I Get An Honorary Penis!

So let's say that you are a "Mommy Blogger" (good Lord, how I hate that term).

Let's say that you write about everything from recipes for low-fat blueberry pancakes, to tossing the Granny panties, to Diva Cups, to random fights with convenience store clerks to men you seriously want to fuck.  Along the way, you throw in a few posts about total testosterone-y shows that you like to watch.

What would be the strangest (and neatest) thing that could happen?

How about a call from the Discovery Channel?

That's right!  At approximately 5:20pm, as I was tying Prince #1 & 2's karate uniforms, I get a call from the Discovery Channel because they saw this post.  And maybe this one as well.  And they invite me on to a conference call with Captains Jonathan and Andy Hillstrand.  I'm one of 6 (maybe 7 - I was so flabbergasted I had no idea what she was talking about) bloggers invited on to this call and I get to ask these dudes questions....would I like to participate in the conference call?

I believe that my reply went something like this:

uh...uh...SURE....thanks!  cool!

never let it be said that I am incapable of acting like a 4-year old!

So the conference call starts at 8:00pm.  Introductions are made all around.  There are the representatives of outerwear companies, "extreme sports bloggers", what seems to be the "Official Wordpress Deadliest Catch Blogger" and a few other bloggers.  I am quite obviously out of my league....but hey - Jonathan and Andy are cool on TV, so why not?  I clearly represent the suburban stay-at-home mom who bitches too much, spends too much time on her appearance and watches TV.   A demographic to which they obviously want to appeal.  Let's run with it!

My first question?  A total chick one (to Andy, he's married)....

"How do you manage to keep a relationship alive when you spend that much time at sea?"

Andy's answer was (I'm paraphrasing) "My wife knew what she got in to when she married me and she knows that I am also married to the sea...but I also know that she is very independent so I don't try to be in charge when I get home"

Unfortunately, there was a technical difficulty at exactly 8:30pm, so we were all cut off and that was the only question that I got to ask (and I think it was my turn next when we got cut off...serious pout there!).  After trying for 30 minutes to get back in to the conversation, I got a call from the Discovery Channel representative saying that the technical problem couldn't be fixed and that instead of a 1-hour audio, there would be a 30-minute one.  They will email me the link tomorrow and (I think) upload it to the Deadliest Catch website as well.  As soon as I get the link - I'll give it to you.

Am I disappointed that my time was cut short?  Of course.

Am I totally on a "high" from talking to them?  You betcha!

Am I hoping that one of them will read this post and feel guilty that I was denied more questions time (pout pout) and send me an invite to the April 22nd event in Philadelphia so that I can bypass the random selection of that event and just be there?  Fuck yeah!

But here are the questions that I still had for the wonderful Hillstrand brothers:

How have the rising fuel costs affected your business?

(to Andy) You spend your off time on your horse farm in Indiana.  I have a great number of relatives in Kokomo & Galveston and I love the state and go there as often as I can, but how do you transition from the adreneline rush of the Bering Sea to the tranquility of Indiana?

(and the follow-up to Andy) "Tenderloins:  cheese or no cheese?  ketchup or mayo?  pickles or no pickles? Lettuce & tomato or no?  And Indy 500 or Brickyard 400?

One last thing:  I found out (today, once I got the invite) that the Hillstrand brothers have a book coming out detailing their life on and off the Bering Sea.  I'm already planning on buying it. If you are a fan of the show, please check out the Hillstrand brothers website here.

I cannot stress enough how wonderful and nice these guys were and what a thrill it was to talk to them.  It is now 90 minutes since I got cut off and I am still on a high (enhanced by Yeungling - I saved 9 points for the beer...never let it be said that I don't have my priorities in order!)

Matter of fact, I forgot about missing tonights Def Leppard concert until just now!