Meet the Staff!

[Prodigy]

Hey everyone!

I thought this might be a fun idea to further "humanize" the Forum Staff and just generally have a bit of a laugh getting to know the Powers That Be around here. I present to you: The Meet the Staff Thread!

The general idea is that the members of the Staff will answer a few general questions about themselves on an individual basis (however they're comfortable) and we would also like to extend an invitation to the membership at large to ask questions and get to know us better!

A quick disclaimer: Please make your questions as generic as possible to allow a diverse response from multiple Staff members. If you'd like to ask more specific or targeted questions, a PM to the Staff member of your choice is encouraged. Answering is not mandatory, so let's try to keep this a fun and active thread by asking appropriate questions.

I'll kick things off!

I'm Prodigy. I've been a member of this board (and the previous one!) for a while now, but I've taken small breaks here and there so I don't know everyone as well as I could, I suppose.

Age: born in the 80s

Location: Southern Ontario, Canada. I haven't really travelled before but I'd really like to go somewhere eventually.

Interests or Hobbies: I really enjoy writing when I have the time. I also play video games (mostly PS3) and I'm a bit of a foodie! I love going out to eat someplace new with my husband and we critique the food, which is lots of fun (not to mention delicious!)

Pets/General family life: My husband and I own one very old cat who's quite talkative and loves being our furbaby. I'm going to make the small announcement here that we are expecting our first child in December!!

General occupation: I waitress at a coffee bar. Previously I've also worked at a casino and in retail.

So go ahead, don't be shy, ask away!

[The Mute Poet]

Congratulations, Miss Prodigy, I'm not sure impending motherhood is allowed to qualify as a small announcement though... I'll definitely now be taking notes from you for both wedding and parenting type stuff.

So I agree that this thread is a pretty great idea, I love getting to know the diverse membership here, so I'm glad for the chance to help you guys get to know me a bit better.

I'm The Mute Poet, and I started out as a lurker here round about 13 years old. In 2008 I finally convinced myself to join proper and I'm so glad I did. Not only have I met tons of genuinely great people, I really enjoy getting to give back to to this place as a staff member - this forum has and will always be a really important part of my life.

Age: 22 (God, that seems older than it should be... )

Location: A small town in Southern Quebec, but I live in Montreal during the winter for university.

Interests or Hobbies: First and foremost I love hockey, watching it and playing it (I'm a goalie) and I actually have a pretty massive hockey card collection. I also write poetry when I have time and can find the inspiration, I really enjoy working and shaping words in order to create. I also read quite a bit (primarily classics or fantasy) and still enjoy playing soccer (although sadly my knees are now past the point of sustaining competitive-level play).

Pets/General family life: I'm engaged to an amazing girl, who has since joined the forum out of curiosity and support for my fetish (most of you have probably met or seen blondyachoo before), and we live together along with her younger brother and older cousin in Montreal. During the summers I live with my parents and younger brother and sister back in the country (and take the vista I grew up with for granted less and less every year). I have one slightly pudgy year-old tabby cat who lives in the city with blondy and I named Jade, and another beautiful black and white year old one who lives at my parents' house named Professor Charles Xavier Damian Julius Caesar (we just call him Damian unless he's being scolded) whom we found in a bush on our lawn as a kitten. We also have a 15 year old dog named Charlotte (after the Spider in Charlotte's Web) who's a Lab/German Shepherd mix, and is now almost completely deaf - though I have a theory at least some of it is just her willfully ignoring us in her old age.

General occupation: Right now I'm a psychology student, though blessedly only for 6 more months and then I have my Bachelor's degree. After that it's on to a certification in education, and then eventually teaching elementary/high school english. During the weekend and in summer I have the unglamorous job of working 6-7 day weeks in my grandfather's plastic factory - but, hey, it pays the bills, and I can drive a mean forklift.

If anyone has any questions at all I'm pretty much an open book, here, so seriously, go for it.

[polychrome]

Congratulations Prodigy! Even though you hid it in the fine print

[Nicole]

Congratulations, indeed, Prodigy! Cheers!

