MOTM Interview by: Richard (BigBensDad)
Tell us about you, your family and your life…. and what work and hobbies do you have?
I like to think I’m a pretty average girl. Just turned 30, have a great guy who supports my many hare-brained ideas and a large meddlesome Italian family that would love to see me fully domesticated. And, of course, there are my 3 drooly, stubborn kids. I work two jobs here in Central California: Widlife Biologist by day – mostly specializing in amphibians and reptiles, and EMT by night (That’s right, next time you call 911, think about who might be showing up for you – Mwah ha ha ha). They’re kind of exact opposite jobs, which creates a nice balance. In my free time, I like to be active: Triathlons, scuba diving, skiing, roadtripping and exploring the Sierra Nevada range (which I am very fortunate to live next to).
What's your favorite childhood memory?
I don’t think I have a specific one. Mostly I spent a lot of time running wild with a gang of neighborhood boys in the woods of SC and TN, building forts, looking for blackberries, chasing down boxcars and jumping on to ride to the next town, swimming in local lakes (while avoiding touching the bottom in case there were snapping turtles). I was the quintessential tomboy. Barbie who?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I don’t think I had any clear idea that I was going to have to ‘grow up’. I wanted to be an Adventurer (Think Robyn Davidson, Diane Fossey or Amelia Earhart). You know, Climb K2, Drive to Patagonia, Walk across the Sahara, Explore the Rainforests, Swim the English Channel. I had a bit of a Macgyver meets Evil Knieval complex that I still haven’t quite grown out of.
Who inspires you and why?
Jimmy Buffett. That dude can’t even sing and yet he’s living the life. It gives me hope that sheer perseverance is sometimes enough to see you through.
What made you decide to invite a Mastiff into your life?
I grew up around old English sheepdogs and great danes, so big dogs have always been in the periphery of my life. It’s just always felt natural to have at least one dog around. When I got into college, I wanted a furry companion that could travel with me and keep me company on my many roadtrips and explorations, so I started combing rescues. I ended up finding Gabe – 1 y/o Cane Corso, who was not really what I was looking for at all, but when we locked eyes the deal was sealed. I adopted him and began learning about the mastiff temperament. After Gabe, I was hooked on the breed.
If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
Um, this is the part where I appear socially inept. I have no idea. I don’t own a television and I haven’t been to a movie theater since ‘lord of the rings’, so pop culture is just not my strong suit. Aside from that, my life is not really interesting enough to make a decent movie.
We love to hear funny/cute stories about what our Mastiffs do….do you have any stories to share with us?
I think the adventures of my trio have been pretty well documented. Most of the hilarity these days comes from life with ‘The Hurricane’, and she’s got a bazillion threads floating around. Although her discovery of sliding in the snow this last winter still holds up as one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
What would your before mastiff self say about your current Mastiff self?
“You’re going out in public covered in dog hair and drool splotches? Seriously?”
Are there any members that you've met from our mastiff community, and if so describe the meeting to us.
Not yet. Hopefully we’ll get a chance during our travels to meet The Vegas Clan. It’s always nice to meet people with common interests.
Scariest part of your job (not snake related ha)?
I got treed by a feral boar last summer. At 2 am. I had to sit perched in a tree with all my radio gear (I was tracking nesting turtles at the time) for almost 3 hours. I was not a happy camper when I finally climbed down and hiked back out to my car. Other than that, there isn’t really anything very scary about my job(s).
How did you learn about MOC, and what is your fav part of being a member of the forum?
I stumbled upon it pretty randomly during a google search and decided to join and check it out. For the most part there are great people here and some serious comedic value to all the mastiff antics.
Any comment or advice you would like to give to members or staff…please feel free to elaborate here.
My advice is:
1.) You are never too old to start something new.
2.) Never let anyone discourage you from pursuing a dream.
3.) Be good to thy dogs always, they are a direct reflection of you as a person.
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