Introducing...

As promised, here's the newest edition of True Blogsphere Story. In this episode, you'll meet nejyerf (Jen) from "calling dr. bombay." She's fun, snarky, and sometimes off-the-wall, and she's the best blogger friend you could ever ask for.

Introducing...nejyerf.

What's the inspiration behind the name of your blog, "calling dr. bombay"?

I always knew someone was going to ask me that, and I wish I had a good answer. It's a reference to "Bewitched". Samantha would call Dr. Bombay whenever one of her spells had gone wrong. I just liked the way it sounds. People can "call" me for silliness and lightheartedness. Pretty boring isn't it? Can you come up with a better story? That is what you do, after all.

That's right. I’d totally forgotten about that. Very clever. I wouldn't even try to come up with a better story…besides, this is your interview. No turning the focus on me. Back to you. Your favorite color is orange, but if orange were, let's say swallowed by
a black hole, what color would you choose as its replacement and why?

I checked in my closet to see of what color I have a lot, and it turns out, I’ve got a lot of blue… teal blue, baby blue, dark blue. Who knew I liked blue that much! I have no idea WHY I have that much blue. It must be an unconscious thing. I also like yellow. Yellow is so bright and sunshiny.

And what's up with your boobies? You haven't talked about them in a while.

My boobies thank you for the inquiry. They are doing fine. They are currently hibernating, but will come back in full force now that the weather is getting nicer.

And your Oreo addiction? How's that coming?

You probably won't believe this, but I've really cut back on my Oreo consumption. I limit myself to MAYBE three a day, when I even have them in the house. Shocking, isn't it?

Not so much shocking as encouraging. It gives me hope that I can battle my chocolate addiction after all.

You know…sometimes admitting you have a problem is half the battle. And I'm so not kidding when I tell you that too many Oreo's acts as a laxative and if you are also mildly lactose intolerant one injudicious binge has far-reaching and embarrassing intestinal ramifications and that's putting it delicately.

Your incredible sense of humor is something I really admire. You're funny in a very snarky way. Are you always a jokester or is this something that only comes out in your online persona?

I have an over-developed sense of humor. I would call it irreverent (it might even be a little perverse) All I know is that life seems so much easier if you are laughing. We all should try to find a little bit of humor in every situation.

I think you're right, although I have to admit it's easier said than done sometimes. What's one thing that always makes you laugh?

I like British humor and I like a good play on words. Here's my favorite joke....."How do you top a car? 'Tep on the brake 'tupid!"

On a more serious note, you live with MS. When were you diagnosed?

I was diagnosed in 2003. I think. I really don't remember. Seems like I've always had it.

Having MS certainly doesn't define you, but I wonder, how has living with MS shaped who you are?

It has made me slow down and really listen to my body. When my body says "Jen, I'm getting tired." I don't force it to continue. We sit down and rest. It has also made me less tolerant of people and their illnesses. So what if you are sick. So am I. But I'm still getting up and going to work everyday and trying to maintain and so should you. Don't succumb.

I suspected you’d say something like that. You seem like the type of person who would beat the &@!# out of anything or anyone that tried to keep you down. But has there ever been a time when you’ve just wanted to stop fighting and give into it?

Sometimes I do break down and cry and feel sorry for myself. Like the time I was at my FIL's house to take a shower and slipped getting out of the tub and fell down with a great thump that shook the house to its very foundations. I sat in a sodden, pink, naked lump and sobbed. When I finally gathered myself together and got dressed and went downstairs, tears still trickling down my face, Kathy, my FIL's girl-friend asked if I was alright. My husband, who was sitting at the kitchen table eating pot-roast, unconcernedly said "She'll be okay, she gets like this". That pretty much sums it up.

I think because people don't treat me or see me as an invalid really helps. If my husband coddled me I might get sucked into the whole "I have a disease" thing. Although I am not averse to reminding people that I am a cripple when I don't want to do something!

Tell me something that you've never told anyone (in the blogosphere or in the "real" world).

There was a guy I went to school with. I've known him since elementary school. I longed for this guy all through high school. Given the chance, I think I would totally sleep with him. Just the one time. To get it out of my system.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? In other words, why do you do it?

I like to talk. My mother has always said that I have diarrhea of the mouth so I guess blogging is the next best thing to talking. And I don't ever have to shut-up!

What's your least favorite thing about blogging?

It has been documented that I don't like the use of LOL and people giving virtual hugs. There are some seriously bad blogs out there. And I have real issues with people who say they want to write a book. People seem to think that just because they can write a coherent *POOF* they are a writer. But they never do anything about it. Then there are people like you, who are constantly writing and putting quality stuff out there.

There's a lot wrong with our world today. If you were Queen of the World, what's the first thing you'd fix?

I do find myself saying "what is WRONG with people" quite a bit. Then I have to remind myself that we can't be responsible for what other people do, we can only make sure what WE do is right and true and fair. Not to get all religious or anything, but the ten commandants are actually good rules to live by. We should all try abiding by them for a while and see where the world would be.

Wouldn't that be a nice change? Even if we just stuck with a few of the biggies, like "Thou shalt not kill."

And here's something else…I wish we could lose the whole political correctness thing. We have to be so careful not to offend anyone. It seems like people are walking around just waiting to be offended. It bores me to tears.

Who's your biggest inspiration in life and why?

You know, this is going to sound all kinds of cheesy and gay, but my friend Sanna is kinda my touchstone. Oftentimes I find myself wondering whether or not she would agree with what I'm buying, writing, etc. And when we disagree, and remember, this is all in my mind, I'm always a bit surprised by my audacity to defy her.

I have a friend like this, who kind of brings me back to center and reminds me to check myself, even when she’s not around. How did you and Sanna meet? How long have you been friends?

Ah, this is a good story, Sanna and I met when I moved to a new school just after I started 4th grade. At first I thought she was a boy. She had a bowl cut and a pair of cleats tied to her desk. We somehow gravitated to each other and found that we were “kindred spirits” when we discovered that we both loved Anne of Green Gables. We’ve been through so much together: wearing glasses and braces (at the same time!!!), bad hair-cuts, teen-aged crushes, field hockey, high school plays, parties (she gave me my first beer!), boyfriends, weight gain (mine) weight loss (hers) the list goes on and on. Our friendship has waxed and waned but through it all, I know if I needed her she would be there for me and vice versa.