This round’s Blogger Insider Questions, provided by Desiree.
I have been reading bits here and there through your blog and saw several mentions of “the Norm“, apparently you like it! So, when did you first come across the Norm, can you recall that day and the events surrounding?
It was last summer, I think. It might have been before that, but I honestly don’t remember. I love the strip. I like to think of it as Calvin and Hobbes all grown up. It’s funny, sweet and intelligent (except when it’s not). It’s everything that the other comic strips in the paper aren’t. Plus, Reine and Norm are just cute. The story leading up to them getting married was a lot of fun.
You have one cute little son, one is fun, but sibs to play with are also! How many children do you and Jen plan on having?
Thanks. I think he’s cute too. Before we had Max, we waffled between five and six. Now, we waffle between one and three. We’re in discussions now on a second, but I think we’re still not sure about that. Max was a tough delivery (huge head – runs in the family) and pretty traumatic. Then, I blew out my knee and couldn’t help for the first 6 months of Max’s existence, which was a big problem. I think we’ll have another child eventually, I’m just not sure when.
Were you able to leave North America and live on any other continent in the world excluding N.A. where would you choose to go?
Having lived in Europe when I was a kid, that’s an option. But, every time I turn around, they’re getting crazier and crazier (complain to the US about clean air regulations when everyone smokes and they use unleaded gasoline – ummm, duh). Australia would be fun, since everyone I’ve ever met from Australia was just delightful. I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to live in South America, Africa or Asia, so it’s either Europe or Australia, and I’ll have to vote for being an Aussie.
What is your sport/exercise and how much time do you put into it weekly?
Hahaha, that’s funny. I just joined a bowling league… does that count? I’m working on losing weight, and will probably start riding our stationary bike in the near future.
I see that you do not do the “collaboratives” yet… ie: Friday Five, Tuesday Too, Wednesday Wine, Monday Mission, etc… Is there a reason you have avoided these other than your own life and thoughts fills your blog?
I just noticed them popping up recently, and honestly, they’re just cheap ways to create content for a site. I don’t have anything against them, and if you enjoy answering them, cool. I can usually come up with enough stupid stuff on my own to write about that I don’t want to fill it with questions unrelated to my life. I started doing Blogger Insider as a way to find new blogs and I thought it would be fun to find a new blog, and then read enough of it to try to come up with questions actually related to that person’s life. I was right, it has been fun.
What is your most memorable or thought-provoking post that you tend to think back on from time to time?
I had a string of my favorite posts back in November. This one was in response to discovering whole uncovered portions of the family tree via Google. And this one, short, is one of my favorite memories from childhood.
Is there a line of work that you have thought that you should have persued? (Or would consider as a second career should you tire of your current computer related career with AOL?)
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a comic book artist. Then, when I realized that most of them don’t make much money, I decided I wanted to be a medical illustrator… now I work in the online world and can’t imagine giving that up. If I get tired of it, my top secret plan is to sell everything, move back to Tucson and become a college student and go through the whole “what do I want to do with my life” process, since I kind of just fell into this and didn’t do anything in particular to get here other than work my fat butt off (ie: no school, or formal training).
What is one of your most treasured memories from your highschool days?
I disliked High School for the most part, but I have some memories etched into the back of my brain that I either can’t or don’t want to forget. Most treasured is a hard one. There was the time I wore a dress onstage for a play, and kissed my friend’s girlfriend (while wearing said dress) just to make him mad. There was the time I made out with cute little Sonja under the scaffold during the dress rehearsal of our big spring musical. I’m pretty sure she went out with me just because I was the bad guy in the play. Those are fun, but I wouldn’t say I treasure them. My one defining memory from high school was turning my best friend into the cops. She was beautiful. I loved her. But, she was damaged by her father and was living a group home which she ran away from with her new “boyfriend” Ben. She called me one night and asked me to come pick her up at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station (downtown DC down by D Street, back in the early 90’s before they cleaned up downtown. It was freaky). Not knowing what to do (being a stupid 16 year-old full), I called her foster parents and asked for advice. They in turn called the cops, who in turn called me demanding that I tell them where she was. I refused, and told them that if they wanted to get to her, I had to go with them and would tell them once we got in the car and headed down 66 from Fairfax into the heart of DC (at 9:30 on a school night). The cop was a short black man who I don’t think appreciated being jerked around by a kid. He waited in the car as I ran all over the deserted station looking for them. I found them, dirty and hungry, in a phone booth, and took them outside. I remember making up something about having bought a new car, covering up the fact that we were headed for a white Buick Century. The cop then proceeded to pull out of the spot before we got there, and I said, in poorly acted style, “Hey, someone’s stealing my car!”. The cop pulled up next to us, hopped out and proceeded to cuff Ben, and put him in the front seat. I spent the next forty minutes in the backseat with Joy. She glared at me slouched in the corner of the seat, and I tried to avoid her by watching the lights on the metro track flash by as we headed back out to our idyllic little suburb and to the police station. I never felt so horrible for doing the right thing. Yep, that’s the memory that comes back most often in dreams and day dreams.
Name your favorite genre of music.
Trip Hop, currently. I try not to stick to any one genre, but keep coming back to Massive Attack, Portishead, Radiohead, Amon Tobin and other bands like Morcheeba and Groove Armada. I know Trip Hop is the old label for the genre, but it still works for me. Great coding music. It provides a nice beat without causing headaches. It washes over me and helps me get into that zone where the hours fly and code streams from my fingertips.
Do you have any hobbies/collections?
I have a huge comic book collection that’s filling up a closet in our guest bedroom. I don’t really have any hobbies at the moment other than my job, which I would consider a hobby (ok, obsession). Technology fascinates me, especially as it helps people find things, each other and communicate. So, I spend a lot of time trying to learn more and figure out new ways to do things. After that and my family, I don’t leave myself much time for anything else… OK, I do play video games when I get a couple free hours, but I wouldn’t consider that a great hobby, just a way to waste time.
Coke or Pepsi?
Dr. Pepper or Code Red. I know, I just have to be difficult.
How many hours do you sleep on the average night?
Somewhere between 6 – 8.