The Lovely Rita, the Arkie lawyer and gorilla-stompin’ grandma, handed this meme off to me. Rita was one my early blogosphere finds, and to this day remains a daily read. As such, her offer is one I couldn’t refuse.

Here goes:

What I was doing ten years ago: I was doing pretty much what I am doing now, except: I wasn’t blogging, I was doing everything with fewer aches and pains, my hangovers didn’t last as long, I had fewer crowns, and I was paying monster tuition bills at TJ’s college, where only designer water is served.

5 years ago: Same shit, only I was a bit wiser than I was five years earlier (I think). And, TJ’s graduation put an end to the college tuition money pit.

1 year ago: I must have been ragged out, because I took the day off blogging to recover from last year’s Fourth of July Bash.

Yesterday: Returned to work, and after 10 minutes, the long weekend was a distant memory.

5 snacks I enjoy:
Peanuts
Peanut butter with anything
Potato chips
Ice cream
Cookies
(Unfortunately, lately, my evening snacks consist solely of Diet Dr. Pepper or Diet A&W Root Beer. Some butter almond ice cream would be just swell, thank you.)

5 songs I know all the words to: I got a million of ‘em.

5 Things I would do with $100 million:
Retire, but probably take select pro bono cases that would permit me to have fun helping regular folks get even with some of the villains of the world, such as insurance companies, car dealers, and cable companies.

Buy a house on the ocean that contains, among other amenities, a recording studio.

Buy lots of musical instruments, including a grand piano and learn to play hell out of it.

Spend a year or so driving around the United States.

Share a substantial chunk of it with family and friends.

Party my ass off. (I know – that’s six, but what the hell, I’m loaded.)

5 locations I would like to run away to:
Key West
Hawaii
Australia
Cape Cod
Pretty much anywhere near the ocean.

5 bad habits I have:
Smoking
Swearing (But I do it so well)
Peanut Butter Addiction
Bullshitting while driving resulting in a lifetime of missed turns
Insisting that those around me pay attention to the “really good parts” of a song.

5 things I like doing:
Making music
Listening to Music
Reading
Blogging
Hanging with the Usual Suspects

5 things I would never wear:
Alligator hunting boots
A Clown costume
A Speedo (You’re welcome)
A “Kerry for President” Button
Overalls (Everyone who has ever worn them would know I was faking it.)

(Man, this is long!)

5 TV shows I like:
Sopranos
Deadwood
Carnivale
History Channel Stuff
Rachel Ray doing anything she wants

5 Biggest joys of the moment:
Good music
Good books
Good friends
Good whiskey
Good cigars

5 Favorite toys:
My big, fat, capitalist car
My guitars
My drum set
This obsolete computer (even though it hates me)
My roll of duct tape

Here’s where I’m supposed to identify 5 victims. I think I prefer to issue an open invitation to anyone who might like to play.