Interview MEme

Katie had a kickass interview on her blog (seldomnicenowadays), and I figured an interview for me would give me some motivation to get going here, so I asked her to interview me. Here is the result:


1.) What is your favorite period of history to read about, and why?

Are you really making me choose ONE period?!? It's all so interesting, though it also depresses me (the vast majority of historical figures ARE dead, you know).

I've always loved reading about Colonial/Revolutionary America. It was such a hugely pivotal time in this country, and there was an *insane* back-and-forth of ideas and ideals. Plus, we're constantly re-discovering information, so it's one of the most detailed areas of history. Far enough in the past to be "foreign", yet recent enough that anyone who really wants to go in-depth has a wealth of information available to them.

I'm about to borrow a book from my dad that I gave him for his birthday (a) because it was on his wish-list, and (b) because I wanted to read it myself. The book is Paul Revere's Ride, by David Hackett Fischer, and it gives an in-depth look at Paul Revere's life and his involvement in the revolution and the culture around it. It also de-mystifies the famous "ride", while at the same time enlarging its significance, by showing just how big things were back then, and how many people were involved in so many aspects of the conception of this country.

And now I sound like a total history geek, when really I'm just a nosy chick who likes to read about any and everything in detail…


2.) Why did you choose ferrets for pets?

Short answer: my husband's family had them when he was younger.

Actual answer: a very true-to-Trina story. When Chris first bought our townhouse, I was still in college living in the dorm, and I'd come stay with him on the weekends. It was at the very beginning of the population boom in our town (which is still proceeding rather alarmingly), and there were fields stretching away in 3 directions around our development, which was just at it's beginning stages. As one might expect in such a situation, a denizen of the local wildlife made it's way into the house – a field mouse.

Most people would buy some mousetraps and let them do their job. A smaller number would buy humane traps and take the little invader back to the fields and set it free. Being the girl that I am, I of course went a different route – we bought a bunch of live traps, and also a hamster cage and accessories. When Mr. Mouse (as the mousie was dubbed) finally succumbed to the lure of the peanut butter in the traps, he became our first official pet as a couple. In hindsight, considering the mice I've seen in pet stores and their… *noticeable*… gender differences, it is now obvious to me that Mr. Mouse was in fact a Miss, but that was his name.

{Aside: Many who know me are aware that I often disregard the actual sex of an animal in determining its gender. For example, our youngest cat, Elcy, is a "she" and a "her", despite rather prominent testicles (soon to be removed). My take on it is that she's a pre-op transsexual waiting for her gender reassignment surgery. Anyone who *knows* Elcy can tell you that she's definitely a girl. So the Mr. Mouse thing is nothing out-of-the-ordinary for me.}

Mr. Mouse traveled back and forth with me to school, smuggled into the dorm in a duffel bag, to keep me company during the week – I had no roommate, as I do NOT get along well living with other people (it's a miracle that DH and I can cohabit harmoniously, trust me!), so there was no one to complain. My RA was a buddy, and he liked coming in to visit with Mr. Mouse so it was no big deal on that front either. Mr. Mouse, however, was NOT a fan of his new status as a pet. Being wild-born, he most probably dreamed of the open plains and plotted his grand escape every waking moment of the few months he stayed with me. In the end, he succeeded one weekend while we were at the house, and was free once more. I'm sure he was filled with joy and all kinds of crazy stories to tell his mousie friends when he got back to them.

I, on the other hand, was left with an empty cage and an empty dorm room with no furry friend to hang with in the evenings. A Trina without pets is no Trina at all, so we decided to go get a hamster or gerbil (since I already had the cage) to become my new little compadre. We went to a pet store nearby that's no longer open, but they didn't have any mice/gerbils/hamsters/etc. They DID, however, have a pair of baby ferrets, one white and one black. I had no experience with ferrets and no real desire for one, but Chris REALLY did, and he saw his chance and took it. He had the clerk take the black one out so we could play with him (the white one was spoken for), and of course I fell head-over-heels. He came home with us that day, I named him Harley, and thus began the ferret saga.

WARNING: If you don't wish to become the helpless owner of a destructive terror of an animal, you must NEVER play with a baby ferret!!! They are adorable beyond all measure, and have huge personalities that will enthrall you, much like a cult-leader. You will convince yourself that they're worth the effort and hassle (and they are a LOT of both). Worse, they STAY cute as they grow older, but it slowly becomes a different kind of cute, and you find yourself wanting another baby. You convince yourself that it can't be much more of an effort than you're already expending with the adult, so you might as well… If you choose to ignore my warning, PLEASE do two things: (1) a LOT of research; (2) get 2 ferrets at the same time, preferably litter-mates. They really need the companionship of their own kind.


3.) What was the first music album you ever bought, how old were you, and do you still listen to it?

I'm ashamed to admit this, but here it is – the first album I purchased for myself was Vanilla Ice "To the Extreme" on casette. I played the HELL out of it. And no, I do not listen to it any more. I think I actually taped over it at some point in the past, but it's been so long, who knows? I had albums before that, which other people bought FOR me (NKOTB, Men Without Hats, the Moody Blues), but Vanilla Ice was my first purchase.

And since I'm doing a confession here, I've got one more (last, I hope) musical skeleton to pull out and dust off: I saw Milli Vanilli in concert at the Delaware State Fair. That is all.


4.) Where your is your most favorite spot in the world to visit and why?

I'm not a well-traveled person, so my answer here won't be too interesting. My fave spot to visit is Rehoboth Beach, here in Delaware. Not the beach itself (*shudders* there are MUCH better beaches in Delaware), but the main drag and a few side streets for shopping. I've been going there since I was little, and it's one of those places with so much tradition from past visits that it's almost a ritual I have to perform. There are a few stores that I HAVE to browse every time: Abizaks, Scandinavian Occasion, Tideline Gallery, and Mizzen Mast. We always have a meal at Nicola Pizza, home of the Nic-O-Boli (insanely evil and delicious stromboli-esque dish). Finally, and, probably most important, I always buy a bucket of Dolle's caramel corn - the best in the multiverse - and some dark-chocolate-covered-strawberries from the Candy Kitchen.

Here's Dolle's - it's on the corner of the boardwalk and the main drag:

5.) Which US President was/is your favorite, and which one is your least?

I'm pretty young, and not well-versed with politics and specific presidencies, so I'm going with what I know. Favorite: Clinton. Least favorite: Satan… I mean W. Thank you SO much for not making me answer "why" on these! My head probably would have exploded.

Here's how the forwarding for this meme works:

Now, if you have a blog and you want to be interviewed, leave me a note in the comments that says, "Interview me, please."

I will respond by asking you 5 questions, but not the same as the above questions. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions and interview someone else in the same post or new post.