Yes… it is time… for… ANOTHER INTERVIEW! This time I interviewed a dear friend of mine… Danielle Wildermuth. I met Dani through Heather who has been friends with her since high school. She’s awesome. Here you go!
Here we go! First question… super easy… who are you?
Danielle Wildermuth aka moose!
You seem to like moose quite a bit… why is this?
My last name Wildermuth was replaced by Wild Moose by my friends in junior high. And it has stuck ever since.
Heather and I are currently living in your childhood home… how did you like growing up there?
I liked being away from everything. Feeling safe to roam the neighborhood. Lots of neighborhood parties.
You’ve recently bought a house of your own… how do you like living there?
I love it! It is so nice to be able to come home to my own couch, my own tv, my own fridge. I am my own boss. I control the A/C and how I choose to allocate my time. It’s nice to sleep in or go to bed late, and know that it is my own decision. Plus, my house to me shows that I have “made” it. This is what I have always wanted, my own house.
I know you’re a big fan of reading. What are some of your favorite books?
The girl who owned a city, Harry Potter, Wheel of Time Series, Sookie Stackhouse, A Discovery of Witches.
Which house would you be sorted into if you went to Hogwarts?
Gryffindor!
How do you think the movies compared to the books?
The movies were worth going to see, but I never saw them out of the theater. But I’ve read each book 4 or 5 times.
Team Jacob or Team Edward?
Team Jacob.
AWESOME. How do you feel about the Twilight series in general?
I loved all four of the books,and have read them all at least 4 times. I didn’t care much for the first movie, the second was ok, I liked the third one, and I have yet to see 4 part 1.
What do you think about the current state of the world?
I think it’s very sad what is going on right now. I am so thankful that I have a job in this economy and I hope that things pick back up soon. People should not be losing their jobs while others get hefty bonuses. But I am proud of the protests. Though some bad comes from them, they are ultimately a sign that people will not stand by and let their lives be destroyed.
What is your favorite kind of weather? Why?
My favorite weather is overcast. It puts a different light on everything and it feels like Christmas no matter the time of year (well as long as slightly cooler weather accompanies the clouds). It also reminds me of Seattle. Also, I feel as if I am in a different world or at least somewhere other than the desert.
You lived in Seattle for a while, how was that?
It was an amazing experience. I am very thankful that my aunt and uncle took me in for the summer so I could intern at Costco’s corporate office. I learned a lot about the corporate world that summer. It was the first time I had a normal Monday to Friday schedule and I spent the weekends wandering downtown Seattle. I miss the northwest a lot and I wouldn’t turn down a chance to live up there again.
Last question… it’s very important… what is your favorite Pixar movie?
It’s hard to say because Pixar has so many great films. I will have to say it’s a toss up between Wall-E and Up. They both made me cry and laugh and I believe they are must-see movies.
Let me start off by making sure you understand that everything I say here is 100% fact. There’s no opinions and this is based 1000% on things that I have made up on the spot.
Sarah Palin has magic powers. It’s true. She once parted the seas so she could grab fish off the floor because she didn’t want to wait for moses to come and do it again. She also single handedly fought off the last alien invasion attack on the north pole. She tries to trick people into thinking she’s just a cute face that stumbles on her words but that is not the truth!
I can count to 100 billion in 5 seconds. I just can’t do it out loud so you are going to have to trust me.
One time Adam and I were hanging out in a Google+ chat room and and every single god of every religion showed up. They were all arguing that none of the other gods existed. It was pretty boring so we left.
The animated gifs on this site have secret messages hidden in them. If you play them in order from bottom right to top left and take a screen shot every 1/16th of a second and layer those screenshots in photoshop adding transparency every time you see a white pixel it will make egyptian symbols. If you then take those egyptian symbols and order them from rows 1-3-5-7 first then 8 second and 2-4-6 third you see it spells out a secret message. Next you need to use a decoder ring to shift the letters. a=c, b=d and so on. Then you place 4 of the images vertical. Take 2 and place them in the 50% y plane horizontal. Follow that with 4 more images parallel to the first 4. Leave space for the next part and you will do the exact same thing but rotated 90 degrees. Start with 4 images horizontal, place 2 images in the 50% x plane vertical. Follow that with 4 more images parallel to the first 4 and the message should instantly become apparent.
If you need glasses and cant see, you can use a pin to poke a hole in a piece of paper and then cover your eye with that paper. If you look through the hole you will be able to see.
Adam Willis and Heather Willis have 20 toes!
The ultimate answer isn’t actually 42… It’s four tea two… People just misunderstood.
