Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Tagged

Rosslyn Elliot tagged me, so now I have to share 7 things about myself. I'm not certain how this is supposed to work, but I'll be a good sport and play along...

1. I have an titanium heart valve
2. I once sat in a wheel chair for 3 months while doctors tried to figure out if I could walk again.
3. I once was suspended upside down from a goat cave in Haiti while dangling from a cliff.
4. I've been shot at at least 3 times.
5. I used to be incredibly vain and shallow
6. I once guessed how old an ambassador's wife was by looking at her teeth.
7. I spent the night in a slaughter house one night when I was a teenager.

Avily Jerome http://avilyjerome.blogspot.com/
Lynn Rush http://lynnrush.wordpress.com/
Dave Bryant http://davebryant.blogspot.com/
Gzusfreek http://gzusfreek.blogspot.com/
Sarah http://saraccinoblogiato.blogspot.com/

I'm only going to tag five, so if you want to play, link back to me and then tag some more of your own victims.

16 comments:

Avily Jerome said...

ACK! You got me!

Ok, I'll play. You're so lucky! I wouldn't do this for just anyone!

Anonymous said...

Wow, your seven interesting facts are VERY interesting, Travis.

I'm doing my TAG post for SATURDAY this week...and I'm just so boring.... LOL

Thanks for the TAG, this is fun! I got tagged TWICE yesterday...LOL:-)

Alison Bryant said...

And the goat cave lives on...

Sarah said...

You have the most interesting random facts of anyone I've read so far!

Thanks for tagging me. I just did the seven random things twice in three months, but I appreciate that you thought of me!

Rosslyn Elliott said...

I agree - fascinating facts! I'm aghast that you've been shot 3 times, but my favorite is the ambassador's wife! :-)

Travis said...

Well, it wouldn't have been possible without you, Rosslyn!

I'm particularly embarrassed by my shenanigans with the Ambassadors wife. I was in Argentina, and the Ambassador and his wife attended the same meeting. When they found out I was a Texas cowboy, they asked if we could really tell how old a horse was by looking at his teeth. This is not something I'm skilled with, but I was willing to tell them what they wanted to hear. I was then tasked by the Mrs. to prove my claim. She barred her teeth, and in my youthful ignorance, I took a wild stab at her age. Most remarkable, I hit her age within 18 months. I'll never try it again!

She was duly impressed...

Billy Coffey said...

I had to read that twice. Wow. Do you write nonfiction? You sound like Indiana Jones...

Anonymous said...

Billy. You're funny...Indiana Jones.

Yeah, I was amazed at the "shot three times" as well...I did a double take on that one. The slaughter house one freaked me out the most.

Travis, you're an interesting guy! And a good writer.

Travis said...

Alas, non-fiction is my forte. In my younger days, I was involved in some pretty amazing things. After I graduated seminary, I journeyed through South America and Mexico doing mission work. It was an amazing journey, but I'm sad to report at that juncture of my life, I was in it for myself, and much less for the Kingdom. Sometimes I criticize myself for not taking the mission more serious than I did, but I suppose that youth makes you waste things you will later cherish... I used to be very proud of my adventures, and I derived much of my cavalier attitude and a significant amount of my identity from those exploits, but now I try very hard to be ordinary and non-intrusive. When God finally humbled me and made me realize just how un-useful I was to Him…well, let’s just say I am much more committed to His glory than my own.

Travis said...

And thanks, Lynn, for the encouragement. It's so nice to know that your peers like what you do! I'm looking forward to your tagging revelations.

KM Wilsher said...

I hope better late than never, Travis. Thanks for your comments on my blog (that I wrote the day after Thanksgiving. . . life slams you to the ground sometime hee hee) I will do my 7 things and tag others. . .Thanks again. BTW loved your seven!!! shot 3 times?? Oh yeah you were a cop, right? God bless!

Travis said...

I must make a point of clarification: I have never been SHOT (at least not in a way that would leave an open flesh wound)

However, I've been shot AT several times. And only once in the line of duty...

BTW- Gzusfreek has one of the coolest designed blog sites around.

Amy Deardon said...

Yes, I'm back in the loop again too. Looked particularly for this post since I knew you'd been tagged. Travis, as usual you exceed my expectations. I don't even know where to start...

(maybe the heart valve? Did you have an infection and need to have it replace? Do you take coumadin now, and is this a problem?)

Travis said...

Amy-
I was born with a defective aortic heart valve that was misshaped. It wasn't a major issue for me for 35 years, because I had no clue I was afflicted. Only when I developed severe chest pains and dizzy spells did I finally go to the doctor. Within 6 weeks I had my aortic valve replaced. I had only months to live if I hadn't replaced it. The valve was going to be an issue at some point, but because of my time in the Army, and all of my exhausting work in the desert, I wore my valve out earlier than most. I will take Coumadin for the rest of my life. It is a hassle, and it makes me vulnerable to ordinary cuts, bruising, and so forth. I'm at a major risk for blood infections, but other than those inconveniences, I can live a normal life in most every way...almost!

Unknown said...

Shot at 3 times? You mean, with real intent to harm you?

We, as we reside in Texas, own a gun and me, being the idiot I am, was home alone with my two kids one night and something frightened me. I took the 45, of course not knowing it was loaded, and was staring down the barrel of it (just to check), but then something told me 'Don't do that.' So I pointed it down and 'POP!', smoke filled the bedroom, I dropped the damn (I mean darn) thing and freaked!

I checked on my kids, though they were both fine and sound asleep, but my bed was not so lucky. After some smoke cleared, I finally found my unknown target. My nice cherry wood footboard had a clean hole right through it but the other side, was shattered and the wood looked exploded!

Needless to say, my husband was really mad, got rid of the gun, and I had to hear an ear full of 'What were you thinking?!'

So I had to share this story after ready your tag list.

Anywho, I got 'tagged' by a friend several months back, so I'm good.
But you're 7 shared things about yourself gives quite the curiousity about the life you've lived. :-)

(Sorry so long.....)

Travis said...

Wow, Sarah, that is an incredible story! Sounds like we should tag you again to get more interesting facts about you.

We were down in Houston earlier in the spring and I wished I had a gun handy just dealing with the traffick. That place has gotten crazy.

We'll see you around...