HOBBIES AND FASINATIONS

My main hobby is is just about anything that has to do with history. I do Civil War reenacting. I am a private in the 4TH Alabama Cavalry Co. B: a better and finer group of friends you'd be hard-pressed to find. In here, you will truely find a long and lasing brotherhood. Reenacting is one of the finer points of the "military". You still have to drill and drill and dress up the lines, doing everything in time and remember all sorts of commands, but at the end you can leave (or even in the middle). As a plus, you get to fire pistals and rifles at those dainty people in blue coats (unfortunately, sometimes we must fire on those beautifull gray coats). Being in it is quite a rush for some people. Once you are sitting in wait, hearing all the cannons go off, rifles firing in sucession, and both sides yelling orders above the madness, you will notice your pulse start to quicken and the urge to rush out and join the fray. Another great part about reenacting, is that we get to fulfill that secrete desire to play "dressup", in the most MASCULINE way possible ofcourse. Who wouldn't want to go around in a uniform portraying the side that they would pick to stand for, whether it be for the love of their country or the protection of their home town or even for the demand to be let alone to run our own affairs, marching to face a great enemy who just yesterday was your brother or your cousin. You get to walk around with a rifle in you hand or a pistol on your hip; No Permit Required. The ages range from 10-14 (flag-barer or drummer boy) and 70 year-old. Another great thing about it is all the neat little tidbits you learn about while just sitting around the campfire. Once again I must stress the extreme coolness of things that go BOOM! This is a good excuse to go out and buy weaponry of all sorts: rifles, revolvers, sword, and knives ranging from nicely sized pocket knives to big ol' bowie knives. I don't know about other units but, mine goes out once a year to "live fire" (use real bullets) for target compitition. Also, we have a Christmas party (usually in an antibellum home) with lots of food and conversation and we get to decorate it in period style as well as a period dance. Don't worry ladies, you're invited too. You have to look at the aspect that not only do you get to dress up in beautiful (most of the time) dresses but, also there's SHOPPING!!! There are suttlers (venders) all over the reenactments selling clothing for both men and women, uniforms, footwear, weapons, leather gear, and men's and women's accessories. There is also a period ball on Saturday evening; very fun. There are even some food venders for both the hungry spectater and reenactor. Over all, whether you like shopping, dancing, costumes, history, big bangs, camping, marching, or just getting dirty, reenacting is the thing for you. Most groups let you bring extra and will let you borrow what ever you need to start up and see if you like it. then, over time you eventually buy all your own stuff. If you want any information on it (and you live in or around Alabama) visit my links page and go to the 4TH Alabama Cav. site. Otherwise, just search the web reenactment units in your state.

Another hobby of mine is Scottish country dancing. It's sort of a mixture of Highland dancing, Ballet, and square dancing all combined. Ballet because Mary Queen of Scotts lived in France much of her life and added some of the moves into her court dances (after all, Scottish country dancing is court dancing); and square dancing actually evolved from Scottish country dancing. It's a great aerobic workout and I get to wear a kilt. This is also an activity for people of all ages that is even more fun to do than it is to watch. One thing to remember about it is that it's social dancing (a get to know you and even flirty kind of dance). The point is to have fun. Some of the dances are hundreds of years old and others are being writen right to this day. ( unfortunatly, as of June '05, the group has disbanded and I hope that it will get together again)

One hobby that I don't get to do much but still love is midieval reenacting. I do it through the SCA (Sociaty for Creative Anachronism). This is a great hobbie for people who are history buffs, like weapons and costumes, or have an alternate personallity they want to unleash. For this I get to use my stage name Brohg. School and work keep me too tied up most of the time to do it but, at least I have the cloths and swords to do it when I get a chance.