If you type 58008 in a calculator and then hold it upside down it will say BOOBS. Unless it’s a new calculator and then the 5 just looks like it’s upside down…
The definition of Totes is: To your question, my response is yes.
This is the longest blog post ever written in history!
Thanks for listening to this post and I hope you remember everything you have learned. There may be a quiz so make sure you take notes!
Hello everyone! It’s me, Heather… Adam’s wife. He’s always bugging me to write something for his blog but I never thought I’d be any good at that. I’m sort of boring. But, I do like assignments… and habits… and this yearly update seemed like something I could handle. So, taking Adam’s format… here’s my State of the Heather for 2012. Here goes.
Weekends! Well, I don’t work at CPS anymore. YAY! Let me say that again… YAY!!!!!!!! Basically it sort of feels like weekends all the time for me now. I don’t really ever have to get up on time, though I try to, to support Adam who still has to. It’s pretty awesome. But, weekends are still better than weekdays, because Adam is home, and that’s my favorite thing. We usually aren’t home on the weekends anymore, we sort of… need to get out sometimes.
Memory. Adam’s sucks. Yeah, I’m glad he went to the doctor to make sure there was nothing physically wrong, but… it still sucks even though there isn’t anything wrong. I think we’ve got a pretty good plan though. I don’t love the fact that Adam is constantly looking at his phone, but he has been doing a lot better since its constantly reminding him what I was hoping he’d do. I feel bad sometimes. Adam is always doing chores and things for me… I don’t think he ever really asks me to do stuff. I don’t “forget” things like he does because there is nothing he expects me to do. My life is so damn easy guys, my only problem is feeling guilty about how awesome things are for me. So, all in all, memory isn’t really much of an issue any more. Sometimes I freak out if he forgets something, but I think that’s more related to me being randomly sensitive sometimes. This typically occurs when I’m hungry. Anyone who’s dated or married me seems to figure that out right quick.
Heather. Wait… that’s me… this is all about me…
Adam. Adam said that he was the luckiest guy on Earth. I feel the same. I really do. I don’t really know what else to say about you best friend. Nothing but cliché’s come to mind. Ummm… you accept my flaws… you make me want to be a better person… blah blah… You got it right when you said it’s hard to write about me. I think you know how I feel. I’m right where I want to be because I found you. I still feel like it isn’t real sometimes. I always thought you were the coolest guy at the theater, too cool to even hang out with me in fact. But then… you married me. Damn. What a life.
Job. So, I have a new job now. Well, not exactly new, I’ve had it for a while now, but now it’s the only one I have. It’s boring, but I still get really into it when I’m talking about it, just like every other job I guess. I work for Adam’s dad, and that’s pretty much the sweetest thing ever. Again, the only part that doesn’t rock is that I feel guilty for being home in my jammies all the time. I try to help out at home by doing the laundry and stuff, but Adam never holds me to that… so I do a lot of napping and drinking tea. Adam works really hard. He always talks about how he doesn’t want a real job or career or anything, but now he’s the one that works two jobs and brings in all the dough. I’ll repay him sometime. I’m not sure how yet… but it’ll come.
Pets. So ummm… 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rats and a snake. I like saying that when people ask. So really only the rats, one dog, and the snake are ours. Paisley is the best dog. She’s super aggressive, and sort of wants to bite us sometimes… but I love her so much. Bringing her home didn’t really feel like a decision. It just sort of happened, thanks to Sharon and Ann… and many others at the CPS office. She has actually gotten a little bigger than when we brought her home. I didn’t really want to accept that before, but I’ll admit it now. She’s still a forever puppy though. I really hope we stick to the plan and train her better. I don’t want her to end up unruly and unlikeable like her sister Bailey. Now Bailey, she isn’t ours… but I think we may end up adopting her. We’ll see on that one. The cats… hmmm… I don’t see them much. Again… not ours. I decided they deserved to have names though, since they haven’t for so long. So I named them Freckles and Norma. I haven’t spent enough time with them to really be able to tell you much about them. We’ll see if we end up adopting them too. Now, the rats… I really feel like we need to do something about Sara. Her tumor is so big. I was thinking that it wasn’t cruel that we aren’t putting her down because that’s not what you would do if a human had a tumor… but then Adam reminded me we shouldn’t be putting human traits on animals… that’s what Inside of a Dog has been saying too… I really like that book by the way. It’s by Alexandra Horowitz and its awesome. I haven’t finished it yet, but I hopefully will soon. I want to read more… but I do actually have to work like half a day every day so I haven’t quite been reading as much as I wanted. Maybe I’ll come with a better plan for that. I’m sort of addicted to plans if you didn’t already know that. It helps with the OCD… or is a result of the OCD… one of the two.
