100 Things About Chris

I was inspired by a friend who had done this on his site, so I thought I would give this a stab. I was surprised at how long it took to think through this list, which in essence is "Cliff Notes on Chris Bridges." Anyway, for those of you who have nothing better to do than read about trivia in my life, enjoy.......

1. 
   I was born in Shelby, NC and raised in Kings Mountain, NC.
2. 
   I am an only child.
3. 
   My dad worked all of my childhood at a plant that made Fireplace Repair Products. They shut the plant down a few years before dad’s retirement.
4. 
   My mother worked at a dime store called “T,G,&Y.” most of my childhood, but later worked in a textile mill, which also closed before a few years before her retirement.
5. 
   I went to a Presbyterian Church until I was in 5th grade.
6. 
   I have been a Southern Baptist ever since.
7. 
   I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was 8, although I didn’t really understand the relationship until I was a teenager.
8. 
   My first lunchbox featured Peanuts characters. The second one I ever had featured the Space Shuttle.
9. 
   The first solo I ever sang was “Happiness is the Lord” in 1st grade.
10. 
    When I was in 2nd grade, I wrote a song called “I’m a Mountaineer” My teacher liked it so much, she made me sing it to the principal.
11. 
    My first drama part was in our church’s Bicentennial play. I played a mountaineer boy. I had one line.
12. 
    The first major drama part I had was in 5th grade. The play was called “Sixth grade Scrooge.” I was the “Scrooge.”
13. 
    I have several composition books filled with poems, songs, and stories I wrote during my elementary years.
14. 
    I often recorded my voice with a little Panasonic tape recorder, pretending I was a DJ or famous singer.
15. 
    I imagined my house was an imaginary country called “Pretend Land,” where I was of course President. Each room in the house was a different city.
16. 
    I do remember owning and listening to 8-tracks, although most of my first music was on 45’s and LP’s.
17. 
    My first dog’s name was Gypsy. I called her Jip. She let me wash her hair with dirt. They were followed in succession by Spot and then Jaybird. As an adult the only dog I’ve had had been Princess, who lives with my mom and dad now.
18. 
    I had a lot of fun times with my Atari 2600 video game system.
19. 
    I have successfully solved a Rubik’s Magic, but never a Rubik’s Cube.
20. 
    My first “personal computer” was a Commodore 64. I had the optional 5.25” disk drive as well. My favorite game was Mail Order Monsters.
21. 
    My favorite stuffed animal as a child was a little dog named Bernard. I still have him today.
22. 
    Although I liked GIJOE, He-Man, & Voltron, my favorite toy series was always Transformers, which I still collect today. My favorite Transformers character is Hot Rod, later renamed as Rodimus Prime or just Rodimus.
23. 
    Although I liked Superman as a young child, my favorite comics superhero is Iron Man.
24. 
    I have over 300 comic books, over half of which are Iron Man.
25. 
    I took two years of piano lessons. I hated it then, but regret quitting it now.
26. 
    Some of the first movies I remember seeing in a theatre were “The Apple Dumpling Gang”,
27. “Herbie Goes Bananas”, “Annie”, and “The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark.”
28. 
    The First Drive-In Movie I ever saw was “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
29. 
    My favorite movie of all time is “The Goonies,” which is also one of the first movies I remember seeing on a VCR.
30. 
    When I was baptized, the minister “double-dipped” me because he claims I stiffened up and didn’t go under all the way the first time.
31. 
    My favorite hymn is “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks,” followed by “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.”
32. 
    My favorite pop song is “Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley” by Will to Power.
33. 
    My favorite Christian artist is Michael W. Smith.
34. 
    My favorite jazz group is Manhattan Transfer.
35. 
    My favorite techno song is “I Always Dream About You” by Spagna.
36. 
    In junior high, I wrote a junior novel based on a superhero character I created called “Silverknight.” I later reedited it in college, but never did anything else further with it.
37. 
    I was a part of the high school broadcast club, and emceed a weekly radio show.
38. 
    My first job was bagging groceries. I hated it.
39. 
    I was going to be a communications major with the goal of a career in radio, until my senior year of high school, when the Lord turned my heart towards a vocation in music.
40. 
    I was selected for All-State Chorus and Honors Chorus several times throughout junior high and high school.
41. 
    I spent the summer after my sophomore year in high school in Winston-Salem at Salem College for Governor’s School – choral music track.
42. 
    Among the Broadway-style and classic musicals I acted in during high school and college were: The Music Man (twice), My Fair Lady, Oklahoma(twice), The Sound of Music, and The Wizard of Oz.
43. 
    I was also on the church drama team throughout high school.
44. 
    I was in the touring show choir, “King’s Revue” in high school.