One new hobbie I have is fursuiting.  This is where one wears a mascot-type costume and goes around being silly, drawing a crowd and basically, being like one of the characters at Disney World.  Fursuiters suit up for many reasons aside for the chance to costume and be silly.  A few major places a suiter might preform are charities, children's hospitals (like at the cancer ward and such), charity walks, city events (e.g. City Stages in Birmingham), children's programs at libraries, churches, and schools.  It's fun being behing a mask in a way; you get to fool around, dance stupidly and all without worrying about your image so much.  It's like a licence to make a fool of yourself just so others can smile.  One perk about fursuiting is that you get lots of hugs and petting.  RIght now, unless I find another opertunity or offer, I just fursuit at fur cons.  I'm hoping that I learn a little more about how to act and express differnet emotions and be more animated from others that have been doing it for much longer than me since I just started in mid February of '07.I like it a lot and other than the fact that it's hoter than Civil War reenacting at times, there don't seem to be any down sides to it.

My mission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by showing His love, mercy, compassion, and over abundant JOY. This could help explain my sanguine ( personality to where, no matter what the circumstances, one can have fun with it) temperment. The purpose of life is to know Him and make Him known; to live a life out that shows others compasion and love, for you never know, you might be the only little bit of Jesus a person might ever see. Currently I am trying to write enough songs to make an album. I have seven that are finished at this time. If you're at all interested, they're in the style of the group Newsboys for the most part. You can find their site on my links page. I don't know really what direction God's pushing me in (really I don't feel like He's ready to give me any hint either), but I know that beyond any doubt His plan for my life is ment to work out for His benefit; not mine. I might like preaching... May joy be yours abundantly.

tidbits of me... (maybe more than you want to know..)

*I was 5'10" at 14 and only 110 lbs; At 14 my body was completely fully developed and from then I just gained muscle and fat (rarely ate anything until then). My voice never really went through that awkward octive change like most other boys; no one even noticed it change unless it had been 3-4 years sence they had seen me (it was extreemly gradual). I am still able to hit the same notes in songs I did when I was little. In fact, the way and octive I sing a song depends on when I first sung it; all my early choir songs I can only sing like a 12 year old tennor.

*I did some karate when I was little, but didn't keep it up because my instructor was mean and would yank on and lead me around by my ear. After that, all I know about matial arts and swords is from instruction books and videos (I never really had a chance to practice it with anyone).

*I have been dancing in one form or another my entire life. Chronologically it goes: {tap, jaz, ballet}(together), line-dancing and more ballet, pair and individual figure skating, Scottish Country dancing (with mixes of Highland and Irish), and a few others that I didn't do for too long. Also, in school I'm taking ballroom dance : Waltz, Fox trot, and Cha Cha.

*I did cheerleading in my highschool and yes there are pictures floating around.

*When I was graduating highschool, I was told by the director that it was between me and another student to be Valedictorian and the difference was that I had more hours. I later sent a letter saying for them to let the other guy be it because standing up in front of a crowd and giving a speech would be my worst nightmare (also I stammer when I'm nervous).

*I have an infatuation with wolves (always a great gift idea). Also with guns, swords (been messing with and studing about these all my life), anime, and food.

*Pritty much I'm like a dog (could have a lot to do with being raised around them all my life and no doubt I've picked up some traits from them). I enjoy being rubbed and petted (a belly rub too if you don't use your nails), playing, and just laying on the floor doing nothing. I have no need of personal space (unless you're squishing me) and enjoy spending time envading and shrinking the personal space of others. Also, I tend to follow around those I feel a very close bond with; doesn't matter where, I just want to go (like a puppy).

*I have stray and crossed wiring as far as my nervous system goes (caffine can make me sleepy, and it takes about 3 times the normal dose for my body size to keep me asleep for surgery). My grandmother even has veins and arteries were there shouldn't be any which is dangerous in surgury. I even have a stray nerve that runs down the side of my abdomen and terminates into the thigh. (which, funny enough, when messed with causes my leg to jerk (kinda like a dog)). I guess it's kinda like tickling since I can't do it to myself.

*I am ADHD, dyslexic, and most of the time the way I spell words are too far off for spell-check to figure out. I just spell them as they sound.