[vote_for_pedro]

Yay Prodigy! You and your husband must be so excited!

[Prodigy]

Heh, thanks all. I considered actually making an announcement on the Announcements/Personal board, but I didn't want to cause too much of a commotion and felt a little silly dedicating a whole thread to myself. Yes, C is thrilled -- in the 10 years we've been together I've never seen him so happy and excited. He's going to make a fantastic dad!

[TheCakeIsAlive]

Congratulations Prodigy. Very happy for you.

[Enkidom]

Many congratulations Prodigy and C , and The Mute Poet is 100% correct - that's no small announcement!

I think this thread is a great idea, especially given the fact that new members are joining all the time and it's really nice to put a human face to the staff.

I'm Enkidom, it feels like I've been around the community forever (cue age jokes). I've been a member of this board since pretty much the inception, and of previous boards too. I've met some fantastic people through the community and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Age: Child of the seventies, one of Thatcher's children, at University for the start of Cool Britannia, grumpy old man by the new Millennium (36, 37 in a month)

Location: A little town in the sunny (hah ) South East of Ireland, Co. Wexford.

Interests or Hobbies: I'm a completely unreformed Sci-Fi geek, love it, love it, love it. I'm also an unashamed and unreformed role-playing geek and have a collection of dice of many sides to prove it. Sometimes I even dress up in chainmail and run around waving a sword above my head shouting insane war oaths, though never where inappropriate in public. Other hobbies include swearing at movies when they are historically inaccurate, reading on world religions, history, Sci-Fi and Science Fantasy and horror, being a bit of a film geek (do you detect a theme here? ). I follow cricket and American Football, though I am the definition of an armchair fan - used to bowl a bit, tried playing American football once and ended up with a badly bruised neck. Decided it probably wasn't for me after that.

Pets/General family life: Married to a wonderful Irish lass and have emigrated over the Irish sea, leaving England's green and pleasant land behind. Our house has one very vocal and somewhat annoying feline tenant. Am looking forward to owning our house so the garden can be properly fenced in allowing us to get dogs. I also own a fuzzy Cthulu, though he doesn't move very much, just sits and glowers like the abomination from beyond space and time that he is.

General occupation: I'm a University administrator, basically a career civil servant (ducks rotten tomatoes)

Any more questions, please go ahead and ask. I don't bite, honest.

[Vetinari]

Well firstly, congratulations Prodigy. That is wonderful news indeed. I hope everything goes well and I look forward to hearing all about it. It just isn't possible to have too much baby talk as far as I am concerned!

You know, my age and where I am are over there somewhere, <----- and they will remain up to date there probably better than announcing them here. My interests include tacos, chocolate cakes, coffee, silliness and (quite frankly) hanging around this forum for far too much of my time. I was once a vet, (yes really!) and am still available for increasingly out of date consultations for anyone who is worried about their pet. I'm always glad to hear from people and if you have a forummy problem I'm generally keen to help as much as possible.

it's really nice to put a human face to the staff.

Oh Enkidom, do we really need to wear our human faces today? I want to wear the gorilla one!

[Lynne]

My turn

Age: 35ish

Location: Most of you know I live in the Ottawa area (Canada's capital - *GASP* No, it isn't Toronto!)

Interests or Hobbies: I read, I cook, I knit... I don't really have time for much else

Pets/General family life: I have two kids and two evil cats. I'm looking to get rid of the evil cats, if anyone wants one (shhh, don't tell the kids!)

General occupation: I work for the government. If I told you more than that, I'd have to kill you.

So the object of this thread is to ask questions to various staff members (use common sense, this is an all-ages area of the forum). We may answer, we may not But don't let that stop you from asking anyway! Cheers,

~ Lynne

[Lynne]

I was once a vet, (yes really!) and am still available for increasingly out of date consultations for anyone who is worried about their pet.

Well Vet, (it's weird to call you that in an on-topic sort of way), do you know if matting hair on a cat can be a sign of worms, or are they just fighting too much and mussing up each others' fur? LOL How's that for TMI?

[obsessed]

Congrats Prodigy!