Team Willis. I’m a real live member of this team, and it’s the best. I don’t know where I would be without Adam’s family. They’ve been the biggest support to me. I never really felt the need to get a tattoo, but if Team Willis gets one, I’ll be down. Something tells me we’ll just keep talking about that though… and maybe never do it. I guess we’ll see.
Health. Right now, Adam is writing a workout program for me. I’m really hoping to get into better shape. I’m also trying to keep my cholesterol down. I really would like to live forever, and so I have to take care of my body and I really haven’t been doing the best job of that. I don’t think I’ve been doing the worst job, but I’m certainly not nearly as healthy as I should be. I can’t really be physically active very long without getting completely out of breath. I hate exercise for this reason. So, Adam is writing this program for me. It’s called The Zombie Apocalypse Workout. I’m kind of a weirdo depressed geek… I really like imagining what some kind of chaotic event would be like and I always think it would be fun. Adam doesn’t like to play this game with me. He’s too realistic. I tried to teach him how to play a while ago, but I don’t think he really enjoyed it. He always thinks about how things would really be and how we would probably die and everything… My imaginary versions are usually way better. They typically involve me and Adam and our close family and friends building some kind of elaborate fort and defending it and foraging for food and things. Everyone always has a job… its good times. Anyway, so Adam is incorporating that fun fantasy I like to think about into a workout program to make it seem fun. He’s also going really super slow… so that I don’t give up. He doesn’t even make me feel bad about how pathetically small he had to start. He’s the best. So today my workout consisted of walking to the end of the block maybe like half a mile total, maybe a little more, I don’t know. Then, I had to do ski jumps… which were silly, and as a grand finale: one real push up, not on my knees. He increases my workout a little every day and hopefully he’ll have me fit enough to jog in the marathons he wants to do this year. I really want to do the color run and the Disneyland fun run with him, but it’s going to take a lot more than one push up to get me there. Hopefully I can stick to it. I sort of gave up on my bodybugg. Once I get frustrated with something and erase it from my calendar… its pretty much done with. By the way, anyone want to buy a slightly chewed on by Paisley bodybugg with a small strap?
Harry Potter. So, I never really got super into this like a lot of people. I was really sad when it was over though, at first. It kind of felt like I was being forced to grow up a little. I realized how long that had been around. We were so young when it started, and now its over. Anyway, I felt that way for like a month after the last movie. I’m over it now though. Adam keeps getting into other young adult things… like the Hunger Games and stuff… I’m just not programmed to let myself want to get into that I guess.
Soda. Adam does drink too much soda. He keeps telling me that the artificial sweeteners don’t cause cancer or anything, something still tells me it would be better if he drank less though. I’m not anti-development or anything. I think its super awesome that we have zero calorie sweeteners and I really don’t think that everything that is older is better or anything like that… I just think plain water somehow has to be better for you. I drink a lot of tea instead. There’s a lot more variety with that, and its closer to being natural, though probably only in thought. I bet some of the teas I have are pretty far from natural too… and for the kicker… I usually put artificial sweetener in mine too. Not always though! Just… most of the time… like… almost every time. Whatever. Tea is awesome. Shout out to Handmade teas for keeping me in constant supply of new kinds and awesome spices and things. Do people still do shout outs? Did I officially prove how uncool I am?
The Netherlands. So, our trip was AWESOME. For realsies. Most importantly though, I think its just nice to know that I have more family out there… especially as far away as they are. Sometimes I get to feeling so detached from the world and society in general. Knowing that I have people that are technically related to me, and know my address and send me cards and things makes me feel a lot more connected. Also, they are totally rad people. I hope to someday know somebody and somehow feel connected to so many more people. Like, maybe one from every country. I would really like to go to every country just once. That’s a dream I’ll probably never realize, but I would sure love it. Anyway, Jennifer and Eddy had a baby… Isabella. She’s cute. They and the rest of the family might be coming in a couple of years. I can’t wait. Hopefully we’ll still be in this house so they’ll have lots of room, also, I really like this house, even though it isn’t ours. Maybe someday we’ll have a real place of our own. I don’t care so much about ownership… but you can’t really do certain things without owning a place. That goal is a long way off though. We’ll come back to that when some of this other stuff gets sorted out.
