My friends, Rebecca Jo and Audrey, did reintroduction posts on their blogs a month or two ago, so you know what that means – I’m copying them because blogging is 85% copying your friends. 😀 Kidding. Sort of. But in all seriousness, people join us on our blogging journey at different times and let get real: your (or my) About page hasn’t been updated since blog launch. So this is a nice way to catch newish readers up on our life’s story because sometimes we mention something offhand, assuming our readers know, but in reality, everyone be like “Whatcha talking about, Willis” or Tanya in my case.
1. Where Do You Call Home?
California or more specifically LA (well, not LA proper but close enough). But I grew up in rural Minnesota.
2. What Jobs Have You Held, and What Do You Do Now?
I majored in Speech Communications: Radio/Television and was the weekend director at KAAL-TV in Austin, MN. But I grew tired of the job (it was more repetitive than I imagined television news would be) and also wanted to live in a bigger city. So I moved to Minneapolis and worked various roles in marketing/communications at Ameriprise Financial. While there, I was fortunate to work with a great VP who transferred me to LA, where I had always dreamed of living. I started blogging in 2010 on my now defunct (but still online) blog, Eat Laugh Purr. Right now, I mainly do web design and design marketing collateral.
3. What is a Secret (or Not so Secret) Talent You Have?
My secret talent (and talent might be a bit of an exaggeration) is all cats love me. This is also a blatant lie. But in my head, it’s my secret talent: I am a cat whisperer. I call; they run to me. This again is not true as I have many, many, many scratches (aka love marks) to prove otherwise. But a girl can dream. Or delude herself.
4. What Would You Tell Your 20ish-Year-Old Self?
You’re never “done” because no one is ever done. Anyone who tells you differently is lying or trying to sell you something. People can choose to not grow or be unwilling to learn or never expand themselves to their detriment. But we are never, ever “done” in the way we assumed we would be as kids. Ya know, be all knowing and 100% confident in our decisions.
More importantly, I’d tell myself that’s okay. I’m not broken or deformed or in need in fixing because I’m not “done” and still feeling a bit lost at 43 years old. In fact, it might even be something to celebrate. Evolution happens every day and it’s kind of awesome. I’m not done, not even close, and I’m learning to love it.
5. What Are Some Things that You Love, that You Hate?
Things I love include my cat, Max, my family and friends. I don’t feel bad for listing my cat first because everyone who knows and loves me would expect Max to be listed first. I also love reading, particularly thrillers/mysteries and Harry Potter. I love music, mostly pop and hip-hop with Pink, Prince and Cardi B on heavy rotation. I love to write and I hate to write. It’s complicated. I also love carbs. And not the good, healthy carbs but potato chips and french fries and big bowls of spaghetti.
I hate people unwilling to grow and adapt. People who refuse to recognize their privilege (FYI, almost everyone have some privilege, be open to seeing it and its resulting bias). Racists. Misogynists. Basically asshole-bros. I also hate kimchee, not terribly fond of sushi but will eat it occasionally, the recent overuse of twists and unreliable narrators in novels, LA traffic, and when Target runs out of Max’s preferred cat food.
6. What is Something You Love that Most People Don’t?
I am uncomfortable admitting this, even though this is my question so I could delete it and you wouldn’t know … but I’d know. And I’m trying to truly live the you do you and I do me mindset, so ………. I like coffee that has been sitting in the pot for hours. Like four or more hours and has that slightly burnt, nutty taste that I blunt with sugar and cream. Yes, I could just buy hazelnut creamer but lordy – let’s not bring logic into this, okay?
7. What is Something You Cannot Do but Wish You Could?
Sing solo. In a group, I’m okay, not great but not howling dogs bad either. But alone? Yeesh. I’m pitchy as heck and can’t hold a tune worth a darn. But I love music, so I sing loudly in my car to whomever I’m jamming to without shame, ignoring all the drivers looking at me funny. Any dog howling emanating from surrounding cars is pure coincidence. Paw swear.
