SuperheroSales Interviews MobyWho
An adventurous Hubber shares the origins of her name and inspiration
1. Tell us a little about yourself- who is MobyWho? How did you choose this name?
Moby Who? It just happened at the turn of the century. The one just passed. I was describing the form of a book I'm writing: balancing two logs, nautical and travel, about a trip my new husband and I took on a sailboat from Florida's west coast to New England. In addition to the actual sailing, I delved deeply into mangroves, manatees, and all the other flora a fauna that intrigued me about this adventure.
My son Charlie said, "Like Moby Dick?" Being a bit hard of hearing, I asked "Moby Who?" The name caught on and I began using it in all my nautical endeavors. The rest is history. Gotta get back to that book some day... I have all the photos and all the logs...just need determination.
2. You write about many different subjects. How do you decide what to write about next? What inspires you?
These two questions can be answered simultaneously. I don't decide; whatever I'm dreaming about as I wake up...that's usually it. I've always had very vivid, colorful dreams; sometimes based on fact, sometimes total fiction. At least I've stopped dreaming about being unprepared for a history test, or not making it to the bus on time. Now I'm always building houses on the shore, and the tide is forever rising. That one is based on fact.
The many videos of Irene's floods brought it all back to me. We never had the big one, but enough smaller, destructive and worrisome ones. One flood in Fairfield, Connecticut around 1987 helped me. I had just built a house on a creek across the street from Long Island Sound. The lowest "livable" space was 13' above mean high water, but the unfinished basement with breakaway walls was at risk. That's where we put winter clothes, ski equipment, bikes, photo albums, record collection, just about everything we didn't need immediately. And that's where the water poured in, right through the seams in the wall. The frightening noise; the sight of the water gushing in; it still haunts me in my dreams.
The good news was, "The stuff is gone!" They don't call me "Pollyanna" for nothing. That was my golf course nickname; Pollyanna. You sliced into the woods? "Hey, it's cooler in there." Put your ball in the water? "Good, you need to practice that shot."
3. I loved your recent article “Fall cleaning your computer and Hub account” because it really inspired me to go and improve the articles that I’ve written and to write new ones. Are you this organized in your home as well or would you rather be writing?
"Are you this organized in your home as well…" My friends are on the floor, laughing their heads off. I am the personification of MESS. Years ago, I was working on some garden club project. A co-worker came over to add some information. I had a roll-top desk. As I raised the top, she gasped, "How can you get anything..." and stopped short, apologizing for what she was about to say. I shrugged. "...or would you rather be writing?"
I love to write, but if someone asked me to go sailing, I'd rather do that. Now, not being able to be physically active, writing is my outlet. I'm a dreamer, and writing allows me to dream without thinking I'm wasting my time. Emptying out the drawer full of dreams is where I run into trouble.
In Hubpages, for instance, my account page is full of titles in red; started Hubs never completed. I put them in though: you never know when the urge to finish one will return.
4. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Schushed Scott's Cobble in Whiteface Mountain, NY (age 15). When I got to the bottom, an old guy sitting on a barrel looked up and said, "Do that again and you're dead."
5. I noticed that you have a few articles on using eBay. Are you a big eBayer? Do you have anything left in your home if so or did you clean everything out?
I was a big eBayer, in fact a Trading Assistant. I was proud of my 100% good feedback (that's what makes e-Bay so successful), and I wrote many reviews for them. I also had an e-Bay store, Memories-4-Sale that allowed me to set firm prices and keep antiques on line until sold. My husband Cor sold nautical gear under the name Marinabilia.
We were very happy with the results, but when we packed up to travel in our motor home, we closed shop. Just this week, I've been thinking I may start again...we've downsized five times and still have stuff taking up space in a storage locker. I told you I was messy. Remember though, Cor had been married fifty years, and I forty - that's ninety years of gathering stuff! After we got married in 1997, we put all our duplicate household things together, rented a U-Haul and a booth at a city-wide tag sale in Venice, Florida where we lived. It was a tremendous job, but there we were on opening Saturday, panting for customers... but few came. It was the same day as Princess Di's funeral. We ended up donating the whole kaboodle to The Elephant's Truck Hospital Thrift Shop!
6. What is the most recent thing you’ve learned?
The importance of good hearing. I wrote a Hub about it recently. I had suspected the importance hearing before, but living in a place that is one step shy of assisted living has me convinced. I've also learned that any problems between Cor and me are all related to hearing.
Me: "Do you want to go to the shore?"
Cor: "I don't need anything" (at the store, that is.)
I had blamed it on "selective hearing" - tests revealed it was not much hearing at all. I will have my new hearing aids fitted tomorrow, and Cor will be going to the Veterans' Hospital in West Haven soon for his aids. It's been "Who's on first?" in 3-D and color.
7. I found out that you have designed dog parks in your Hub “Healthy dogs thrive on exercise and socializing.” If you had an unlimited budget and you could design your dream dog park, what would it be like?
Oh, would I have fun! Water, lots of water. Our chocolate lab, Fred, loved water. In Venice, there was a place with a hose where dogs could have the salt water washed off them. Next to the wooden platform was a mud puddle about four inches deep. Poor Fred would lie down in it and try desperately to swim. And plenty of stations with drinking water. I'd try to rig up a spigot the dogs could activate with their paws. I could go on on this one, but no time…..
Maybe I'll write a Hub about this and encourage someone to produce it!
8. Finally, If you could pick the one movie that most closely resembles your life what would it be?
Mr Hulot's Holiday.
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