*I have a partial deafness in my left ear (actually, now I have lost 90% hearing in my left ear) and a strange kind of "brain" deafness in both: I can actually hear in some degrees extreemly well, but the language interpretation portion of my brain is a little off. Many times after asking someone to repeat someting a few times I will just smile, nod, or say 'ok' because I give up and I know that I am just not going to get it. (if ask you to repeat something, try saying it in a different way) Also, ever notice that many times when you go to have your ears checked for disability (all of the time for me) that it is always a clear-speaking WOMAN that says things and asks you to repeat them (most people are low-tone deaf) and it is no comparison to the people you will have speaking to you at school and such.

*I don't care about sex; at least on my part. Unless someting changes I plan go without it my whole life. I do want kids though and that could be a problem and also the general women's personality gets on my nerves unless she's a one of the guys type (I just prefer the male personality). Also, acting easy/sluty, is a major turn off.

*One of the fields of my studying intrests is sexuality both in humans and animals. All aspects: sexuall selection and rituals of animals (which sheds a lot of light on humans), physiological, psychological, cultural, emotional, physical, literary and art (neat thing about art is that it shows that particular artist's ideal for a situation so it goes into the pyschological part again). The way I look into and research these is completely scientific; I'll interveiw some people on stuff to try and get a broader idea for the how and why of things and I never just take one source for something.

*I'm actually kinda worried about having kids because of how my dad treated us. My mom say that he was purfictly sweet and nice to animals and other people's children until he had kids and then he started acing like his father (like something just kicked in). I'm worried that I won't know how I'll be until it happens. My dad realizes (after the fact) each time he's gone overboard and he is still better than his dad was (not saying much) so I probly won't be as bad either but I don't want to hurt anyone anyway near like I've been hurt. If I get married, I plan to put in the prenup that if I ever become nasty or detrimental to the well being of any in the household that that they have the complete rite to leave me without contesting and just go away. I'd rather thave my children raise elsewhere than have them go through what I had to. This is the main reason that I avoid any relationships.

*I love vanilla ice cream; there's just so many things you can do to it. My favorate is adding peaches, cinimon and milk (milk fills in all the cranies and adds texture to the ice cream by freezing and making a hard, crunch surface throughout the dish).

*I love to cook. Been doing it with my mom since I was real little. I also watch a lot of cooking shows. I also have a nack for copying; if I go to any resturant and try a meal a few times I can copy it exactly (anyone want Olive Garden recipies?:)

*My mom wanted me to be independant and never have to rely on a woman. That's why I know how to balance a check book for taxes, cook, sew, deal with utilities, clean house, wash clothes, change dipers, use coupons at every chance, shop sales like mad, and distribute what ever medication is needed for pets and people.

*I don't drink, smoke, cuss (just use minor ones when the occasion really marits), or speed.

*If you ask me anything I will answer it. Just be sure to ask the right question if you want your answer (I'm picky with wording). I don't get embarrassed about questions and, actually, there arent too many things that do embarrass me (accept when other people do things, it's just I don't get embarused about my self).

*I bring a stuffed wolf puppy with me any time I go on a trip. (which eventually may be replaced by the real thing or maybe I'll just bring both)

*My favorate natural fruit is the peach (otherwise, cherries for sundays). Whilest my favorate bean is the cocco.:)

*I have a weird way of getting into things. Basically, I meet someone with a hobby, skill, or special knowledge of something and I make it my goal to surpass them. I don't do it on purpose, I start out just interested in them then the special quality and start to delve into it for the purpose of being up with them, eventually I go far enough so I can have an edge in the conversation even going as far as teaching them stuff. This actually helps me in school. What I've found out though is that after not seeing these people for a long time I fall behind in the subject and my intrest in it dwindels. Which means that it is the person that mainly intrests me. I at one time studied enought medical term., pathology, and still rememberd enough of my bios. that I had an MD convinced that I was a doctor and was able to freely "talk shop" with them ( no, I never actually said that I was a doctor, just that I worked at St. Vincent's hospital; which I did at the time). I got to the point that I told them my symptoms, the cause, and told them what to prescribe me and they would just give it to me (very short doctor visits).

*I'm a furry. Yep, I don't talk about it in the open really for fear that people might come to the wrong conclusion. But, If I gave you this website, then I trust you enough to be purfictly honest and open with you. I have more explanations on this on my Intrests and Art Page.