10 RANDOM Things About ME Challange

Last week while reading this post ( https://steemit.com/steemitbloggers/@jaynie/10-random-things-about-me-what-a-cool-challenge-by-twodorks ) by the amazing and interesting @jaynie, I was "kinda" nominated to participate myself. Late edits and additions count...right? Before I get to it, the post above is past it's 7 day timeframe so if you enjoyed reading it, please show a little love to one of her more recent posts. She is a regular poster with her insightful look on life and so much more. Please give her a follow. She is one of the gems here...

Anyway, the 10 Random Things About Me Challange was thought up by @twodorks who as of this moment I am unfamiliar with but will be giving a look to after I am done writing and participating in what she started. Cheers @twodorks!

I HAVE LIVED IN NEW JERSEY, CALIFORNIA, & NEVADA

- NUMBER TEN - I was born and raised in New Jersey. I grew up in a town called Union...home of the awesome Ray Liotta!!! WooHoo! I loved the area I hailed from as it was a tight community that was close enough to NYC (25 mins) to make it fun to grow up there, yet far away enough to not feel so urban. When I was 21 waaaaaaay back in 2001, I packed my bags and drove my Gold Mazda 626LX out to sunny California. That Mazda decided to just die on me at a party I was at far away from home one night. Talk about nightmares. Anyway, I didn't know a soul out there so it was a daunting task to overcome and deal with but I am happy I did it. I made some of the best friends on the planet there that I still keep in touch with and see often. I initially rented a room in Sherman Oaks and then settled in the Valencia/Canyon Country area until 2003 when I decided to try my luck in Las Vegas, Nevada. I enjoyed my time there as I was bartending and having a blast. Made a couple friends there but it was a very transient city and lots of folks didn't stick around at that time. I ended up heading back to New Jersey in 2005 but this time in South Jersey to a town called Bayville where I currently reside. It is a small beachy community that I enjoy a ton. If I had my way though I would be back out in Cali...this time in San Diego.

I HAVE CROHN'S DISEASE

- NUMBER NINE - What kid didn't like staying home from school growing up?!? I'll tell you who didn't Me! I'll tell ya why...because if I stayed home it meant my stomach was killing me. It took until I was 16 years old to figure out that I wasn't just being a baby all those years. I collapsed and was hospitalized for 16 days. Turned out I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. At that time they thought I was going to have part of my lower intestines removed but luckily the blockage cleared. I was on medicine regularly for a long time. As I got older I learned to deal, cope, or manage it somewhat. Cannabis helps me today. I would rather not pop pills unless it's a necessity. Cannabis helps almost prevent me from getting ill or staves it off for a while. If I am going to a big event...a concert, a wedding, whatever...I usually take it before hand as a precaution. It helps 99% of the time and I wish I knew this in my earlier years.

I still have my bouts and problems. I am actually in the middle of one of my worst "flare ups" in years. Been this way for a few months now. I think some fried foods and popcorn and next on the chopping block. The last time I went through this was when I was 30...so 8 years ago. I was getting sick regularly and had determined what the culprit was by keeping a journal of what I was eating. My sleek detective skills had come to the conclusion that lettuce was the problem. The doctors had told me at diagnosis that eventually some foods could become problematic. It took quite some time but basically any leafy veggie such as lettuce and spinach makes me react like Jeff Daniels in Dumb & Dumber.

I WAS AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR & PRODUCED 2 FEATURE FILMS

- NUMBER EIGHT - Film and television are my passion. It is what I want to do. I love being on set and creating a story. My main aspiration is to write, produce, and direct for a living. It is pretty much what I have always wanted to do. It's why I moved out to California initially. I ended up working for filmmaker Mike Newell and his production company, 50 Canon Entertainment on the Sony Pictures lot.

I was pretty much low man on the totem pole but I learned a great deal and it was a fantastic experience being on the Sony Lot daily. I met a ton of tremendous people there and learned to read scripts and write coverage. Once I moved to Vegas, I hooked up with my now dear friend Chris Hood to work on 2 films as First Assistant Director and Associate Producer. The first film was called The Casino Job. It was a low budget casino heist film with limited production value, but it ended up getting distribution and was available at Blockbuster's, Best Buys, Walmarts, and more. That was awesome to see.

The second film was a lot more fun to make. It was also a casino heist project titled Dirty Dealing. I was way more involved in this one and wore many hats. I was booking locations, scheduling, running B cam, casting, dealing with taking care of our main talent, and running the set and crew.

