Interviewed by LaDonne...

[cyan_blue]

1. Why did you decide on your current career path?

When I got to college, I was originally on a pre-med course, but they encouraged us to study other things besides bio and chem. So I took some psychology courses, and realized that this field spoke to me far more than the physical realm of health services did.

I really enjoy the work... I meet fascinating people with fascinating stories to tell, and I get to help people to heal hurts, accept themselves, and grow. It's wonderful.

2. If you could live anywhere without regard for worries of finding job, housing, you can literally write your own ticket, where would that be?

Hmm. Having all ready successfully lived in two of the US regions in which (a) housing is most expensive, and (b) therapists are a dime a dozen, I don't think those worries would come in to play. Less expensive and competitive than SF and NY would surely be nice, but that would also mean living apart from an even larger number of my friends than I all ready do.

Here's what my real living preference would be: A neighborhood where all of my friends and loved ones would agree to live, so that we could be in each others lives more frequently.

In terms of favorite towns to live in: Right now I'm happy in Pacifica, the little rustic oceanside town 15 miles south of SF. I could definitely see myself living in NYC or New England again. In terms of places where I haven't yet lived... Portland and Philly rank high on that list. Ottawa is cool as well.

3. Why did you choose to be a vegetarian?

I don't like the unnecessary killing of animals, and I don't like what the livestock industry does to the environment.

I didn't become veg successfully until I was away from my parents' house and away from the college dining hall, and it helped greatly to have vegetarian housemates who were teaching me how to cook. That was in 1989.

4. Why did you choose the particular breed of cat that you did and was it hard to find a breeder?

Preia's a Siberian, and her parents and birth litter and household can be seen here. We chose her because Siberians have fewer allergens than most cats do, and she's much easier on my asthma and allergies than are other cats.

Siberians are expensive (she was something like $750) and one often has to go on a waitlist to buy a Siberian kitten, and get it shipped from far away. We were lucky to find a newer breeder that not many people knew of; when we visited, there were 3 kittens still available from a litter of 6. Preia was the easy choice among the three; when we first met her at 3 weeks old she was alert, more interested than fearful, and she settled the matter by kissing my chin. I was lost...

But the next litter after hers was adopted up by wait-listed people before it was borne. She has a sibling in Chicago, and another in SoCal, and another in Colorado, and who knows where else...

There are not that many breeders (just a few in California, for example). Siberian cats are imported to the USA from Eastern Europe (Preia's parents Ginevra and Sunshine were born in Poland), and this only began around 1990. And breeders of Siberians are really strict in regulating the availability of breeding cats.

Thanks for the questions! :-)