It’s difficult to group the average gamer into a common stereotype, since gamers are so diverse. Today’s gamer may be the mother of five standing in line in front of you at the grocery store or the swimmer up at 5 a.m. each morning for practice. For some people, gaming takes on a life of its own, separate from any day-to-day activities people find themselves involved with, while others have made a career out of gaming. But one thing gamers have in common, besides their love of games, is that they have a wide variety of interests and hobbies. Videogames aren’t what made them who they are; they are just an important part of their already full lives. Welcome to “The Other Me.” Each month we will take a look at some of the more interesting hobbies and activities people find themselves doing when they aren’t gaming. This would include things such as flying airplanes, playing paintball, volunteer work, collecting coins, or even amassing the largest matchbook collection ever. So if you have a hobby or interest you want to share, send an email to kiki@theblueskittle.com.

by Kiki Lewis [kiki kat]

Holy Cow!  I must have Jeeps on the brain because this is the second “Jeep” themed gamertag I have profiled.  I met Claire (aka PMS JeepChick) via Twitter, where she is known as ClaireJeepChick.  My good friend Harley suggested I might want to profile her and after reading her twitters and seeing that she was funny, quick-witted, and full of personality, I agreed! Claire is so much more then Jeeps; she is a third generation Grill Master, too!  Check out her profile to find out more about this military wife, mother of two, and world traveler, who brakes for Girl Scout cookies and fresh markets!

3 words to describe your hobby

Loud

Rough

Exhilirating

Name: Claire Hammett

GamerTag: PMS JeepChick

“The Jeep Chick”

Aside from gaming, because my day-to-day activities typically keep me indoors, my hobbies center around the outdoors. Racing, football games, shooting, oyster roasts, camping, nature trails, mudding, and boating are some of the ways I get outside.

Favorite time of year:

Cool fall weekends or brisk spring weekends.

Favorite snack food/drink:

Vitamin water is a must to stay hydrated, but we always tote a cooler with Michelob Ultra to slake our more adult thirsts. Camping musts are chili and breakfast burritos.

Time Commitment:

As much as we can! The weather is a big factor of course, but some months we will go every weekend. This past month we have done several nature trails, gone shooting, and attended one of our family oyster roasts.

Future Plans:

We joke that when the Zombie Apocalypse is upon us, our family will be well prepared. My children tote their own gear (sleeping bags, snacks, etc) and both know how to shoot. We prefer true, “rough” camping, where there are no bathrooms or facilities - just you and nature in the middle of nowhere. This may not be a career, but it certainly has given me the skills to survive if they are needed.

Most Exciting Moments:

We’ve had so many good times and hilarious moments. Recently, we went to a relative’s mountain home for an oyster roast. He’s an interesting fellow and a bit of a gun nut. He insisted on showing my husband and son his rather large collection of weapons. When the mountain home was constructed, he had a large, concrete-encased, safe room installed in the basement. Pistols, rifles, automatic weapons – as he presented each weapon, he would clear the chamber, point up, and fire. He ran through an assortment of weaponry, and then he grabbed a 40 Caliber H&K USP Pistol. He cleared it, pointed upward, and BAM! The sound was deafening. Clearing the chamber doesn’t help if you have a full clip! My husband checked the hole and saw one entry - no ricochet. My son exclaimed, as he was shaking his head, that someone had flashbanged him! My cousin turned to him and said very seriously, “Now that is what we call a negligent discharge.” It took several hours for the ringing in our ears to clear, and even longer before my cousin stopped apologizing.

Phrases used in your hobby

“The Green Drink that has no Name”

“Wookie for Dinner!”

“(Arnold voice) Stop whining!”

“Pop the Rock!”

“Negligent Discharge”

AND

My husband and I both drove Jeeps when we were dating. You could say it was his Jeep that first caught my eye. New Year’s Eve, 1999 B.C. (Before Children), we decided to find a trail and “run it.” My husband’s 1989 Jeep wasn’t tricked out or lifted, but it was a Jeep. Driving down some back roads I spotted a trail off to the right and yelled, “Cut Right, TRAIL!”

He cut, popped the ledge, bounced down the hill, and slammed to a stop. We all got out to inspect what happened, and of course he had slipped the back tire into the one mud hole on the trail. I was the self-proclaimed “Jeep Expert” and I immediately jumped into action. I pulled pieces of wood and rock out and stuffed them in the hole to get traction. Then I hopped in the driver’s seat to gun it while my husband pushed it from behind.

Mud flew, yelling followed, and in the rear view mirror I could see a rather angry face; he was clad in a brand new black leather jacket and was now covered in mud from head to toe. The walk back to the house was several miles of silence. As we opened the door, we heard “5…4….3…2….1… Happy New Year!” Standing there, covered in mud and exhausted from the “Trek of Shame,” we couldn’t help but laugh.

Gaming community associations:

PMS Clan, ECA, TangoDownGaming, 2old2play,  GamerVixens, and PG Frag A Friend

Gaming preferences:

First or third person shooters ,role playing games - 360 Console Fangirl – and any games made by Infinity Ward

Joke

A guy is walking past a big wooden fence at the insane asylum and he hears all the residents inside chanting, “Thirteen! Thirteen! Thirteen!” Quite curious about this, he finds a hole in the fence, and looks in and someone inside pokes him in the eye. Then everyone inside the asylum starts chanting, “Fourteen! Fourteen! Fourteen!”