News We just had to ask.. Amy (Landrus) Van Wechel

Editor's Note: We enjoy meeting those who serve Vinton residents, and learning about the not-so-important details of their lives. Below in her own words are some facts about Vinton's newest lawyer, Amy (Landrus) Van Wechel:

Q. Is there anything that your family asks you not to cook, ever again?

A. I have been fixing more veggies at our house lately. The family is not impressed, but I’m going to keep trying.

Q. Does it matter in your house which way the toilet paper roll goes?

A. It not only matters at my house, but it matters everywhere. If it is wrong, I will change it. Over-the-top is the correct way.

Q. Tell us about your favorite chair:

A. We have a rocking chair that I have spent many, many hours in; feeding babies, cuddling, reading, singing, sleeping and studying…sometimes two or three of these at a time. For those reasons, it will always be my favorite chair. My kids have had civil procedure case law read aloud to them on more than one occasion.

Q. Funniest memory as a parent:

A. I was getting my kids ready for bed one night and hid from my son, Lincoln. I jumped out and surprised him. After the extremely great expression on his face from the surprise, we both fell on the floor giggling and we laughed for about five minutes together.

Q. Best fast food sandwich ever?

A. I don’t think it is considered “fast food” and I don’t think it is considered a sandwich, but I’ve been ordering the Greek Salad at Fifth Street Koffee Haus a lot lately.

Q. What was your first job?

A. Delivering papers for the Cedar Valley Daily Times.

Q. If you were to get a traffic citation it would most likely be for….

A. I’m going to go with a “no comment” on this one.

Q. One place in the world you really, really wish you could visit?

A. Probably Sweden. It is an integral part of my heritage.

Q. First pet you remember?

A. Allie May, our black cocker spaniel we had growing up. We begged my parents to have her.

Q. Who was your favorite teacher, and why?

A. Mrs. Vermedahl. She was always so much fun and would do cartwheels on command. She also had a saying at the front of her room: “If you feed a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach a man how to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.” To this day, it is one of my favorite sayings.

Q. Tell us about a favorite Christmas present you have received:

A. I honestly cannot think of a favorite tangible Christmas present. I really like the excitement surrounding Christmas. My parents did a really good job of having specific traditions that we celebrated every year, like going to a movie every year on Christmas Eve (rain, snow, ice, or blizzard). Now that my sisters have both moved away, having the memories of those traditions is probably the best Christmas present I have ever received.

Q. Strangest thing you did at work that was not part of your official job description?

A. When I was a legal secretary in Cedar Rapids, one of the attorneys at the firm had misplaced some very important major league baseball tickets for an upcoming game. His secretary was adamant they were not on her desk. After looking almost everywhere for them, another employee and I started going through the trash piece by piece trying to locate the tickets. I ended up finding them in a stack of abstracts on his secretary’s desk. She had accidently picked them up and didn’t realize it. The attorney did send me flowers in appreciation for being willing to dig through the trash. I call that dedication.

Q. Tell us about one of your pet peeves?

A. When people talk on their cell phones while going through the check-out stand at a store. I think it is really disrespectful to the cashier.

Q. What book or author you have not read, but should?

A. I have a new-found love of leisure reading now that I’m finished with school. I have a running list of books I want to read and I love receiving suggestions from anyone willing to share. At some point, I’d like to get some classics read like War and Peace and Moby Dick.

Q. What happens to the missing socks in the laundry?

A. Their mates go missing too…right into the garbage can!

Q. Iowa or Iowa State (or other)?

A. Iowa

Q. Was there something your parents said to you, over and over, that you, would growing up, said to yourself, "I will never say that to my kids?"

A. “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Q. Worst TV show ever?

A. The obstacle course shows where people voluntarily hurt themselves. I don’t get it.

Q. Best TV show ever?

A. My husband and I really like watching Parenthood. It is like a date night in the middle of the week for us, and we can usually relate to some part of each show. Plus, it has fabulous music!!

Q. What is your dream car?

A. A very wise woman once told me that I should not place limits on the things that I want; that if I wanted a black Monte Carlo, I might be limiting myself because the Universe might have been ready to give me a white Bentley. That said, I inherited a fascination for cars from my father and therefore, at the risk of limiting myself, I have an answer to this question: Aston Martin Rapide (my dad and I have a very different taste in cars).

Q. Who should run for President, but hasn't?

A. I know we’ve had a female run for president, but I’d like to see one elected.

Q. Tell us your favorite joke

A. I have to give credit to my little sister, Lindsey, for this one: What did the fish say when he ran into the wall? Damn.

Q. Fill in the blank: In a perfect winter, it would snow….. In December and January only. I love the excitement surrounding winter storms and snow on Christmas, but by February, I’m ready for some warm, warm sunshine.

Q. Name your favorite:

Comic strip: n/a

Candy bar: Skor

Ice cream: Crunch Coat Twist Cones

Color: Purple

Sports team: Hawkeyes

Actor/actress: Patrick Swayze

Song: Too many to name

Planet: Earth

Photograph of yourself: For several reasons, probably the one of me and my sisters that is hanging at my parent’s house.

Our serious question:

Q. What are you most looking forward to in your new job at Mossman & Mossman??

A. Providing a quality service to a community that helped raise me and being challenged in my career on a daily basis.

And finally:

Q. Is there anything you wish we would have asked you?

A: About my family: my husband, Michael and I started dating in high school. We will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary this summer. We had our son, Lincoln, my first year of law school, and our daughter, Brooklyn, my third year of law school. Take away everything else in my life, and I would still feel like the luckiest girl in the world because I have them.