Saturday • November 09
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It's Beyond Complicated
 
Anna Collins

ANNA COLLINS is of Armenian (Dad) and Swiss (Mom) heritage. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, she spent a few years of her childhood in Cairo, Egypt, thus cultivating her life-long love of shish-kabob and hieroglyphics. Her family eventually settled in the Northeast where the weather was wicked cold and annoying. Anna would spit when people would say, "Don't you just love the seasons?" She only loved “a” season – summer. She vowed she would someday move to Florida, Land of Eternal Sunshine and dinners you can eat at four in the afternoon.

Anna started her writing career in radio, at WFNX in Boston, where she was a comedy copywriter and character voice talent. She also began her standup career at the same time. In addition, Anna performed as a Marilyn Monroe look-a-like for several theatrical agencies doing TV commercials and public appearances. Anna’s standup career has taken her everywhere from the nationwide IMPROV comedy clubs to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, to the Fifth Level of Hell (a good room during “season”.)

She has been on Lifetime TV, VH-1 and numerous comedy specials both in the U.S. and Canada. Anna has performed with Robert Kline, Dom Irrera, Damon Wayans, Jeff Dunham, Ray Romano, Eddie Brill, John Pinette, and Lewis Black to name a few. Besides being the author of two best-selling humor books, A View from a Broad – The Collection and Women are from Bras, Men are From Penus (a parody John Gray himself endorsed!) she is also cited in the book Life’s a Stitch: The Best of Contemporary Women’s Humor (Random House 2002).

Anna currently writes a bi-weekly humor column, A View from a Broad as well as a cartoon called Artz Whirled for a popular Miami arts and entertainment e-zine, MiamiArtzine.com

How did Anna meet Peter? She believes it was fate, guided by a cosmic GPS. The pair met in a comedy club, in an obscure strip mall in Boca Raton, Florida.

Upon seeing Peter, Anna heard the song “Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation” by the Who, playing in her head and was immediately attracted to Peter in some strange kismetic (her word) sort of way. He was age appropriate and had hair! Joy!

Anna and Peter have the same astrological sign – Cancer – meaning they are both tenacious, sensitive, and prone to mood swings. (Finally! A man with mood swings!) And mystically, Anna’s brother and favorite nephew are also named Peter. Introducing everyone usually turns out to be an adventure in the Peter Principle of Redundancy: “Peter -- Peter. Peter – Peter. Peter – Peter.”

The Baby Boomer Phenomenon: So many people make up the Boomer Generation – We needed a fun (Anna) yet practical (Peter) voice As Bette Davis, once said, “Growing old is not for sissies.” But Anna firmly believes you can be healthy, have fun, and look good – no matter what your age.

She practices her words. An avid Pilates, rebounding, and weight-lifting fan, Anna works out 3 to 5 times a week at a gym and runs at least once a week. “For me, exercise is better than Xanax or Prozac for calming you down and keeping stress at bay!” A few glasses of Chardonnay doesn’t hurt either, she adds with a wink.

Anna’s cultural and ethnic background gives her a vast knowledge of food and wine as both sides of her family were excellent cooks and “foodies.”

On the show, she’ll talk about food from around the word, as her Dad was in the travel industry and she visited many different countries sampling the cuisine and learning about different wines. Some of these trips she remembers – some are a little fuzzy.

Anna Collins is also a travel writer. Her website, UniqueTravelStories.com includes Anna's funtastically unique journeys and stories about the world we live in. She specializes in Florida and the Keys. Go check it out. But not this very second.

But, if she had to sum life up her life’s philosophy in one sentence it would be this: If it ain’t fun – don’t do it! And It’s BEYOND Complicated! promises to deliver plenty of FUN!

Even though Peter ALWAYS has to put a “practical” spin on things!

(Anna's disclaimer: I call Peter “practical” and that’s the best spin I can put on his perspective without Peter getting mad at me. Oh, and don’t listen to anything he says about me either – he tends to exaggerate for emphasis!)