Writing an autobiography can trigger an existential crisis. At any rate…who is this woman behind the blog?

I answer to Laurie, among other things. I’m thirty-something years old. I grew up in and now live in Greater Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada). I’m a wife, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, step-sister, friend, employee, and accomplice.

I was born and raised in Surrey, British Columbia along with a younger brother. Our parents divorced when I was 17. I’m an aunt to four children: my brother’s kids Traviss  and Shelby and Paul’s sister’s kids Atticus and Nicola.

On a Ninja 250 at Streets of Willow Springs.

I ride a motorcycle. I have a 2009 Yamaha FZ6R. Riding a motorcycle is a dream come true for me; I am passionate about bikes and racing. I watch the World Superbike Series, MotoGP, Moto2, and the Isle of Man TT. I’ve completed motorcycle training courses at Laguna Seca (CLASS), Miller Motorsports Park (Yamaha Champions Riding School), Streets of Willow Springs (CLASS), and Rich Oliver’s Mystery School. In March 2013 I started working as an Associate Instructor at Pacific Riding School.

Physically, I’m fairly tall (5’10) and quite pale.  I’ve broken a variety of bones and torn an assortment of ligaments. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome.  I don’t have a severe case; it does flare up once in a while to make life miserable, but mostly I find it pretty manageable.

I have eight tattoos. On my back I have a Celtic knot work star, kanji for “tranquility”, a lotus with the kanji for “lotus” beneath it, and Isis. On my right ankle I have three Egyptian blue lotus buds. On my left upper arm I have the kanji for “wish/desire” and a butterfly. My newest tattoo is on my left calf, a line work design of an abstract Valkyrie.Mentally, I have a long history of depression, specifically episodes of Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymia. This is known as double depression. I have a short history of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. All of these are well-controlled with antidepressants, which I will likely have to take for the majority of my life.

I used to be very secretive about my mental health issues, but I decided that it’s nothing to be ashamed of; it’s like being embarrassed to have an under-active thyroid.  The Public Health Agency of Canada reports “20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness during their lifetime.”

Personality-wise, I am an INFP/Healer. I’ve taken the Myers-Briggs test and the Keirsey temperament sorter multiple times and I’ve always come out this way. I have moved back and forth along the introvert-extrovert spectrum. Right now I’m all the way back to fully introverted. I’ve known this about myself since I was in high school, and it has allowed my to understand why I don’t react to situation like most (extroverted) people do. I’m also an Aquarius, but I don’t tend to put a lot of stock into the zodiac. I will say that I am a stereotypical Aquarius, for what it’s worth. Paul is a typical Virgo.

I’ve always been a night-owl. The necessities of holding a regular job make me conform to a more “lark”-like sleep-wake cycle. However, if I have more than three days off of work my schedule starts to flip over to my natural owl setting. I do my best work after midnight.

I like collecting shiny things and I’m entranced by the makeup counter; even if I don’t wear a lot of it I seem to own a lot of it. I like Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume oil.

I’m the Lead Administrator at a boutique recruiting firm. I’m in charge of the admin team and keeping the IT stuff running smoothly. Previously I managed veterinary hospitals for 7 years. I’ve also worked in the insurance (disability/income protection), employee benefits, and financial services industries.

I read voraciously, often snuggled on the couch with my dogs. We have two dogs: Maggie, who is to our best guess a Treeing Walker Coonhound crossed with a PBGV. (Her paperwork from the shelter in Jackson County listed her as a “Treeing Walker Coonhound X”.)  She was rescued by Noah’s Wish after Hurricane Katrina. We’re guessing that she was born in 2004.

Bender was born on July 15 2006. He’s a yellow Labrador Retriever from a local breeder for Paul’s 30th birthday. He has the universal canine blood type, so he’s a canine blood donor at the Animal Emergency Clinic of the Fraser Valley. 

I am married to someone who “gets me” completely and always supports and loves me. Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do with out him.