While ultimately it was still a low budget film, it was a tremendous step up. Our increased budget allowed us to step up our game and it is apparant in our production value. We shot at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas which was a noticible step up from the Avi in Laughlin where we shot the first film. Our locations looked fantastic and legit. We were able to bring on overall better talent and even managed to add the likes of veteran actors C Thomas Howell (The Outsiders, Soul Man, The Hitcher) and Michael Madsen (Free Willy, Resevoir Dogs, The Hateful Eight). We shot in in 3D as there were alot of promising signs (all wrong) that there would be alot of demand for it. Overall, It was an amazing experience and I cannot wait for my next project. Hopefully the next one will be a meaty drama or thriller.

I AM A DIVORCEE

- NUMBER SEVEN - I am currently 38 years old and back in 2012 when I was 32, my life turned upsidedown. I won't get into the gross specifics, but it was not a pretty split. My ex and I were together for almost 12 years. We were prety happy overall although I felt a major change and shift after her mother passed away. She never really learned to deal and cope with that properly I feel. Maybe I am wrong about that but as I look back now, the signs of trouble in paradise started around that time frame. It was several years afterwards before our downfall. We got married and had what I thought was a happy life with our 4 pups. We were both crazy about them and they were our world. In 2011 we really started to have some rougher arguments. I am not saying I am perfect as I am full of flaws, but she 100% self sabotaged and destroyed the marriage. When I eventually found out about her affair right after the 4th of July in 2012, the shit really hit the fan and an ugliness I never knew she posessed, came through in ways I never thought imaginable. She never saw the dogs again and went on to marry the "gentleman" she had the affair with. He was also married at the time as well. Sounds like a relationship built on trust if ya ask me! Lol.

I carried a ton of hatred for a while. I was in a really dark place but with the help of my pup pack, and amazing family and friends who were all there to support me...I came through a bit stronger and smarter. Today I know that she still works about 2 miles down the road from me. I know she lives a few towns over. Thats about it. I don't carry the hate any longer which is a good thing as I don't like the way I feel when my heart is full of darkness and rage. I wish her the best. I hope she can find happiness in not only her current marriage but with herself. Having to live with what she did is a tough burden to carry. Leaving the dogs as well has to weigh on her still I would like to think. I hope she can come to peace with it all and that her quest to find the "greener grass" is now fulfilled.

Besides, our demise has led me down a path to my lovely wife @reeseshara. I have a great family now and am super fulfilled.

I HAVE LONG TERM FRIENDS

- NUMBER SIX - I Graduated in the class of 98 from Union High School. Outside of a couple of folks who I do miss dealry, I pretty much talk to and hang with all of my same friends from back in the day. My business partner at the shop and I have known each other since 2nd grade. Still close with my childhood neighbor and one of my best friends. It's hard to shake me I guess. lol!

About 10 of us are in a group text and pretty much talk daily still. Be it arguing over politics, having them make fun of my interest in crypto, talking about families, movies and shows that we are watching...it's refreshing to say that we are all still super tight. We also just berate and shit all over each other daily there...some get it worse than others...sorry Wolf. But it's a close group that I am super proud of.

As far as my family goes, I am super close with a few of my sibblings and my parents. My cousins Mark, Rich, and Danny are like brothers to me. Close with my uncle Joe. My sister Marcia's kids and I...it's like they are my own. We are a super close family...if you make the effort. There are a few that I love dearly but just don''t feel close with as they just do not try but I guess you can't have it all. I am super thankful for my amazing support system as far as my family and friends go. Our parties are always fantastic as they are big and varied and full of others who give a damn about keeping in touch.

I COLLECT SHIT

- NUMBER FIVE - Not physical actual shit. That's disgusting...what's wrong with you!?! No I mean I am a dummy who collects a ton of things. Or at least I used to. I have collected Garbage Pail Kids, baseball and basketball cards, pins, dvd's, comic books, action figures, statues, original art. You name it...I stupidly wasted money on it at some point.

These days I keep my collecting down to a minimum. I have just accumulated too much nonsense over the years that I had to kinda step back and take a close look. Although I still possess mostly all of my past collectibles, I am currently only acquiring the comic book title, The Amazing Spider-Man. That is a run of comics dating back to the early 60's. I have been working on the complete run for over 25 years now and I am proud to say that I am super close to completing it. I only need 16 regular issues to complete the run. Sadly the ones I need are some of the pricier issues of the run including a #1 and an Amazing Fantasy #15 which is my holy grail of books as it's Spidey's first appearance.

As for the variant covers... have all of the crazy expensive ones. I just need random filler issues. I have taken a break this year from filling in the gaps as I wanted to take 2018 to invest into crypto. I'll probably jump back in and knock a big issue or two off next year sometime to close the gap a bit more.

