You already know that I have two children with autism. But I don't define myself by that, even though I list it prominently. I also have a brilliant teenager, and am married to a great guy, my best friend. I don't define myself by them, either.
So how do I define myself? I hate labels, but I guess here's a start:
I hate injustice. Want to piss me off? Pick on the underdog. I don't care who it is, or why.
I love shoes, but don't love paying high prices for them. I tend to buy at Ross or TJ Maxx.
I think that morning should be spelled "mourning" because I lament the fact that it I have to get up. I am allergic to the sun before 11 a.m. My family teases me that I am part vampire. Since I am a Christian, I am pretty sure this isn't true.
I am very much nocturnal. Would love if my day started at 11 a.m. and ended at 3 a.m. Sadly, this is no way to raise children, so I have have had to adapt. Perhaps you see me on twitter late at night... @sendchocolate. Tweet me if you are bored.
I am really not that interesting, but if you want here is the obligatory junk about me.
I have a perfection streak and a fear of failure = terrible combination
My parents were asked to let me enter a study on giftedness at the University of Alaska when I was 5. They refused.
I never lived up to the hype.
I'm ok with that.
I am a lifelong learner, I am happiest when I am learning something new.
To shut up the "Why?" questions, my parents bought me a set of encyclopedias. I was in Heaven.
I used to keep a running list of topics I wanted to look up in the library.
Now I keep a list by my bed, or just get up and Google it.
The Internet is a dream come true for me.
I was once told by my crush in high school, "The trouble with you is that we want to talk about what color the car is, and you want to know what the paint is made of."
The way people think fascinates me. I love to watch crime dramas for that reason: The Mentalist, Bones, Castle, Lie To Me…I like to second-guess and often solve the crime before the main character does.
I have been married for 20 years.
Some women like a nice ass or pecs. And I am ok with that, but I am seriously attracted to a large IQ.
I am a geek at heart. Talk nerdy to me... I'll be putty in your hand. TED? W3C? Extreme Programming? Java? Ubuntu? Ooh, baby. Don't stop.
I have an affinity for tech, an intuitive understanding of how it is supposed to work...but cannot troubleshoot at all. Or code high-level.
I have a very understanding partner who comes behind and fixes what I screw up.
We have had more than one screaming fight late at night because I have messed up my template and am frustrated.
I usually write after the kids are in bed; I concentrate better that way.
My motto: Knowledge is power. (and control, thank you very much)
When I found out my son had autism, I locked myself in my room and cried. I did the same thing when my daughter was diagnosed.
Then I started googling. Both times. Now I make a living writing about special needs kids.
My 15 year old believes I should be the teenager. She is more conservative than I am.
I am a night owl. I rarely am in bed before 1 a.m. I need two solid hours to decompress after kids are in bed. I have a 15 yr old who won't go to bed.
I don't like to sleep. Until I AM sleeping. I am always afraid I'm going to miss something. The Internet= 24 hour party. I am so glad to be On the List.
So...if you are still reading, that's it. That's me. Now, Send Chocolate!
