Ice Breaker – First Job
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
From time to time, I tap into my family and friends for Ice Breaker ideas. This week’s Ice Breaker came at the suggestion of my wife, Leanne. She is in the middle of investigating new job opportunities.
Question: What was your first job?
My Answer: I shoveled a lot of snow and cut a lot of grass over my early adolescent years. This led to a job taking care of 11 acres for an elderly couple in our church. When I started this job, they paid me $3.15 an hour which was minimum wage at the time. I earned every single penny of that pay. After this, I land surveyed for an older gentlemen at my church. This was a great learning experience. I think the first job in which I earned an official payroll check was my job at Samuel Miller Christian Retirement Center. This job involved serving lunch to residents and washing the dishes afterwards. I don’t remember what I was paid, but I remember talking to the residents as I helped them with their lunch.
I’ve had many other jobs over the years including: house painter, cafeteria supervisor, babysitter, recreation room host, telemarketer, medical billing technical support staff, high school maintenance summer intern, facilities management intern, project engineer, and project manager.
Today, I’m an operations manager for a building automation company. I like my job; in fact, I love my job most of the time. I like the fact that I get to help people succeed. I like that I can help customers save energy and money. And I like the team I get to work with every day.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (Feel free to share links.)
Ice Breaker – Vanity License Plates
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
This week’s Ice Breaker is inspired by a road trip my family took this week. On our way to our destination, we saw a car with a vanity license plate that read “HWYADOIN”. I didn’t figure it out right away until someone in the car said “How ya’ doin’!” I’m not sure if I would ever get a vanity plate. I don’t think I would spend the money to get one, but it got me thinking.
Question: What would you get on your vanity license plate? (If you have a vanity license plate, what does it say?)
My Answer: STRETCH or STRETCHED. I think it’s pretty obvious why this would work for me. I wonder if it’s taken.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (Feel free to share links.)
Truth: Ice Breaker – Lies
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
This week, we’ve been talking about truth. The opposite of truth is falsehood. When we lie, we misrepresent the truth. The ninth commandment is “Thou shall not lie.” But if we’re all honest, we’ve all lied somewhere along the way. So this week’s ice breaker is a chance to confess – to come clean.
Question: Tell us about a time when you told a lie.
My Answer: As a kid, I used to play in the woods and in the local corn fields with my friends. After school, we would literally play for hours – building forts, making paths, and battling it out with sticks, dirt bombs, and toy guns. When it came to the corn fields, all the kids knew it was dangerous territory. There were stories amongst my gang of friends that the farmer would should kids with rock salt if he caught them in his field.
One day when we were playing, I found myself in the corn field face to face with the farmer. (Actually, we were probably 30 feet apart.) I remember him yelling at me, “Hey kid, what’s your name?” Instead of saying “Jon Stolpe,” I called back to the farmer with a name of a different kid from the neighborhood. I honestly don’t remember how the confrontation ended, but I seem to remember turning around and running as fast as I could with my heart beating a million miles a minute.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (Feel free to share links.)
Ice Breaker – International Cuisine
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
Last night, Leanne and I went to a Guatemalan restaurant to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Antigua Guatemala in Phoenixville, PA was a great place to experience a little flavor for the country we’ll be visiting this summer. (Stay tuned for more information on a possible fund-raising dinner opportunity at this unique place for an international taste.) Our dinner inspired this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker.
Question: What’s your favorite international cuisine? Where do you go to get your favorite international cuisine? Do you make it at home? Do you have a favorite restaurant?
My Answer: Mexican food is one of the favorites at our house. If I’m going out, I enjoy Japanese food – especially sushi. I’m a big fan of the rolls with spicy tuna, avocado, and eel. But I also like trying new things when I go out. I’ve never tried making sushi, but I can see how that might be a fun thing to try sometime.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (Feel free to share links.)
Ice Breaker – Watching
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
First, it was reading. Last week, it’s listening. And this week, it’s watching.
Question: What are you watching these days? Movies? TV Shows? Sports? Videos?
My Answer: I’ve definitely cut my television and movie viewing down over the past several years, but I’m still watching a few things when I get a chance. This past weekend, I saw Lincoln with my wife at one of our local movie theaters. I enjoy watching The Biggest Loser when I get a chance. More than these, I’ve enjoyed watching my son’s basketball games. His team finished the regular season undefeated, and they won their first playoff game last night.
And here are a couple of videos that I’ve enjoyed recently from YouTube.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o] [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVFVaWCV1TE]There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (Feel free to share links.)
Ice Breaker – Listening
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
Last week, it was reading. This week, it’s listening.
Question: What are you listening to these days?
My Answer: I listen to a lot of podcasts these days. I listen to the Daily Audio Bible Podcast and The Dave Ramsey Podcast every day. I also listen to This Is Your Life Podcast by Michael Hyatt, Blogging Your Passion Podcast, and The Relevant Podcast on a regular basis. There are a few others that I listen to regularly. Three that I recently listened to for the first time are Todd Liles Podcast, The DadCast, and WordPress Plug-ins from A to Z. I enjoy listening to music as well. The kids in the youth group at our church turned me on to Mumford and Sons, and I’ve enjoyed listening to their newest album, Babel. Phillip Phillips and All Sons and Daughters have also become recent favorites.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoRkntoHkIE]
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Reading
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
Question: What are you reading now?
My Answer: I just finished Quitter by Jon Acuff (see my review by clicking here). I’m reading Selah a new 90 day devotional eBook by Joseph Iregbu that will be coming soon. The devotional focuses on GRACE and HOPE – two great topics. I’ll share more about the book in the coming days as I finish reading the book and participate in the launch team for this soon to be released resource. What’s next? Platform by Michael Hyatt is one of the books on my nightstand waiting for me.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Famous Look Alike
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
After being told that my sick day question last week wasn’t very uplifting, I thought I’d try something a little lighter this week.
Question: Have you ever been told that you look like someone famous?
My Answer: It’s been a few years since I’ve heard this, but I used to hear all the time that I looked like country music singer Vince Gill.
More recently, I’ve heard that I look like Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Sick Day
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
Yesterday, I had to take a sick day thanks to the wonderful flu bog that is sweeping across the country. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had to take a sick day for being sick. I spent the day sleeping, resting, relaxing, and trying to get better.
Question: When have you faced an illness that has knocked you off your feet?
My Answer: I’ve been pretty blessed with decent health. Thankfully, I haven’t dealt with any major health issues. The last time I was sick for more than a day was last year during my Christmas vacation. I picked up a case of the stomach bug that knocked me off of my feet for a couple of days. I could hardly move due to the aches and pains associated with the fever and nausea. Other than that, I’ve been fairly healthy over the past several years.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
(By the way, if you’re going through something health related right now, I’d love to pray for you. I hope you’ll leave a response, so The Stretched Community can lift you up.)
Ice Breaker – Favorite Childhood Toy
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
This week’s question is inspired by all the toys recently purchased for Christmas. Are your kids still using them? How many toys did you play with over the holidays? Today’s Ice Breaker just might bring out the child in all of us.
Question: What was your favorite childhood toy? When was the last time you played with your childhood toy?
My Answer: LEGOs. My brother and I used to play with LEGOs for hours. I used to build houses and castles with these little plastic blocks. Perhaps, that was an early indication of my engineering future. It has been a while since I’ve played with LEGOs. It was probably a few years ago when my son was still playing with them.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!