Friday, October 12, 2007

Backdating - 10/12/07 - Introduction

Hi, my name is H, and if you dig hard enough or know how blogger works better than I do, then you can figure out what my name used to be.

This blog was inspired by
1) My husband, who is starting a blog of his own for writers (go see it @ thewritecrowd.com),
2) the fact that I read at least a dozen blogs a day (or skim) looking for good info that will actually be helpful and
3) the idea that I wanted to have a blog that actually has helpful info for REAL folks.

I have a real weakness for women's magazines. They're good to pass the time, but when it comes down to REAL helpful tips, I'd say only 20% of the content (or less!) in any given magazine actually applies to really improving my life, or helping me out.

So, why am I a Real Person? Well, for one thing, I don't fit into a category. No one magazine or blog is really the ONLY thing that I need to get helpful ideas, or tips. I don't have a set schedule of weekly crazy that I have to go to, but I do have things that need to get done. Bill-paying, financial stuff, cleaning, organizing, etc. There are not enough hours in the day, but all of it HAS to get done, so...

Here is Real Life and Times. A blog that consolidates what I think is the best of the best, a quick read of the most helpful tips for Real People who don't have the time to scope out dozens of magazines, blogs and websites looking for the most helpful stuff. As for me? I'm Real, but this is my fun time. I LIKE scoping out that stuff, and if I can help some of you out along the way, then its my pleasure to do so.

Here's my family:

Myself: I'm a 27 year old female, with a BA in Sociology, and an MBA. I have been married for almost a year to my wonderful husband. I work in advertising, and I've practically lived in online communities of some shape or another for the past seven years. I was born outside of Chicago, grew up in New York, and moved to Texas a couple of years after graduating from college.

My Husband (J): A 34 year old male, who has gone back to school for his bachelor's degree, and currently works as an educational aide in a classroom for kids with emotional and behavioral issues. He is also a poet, a writer, a singer and a movie buff. He was born in Texas, lived in Oklahoma for some time, went for some of his undergrad in Indiana and moved back to Texas again almost 10 years ago.

My stepdaughter (S): A 12 year old female, who is currently in 7th grade, and is learning to play and love playing the viola. She goes to school where J works, so that's a fun dynamic. Technically, since her mother and J share custody, she is only supposed to be with us Wednesday nights and every other weekend. But, her mother drops her off before school most days so that either J or I can take her, and J picks her up from school and hangs on to her until her mother gets off of work, and then she stays the whole time from Wednesday till Monday the weekends that we have her. Its a good deal.

My brother-in-law (J2): A 32 year old male, who is currently unemployed. He has a learning disability that has yet to be diagnosed, and I suspect a social issue that goes beyond just awkwardness as well. He means well most of the time, and he did work at one point. We just need to help him get up to speed.

The Cat (F): A 17 and a half year old female, who is crazy. I've had her since she was born, and she has moved with me from Long Island, to Queens, to Brooklyn, to Texas without batting an eye. She has six toes on her front paws, and eats everything from corn to wasabi, from honeydew to chocolate.

The Other Cat (P): An 8 year old female whom I never see, but comes out on rare occasion to chat. She spends about 23 hours a day in the kitchen bay window. She'll snub all human food except for vodka sauce and tiramisu.

The Dog (M): A 7 year old male, who belonged to my mother-in-law before she passed away. Previously thought to be completely untrainable, he has recently learned to sit, lay down, stay and walk on a leash. Rollover gained me a bite on my upper arm, so we're still working on that. Also has a depth perception issue, so he constantly bumps into things that have never moved from the positions they're in.

Next post, I'll walk through our current living situation.