March 13, 2003

***SPOFI LOCKER ROOM INTERVIEW #6*** jerseygirl: for some reason, i'm nervous now. Don't worry. You'll like it. Trust me. Our first interview with a girl!

posted by worldcup2002 to navel gazing at 01:28 PM - 51 comments

So, I am positively anxious (as you all are), like a boy on his first date. Yes, it's our first interview with a female SpoFi-er. It's jerseygirl! First of all, thanks very much for being so brave and sporting to do this interview, jerseygirl. You know the drill, ten questions, I ask one, you answer, then I ask again. One comment per answer. I'm going to ask all the others to play nice, and save their snarky comments and questions for after I finish my ten questions. Please. And we're off ...

posted by worldcup2002 at 01:34 PM on March 13, 2003

Q1. Your profile says you're variously known as andie, fenwaychick, and are located in Boston. You say you are a "Chick. Girl. Miss. Young lady. I'm not a ma'am yet." Tell us please (this is for the boys, of course), what do you look like?

posted by worldcup2002 at 01:37 PM on March 13, 2003

5'9" Wavy brownish blonde hair a bit below the shoulders, brown eyes, fair skinned thanks to Irish heritage. I'm 26. I try to keep fit, but I'm hardly the athletic jock girl type. I love my elliptical and I can't extol the virtues of pilates enough. I like to round out my workouts with some cardio and hand weights as well. I want to do yoga as well, but I need to find the time first. I'm "no-carbs, no refined sugar" kind of girl, too. I'm average on all accounts, in my opinion.

posted by jerseygirl at 02:23 PM on March 13, 2003

Many of us are falling in love even as we read that description. Healthy, happy, shiny. Now, on to more serious questions ... Q2. How did you find out about SpoFi? What made you join?

posted by worldcup2002 at 02:33 PM on March 13, 2003

I think you just called me shiny, happy people. I, like most others, found out about SpoFi through MeFi. You can only see "take it to Sportsfilter" comments so many times before curiousity gets the better of you and you do actually take yourself to Sportsfilter. I observed for a day or so, and then joined. I wasn't intimidated by the membership being mostly male. If anything, I figured I could learn a thing or two about a broader range of sports from all over the world. It was also appealing that it was such a small community, I was glad to get in around the inception.

posted by jerseygirl at 02:43 PM on March 13, 2003

"Don't worry. You'll like it." Thats what i say to all the girls...

posted by StarFucker at 03:45 PM on March 13, 2003

Q3. And has SpoFi met your expectations? How has it surprised or helped you? In what ways has it disappointed you? What would make it better for you?

posted by worldcup2002 at 04:27 PM on March 13, 2003

I'm not so sure I had huge expectations upon joining. But the forum itself has exposed me to different sports, so I guess mission accomplished there. It hasn't disappointed at all. Not that I need it all the time, but spellchecker would make things better! :)

posted by jerseygirl at 07:39 AM on March 14, 2003

OK. Let's get a little more personal. Q4. Tell us more about life outside of SpoFi. What's making you so busy right now? What work do you do?

posted by worldcup2002 at 09:58 AM on March 14, 2003

Outside of SpoFi I am a project administrator/executive assistant. The first part of the job is me guiding industrial projects through a development process and assembling the documentation. Yes, I know: Snore. The second part of my job is supporting a department of about 35 people with purchasing, the creation of presentations and training documents, graphic arts, a bit of web programming and basically keeping things organized. I do a little bit of IT, sales, accounting and design work. I prefer the creative computer work over anything else. I’ve been extraordinarily busy lately because I’ve been sidelined off and on with a cold for the last couple weeks. Work had piled up a bit. All in all, I guess I am happy with my job. It sort of pays the bills, allows me flexibility and I like the people I work with. Ideally, I’d like to be doing web design, graphic arts and photography full-time… maybe when the job market picks up a bit. Besides work, there’s a boyfriend, family, friends, and a new puppy. The latter is the most challenging as I am confident everyone else is completely housetrained. Hmm… what else… I love movies, music, reading and tv. I am kind of an all around media consumer. I am a self-proclaimed nerd girl who likes taking her computer apart and have recently discovered the wonders of making my own "Tivo" with a tv tuner card and some extra hard drive space. Of course, baseball season is starting up, so there will be a few trips to Fenway this season including my second Opening Day.

posted by jerseygirl at 11:04 AM on March 14, 2003

Boyfriend!?! Okay, interview over!

