Elaine, per my request on her blog. She asked me these questions. My answers are below. If you want to be interviewed, let me know in the comments, and I'll give you some questions. Rules follow my q&a
1.When Gwendolyn was born, what was the first thing you remember saying to her?
My first statement in general was "how big is she?" but I remember telling her she didn't have to cry, that she didn't receive the big Cross ears. Most of my moms sibling have big ears that stick out and that was one of the first things my mom did, pull back her hat and look at her ears with relief. I am positive I said some endearing things prior to that, I remember kissing her, but that is my first active memory.
2. How did you meet your husband?
Matt and I knew of each other, due to this being a smallish town. Both he and my brother are hockey players and that is a "group" here. We went to different high schools, but had some mutual friends during and after high school. My boyfriend during college ended up hanging out with matt and his friends while snowmachining, but he never wanted me around for those things, butthead. Matt was waiting and ready to persue me once we broke up. He gave it a two month grace period then jumped in. We would all hang out at a local sports bar and discovered that him and I were the only two people who had not seen Titanic, so off we went alone to a movie. A few days after that he call to ask me to go to Arctic Man (snowmachine race out of town - like sturgis for harley people), I agreed. My comment to my mom after hanging up the phone was "this won't be serious, he snores". 7 years later we are married with 1 1/2 kids and he still snores.
3. If you could go back to one point in your life and have a “do over” would you and what point would it be?
I would go back to the start of High School and make better choices. Though I may not be the person I am today without those experiences. In Jr High I was on the Gymnastics team and enjoyed cross country skiing and looked forward to going out for that team in High School. Instead, I started smoking and sneaking out and making dumb choices. I often wonder who I would be now if I had made better choices then. I feel I do a great job of helping people in my job and personal life and love the friends I still have from that time frame, so no regrets.
4. Your blog says, “I have shot and killed a Black Bear.” Tell us about this. In May of 2000 my Dad and I went to Valdez to pick up two of my cousins. They had kayaked out past Columbia Glacier for a few days, intending on camping and killing a Black Bear each. Our job was to take the boat out to pick them up, they didn't want to paddle all the way back in. It takes 4 hours or so in the boat to make it to the area. My dad owns and operates a 32 foot charter boat that sleeps 6 people. I bought a hunting license prior to going, thinking I might shoot a bear. We found the boys right where they were supposed to be, each having shot a bear. My dad and I saw at least 10 bears milling around on shore and decided to go for it. We took the dingy (little boat on the back of a big boat) to shore and were watching 4 bears off to the right. I look to the left and see a huge bear by itself. I say what wrong with that one? He says nothing go for it, its huge! I lay down on the beach and sight in the bear with the scope. Amazinly, my first shot was right on the heart and he started flipping all around and scurried off into the woods. My dad could not fathom sending his little girl into the woods to see if this huge bear was dead or not, so he went. He came back dragging the bear and rolling it to get it closer to shore. My cousins came to shore then and I bribed them to skin it for me. I bought them dinner when we got back to town. This may sound gross but, a bear looks very human without the fur, it is odd. Turns out the bear was 6'4", huge for a Black Bear and very old. Bear tastes like what they have been eating and this bear lived on fish. So imagine beef texture and fish taste, nasty. I had lots made into polish sausage, but still never liked it. Matt went down a couple weeks ago to try and kill a bear, but they only saw one mama. So I am still the big huntress of the house. I told him he wasn't allowed to kill one unless it was bigger than mine, fat chance. When we arrived back in the harbor in Valdez we had all three hides hung across the flying bridge (top floor of a boat that has the roof folded down). There were tourists walking to docks and the first to stop saw the hides and commented, ah look a mama bear and her two cubs. That is how much bigger mine was than my cousins. Had that statement been made prior to them skinning it for me, I would have been in a world of hurt.
5. What’s your favorite magazine?
People, I love the sensless celebrity gossip. It is so brain numbing. That and I can usually complete the crossworld puzzle and that makes me feel smart.
The Official Interview Game Rules
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
, but it is eating them already.