Age: foreveryoung

Location: USA

Interests or Hobbies: Reading, writing, staying up until the sun rises, photography, and frolicking around live chat. I love meeting new people!

General occupation: Student

[Bubbles]

Age: 32

Location: Northern Ireland

Interests or Hobbies: Gaming (PC and iphone) - mostly first person shooters, but I like things like Sims and C&C I'm also addicted to Killer Sudoku. I would wilt and die without music.

Pets/General family life: Lives alone, 2 storey house, no social services, ex-smoker, occasional drinker. Independent with mobility and personal care needs. Skin intact. History of vertigo and M.E..

General occupation: Nurse (did my previous answer not give that away?) Particularly interested in infectious diseases/infection control.

[Zed]

Congrats Prodigy on your fantastic news. I wish you and your husband nothing but joy and happiness as you become parents for the first time.

Good to see so many fellow Canucks too! Looks like we're slowly taking over....

Take care and thanks,

Zed

[polychrome]

Pets/General family life: Lives alone, 2 storey house, no social services, ex-smoker, occasional drinker. Independent with mobility and personal care needs. Skin intact. History of vertigo and M.E..

General occupation: Nurse (did my previous answer not give that away?) Particularly interested in infectious diseases/infection control.

It could almost pass for a PT, but you didn't mention the presence or absence of stairs to enter or the location of rails

[Bubbles]

It could almost pass for a PT, but you didn't mention the presence or absence of stairs to enter or the location of rails

Awaiting installation of a man to carry me up the stairs..

[Prodigy]

Well, I have a question for any Staff member willing to answer:

What did you want to be when you grew up? Are you any closer to living your dream, or have you abandoned the idea?

[Vetinari]

I wanted to be a vet!

[Prodigy]

Really? That's awesome! I remember wanting to be a vet as a kid (among many, many other things) because we ran a house full of animals and I thought for sure that I'd grow up to work with them.

[Enkidom]

I actually wanted to be a mechanic when I was a kid, but I realized fairly early on that I'd probably be fine with the theory, but I have 10 thumbs and so would be dreadful with the practical side, so I abandoned it. I've replaced it with another dream "if I ever win the lottery". I want a Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall type life. I want to raise my own animals in a high-welfare way for meat and produce and grow my own vegetables, basically have as close to a self sufficient lifestyle as possible.

G has already informed me though that the animals would have to be raised away from the house so she doesn't get attached.

[Nicole]

G has already informed me though that the animals would have to be raised away from the house so she doesn't get attached.

Dom, please tell G that I love her. And give her a hug from me!

[doggo]

Age: 30 but childish

Location: Fennoscandia

Interests or Hobbies: Painting, baking bread, crafts. And I watch way more anime than is healthy!

Pets/General family life: I live alone in a small, cluttered, dirty and very comfortable nest. A while ago I spotted a huge harvestman on my desk, but it dissappeared somewhere when I was looking for something to catch it with...

General occupation: comp lit student, for life probably? Also a welfare bum. I like to make myself useful here and there though.

I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up, poet possibly. Haven't written seriously in years though. But apart from writing, I think I have the lifestyle down...

[Prodigy]

I always wanted to write, too, but could never commit to anything.

If you had unending inspiration, what would you most enjoy writing? A particular genre? A single, giant book or a series of smaller novels?

[TheCakeIsAlive]

Well, as I've been on the staff for a little while now, I thought I'd give it a shot too. I'm rather bad at these things though, so don't shoot me! *hides*

Age: born in the 90s (just about)

Location: Europe

Interests or Hobbies: Writing (as you have all probably noticed by the infrequent bursts of dribble I've posted over the past few years), reading (mainly Fantasy (Song of Ice and Fire, Darkover, Discworld etc) and 1800ish reading novels (Austen, Verne, Brontë, Darwin...) and some popular science and even older stuff (Nibelungenlied, Mabinogion)). I play the piano and sing (with varying results), craft (cross-stitch, knit, sew, also with varying results) and bake a mean cookie.

Pets/General family life: Never had pets, moved out from my parent's place nearly a year ago and enjoying it very much.

General occupation: Student and professional procrastinator.