100 Things About Hammy

100 Things About Hammy

Freaky Chick did one of these lists and I thought I'd have a go too. Pretty hard work actually.

1. I have jumped my own height and set the Bordertown High School high jump record on four occasions in Sports Day competition, and several times outside of competition, but only held the record once.
2. I have recited pi to 150 decimal places. (π ≈ 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993 75105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342
11706798214808651328230664709384460955058223172 5359408128)
3. I have read the Guinness Book of Records from cover to cover, been named as a contributor and met the editor, Peter Mathews.
4. I grew up in Bordertown, South Australia. Map of Bordertown.
5. I've counted from 1 to 10 in 17 languages.
6. I'm a qualified electrical fitter/mechanic - electrician by trade. Completed my apprenticeship at CSR Woodpanels in Mt Gambier.
7. Have a Bachelor of Commerce with double major in Information Systems and Electronic Commerce from the Curtin Business School at Curtin University of Technology.
8. I had my first car, the Green Machine, otherwise known as "The Beast", a green '75 Toyota Corolla, for eleven and a half years - it's still in the family.
9. Don't drink.
10. Don't smoke.
11. Don't do blokes.
12. I travelled Europe and the USA by myself for 12 months from the age of 21 after finishing my apprenticeship.
13. Currently live in the second home that we have purchased.
14. I am driving only my second car - a '96 EF Ford Falcon.
15. I'm a lifelong supporter of the Essendon Football Club. Here's the AFL's site.
16. I'm a lifelong supporter of West Ham United Football Club.
17. I'm a numismatist.
18. I also collect stamps - a philatelist.
19. I've been called a capitalist pig bastard.
20. And I'm definitely a Frugal Bastard.
21. I don't own a mobile phone.
22. My first landlord's son, Daniel Millard, won the Stawell Easter Gift in 1997.
23. I held the positions of treasurer and public spokesperson for the Mt Gambier Senior Athletics Club.
24. I played senior colts football for the Bordertown Football Club, the Roosters, for two years (1988 and 1989) for two premierships. Bordertown had lost the last three grand finals by six points or less. I also represented the league, the Tatiaria, as ruckman.
25. I won the Division III Tatiara Cricket Association premership for the Mundulla Cricket Association in 1987-88.
26. Represented the Tatiara in three Burdon Shield (under 16) cricket matches taking a total of six catches and scoring 1 n.o., 1 and 0.
27. My best bowling figures in a match were 4 for 26 for North Gambier C grade in a semi-final where I was on a hatrick after taking the fourth wicket but it was the last of the match and I also scored 32 runs in that game.
28. My best batting was 70 n.o. in approximately 45 minutes vs Kongorong for North Gambier C grade which included three 6s (my only 6s!).
29. Won B-grade indoor soccer championship at Mirrabooka's Herb Graham Centre with VEP Makedonia.
30. Won B-grade volleyball championship with Mt Gambier.
31. Won the A-grade club championship at Blue Lake Golf Club in 1993. My lowest handicap has been 18.
32. Scored an A+ in Yr 11 Geography.
33. Scored almost straight A's in Yr 9.
34. Read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in two days for the MS Read-a-thon.
35. I've managed 39 holes of golf in one day.
36. Was once kicked off a train in Germany for not having a Czech visa.
37. Got married on Grand Final day in 1997 in Kings Park, WA.
38. Became a father at 5:55 am on 30th April, 2000.
39. I have visited 22 countries, outside of airports (not international territory), other than Australia.
40. My first computer was a Sega SC3000H and it is still at my parents' house.
41. My in-laws live in Korea - pretty close to the perfect distance away.
42. I have one of the best relationships with my mother-in-law - we don't speak the same language.
43. Favourite Formula 1 driver - Ayrton Senna.
44. Had breakfast standing next to Billy Connolly in Heathrow Airport.
45. Saw Gary Ablett kick 14 goals and 7 behinds at the MCG in 1993 versus Essendon. The Bombers won by 24 points and Paul Salmon kicked 10 goals 6.
46. Can say my name in a few languages - and it makes speakers of that language laugh.
47. Saw an ice hockey World Championship Pool B match between Denmark and Switzerland in Copenhagen.
48. Went to see England vs USA at Wembley, won by the English 2-0 with Alan Shearer scoring both goals.
49. Only ever attended three concerts - MC Solaar in Copenhagen (left before he came on as it was too loud), Hunters & Collectors at Telstra Rally Australia and Avril Lavigne at Challenge Stadium, Perth.
50. Driven the 2700 kms from Adelaide to Perth by myself in two days.
51. Passed my driving test first time - both car and motorbike.
52. I've seen Queen Margrethe of Denmark in person on her birthday in 1994.
53. Minus nine degrees in Rovianemi, Finland, is the coldest I have experienced.
54. Visited the Arctic Circle on a few occasions.
55. Norway is my favourite country, besides Australia.
56. The best holiday I ever had was in Japan.
57. The most Weetbix I have eaten for breakfast is 12.

