It's All About Me(me)

I was tagged by ENIGMA4EVER on this one.

(1) Five Things That Were on My "To Do" List Today:
I actually have a list sitting here with at least 5 things on it! They are even numbered in order, 1-5. Not on the list is get up at 5AM, leave at 7AM and stay at the day job until 12:30. After that I go to the pharmacy to spend nearly $100 on cat medicine, go to Lowe’s and return some shelf brackets, go to the bank, the Post Office, and finally to the Library to pick up the second season of Deadwood on DVD which they are holding for me.

(2) Ten Years Ago:
My life radically changes every 5 years. I can pick out any two points that are five years apart and they are so different from each other that it’s unimaginable. So… 10 years ago --

I was living in an affluent and conservative Republican neighborhood in far west St. Louis County. We were reasonably affluent but NOT conservative Republican. Except for our Democrat signs in the window, we just tried to blend in and not get shot or something.

I was going through a recent job upheaval, transitioning from working full-time at a good paying job to being laid off after an ugly corporate merger that shut down our facility. I was working freelance from home until another job offer came my way.

I was going through a middle-aged crazy time, which was like being an old teenager. I had rediscovered an old favorite band, the Moody Blues, and was making several trips a year to see them around the country, and my friends were all other crazy Moody Blues fans from all over the world doing the same thing, and we would meet in places like Merrillville Indiana, Kalamazoo, Las Vegas, Louisville, Nashville, Chicago, etc. Texas music was calling me though, and it finally broke through and changed my focus during the following year.

(3) Five Places I Have Lived (besides Austin):
Good grief, there have been so many it’s ridiculous. I was born in the Air Force, remember, plus my folks moved a lot for no good reason.
1. Phoenix, Arizona
2. Honolulu, Hawaii
3. Athens (area), Greece
4. Sarasota, Florida
5. Carbondale, Illinois

(4) Three Bad Habits:
1. Worrying. I worry myself sick, literally.
2. I have a love/hate relationship with exercise… but without the love.
3. Not getting enough sleep.

Numbers 2 and 3 are more like saying these are good habits I don't have.

(5) Five Jobs I've Had:
1. photo lab worker in the 70s
2. barmaid
3. auto assembler
4. graphic designer and technical artist
5. web designer/webmaster

(6) If I Were a Billionaire:
Wow. First, I would change my name so that the relatives couldn’t find me. Like most people, I would get us a very “green” dwelling. Not a mansion, just big enough with ample closets and room for kitties. I’d design it in a way that would make Ed Begley Jr. proud. Probably in Austin. Then we'd have to have some green transportation. Then give what I didn’t need to charities. My favorite ones have to with animals in need, homeless people, and environment, but none that are run by churches, I don’t trust those. My first project would be the local shelters, they would be made no-kill… then there needs to be funding for spaying and neutering to help keep them that way. I mention critters first, because I don’t think of humans as superior to other animals, but since most people do, animals have hardly any rights and are the victims of our cruelty, neglect and complete irresponsibility. Before I know it, that billion would be gone.

Tagging:
Well, I think a lot of my readers and commentors have already done this one. So tag yourself if you haven't been tagged.