Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews. We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products.  Today, a dude not only famous for blogging but for rollin’ around America in a tour bus sheds light on the inner workings of the mind of Joseph Ferrara of Sellsius.

What rapper do you wish you could be for a day? You know you wish you were a rapper…

P Diddy. He’s got a nice wardrobe.

Do you think you’ll be crotchety when you’re really old or will you be gentle and sweet?

Gentle and sweet, with a crotchety streak. I find as I get older, I am sweeter than before and presume the best in people. And less seems to bother me. But, at the same time, if I feel someone is really behaving badly (especially toward another person), I will set them straight, often in a way that appears crotchety, I’m sure. I have never been able to abide bullies, especially the intellectual bully.

What would you do if someone threw water balloons at your car as you drove by?

Keep driving and be annoyed for being unpleasantly surprised. An “oh shoot” or “fark” would probably be uttered. Heck, where I grew up, they threw rocks & heavy objects– seriously– once, a big pipe smashed my passenger side window and hit my wife in the arm. Kids will always be mischievous. It’s the level of mischief that concerns me. I could live with a wet car.

Are any of the walls painted in your home? Which and what colors? (I am *really* hoping for my sake that you’ll say you have a pepto pink bathroom or a miami vice teal living room)

A few– all neutral earth tones. We prefer wallpaper– but it’s interesting– Asian landscapes in the master br/bath, grass paper in the family room, neoclassic urns in LR , paisley in my office. A bathroom papered with monkeys and elephants, another with birds. In our summer condo, yeah we go a little crazy– a teal wall separating the kitchen and dining area, sand in the living room and yellow in the bedroom. Good thing you didn’t ask me about what’s on the walls.

Did you carry a comfort blanket or teddy bear as a toddler?

No, those can be misplaced or lost, so I went with the thumb

Tell us a story about a time you had to defend someone.

OK. This goes back to my early days as a lawyer. A man, a native of Taiwan, came to my office with an interpreter (his English was very poor). He explained that his tenant had sued him for locking her out of the apartment. Now this was a serious charge in NYC, entitling the tenant to triple damages PLUS legal fees. He told me it was untrue and asked me to defend him (he didn’t have much money). I asked him what evidence she had. He said she had a police report. He gave me his word he did not do it. When I spoke to the tenant’s attorney he gave me a copy of the police report which described her locked out of the apt with her belongings in plastic bags.

The lawyer said I was a fool to believe my client– that he was obviously lying. I took the case because I believed this man. I charged him what he could afford. After doing a lot of investigating on my own (I couldn’t afford to hire an investigator), I found a prior roommate who said she had claimed a lockout before (hmm). I also discovered she had married to get into the country (hmm). When I learned she was dating a law student, I KNEW it was a set up. When I got her on the witness stand, I let her have it with the questions. She panicked and literally jumped out of the witness stand and tried to run out of the courtroom ( I kid you not). The court officer stopped her. The judge immediately called me and the tenant’s attorney into chambers and threw the book at the other lawyer telling him that his client better give my client anything he wanted or there would be dire consequences. When I asked my client what he wanted, he humbly said he wanted nothing– only that his name be cleared — he would even return her security deposit. The tenant accepted.

My client never forgot my faith in him and he returned his loyalty to me. He has remained my client and friend to this day– almost 25 years. He has since become extremely wealthy and famous in Asia. An interesting aside– when I was trying to sell a large tract of land in Long Island, he took out a half page ad in the largest circulation Asian newspaper and ran it for several weeks— without telling me. A true friend. And it all started with that one case.

******************
So, there you have it.  JF wants Puff Daddy’s pants, ain’t skerred of a bully, publicly admits to being a lawyer and sucking his thumb as well as having actually used teal paint on a wall but we still like him because he stands up for his friends.  Now that you really know Ferrara, what do you think?

Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews. We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products.  Today we chat with Jim Duncah of the Real Central VA blog and boy was this a fun interview; let’s get started!

