8 Things Most People Don’t Know about Me for 2008
This very off-topic post is the result of being tagged by my colleague and friend Joe Pulizzi. It’s part of a wacky blog meme that is prompting bloggers like me to share 8 things about themselves. Some of what follows might be surprising–even to some of my good friends. So here goes:
- On our honeymoon in Paris, France, my wife, Maxine and I had dinner next to Woody Allen and Diane Keaton when they were still an item. 25 years later, on our anniversary trip to Paris, while we were sitting in a sidewalk cafe, Woody Allen walked right past us. Coincidence? Maybe not. I think he remembered us but was too shy to stop and say hello.
- I lived for a year in West Africa, selling tires. During that time I was an informal CIA agent, hired to keep an eye on a young Soviet couple. I was moved into a duplex next to them during their home leave in the Soviet Union. They never returned so I wound up with free rent with no work to do. I also learned that the smart people in an embassy are usually CIA types.
- I worked for the Malayan Tin Bureau in Washington, D.C. and spent 3 weeks in Malaysia learning more than I ever wanted to know about tin mining. It’s a beautiful country with lovely people but it was definitely TMI about tin mining.
- I was the high school answer to Rudy Ruettiger of Notre Dame fame. Even though I weighed only 127 lbs, I got to start one football game at right guard because the coach wanted to reward my effort,if not my ability. I was in for just one play, though.
- The first time I ever had to speak in public I was so nervous that I literally couldn’t sleep the night before. And I wouldn’t let my wife come to listen because I was afraid I would embarrass us both. Fortunately, it turned out ok.
- I have a dog named Mia who is so smart that she has learned to hide rawhide bones in the house and make me find them. There’s something wrong with that picture.
- My best friend from high school emigrated with his family to Australia. I had the pleasure of reconnecting with him on a wonderful month-long trip Down Under in 2005. Apart from the USA, Australia is definitely the most wonderful country on the planet–and Australians are the most friendly. Crikey, we loved the Aussies!
- When I was in high school, I traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles by train with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Aboard were Bob Newhart and his new wife. My cousin John and I spent the entire trip devising slapstick comedy routines that would crack him up so he would put us on TV. It didn’t work. So here I am blogging.
Now that I’ve fessed up, I’m tagging my Aussie pal, Brett Gilbertson of Conversion Rate, my long-time CMP colleague and friend, Mike Azzara and my frequent writing muse, web 2.0 guru, Stephanie Diamond. I’m looking forward to learning more about each of you.
Technorati Tags: newt barrett,blogging,8 random things,meme,Malaysia,West Africa,Australia,bob newhart
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