Introducing Myself: LJ Idol, Week 0

[dogriver]

Hi everyone! My name is Bruce Toews, and this is my second year in the
LJ Idol competition.

It's difficult to pindown what I think you should all know about me. For
one thing, I am not so pretentious as to think all of the minute details
of my life are remotely interesting, let alone spine-tinglingly
exciting. For another, there are space and time constraints to consider.

I grew up on a farm near a small rural community called Altona in
Manitoba, Canada. After graduating high school, I attended Bible college
for three years, where I obtained my B.A. I have spent the remaining
portion of my life thus far as a braille proofreader, both with the
Canadian National Institute for the Blind and for the Manitoba
government. So there you have the brief biography.

The single most important thing about me is my faith, that supercedes
all else. I am a Christian, first and foremost. I attend, and belong to,
a Mennonite church here in Winnipeg. If you wish to read my testimony,
it can be found here.

It will also probably give you some perspective to know that I am blind,
and have been since birth. Since many of the topics in LJ Idol are drawn
from our lives, and since my blindness is an inescapably big part of my
life, knowing this about me will probably help you to make sense of what
I write, if you choose to do so.

I live alone, am single, but have a girlfriend, kittytech,
who is the most wonderful woman a man could have in his life. I like to
read, write, talk to friends, be on the forefront of technology where
possible, drink Coke and eat pizza. I personally believe that ketchup
accentuates the flavor of a steak, it does not obscure it.

I look forward to meeting and befriending as many of you as possible in
the coming contest. It's all about fun, and I plan to maximize that fun
throughout the next few months. Thanks, Gary, for the opportunity, and
for overseeing the complexities of LJ Idol for another season.

Comments

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

This is my second season too.

Rather addictive isn't it?

[ewok-626.livejournal.com]

My second season playing too! And yes, it's totally addictive. So much for my free time I had, huh?

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Free time? Never heard of it. Well, best of luck to you.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Yes, very. Best of luck to you.

[shazza59.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about all but the ketchup. Ketchup, my fine friend, belongs on hot dogs almost exclusively. :)

[blueashke.livejournal.com]

Pish and otherwise tosh! Ketchup belongs on HAMBURGERS, never hot dogs! Hot dogs need mustard and relish!

And steak gets au jus or A-1, depending on who's cooking it.

:waves: Good luck!

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Well, you're just plain wrong ... about the condiments, at any rate. But thank you.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Well, my dear friend, just because you appear to have lost your sense of good condiments and their multifarious uses doesn't mean that others, like, say, me, won't keep the faith.

[lyssas-song.livejournal.com]

Ha! It belongs on hotdogs and hamburgers! Yummy!

[rosepurr.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I think I would like nothing more than to move to a farm in Canada. I used to spend part of my summers at a lovely Minnonite community in Ontario. Welcome back!!

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

I only wish I'd appreciated my time on the farm more than I did. You never realize just how much you have until it's taken away from you.

[rosepurr.livejournal.com]

:( It's true.

[hexkitten.livejournal.com]

I have a buddy from a Mennonite family.

A few months ago, she wrote about some of them visiting her in Vancouver. They were from Alberta.

As they walked through a very sketchy area of town, a rather questionable homeless man hollered out, "Hey, ladies!"

They continued to walk until they heard the same man yell, "Hey, are you Mennonites from the [I don't remember the particular sect]."

It turned out that they were!

"Yeah," the guy continued. "I grew up in [neighboring community in Alberta]. I recognize you guys!"

It's funny how small the world can sometimes be.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a neat story. It is a very small world sometimes.

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

I've never had the opportunity to converse in depth with a Mennonite before so I'm looking forward to seeing entries from you. Where I grew up, there was a small Mennonite enclave but they kept pretty much to themselves and didn't invite questions.

Good to see you doing this again. It's an addicting thing; I swore after I finished last season I wouldn't do it again and now here I am.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not one of those Mennonites you read about who turn their backs on technology. In fact, I don't know if I've actually met any of those, though I do have a great deal of respect for them.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

My father was a Mennonite, but he left his community. I never knew him, but I've got a quiet fascination with the whole thing.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

There are basically two ways of defining Mennonites. One is by "community", a hereditary sort of thing, much like being Jewish can be something you're born into. But in my case, being Mennonite is a faith-based decision. So, for example, the pastor of our church some years ago was a gentleman from Scottland.

