Dave Gee has tagged me with that meme, and I've been trying to figure out what to write all day. Here goes:
1. In a nod to Roar Prawn's White Ribbon day story, I have had family members point loaded guns at me twice. On both occasions I was unarmed, not dangerous, under 18 years old and not "asking for it". The first time ended up with me getting shot in the leg with a slug rifle. The second time, I was almost mistaken for a burglar and had a shotgun trained on me.
2. I haven't been able to drink whisky, rum or most other coloured spirits since an unfortunate incident with a walk-in wardrobe of a liquor cabinet when I was 15.
3. Unlike Winston, I have never ridden in a helicopter. But I to used to have a Chopper bike. Neither helmets nor bike pants had been invented then. It was in the days when it was fun to have the wind in one's hair and only Bob Wigglesworth, the PE teacher, shaved his legs.
4. The first time I met Ruth Richardson was as a seventh former on detention. I hadn't done my economics homework, and Ruth was touring the schools prior to the '87 election. Deputy headmaster Errol Brookie showed her through to D1, although he waited until after they left the room to point out why him and I were exchanging funny looks.
5. A district court judge once called me a wanker. Off course, he was drunk as a lord at the time.
6. When in Oz, I stayed at a backpackers in Cairns where 90 percent of the occupants were Irish. There were so many Emerald Islanders, I picked up a lilt in my accent and ended up travelling with three wonderful girls; Emer, Bebhinn and Dierdre.
7. Osama Bin Laden personally ruined my OE. I went to Oz to seek my fortune in the F&B trade, to use that work as a springboard to travel overland around the world. I was arranging an interview for a waiter's job at Hayman Island. That's where Judge Judy, the Chili Peppers and other big tippers went for their breaks. Two days before the meeting, it was Sept 11, 2001. All the US celeb bookings cancelled. The management weren't taking on any more staff because of it. I was reduced to picking bananas for enough money to return to NZ.
Whew. OK, the rules are:
* Link to the person who tagged you. Check.
* Post the rules. Check.
* Share seven random or weird facts about yourself. Check.
* Tag 7 random people at the end of the post with their links.
So here's tagging llew at SunnyO, Blair at Mulholland Drive (just to piss you off), anyone at Pundit, as there should be more than a few anecdotes to draw on there, Homepaddock for all the linky love, anyone at Wellingtonista, Bomber or Tim at Tumeke, just so you guys can lighten up for once. Speaking of which, final tag to WhaleOil, who at least is occasionally open to new ideas. Next year, look out for the WhaleOil Full Moon Drumming Circle in East Auckland.
