ABC's about Me!

A
- Available?: Sorry ladies!
- Age: 33 – sometimes I actually have to stop and think about it for a second.
- Annoyance: People driving while talking on the cell phone, people on TV who think they have a clue about the economy, hang nails, and Dallas Cowboy Head Coach Wade Phillips' press conferences.
- Animal: is my favorite Muppet


B
- Birthday: August 25 – FYI, I like iTunes gift cards!
- Body Parts on opposite sex: Kelly’s eyes – especially when she’s smiling.


- Best feeling in the world: contentment and the warm, fuzzy feeling I get when Kelly gives me a hug first thing in the morning
- Blind or Deaf: Actually, both!
- Best weather: Fall, because that means it’s time for some football!
- Been in Love: Going on well over 12 years now!
- Bed size: Anything bigger than a double!

C
- Candy: Hot Tamales, M&M’s, Reese’s PB Cups
- Color: Black if it’s on a car. Red if it’s on a bike. (My bike is both black and red!)
- Chocolate/Vanilla: The best compromise is Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Magic Shell


- Chinese/Mexican Food: Depends on the restaurant . . .
- Cake or pie: Depends on which kind. Red Velvet Cake and Apple Pie is a tie with me – both serves with Blue Bell, of course!
- Continent to visit: South America
- Chore you hate: Dirty diapers and picking up dog poop - which is pretty much the same thing!

D
- Day or Night: Day
- Dancing in the rain: So long no one is watching ‘cuz I can’t dance!
- Dad’s name: Robert

E
- Eyes: Blue
- Everyone's got: Issues
- Ever failed a class?: Yeah, back in Elementary
- Essential start your day item: Hot shower & Minute Maid Orange Juice

F
- First thoughts waking up: I gotta start going to bed earlier!
- Food: Chips & queso from El Rancho Grande, Cookies & Cream shake from CFA

G
- Greatest Fear: Being mauled by a wild animal
- Goals: Not being mauled by a wild animal
- Gum: Orbitz Bubblegum
- Get along with your parents?: Let’s hope so – I work with my dad!
- Gold or Silver: Silver – unless you’re talkin’ grilz!

H
- Hair Color: Brown – but I was really blonde when I was a kid
- Height: 5’11’’ – I’m the only Strzinek male who didn’t break 6’0”
- Happy: Yes, it’s a daily decision.
- Holiday: Christmas (So long as it doesn’t prematurely start in October!)
- How do you want to die: In a blaze of glory!

I
- Ice Cream: Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Magic Shell – don’t make me repeat myself again!
- Instruments: So far: Violin, Piano, Drums – Currently: Guitar

J
- Jewelry: Wedding band and my class ring on occasion
- Job: President of clinical research company

K
- Kids: Little Man Tate!


- Kickboxing or karate: Karate – I wanted to be Ralph Macchio when I was a kid
- Keep a journal?: You're reading it!

L
- Love: Why God let his son die for us . . .
- Letter: I used to leave them on Kelly’s car windshield at ACU
- Laughed so hard you cried: For The Birds by Pixar, Little Miss Sunshine, the early seasons of The Office
- Living Arrangement: 2 roommates – one of which never picks up after himself!

M
- Movies: I only recognize Episodes IV-VI – George Lucas should have quit when he was ahead!
- Motion sickness?: Only once – but that was because I had sustained a major brain contusion from a head injury.
- McD's or BK?: CFA!


- Mom’s Name: Judy

N
- Number: 25
- Nicknames: “Strz”, “Spaz”, “Hey Man!” (used mostly by people who can’t remember my name)

O
- One wish: 6 winning numbers

P
- Pepsi/Coke: Dr. Pepper - too bad I don’t drink cokes anymore!
- Perfect Pizza: Supreme from i Fratelli’s
- Piercings: No, I fear needles.
- Pet Peeves: Really long "fill in the blank" posts about people's personalities . . . oh, wait!

Q
- Quail: Favorite type of hunting
- Quotes you like: “There’s no limit to what you can learn or how much better you can become, as long as you keep reading, listening, and searching for wisdom.” (Matt Pollitt, President, PTE Golf)

R
- Reason to cry: People giving their life to Christ.
- Reality T.V.: Burnt out – but I will watch my first complete American Idol season this year.
- Radio Station: "Mama says you listen 1310 The Ticket - hee, hee!"


- Roll your tongue in a circle: Yes, but I don’t get why that’s such a big deal . . .
- Right or left handed: I’m a southpaw, baby!

S
- Song: Anything by these guys . . .


