Bob has made me one of the latest victims of the “post five things you might not know about me” – so for what might be my last post of 2006, here are my five things…

1. In 1999, I competed in the Northern California Golden Gloves competition in the 240+ weight class. After getting a “pass” through the first round, I went up against someone much taller, much heavier, with more experience and with a longer reach. I know you’re expecting me to say that I won, but come on – look at the odds. He didn’t knock me out, but I did have the experience of being punch drunk afterwards.
2. After the January edition of San Francisco magazine is published next week, I might become a pariah in the San Francisco cocktail circles. Still, the people in the industry I respect understand how I can say that the local palate is still underdeveloped – and I think that the good people at Rye will still tap me on the shoulder to judge some of their upcoming competitions.
3. Every Friday, you can find my wife and me at the end of the bar at Coco 500 drinking cocktails put together by one of the best bartenders in the city – Scott Baird. Sorry, did I say drinking? I meant researching for future competitions.
4. Though I lived in Germany for almost three years, I can barely get by speaking Deutsch. I can, however, say that I have successfully spent many days at Oktoberfest – and by days, I mean days that started at 10am and ended at 10pm. It’s not about the drinking – it’s about the strength of your bladder.
5. I never graduated High School. I have my Bachelors Degree (in Liberal Studies), but never finished my senior year at High School. I did, however, receive a Commonwealth Diploma from the State of Pennsylvania.

And on to the next victims… Jocelyn, Larry, Dave, James and Ash.
Tell us five things we wouldn’t know about you and then find five other suckers victims friends to bring into this network version of a chain letter.