Interview Series ~ Kristine Choma

While brainstorming about what to write blogs about, I wanted to find a way for my readers to get to know some of the awesome people who I know.  The best way I could come up with was an interview series.

Meet my friend Kristine.  Kristine is a great gal who I met through our motorcycle club No Destination.  Since we’ve met she’s proven to be a great friend who is one of the most generous people I know, who can give un-biased advice when it’s needed.  (I know, I know run-on sentence….)  So… without further ado – here is Kristine.

Kristine

Name: Kristine Choma

Age: MYOB 🙂

Location: Upstate NY

Hails from: Queens NY

Relationship Status: In one

Children: 1 daughter Alicia & My Pom Bubba

Blog Link: http://shouldabeenablonde.wordpress.com

Occupation: Senior litigation specialist

What is the most challenging part of your job? Wishing I had my old job back with the special investigations unit.

You’ve been through quite a few tragedies in your life.  What’s gotten you through them?
Cases & cases of Michelob Ultra 🙂   Seriously, I credit my fighting spirit, I’m a scrapper & I can be stubborn as hell. When I went through  the Mold House chaos I was determined not be victimized; to raise public awareness about Toxic Black Mold; the fact there are no penalties for sellers of real property when they lie on disclosure statements; that Home Inspectors have no accountability for the info or lack thereof contained in their reports; lastly to have laws & some kind of standards enacted by the Dept of Health to protect the public. I was also determined not to perpetrate the same fraud I was a victim of on other people.  I lost everything I owned including a house I had only owned for 11 months before realizing it was slowly killing me & my daughter. This is a really long story as my battles were many w/multiple different agencies from the real estate agent who was related to & helped the sellers disguise the true condition of this home to the I.R.S. & lasted almost 2 years.

This is the Mold House after I "decorated" it for Halloween (in August) to vent my frustration. The tape says "Caution Do Not Enter & DANGER!"

For the house fire once again my fighting spirit, stubbornness & refusal to be victimized got me through. However, my knowledge of insurance probably contributed to saving the day in spite of All State’s attempted concealment of benefits we were entitled too & their claims handling philosophy of delay, deny, defend & then delay some more.  The beautiful thing about the fire was that so many friends came forward to help me out, especially an old elementary school friend (Big Shout out to Kim to whom I am eternally grateful); who gave us furniture, clothing, kitchen stuff etc etc to help get back to normal during the first couple of months while All State attempted to not pay our claim. The beauty of my many friends generous spirits was that it enabled me once we did start getting our claim paid is that I was able to Pay It Forward w/3 different families. I helped a man & his daughter starting over after a divorce. I helped a young woman & her daughter re-establish themselves after an abusive relationship; & a very young couple w/an infant & 3-year-old son re-establish themselves after they were exposed to Toxic Mold.

What was left of my '06 Road Guide after the house fire.

How do you manage being the mother of a rebellious teenager?
I don’t know.  Am I managing?  I just keep praying the day she snaps out of it is tomorrow.  But truly things have gotten better with her; she is slowly growing up.

What’s your favorite color? Don’t have just one; but Teal, (not aqua – teal like a peacock’s feathers) Crimson, & a paint color called Cougar are among my fave’s

What got you interesting in motorcycle riding? It’s all my Granddaddy, Charlie’s (pronounced Chahhlie) fault.  When I was a little girl I couldn’t wait to visit him in North Carolina. He would make me ‘beg him’ to take me for rides on his fully dressed Road King & I loved it. I knew he wanted to give me the ride as much as I did despite his teasing & pretending to be too busy.  I loved hanging out with him in ‘the Motorcycle House’. (Yes, his Harley had its very own house) & watch him wash, polish, change the oil etc. etc. while sneaking me sips of his beer when the ‘adults’ weren’t looking.  I loved watching his friends ride up to ask his help & opinion on how to fix what was ailing their bikes & the camaraderie they shared. The best is when my Mother or Ree-Ree (my Grandmother) would catch him letting me sip on his Schlitz. It was so funny watching him play innocent when he knew he was busted, but trying to get away with it anyway. Granddaddy was the best & I miss him terribly.

