Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I have one animal that I claim as my own, it is a Bengal cat named Stymie and he is my buddy. The other three horses, four dogs, six chickens, and 1,000 fish are NOT mine. I'm looking into getting a Sphinx hopefully by the time you read this.
Q: Were you an Ozzy fan growing up?
A: I was a really big Ozzy fan in grade school. Way before he became all mainstream and my mom thought he was funny, along with the President of the United States and everyone else in the world. He's the Prince of Darkness, he is not supposed to be funny!
Q: Were you into any extra curricular activities in high school? Sports? Band? Talent show participant perhaps?
A: I never played sports, but I did join the band. There was this cute girl in band that played clarinet, so I thought it would be a good idea to play the clarinet too. I did one talent contest my junior year of high school where we played Boys II Men "Did It All for Love." Don't laugh, you've all been there before and you know it!
Q: Rumor has it that you owned a "wobby" and that your pillow cases and blanket are rather cute?
A: Haha! My wobby! You must have talked to Sarra. Yeah, I had one blanket that I took anywhere that I was going to sleep. It wasn't a security blanket like Linus rocks or anything, it was just a properly broke-in quilt, but after about 15 years it was time to retire that poor thing. I have managed to keep my Garfield and Snoopy pillow cases from when I was like ten or so. My wife Sandi will switch them out for me every once in a while. I will also have to admit that the current "comfy" blanket that I'm using is a Mickey Mouse quilt. Busted.
Q: What are you scared of? Clowns? The dark? Frost?
A: I'm scared of falling and heights sometimes. It depends on the day; I haven't figured it out though. I know what you're getting at with the frost thing though-Sarra strikes again. The idea of dry frost makes me feel like most people do with nails down the chalkboard. Sensodyne commercials are the worst! I don't know where it came from, it just happened one day and it's only getting worse. I believe the fear of frost is called pagophobia.
Q: We heard you live in "The Land of the Dirt People?" Where can we find that on our GPS?
A: "The Land of the Dirt People" is the name that mister "South Bay" himself Johnny-O has lovingly coined as the proper name for Hemet (and anything east of the 15 freeway for that matter). You know how nicknames are, they are tough to shake and Johnny is not going to give it up very easily either.
Q: You must travel a lot with all your skills and your job. How many airplane trips would you say you have taken over the years?
A: I have flown only once. I don't know if you would consider the four different planes that it took to complete my trip to Tennessee as flying four times or as once, but that was my only time flying thus far.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job? Favorite place you have traveled? Any regrets?
A: I really love the fact that I am able to help out as many people as I have. I would say that Texas is my favorite, but only because I have only been to a few different places. I love Oroville, California, also as Bob has been kind enough to entertain me during my northern trips lately. No regrets-I think everything is an experience, good or bad.
Q: Who do you look up to in the scene?
A: I don't really look up to anyone, but there are a lot of guys out there doing some amazing work that is pushing the scene to new levels. I truly enjoy seeing it evolve like it has.
Q: So tell us about some of your weird OCD compulsions? We hear peanut butter has something to do with it?
A: As far as the peanut butter goes, let's just say that for a good sandwich, a jar of peanut butter is only good for one week and ONLY the top layer is useable. I generally can only make about five sandwiches before the rest of the jar is added to the stack of "unusables."
Q. Finally enough embarrassment. Any plugs and/or thank you's worth mentioning?
A: First off, I'd like to thank my wife Sandi. She has been through everything with me and she never gets the credit she deserves for putting up with me and the shop. My mom and dad-I love you guys and thanks for letting me take everything we owned apart. And to the rest of the guys that don't get thanked enough; Steve Wilk, Ernie Macias, all the Mikes-you know which ones you are- thank you all for your help and support!