O.P.U.S. – Andrea “Redtumbleweed” Holak
O.P.U.S. (Ordinary People/Unusual Stories) - A blog by author Steve Akley designed to introduce you to some of the great people Steve has met online.
Andrea Redtumbleweed Holak
The Steve & Andrea Connection - Twitter & Instagram buddies
Steve’s Notes - Andrea Holak is just one of those people you want to know. She’s positive. Funny. Fun-loving. She likes bourbon (hello!). She’s also making a difference in the world by working at a nonprofit proving housing and supportive services for those affected by AIDS so she’s obviously also someone who likes to help others.
This all adds up to one cool person, correct?
I sure think so. I’m amazed and inspired by the fact someone who can laugh at life and themselves by participating in something as goofy as one of my interviews.
Here’s a quick behind the scenes of an O.P.U.S. interview. I write the question. I laugh myself at how dumb they are. It cracks me up to think about what a person is thinking when they get one of these interviews via email. Then I press send and I’m crippled in guilt by asking really nice people dumb questions. Then, someone totally cool like Andrea answers all of them and I can see she had every bit as much fun as I did in answering them...boom, it’s incredibly satisfying and fun once again.
As you read through today’s interview I am sure you are going to like Andrea every bit as much as I do. Ladies and gentlemen, my new friend, and fellow St. Louisan, Andrea “Redtumbleweed” Holak!
Interview with Andrea Redtumbleweed Holak
Where do you live? - I live in St. Louis, with my husband, two Australian Shepherds and one busybody cat. And to answer the next question out of every St. Louisan's mouth--I didn't go to high school in St. Louis. I moved to St. Louis from a tiny town in west-central Illinois, population 360. It was quite an adjustment moving from a town with no stoplights to downtown St. Louis, but I have embraced the hustle and bustle and have made St. Louis my home. Don't get me wrong, I love going back to the country for a quiet weekend, but really do love the buzz of my neighborhood and being so close to so many of the great things that St. Louis has to offer.
What do you do for a living? - I'm a grant administrator at a local nonprofit that works to provide housing and related supportive services to people who are affected by HIV/AIDS. I love my job and love working with some of the most compassionate people that I've ever met. One truly doesn't know desperation until they have looked into the eyes of a person who is fighting a debilitating health condition and doesn't know where their family will sleep that night. I just write the grants and keep us within the regulations. The people I work with do such amazing work and make me proud each and every day. It’s humbling and inspiring.
What's something interesting about you that you would like to share with OPUS readers? - I'm really into bourbons. I became intrigued with bourbon a few years ago and have become a bit of a walking bourbon encyclopedia. I love the depth and variance that bourbons offer over so many of the other spirits and enjoy teaching my friends and fellow drinkers something new. I think a lot of people can be intimidated by whiskeys and bourbons and shy away from them, but they are actually quite dynamic. There's so much you can do with bourbons such as infusing them and cooking with them, that I really love trying new things! It’s a fun hobby to explore and the possibilities are endless.
Who is the most famous person you have ever met? - Boxing promoter Don King is probably the most universally famous person I've met. When I met him, he was just as wound up as he is when he is promoting a fight, too. You literally can't keep up with his next move. He's like a pinball! His hair was exactly like you see, too--salt and pepper and sticking up in a hundred different directions. He was a lot to take in, but definitely a very cool guy to meet.
If there was a movie about your life, what actress would play you? - I'm going to go with Anna Kendrick on this one. I usually have a couple of people tell me each week that I resemble Anna Kendrick. Plus, she's sassy and makes people laugh. She would have to tone down the singing, though--I'm not a singer by any stretch of the imagination!
Okay, I get the "red" part...what's the deal with the tumbleweed? - I've always had a bit of a free-spirited and lighthearted side and I guess I feel like a tumbleweed captures that essence. I like that they just glide across the landscape and find their own way. There's just something poetic about tumbleweeds that I love!
When my kid was like seven, we went to Texas and she saw real tumbleweeds. When she got back she saw one of those plastic bags from the grocery store flying across the highway and she said, "Look, a Missouri tumbleweed" and that's what we've referred to random flying grocery bags on the highway ever since. I'm not sure why I just told you that story. - Armadillos have made their way to Missouri, so I'm sure tumbleweeds aren't far behind! Perhaps she's a bit of a visionary!
What is the lowest amount of money you are bending over and picking up from a parking lot. It's a hot day by the way. Kinda humid too. Okay, how much is the lowest Andrea is going to stop and retrieve, factoring in those weather elements. - I'm ridiculously superstitious, so I will stop for a penny, but only if its heads up! If its tails up, I'm kicking it down the street for someone else to have a crack at it. I don't know what I would do if the penny was under a ladder, of if I had to cross the path of a black cat to get it. Being superstitious is such hard work!
If I sat next to you at work and anytime somebody said something funny, I yelled, "Whoop" and slapped the desk with my hand, how many times would it take for you to go "off the rails?" - Have you been hanging around my brother? Because he does this! I was on the phone in my car once on a work call and he started making these noises like he was in one of those Police Academy movies. And he's a grown adult. I may have gone a bit off the rails on him when I hung up the phone.