The only other thing I am currently collecting is some original comic book art. I don't have a ton yet but I like my small collection so far. There are my grail artists that I will get something from someday down the road as they are too difficult or too expensive to obtain currently. I am currently working on buying a 10 page backup story featuring my favorite villain, Mysterio. It is by artist Humberto Ramos and is from the newest ASM #1. I was going to buy a page or 2 from the story but all 10 were available and Humberto's manager worked out a payment plan with me so I am slowly sending monthly payments until they are all paid off. I did a piece about it a couple months back. https://steemit.com/art/@blewitt/some-spider-man-original-art-is-about-to-land-in-my-collection

Super psyched to get those as not only is it featuring Mysterio but it's the first appearance of a brand new Spidey villain that they have been teasing from the past several issues. I cannot say his name as they have yet to release it yet but he is shaping up to be quite a problem. Hope he pans out as that will end up being a great investment if so.

LINDT CHOCOLATE IS THE SHIT!!!

- NUMBER FOUR - I am not a big candy or dessert eater but I am super passionate about my love for Lindt Milk Chocolate. Be it by the bar, the little balls, or whatever other weird way they have come...Lindt Milk Chocolate is my favorite chocolate on the big dumb planet. I will go months without having any and then I will pick up a bag and devour it in a sitting...setting myself up for more Jeff Daniels like shitting...

The best part about it is nobody in my family agrees with my assessment on it being THE BEST!!! They all like it but they all tell me I am wrong. My wife at least gives me her opinion and backs up her argument by stating Dove is her favorite. Dove is tasty as hell but Lindt nut kicks Dove everytime when my tastebuds are the refs. It's not even fair but my Swiss creamy favorite wins hands down each and every time. My daughter just had a piece and said "It's really good...but I think there is better"...yet couldn't name a single contender. Weak. My son barely knows what planet he's on so I am not even asking him. If it's not a video game...you are going to get a convoluted and cringe worthy 32 minute long answer. I'm tapping out on this one...

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

- NUMBER THREE - I love comedy. I end to surround myself with people who are generally funny and can not only dish it, but can take it as well. I feel NOTHING is off limits when it comes to comedy and entertainment. My friends and I are absolutely brutal to each other in regards to making fun of one another but I feel as though i thas created strong bonds amongst us. Growing up in a household with a bunch of older sibblings, I was the young one that felt the wrath of everyone. I was picked on by them and in my early years I was a total cry baby about it. As I got older, I learned to appreciate the good ribbing I was receiving and figured out how to toss it back. I also have a very open household where my kids can speak freely and we all joke around and don't take ourselves too seriously. We laugh together alot. I am proud of teaching them that.

I also learned that there is a clear difference between someone telling an obvious joke...no matter how dark or off color it may be, and someone who is legit spewing venom and hatred. There is a clear difference even if people today want to lump it all together and pretend there is no difference. I feel as though in today's society, alot of that is lost and we condemn folks for saying ANYTHING that might possibly be taboo without looking at the real context of it. That makes me sad as I don't want my kids growing up in a world where they have to be afraid of saying something in a joking manner that can lose them their job and hell, ruin their life. We are watching that happen now with those in the spotlight and I feel it's a sad thing for all of us.

Regardless, I love going to comedy shows and listening to professionals riff together. There is something about being around funny people that is so inspiring. I feel as though they are always trying to garner a laugh and we need more laughter nowadays.

I AM A STEPFATHER

- NUMBER TWO - Luckily in my previous marriage, we had no children. There was ever so brief talk about it but I thank my lucky stars that I dodged that bullet. After that I just kind of assumed I would not have kids. I was ok wirth it. A part of me wanted them but I felt as though I didn't need them to define me and who I was. I was ok with not having kids. Then I met Sharese. When we started dating I was definitely a bit scared. She had 2 kids from a previous marriage and I had never been in that position before. I was always around them as my sister Marcia has 6 stupid little assholes, and the rest have a bunch as well...but this was all so new and different. It took some adjustments on all of our parts. Learning the ropes was a challange but I was up for the task. With the help and patience of my lovely wife, we think we have this kinda figured out...maybe...sorta...not really. Ok...I am Just wingin this shit.

I am grateful I wasn't scared off as my family completes me. Not only do I have an empowering and amazing wife that I am head over heels for, but I have 2 kids that I am super close with and love with all of my heart. We all have our differences but overall, I am super surprised with how close we are. My daughter Clover and I have insanely deep conversations. She is socially aware, caring, and makes me proud daily. She also gets on these kicks where she just makes us laugh non stop. My son Kalel (yes...like Superman) has really come into himself the past year or so. I think he is now at that point where he is starting to learn how to take it and dish it back a bit which is super refreshing to see happen before my eyes. He is super smart and will talk your ear off....if it's regarding a topic he is interested in. If it's not...well...good luck. lol.Him and I always go to the movies together to see big action blockbusters or nerdy superhero flicks. Then we break it all down. Cool moments that I hope he will remember as we get older. I love my family dearly and hope that they feel the same way.