45. 
    I also was in several non-musical plays as well, too, including “Look Homeward, Angel” where I played a character that said swear words on stage.
46. 
    I learned to play ping-pong (very well) from three Asian girls my senior year of high school.
47. 
    The first time I led a hymn in my home church, I tripped over the conductor stand and almost knocked the Pastor down.
48. 
    I knew how to cross-stitch at one point in my life.
49. 
    My favorite scripture passages are Jeremiah 29:11-13 and Psalm 1.
50. 
    I have weak ankles.
51. 
    I was a Washington Redskins fan as a kid, but of course root for the Carolina Panthers now.
52. 
    I’m a Tarheel born. I’m a Tarheel bred. And when I die, I’ll be a Tarheel dead.
53. 
    I love NASCAR and my favorite race car driver is Jeff Gordon.
54. 
    I attended Gardner-Webb University from 1991-1995.
55. 
    I worked at an observatory during college, and also in the campus shop.
56. 
    My first part time church position was as a minister of youth for a summer.
57. 
    My second part time church position was a minister of music position in Grover, NC.
58. 
    Two of my closest friends in college were also named Chris.
59. 
    My roommate in college was from Brazil.
60. 
    I was in a clown troupe in college.
61. 
    My favorite hangout during college was a Chinese Place called Chopsticks.
62. 
    I hung around with the international students a lot in college.
63. 
    I felt the call into music ministry about half-way through college.
64. 
    I was a part of a choir that sang on the stage at Carnegie Hall.
65. 
    I got mononucleosis my last semester while student teaching and had to graduate late because of it.
66. 
    My first Windows based PC was a Packard Bell. It ran Windows 3.1.
67. 
    I love Computer RTS games like “Civilization.”
68. 
    I love just about any game with Mario in it.
69. 
    I love board games. My favorite is “Balderdash.” I’m essentially unbeatable.
70. 
    One of the first websites I remember visiting was about “Elvis is alive” rumors. I can’t imagine life without the internet now.
71. 
    I met my future bride my senior year in college because of connections my roommate had in Salisbury, NC.
72. 
    I had several poems published in my college poetry journal.
73. 
    I graduated from Gardner-Webb University in 1995 with a degree in Music Education.
74. 
    I worked for a while in a factory that made CDs. (molded the plastic, encoded the music, packaged them, etc.)
75. 
    Sharon and I were married in 1996, and our first home was a seminary apartment.
    I worked part-time in a movie theater for a while.
76. 
    On the seminary campus I worked as a professor’s assistant and at the switchboard.
77. 
    My third part-time church job was in Louisville, KY. It was nearly walking distance from Churchill Downs, home of the “Kentucky Derby”.
78. 
    The first “full-length” dramatic play I wrote was called “Full Inns and Empty Hearts.”
79. 
    I have had several sketches published in LifeWay’s “Let’s Worship” Magazine.
80. 
    I love to fish, but I’m not good at it.
81. 
    I love computers and electronic gadgets.
82. 
    My first full-time ministry job was in Galax, VA, where we lived for six years.
83. 
    I officially became a cat-lover in 1999 with my first cat Molly. But it didn’t stop there, as we added two more – Peepers and Hunter.
84. 
    I sang as a member of the Virginia Baptist State Chorale
85. 
    I helped direct the musical “Four Tickets to Christmas,” which was probably the biggest ministry project of which I’ve ever been a part.
86. 
    I helped lead a mission trip to Costa Rica.
87. 
    I have been a voice patient of Dr. Tom Cleveland, who also has worked with many famous musicians and recording artists with vocal problems.
88. 
    I have been on a cruise to Haiti and Jamaica.
89. 
    I have seen Jay Leno live in an L.A. area comedy club – front row. He talked to us during the show.
90. 
    I almost made it onto The Price is Right.
91. 
    I have delivered a baby lamb by myself and have helped castrate a young bull.
92. 
    I have raised chickens as a hobby.
93. 
    The Lord blessed us with a son through adoption in 2003. He is one of my greatest sources of joy.
94. 
    I moved back to the Carolinas in 2005 where I served a church in Gaston County for three years.
95. 
    In the past few years I’ve developed a fascination with the music of Rich Mullins and the Beatles – two extremes in music to say the least.
96. 
    In 2007 we felt led to pursue an international adoption in China. If all goes well, we will travel there in 2009.
97. 
    I currently live and serve in Mooresville, my home since 2008.
98. 
    I had the opportunity to watch a Craftsman Truck Race from the Pits once.
99. 
    I have never broken a bone in my body.
100. 
     One of my favorite places on earth in Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, NC. It’s a place truly touched by God. I would love to retire in that area.