Ron

::Old blog:: Not sure why I haven't deleted it yet.
Now, About me:
I'm a Greek-American. I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. The 305. That's right. It's just as sexy and exciting as in the TV shows. But for the other 23 hours of the day, it's pretty lame. I've also lived in Roswell (yes, THAT Roswell), Seattle, Oklahoma, and The People's Republic of Eugene (which is bordered entirely by the state of Oregon). I've been in the Army and the National Guard for over 12 years. That's such a bittersweet deal. I've gained a lot and lost a lot because of it. I'm a veteran of two tours in Iraq. I love my country, but I hate some of our douchebag policy makers. I was spit at once in Seattle by an anti-war clown when I was preparing to leave on my second tour. I think friends and family are the only important things in life. I'm an aggressive driver. I hate people who walk slowly, as if there's nothing going on in the world. Jack Daniels is the devil. I don't like American professional sports. College football is where it's at. I love traveling. I lied on a polygraph once and passed it. I have a small scar on the back of my head from a glass bottle broken on it during a fight... when I was 10... in Miami. I accidentally caused my brother to get hit by a car once. It wasn't bad though, just a scratch. I also caused my brother to get attacked by a dog once, also just a scratch. My dad died of cancer two years ago. My mom is a cancer survivor. Anyone care to take odds on how I'll die? Actually, I'm pretty sure I can't die. I've had bullets shot right past my head, mortars and rockets explode next to me, and a fucking IED explode right in front of me. I don't like IEDs. I don't like shorts either. And while I'm on it, I detest capris on women. Shorts or pants, make up your mind. Doing laundry is fun. I separate my colors by color. My Greek mother passed the love of food on to us, so I like to cook, as does my brother who is a chef. Not sure what happened with my sister. We used to joke that she couldn't even butter toast. I detest sweating, and I can't stand heat. I've been in temperatures over 135 degrees and below zero. I'll take below zero any day. I love the cold. I love red wine. I've never touched a drug in my life that was harder than tobacco or alcohol. The only trouble I've been in have been some speeding tickets. At my core, I'm totally a nerd. I'm also an artist, but I haven't picked up a pencil in years. I was an aspiring graphic designer in my former life. I used to play the trumpet. I once played a jazz version of "When the saints go marching in" as part of a trio in front of about a thousand people or so. I've run a 26-mile marathon through the desert. I can't open my eyes under water. I can't even put eye drops in. I prefer Earl Grey to Darjeeling (God help me I love the bergamot), and I don't think white tea should have it's own category. I can't bring myself to throw away greeting cards, birthday cards, holiday cards, etc.
I'm headed back for my third trip to Iraq. I'm quite looking forward to it, actually. I chose to return as a contractor this time, which is a lot more..rewarding. So when I finish this sojourn, I'm finally going to make the big move to London. I have my Greek passport finally!
Cheers.
Last Updated: 23 May 2008