November 20th. 2008

Beamer: Well Hello Stranger.

Bobby: Hi There.

Beamer: Where you been hiding?

Bobby: I've been hanging out around Tweeter.

Beamer: You and your Musical Instruments.

Bobby: You don't know what Tweeter is do you?

Beamer: Sure, It's a very small flute like thing.

Bobby: You mean a fife?

Beamer: No, You don't like sharp Items.

Bobby: That's a knife. And I have no problem with them, It's broken glass that bothers me.

Beamer: I didn't know you could play a knife? What kind of sound does it make?

Bobby: It doesn't. It's a dull sounding piece of metal.

Beamer: Then how do you cut with it?

Bobby: There are times when you make my head hurt.

October 8th, 2008

Bobby: Can I ask her a question?

Beamer: Fine.

Bobby: You must be pretty smart and Stuff. Did you get good grades in school?

Beamer: What a lame question.

Kathy: I was a sometimes honors student in grade school and high school, but really excelled in college, graduating summa cum laude. I never reveal my SAT score to anyone because the number is horrific. But it illustrates that the number is only one indicator for success in life, and dare I say, it was nearly meaningless in mine. It mattered not what my score was. It mattered that I’ve applied myself since then. If there’s one lesson to be learned, it’s that numbers aren’t everything. Time and perseverance can change all that.

Bobby: Did you get all that?

Beamer: Who was the first teacher to make a positive impact on your life?

Kathy: That would be Sister Pat Dwyer, my tenth grade English teacher. She was the first teacher to notice my writing talents and to tell me I ought to do something with it. She suggested I attend a Creative Arts camp that summer. Due to financial constraints, I couldn’t go, but just knowing she thought I had a talent for writing was a huge boost to my fragile ego. It was a pivotal moment for me.

Beamer: I loved The Image of where you post at your laptop during the warm Months, overlooking your Back yard. What made you think of moving out there?

Bobby: She posts from her back Yard?

Beamer: That's what she said she did, Post from her back yard. Uhm, What does that mean?

Bobby: I'll explain it to ya later.

Beamer: Ok.

Kathy: Ok?

Beamer: Oh Yeah, go ahead.

Kathy: I moved out there mostly so that I can keep an eye on my cat Stinky when she explores the yard. We have an invisible fence, but she can’t be trusted not to cross over it. I also want to get away from the distraction of TV noise, and I find that sitting outdoors helps clear my head and get the writing juices flowing. I also enjoy some of the most stunning sunsets on my patio. The kind that make you see God. I’m thinking about rearranging some furniture in our study to make it blogging-friendly. I need a cozy nook for those cold days when I can’t blog outside.

Beamer: You have such a great sense of Humor. Where do you think it came from?

Kathy: Oh, geez. Bless your heart. I’m embarrassed to even answer this question. I may write funny from time to time, but in no way am I the life of the party. I’m quiet and introverted. My husband is the Rodney Dangerfield of the house. And my best friend can tell a story that’ll make you pee your pants. I don’t know. Where does it come from? Perhaps it’s just my general philosophy about life. If you can’t find the funny, you’re doomed.

Beamer: There is one store that I can get lost in so easily, It's embarrassing. You seem to have that problem a little more often. Is it getting any better?

Kathy: Absolutely not, and I see no improvement in my future. You know how some people have a mental block for things like mathematics? That’s how I am with directions and navigation. Not gonna happen. I don’t even try anymore. I simply surround myself with others who can get from Point A to Point B and follow them around like a puppy.

Beamer:m I am almost afraid to ask How your old cat got her name of Stinky?

Kathy: When we acquired Stinky and her brother as kittens, we named them Calvin and Hobbes after the Bill Watterson comic that my husband and I love. Stinky never responded to the name Hobbes for some reason. Perhaps because of the soft “H” sound. One day, she visited the litter box and left a gag-inducing odor behind. I said “Boy, for such a little thing, she sure does stink!” The rest is history. What’s fun is when we take her to the vet and they call her name when she’s next in line. We exit the waiting room, trailed by the sound of chuckles from other pet owners.

Beamer: You have no Idea of how I want to ask you about Praying Mantises, But I won't. I know you don't like bugs.

Kathy: Thank you. I can’t even look at pictures of bugs and now I feel like something’s crawling on me just thinkin’ about them. Thanks. Now I’m freaking out.

Bobby: Way to go Beamer.

Beamer: How'd I know she was going to react like that. Well, thank You For letting me pick your Brain. It's been fun.

Kathy: Thank you so much for having me! Now if this had been a real Barbara Walters Special, everyone would be weeping by now. Hopefully no one cried during the reading of this post.

October 6th, 2008

Guys, I have been most fortunate to land an Interview With Kathy of Junk Drawer Fame. I think she is one amazing blogger and a very witty and crafty writer. I fell in love with her blog and her great sense of Humor. It got a little dicey here last minute about when to post it, but here it is, the first of two parts. Enjoy.


Beamer: Kathy, the Junk Drawer is a very popular Blog. How many years have you been working at this blog?

Kathy: First, thank you for inviting me. No one ever asked to interview me before. This is so Barbara Walters Special! I’ve been blogging since July 29, 2007. Sometimes it feels like an eternity because of the work involved in keeping it up, and sometimes I feel like I just started yesterday because I swear I still don’t know what I’m doing.

Beamer: Do You still do repairs on your Dad's Computer?

Kathy: Amazingly, no. My Dad is able to solve a lot of his own problems because he’s not afraid to poke around (carefully) and educate himself. The support session I gave him, documented in my very first post, came right after we got him the computer. But since then, he’s taken care of his issues mostly independently. I’m so proud of him. He’s the only 80-something guy in his apartment complex who owns a computer and I think that’s pretty awesome. Old geeks rule, too!