59. The most points that I have scored in a basketball match is four.
60. Favourite Slovak phrase - proti smeru hodinovych ruciciek - anticlockwise.
61. Don't believe in God.
62. Don't believe in the Devil.
63. I have a really dark sense of humour.
64. Favourite TV shows - Seinfeld and Red Dwarf.
65. Favourite movie - Falling Down or anything with Arnie.
66. I have the ability to wiggle my ears.
67. I have the ability to wiggle my eyes.
68. I have the ability to belch extremely well.
69. I own a Kylie Minogue Greatest Hits CD.
70. Stayed in Carbisdale Castle, Scotland - the world's best Youth Hostel.
71. I once had a goldfish that I called Willy Wally Wilbert. He only lived a few days. That can happen when you take them from a pond, I guess.
72. I've come within six inches of scoring a hole-in-one but never managed to score an eagle. My best score off the stick is 78 at Maylands, WA, on a par 68 course.
73. I've only resigned from one job but I've never been fired.
74. Nicknames include Scoohooter (I rode a YB100 Yamaha - a little motorbike), Hammy, Hammus Bonus, Big Ears, Prince Charles, Green Eggs (and Ham - I love this one), Hammy Hamster, Hamster and Wingnut. It sounds strange to be called Mark.
75. Never scored a goal in three years of junior soccer or in indoor soccer. I played goalie in indoor soccer but did take a few penalties and played a little bit on the pitch.
76. Was once asked to sit out of the game of rounders in primary school because I played too well. Did that ever cut me.
77. Two other boys that I went to school with were born on the same day. And Bordertown isn't a big place, mind you.
78. A flat-top is the only haircut that suits me.
79. I only sing in public at the soccer, which is generally for Perth Glory games.
80. I've attended every Anzac Day Dawn Service in Kings Park since moving to Perth in '95 although I know of now relatives who fought in the First World War. My Grandpa fought in WWII.
81. I visited Las Vegas and didn't gamble. That's because I'd already lost US$20 in Reno.
82. Once I was awoken by an earthquake.
83. Lasagna is probably my favourite food, however, my mother-in-law does a cucumber kimchee that I could eat all day.
84. I've had more than 46 bases and extensions (fillings) done to my teeth - that's a lot of needles.
85. I've never run over a cat or dog but have hit a few birds with my car.
86. I love Fords. Holdens, and their drivers, suck badly. They are closely followed in second position by Subaru owner/drivers.
87. I can drive using my knees.
88. Driving at night time with sunglasses is another skill I possess. Have only done it once.
89. I once drove to Mt Gambier from Bordertown, a distance of 180 kms, without changing gears once I had reached fourth gear (in a manual).
90. I've ridden for three kilometres with no hands on a bike. The furthest I have ridden in one day is 70 kms.
91. Most consecutive push-ups that I have done is 70. We were training for hockey and played some soccer. If your team was scored against you had to do 10 push-ups. The next goal that was scored against you it was 20, and so on. Good for the fitness.
92. Mauna Kea in Hawaii at 4245 m above sea level is probably the highest altitude that I have been. I did climb Ben Nevis,1343 m above sea level, in Scotland without the use of a vehicle though.
93. I'm a morning person.
94. I've never been beaten at Arnie Armchair's Howzat Cricket, Ubiquity (a board game), and backgammon.
95. I have 15 aunts and uncles plus their spouses. There are somewhere in the vicinity of 28 first cousins around the place.
96. I can hold my breath for about one and a half minutes. Some people would say that is about three and a half minutes too short.
97. I used to be quite good at doing handstands and walking on my hands. My centre of gravity has shifted a little since those heady days.
98. My cars have been broken into about three times over the years.
99. I am one of the world's worst dancers - think Elaine on Seinfeld.
100. My favourite subject is myself - which, if you have reached this point, you would probably already have worked out.

Man, this was much more difficult than I expected.