Behind the Blog: About Me

In the beginning I didn’t intend to make this blog about me. Mainly it was born after months of people telling me to start it because I was always sharing my crazy animal stories. The Ruff Life was just going to be a place to share the funny, silly and ridiculous things that happen regularly with my furry critters.

But a year in and the blog has evolved. I’m a private person by nature but writing is my creative outlet and sharing details about my life in post format has made it seem like I’m talking to friends rather than an audience of strangers. So I noticed more and more of myself coming out. And I realized I was just fine with it!

As my life changes, so will this blog, but the furbabies are always the stars.  However I have been getting some e-mails with questions directed towards me personally. I’m flattered that you are at all interested but I feel a little awkward doing a whole post about me. So here goes nothing.

I’m currently 27 years old, although I’ve accidently told people more than once that I’m 28. I think it’s because all the wedding planning has me looking forward to this Spring, when I will actually turn 28. My late April birthdate makes me a Taurus. Yes, I can be incredibly stubborn. Ask anyone who knows me. I’ve loved animals since I was little and dreamt of having a house full of critters when I was older. And now that dream has true, although it’s much more work than I imagined!

A lot of people actually don’t know that I am in fact athletically inclined. I played soccer and volleyball throughout my childhood and also did gymnastics for a while but never continued into high school. Let me just say, though, I am not remotely graceful so ballet was never my thing. You can be coordinated in some ways and not in others. If they gave out awards for most daily trips, falls, runs into walls and spills I would be a champion. But I actually did play the sports I played pretty well.

I love cheese. I LOVE cheese. This is why I will never fully be vegan. I’m down with the substitutes most of the time, but I still say yes to the occasional pizza, bowl of mac n cheese or order of cheese fries. I make kick ass homemade buffalo chicken mac n cheese that never fails to please, although I’m otherwise not the best cook. I also love peanut butter. I LOVE peanut butter. When I was little my dad and I would eat it out of the jar with a spoon. I may or may not still do this.  Ahem.

I was a tomboy for a good chunk of my childhood and wore my long hair in a ponytail down my back with a ball cap on top. Over –sized tshirts and hiking boots were all the rage in the 90s. I didn’t even own, nor know how to straighten my hair until my senior year of high school. Ditto for coloring it at all. I now get highlights once every 3 or 4 months. Clearly it’s not a big priority but I do really like my hair. I currently consider myself a part time fashionista. What I mean is that I do love keeping up with the trends and putting together fun outfits for work and weekend outings. I have been known to sacrifice comfort for style many times, mainly in the shoe department because I’m totally a shoe girl. But I do also like my comfy stuff and I will wear things I like regardless of how put together I actually look. It just depends on the day.

I have one sister who is 4 years my junior. When she was born I was anything but the jealous older sibling. I was far too excited about new live baby doll. She and I turned out to have personalities at the opposite ends of the spectrum but we get along really well. Girl is a feisty one so it helps that I’m more laid back. You’ve also seen our parents appear in posts from time to time. I have my dad’s eyes and my mom’s smile. They’re loving and supportive and always there for us and some other happy crap, but are also a really good time! I swear their social life in their 50s is way more hoppin’ than mine.

Starbucks skinny vanilla lattes are a huge guilty pleasure of mine, but I don’t get to have them nearly as much as I’d like. It’s also a little known fact that I have a condition called Interstitial Cystitis, or IC, because it’s a freaking mouthful. Don’t Google it, it sounds far worse than it (usually) is. In short, for reasons unknown, the lining of the bladder deteriorates enough that there are little holes in it. Everything is filtered through the bladder so just about everything that goes through my system irritates the condition (including stress hormones, allergy histamines and food/drinks). It’s a case by case basis for what will cause more irritation or less and it’s just a kind of figure it out as you go situation. I was diagnosed 3 years ago and put on medication that helps but I also have to control what I eat and drink. Unfortunately coffee is one of those things that sets off my condition so I drink it sparingly. Once in a while seems to be okay but even a cup a day would not bode well for me.

I may be a teensy bit obsessed with monograms lately, probably because I’m getting a new one in a few months. I have always liked personalized items though and have given them as gifts for years. If you can monogram it, I want it monogrammed. Or personalized in some way. I love the bracelet my mom got me from Christmas with our wedding date. And you might have noticed me rocking my monogrammed Marley Lilly vests. I also am completely drawn to stripes, especially gray and white or navy and white. Seriously, I will become distracted quickly if I see a gray and white sweater or a navy and white bikini, even out of the corner of my eye. It’s not surprising Chris and I have a gray and white striped bed set on our wedding registry. No flannel sheets though because Chris runs hot. I am a sucker for flannel, especially plaid flannel. It’s probably because it’s soft and warm and I always run cold.  

There are about a million things I left out but I’m getting bored talking about myself. I’m with myself all day everyday so you know how that goes. And I bet you’ve had your fill of learning about me too. So there you have it. I was the star of the show today but we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming next time. I’m off to new adventures with the furbabies and capturing them to share with you.

Happy Friday Eve!