Saturday, August 14, 2010

Brutal Youth

Somewhere along a path strewn with New Yorkers, Netflix envelopes, and gin, the husband of a dear friend became a dear friend of mine. In honor of his big birthday, and because it’s really hard to find a card that isn’t dumb, I present:

Forty Things About RJA
  1. Does the Sunday New York Times crossword in Sharpie
  2. Likes spice cake the best
  3. Deeply enjoys jazz without being one of those jazz people
  4. Makes a mean chicken curry
  5. Would rather be on the beach right now, ideally on the Amalfi coast
  6. Or in New York
  7. Doesn’t care to fly
  8. Can’t get used to contact lenses
  9. Disposes of all intellectualism when a Jason Statham movie is on
  10. Doesn’t refer to his years in Catholic school as an insurmountable emotional handicap
  11. Hates Project Runway, but pays stealthy attention to Design Star
  12. Would love to sit in with The More Brothers
  13. Overpronates
  14. Prefers to write longhand, in pencil, on legal pads
  15. Is quite fond of reptiles
  16. Can’t clean a bathroom. Just constitutionally can’t
  17. Feels a little pained that Elvis Costello, Nick Hornby, and Richard Russo never show up at cocktail hour
  18. Is not much on the Oxford comma
  19. Is an excellent interviewer and a terrible answerer
  20. Sees no need to state the obvious
  21. Doesn’t force his opinion
  22. Answers only to his full first name
  23. Takes his rum with lots of lime and his gin & tonic with hardly any
  24. Has no time for musicals
  25. Sings along with the radio
  26. Could go for a sandwich right now
  27. Still drives like a professional driver
  28. Does an unsettling Don Draper impression
  29. Is so patient
  30. Picked an interesting career for himself and then made it happen. Twice.
  31. Is more Rolling Stones than Beatles
  32. Has secret caches of athletic ability 
  33. Would defend his family to the death
  34. Giggles
  35. Doesn't like roller coasters
  36. Just wants to see what part of The Godfather this is.
  37. Loves the physical presence of books
  38. Keeps a bottle of Gulf Coast sand behind his desk
  39. Only watches fake sports that are over within a month
  40. Has shown no outward signs of being freaked about 40
It's been a pleasure getting to know how your four decades have shaped you. Happy, happy birthday, RJA!

2 comments:

Sassy Molassy said...

#18 Breaks my heart.

Memphis Urban Sketchers said...

That's about 30 things about me. Just so we're clear, not 31.