- Shoe size: 10
- Salad Dressing: Ranch, unless I’m at Silver Fox. The vinaigrette on their III Forks salad is just sick!
- Sushi: Sick! But in a totally different way from Silver Fox’s vinaigrette!
- Skinny dipped: Wouldn’t you like to know!
- In the shower?: OK, fine! I go skinny dipping in the shower ALL THE TIME!!!
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Oh how I miss Harrigan’s blueberry muffins!
-Siblings: 1 brother, 1 sister

T
- Tattoos?: I still fear needles - though I had a temporary once. My dad still freaked out.
- Time for bed: Every night I tell myself 10 PM but I usually never go down until close to Midnight
- Time you wake up: 6 AM
- Thunderstorms: I do my best sleeping during thunderstorms!

U
- Unpredictable: Yes, on a pretty consistant basis, too!

V
- Vacation spot(s): Kelly and I are driving the PCH next month for our 10-year anniversary!
-Vegetables you dislike: Too many to list!

W
- Weakness: How many times do I have to tell you?? Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Magic Shell . . . shesh!
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: Brian D., but he probably wouldn’t take that as a compliment!
- Worst feeling: Miscarriages sucks!
- Wanted to be a model: No, I because I eat too much Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Magic Shell!
- Weather?: The best cycling weather is in the mid-60’s with wind out of the south at 5-7 mph! Kinda like it was last year in Little Rock!

X
- X-Rays: Sure, CT Scans and MRI’s, too!

Y
-Year it is now: What is this, a sobriety test?
-Yellow: Submarine
-Yummy food you make: Anything on my grill!

Z-
-Zoo animals: smell like Tate’s dirty diapers!
-Zodiac: Virgo

Kinky Kermit!

Kelly had an interesting question for me when she returned from the grocery store the other night.

Kelly: “Is it mating season for frogs right now?”

(She was totally serious!)

Me: “. . . . . . . . [crickets chirping] . . . . . .”

Kelly: “I couldn’t believe how many frogs were on the road tonight!”

Me: “And they were doing it in the road?”

(And yes, as a true Beatles fan, I was already singing ‘Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?’ in my mind!)



Kelly: “No! They weren’t ‘doing it in the road’!”

(She said that with a tone as if it were really immature of me to even ask such a childish question!)

Me: “Then what makes you think it may be frog mating season?”

Kelly: “Because . . . . they were everywhere!”

I love my wife’s observations on nature!

Flying the (Ahem!) Friendly Skies!

It's interesting to notice the different personalities you find on a commercial airplane.

Take the idiosyncrasies, personality quirks, and social anxieties of a couple hundred people and cram them all into the personal-space-defying, flying sardine can also known as a MD-80 and you'll have a case study that could well define our society today!

I always seem to first notice the infrequent “What do you mean I have to put all my liquids in a zip lock bag” flyer at the security check-point. It’s hard not to notice someone who has no clue what’s going on. I once watched a woman try to argue that the TSA agent couldn’t confiscate her 20 oz bottle of shampoo because she “paid $50 bucks for it!” Hey lady, this has only been a rule for nearly 7 years – get with the program!

Next I always notice the “My frequent flyer status is higher than your status” guy just moments before boarding begins – which is when he stands in front of everyone else waiting to board because he knows the Double-Super-Gold-Plated-Platinum-With-Sapphire-Diamonds AAdvantage flyers get to board before the rest of us peons!

Shortly thereafter, the “I don’t fly much but I’m still important because I’m ‘flying on business’” guy appears. This is the guy who holds up the entire boarding process because he’s going to argue with the boarding agent that his garmet bag (which is over-packed to the point that it can’t even fold in half) can somehow fit easily in the overhead compartment.

Hey pal, if you have traveled near as much as you think you have then you would already know that the overhead compartment is barely big enough to hold your over-sized noise-cancelling headphones much less than the 5 days worth of crap you packed for a 2-day trip! Pay the extra $25 to check your bag and stop wasting everyone’s time!

Once we’re airborne, I always notice the “Rules don’t apply to me so I’m going to keep listening my iPod even though FAA regulations say that I must turn off all electronics during take-off and landing” guy. 

This guy is the most selfish of them all. If he were to google this issue on his iPhone then he’d learn that electronics create static that often interfere with communications between pilots and Air Traffic Control. But since he can’t do without his precious Coldplay for a whole 10 minutes during take-off and landing, he just ignores federal regulations and puts the whole flight in jeopardy!

And which personality-type do I fill? I’m the guy across the aisle who is doing all that he can not to press the flight attendant call button and bust the other guy for having for not following the rules like the rest of us! He drives me NUTS, this guy!

Hey iPal, should the plane go into a spiraling nose dive because of your stupid iTouch then just know that the over-stuffed garmet bag that just knocked you half unconscious didn’t just accidentally fall out of the overhead compartment - I deliberately threw it at you!

Other personalities to keep an eye out for are:

The “I’m going to make everyone on my aisle get up 4 times during the flight to let me go to the lavatory because I just drank a 36 oz bottle of water” guy.

The “I’M GOING TO TALK EXTREMELY LOUD BECAUSE I’M WEARING NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES” guy.