Disneyland. So. we have annual passes. I’m really happy that Adam gets to go more. He really doesn’t seem to be getting bored of it at all. I hope someday he can work there. Even if its not forever, I’d like to see him get to do that at least for a while. Something tells me I won’t want to stay in one place forever though. I really like travelling, even if I don’t do it much. I also like Disneyland a lot, not as much as Adam, but a lot. I was really surprised at myself the first time we went during “Christmastime”. I just started crying. It was strange. I think I do that in general sometimes though… just cry for no reason. I predicted that would happen after I left CPS. I didn’t feel anything when I worked there. Well, I felt a little, but not nearly as much as you’d think, so now it’s coming out in inappropriate ways. It’s ok though. I don’t mind a random cry every now and then. Especially if it is at Disneyland.
Politics. Umm… I don’t really talk about politics a lot. I don’t feel smart enough. I feel like I don’t really like a lot about the way things are, but I’m far from having a solution… and I enjoy spending my time thinking about other things. I don’t mind hearing Adam talk about them. I enjoy participating in those conversations a little, but I still don’t feel I have much to contribute. At the same time though… sometimes I think about running for some kind of public office… I probably won’t ever though. I don’t think really its something I’d like or would be good at. I just think about it…
So… I guess that’s it for now. I guess we do these once a year huh? I can manage that.
I’ll let Adam pick a picture for me… he has access to all of those.
Holy crap. Twenty Twelve is leap year, and Disneyland is taking advantage of it.
Watch this:
That’s right… Disneyland is staying open for 24 hours straight! From 6am on February 29th to 6am on March 1st. And guess what… we’re going! I’m taking three vacation days (it’s on a Wednesday) and we’re gonna do it! Well… we’ll probably go back to the room a couple times, but we’re gonna try and be there as much as we can. What I’m most excited about is being at Disneyland from midnight to 6am. It’s going to be so wonderful.
“The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living” – Socrates
Oh boy! Time for the second annual State of the Adam! I feel like last time went really well. It was a nice little snapshot of what was going on in my life and my head. Time to do it again! Okie dokie. Let’s jump right into it.
Heather. Best part of my life. By Far. I mean… pretty much none of the stuff below even matters in comparison. And you know what… that’s all I’m going to say about her. I am not confident enough in my writing skills to properly convey my true feelings and she deserves nothing less than my true feelings. Actually, I will say this: Heather is my best friend and she makes me smile. I love you, Heather.
Memory. From last year’s SOTA: “Mine sucks. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I have terribly bad memory. Now that I have insurance, I plan on going to some kind of doctor for this.” Well… I did. Actually… I went to a neurologist! I know it may seem a bit rash, but it was really affecting my day to day life in a truly frustrating way. So yeah… I went… and… nothing is wrong with me. The neurologist gave me a bunch of tests, asked me a bunch of questions, and eventually came to the conclusion that there really isn’t anything physically wrong with me. Basically, I have a crappy memory and I have to deal with it. There’s no medicine or herbs that will help. If only life were that easy. Oh wait! I do think he said I could go to a cognitive therapist, but I’m not too keen on that. Actually, the best tool for helping me remember things nowadays is my iPhone. The “Reminders” app combined with Siri is so damn helpful.
Jobs. Instead of talking about my current jobs, I’d like to discuss the kind of job I would like to have. Well… besides no job. I do not define myself by the job I have. People like that freak me out. I define myself by how much fun I have and how much love surrounds me. Anyway! The problem is… I have to have a job. I need money. So, why don’t I just find a job I like? Well… that’s impossible (with one magical exception). Why? Well… having a job is the same as going to school for me. There is something in my brain chemistry that just makes me hate being at work or being at school. I can be working with something I really like (the internet) or learning about something I really enjoy (science), but I will always get into a horribly depressed funk. How do I avoid this? There are two ways. One way is to have a job that requires no real thinking. My least favorite part of my current jobs is how much thought I have to put into what I do. I don’t like spending my brain power on work (I know this doesn’t make sense). What I want is a job that I cannot take home. One that anyone can do. That’s why I loved stocking shit at Walmart and selling tickets at a movie theater. Super easy and mindless. Go to work, do your job, and leave. Repeat. Working at In and Out would be awesome! I know… high aspirations, right? Yep. Okay. So, the second way is to work at Disneyland. I don’t care what it is I am doing as long as I work there. I’d even be cool with California Adventure! Or any of the Disney hotels! Man… Adam Willis, janitor at Disneyland. Music to my ears!
