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, climate change, and my own genealogy. 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
 * 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.