Chahhlie!

I know you have your own motorcycle license, so why don’t you ride your own bike?Actually getting my license taught me the huge responsibility & risk one takes when operating a motorcycle. Anyone who does not have a license doesn’t realize that the smallest thing like a pebble or twig in the road can cause you to drop your bike. After surviving a motorcycle accident while I was a passenger shortly after getting my license, I had to admit to myself I don’t have enough hours behind the handle bars to ride my own.  We went down because the transmission seized & the rear wheel locked. If I had been operating that bike when it happened, I would not have been able to control ‘the down’ & I’d probably be dead.

What’s your favorite destination to ride to? No destination – anywhere. So long as I’m riding.

What’s your favorite vacation destination? Don’t have one of those either.  I usually va-kay w/my family in Pennsylvania or North Carolina.  I do enjoy going to Laconia every year though & Puerto Rico was great!

Kristine in Puerto Rico

You have the cutest Pomeranian dog.  Tell us how wonderful Bubba is….
What can I say? Bubba is Bubba-licious. J  He truly is a one –owner Pom (a trait of the breed)  he follows me everywhere I go no matter where (except in the pool – Bubba don’t play dat.) He is a marvelous watch dog that never fails to alert me when the doorbell rings; or a door opens or closes. Doors opening & closing & door bells ringing mean people are coming & since he is so very protective of me he wants me to know people are on the way. He is very well socialized; loves all people & other animals.  He’s a big snuggle bear & loves to lay w/me & be petted & give me kisses.

Bubba-Licious!

I know you love to cook.  What is your favorite meal to cook?
THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!  I love to cook big meals & there is no bigger meal than Thanksgiving.

You’re known as the 50/50 Goddess….  What is the biggest pot you’ve ever had?
Well in excess of $1200.00

The 50/50 Goddess Hard at Work!

Who is the most interesting celebrity you’ve ever met?
That would be Sully Erna & the band Godsmack.  I won a contest w/Channel 103.1 (J.K. Rox) It was by far the most rockin’ experience of my life. I got to ride on their tour bus, hang out backstage & get autographs & then have dinner with them. It was amazing.

Godsmack! Look how skinny I was.

What 3 things could you not live without?
Makeup
My Road Glide – I may not ride my own; but I own my own.  Lol
My boots.

My Road Glide

What if anything do you collect?
Sandals & boots; peacocks; & art by James Christensen.

Which is your favorite James Christensen?
I don’t have just one favorite.  I love everything James Christensen does. ‘Poofy Guy on a String’ was the 1^st Christensen I ever purchased.  When I bought Poofy Guy; I was going through the Mold House drama. When I read the description that Poofy Guy’s wardrobe represented the baggage of a life time it touched me in my soul. Next came Twilight; then The Bride;  Gettin’ it Right; Superstitions; A Place of Her Own & Fairy Tales came last. A Place of Her Own is my 2^nd favorite.  I came across that one right after the fire & a lot of people thought I resembled the woman in the picture. But there was so much about the painting itself that reminded me of things I’d owned but lost in the fire, or to the Mold House, I had to have it.

A Place of Her Own ~ James Christensen

Poofy Guy on a String ~ James Christensen

What is the biggest misconception about you?
That I’m Italian.

What do you like to spend money on?
Sandals, boots, Halloween Decorations & James Christensen’s art.

The house decorated for Halloween.

What’s your favorite board game?
Nightmare. It’s actually an interactive video board game. Creepy stuff, so naturally I luv it.

What would be the title of your auto-biography?
The Luckiest of the Unlucky

You were recently injured.  What’s the diagnosis?
Three herniated discs in my Lumbar Spine w/nerve impingement, & lesions of the sciatic nerve.

