PB, I’m sure you’ve been asked this before but how did you find your path to CoE?

Way back in December 2001, I was off work with a ruptured Quadriceps tendon and as a remedy to the boredom of sitting home, unable to do much, I became a charter member of the, Decipher run, LOTR fan club and was unhappy with the way the forums worked there so I started searching for better sites. I visited CoE a few times, watching how the site was run, and finally joined in July 2002.

As a hobbit, how did you come by your name and why?

When I first started using a pseudonym on sites it was a nickname I had while I was growing up. (The name was Chugly or Chugs – and yes, I can chug along with the best of them although I no longer have more than a Guinness or two at any sitting). When I joined LOTR sites I looked for names that sounded more ‘Hobbity’ and as I weighed about 300 pounds then I settled on Potbelly. I then added Hairyfoot as a suitable Hobbit surname

It takes most halflings a year to go through a full rack of bacon. How many racks have you eaten since the first day you arrived here in CoE’s Middle-earth?
This is a tough one as I don’t know how much bacon is in a rack. I’m on a lowcarb diet, and I eat 3 rashers of stripy bacon ( with some occasional slices of peamealed Canadian bacon substituted ) about 4 or 5 times per week. I would guess that I’ve eaten about 235 pounds of bacon since I joined this site

You’ve had many tasks during your time here. What has carried you through those tasks? Have you found enough pipeweed, ale and friendship to help you through those trying days and moments?

Friendship with many of the staff and members has definitely helped me stay on track with my duties here. That and my love of Tolkien’s works.

What have you found to be your greatest reward from your time in CoE?

Without a doubt my greatest reward has been the friends I’ve made, many of whom I’ve not yet met.

What would a hobbit such as yourself advise newcomers to this patch of Arda? How would you guide them?

I’d ask them what their interests were, recommend some forums and some of our other sections relevant to their interests, and then I’d send them to the Newbie forum, where they will gain all the info they need from Gondolinian and the many regulars eager to help our newbies feel at home

We know hobbits live gentle lives. What have you found the easiest and most pleasant part of your stay here in CoE?

I’d have to say that moderating the ‘Discuss the Books’ forum has been the easiest task, as there is little strife there and I’ve learned a great deal from the members that have posted in that forum over the years.

There is a rumor that you have quite a collection of LOTR stuff. Would you like to describe your collection to our members.

I’ve turned my computer room into a LOTR shrine over the past 5 years. I started with the 8 lithos offered to Fan Club members, and a poster I’ve had for years. I’ve added Burger King FOTR Figures and Goblets, many books, Maps, Swords, Games, CDs, DVDs, Pewter Figures, Collector Cards, Stamps, Coins, Nesting eggs, limited edition prints, etc. and I recently purchased 68 unopened ToyBiz figures that I am in the process of hanging, still in their packaging, circling the room just below the ceiling . Many of the items I own can be seen by searching my photobucket and there is a link to that in my sig at the bottom of any of my CoE forum posts.

You have traveled through Arda and met many of our members. Who all have you met and can you describe those meetings?

I’ve met a lot of fans over the years, especially at two events I attended in Toronto ( the TTT exhibit in November 2002 and the Gathering of the Fellowship last summer) but, sadly, only a few of the attendees were CoE members. There are only a few CoE members that have traveled especially to meet me, or that I have traveled to meet. The first was Happy Hobbit, a former moderator here and the person who first suggested me as possible staff member. When she came to visit we also drove to Lansing and met Elvenqueen and ElvishPrincess. Last summer I went to England to visit happy Hobbit and her son, Rednic. One of the highlights of the trip was driving to Manchester to have lunch with Morwenna and Rosiearielven.

I still owe BerethEdhellen a coffee, from a bet, so I am going to have to drive to Cape Hatteras one day to take her out for one. I’m still hoping to meet with more of the friends I’v made here over the years, but that will have to be sometime in the future.

If you could change anything about CoE, what would it be?

It is really hard to find ways to improve CoE as we’ve been steadily improving ever since day One and we are likely the best all-round Tolkien resource on the Internet. The only area that I can think of that really needs fixing up is our Store. I’d love to see it overhauled by a crew and made a bit more flashy and relevant to the point where it brings in enough funds to cover a large portion of our monthly costs.

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