Beamer: Have you Given up on trying to get your Dad to update stuff anymore?

Kathy: I have given up trying to get his stand-alone Slingo game to work because he runs the Vista operating system, and the game he wants isn’t supported for Vista. But he makes do with the online version (although that doesn’t stop him from complaining about it). Oh, little tip. My Dad says if you don’t use email, you don’t get any spam! He’s serious.

Beamer: You seem to be pretty close to your sister. Are you older than her?

Bobby: Why would you ask her that?

Beamer: Because I'm conducting this interview that's why.

Bobby: But you didn't even tell me you were going to do this. Not fair.

Beamer: Did you ask me if you could ask Amy questions?

Bobby: Fine.

Kathy: Can I answer now?

Beamer: Don't mind him. He's jealous.

Kathy: Ok, about my Sister. Ann is two and a half years older than me, but we feel very twin-like since we were attached at the hip growing up. My eldest sister, Marlene, is 13 years older than me and so we didn’t share as many experiences together as young ones. We’ve actually gotten closer as we age, which I love. It’s like we started our sisterhood all over again!

Beamer: Do you and your sister get along pretty good?

Kathy: Yes, although she would tell you that our childhood living arrangements were challenging at times. We shared a bedroom. She was (and still is) an organized neat freak and I’m very much a slob. She hated how I’d toss clothes and other belongings all over the room. Fed up, one day she laid a piece of masking tape right down the middle of the floor. “Your crap stays on your side. Got it?” The tape remained until she moved away from home.

Bobby: Man, I should have done that with you.

Beamer: Would you shut up.

Kathy : But I thought you wanted to Interview me?

Beamer: No Kathy, not you. My Brother.

Kathy: Your Brother?

Beamer: Yeah, he's .. well, he was just right here.

Kathy: I didn't see any one else.

Beamer: Not to change the subject but How long have you been doing Technical Customer Service with Computers?

Kathy: Eight years. I started out in an accounting data control job I didn’t love, but it gave me a chance to learn more about computing systems and desktop support. I eventually became the person everyone went to for PC help and when a tech services job opened up, I applied and got it. It’s a very stressful job, but it’s never the same day twice. A boring job would surely kill me.

Part 1 of 2

October 5th, 2008

Ok, I am having to switch gears here big time. Kathy wants to announce on her Blog when I am going to post the Interview that I presently have on the Blog. I wish I would have read her comment before I had posted this. So I am going to pull the Interview and repost it on Tuesday. So if your reading the Interview and It disappears, you'll now why.

If you haven't read the Interview yet, you want to come back On Tuesday. I have Kathy, of Junk Drawer Fame, answering My questions. Also the first part of this won't make a lot of sense, but when has this blog made a lot of sense. Ok, maybe the Last Interview I did with Amy, but other than that, not often.

So you have a good day and come back her Tuesday for sure. You can come back tomorrow if you want as well. I'll let you.

Beamer

August 11th, 2008

Bobby: So, it looks like B and B 3.0 is a hit.

Beamer: B and B 3.0?

Bobby: The cartoon thingy.

Beamer: Oh, I knew that.

Bobby: The announcer dude looks pretty suave doesn't he?

Beamer: I could wear a tux, if I wanted to.

Bobby: Yeah Right, You probably don't even know what a cummerbund is , do you?

Beamer: Isn't that what you slice into salads?

Bobby: Yeah that's it. Glam would be so happy to know that fact.

Beamer: You don't think she is still reading us do you?

Bobby: There's always a chance.

Beamer: Just as long as she doesn't meet up with Amy?

Bobby: I think it would be interesting.

August 1, 2008

In case you missed it during the confusion of the moving around:


Today, I have something pretty special, at least for me. This, Ladies and Gentleman is an Interview with a very creative and funny lady which has some amazing stuff that she posts on her blog and she has graciously agreed to let me, or I should say Beam_er, interview her. Her name is Amy and her Blog is Amy's Musings. I'm going to break this into two parts.

Beam_er: I really like your Blog. It is literally the first thing I check out in the morning once I get onto the Internet. Just how long have you been doing this blogging thing?

Amy: Since 2004, I believe. Maggie was about 8 months old and Mike was taking out of town classes and I needed a hobby.

Beamer: Blogging as a Hobby. Why that is just crazy.

Beam_er: Shhhh.Sorry about that. I see you include your family a lot in your blog. Are your children are supportive of you using them in your blog and do they ever read your blog to see what is being said about them?

Beamer: I don't believe Maggie can read yet.

Beam_er: I know that. Would let her answer the question.

Amy: Kate actually comments on my blog occasionally. Usually to say something smartaleck-ey. Ethan rarely comments, but has written a post for me, once. It went over pretty well so I had to shut it down, Can't have him gaining a bigger following! ;) More intimidating for me was when my kids' friends found my blog. Ethan's girlfriend and a couple of friends have actually commented there as well, so I won't be sharing any super embarrassing stories about Ethan!

Beamer: Do I get to ask a question?

Beam_er: Really Dude, maintain. Amy, what are your favorite subjects to blog about?

Amy: I wish I was one of these organized people who could answer that clearly, but I'm not. I don't plan posts weeks in advance, sometimes I'll get an idea and it will roll around in my head before I formulate it. Mostly I blog on the fly whatever catches my fancy at the time. I prefer to write funny instead of serious though. There's enough serious around the blogosphere.

Beam_er: You have quite a gift with the English Language. Did you like English in school?

Amy: I loved writing. I'm not fond of editing or all the lovely punctuation rules. I really write just like a talk most of the time. Thus, if I am talking in my head as I am typing and I take a pause I'll put in ... even though that's not the appropriate use for that punctuation. But, for me, it makes sense.