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Things I Hate That Everyone Else Seems To Love

This blog was inspired by my friend and local sex symbol Kevin Marshall’s blog “In The Present Tense.”  There are many things that I hate that other people seem to love.  Some of them I will probably never understand.

Napoleon Dynamite ~ 2004

Napoleon Dynamite has got to be one of the stupidest movies I’ve ever seen.  Can I please have my 82 minutes back that this movie robbed from my life?

Beer

Beer just doesn’t taste good to me.  I don’t know why.  I’ve tried it over and over.  I’ve tried many different kinds.  I just don’t seem to have a taste for it.  One exception would be Lindeman’s Framboise.   Though technically it is a beer (I think – my beer buddies can chime in) it doesn’t taste like traditional beer.  I call it “alcoholic soda.”

The Biggest Loser

I’m not a big fan of most reality TV shows.  I’ll admit, I’ve never watched The Biggest Loser.  Sitting around watching overweight people lose weight is not my idea of entertainment.  I watch TV for entertainment and information.  This doesn’t fall into either of those categories for me.

Paradise By The Dashboard Light

Now, I do NOT hate Meat Loaf, however, I do hate the song Paradise By The Dashboard Light that he recorded.  The song is long, the song is annoying, and I’ve heard it far too many times for this lifetime.

The Rockey Horror Picture Show ~ 1975

I don’t like The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Maybe humor was much different before I was born?

The Bachelor

The Bachelorette

As I already mentioned I am not a fan of reality TV shows.   The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are both horrible.  First off – from what I understand – the people on the show sign a contract that if they’re the final girl/guy at the end they will marry the Bachelor/Bachelorette.  What if they like the person, but they’re really not “the one?”  This set-up makes a mockery of marriage.  When you marry someone it’s supposed to be for life.  On these shows these people spend all their time trying to make themselves look better than the person next to them.  They’re not spending their time in a normal environment getting to know anyone.  I watched some of The Bachelor this season and it was just ridiculous!

Swiss Cheese

I don’t like Swiss cheese.  It’s bitter.  I think it kind of tastes like what I imagine wax tastes like.  YUCK!

Tequila

Tequila is another thing I hate.  If it tastes like vomit going down, what does it taste like when it comes back up?  I’m sure a commenter can tell us….

WWE

I can’t stand WWE, WWF, or whatever they’re calling wrestling these days.  Why should anyone waste their time watching a bunch of grown men on steroids taking cheap shots at each other?  This is NOT a sport.  It’s over-sized stunt men and women.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

I’ve never been a fan of Ian Anderson or Jethro Tull.  I’ve seen Jethro Tull live and I wasn’t impressed.  He kind of reminded me of a little gnome dancing around the stage with his flute.  Can he play the flute?  Yes.  Can he sing?  No way!

Delurker Day is in January

I HATE HATE HATE when people lurk at blogs.  I understand if you feel you don’t have something substantial to contribute everyday.  But for the love of GOD I had hundreds of views to my blog yesterday and only 1 comment.  Seriously people, if you want to read blogs, participate once in a while!!  I ask a question at the end of almost every blog I write so you’ve got no excuse….

Today’s question:
Tell me what you hate that everyone else seems to love.
If you’ve got a few extra minutes tell me why you hate it.

Please comment and subscribe.

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Interview Series ~ derryX

Meet my friend derryX

While brainstorming about what to write blogs about, I wanted to find a way for my readers to get to know some of the awesome people who I know.  The best way I could come up with was an interview series.

Meet my friend derryX.  derryX is a great guy who I want to play some Ducktales with!!  I loved the TV show, and now I want to try the game!!