posted by StarFucker at 11:10 AM on March 14, 2003

SF, he might not be housetrained though. So if you are, you might have a chance. Are you?

posted by vito90 at 11:20 AM on March 14, 2003

jerseygirl, I was hoping we'd tease out the interview a little longer before we revealed the "boyfriend." But you went ahead and spilled the beans anyway. Now I don't know what to ask you about.

posted by worldcup2002 at 11:26 AM on March 14, 2003

Just kidding! Q5. What movies and TV shows do you watch? What music do you listen to? What do you read? Why?

posted by worldcup2002 at 11:28 AM on March 14, 2003

Sorry SF! I didn't know, worldcup!

posted by jerseygirl at 01:18 PM on March 15, 2003

I'll watch most movies, but I gravitate towards comedies and romantic crap. I have about 60 DVDs in my collection and those movies range anywhere from random chick flicks to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. But, my very favorite movie is Casino. DeNiro is my favorite actor. TV shows... that tends to vary a bit. I like Crank Yankers on Comedy Central, I'll watch most of SNL and then shut it off after Weekend Update and then watch some real chick stuff like Trading Spaces. During baseball season, I try to catch Baseball Tonight and Sportscenter regularly. I'll also watch local Red Sox post and pre game shows. If I were to pick a favorite sitcom, it would be Will & Grace. Also in primetime, I watch the news programs like Dateline and 20/20 if the topic is interesting enough. I am ashamed to say I watched and enjoyed Joe Millionaire and most of the Surreal Life. To pass time when there is nothing on TV, I play a lot of GTA: Vice City. It's cathartic somehow. I don't actually play the game and do the missions; I just use the cheat codes and blow things up. For music, that's a difficult one. If you looked at my ipod, you'd think I had multiple personalities. There's anywhere from the Deftones to 80s pop new wave stuff. Mostly, I try to stick to Pearl Jam and Led Zeppelin, as those are my real favorites. Generally, I don't listen to FM radio and I try to stay away from all emo stuff, as a rule. And reading... I read most of (at least) one local newspaper every day (including the sports section) and then peruse internet news. For magazines, I'll read anything from US News and World Report to Entertainment Weekly. I usually try to read about one book a month. The last book I read was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

posted by jerseygirl at 01:20 PM on March 15, 2003

I'm ashamed to say I watch American Idol 2 and love it. Simon is da bomb. But. Oh. My. God. You anticipated my next question. Q6. Did you know Kevin Smith is making his next movie about you? Are you going to see it? Will we learn anything about you in that movie? Does J-Lo look anything like you?

posted by worldcup2002 at 10:13 PM on March 15, 2003

I wouldn't have picked you out as an American Idol junkie, worldcup. I watched the first couple episodes, but I can't keep up with it. I don't think they should have thrown Frenchie out, she could really sing. It was kind of a weird change for Fox to suddenly have "family values". I'm actually a fan of Kevin Smith and his movies. But I am not sure what to make out of the latest one, Jersey Girl, just because I am so tired of seeing Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez every time I open a magazine or turn on the tv. It's a shame that I am so turned off on them now, because I used to like them [individually] as actors before they decided to become a Hollywood uber-couple. And plus, you know, she's totally going to divorce him in like 7 months. I'll probably see the movie just because I like Kevin Smith so much and have seen all his other work. But, no. I don't think you'll learn anything about me in the movie, because as far as I know, it's about a guy raising his young daughter. I don't think I look like J-Lo... Jersey girl, however, is a Tom Waits song, covered many times by Bruce Springsteen. It's a really mellow, sweet song.

posted by jerseygirl at 08:54 AM on March 16, 2003

Ah, so now we learn the origin of the nickname. Q7. Are you originally from Joisey? And, if so, how did you come to love the Boston Red Sox? How did you become such a big baseball fan, in general?

posted by worldcup2002 at 04:39 PM on March 16, 2003

Casino over Goodfellas? I hope you're kidding?

posted by jbou at 12:01 AM on March 17, 2003

Casino over Goodfellas over The Godfather Part II? I hope you are all kidding!

posted by grum@work at 09:25 AM on March 17, 2003

Godfather 1 and 2! In 3, they should've just shot the Coppola daughter in the first scene. Hey, jerseygirl!

posted by worldcup2002 at 09:35 AM on March 17, 2003

Working on an answer to Q7, work is a bit busy today. I'm still here! I don't know why I prefer Casino, either. Everyone roasts me for that, you guys arent the first.

