All right, I give in. Since I’m a little hard up for a blog idea before tomorrow’s LOST review (which will be a weekly Thursday feature here, for those of you who are interested), I’m falling in line with the ubiquitous “25 Random Things About Me” posts. Truth be told, I kind like reading these; it helps me get to know friends and acquaintances even better. So, for those of you who know me well, or for those of you who hardly know me, I submit to you my 25 Random Things:

1. My middle name is Al. I joke with people that I’m one hyphen away from being a terrorist (Jason Al-Bybee).
2. My sons are named after two J.C.’s: Jesus Christ and Johnny Cash.
3. My eyes are blue, but I have a fleck of orange in my right eye. And no, that doesn’t make me an Auburn fan.
4. I’ve seen every episode of Beverly Hills 90210. Not too proud of that one.
5. I have an unhealthy obsession with books. I have about 1,000 books in my office, more than half of which have been given to me by older, retired preachers.
6. I tried very hard to get Sunny to elope with me, but she would have none of it.
7. I have a collection of potted meats from around the globe. Seriously.
8. One of the great honors of my life came in May 2007 when I had the chance to preach my grandfather’s funeral.
9. My first car was a 1987 Oldsmobile Firenza. It belonged to my mother, then me, my grandfather, and finally my best friend.
10. Before I declared as a Bible major, I wanted to be a high school teacher and baseball coach. Years later, I had the chance to do both of these things anyway.
11. After 32 years, I’ve recently developed a fondness for coffee. I prefer my own special blend at home to the $5 Starbucks brew.
12. Sunny and I are trying to see a ballgame at all 30 major league stadiums. At one time, I had been to 18 of the 30 stadiums, but with new ballparks in Philly and the two New York teams, I’m down to 15.
13. I’ve lost several family members, including my mother and father, but the worst day of my life was the day Sunny and I had to leave the hospital without either of our twins. They were 3 days old and had to remain in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for a quite a while (Abby Kate for 9 days; Joshua for 31).
14. Top 5 Favorite movies? Field of Dreams, Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail, Gladiator, Star Wars, and O Brother Where Art Thou? Sunny and I quote O Brother all the time.
15. Before I was born, my Dad wanted to name me Wesley Xavier. Don’t ask me why.
16. My favorite meal is pinto beans, cornbread, and sweet tea. I used to love going over to my grandparents to visit and sharing a bowl of beans with them.
17. I played the role of Rolf in our high school’s production of the Sound of Music. I was actually already 18, despite the lyrics I had to sing. This was both the beginning and the end of my singing and dancing career.
18. For our first date, I took Sunny to Wendy’s and the movies. Nice.
19. While on another date, I realized that I’d left my wallet at home. I had to leave the restaurant, drive to her parents’ house, and ask her Dad if I could borrow some money in order to pay for our dinner. Embarrassing! Thankfully, my future father-in-law was gracious enough to loan me a few bucks, albeit with a sly grin on his face!
20. I have an autographed photo of Clayton Moore, television’s “The Lone Ranger”.
21. I grew up in Lebanon, Tennessee, the antique mall capitol of the world. It’s also known for a little franchise called Cracker Barrel.
22. I’m actually an introvert, which surprises most people when they first meet me.
23. I’ve been a part of the same fantasy baseball league (the Cool Papa Bell League) for the past 13 years. I’m glad to say I’ve won 3 championships in this highly competitive 5×5 mixed league.
24. I have absolutely no sense of smell. As in, none. As unfortunate as this may be, it’s made me the ideal diaper-changer around our house. No complaints from me. (Although I often wonder if my sense of taste is somehow skewed since I can’t smell anything.)
25. I hate meatloaf, chewing gum, guacamole, and Hamburger Helper.