MY DOGS ARE MY WORLD

- NUMBER ONE - If you have been following me here for a bit, you'll notice that I tend to have a bit of an affinity for my pups. I love all animals to be honest... love my cats to death. Zeus, Lala, and even our new douchebag Finn. They are amazing and I could not imagine my life without them...but overall if I had to admit it, I am a dog person.

It started with our family dog Foxy. Growing up and having a family pet...man it was the best being a young age and seeing the love and joy a pet brought into not only my life but my family's life...so rewarding. My sister and I used to steal Foxy to sleep with us nightly. Poor Foxy was caught in the middle of our jealous squabbling over who got to cuddle with her. She was a Minature American Eskimo and was beautiful and loyal. I took the photo below the night prior to me moving out west to California. She seemed so sad and my heart was breaking. I have had this picture with me every day since May 20th 2001. I don't want to delve too much into each one of my pups as I am goign to devote a special post for each of them soon...to honor them. So for now...cheers Foxy. Miss you my angel.

Bandit, Bindi, Tano, and Maya. That was my pack. Once again, not going to give too much here as I want to honor each one of these perfect creatures with their own post. Something I should have done long ago.

Bandit...what can I say?!? You started this craze fully. Bandit was my heart and soul and my protector. He was a huge fluffy Alaskan Malamute that I snagged in Vegas. He was the most loyal creature I think I will ever have by my side. I got Bandit in 2003 and he was with me until he passed in February of 2015 sandwiched between the passing of my Grandma Rose and my 35th birthday. He was by far, one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life. Also, his farts were the thing of legend and could clear a room. I miss you and love you my maller. Not a day goes by where you aren't on my mind.

My Bindi kitty. Bindi is my 14 year old sweetheart. She was Bandit's shadow and a piece of her left when he passed which broke me pretty hard but she's toughed through it and is super strong. She putters around the house now and gets lots of love and seepies. She picked me out pretty much and it was her 2 different color eyes and following of me that sold me....not that I needed the sales pitch. She was trouble from the start but in her old age has mellowed considerably. She always acted and mimicked motions like a kitten when she was younger so we called her Bindi kitty...I miss those days but am happy she is still loving and by my side. Love you baby girl.

Then there is my Wolfamute. My Malamute Timberwolf that I got as a tiny sick pup that overcame and conquered so much. Kitano or as we called him, Tano. My Tano boy was the most skiddish pup for years and years. For such a big boy, he sure was afraid of everything. He seemed to mellow out in recent years and relax a bit more around people. He was super sweet and loving. I would come home and he would run to me and just shower me in kisses. Seriously...he would lick my face for like 8 minutes straight. I would just laugh and he would lick faster and harder over my eyes and cheeks and forehead. It was something that made me laugh and smile daily. Tano stepped up his game after Bandit passed and kinda stood by my side...never replacing Bandit but trying to be a loyal soul to stand by my side through life. It's like he knew what I was missing and stepped up his game. Tano became suddenly ill and 6 weeks ago, and left this world...leaving me broken and looking for answers that don't exist. I am an emotional trainwreck without him as his passing has also stirred up a ton of emotions that I buried deep down inside about Bandit and even Foxy. I miss him tremendously and feel as though another piece of me is now lost forever. I love you my sweet prince. I look forward to writing about you and telling everyone about how amazing you are.

Maya...sweet Maya. You were supposed to be a foster pup that ended up never leaving as I knew you were family the second you entered my life. The other white husky...she is full of energy and loves to talk to me...and anyone who is willing to listen....especially if you are on the phone. She makes me laugh daily with how she plays with her toys and amuses herself. She sleeps on my bed with me each and every night and has the most beautiful crystal blue eyes. She is 9 years young and keeps us all on our toes...especially when she tries to steal food when we get up to get a paper towel or use the bathroom. She is an opportunist and lives every moment as though it could be her last...which is hopefully eons away as I need her. She is my perfect baby girl. Love ya baby.

I enjoyed writing this so thanks for pushing me along @jaynie! I hope you enjoyed peeking like a creep into the window of my life a bit. I am going to nominate 10 folks here to do the same...

• My wife who never uses this.Maybe she will one day get around to doing this. You never know @reeseshara...you might end up liking this!

• @dfinney, @deadspace, @moonknight1977, @jackofcrows, @skullangs, @smithlabs, @parusa, @phoenix32, & @tecnosgirl. That's 10 of you SOB'S that I am nominating...I expect to see at least 1 or 2 of you do this...let's see if you are reliable...lol