10 things about Brad

I have been "tagged" and have to provide some info about myself. Here it is. Have fun.....

1) All the males in my immediate family (Dad and 4 brothers) have 4 letters in each of their names; First Middle, Last and even Confirmation name. My Confirmation name is Eric – It fit in the numbering scheme and who hasn’t heard of St. Eric?

2) Many years ago when the group Hanson (MmmBop) was big, we took the girls to several concerts and needless to say their music was in our house all the time. I was actually a fan of their music and every day when I got home from work I would sing the title of one of their biggest hits – Where’s the Love…? It was a little embarrassing when we had company at the house that I didn’t know about.

3) Speaking of music, did you ever notice how many songs you can insert the words “Uncle Joe” in and make it rhyme? Probably not. I usually try to insert our kids’ names into songs when we drive down the road, but it is always easier to make Uncle Joe work for just about any song Try it sometime…(Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Uncle Joe!) – See, I told you ;-)

4) My left leg is shorter than the right and my right calf muscle is still noticeably larger than my left due to a childhood disease I had (Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease) when I was 7 – 10 years old. A few weeks ago I was with another person from my company from St. Louis who recently had a hip replacement. While discussing this, I found out that he had the same disease as a child. I have not had any problems with my hip and hope I don’t need that surgery.

5) People find it odd that I can cheer for The Ohio State University (by Birthright), Notre Dame (by Baptismal Rite) and Michigan (Geography and following the money trail – Therese received her Master’s and PhD from Michigan and is employed by the University). Most people that follow one of these teams hate at least one of the other teams.

6) When I graduated from High School, three friends and I bought a car for $25 (1963 Dodge 330 Special with a “Three on the Tree”!) and drove it all the way to Florida and back. When we got back, I drove the car in a Demolition Derby at the Erie Country Fair. Four years later I drove another car in the Demo Derby.

7) I did a parachute jump while I was in college. My sister Sharon, Mike Trautman and Rob Lauber (Rest in Peace) went to visit Kevin Roth at the University of Michigan and did the jump at a small airport near Ann Arbor. When we got back we were interviewed by the Sandusky Register and they had a big article in the paper with pictures. I am not sure if it was just big news in Sandusky or if it was because we had a relative working at the newspaper.

8) I was on the St. Mary’s 8th grade football team and even started a few games at defensive back although I weighed less than 80 lbs. soaking wet. When I went for a football physical the next year, the doctor said he wouldn’t sign the form because I was too small to play – That was the end of my football career. To this day, I am not sure if my mom told him to do that or not. It was probably a good decision but I was devastated. I still had a dream that I would hit a growth spurt and end up being 6’ 5” and 285 lbs. I am still working on the weight part, but I have given up on the height.

9) I have traveled a lot with my career as well as some vacationing. At last count, I have been to about 43 states and 10 foreign countries. Someday I hope to visit all of the states and more foreign countries. I would love to go to Australia- Therese was there last year and Caitlin is going there for two weeks next month. I am still waiting…..

10) Although many people think that mini-vans are only for soccer moms (Hi John) I love driving a mini-van. By my best estimate, I have had about 10 different mini-vans as my company vehicle over the years and even owned two other ones. These vehicles are extremely versatile and the one I currently have has a ton of nice features. Since I drive about 35,000 miles a year, it is important to have a comfortable, convenient and safe vehicle.