What does "Off the rails" mean? - I think we all have a little "off the rails" streak in us, don't we? As long as I don't end up on one of those social media shaming videos of an adult throwing a toddler-like tantrum in the airport, I think I can live with myself.
Who do you think is going to win Big Brother this year? (Please say Natalie). I don't know if its going to be Hillary or Donald that get that final rose. Though I would give my rose to Joe Biden (swoons!). That's not the same show, is it? Confession time, I watch zero reality tv. I can't keep up with any of the Kardashians! I have a big brother, and I've always thought a reality show about our lives might be interesting, but I just can't get into the actual Big Brother show. Please don't vote me off of the island!
You are a baseball fan. Kate Upton is a baseball fan. Say she ended up sitting the row in front of you. Would you mind doing a bit of shoulder surfing for me and see if you could snag the telephone number off of her phone so you could give it to me? - You wouldn't believe how stealthy I can be. I would totally shoulder surf for you. Better yet, spill a beer on her so she is so doesn't even remember she left her phone behind. She has to have some good pics on there, right? It’s all on you to crack that password, though.
Describe a man's outfit you would like to see tumble away like a tumbleweed. - I'm entirely over the salmon colored shorts. I can't wait for that trend to pass. I'd also like to pass along a PSA to fellas: sunglasses go on your eyes, on top of your head, or clipped to your shirt. They do not go on your forehead above your eyebrows. Fedoras are a stretch for me, unless you are Justin Timberlake, then I can probably make an exception. And enough with the man buns!
Give us three things about you...two that are true and one that is false and just let us pine away not knowing which is the false one.
I once appeared in an episode of Bar Rescue.
I own my own fully functional cotton candy machine.
Two words for you...just give me your honest thoughts: Cowboy Ribeye. – It’s a mountain of a steak for someone else. I'm a vegetarian, though I'm not one of those angry pitchfork-throwing vegetarians. It’s a personal choice I made about 10 years ago and it’s not been as difficult as I expected. I did grow up on a grain and livestock farm so it totally blows my dad's mind.
Redheads are typically known for having a short fuse. Please confirm or deny this one. - My next door is a redhead and I'm pretty sure that after I moved on to the block, the city enacted an ordinance preventing no more than two redheads per block. It’s just too much for one city block to handle. I'll leave that one right there.
You wake up one day and find yourself on the set of Hell's Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay says, Andrea Redtumbleweed, please make me your signature dish. What are you cooking up? - I make a wonderful Pasta Alfredo. It’s just a bit spicy, and very rich. I think if I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be that dish. It’s in no way healthy and I'm sure goes straight to the hips, but makes you close your eyes when you eat it, so that's what's really important, right?
What's the number that needs to go on a check for you to legally change your last name to Redtumbleweed? - It has a certain ring to it, doesn't it? And I already have a hard to spell last name. My price might not be as high as you think.
Rank these, least favorite to favorite: Swiss Cheese, Wine, Bourbon, George Hamilton, $2 Bills, Orange Tic Tacs, Pink Lemonade, Brussel Sprouts. - Brussel Sprouts (ack!), Pink Lemonade, $2 Bills, George Hamilton, Swiss Cheese, Orange Tic Tacs, Wine, Bourbon.
Veggies at the bottom and two kinds of booze at the top of the list (Sorry, mom!)
What is the best flavor of Doritos? No pressure, but I need to tell you there is only one right answer. - I am so glad you asked me this question! Do you remember when they had the Cool Ranch and the Taco Doritos in ONE glorious bag? I think that's what they refer to in history as The Gilded Age. Since we must live in a life post- Cool Ranch-Taco-Doritos-in-one-bag, I would have to say Cool Ranch is my favorite with a very close second to Taco.
On a scale from 1 (not at all) to 10 (Son of a ...), how sorry are you for agreeing to do this interview? - 1! This has been an absolute riot! I regret nothing!
Actual video feed of Steve and Andrea dancing after the interview was completed.
Anything you would like to plug? - I absolutely cannot say enough great things about Gateway Pet Guardians (www.gatewaypets.com). They do a ton of great work to save and care for homeless, sick or injured animals. Give them a look if are ready to add a furry friend to your household.
Where can people find you on social media? - I'm most active on Twitter and Instagram, which are both @redtumbleweed. Snapchat is growing on me, and you can find me at gingergirl314.
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Steve Akley is a St. Louis-based author with a diverse catalog of work. The driving force behind the creativity is a simple mantra of writing about what interests him. As long as a subject matter has his attention, he believe he’s delivering the best possible work he can for his audience. He can be found on Twitter or Instagram with the username of @steveakley.
Steve’s Catalog on Amazon: http://goo.gl/kJpKcP
For my plug with this interview...since Andrea is a fellow bourbon fan, I have to go with my book Bourbon Mixology. It’s been my best-selling book to date and the Bourbon Mixology family is about ready to get a little bigger with a new edition coming out in September.
Pick up Bourbon Mixology today!