Pets. So, last year I said I was getting rats. I got them. They’re awesome. But I really don’t care too much about them anymore. Why? I’ll tell you why… PAISLEY!!! We got a dog! And she’s amazing! Heather brought her home from the CPS parking lot. She was lethargic, skinny, and completely covered in ticks! It was the saddest thing ever. Over 1000 bucks later… she’s doing great! I really hate saying this, but I like her more than Matilda. I know! Blasphemy! It is true though. And! Since the ticks sucked out so much blood, she probably isn’t going to grow to full size! SHE’S GOING TO BE A PUPPY FOREVER! I know… best thing ever. Also… still have Monte. But he sucks.
Team Willis. What can I say… I love my family. I mean… I better! I see them all the god damn time. We just went on an epic Disneyland adventure. It was legendary (definitely started watching How I Met Your Mother). Really though… don’t have a lot to say. Everything is going really well in Willisland. We’re all happy and getting along well. We go have drinks together most Friday nights and will go get the occasional dinner. So yeah. All is well.
Health. I was at 190 last year… now… I’m at about 175. I know it’s only 15 pounds, but I’m still damn proud of myself. I started using MyFitnessPal.com (MFP) as well as the Couch-to-5K system. Both the website and the system have amazing iPhone apps that I use quite often. I use MFP to track my calories, fitness, and weight on a daily basis. I’ve really been doing a lot better with making good food choices because of it. I do c25k at least three times a week. My endurance is getting really great and I should be able to to a 5k easily in just a few weeks. In fact! There is a Family Fun Run 5k at Disneyland in September!!! Definitely doing it. Definitely.
Arizona. Hate it.
California. Love it. I really want to move to California. I always have, but now that I’ve gotten a small taste of what it’s like to actually live there my desire has only increased (thanks, Nicole and Donnie!!!). Also… my favorite place in the world just happens to be in California. Weird…
Disneyland. Heather and I now have Premium Annual Passes. What does that mean? We can go to Disneyland WHENEVER THE FUCK WE WANT. And boy have we! We’ve gone a couple times already (we began our year of magic in late October) and have two more trips planned for the next month alone! Also. Let me just say that I love Disneyland more than I ever have. I could simply list off all of the great things I love about it and its amazing creator, but that wouldn’t really explain why I feel the way I do. It’s really just the feeling it evokes in me. It’s good. Like… pure good. And yes… I do realize that it’s a business and it overcharges and can, at times, be one of the more crass areas of consumerism. Doesn’t matter. Just because I understand the science behind love (it’s all just chemicals) it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it or base my life around it. No matter what happens to Disneyland, it will always be special because of the man who imagined it and what he represents.
Politics. From last year: “I’m a far left liberal who hates Republicans. Conservative ideals and free market stuff is fine and dandy, but Republicans are ASSHOLES. The party is full of stupid, piece of shit, mean spirited, ignorant, racist, bigoted, sexist, pathetic, worthless, assholes. Democrats are weak and not actually liberal, but they are no where near as bad as their counterparts.” That’s still the case. I actually started a secret political blog so I had a place to discuss politics besides here. I think I got about 20 posts published before I got burned out. Politics really is draining for someone who prides themself on striving to be as rational as a flawed human possibly can be. As a whole, politics are vile. I mean… truly vile. All politicians are corrupt in one way or another, and all pundits are egotistical sensationalists. Of course, there are still some genuine journalists and economists out there who truly care about the advancement of the human race and can put aside their personal biases (as best as anyone can… we’re all human) to report on and discuss what really matters in a factual, intelligent manner. Those people are awesome. I hope to one day be one of those people. I’m not there yet, but I’m working at it. It is called political science for a reason. Science is never fully and completely understood. It is always evolving. Anything can be disproven if there is enough reason to disprove it. Nothing is entirely black or white. While some things (like gravity) seem to be completely indisputable, true scientists are always open to new discoveries and ways of thinking. This is the kind of mind set I wish more political scientists had. Both sides, liberal and conservative, are guilty of rigid dogmatism. It’s fine to have a strong belief in something, but closing your mind to even the slightest possibility of being wrong is unintelligent and, in some cases, dangerous for the future of our society and even our planet.
