Accents? Appearances? A...nything else?

I know a lot of you have met, but I haven't met ANY of you. And since I won't be finding out if I'll be changing that this coming April until 10 days from now, I figure I'll let impatience get the best of me.

This is partially inspired by Nick's video-blog and one of Michele's recent posts regarding her tendency to add r's to words, as well as the fact that when I've added some of you on Facebook, I'm shocked at what you all look like when you're not running.

So I'm curious: do you guys/ladies have accents? Do you actually look like your avatars? Anything that might be deceptive about your photos? Weird quirks or mannerisms?

I'll go first, to make this slightly less awkward:

I sound Californian. Not valley-Californian, just an even, plain American accent. I have an on-the-lower-side voice; people say I mumble, and if there's a lot of commotion, I can be hard to understand, but the sound of my voice carries quite a bit.
I sort of look like my avatar, but I'm currently a bit skinnier (adult small dress shirts, unless they're slim fit, look like dresses on me). I'm short: 5'7".
I'm uncomfortable with my smile, so it doesn't show up in photos much. In general, though, my face is extremely expressive, largely due to the fact that facial expressions serve a grammatical function in ASL. It carries over to spoken conversation and listening.
Mannerisms... I sit with my legs crossed like women instead of men, I'm extremely quiet in new social situations (I sit and glean information until I'm comfortable, then join in), I swear a lot more than I should, and my sense of humor is pretty snarky/obscene and generally said just loud enough for only the people in my immediate vicinity to hear me.

...Ready go?

Are you hitting on me Mike?!



When did this turn into match.com?

Hahahahaha, just curiosity. But clearly you're trying to lure me with the promise of mystery and surprise.

I actually typed out a long response to this then I realized I felt like I was looking for a date, plus my wife asked me what they heck am I typing out.

Consider me a mystery!

Mike MacLellan wrote:I swear a lot more than I should, and my sense of humor is pretty snarky/obscene and generally said just loud enough for only the people in my immediate vicinity to hear me.

That's me in a nutshell.

Because I grew up close to Windsor, I tend to say, "eh" a lot...however, since moving to Chicago, I'm saying it less and less. Thank God. When I traveled to California one time, I had someone ask if I was from the Midwest because I sounded "nasally". I didn't quite know how to take that, but oh well

Oh, and I'm 5'7"

Kenny B. wrote:I actually typed out a long response to this then I realized I felt like I was looking for a date, plus my wife asked me what they heck am I typing out.

Consider me a mystery!

Haha! We all look forward to meeting Kenny!!!!!!

Funny how shy/wigged out the men here are. Are we dealing with some guilty consciences here?

Mike MacLellan wrote:Funny how shy/wigged out the men here are. Are we dealing with some guilty consciences here?

Haha! Where's the "Like"?

Most anyone who's met me will tell you how impressive I am. However, I am far too humble to admit it.



My voice is a very sexy in a masculine, women-and-gay-men-melt-for-me kind of way. I am the perfect height of 5' 10" and weight a svelt 172. I have a 'metro' accent, meaning no one can place me geographically. Yes, I worked on it.



I am musically gifted with a knack for technology. As such, I make far too much money for the actual amount of work I produce. I live well. I eat and drink well. I am civic-minded, socially involved, but morally questionable.



I am, in a word, incredible.

Mike MacLellan wrote:I
I sound Californian. Not valley-Californian, just an even, plain American accent.

He says in a Californian accent. I used to think I didn't have an accent -- until enough people told me I did. So now I realize I have a Californian accent.

Bob wrote:Are you hitting on me Mike?!



When did this turn into match.com?

Looking for love . . . .

No accent for me, growing up in Chicago, we learned everyone else had accents except us. No quirks that I know of, and my avatar is pretty representative. Actually, that green vest has always been a good luck thing, mainly meaning that the weather has been so cool/cold that I needed it on top of a shirt for a race. On FB, most pictures are of golf, running, or vacation.