8. What is Your Favorite Meal?
Oh man. That’s tough. One favorite meal? I have lots of favorite meals. But if I can only list one … chicken parmesan. I adore it. It’s not my favorite dish to make (so many dirty dishes) but I try to make once or twice a year as a special treat. I also really love pizza.
I should have been Italian, not Korean. I don’t like Korean food.
9. What Do You Love about Blogging? Dislike about it?
I love almost all parts of blogging from the writing to the community. Because web design is what I do, I don’t mind tinkering (okay, I really like it) with my design. In fact, I have a new design to unveil that I’m really proud of but need to take some updated photos of myself first, which I don’t wanna do.
What I dislike is the holier than thou bloggers who condescend others for doing things differently or for finding certain things hard that may be easy for them. The kind who secretly get off on making others feel less than. I have zero issues with bloggers making money (fyi: it’s more work than those 5 minutes to start a blog posts let on though) but I hate blogs with more ad than content or have a gratuitous amount of pop-ups.
10. Share Something Embarrassing that You Do.
Well, beyond never being able to spell embarrassing right the first time (I always forget the second “r” but never the second “s” because I’m no ass), I sing made-up songs about Max. In the shower. Driving in my car. Cooking dinner. Cleaning. Okay, the last one is lie. I don’t sing when cleaning but mostly curse and whine. But yes, I warble off-key to nonsensical lyrics praising my silly, sweet and fun cat. Because he’s Max! Max-o-licious.
Okay, now you know all about me. Kidding. You know all about the parts I’m willing to share with you. 😀 Now it’s your turn! Tell me something about you.
Tanya
blogs that have pop-ups, I just X right out. no time for that. it also annoys me when ads appear right in the middle of the post!
OMG – I have read blogs where they have an ad AFTER EVERY SINGLE PARAGRAPH. RAGE! I’ve mostly seen this in food blogs so I get the recipe (sometimes) and always bug out …. FOREVER. Sorry for all the caps but it annoys me SO MUCH!
This is adorable. Glad you did it! It’s cool to learn how people ended up where they are today. I never really left Ohio (except for long trips/study abroad) but the way we became permanently settled here is a story in and of itself. I would probably name some Asian inspired dish as my favorite. I would eat food from Asia every dang day if I could- Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean… you name it!
LOL – I really only like Chinese food and I’m Korean. Not a big fan of Korean and Japanese food and dislike Thai food but I love Italian, Mexican and Mediterranean food quite a bit!
I love everything about this….
I’ll always remember how to spell Embarrassing now – thank you for that.
Dont feel bad – I like coffee that has been sitting out for awhile too – not in a pot – but coffee that’s cooled down & basically forever old.
I’m also good in a crowd singing… at least I think maybe its other’s great voices help drown my ‘meh-kay’ voice out.
Oh, I drink cold coffee that’s been sitting in my cup for hours. Of course, sometimes that’s not good because I use creamer so…. oops. My tummy isn’t always real happy with me! Yup, crowd singing is the best because I can sing loudly but no one can really “hear” me or know that’s it’s me that’s slightly off-key! 😀
Southern California traffic is insane. Doesn’t matter the freeway or the time. It could be 11am on a Saturday, in the Inland Empire, there will still be traffic. So. Annoying.
One thing I wish I could do, as you well know, is parallel park. Sometimes I wish I could do it but alas, I cannot 😀
Seriously, right? It always surprises me how crazy the freeways are. Oh man. You and I both have struggles with parallel parking. Sometimes I watch people do it and it just amazes me because it’s something I’ve never been able to do either. It’s like magic! LOL!
i am also a cat whisperer. that is also a lie.
i don’t drink coffee, but i also have something odd – we have these things called cheese and bacon balls at home, they are like cheetos, kind of. i like to open them, leave the bag open, not rolled up at all, for a day and then eat them stale. gives ’em extra crunch. love it. it used to drive people at home bonkers.
I suspect every cat person believes herself or himself to be a cat whisperer and it is likely a lie. Because cats. They just gonna do what they wanna do. I don’t think I’d like stale crisps but I am now a bit obsessed with these cheese and bacon balls you described and want some. 😀