The “Did you look at my computer screen!?! Why are you looking at my computer screen!?!” guy.

The “I have every right to recline my seat so I’m going to lean back forcefully and unexpectedly and split your knee caps in half” guy.

Ah, what fun it is to fly the friendly skies!

Kelly-ism #18

In an effort to avoid any confusion, let me clearly restate that I am a guy. And because of this fact, it should be well understood that I have no working knowledge of women’s fashion. You would think that after nearly 10 years of marriage my sweet, loving wife would know this already. However she recently walked into the room wearing a new pair of black shoes for her black dress and asked:

“Do these shoes go with this dress?”

(Side note: Kelly already has some 20 pairs of black shoes in her closet – all of which would perfectly match a black dress.)

Here’s what the typical guy thinks in his head before answering this question:

“WHAT???? She bought another pair of black shoes???? Uh-oh! She’s looking – quick, come up with something to say. Black shoes. Black dress. Black equals black. So . . . . . yes, those shoes go with that dress.”

When I told Kelly that her black shoes did indeed match her black dress (just like all the other black shoes in her closet), she began explaining something about “open toe” versus “closed toe” and my brain immediately began to hurt.

But before I had a chance to go lie down, Kelly returned to proudly present a new purse she had bought by saying:

“Also, I had to get this new purse so I wouldn’t have to get a new dress.”

Let me make sure I understand this right . . . she bought a new purse so she wouldn’t have to buy a new dress . . . . ???

I just stood there completely speechless and defeated by the realization that I don’t understand women’s fashion (or women’s logic) one iota! 

But having said that – if I were to apply Kelly’s fashion logic to myself, I should then be able to buy myself a new pair of Sidi Genius 6.6 Carbon cycling shoes so that I don’t have to buy myself a new bike!


Hey, I think I like women’s fashion after all!

I Did It!

I want to begin tonight by thanking everyone who made this day possible for me.

(Cue the music!)

My wonderful wife. My adoring son. My golden retriever who daily struggles with co-dependency and submissive-wetting issues. All my friends, family and people who just now stumbled across this blog only because of completely random Google searches.

I didn’t think today would ever happen for me. And now that it’s here, none of you will know just how often I found myself willing to jump off the wagon once again. But you believed in me and now I can say . . .

I have gone 365 straight days without ever once partaking so much as a single sip of a carbonated beverage – including Dr. Pepper, the sweet nectar of the gods!

My personal struggle has been difficult to bear. In the beginning, the headaches and the temptation nearly overpowered me. But now I can bask in the glow of personal achievement!

I’ve been thinking lately of how I might celebrate such a momentous occasion. Pop open a can of fizzy sugar water for ol’ time’s sake? Pick another item to move from my daily menu to my “banned and forbidden” list?

Probably neither. Instead I’ll just remind myself that there’s no habit or behavior that I couldn’t quit cold turkey so long as it was something that I really wanted to do. At some point, I just have to get sick of doing whatever it is I’m doing and tell myself, “Never again.”

If I let them, those can be very powerful words.

(And no!  I will never ever give up Blue Bell and Magic Shell!  To even suggest such a thing is to blaspheme!)

The Real Reason Why the Switch to the Digital TV Signal was Postponed

Oh yeah! I have a blog!

I’m sorry to admit that my blog has fallen down my list of priorities as of late.

The new job is great but I come home with my head spinning so much that I haven’t had the mental capacity to create a coherent thought for the blogosphere.

I’ll try to do better . . .

I flew out to San Francisco with my dad a couple weeks ago to talk with a pharmaceutical company about doing clinical trials for them.

Knowing my family the way I do, I kept my guard up while expecting a “Griswald moment” to strike at anytime. It seems like every time my dad flies he gets interrogated by TSA agents as if he’s suspected of being some traveling Afghan chieftain with secret ties to the Taliban.

But actually the moment of note came mid-flight around 28,000 feet. I had my iPod rocking and I was hyperfocused on my book when I was tapped on the arm by the lady sitting next to me.

Lady: “Excuse me, are you familiar with this flight pattern?”

Me: “Uh . . . what do you mean by familiar with this flight pattern?”

She pointed out the window, “Well, we’re flying over snow – are we supposed to be flying over snow?”

Me: “ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .”

Lady: “Do you think we should be flying over snow?”

Me: “Uh . . . . well, I’m fairly confident the pilot knows where he’s going.”

I spent the rest of the flight watching her out of the corner of my eye and thinking what an odd question that was to ask someone.

I couldn’t believe my eyes the next day when I saw the same woman sitting behind me in my meeting. I was tempted to walk up to her during one of the breaks, point to the floor and ask, “Excuse me, are you familiar with this carpet pattern?”

Next month is Orlando. Is anyone out there familiar with the commercial flight patterns between D/FW and Orlando, Florida?

You know, just in case I see Crazy Question Lady again.