Tell us a funny story about one of your children. If you don’t have any, make one up.

I’ve picked my brain and can’t pick one simple vignette. Every day with my kids brings laughter.

Oh come on, Jim… 

From a letter sent home from day care:
(Three year old) was not a good listener today. She climbed up on tables and chairs and jumped off. She wouldn’t help clead up the toys before circle time and has ignored me at other ties during the day when I asked her to do something.

If you had to listen to radio for an hour, would it be Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern or silence? Why?

Silence. Both tend to blather on too much for my taste.

What’s your favorite pair of shoes?

A pair my wife got for me in New York last year. A pair of Cole Haan shoes that not only look snazzy, they’re Nike Air and wicked comfortable.

What is the best show on TV right now?

SportsCenter and Squawk Box. Unquestionably.

Do you believe in man purses (or uh, over-the-shoulder-briefcases)?

Yes - my mac goes with me wherever I go (for better or worse) and I have an Empire Builder from Tom Bihn.  Not only is it wildly functional, but they also have brilliant customer service.

What is the greatest threat to the American civilization?

Our education system, our culture’s complacency, lack of innovation, sacrifice and drive to improve.

*******
So, there you have it.  Jim is a man-purse enthusiast who uses the word “wicked,” has an affinity for Berman and may actually have a monkey as a child.  Now that you really know Jim, what do you think?

Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews. We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products.  Today, mortgage man Morgan Brown of Blown Mortgage joins us and he is obviously a great storyteller!  Let’s see what YOU think:

What is the most idiotic stunt you’ve done in a car?

The most idiotic stunt I’ve done in a car is ride for about 4 hours from Connecticut to the Hamptons on 24 packs of beer for summer vacation. We had too many beers and clothes, so we all had to sit on cases of beer in the back seat - it was not comfortable to say the least - and I’m sure we looked pretty stupid to passers-by.

You’re packed and ready to go on vacation when the dog sitter arrives. It happens to be Michael Vick- what do you do?

I’m taking the dogs with me, and asking Mike what squandered opportunity feels like.

Which is better- the movie “Office Space” or the show “The Office”? Why?

This is horrible, I’m such a square - I really don’t watch any TV. I’m too busy playing with my son, reading or writing, so I have never seen The Office! (I know, I know). Any way Office Space is one of my favorite movies. I love the Bobs - “Michael Bolton? Like the singer?” Great film.

Tell us a story about a time you fell in public.

Just the other day we were skim boarding (it’s our afternoon break) and I went to jump on the board as about 4 people were walking by and I took a nasty header which resulted in a good barrel roll right across the sand. It resulted in a lot of pointing and looks of concern from all around - I was fine though - dust it off and try again!

What is your biggest Internet addiction- Facebook, blogging, MySpace?

Blogging is by far my biggest addiction. Facebook and MySpace are fun, but I spend more time on BlownMortgage.com then anywhere else online. My Google Feed Reader gets a lot of work too…

Tell us a story about that gorgeous baby of yours.

My gorgeous baby boy - he is good looking, takes after his mom! I’ll tell the story of how he got here. My wife and I have had tremendous difficulty having children; in fact we lost two previous children far along in pregnancy. My first son Jude passed away at 7 months and my daughter Emma passed away at 5 months. They were both terribly traumatic losses. Because of that history Banks was monitored every which way to make sure he made it here. They admitted Summer to the hospital for monitoring at 25 weeks and at 26 he started showing signs of stress which was not good.

At 27 weeks the doctors recommended delivering him because of the stress that he was under in the womb. It was a tough decision but we didn’t want to lose him; so we agreed. He was born at 2 lbs 2 ounces on Super Bowl Sunday Feb. 5, 2006. He spent 180+ days in the Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive care units and finally emerged a beautiful, healthy, happy boy!

