User:Spiffy sperry/about

My username, Spiffy Sperry, was bestowed to me by a lovely elementary school teacher. (Or maybe it was bestowed to one or more of my brothers. Who really knows; memories are foggy.)

My interests include astronomy^a, climate change, and my own genealogy^b. Also I am a semi-avid runner, having completed two Chicago Marathons.

Timeline

Notable events (by Wiki standards) which I lived through, experienced, or participated in:

• played in the band for the 1990–91 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team and 1991–92 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
• ran the 2001 Chicago Marathon and 2002 Chicago Marathon^c
• the memorable March 2006 Tornado Outbreak
• the uneventful 2008 Illinois earthquake
• saw the Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 and the Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, both from Chester, Illinois
• the momentous June 2023 Chatham tornado, which went over my house (while I was at work)

Advice

1. Be wary of insurance companies. One auto insurance company tried to lay partial blame on me for running a green light when their client ran a red light and totalled my car.
2. If you run 500 miles over 6 months training for a marathon, use something more sturdy than the plastic tie they give you to affix your electronic chip.
3. Donate blood, regularly. I did until I lost the ability in July 2021 due to medical reasons.

Footnotes

^Note a : Currently using a 3-inch, f/9.2 Bushnell Nova reflector with 20mm, 10mm, and 6.3mm eyepieces. For those unfamiliar with these numbers, it means I'm more of a reader than a looker.

^Note b : I've recorded over 3900 individuals, so far.

^Note c : 2001 - 4:11:14, 13,113th place (not in official stats, see advice above); 2002 - 4:07:46, 13,403th place