Let's get to know the 'Rookette' a bit better.

1. What is your full name?
Brandi Lyn Seei

2. Where were you born?
Peoria, IL

3. How old are you?
I am 25 years old.

4. Do you have any brother s or sister s?
I have a half brother, Ben, who is 18 and a half sister, Kelsey, who is 16.

5. Where do you call home?
My quiet little condo here in Peoria

6. Where do you work?
I work in the Outpatient Rehabilitation Program for OSF St. Francis Medical Center

7. What do you do there?
I am a speech language pathologist. Basically, I work with people who have had strokes or head injuries on speech, communication, swallowing, and cognitive deficits.

8. Do you have a nick name that you like to go by?
Most people just call me Brandi. A few friends have shortened it to B over the years. My dad calls me Suzie, as in Suzie Spendalot. Murph calls me Pointy head

9. Who gave you this name and why?
Suzie was the name my dad gave me in college that has just kind of stuck over the years. I don't think I really even need to explain why he gave me this name But don't even think about it he is the only one who can get away with calling me that.

10. How long have you been into the sport of off-roading?
I am very new to the sport as it was just introduced to me last summer.

11. Who or what first got you interested in the sport?
I met Murph, known to many as the Seasoned Rookie, at my best friend s wedding. He asked me out for sushi, I accepted thinking this guy must be pretty classy if he asked me out for sushi. Roughly 10 minutes later I was in his garage learning how to rebuild a Samurai from the frame up and realized that maybe he just likes sushi because you don't have to use a fork and knife to eat it, you could just dig right in with your hands. In all seriousness though, I got a pretty intense crash course as we rebuilt his truck in 6 weeks. Once I said I was willing to help and learn he made sure that I had my hands in every step. At first I was just going along with all this stuff cause I liked him and it was a good way to get to spend time with him, but somewhere along the way I started to actually enjoy it for what it was.

12. Are you involved in any off-road club s, and if so what is the name of your club?
No formal club memberships, but I was made into an honorary member of the IZook Staff at last year s Zooki-Melt and I hope to stay with them as long as they let me. If that doesn't work out, I hear the Bedford Boy's Flying Circus is auditioning new pilots!

13. What is the year, make, and model of your current off-road 4x4?
Well, for Christmas I received a 1988 Samurai. It is completely stock, needs a new engine, and is in desperate need of a makeover the original red paint has faded badly and there are some rust spots Murph is going to teach me how to fix

14. How long have you had it?
2 months

15. Why did you choose this particular 4x4?
It was the one that was sitting in the garage with the keys hanging from the rearview mirror on Christmas Eve night, so I didn't think it was fair to get in the Yellow one parked next to it and drive away!

16. Is this your first off-road 4x4?
Yep

17. What's best modification you've done to it so far?
Uhhhh, does getting the heater switch fixed so I have heat, and a new muffler so that I don't wake up the neighbors 5 miles away count? Brakes are nice too.

18. What's the worst modification you've done so far?
Murph took out the radio, damn him.

19. What s the scariest moment you've ever had off-roading?
Well Zookimelt 2004 is pretty much the extent of my off-roading experience. Pretty much the whole weekend was a perfect blend of terrifying and exciting. I would have to say that the scariest moment though, was the first time I had to get behind the wheel on the trail. I had just spent 6 weeks building this truck, but I was absolutely terrified of it. Luckily I had Billy Bob in the passenger seat coaching me to just relax.

20. What was the funniest?
Well .I think the funniest moment I ever had didn't even occur while we were off-roading. It was the first time I drove the truck. We had just spent all this time trying to get it put together, took 2 or 3 days to actually get it running and Murph said that I had earned the right to be the first to drive it, so I got behind the wheel in the backyard where the thing had been sitting all this time. The clutch was weird and the gearshift was all floppy nothing like his Miata that I drive whenever I can! I think I stalled it a couple of times before I ever even got it moving. Then I had to maneuver it out of the gate and turn the corner on to the driveway which was a very steep hill AND a sharp right turn. I kind of lost control during this whole process and slid out in to the middle of the street where there was a Cavalier full of teenagers driving by. I came within about an inch of hitting them. Then it took me a couple more tries to back up so the car could pass. All the while, Murph and my dad are standing in the backyard with dumbfounded expressions on their faces (Editor's note: Why was she looking at us in the yard while maneuvering out of that maze? I think we have this one figured out!!) wondering how it is possible for a seemingly intelligent person to nearly crash a vehicle numerous times in the span of about 30 seconds and 20 feet.

21. What have you learned from the sport that you can apply to your everyday life?
I have learned that we are generally limited only by ourselves. You never know what you are capable of until you just get out there and give it a shot.

22. If you could sit down and talk to anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
My Grandmother. She was always the rock of the family. Always there, but I never really took the time to sit down and get to know her until she was sick with cancer. The first question I would ask her is how in the hell did she put up with my grandfather for all those years!!!

23. What was the name of the last book you read?
I am currently reading Undercover White Trash. I can see that it is going to be ridiculously politically incorrect, but funny. I also recently finished a book my father just had published not too long ago called A Slice of Life I think everyone should take a weekend and read it!

24. What was the last movie that you watched?
Garden State

25. What is your favorite style of music?
I can pretty much get in to most any kind of music. A few of my favorites are Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper- I like stuff that is kinda mellow, makes you wanna wiggle a little.

26. What do you like to listen to on the trails?
Well considering I have never been on the trails in a truck with a radio I don't know, but I think I would like something with a good beat that I could sing along to at the top of my lungs. My passengers would probably think otherwise.

27. When your not off-roading, or working, how do you like to spend your time?
Hmmmm .I like to spend as much time with my friends and family as possible. I like to watch sports, go to movies, read, and of course when it is nice out most of my free time is spent working on the trucks.

28. If I gave you a free ticket to visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Well, lately I have been a little (ok a lot) stressed out with work and life .I think at the moment I would head to Hawaii. Everything is so laid back down there. Beautiful scenery, hot sun, great seafood. I can t think of anything better.

29. Name someplace that you have visited in the past that you would love to visit again and why.
See question #28!! Hawaii- it is the most beautiful paradise I have ever experienced.

30. What did you most want to be growing up?
I think I changed my mind every other week. I can t even specify one idea that stuck around in my head for any length of time. I didn't even know that the field I am in now existed until a year before I entered the program.

31. Who did you most admire as a kid?
My dad. He taught me the true meaning of unconditional love. No matter what I did, no matter how much I screwed up (and believe me, it was often) I always knew he was there for me and would never ever judge.

32. If you could learn to speak any language fluently, what would it be and why?
Spanish, cause there are so many people in the US that speak it these days I would like to be able to understand what they are saying.

33. What is your best time of the day, morning, noon, or night?
I am definitely not a morning person. I hate my alarm clock more than any other object in the world. I would have to say night time is probably the best for me. I m not as much of a night person as I used to be though. I can't do the whole staying up until sunrise thing any more.

34. What s your most embarrassing moment?
I don't generally get embarrassed that easily. I m sure there were plenty of things that I said and did in college that I should be embarrassed about, but luckily I don't remember them!!!

35. Have you ever met anyone famous, and if so, who?
Lets see. I met the cast of Saved by the Bell when I was in 6th grade. And I went to junior high with the guy who played Harvey on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Do those count??? Oh and I know Scott, the lead singer of the band Allister. My best friend went to college with him nice guy.

36. If you could give any piece of advice to a future off-roader, what would it be?
Trust your spotter. He has a much better perspective on where your tires are than you do.