He is the biggest fighter I’ve ever met in my entire life and I am constantly amazed by what he has overcome. It is a true miracle how people can struggle so mightily and survive. The will to live is amazing and it gives me strength everyday. When I think things are hard I just picture his little 2 lb body hooked up to tubes and alarms and how he pushed through that. And if my family can get through the trauma of that we can get through anything. If my son can get through that then I refuse to let him down. If my wife has the courage to brave 3 pregnancies to bring our little man here than I have the courage to come through for her in the tough times.

It has been the ultimate life lesson, the greatest agony and the greatest joy in my young life and it has given me the ultimate perspective and the courage and power to drive through anything. They are my constant energy source, and I never tire because of its strength. I am eternally grateful for my son and my wife.

*******
So, there you have it.  Normally I do a silly summation here, but because I understand the pain of losing a child, I’ll just say THANK YOU to Morgan for not only answering the silly questions but for being brave in telling the story of the blessings he now has in his family.   Now that you really know Morgan, what do you think?

Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews. We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products.  Today we yap with Ardell DellaLoggia of the uber famous Rain City Guide.  When I send interview questions out, I consistently tell people to feel free to add/delete questions as they see fit and no one ever does (well my questions are typically perfect).  But I have to tell you that Ardell’s addition of her own question(s) made me laugh as she made it clear that she never thinks inside the box- and I absolutely ADORE her for that (even though she pretended not to “hear” my question asking why Texas is the best state ever)! 

So enough about me, let’s talk about you, Ardell:

What do I want to wear, but haven’t yet?

A big red floppy hat. I’ve always wanted to do that. I figure when I have more wrinkles than I want anyone to focus on, I can wear a big red floppy hat to distract your attention.

Tell us about a time you snuck out as a teen.

I didn’t want to be a lady when I grew up. When my Mom said “be a lady” I said I don’t wanna. I want to have fun. I’m still having lots of fun. I am exactly who I wanted to be when I grew up.

Do you drink beer, wine, mojitos or none of the above?

I like to dance more than I like to drink, but when I drink, I do both.

Ardell, can you dance to the tune of your own drum by creating your own questions/answers? 

If I could go back in time and be anyone in history, I would be Joan of Arc.

If I could change one thing about the world, I would make all of the dark people white and all of the white people dark for two years and then switch them back again. I’d do that every two years, back and forth.

*******
So, there you have it.  Ardell dreams of being Joan of Arc in a floppy red hat and was an abnormal teen who never snuck out despite rebelling against her mothers demands that she be a boring “lady.”  Now that you really know Ardell, what do you think?

Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews. We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products.  For today’s interview, Brian Brady sold me his soul in exchange for promoting the launch of his sexy new website, Mortgage Rates Report.  As a reader, you’re required to check the site out and add it to your RSS feed reader before you will be allowed to read the rest of this amazing interview… we’ll wait…

Ok, now that you’ve done it, let’s get started!!!

Is it possible for your pants to stay up without suspenders?

Kevin Boer asked a similar question at Inman Connect. I guess it’s become a bit of a trademark.

The suspenders picture just “happened”. I was at the Kodak Theatre for a Republican party fundraiser. It was pretty cool, rubbing elbows with Pete Wilson, The Guv-i-nator, and some of the great thinkers from the Hoover Institute. They had this Kodak photo machine that e-mailed you the picture they took of you.

I used the picture for my Active Rain and MySpace profile and it was all over. I am constantly told by my wife and women friends to get a new picture but I don’t want to blow the “trademark”. I suppose I could get a new picture with the suspenders but then everyone would see how gray I got these past two years.

As a child, what did you hide under your bed?

I was a Sports Illustrated books junkie when I was 7-10. My father worked in publishing so I used to get lots of the SI biography series free. I used to read them into the wee hours by flashlight and throw them under the bed when my mother checked in on me.

