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Doppelganging & Engorged Orangefish...

Sunday, 31 January 2016 00:10

Going Off Course - Have you met Inver Grove Heights triathlete Julie Feldman? She's lovely. She's also one of those people that, when you see her for the first time, you ask yourself, "Who does she remind me of?"

The reason for this is that she is a doppelganger. Not professionally, of course, though she probably could be if she wanted to. (Stand-ins and stunt doubles are pro doppelgangers, right?)

If you've read Stephen King books, you know what a doppelganger is. If you haven't, you probably think that it is a brand of .....

German beer.

For those who don't know what a doppelganger is, the direct translation is "double goer." Loosely, it refers to a person who physically or behaviorally resembles another person.

Julie Feldman (photo above L) totally resembles hot Danish actress Famke Janssen (photo above R). Who's that you ask? You probably know her better as superhero Dr. Jean Grey in "X-Men," or villianess bombshell Serleena in "Men in Black II." Pretty cool, huh?

And Famke Janssen, which might be pronounced "Fam-ka or Fam-key Yahn-sen," we're not sure) isn't the only person that Julie resembles in a doppelgangery sort of way. She has also been told that she resembles actresses Claire Danes, who was amazing in the role of autistic savant Temple Grandin ("My So-Called Life") and Jennifer Garner, who was great as the snooty adoptive mom in "Juno."

Julie Feldman sometimes wonders why goldfish, the aquatic creature, not the cracker, aren't called orangefish. They're orange, not gold. Anyone can see that.

We think we've solved this mystery. Goldfish couldn't be called orangefish because Orange Roughy, which is gold, not orange, had dibs on the word "orange." It's probably too late for the fish to be renamed, but wouldn't it be cool to order Gold Roughy in a restaurant, and buy orangefish for your aquarium?

When Julie purchased her goldfish she didn't know that they were members of the carp family. She thought that they would stay small and cute forever, but apparently her kids--Myles and Isla--sneak extra food to the fish and now they are the size of microwave ovens. It turns out that the bottomfeeders will eat anything. They especially like gross stuff.

Here's some more random stuff about doppelgangstress, Julie Feldman. Her dream job is "Game Show Host" and she bites her nails, loves the Gophers and has a tattoo. She likes her hair but wishes that her teeth were bigger.(They're fine, of course.) Please, if you go to her house, or she comes to yours, DON''T leave cupboard doors open. It drives her crazy. She's an avid reader, prefers Adele to Taylor Swift, though she really likes Taylor, also, and adores Chipotle (Who doesn't?).

Check out Julie's answers to our questionnaire. After doing so you'll agree that she is an extraordinarily interesting and likable person. You're going to want to be her friend, for sure. So say hi and introduce yourself to her at the races next summer. She'll be the one who looks like Dr. Jean Grey from the "X-Men" movies.

BACKGROUND:

Name?

Julie Feldman

Age?

Where you live now?

Inver Grove Heights, MN

Where were you born?

Buffalo, MN

Education? Where? Degrees?

University of Minnesota – Go Gophers

Degrees in Communication Studies, Business and Marketing Education & Cultural Studies

Occupation?

Sr Manager Salon Operations for Regis Corporation

Dream Job if you could do anything you want?

Game Show Host!

Former Occupations? (Anything weird or embarrassing here?)

I made fudge at a high school job. That’s about as weird as it gets for me. Others, but not nearly as unique; nanny, waitress, receptionist, sales.

Family? Wife? Husband? Kids?

2 kids; Myles, age 8 and Isla, age 5. Husband; Josh

Pets? Names?

We have 3 “overweight” goldfish. They started out small but are massive now. Never knew goldfish could be the size of a small mouth bass!

Tattoos? Other cool mutilations?

1 tattoo which is deeply personal and inspiring to me

Best physical feature?

Right now, I really like my hair! Good color, good length.

Anything you wish you could change about yourself?

In a struggle I think many are familiar with, I am learning to love me for me. However I do wish I had bigger teeth. I show too much gum!

Pet Peeves?

Leaving cabinet/cupboard doors open – drives me bananas! Also, people who commit to something but bail, every single time. And lastly, drama.

Bad Habits?

I am a total nail biter. First step is admission right?

