. At college I taught myself to program for fun.
15. I met my future wife at a fancy dress party.
16. I do believe in love at first sight.
17. In retrospect Russian and programming weren't that much fun.
18. I have only played my guitar in public once, when I won first prize in a classical guitar competition.
19. My 21st birthday present from my parents was a camera which I later dropped of a cliff.
20. I will play for gumbo.

21. I programmed the Y2K bug.
22. I didn't learn to sail until I was in my 30s.
23. I have skied on three continents.
24. I have never broken a bone in my body.
25. I have never broken a bone in anyone else's body.
26. I have broken a Laser mast and a Laser boom.
27. I once gave a speech in Brussels that was simultaneously translated into several languages.
28. I learned to sail on the Spanish island of Menorca.
29. I bought my sons' first Optimist from a man who had won a silver medal for sailing at the Olympics.
30. My wife has won every race in which she has sailed.

31. I sailed in the Sunfish World Championships in the Dominican Republic.
32. During the free rum night at a Sunfish North Americans I was elected to the Sunfish class board of directors without my knowledge.
33. I hate meetings but I like rum.
34. I once tried to test my own IQ but I was off the scale.
35. I always forget to put the toilet seat down.
36. I was once on the race committee at a Laser North American Championship.
37. Briefs. Not boxers.
38. I ran my first marathon at the age of 56.
39. I used to own a house that was over 300 years old and that previously belonged to David Niven's mother-in-law.
40. I am not allowed to donate blood in the United States because they think I might have mad cow disease.

41. I sailed in the Laser Masters Worlds in Cadiz, Spain.
42. I don't feel that my marriage is threatened by Elton John.
43. I started a junior Sunfish series.
44. When I retired after 30 years service with a stuffy, old-fashioned corporation I gave a speech at my retirement party on the theme of "Good times and riches and sonofabitches" while wearing a parrothead hat.
45. I started a Laser fleet.
46. My favorite animal is a llama.
47. I founded an annual Laser regatta.
48. I don't floss.
49. I have never owned a boat longer than 14 feet.
50. My boomerang won't come back.

51. I spent 3 summers teaching kids to sail Sunfish.
52. I have eaten swan, crocodile, snake and emu.
53. I spent 3 summers teaching kids to sail Optimists.
54. There's a guy in Canada with the same name as me who makes sculptures out of used car parts.
55. I am a US Sailing Level 2 Coach.
56. I have owned orange, white, blue, green and teal boats but never owned a yellow boat.
57. My sister is a Quaker.
58. At one stage I owned 6 boats at the same time.
59. I sailed in the Sunfish Worlds in Colombia.
60. I once tried to learn Spanish but I can't roll my r's.

61. I sailed in the Laser Masters Worlds in Cancun, Mexico.
62. I used to grind my teeth in my sleep. Now I do it when I'm awake.
63. I used to write a sailing column for a local newspaper.
64. I hate broccoli.
65. I drink white wine, red wine, beer, whisky, rum and brandy.
66. I prefer climbing a mountain to walking a city street.
67. My favorite spectator sport is baseball.
68. My Myers Briggs personality type is INTJ.
69. I am bad at small talk.
70. I've always wanted to learn how to spell Connecticut.

71. I don't like the taste of gin.
72. I like fruitcake.
73. I think that the drinking age should be 16 and that the driving age should be 21.
74. I have seen the Great Wall of China.
75. My favorite amendment is the First.
76. The Fourth is cool too.
77. My favorite TV show is West Wing (series 1 to 4).
78. I always eat all the food on my plate.
79. I like my car to be neat but my desk is untidy.
80. I am not obsessive (much).

81. I have the same birthday as George Walker Bush.
82. I have never owned a pet.
83. I've lived in the same house for 16 years and feel like it's time to move.
84. People say I look like my father.
85. I read and eat very fast.
86. I run and sail very slowly.
87. I hate Halloween.
88. I cannot sing.
89. There is a sign over my desk that says "I'd rather be sailing".
90. Don't blame me, I didn't vote for him.

91. Bad things happen to people that are mean to me.
92. I once won an award for rifle shooting.
93. I used to be very shy but I've mostly got over that. Now I'm just antisocial.
94. People think I'm arrogant. I'm not. I'm just smarter than you.
95. My wife says I'm more mellow than I used to be. It's not difficult.
96. I have a very strong sense of direction.
97. I hate asking for directions.
98. I wore a tie on Xmas day for the first time in over a year.
99. I have a bumper sticker on my car that says, "Cheat the Nursing Home. Die on your Laser."
100. I have discovered that one of the greatest joys in life is to see your grandchild's first smile.