The Great Interview Experiment - My Q&A

I interviewed Andrea and Lorraine of Fretting the Small Stuff. Two sisters, one blog. Each sister responded separately to my questions. Twofer!

They are fascinating people, so please add them to your blogroll.

1. What was your main reason for beginning your blog? How did your friends and/or family originally react? How do they feel about it now?

Andrea: This is actually my third blog, if you would believe it. After I took the bar exam and was looking for jobs, I needed some sort of outlet to express my silliness. I did that blog for a while and then in June 2006, my Irish Wolfhound was diagnosed with bone cancer. Of course, being the internet addict I am, I did a ton of searches looking for information about Irish Wolfhounds, amputations, and just personal accounts of having a giant breed dog. After not much success in finding the information for which I was searching, I started a blog about Finnegan's treatment. I only stopped blogging there very recently. He is 20 months past diagnosis, which is amazing, and is doing very well. Okay, phew! Now we are on the current blog. I decided I wanted one that was about a human (I suppose I am human) so I started Fretting the Small and harassed, threatened and bribed my sister into joining me. It's been really cool to have her input. She's much older (heh!) and wiser than I when it comes to life's lessons and experiences. My friends and family are supportive and I have received great feedback. Our parents don't know about this blog though. I'm very stealthy that way.

Lorraine: Andrea started the blog, then suggested I join her. It took a lot of whining and complaining (on my part), but she finally convinced me to take part. Quite frankly, my family was surprised I even knew what a blog is! :-)

2. If you had enough money not to work, would you still work at your current job? Why?

Andrea: It's funny you ask! For some reason, that question comes to my mind often. Honestly, I think it depends on the day you ask. I love my job. I am a consumer law attorney at a legal aid organization and it is one of the most fulfilling jobs I could have. I started out in private practice and it was not for me for many reasons. I probably would work part-time because my husband and I will be starting a family in the future very soon and I would love to be as close to a full time mom as possible. If I won a ton of money, I would probably stop working and give my time to helping abused, disabled, and homeless animals. I'm a huge animal person and would love to save them all. Even the funny looking ones.

Lorraine: Well, I LOVE my current job, which is a full time stay at home wife and mom, so yes, I would stay at my current job if I had tons of money. I might however, hire a housekeeper.

3. I haven't seen The Bucket List but the premise is to accomplish certain things before you die. What three things would be on your Bucket List?

Andrea: Three things: visit every continent, live in a green house with solar energy, and make a positive impact on the earth by decreasing my carbon footprint and helping those (both human and animal) less fortunate.

Lorraine: 1. Take a woodworking class so that I could safely operate power tools. I LOVE POWER TOOLS, but my husband is afraid I will lose a limb. 2. spend lots of time in Italy and France and Spain 3. Raise our children to be happy, emotionally sensitive and socially successful people

4. Valentine's Day is next week. What is the most romantic thing your husband has done for you? What is the most romantic thing you've done for him?

Andrea: If you see here, I am not about romance. It gives me the heeby jeebies. I'm more about silliness. The Prof cheers me up by singing songs, he stood by me during one of the roughest times of my life, and he loves me the mostest. In return, I provide him with a stable and loving home life he missed as a child.

Lorraine: My husband planned a huge celebration for my 50th birthday, had my family fly in and invited all my closest friends for a surprise birthday. He did so much planning, and he was so sweet. It was amazing. The most romantic thing I did for my husband was plan a surprise get away weekend.

5. Growing up, were you a tomboy or a girly girl? Or both?

Andrea: Probably a bit of both. I liked to be outside collecting fuzzy caterpillars but I also loved Barbie and Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Lorraine: Mainly a tomboy. I loved playing outside in the woods or dreaming about having a horse. I did have just about every Barbie available along with a Barbie dream house. But we had to rough it and set it up out in the garage or in the back yard.

6. Finally, if you could chose to be invisible or to fly, which would you chose, and why?

Andrea: I think I would like to fly because I could literally get a bird's eye view of the world. If I was super fast like Superman, I could easily visit my sister who lives too far away and my parents, friends, and brother who are all on the east. That would be pretty cool.

I want to end this interview by saying your strength is amazing. I cannot imagine through what you've been and I wish you all the best. Also, I want to say that I have the best sister in the world and I wish everyone could be as luck as Lorraine and I are to have each other.

Lorraine: Definitely fly, I love to watch the birds soaring around. Where we live is so gorgeous, I would love to be able to fly out over the sound or up into the mountains.