What’s your name and how old are you? Jen Keetch and I just turned 50 in June.
Ever had a cool nickname? When I was a kid, they called me Big Red. And my friends now call me Taco. It’s actually short for Taco Flavored Kisses.
That may be the best nickname at the gym. It’s a hashing nickname. Hashing is this fun thing I do. We call it a drinking club with a running problem.
Married? Kids? Divorced. Partnered. Polyamorous with two partners. Three kids. Four grandkids.
Where did you grow up and what’s your opinion of that place? I was born in Charlotte, NC, but I grew up a little bit of everywhere. My parents were hippies and kinda moved around a lot. I didn’t go to the same school two years in a row until I was in the 5th grade. Moved around all through junior high, all through high school. I envy people a little who have access to their childhood home.
Do you have any place that feels like your hometown? Portland feels like home. I moved here in January of 2018, after my divorce. I moved here not knowing anyone, but you only get one chance to start your life over, so that’s what I did.
What’s your all-time favorite movie? Probably Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I haven’t read the books, but I love the movie.
All-time favorite TV show? I think Godless is a completely underrated TV show. It only had one season. Came out in 2017. Had a lot of strong female characters. And it’s a Western, an old Western. If you haven’t seen it, it’s great. It’s on Netflix.
What do you do for a living? I’m a nurse. I get people ready for surgery. I’ve been a nurse for 25 years, and most of my career, I worked in Critical Care. So now, Pre Op feels like my early retirement.
Any cool jobs in your past? My first job, I sold hot dogs at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. On the inside of the track, like on Pit Row. That was pretty awesome.
How long have you been a member at the gym? Two years? Since January or February of 2023. I moved to the neighborhood.
What class or classes do you usually attend? 4:30 usually, but I’ll do a 10 or a 1:30 if it’s my day off and I don’t have other stuff going on. My goal is to come five days a week, but it’s been a minute since was consistently doing that.
Tell me about your all-time favorite pet. It would be my pet now, Radar. He’s my buddy. He’s an Australian Shepherd/Chihuahua mix. He’s gonna be four in April. He stays by my side, he’s super-smart. Pretty chill. Likes to snuggle.
Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met? I met Samuel L. Jackson. He was filming a movie at the hospital I worked at, and I took my kids to meet him. We waited until they were done filming, it took like two hours, and I knew where he’d be walking out, so we asked if he’d take a picture and do an autograph. He was super-nice, super-accommodating. Also, I don’t know if you know who Jakob Dylan is. He’s Bob Dylan’s son. He was in the Wallflowers. I’ve been on his tour bus. My ex-husband knew someone, so we had backstage passes. We ended up on his tour bus and I sat on one of the beds, not knowing it was his bed.
Pancakes, waffles, or french toast? None. They’re all too many carbs. Though if you’re gonna put fried chicken on the waffles, I’ll eat that.
Fries, tater tots, or mashed potatoes? Tater tots. But they have to be hot.
Have you had the Cajun tots at McMenamin’s? Yeah, but you don’t go there for the food. It’s kitschy, you go there for the environment.
Toast, bagels, or English muffins? English muffins. With orange marmalade. Little bit of butter before you put the marmalade on, and a sprinkle of salt.
First concert? Heart. I was 13. It was amazing. I was all about them.
Best concert? The concert I just went to in Seattle. Chris Stapleton. Part of it was the venue, plus he’s just an amazing singer. He puts on an amazing show. Willie Nelson opened up for him, and oh my God, Willie Nelson is old. He was literally falling asleep on stage at one point. He had a handler to keep eyes on him.
Were you an athlete growing up? God no! In fact, when I did my DNA test – like the 23 and Me thing – it literally said You are not an athlete.
Where in Portland has the best burger? There’s this little hole in the wall called Old Gilbert Road Tavern. It’s the bar on the corner of 72nd and Harold. They sell a $5 burger and it’s really good.
What’s your favorite workout/movement? I really like the devil’s press. Or dumbbell snatches. Anything that’s heavy and quick.
What’s your least favorite workout/movement? Anything where I’m expected to do double-unders. I don’t do them. I will never get double-unders. It’s an exercise in futility.
What are some things you do in your free time? I like to travel. I just got back from Thailand. Been to New Zealand. Portugal. London. I’m gonna go to Mexico here in a little bit. I like to immerse myself in the local culture, go where the locals go. I was in Thailand recently, staying in an all-inclusive resort that wasn’t really walkable, but I got the hotel to hire me a driver. He drove me to the closest town. I was the only white person there. It was really great.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation or invisibility. That’s a toss-up. Invisibility’s sort of like teleportation, since you could just get on an airplane and go anywhere. You know what, I’m gonna say invisibility.
What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten? I ate a scorpion! It was delicious! They took the stinger out. It was tasty. Like, sweet and savory. But I was picking its legs out of my teeth for a little bit.
What’s your current gym goal? Well, I’m getting ready to have surgery to remove this bump on my clavicle, so recovering from that is my goal. Being able to lift heavy again. I’m already losing strength because the bump keeps me from lifting heavy, then after the surgery I won’t be able to work out at all for awhile. I guess I’ll be able to do lower-body stuff, so I’ll be in here, I think.
What’s your advice for new members of the gym? Don’t be intimidated. Listen to your body. Preventing injury should be your goal.
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