10 November 2011

True Confessions of Yours Truly

There are many of you out there who know me primarily through blogging and through what I write here. It occurred to me not long ago that it might be fun to share some of the idiosyncrasies, quirks, and moments in my personal history that belong to yours truly so you can get acquainted with some of the things that make up some small part of who I am.

So here it goes ...

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Thanks to a particularly hooked wisdom tooth on the lower left side of my mouth that caused some nerve damage on its way out, I still can't feel part of the left side of my tongue (I had all my wisdom teeth removed over 7 years ago).

I only rarely use recipes when I cook (baking is another story).

My least favorite household chores are sweeping and mopping -- vacuuming is up there for me too (apparently, I dislike any chore that involves floors). My favorite is doing laundry. I particularly enjoy folding towels. And don't get me started on Clean Sheet Day. I love Clean Sheet Day!!

I've had my fair share of bad haircuts. Thank goodness there are more hair professionals in the world who know what to do with curly hair.

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I've always had a great sense of style (ca. 1991) ... ;o)
Really -- I will feel better if you laugh WITH me!!

I am incredibly opinionated (particularly where a number of issues are concerned), but hate debating people.

I probably care too much about what you think of me. It's gotten better, but I still have a long ways to go!!

I bought the first wedding dress I tried on.

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Photo by Jen Fox Photography

I have a tattoo on my low back that was inspired by some Goo Goo Dolls album artwork. I got it in November of 2004. This was probably the most rebellious thing I ever did in my life. :o)

My nose ring was made in London and has a real diamond in it. James custom ordered it shortly after we were engaged and had it sent to the castle outside of Dublin where he arranged for my sister and I to stay for our last night on a 2-1/2 week trip to Ireland (definitely a step up from the hostels where we had been staying). {Swoon.}

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Barberstown Castle (Straffan, Ireland)

For those of you not familiar with our story, James and I originally met in college in southern California (when I was a blonde) and reconnected on Facebook about 8-1/2 years after I graduated. When James was a teenager and still living in Kansas (years before either of us were in college), he had a dream that he moved to California and met a woman with curly blonde hair named Kristen who he married. (So the name wasn't totally right, but dang ... that's close.)

I once hired a photographer (who I actually knew in high school) to do a photoshoot all by myself just because I wanted to capture where I was at in my life. It was a little awkward at first, but ended up being a blast.

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Photo by Jen Fox Photography (April 2008)

I have an oh-so-slight phobia of bridges. Driving across them isn't so bad, though somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm always thinking, "What if this were to collapse right now?", which is followed by me imagining/planning how I would break free of the car. Trying to walk across one practically gives me a panic attack.

In over 17 years of driving, I've never gotten pulled over or (as you might easily deduce) had a speeding ticket.

I'm insanely in love with my husband. He might not be perfect (and Lord knows I'm certainly not), but he's the perfect fit for me in every way. He's easily the smartest, funniest, and most creative person I know. Speaking of which, I'm hoping to get him to make a cameo appearance on video sometime in the near future! :o)

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James and a couple of his groomsmen busting out with an impromptu acapella number at our wedding reception
Photo by Jen Fox Photography

I remember that after giving birth to Ewan, I really believed and said out loud: If I can do this -- if I can push through that much pain -- I can face anything. My labor and delivery experience became a deeply powerful metaphor and actually helped me a lot in the days and weeks that followed.

Not a day goes by that I don't think about my son and what he would be like right now if he were still here with us. Sometimes I get very vivid pictures in my mind about what he would look like. Sometimes, I swear I can almost hear him laugh.

By far the best part of blogging for me has been the opportunity to connect with other people who have gone or who are going through something similar. I readily confess that while I don't reply to every e-mail (in fact, I'm terrible at it), I read and cherish every single one. I remember them all. And the truth is, you've touched my heart at least as much as Ewan has touched yours.

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So. Talk to me. Wanna chat? Ask questions? Share some totally random or otherwise little-known facts about yourself? Seriously, I'd love to know you better and for you to know me. If there's anything you'd like to ask or to share about yourself, let's talk about it on the Team Ewan page on Facebook.