Name: @derryX

Age: 30

Location: Capital Region of NY

Relationship Status: In a state of flux

Blog Link: http://www.twitter.com/derryX

Occupation: Research Scientist at a contract pharmaceutical manufacturing company

What is the most challenging part of your job? Being overqualified. I took my current job with little negotiation due to economic hardship at the time of the offer. Having the education and background that I have, my learning curve was relatively short compared to my peers and also superiors who started after me. Finding the right balance of initiative to improve my position and working at my level is difficult at times because I feel that I am capable of so much more than what is expected of me.

What talent do you wish you were born with? I really have no issues not having talents that others have. I wish I could fly, but having that ability probably means I’d have to save people, so no thanks.

I know you’re a gamer.  What is your favorite video game? This is kind of a difficult question, as I’ve been gaming since I was very young. Moving through the generations of gaming, I’ll list some key games so you can get a flavor. Galaga, Mike Tyson’s Punchout!, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros. 3, Ducktales, Super Mario World, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Mortal Kombat II (arcade), Sonic 3 (and Knuckles), Marvel vs Capcom (arcade), Doom, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Suikoden, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 and 4, anything with Katamari in the title, Bioshock, Guitar Hero/Rockband. This doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of my favorites, but if you sat me down with any of those and told me I had to play for 10 hours straight or you’d shoot me in the face, I wouldn’t argue with you.

What are your favorite songs to sing at karaoke? Another difficult question! I very much have the desire to entertain in my personality, so when I pick songs that I want to karaoke, the entertainment factor goes into that. My absolute favorite song to sing is “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, and that is because I put a lot of time into listening to her song to learn the nuances and turn it into something enjoyable for all. I also like doing “Tribute” by Tenacious D with my brother @dompap. Other than these staples, I don’t have too many others that I feel confident with. I’m trying to change that, but I get picky when I flip through those books.

What is your drink of choice? I really don’t have any standard thing that I get all the time. I love scotch, but seldom order it when I am out. Lately, if I order beer, it is usually one of the delicious micro brews by Dogfish Head. Coffee-wise, IT’S ESPRESSO! But I order lattes and regular coffee many times too.  Flavour Café’s Almond Joy latte is awesome (make sure you order it “with extra joy” to be cool like me). Otherwise, I’ll either drink water or Diet Coke.

Where is your favorite place to eat out? Living in the capital region, I don’t think it’s possible to have one place. We have a very diverse selection of different cuisines that makes the Capital Region a great place to live. I guess what I’ll do is go through my favorite types of food and list my favorite establishment and if there’s anything in particular I always order.

Pizza – Red Front [COB (Cheese on bottom)]

Sushi – Sushi Tei

Indian – Karavalli

Chain – Friendly’s

Hot Wings – Buffalo Wings and Rings fulfills that urge sometimes (it used to be Scubbers, hands down, but they closed)

Italian – LoPorto’s [Chicken Milanese]

Mexican – Pancho’s but it’s not authentic Mexican the way El Bandito in Middletown, NY is.

Your parents own an Italian Specialty Food Store. Did this make you a good cook?  What are some of your favorite Italian Meals? I definitely learned a lot of cooking skills by working in the store for years. The problem is that since the cooking done there is on a larger scale, that’s all I really know how to do. So to me, cooking for 2 is the same thing as cooking for 20, so I always have tons of leftovers.

Believe it or not, I actually don’t like pasta with red sauce! I’m probably the only “Italian” this way, but I don’t see that as a problem; it gets me to order more diverse dishes. Chicken parmigianna is my favorite dish when prepared right. I tend to stay away from the dishes that have lemon in the sauce (i.e. francaise or picatta). In fact, I tend to like things with as little sauce as possible. My favorite meal ever is my mom’s chicken cutlets with her saffron risotto.

