My last name is American. My ancestors arrived from Flanders in 1642, and decided that a new name was in order (“Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s start a city here. I loved our stopover in York, didn’t you? Great! Let’s call this place New York!”). Anyway, they ditched their Old World name and got a new one. NYC Dopers familiar with Remsen Avenue: that’s us.
The point being that most Americans’ family names are French, or English, or German, or Chinese, or whatever; but mine is American. There were never natives of another country with my last name. I’ve always thought that was pretty cool.
I am related to 4 presidents four times removed or less. One of them is George Washington, and two of them died within 6 monthes of being inaugerated.
I’m told I have the vocabulary of a Lit PhD, though my spelling is often atrocious when separated from my precious spell check.
I have a near encyclopedic knowledge of that last fifteen years of film (American) and games (both PC and console). You name it and odds are good I can name its creator, date it, and explain to you its claim to fame and effect on the industry.
I make a mean Double Chocolate Fudge Cake with Homemade Caramel Frosting, and only slightly less mean batch of cookies (anykind).
I have the preternatural talent to anger any educator by understanding their point mid lecture, finishing their explainations before they do, often in more clear terms.
I’m a direct descendant of people who came to America on the Mayflower.
My maternal grandmother was captain of the girls’ basketball team that won the Kansas state championship circa 1912. Same grandmother taught at a girls’ reformatory and once food-poisoned all the teachers (except herself) at a potluck dinner.
I have a newspaper clipping headlined “We Saw a Hog”, concerning my paternal grandparents having a (duh) live hog well into the Depression, when almost all farm animals had been eaten. I’m guessing that the hog didn’t live long after that.
Google returns 7 results on my father’s name + “creationism”. In his prime, it would’ve been more.
I’m a member of “Puntgaaf”, the international club for collectors of pencil sharpeners.
My grandfather was the outrider for the Kentucky Derby for decades. He was the one who adapted the red jacket, black cap and black jodphurs from the classic English fox-hunting gear as the traditional uniform for that role. (I am told there is a brand of Kentucky bourbon that has a depiction of the Derby outrider on the label; it is literally a drawing of my grandfather. I gotta find out what brand that is.)
I’m 31 and can do side splits better now than when I was 15.
Not only is my second toe longer than my big toe, my third toe is too.
I may be related to the Robin-Hood-era Sheriff of Nottingham.
I got a big hug from Steven Page after a BNL concert once.
That game in February when Steve Yzerman came back after being out all year from his knee surgery? I was at that game.
My hair changed completely after my first haircut. It was curly and golden-blond (I’ve seen the photos), and then changed to straight and almost black.
I haven’t been sick in ten years.
My father was clinically dead after his 3rd lightning strike, but my mother revived him. Mom did NOT know CPR… she just copied what she saw on TV.
Last year, I met the guy who taught Ewan McGregor to play the banjo, Steve Huber, when he was a guest in my parents’ house.
I was once expelled from a martial arts school for “making the black belts work too hard.”
I have learned to correct my nearsightedness by conscious control of my eye muscles.
I touched the Rosetta Stone, very lightly. I know I shouldn’t have, but I really really really wanted to.
P.S. A lot of us have American names. Either they were changed for us, or our ancestors did it themselves, to be more “American.” The nice people at Ellis Island took a couple syllables off of my name when my great-grandparents immigrated.
I’ve performed a rescue from a dwelling fire. While accomplishing natural ventilation, I chanced upon a kitten trying to get clean air from the bathroom window which was open a crack. The little fuzzer was stuffed down the front of my bunker gear and delivered to the family with his head under my chin.
I’ve survived an accident which should have killed me.
I’ve delivered babies.
I’ve assisted with autopsies.
I make drop dead great cheescake.
My chicken and shrimp creole is a close second.
My chili is right behind that.
All the mountain kitties love me-pick ticks, clean wounds-they come to my door.
Well, yeah, but the thread is “random cool facts,” not “random unique facts.” I hereby declare that all those other folks with American last names are cool too.
I am double jointed in both my thumbs. It took my brother to point this out to me, since it’s a family trait.
My feet are exactly one foot in length from heel to big toe. Ditto for elbow to wrist.
The length of my fingers on each hand are perfectly symmetrical (ie. both middle fingers, same length, both index fingers… and so on). I understand this is pretty rare.
My great grandfather was cut in half in an elevator accident.
The hair on my head is light brown but from about my sideburns down, it’s red.
I can hot wire a car…I was Goofy at Walt Disney World… I can blow bubbles off my tounge…or until I got it pierced…but I am working on it…Was a hostess to Micheal Jackson…Gloria Estefan…and Belinda Carlise<sp> when I worked at Walt Disney world…and I kiss girls = )~~~
tempsbaby, When were you Goofy? I just have to know in case it was while I was at WDW. Goofy was our favorite character, and we had lots of interaction with him.
Another CF just to make this post legit:
I’ve had my picture taken on the steps of 32 state capitol buildings. Hoping to get all 50 before I pass on.
My grandmom’s(from mother side) lower part of her earlobe got ripped (healed back badly) by a German soldier during the occupation in Poland.
My gradfather (from father’s side) died at age of 94. He is concidered to be the sheikh (or wise man of the village type of thing) in a small town in Syria.
As for myself…never broken a bone (cracked 2 though)
was in a commercial (background) for some brand tissue paper when i was young.
My right ankle survived a car running over it (the foot was planted on the ground, but my shin was bent as if to touch my toes) with a little burn.
I was born nearly dead because the embilical cord was wrapped around my throat. (that explains why i don’t concider myslef a smart person. probably got brain dammaged somehow :D)
I have 12 dragon statues(all except 1 are chinese types) and have a dragon tatoo on my ribs
Once i crushed a mouse i found left to die slowly (it was glued to that thing you get to get rid of infestations) because i felt sorry for it.
So far i had to throw away 4 dead kittens (no more than 3 weeks old, 2 on 2 different times) because the stray cats i feed brought them to me to my backyard patio…as if i could revive them or something…
Spurred by a throwaway quote in an Anne Rice novel I didn’t even enjoy that much, one of my life’s ambitions is to read at least a thousand books. At last count, I’m up to 617.
I’ve had letters to the editor published in both the Houston Chronicle (at age 17), and CMJ New Music Monthly.
Last summer, after having given up journalism for years, I decided to fill some time by writing and selling an article and photographs about an elderly man who regularly leads a drum circle on the UT campus. Really fascinating guy, and he and his wife are great people.
I’ve Hiked the Inca trail to Macchu Picchu on two seperate occasions. Heheh, chewing coca leaves is cool!
I filed under the freedom of information Act to investigate the TWA flight 800 crash. I was told the info was sealed until the NTSB finished their investigation. Several months later I was told I was now free to refile, but that all airspace records are only kept for 6 months and had already been destroyed.
I made it to 28 Dead shows, woohoo!
I was married on a pyramid in the Guatemalian Jungle.
Oh, and after 12 years my wife decided she was gay and left me.
What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what its all about?