[lyssas-song.livejournal.com]

So what are some of the beliefs as opposed to other churches? I am very curious!

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

It's basically a mainstream Evangelical denomination. Our beliefs aren't very dissimilar to those of Baptists, except that we don't place as much of an emphasis on the mode of baptism. Mennonites tend to be pacifists by nature, though that's not always the case. It's really quite wide-ranging, and some Mennonite conferences are less Evangelical than others.

[lyssas-song.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I am a Baptist, and though we do baptize people once they are saved, it is not a requirement for one to receive salvation.

[monkeysugarmama.livejournal.com]

Were there this many people back from Season Three? I don't think so...we must have just had an especially cool time!

Coke and pizza sound heavenly right now - thin crust or pan?

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Depends on the restaurant. By and large, pan. But there are some restaurants' thin crusts that I quite like.

[monkeysugarmama.livejournal.com]

We have this great local pizza place called the Monkey Barrel that makes whole wheat crusts for their pizzas. They are amazing and they give you a choice of marinara or honey to dip the crusts in because both ways are delicious!

(Suddenly I know what I am having for dinner tomorrow night!)

G'day Bruce!

[lilmissmagic71.livejournal.com]

So glad to see you here again... is Altona anywhere near Brandon? I lived there for two years...

Re: G'day Bruce!

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Glad to see you too. No, Altona is more or less straight sought of Winnipeg, while Brandon is several hours west.

[libra-dragon.livejournal.com]

Nice and interesting intro
I look forward to reading!

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Good luck little brother!

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

You seem to be very good guy to know.

[sabbysteg.livejournal.com]

Is Mennonite different or same as being Amish?

[lavendergem.livejournal.com]

Hey there! Nice intro! I'm friending you... ;-)

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

Hey, guess my free time is going to be taken up with LJ Idol, thankfully, it is starting after the alumni reunion/board meeting and vacation I had. Look forward to reading your insights and your entries to the many topics that may prevail!

[ahavah-ehyeh.livejournal.com]

Very nice to meet you! I look forward to getting to know you better.

[edith-jones.livejournal.com]

This post is from someone who actually knows where Altona, Manitoba IS. I live in Ontario, myself, but I love reading atlases. I enjoyed reading your intro - especially because I learned something new, which I always love - that there are Braille proofreaders! Of course there must be, but I'd never considered it before.

Perhaps YOU are the person who can explain to me why there is Braille lettering on the drive-through bank machines? That has always troubled me deeply!

I hate ketchup as deeply as I love chocolate, but I do look forward to reading more of your writing. Good luck!

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much for your comments. Sorry to hear about your dislike for ketchup, there's just no accounting for some tastes. *GRIN*

The purpose of the braille on drive-through bank machines is so that a driver can drive a blind person, sitting in the back on the driver's side, to a bank, and the blind person can use the teller machine. Take care, and thanks for writing.

[edith-jones.livejournal.com]

Wow! Such a simple explanation - and one I'd never thought of. It's amazing how boxed in we can become sometimes by preconceived notions. I hope I didn't offend you by asking. It seriously has always troubled me - and I haven't been able to figure it out. Brain not in gear for that one!

I wish you the best of luck with LJ Idol and I look forward to seeing your writing. I certainly enjoyed the intro and will be looking out for more of it!

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Absolutely no offense taken whatsoever. Have a terrific day.

[blackfroggy.livejournal.com]

yep, second season for me too, welcome back!

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Good luck in the competition.

[chite.livejournal.com]

Very nice beginning. Have a great season!

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

*mumbles* Season three for me *mumbles*


[desc: This is an old oil painting of three red ribbons cross a black background and hold in an assortment of small items including a comb, feather, a bit of jewelry, a hat pin, some papers, a pair of scissors, and so on. Text at the top reads "Thank you for sharing." Text at the bottom reads "Spydie Lives"]

[rhodielady-47.livejournal.com]

I love a good steak. Ketchup is a food group all by itself closely followed by mustard and Durkee's special sauce (can't make potato salad without it). I do try to maintain an open mind when it comes to condiments: To each his own!
'Tis a pleasure to meet you.
:)