Scooter. I bought a scooter! That’s it over to the right! His name is Rufio. Rufio. Ru. Fi. Ohhhhh. It was pretty cheap. 1500 bucks. Brand new. Why? It’s Chinese. It’s kind of a piece of crap. It breaks a lot, and the gas gauge doesn’t work. But I don’t care. I love it. It’s so damn fun to ride. It’s like a roller coaster you can control! It’s like a super fast bike you can ride on the street! Also… the gas mileage is amazing and repairs are super cheap. I’m actually learning how to fix things myself so I never have to take it in to the shop again. Still not sure if I would ever upgrade to an actual motorcycle. I took an Intro to Motorcycles class before I got the scooter, and I really didn’t like the shifting you have to do on motorcycles. Scooters are automatic. Twist the throttle. Go. It’s that easy. But seriously… it’s so fun! Fuck cars. They’re so damn boring.
Music. I’ve been getting into a lot of new music lately. One new group that I have somehow managed to not get into up until now is Erasure. So, there’s this iPhone app called Robot Unicorn Attack. It features a ridiculously fabulous song called Always. Well… that song is by Erasure. I liked it, but I assumed it was some goofy one hit wonder song, so I never considered actually checking out the band that sings it. Time passed and one day I noticed Erasure was going to be playing in Los Angeles. I thought it would be funny to check it out and Heather agreed. Holy shit it was amazing. I listened to most of their songs for the very first time about a week before we actually went. They have so many great songs! And they’ve done a bunch of ABBA covers! Anyway. Check them out. They rock. Other new music I discovered… Gotye and Kimbra. They’re two different artists, but they sing together on one track (Somebody That I Used To Know) that is, quite possibly, the greatest song ever written (besides Gemini (Birthday Song) by Why?, of course). I have embedded the video below as it is one of my favorite things ever. The song and the video match up perfectly and Gotye and Kimbra have this electric chemistry that gives you chills.
Well. There you have it. My life as of right now. There’s a whole lot more going on, but I thought this would be a good enough summation for now.
Next up on the interview train is a wonderful girl that used to go by the name Heather Power. I met her through my sister, and I think she is just terrific. Mostly because she introduced me to the Grasshopper. It’s a green, minty, alcoholic drink. I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant. Anyhoo! Time for the interview!
Question One! Who are you?
Heather P. (sidenote: This interview was conducted before AND after her wedding… you’ll see)
What makes Heather P. happy?
Lots of things! Good movies, babies wearing glasses, bubble baths, grasshopper pie, random acts of kindness, hydrangeas, prairie dogs, and so much more!
What kind of job would make you happy?
I would be happy with a job that allowed me to meet different people and work in different places. I’d like something that would allow me to be funny and smart and artistic. I’d like to work at a zoo. Or a school. Or maybe at a hospital. Or a museum. I feel like lots of different jobs would make me happy!
I’m pretty sure you went to NAU… did you get a degree related to any of the aforementioned careers? If not, what did you get your degree in?
I did go to NAU and got some sweet degrees. My BA is in Art History and Anthropology, and my Master’s is in Elementary Education. Everybody should get a Master’s, they are so much quicker and a lot more fun than schlepping through an undergraduate program. Yay education! I’m also considering a second Master’s since no one’s really knocking down my door to hire me… Maybe in Library Science so I can be a children’s librarian or maybe in Art History so I can head in that direction again. We shall see.
I can definitely see you as a children’s librarian. Have you worked with kids before?
I love working with kids. I grew up in a big family so I’ve kind of always been around little ones. During college I worked in a museum and it was always a lot of fun when we got kids on fieldtrips. After the museum I worked as a preschool aide and decided that teaching seemed pretty cool. During grad school I taught preschool full time and took classes at night, it was tough but pretty rewarding. Since graduation I have subbed in a lot of classrooms, it’s nice knowing if you have a rough day you can choose to walk out of that classroom at the end of the day and not come back… classroom teachers don’t have that little luxury! My sister is an educator at the San Diego Zoo and I am totally jealous of her amazing job. She gets to introduce kids to animals every day…and wear safari pants. She rocks.
Speaking of the zoo… what’s your favorite animal??? (sorry… it’s silly question time…)
My favorite animal of all time has always been and always will be: BUSH BABIES!
Adorable! And how about your favorite childhood movie?
No contest, no question: MAC AND ME. So classic. This child alien from a planet with a liquid core (of soda?) climbs into a space rover that’s collecting… space rocks… and accidentally comes to Earth. His family figures it out and follows. They wind up in what looks like Southern California, separated, and hilarity (and actually a good amount of sadness and worry) ensues. The hero is a physically-disabled kid so of course I became emotionally invested in this the very first time I watched it. I remember watching it all the time with my brother and sisters, but 2 sisters HATE aliens and would always get angry and leave the room. Got my high school sweetheart to watch it years later… he loved it. Last year I got my 8 year old brother to watch it for the first time. It was even better then I remembered. Check it out y’all!!!
