I was a smart kid. I went to private school in middle school and got kicked out.

I went to private school for two years, then Aptos Middle School, and I finished at McAteer. Several of my classmates at those schools are my friends today.

I've never progressed very far from my days as a smart aleck in middle school.

I started cooking out of middle school depression.

In middle school, I had an '87 Regal. That was unheard of.

I was a competitive swimmer in middle school and high school.