Mike MacLellan wrote:When I've added some of you on Facebook, I'm shocked at what you all look like when you're not running.

As one of your FB friends, I'm not quite sure how to take this...

Mark B wrote:

Mike MacLellan wrote:When I've added some of you on Facebook, I'm shocked at what you all look like when you're not running.

As one of your FB friends, I'm not quite sure how to take this...

Haha!

Mike I think you need to run Chicago some time so you can meet a good number of 365 runners. I didn't think it was a bad question, I just don't really know. I look like my picture except I'm not always smiling when I've already run 30 miles (that was the end of my 50K) but my little girl was clapping for me. I don't have an accent but there are a few words I say differently thanks to one of my parents saying them differently so that was my model. I'm also one of the only Nebraskans who says "y'all" once in awhile because I think English needs a plural "you" and I was in FL for 4.5 years. Anyway, run Lincoln Marathon some time and you can meet at least a few of us.

Yes, it's true that some of us clean up a little better than others when we're not running. I'd have to say that we truly look like who we are when we run...pretty much bare bones. With the folks I've met so far over the years I'd have to say that I recognized most everyone when we greeted with the exception of a couple whose avatars were so small I really didn't know what they looked like.

I'm a Californian who was brought up by Midwestern parents...now I live in the Midwest with a man from the south. Yep....there's a mish mash accent there.

Height is probably the only that that can be deceiving. I'm 5'6

I look like my avatar. I'm wearing the running cap because it keeps the sun off my balding, basal cell-prone pate.

I'll be that guy waiting in line for the porta potty compulsively at the start of any race.

If the race has already started, I'll be the guy who is way behind you, plodding along, muttering to himself that maybe he should have gone to the porta potty one more time.

I don't think I have an accent. My wife says my fake english accent is really bad. So I won't try that one if I meet you.

I have overcome any introversion or shyness and will talk your ear off if I meet you about things that do not interest you.

I do not look like my facebook picture - that's a picture of my house!

Mark B wrote:

Mike MacLellan wrote:When I've added some of you on Facebook, I'm shocked at what you all look like when you're not running.

As one of your FB friends, I'm not quite sure how to take this...

Defriend Mike.

I look like my avatar.

Natalie wrote:I look like my avatar.

There it is again! I knew it was a just a matter of time before 'he' showed up. LOL

Natalie wrote:I look like my avatar.

awesome

Dude...you watched my VLOG...nuff said...

I pretty much have a midwestern accent...which I hate...

I still have a hint of a Boston accent that is generally called a "northern" accent here in Atlanta. I refuse to say "y'all" and I don' "fix' to do anything. My husband grew up in Cleveland, but his Dad is from Boston as well - so he sounds more like a northerner than a Midwesterner as well.

I look pretty much like my avatar, but I'll hopefully be less old and less sweaty when we finally meet; especially since I can be your Mom. I actually think I'm smaller than I look or feel in my picture.

I do have an 18 yr old daughter who loves hockey players, alternative bands, and wants to go to school up north. She will be available for dating when she leaves the nest next year. You are not even too old for her.

Hm.

I can fake an Arkansas accent all day (helps to have worked for a company based in Fort Smith), and my fake English accent is passable, but whenever I try any other accent (especially Scottish or Irish) I end up sounding like a cross between Yoda, Apu from The Simpsons and an, er, extremely effeminate version of the Lucky Charms leprechaun. It amuses my wife tremendously.

Normally, though, my "accent" is limited (thank working in radio and TV for that, I suppose), though if I'm feeling like a down home Northwesterner, I might say "crick" instead of "creek" and "ruff" instead of "roof." Other than that, it's pretty unremarkable. I'm shy in an outgoing sort of way, and I'm an incurable smartass.

And despite the avatar photos, I don't wear sunglasses all the time. Or glasses. I usually wear contacts. I'm 5' 8'' and heavier than I look. Damn back fat.

I did say "y'all" a lot after spending a week with some girls from the University of Kansas while on spring break...Does that count??