As a teenager, I graduated to the, um…women’s tennis books. In college, it was mostly dirty clothes. Today, it’s suitcases with dust on them (I really hate to travel)

Mitt or Barack?  Now the picture up top makes sense, no?  Brian very cleverly answered “Mitt- see attached pic.”

You are stranded in the mountains, in a shack without power for a month- which three bloggers would you most want to be stranded with and why?

Jeff Brown. He tells stories like he writes and comments. He’s old-skool corny and F-U-N-N-Y. He loves talking baseball and real estate. Jeff, his son, and I were having lunch last week when the waitress sort of gave his son “the eye”. Jeff and I were trying to engage her in conversation so that his son could chat her up. When she left, his son asked “What was that all about?”. The Bawld Guy replied “Kid, you got 50 years of wingman between us; what’djya expect?”. Classic.

Laurie Manny. When I met her, I felt like I was talking to my sister. Her New York accent reminds me of the “old country”. I can chat with her about blogging, real estate, politics, and family. Oh, we bicker like siblings, too.

Tony Gallegos. Tony G for many of the same reasons as Jeff. Tony G’s been originating loans since 1986. He closed over 400 HUD units one year. I met him when he was on assignment for a bank in Carlsbad. We had two beers and chatted for about 3 hours. Then, we stood out in the parking lot, in the rain, talking for another hour.

Tell us a story about an experience you’ve had in a bowling alley or skating rink.

My fraternity brother was bowling captain my junior year; nobody signed up for the team. He roped 10 of us into it. We showed up at the “Big East Roll-Off” and they said we had to bowl 13 games. We thought we got a couple of free road trips out of it but they actually expected us to bowl ALL DAY! Well, we stunk up the conference the whole year.

Here’s the kicker. Two months after the season was over, I received a varsity award in the mail with a big felt V for my jacket ( I went to Villanova) with crossed pins on it. Memo: The crossed pins do NOT impress many people.

Give an example of how your faith affected a difficult business decision you’ve made.

The decision to work with mostly investors reflects my belief that the Kingdom of God is at hand. I think He gave us everything we need to live abundant lives on earth, provided we are good stewards of that wealth. To me, that means that I need to feel that the investor must have good plans for the money, like educating children or retiring financially independent. That sense of purpose drives me daily. I know that the advice I dispense and the referrals I make will have a lasting impact on families. If I do it right, Johnny can go to Harvard and Mom and Dad can retire without worrying about whether Social Security will be there.

That decision moved us to diversify into private mortgage transactions. Most “hard money” lenders are thought of as predators, solely worried about equity. Charged with the preservation of capital, we make difficult decisions about whether we are solving or perpetuating problems. In short, if Bill can make a short-term loan to his neighbor that helps him out of a temporary spot and the return he receives fits into our plan, we make the loan. The counsel and follow-up we extend to the the borrower helps to protect the investment while assisting the borrower to get back on track.

Our rates and fees are MUCH lower than the securitizing hard money lenders. Every time I’m asked why I “play in the muddy side” of the business, I think of what Christ said when asked why he associated with tax collectors and prostitutes.

*******
So, there you have it.  Brian rubs the Guv-i-nator’s elbows (eww), plays wing man to a 20-something, dreams of spending time in the mountains with dudes (uh, you couldn’t have chosen three ladies?  where’s Berg in all this?), and lettered in BOWLING of all things, but these shortcomings are forgiven because he hearts Romney as much as I do and his faith leads all of his transactions.   Now that you really know Brian, what do you think?

Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews. We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products. Today, we grill Teresa Boardman who seems to be the only blogger in St. Paul. Let’s see if she can take the heat (spoiler alert- she can):

If you could fist fight any celebrity without consequence, who would it be and why?

I kind of know what a celebrity is but that is about it. I can’t really see myself fighting with anyone but I will work on it.

A fluffy puppy and a tiny kitten are stranded on the roadside and you can only take ONE home, which would it be?

