I'm going to be "it" for a long time ...

Hmm. I have a little problem. It seems I have been "tagged." I would like to play the game, as I rather enjoy them, but I can't play this one! I apologize to anyone to whom this matters -- my problem is that I do not even KNOW seven blog addresses -- and four of the ones I do know have already been "tagged" in this round. I used to have links to nine blogs, but I dropped the link to my brother David, and also to my niece Rachel, because my brother told me when he was here last week that he and Rachel no longer post on their blogs -- they have moved to facebook or some other venue. I have a link to a bibleblog, but I doubt the author would be interested in playing "tag" since it doesn't really have anything to do with archeology or biblical studies. So I am rather stuck. I don't want to be a party-pooper, so I will take the game as far as I possibly can. I will list seven random things about myself!

1. I graduated with 700+ students from Paul K. Cousino High School (Warren, Michigan) in 1971 with a 3.43 grade point average. My two closest high school friends, Laurie and Doug, graduated with very much higher grade points -- I was the dumb one of the three of us.
2. I once "got stuck" on the Grand Haven pier catwalk during a winter storm (January 1972). It was quite an adventure, but I was 19 at the time and "stuff happens" to 19-year-olds who believe themselves invincible! It's a long story, so I will have to tell you about it some other time.
3. Some people in this world (if they are still alive) know me only as "Gatelady" or "Gate" and actually do not know my given name! Honest! Gatelady was my unique and totally odd nickname during my college years (of which there were only two). See proof in the inscription on my college yearbook pictured below. How did I acquire that name? Another long story ... some other time!

4. Exactly five weeks before I was supposed to be married in 1973, I broke off my engagement (the wedding invites were all stamped and ready to be mailed). The day I broke the news to my then fiancee was his 20th birthday (ouch!). I think it was one of the meanest things I have ever done (unintentional). But really! We were both barely 20, neither of us had jobs, his goal was to be a forest ranger in Alaska (can you see me out in the wilderness?), my parents were completely opposed ... etc. It would not have been good.

5. When I was seven years old, I could tell you the entire Detroit Tiger line-up! I can still remember some of their names: Norm Cash (I think he played 2nd base), Al Kaline (1st base), Rocky Colavito (I think he played center field), Don Wert (3rd base -- and he really wasn't a very good batter). I'm not sure if Bill Freehan was the catcher in 1960 or not, but he was soon thereafter and I even had an autographed 8 x 10 picture of him!

6. I was hired at age 16 (my very first paid job), along with my best friend, Laurie, to be one of "Santa's Elves" at our local Mall during the Christmas holidays. Laurie was barely over 5 feet tall with beautiful long brown hair -- her red elf outfit actually fit and looked good on her. Me? Well, I was 5'8", extremely SKINNY, with red (actually orange) hair and NOTHING fit me, much less a red elf costume! It was a miserable job, paid poorly, and the Santa had a drinking problem!

7. I shoplifted from a drugstore once! I was just a little kid, but I stole a 10 cent package of gum along with my brother, Kevin, who was a regular thief by age six. I felt so terrible about it that I walked the mile back up to the store the next day and snuck a dime on the countertop to pay for my crime!

Well, that's seven random things about myself. . . I guess I am still "IT" since I cannot tag anyone!