posted by jerseygirl at 10:18 AM on March 17, 2003

wc2k2: I was sticking to the DeNiro mobster movie motif in the selection. DeNiro doesn't appear in Godfather 1 or 3, but has the big role in #2. But owning the DVD collection of The Godfather trilogy is great, except you feel kind of obligated to watch #3 at least once. Ugh.

posted by grum@work at 12:53 PM on March 17, 2003

I own the VHS collection, and yes, I watched them all in a row. The last one was painful. I'm glad everyone died. Hey, this is getting boring. Hurry back, jerseygirl!

posted by worldcup2002 at 01:01 PM on March 17, 2003

No. Not from Jersey. I’ll answer your questions in backwards order. I follow MLB to keep up with the Red Sox competitors, mostly. If they trade someone, I want to know what the guy we’re getting is like. I want to know if our pitchers and hitters are going to stand up against the others. I’m always amazed to see the difference in coverage and the following of baseball teams across the country. It amazes me that very decent teams barely pull in any crowds and Fenway packs in a full house every night. Despite the differences in other markets, nationwide, baseball is huge in Boston. We talk about it at the water cooler at work. It’s on the television while you’re waiting to get your car’s oil changed. It’s on the radio when you get into a cab. Being a Red Sox fan isn't always a choice, especially in Boston. Usually, your friends and family instill it in you. For me, my Red Sox infatuation started with my dad and further fostered by my boyfriend. My father, however, is a huge fan. He’s my Red Sox guru, my Red Sox historian. He has hundreds of stories of sneaking into baseball games as a kid, hanging out in the bleachers, or how he met Don Baylor once while coming out of the park. He shows me his old baseball cards and tells me about each player in detail. For me, the Red Sox and baseball bring my dad and me together. After a game at Fenway last summer, I came home with an autographed ball from Dwight Evans. I’ll never forget the look on my dad’s face as he examined the autograph or what he said to me just then. “Dewey! He was a great right fielder!” Red Sox fans, we’re generally a woeful bunch. But we’re in it together. We’re the Fenway Faithful. We’re the Fellowship of the Miserable. We’re Red Sox Nation. We don’t understand how things go wrong, but we keep coming back for more because we get just close enough to keep us on the line season after season. It’s what our fathers did, and our grandfathers before them. It’s history; it’s tradition. We have to be hopeful each spring and disgusted each fall to keep this vicious cycle going. But most of all, we have to keep believing. Someday we’re going to win one. This may be the year.

posted by jerseygirl at 02:57 PM on March 17, 2003

OK. Now we know what media you consume. Tell us about some other stuff you consume ... Q8. What do you like to drink? What's your favorite? Why?

posted by worldcup2002 at 03:05 PM on March 17, 2003

(Apologies for the totally clumsy transitions between questions. That recounting of your family's baseball traditions was sweet. Probably familiar to some of our footballing SpoFi fans over in England? Bring a tear to your eye, diddit?)

posted by worldcup2002 at 03:09 PM on March 17, 2003

It did actually, yes. But then, I always was a soppy git.

posted by squealy at 04:00 PM on March 17, 2003

From jerseygirl's description, she'd fit in perfectly with us lamentable Leaf fans. While it's only been 36 years for Toronto, when you're the self-professed centre of the (English-speaking) hockey world, it feels like it's been 85 years. I'm cheering for the Jays every year, but I'd be quite happy to see Boston finally win one too.

posted by grum@work at 04:00 PM on March 17, 2003

I think we all probably inherited something like that from our families. For me, my dad passed on a love of the Boston Bruins. And a lazy eye. I'm not sure which is worse.

posted by Samsonov14 at 04:03 PM on March 17, 2003

Hmm beverages... Generally, I don't drink a lot of alcohol anymore. My appetite and tolerance for it has waned quite a bit since college. But for alcoholic drinks, I like hard ciders, rum & coke and mudslides, and on occasion, lite beer. But for every day consumption I'll have tea (iced or hot), water, juice. I drink a lot of water and I am totally anti-coffee. But tea is my favorite.

posted by jerseygirl at 06:50 PM on March 17, 2003

Healthy, healthy, healthy. And a Boston tea partier. Heh heh. Q9. What are your favorite foods? Why?

posted by worldcup2002 at 07:15 PM on March 17, 2003

Hey worldcup, when are you going to ask some REAL questions?

posted by StarFucker at 09:59 PM on March 17, 2003

I don't know. For some reason, I'm being really shy and nervous and proper. I don't have any good questions. My head is a blank. What were you going to ask? Help me out here.