Wow that is a tough one, I have a dog and a cat. Probably the kitten because they are easier sneak into the house and it wouldn’t chew up my shoes.

What is your favorite funny movie quote of all time?

I tried to watch a movie once. My attention span is usually a couple of hours shorter than a movie. If it is animated I can sometimes stick with it. I can’t handle violence of any type. I have been known to leave movie theaters after the first scene because of it. I know it is all make believe but I would rather make believe that people don’t hurt each other.

What is your makeup/hair regimen. This is very important.

Wow you got me again, you maybe should have asked me the questions you have for guys except I guess I don’t know anything about sports either. I have a friend that owns a salon. I have her cut my hair so that it only needs to be combed once a day. She knows that I like to drive with the sun roof in my car opened. i don’t know how she does it but it seems to look just fine even if I forget to comb it, and best of all my mother still reminds me that my hair is in my face. As for the make up, if it takes more than five seconds to apply it is beyond my skill level. I have gotten pretty good with lip stick but the dog ate my last tube so I have not worn any for awhile. My husband says he likes me just the way I am and none of my boy friends complain . . . except about my husband.

Have you ever told anyone that they shouldn’t be in Real Estate?

No I have never told anyone that they should not be in real estate. Career counseling is just not my thing. it isn’t that I don’t care about other people, I just don’t care that much.

How would you explain your job to a five year old?

How I would explain my job to a five year old. Great question. I sit in my car all day and talk on the phone. I even eat lunch in my car some days. I go into strangers houses with strangers and if they buy it I get paid. I have my name on some really neat signs in front of peoples houses so I can drive down the street and see my name on the really neat signs. I get lost a lot too but I always find my way home. The best thing about my job is that I am self employed so it someone wants me to do something I don’t have to do it unless they make me. how cool is that?

*******
So, there you have it. Teresa is a kitten loving Realtor with a toddler’s attention span who makes up for feeding her dog lipstick by being able to effectively describe her job to a small child or dumb person.  Now that you really know Teresa, what do you think?

Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews.  We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products.   Joel Burslem of the Future of Real Estate Marketing usually does the interviewing on Inman TV, but the tables have turned… let’s see what he has to say: 

You have to eat 100 pieces of candy- what kind is it?

Definitely black licorice - I’m a fiend. Trader Joe’s Scottie Dogs are tops on my list.

What’s the worst haircut you’ve ever had?

Have you seen my photo?!? I have no hair! Seriously - I can’t even remember the last time my head wasn’t shaved. I do it because I’m incredibly lazy when it comes to combing my hair and have absolutely no patience for hair product.

Tell us about the dumbest thing you’ve done on a bike, boat or plane.

Getting caught in a squall on a motorboat in the Andaman Sea. I seriously thought we wouldn’t make it back to land. I was ready to face the sharks.

If you had to, how would you have fought a shark- Bruce Lee style or Crocodile Hunter style?

Definitely Bruce Lee style. I have a black belt in Hapkido and those sharks would have been in for a surprise.

If you had to throw a surprise party this weekend, what would it be for?

My wife. We’re so busy these days and she works incredibly hard at school (she’s doing her Master’s degree in Oriental Medicine) - I’d like to show her how proud of her I am.

If you had to be a girl for a day, who would you be?

Britney Spears. I’d take myself into rehab.

If Real Estate didn’t exist, what would you be doing professionally in a Utopian world?

Running a small microbrewery. I love beer and plus, I live in Beervana (Portland, OR). We have more microbreweries per capita (46) than any other city in the US.

*********
So, there you have it.  Joel has the laziest haircut in history, has a soft spot for licorice and his wife, wants to fight a shark Bruce Lee style and would swim in a beer vat for a living if Real Estate didn’t exist.  Now that you really know Joel, what do you think?

Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews.  We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products.  In honor of today’s birthday, Jim Cronin (aka THE Tomato) steps up to bat- does he hit a home run?  Before we start, let us all pause to watch this hilarious Happy Birthday video just for The Tomato!

