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Tolerance & a Bowl of Pizza.....

Friday, 30 March 2012 03:00

ED. Erika was on crutches when she submitted her questionnaire. She's off them now. Also, we think she has moved to another apartment.

Going "Off Course" - Single ladies, imagine yourself jogging alongside a fit and handsome guy, the kind of dude you'd like to get to know better; when, without warning, he launches a pair of snot rockets; first left, then right.

Wait. It gets worse.

A mile or so later, the handsome young man toots, not once, but a string of 8-10 machine-gun-style gassers. Shortly thereafter he announces that he has soiled himself, news that doesn't surprise you, given the visual and olfactory evidence.

Yuck, right?

Some girls would consider such crass behavior to be a romantic "deal breaker." Some may even have disengaged early, say, after the launch of the first mucous missile.

But not Erika Sperl-Imhoff. Snotters, tootskis and even sharts are not social deal breakers for her....

Why?

Because she "gets it," that's why. She understands. She is a longtime runner / triathlete with a degree in Kinesiology from the U and knows that aerobic exercise is best done with clear pipes and that occasional hyper-mucosiosity and intestinal distress (OID) are just part of the deal. Thus, she does not let manners and socialization get in the way. Besides, if it's okay with her if you de-loogie or toot in her presence, then it should be okay with you if she returns the favor.

Erika is not only a tolerant person who doesn't get grossed out easily, she is also incredibly smart and a great writer. (She's a blogger and regular MTN contributor.) She adores Asian food and Puerto Rico and is gluten-intolerant, which means that she can't eat pizza unless it is de-crusted. She loves the toppings, though, and is willing to scrape them into a bowl and eat then like cereal, albeit without milk. Imagine eating a bowl of cheesy, saucy pepperoni, 'shrooms, green peppers, onions and anchovies. Well, maybe not anchovies. Yummy, huh?

Ms. Sperl-Imhoff is diminutive, almost pixie-like, but possesses the bright eyes and toothy smile of a much larger person (photo L). In short, she is as cute as a bug in a rug. Her favorite breakfast consists of beef jerky and Mountain Dew. No kidding. A typical dietary day for Erika would start with jerky and Dew, followed by a pot of Tom Yaam for lunch, then a heaping bowl of pizza toppings for din-din.

The next morning Erika will probably experience a touch of OID during her run. And for those handsome male runners who are tagging along, don't be grossed out, okay. Don't let that be a deal breaker.

We encourage you to visit Erika's groovy BLOG and to look for her weekly submissions on MTN. Here's some more stuff about this totally cool person:

BACKGROUND:

Name? Erika Sperl-Imhoff

Age? 22

Where you live now? In a basement in Uptown

Where were you born? Minneapolis, MN

Education? Where? Kinesiology