So hey… you got married! How’s that going?
You know, I have to admit that married life is great. I’ve lived with a couple of serious boyfriends in my day: I mean real bill-paying, chore sharing, grocery buying cohabitation. I never really imagined “married life” being that much different. I’d get a different last name, maybe we’d share a checking account… bfd right? I was surprised to find out that — for me at least — being MARRIED to my partner does feel pretty different. First of all changing your name is totally weird. Weirder than I thought. I still don’t recognize it in print… you know?… like “did I get someone else’s mail?” Secondly the vibe of our relationship kind of changed from being comfortable/casual to being a life-long endeavor. Something about speaking vows in front of a horde of witnesses, signing a legally-binding contract, and wearing rings makes things seem like the “long haul” more than they used to. I guess I can’t explain this… and I’m not even sure if I answered your question. I like having a “husband”… I like the social role of “wife”… and I love the fact that I have someone to eat sushi and watch horror movies with for the rest of my life. Plus he rubs my feet after work. That was a pre-nup.
Do you and your new husband have any pets?
When we first started dating I had a cat named Suki who didn’t like many people. She’s kind of wild… and a snob. Luckily she warmed up quickly to Tim and he’s convinced she likes him better than anyone else (which is probably true…) Now she’s his buddy and we both agree that taking care of her is about the limit to our responsibility right now.
Of course, this leads me to the question… Are you and Tim planning on having any kiddos?
We’re on the fence. We shelved the discussion until we’re both 30… 4 more years
Damn good idea!
Okay. Last question. It’s very important: What is your favorite Pixar movie?
Tough, tough, tough. Ratatouille has to be my favorite for several reasons:
1. I love to cook.
2. I am a major Francophile.
3. Rats have a bad rap, this movie gave them some cred.
4. I love to EAT ratatouille.
Magnefique!!!
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! I asked Heather for a video to post at the end of her interview and she gave me that. Too damn adorable. Geez.
Here is a list of TV shows I want to watch and/or catch up on:
1. The X-Files. I’m still surprised I haven’t watched this show yet. I mean… I don’t think I’ve seen a single freaking episode! What’s that all about?? Actually… I may have seen one of the movies, but I cannot remember a damn thing. Or… maybe I’m just thinking of that movie, Evolution. Weird.
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I started watching this show back when it premiered on TV. I believe I got through the first season, but I can’t remember. Regardless… I need to watch this show. Joss Whedon. Jesus. I’m so sorry.
3. Community. Have heard nothing but great things about this. Definitely gonna give it a try.
4. Parks and Recreation. Have heard nothing but great things about this. Definitely gonna give it a try.
5. Doctor Who. So, when I say Doctor Who… I’m not really sure which Doctor Who I am talking about yet. Should I watch ALL Doctor Whos since its inception? Or should I just watch the recent ones? Hmm… need to find a British person ASAP!
6. How I Met Your Mother. So many inside jokes I don’t get because I haven’t seen this. NPH? Come on now… NEED to watch this. It’s gonna happen.
7. Freaks and Geeks. Don’t know much about it, but from what I do know, I think I would love it!
8. The Monkees. I’ve seen Head many many times, but never actually a full Monkees episode. I’m sure it’s tacky and corny as hell, but the music is good and I’m sure I’ll have a blast watching it.
9. Smallville. Not super familiar with the show, but I do know it is about Superman and that it is pretty good. Probably least excited about watching this, but would like to watch it nonetheless.
I’m sure there are more, but that’ll do for now.
If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know in the comments!
Hold on to your butts because I have got a lot of shit to talk about and show you.
First up… um… yeah… over to the right… that’s a My Little Pony… and that My Little Pony… is me. And no… I am most definitely NOT a brony. Someone Tweeted a link to General Zoi’s Pony Creator and I just couldn’t resist. I know… I’m weak. Hey! You know what… whatever! I like my pony! He’s fucking awesome! Deal with it.
Moving on! Disneyland. Wow. Heather and I have been to my favorite place in the world twice in the last month! And we’re going back with Team Willis in three weeks! And then again in January with The Bartlemans! Ah! I love having an annual pass. So much. So very much. And Star Tours! Holy Cow! What an experience! I loved the original, but this new version is just beyond anything I ever expected. It’s so good, I don’t even mind that it (sometimes) involves a pod race or even a visit to Naboo! I was really skeptical about the overhaul (I’m lookin’ right at you, Mr. Lucas… idiot), but Disney Imagineering has created one of the greatest attractions ever.