***This gunk was always there, but we just stepped in it- now YOU have to read about it:

What is your favorite breakfast? 

Huevos Rancheros anywhere or the World’s Best Pancakes as Debbie’s Restaurant in Paradise, CA

What are you terrible at? Baking, fashion, driving…

I can’t sing. I can’t even sing Happy Birthday.

How do you handle telemarketers? Give us an example.

I have made a living on the phone for the last 7 years. I usually try to help them with their pitch before telling them that I am not interested.

What do you drink at Starbuck’s?

I am a coffee junkie. Black, no sugar. Starbucks and Pete’s are generally too strong so I add a few ice cubes. But yes. Anywhere there’s coffee, I don’t discriminate.

What’s your worst fashion offense?

Socks and sandles, in the winter.

———————
So there you have it.  Jim wears socks with sandles, gingerly adds ice cubes to his boring coffee, pretends to be nice to telemarketers and with his lack of singing skills, shouldn’t sing Happy Birthday to himself this year (or ever).  Now that you really know Jim, what do you think?

Just when you thought you knew your favorite bloggers, along comes the Bubble Gum Interviews.  We ask the really tough questions about things like food preferences, high school stories and favorite hair products.  In true RE Revealed form, we went to Jay Thompson, The Phoenix Real Estate Guy to kick this new series off.

***This gunk was always there, but we just stepped in it- now YOU have to read about it:

Do you share your name with anyone that you’ve met?  Is there another Jay Thompson of fame or infamy that we should watch out for?

I’ve met a few Jay’s, and many Thompson’s, but I’ve never met another Jay Thompson. There are Jay Thompson’s that are actors, musicians and one Jay Thompson that’s a 22 year old surfer in Australia. When I lived in Austin, there was an attorney named Jay Thompson. We never met, but I did get several calls from his clients. Usually it was at 2:00am and they were looking for someone to bail them out of jail.

What food allergies do you have (so I can “avoid” them when I see you next)?

I’m deathly allergic to mornings, but that’s not really food. I don’t particularly care for most green vegetables. I am allergic to coconut. It makes my lips and forehead swell up to grotesque proportions, giving me a striking resemblance to a Neanderthal man. It’s not pretty. I have had “friends” in the past that attempted to slip me some coconut just to watch the transformation.

What was your first car?  Any favorite memories of your first car?  Keep it clean…

My first car was a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle. It was mostly red, though one fender was primer gray and another one was green. Favorite memories…. keep it clean….  Probably my senior year in High School when my all-time best bud Roy and I drove the Bug down to Port Aransas with two girls (they were FRIENDS, that’s all). 4 of us packed in a VW with three days worth of stuff. On our last day there just hours before departure, I was driving entirely too fast and slammed into a ditch some knucklehead had dug into the beach, basically ripping the front tires off the car. There were no open repair shops, so we were stranded.

Turns out both of the girls had somehow neglected to inform their parents that they were going to the beach with two guys…. Unbeknown  to Roy and I, they had concocted some elaborate ruse about how they were getting to and from the beach — that involved some made-up girl’s parents. Faced with reality, they had to call their parents to explain they were stranded. The ruse unraveled and both fathers were there several hours later to pick up their daughters. I thought the fathers were going to kill us. Roy and I stayed behind to frolic another day on the beach while the car was fixed.

How did you meet your wife, Francy?

I was in my corporate life at the time starting up a new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Austin. The company sent me to Phoenix for two months of training. The first day there, I went into the “Fab” — where workers are covered from head to toe in cleanroom suits. All you can see is a person’s eyes. I was working on a piece of processing equipment and some girl walks up and says, “Who the heck are you and what are you doing to this equipment?!” All I saw was this chick who had these *amazing* blue eyes…  I stumbled and stammered and sounded like a fool.

