The Slow Progress Runner: The Blogger Game

Alright, so Mike W. from http://www.justalittlerun.com/ has passed along a "get to know you" game, where I offer seven random tidbits about myself and then proceed to tag 15 other bloggers. One minor problem: I don't have 15 bloggers that I follow that are distinct from Mike W! In order to play along, though, I looked at my list and found four to tag. Well, here goes!

1. I love Las Vegas. I’ve been there about a dozen times. It is one of the only cities, outside of my hometown, where I know some of the streets and highways. It is one of the only places where I can truly unwind and relax, although I usually come back from a Vegas vacation exhausted. I listed to three Vegas podcasts regularly. I can pretty much tell you anything you want to know about the place. I plan on running the Rock and Roll half marathon in Vegas next year, nicely combining a couple of my interests.

2. I’m a published author. I wrote a textbook a couple of years ago titled “The Investigation of Crime.” Along with my half marathon, it was one of the biggest challenges of my life. It hasn’t been a huge seller, but hey, it’s a textbook. Writing a book, particularly a non-fiction one, is a tough job.

3. I’ve been a police officer for almost 20 years. I’ve worked in a variety of assignments, from patrol to investigations to narcotics. I worked in a drug task force where I did a lot of surveillance undercover. I served as a crisis negotiator, and talked a few people out of killing themselves. I’m currently in a non-exiting position as major of administration, where I’m working on stuff like a $1.6 million radio project. Not my favorite assignment, but I like working for the police department. My father is a police chief in a small town; retired from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department after 26 years. My grandfather was also a state trooper.

4. I almost died when I was in my 20’s. I had gallstones, and was misdiagnosed for months. I couldn’t eat and hold anything down. Finally one night, I collapsed and was taken to the hospital. My pancreas had become infected. I was given a high dose of morphine, but still felt the pain. I was told that pancreatitis, my condition, is more painful that childbirth (although I can’t testify to that). They ripped out my gall bladder and all turned out okay. In fact, maybe I’m faster without it?

5. I played bass in a rock band. We featured a lot of Van Halen covers, but added some other hard rock tunes here and there. I had played guitar a little as a kid, but hadn’t played in 20 years before I was asked if I was interested. I figured what the heck, and played enough to be decent in a year. The band hasn’t practiced in a while; not sure if we’ll continue on or not (life is busy, no?). My favorite is a Fender Precision Bass Lite.

6. I’ve taken motorcycle trips all over the United States, and a couple of years ago went into Canada. While I don’t ride much day-to-day, we usually take one big trip a year. While Canada was cool (it was the less pretty eastern part, though), Utah is by far my favorite. Zion and Bryce Canyon were a couple of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen…particularly by motorcycle (although it got up to well over 105 degrees). I usually go with my dad and a couple of friends. It is great bonding time, and I really enjoy hanging out with the ol’ man.

7. For all of my accomplishments in the past, I’m so proud of my son and his just concluded high school marching band career. Over the course of the last four years, he’s gone to the Rose Bowl, the Presidential Inauguration, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He also played in the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. I don’t think there’s much that can top the feeling that you get when you see your child accomplish something significant. And he’s one of my biggest running fans!