And speaking of Star Wars! Watch this!
I love ATATs…
Christmas! Ah! It’s officially Christmastime and I love it. 99.9 KEZ has been playing Christmas music nonstop for a few weeks now and people are slowly but surely putting up their decorations. Stores have already detonated their Christmastime explosives and are covered from floor to ceiling in greens and reds and silvers and wreaths and toys and trees and fruitcakes and pies and ornaments and lights and so much happiness! Yippie!
What else? Oh yeah! Rufio, my scooter, is fucking broken again! Well, not broken to the point of not working, but he’s making noises he shouldn’t be making. Let’s just say he is definitely not feeling bangarang. Hopefully I’ll be able to take it in tomorrow so I can start riding it to work again. Cars are damn boring.
Also… Heather and I are watching the Twilight movies. Yeah. They’re just as bad as everyone says. Silver lining: Jacob’s abs. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Let me start off by making sure you understand that everything I say here is 100% fact. There’s no opinions and this is based 1000% on things that I have made up on the spot.
Weekends! Well, I don’t work at CPS anymore. YAY! Let me say that again… YAY!!!!!!!! Basically it sort of feels like weekends all the time for me now. I don’t really ever have to get up on time, though I try to, to support Adam who still has to. It’s pretty awesome. But, weekends are still better than weekdays, because Adam is home, and that’s my favorite thing. We usually aren’t home on the weekends anymore, we sort of… need to get out sometimes.
Oh boy! Time for the second annual State of the Adam! I feel like 
Hold on to your butts because I have got a lot of shit to talk about and show you.
Interview With Danielle Wildermuth, aka Moose
Oh hai, Dani!
Yes… it is time… for… ANOTHER INTERVIEW! This time I interviewed a dear friend of mine… Danielle Wildermuth. I met Dani through Heather who has been friends with her since high school. She’s awesome. Here you go!
Here we go! First question… super easy… who are you?
Danielle Wildermuth aka moose!
You seem to like moose quite a bit… why is this?
My last name Wildermuth was replaced by Wild Moose by my friends in junior high. And it has stuck ever since.
Heather and I are currently living in your childhood home… how did you like growing up there?
I liked being away from everything. Feeling safe to roam the neighborhood. Lots of neighborhood parties.
You’ve recently bought a house of your own… how do you like living there?
I love it! It is so nice to be able to come home to my own couch, my own tv, my own fridge. I am my own boss. I control the A/C and how I choose to allocate my time. It’s nice to sleep in or go to bed late, and know that it is my own decision. Plus, my house to me shows that I have “made” it. This is what I have always wanted, my own house.
I know you’re a big fan of reading. What are some of your favorite books?
The girl who owned a city, Harry Potter, Wheel of Time Series, Sookie Stackhouse, A Discovery of Witches.
Which house would you be sorted into if you went to Hogwarts?
Gryffindor!
How do you think the movies compared to the books?
The movies were worth going to see, but I never saw them out of the theater. But I’ve read each book 4 or 5 times.
Team Jacob or Team Edward?
Team Jacob.
AWESOME. How do you feel about the Twilight series in general?
I loved all four of the books,and have read them all at least 4 times. I didn’t care much for the first movie, the second was ok, I liked the third one, and I have yet to see 4 part 1.
What do you think about the current state of the world?
I think it’s very sad what is going on right now. I am so thankful that I have a job in this economy and I hope that things pick back up soon. People should not be losing their jobs while others get hefty bonuses. But I am proud of the protests. Though some bad comes from them, they are ultimately a sign that people will not stand by and let their lives be destroyed.
What is your favorite kind of weather? Why?
My favorite weather is overcast. It puts a different light on everything and it feels like Christmas no matter the time of year (well as long as slightly cooler weather accompanies the clouds). It also reminds me of Seattle. Also, I feel as if I am in a different world or at least somewhere other than the desert.
You lived in Seattle for a while, how was that?
It was an amazing experience. I am very thankful that my aunt and uncle took me in for the summer so I could intern at Costco’s corporate office. I learned a lot about the corporate world that summer. It was the first time I had a normal Monday to Friday schedule and I spent the weekends wandering downtown Seattle. I miss the northwest a lot and I wouldn’t turn down a chance to live up there again.
Last question… it’s very important… what is your favorite Pixar movie?
It’s hard to say because Pixar has so many great films. I will have to say it’s a toss up between Wall-E and Up. They both made me cry and laugh and I believe they are must-see movies.
Aaaaaaand here’s a video she really likes:
Good choice, Dani. Good choice!