Six Weird Things

Once again I've fallen off the wagon, as Dave has tempted me with another meme. Six weird things about me? Only six? OK, I'll give it a quick whirl:

1. My historic nickname is Mickey, and I have a dog named Pluto.

2. I've lived most of my life 100 miles or less from North Dakota, including 15 months in residence there, and I absolutely love it. I think North Dakota is one of the world's most underrated places.

3. I have the exact name, both first and last, as a monk 5 years my junior at a Catholic monastery elsewhere in South Dakota. He and I have this uncanny list of similarities:

Both from towns in West Central Minnesota
Both clergy - I'm a Lutheran pastor, he's a recently ordained priest
I'm Lutheran, he's an ex-Lutheran
Both amateur astronomers
Both musicians
Both interested in patristics and the early Church

I have this strange thought that he might be assigned to the Catholic parish in my community someday, in which case we'd have to educate people on how to tell us apart! :O)

4. I like to read atlases like some people read books.

5. When I do read books, I tend to read them from back to front. I usually manage to control this impulse when I read the occasional novel.

6. The parts in my large homebuilt telescope include PVC sewer pipe, Model T speedometer gears, crank wheels from an old dentist's chair, electrical conduit, and pipe fittings.

I thought of airing one or two of my theological eccentricities (nothing heretical, don't worry), but I decided to play it safe.

Tagging? Well, I haven't tagged anyone for awhile, so I'll tag Lars and Phil and see how often they check here to see if I'm still on hiatus. And the rest of you are welcome to share your weirdnesses with the world as well.