You and your brother seem to be pretty close.  How different do you think your life would be if you were an only child? It’s really hard to say. Mainly I think my sense of humor wouldn’t be as developed as it is. A big part of our interactions with each other is trying to make jokes about things, and we kind of riff off each other, molding the joke into something amazing. This would have a huge Butterfly Effect on me in that I probably wouldn’t be as sarcastic as I am. I think I’ll get to this in a later question…

LOST - Tuesday Nights 8-10PM EST on ABC

When you’re not online or gaming, what other hobbies do you have? I like reading a lot, either comic books or literature. I haven’t done much of it in the last 5 years, but I am turning over a new leaf and trying to read more. I also like designing recipes for home brewing beer. This is a really fun hobby because you get to drink what you make. I’m gonna take a break from this hobby because Dogfish Head beers are too good right now. I collect movies and shows on DVD. I am particularly obsessed with LOST and can watch that no matter where I am or what I’m doing. I also play guitar. There was a time where I was good enough (maybe in my own mind) that I could fill in for James Hetfield of Metallica, that’s how well I knew to play those songs. I don’t pick it up as much as I used to, but it’s fun to play around from time to time.

What is the biggest misconception about you? I have a very strong opinion about what I think is funny which manifests itself as sarcasm, and, many times, people perceive this as me being serious. I always tell new people I meet, rule # 1 is to never take me seriously. Of course, this poses issues when I am actually being serious. For the sake of comedy, however, I’m willing to take this risk for that 1% of the time that I am serious.

How do you see your life a year from now? I definitely see myself in a better place mentally. I will most likely also be working hard at my career, trying to synchronize my job title to my level of ability. I anticipate being able to get to 1000 followers on twitter, I just have to figure out how. I probably will have watched the entire series of LOST three to four more times. Other than that, the year ahead has some major changes lined up, and I’m really looking forward to it!

How about 5 years from now? I never was one to plan this far ahead, but, for the sake of this questionnaire, in 5 years, I’d like to own a house and start getting settled into my career without feeling pressured for continuous advancement. By then, I think I will have worked hard enough for me to achieve a level of stress with work that is not as erratic as now. Other than that, it’s really hard to say. What the last several weeks have taught me is that the direction of the current can change at any moment, and that re-evaluation of priorities should be an ongoing process.

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Super Bowl XLIV Ads – 2010

As many of you know I don’t give a crap about football.  The game moves too slowly for me and I get pretty bored.  The only game of the year I’ll tend to watch is the Super Bowl.  I watch it for the commercials.  This year had some funny ones, but none of them beat my all time favorite Blockbuster ad.  I think it was from 2007.  Click the link and let me know what you think.  I laugh my ass off hilariously every single time I see it!!

My favorites this year were:

Snickers Ad with Betty White
I thought this was hilarious!!  Betty White has been incredible this past year!!  At 88 years old I’ve got to admire her.  She was in The Proposal.  She won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAG Awards.
Now she’s in this hilarious commercial.  What next?

Doritos – Anti Bark Collar
I think I really appreciated this one because I have a dog.

Budweiser Human Bridge
I wonder if we’ll hear about a bunch of people getting run over by a beer truck in the near future.
Don’t try this at home kids!!

Budweiser – House of Beer
This one was just funny.  Nope, they’re full!

Budweiser – Plane Wreck
Obviously this commercial was pointing at LOST.  Not a bad angle if you ask me.  Personally I’d have called for a rescue team and asked them to bring better beverages….

E*Trade – Wolf Style
Love the “Milkaholic” comment!  LOL!

Google – Search On
What googling “Studying Abroad” can lead to.  😉  I want to go to Paris….

Letterman/Oprah/Leno – The Late Show
I worried about this one a little bit.  I wondered if Leno would get in trouble for being in an ad for the competition.
Sounds like it’s okay though according to this article.

And on a side note, I liked The Who at the halftime show.  Though I thought Roger Daltry looked about ready to have a heart attack during that harmonica solo.  I thought Pete Townshend rocked pretty good for an older guy.  He was dancing around and having a great time.  🙂

New Orlleans Saints - 2010 Super Bowl Champions

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