Being the contrarian and curmudgeon that I am, I was not content to just list 5 things others may not know about me. I had to list 10.

1. I had a radio show on KRAB-FM in Seattle called “Surfin’ Those Cosmic Waves” and played music by the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, the Surfari’s, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.

2. I taught English in Japan. Tokyo is my favorite city in the world.

3. I’m a member of Northwest Con (Northwest Science Fiction and Fantasy Fans and Conventioneers) and at the last convention was asked to show author Harlan Ellison around Seattle.

4. I went to art school in England at the West Surrey College of Art & Design (now University College for the Creative Arts) and received a Fellowship at the National Endowment for the Arts in D.C., before returning to Seattle to finish my degree.

5. I made a pilgrimage to the Vatican to meet Pope John Paul.

6. I used to own a mobile home park. I nick-named it “Upwardly Mobile Homes”, but no one who lived there got the joke. It was condemned by the Port of Seattle for the 3rd runway at Seatac Airport in 2004.

7. I also used to own a Bed & Breakfast on Capitol Hill. However, it didn’t have any snotty or mocking nickname. I abandoned that business model for a less labor intensive “Furnished Executive Guest Suites” (so, more like “Bed & Kitchen”. Make your own damn breakfast.)

8. I helped build appropriate technology cement water cisterns in East Africa.

9. My very first job out of college was as the PR Director for the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra.

10. Second to surf music and Prince, my favorite musician is Weird Al Yankovic.

I’m tagging Beau Betts and Phoenix Ruddner. You’re it!