Embarrassing Moments?

I have quite a few, in no particular order…tripping and falling over a brick in the road while running, having a bird poop on my head, taking down an entire rack of bikes in transition (sorry if you ever have to rack next to me), falling off the bench at the gym, being the girl on the bike with “crazy eyes” in the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Tri promo spot and so many more. It’s so much better if you can laugh at yourself though!

Have you recovered from Blair Walsh’s missed field goal?

Yep, feel bad for the guy however. He was the only one to score points for the team but took the brunt of the critic for the loss.

FAVORITES:

Movies?

There are many but I will watch Pitch Perfect, Love Actually, Harry Potter or Dirty Dancing over and over again. All time fav, The Labyrinth…RIP David Bowie.

As a 7 year old, I went to the theatre and watched Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory solo (my parent’s hardware store was a few doors from the theatre) so that movie will always be magical for me.

Actors/Actresses?

Actor: Jeffrey Dean Morgan (especially as Denny Duquette in Grey’s Anatomy), Clive Owen, Oscar Isaac, Scott Eastwood

Actress:

Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, Amy Schumer, Tina Fey, Isla Fischer, Sandra Bullock, just to name a few.

TV Shows?

Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Downton Abbey, The Good Wife, Girls, Orange is the New Black, Fixer Upper

TV Stars?

Everyone in the above mentioned TV shows!

Video games?

Super Mario Brothers (old school Nintendo is the best) and Donkey Kong. I will always bust out a good game of Just Dance with my daughter as well.

Books?

I love a local author, Kerry Casey. He has two books, Fall to Grace and Singer. I also love historical fiction; Pope Joan, The Red Tent, The Pillars of the Earth and All the Light We Cannot See. You will also find me laughing uncontrollably through Bossy Pants by Tina Fey, Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson or Yes Please by Amy Poehler. *My confession, I listen to most of my books as I am on the go most of the time.And I LOVE podcasts!

Authors?

I have already called out Kerry Casey as a favorite but I also love Malcom Gladwell. Otherwise, I like to explore new authors and books.

Musicians/bands?

Norah Jones, Dave Matthew Band, Usher, Justin Timberlake, T-Swift…pretty much anything that will make me get up and move.

Songs?

This is embarrassing but I love Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band and For the Longest Time by Billy Joel. Those will always have me cranking the volume up and singing at the top of my lungs.

Restaurants?

Chipotle, French Meadow Bakery, Hell’s Kitchen

Meals?

I try to eat clean as much as I can (and when my will power is strong). So I often will opt for Turkey or Black Bean burgers, Salmon, quinoa, brown rice, roasted veggies. When I let my guard down, it’s PIZZA!

Junk Food?

Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. I can never say no! It’s dangerous! And Twizzlers.

Favorite Crunchy Snack Food?

Popcorn (Boom Chicka Pop) or Sweet Potato Chips

Favorite Pizza?

Thin crust veggie pizza. And when I just need some comfort food, Carbone’s Mac & Cheese Pizza! Amazing!

Favorite Ice Cream?

Coffee, absolutely takes the cake.

Favorite Hamburger?

Anything with Guac on a Pretzel Bun

Boxers or Tighty Whities?

Tighty Whities if I have to pick but prefer boxer briefs

Favorite Alcoholic Beverages?

Dirty Martini or a nice glass of Cabernet

Non-tri hobbies?

Photography, being a hockey/baseball/dance/golf mom, MN Wild and enjoying the company of friends and family.

Unique abilities?

I am not sure this an ability but I am a doppelganger for many celebs. I often am told I look like Jennifer Garner, Famke Janssen (Jean Grey for any X-Men fans) or Claire Danes.

Dream vacation destination?

Marseille, France or Greece

Dream Car?

Range Rover 5.0L! There are recliners in the second row! How could you not want that??

Beatles or Stones?

Beatles

Bradley Cooper or Chris Hemsworth?

Chris Hemsworth

Taylor Swift or Adele?

Adele

Anything you’d like to add about yourself?

Just how awesome it is to be part of the Triathlon community. I have made some many new friends and acquaintances. I have enjoyed bringing my family to events and even helped introduce a few friends to the sport. Thank you all for being so welcoming and I look forward to next race we meet at!