posted by worldcup2002 at 12:23 AM on March 18, 2003

please, wc, do not ask starfucker that question.

posted by Ufez Jones at 01:03 AM on March 18, 2003

Well, I generally don't eat many carbs. My favorite food is chicken. I also like strawberries, apricots and mushrooms (not together). SF frightens me. Okay, bye.

posted by jerseygirl at 08:17 AM on March 18, 2003

Okay, bye?

posted by StarFucker at 08:25 AM on March 18, 2003

What?

posted by jerseygirl at 08:31 AM on March 18, 2003

OK. STOP IT. Both of you. One last question, after which I will open it to the floor. Q10. How did you get to be such a geek? Tell us your about your sordid tech past.

posted by worldcup2002 at 08:54 AM on March 18, 2003

I don't get it.

posted by StarFucker at 09:00 AM on March 18, 2003

I performed a bit of self-analysis and went back to read my past interviews, and why they seemed to do better then. I think it's because (1) I tended to do them with more vocal members of the community, which allowed me to "know" them better before the interview; (2) There was less interruption between my question and their answers which made it easier to keep the conversational flow; (3) I was asking more crass questions. Altho I asked the "core questions" in pretty much every interview, I also found questions I could've asked but didn't: - What's your favorite porn site? - What's your exercise regimen? - What's your beef w/ the MLB? - Do you have a blog? You're welcome to answer any of these if you'd like, jerseygirl.

posted by worldcup2002 at 09:10 AM on March 18, 2003

worldcup, you are doing just fine.

posted by StarFucker at 09:13 AM on March 18, 2003

All right. I'll answer them all :) I don't want people thinking we punked out or anything, worldcup! 10. About 8 years ago, I immersed myself into computers, learning the operating systems, educating myself on applications and getting around the internet. There wasn't much on the internet back then, at all. I remember spending a lot of time on Yahoo. Anyway, a couple years later, I obtained an early copy of FrontPage. That sucked. Someone recommended Dreamweaver and I progressed with HTML from that. I picked up a few books here and there to help me out. JavaScripting and CSS naturally followed. My job allowed me a lot of time to experiment with Dreamweaver/HTML, Photoshop, drawing and graphic manipulation, and eventually, I got pretty good at all of it. Enough so that I picked up a few freelance jobs in the last couple years, without doing much self-promotion. Sometime in the last few years, I got brave and decided I could do my own hardware updates and tweaking. 10a. - I don't have one. Probably more of a guy thing. 10b. - Kind of went over this one already in Q1. I try to get in about 4 sessions each week, but in the last month my schedule hasn't allowed for 4. I try to make up for it by spending some of my lunch hour walking (when it's not dangerously frigid outside) or doing the flights of stairs at work. 10c. - My only real problem with MLB is the ticket prices are getting too high, especially at Fenway. I understand that it's a small park and they have to increase profit to keep up the payroll, yadda yadda yadda. I get it. And it's fine for me now because I am single and don't have a family to support (or bring along with me to the park), but I think in the future, when I have kids it will be a bit pricey to bring the family to a few ballgames every summer. I feel for the average family who just want to take their kids to a big league ballgame to see some big league players. 10d. I had one about 3 years ago, I found that I didn't have the time to update it appropriately and it didn't have much of a following anyway, so I shut it down and canceled the domain. I own several domains, but they're for people I've done freelance design for.

posted by jerseygirl at 09:42 AM on March 18, 2003

You are truly sporting! Thanks for playing along, jerseygirl. It's been good to learn more about you. And we hope you'll continue to stay and play at SpoFi. Drop by the soccer threads sometime and say Hi. One more question before you go ... Do you have any sisters? (hehehehe).

posted by worldcup2002 at 09:52 AM on March 18, 2003

Nope, sorry! Only daughter in this family!

posted by jerseygirl at 09:59 AM on March 18, 2003

jerseygirl, tell me your favorite Jim Rice moment, if you have one...

posted by vito90 at 10:57 AM on March 18, 2003

who's next?

posted by Ufez Jones at 11:58 AM on March 18, 2003

I don't specifically have one, personally. My younger brother was the big Jim Rice fan growing up.

posted by jerseygirl at 11:58 AM on March 18, 2003

Wade Boggs was a big chicken fan also. I'm just sayin'...

posted by justgary at 12:32 PM on March 18, 2003

since she doesn't have one ... can i pick jerseygirl's honorary favorite porn site? ... hey, or maybe that could be the prize for winning the NCAA pool.

posted by danostuporstar at 01:53 PM on March 18, 2003

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