A couple of hours later, I see her name on the “birthday list”. I say, “Hey Francy, Happy late Birthday! How old are you?” “29″ she says (turns out that wasn’t quite true… but who was I to even ask?)

We chatted every day and I wanted to ask her out SO BAD. But I was recently divorced and thought all women were evil. Besides, I was only going to be there a few weeks.  Well, as it turns out the project in Austin was delayed and I wound up staying in Phoenix for nine months. Francy finally caved and asked me to a baseball spring training game. That date lasted 12 hours. As I was driving away I said to myself, “Self, that girl is WAY too scary. Do NOT get involved. DANGER!”. We didn’t go out on another date for over two months, but during that time we became the best of friends. Once that second date happened, it was over. I was head-over-heels in love and the rest is history.

Have you ever bailed anyone out of jail?

No, I haven’t. I’ve been bailed out of jail, does that count? I was young and stupid. Alcohol was involved. Me and some buddies were on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. I had to pee, couldn’t find a bathroom…. you can see where this is going…. for whatever reason (see young, stupid and alcohol) we thought it would be funny to pee in the river. San Antonio’s finest failed to see the humor. I spent 5 hours in the Bexar County holding pen. Haven’t come *close* to jail since…

List the cities you’ve lived in and the cities you’ve visited.  I hope Dimebox, Texas or Ashfork, Arizona make the list…

No can do. I’m an Army brat. Places I’ve lived (in order): 1) Charlottesville, VA; 2) Ft. Hood -  Kileen, TX; 3) Tullahoma, TN (while dad was in Korea): 4) Ft. Knox, KY; 5) Back to Tullahoma (dad in Vietnam); 5) Ft. Hamilton - Brooklyn, NY; 6) Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center - Denver, CO (Go Broncos!); 7) Ft. Sam Houston - San Antonio, TX; Galveston, TX - never go to college on the beach; 9) Austin, TX - never go to college in Austin; 10) Gilbert, AZ.

I also spent 3 months in Burlington, VT working on a Motorola/IBM Joint Venture.

I’ve visited a bunch of cities. My favorites are Beijing, Rome, and Paris. Kalispell, Montana was *gorgeous*.

I’ve got something like 91 cities I’ve visited identified in an application on my Facebook profile, but it’s not a complete list.

And I HAVE been to Dimebox, Texas! I haven’t been to Ashfork, AZ, but I’ve been to Snowflake, Arizona. In a couple of weeks I’ll be adding Puerto Penasco, Mexico to my list!

Tell me about your pets that are currently rooming with you

We’ve got a zoo. In addition to two teenagers, there are two mutt dogs named Trudy and Reilly. Two cats named Fluffy and Buzz. A Bearded Dragon lizard named Spike and a Ball Python named Osirus. Trudy is the smartest dog on the planet. Reilly? Well let’s just say that averages have a way of working out and between our two dogs, they are almost of average intelligence. Fluffy is a bitch. Buzz is a very cool cat. He likes to play fetch and climb ladders. Spike and Osirus just eat and poop. But it is entertaining to watch Osirus swallow mice whole.

What is the strangest non-food item you’ve eaten- glue, play dough, gasoline?

My former company was opening a plant in China and we were going to transfer there. So they sent Francy and I over for a week to check things out. We were wined and dined a lot. I ate chicken feet, baked pigeon and fish eyes. I suppose technically those are not “non-food items” but they were pretty weird, particularly the fish eyes. Sadly, the project was postponed and we were unable to transfer there. It would have been interesting.

I did accidentally get a mouthful of gasoline once when I was trying to siphon some gas out of the car into a lawnmower. I don’t recommend drinking gasoline. It’s nasty.

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So there you have it.  Jay is a fish-eye eatin’, VW crashin’ Army brat who has a head that swells not only from flattery but from coconut and shares his name with a DUI attorney.  Now that you really know Jay, what do you think?