So surprised this hasn't been done yet.  Great idea Meredith! 

I'm Carrie, been in the Lansing, MI area pretty much all my life (with a breif stint in the north for school).  As you can see on my profile I'm a mom, and wife first and formost.  I also work full time for the Head Start preschool program.  When Im not at work I'm at the computer writing away.  We have 3 separate businesses operating in our home.... me with writing, my husband with painting and a joint business.

My favorite things would be good friends, beaches, turtles, vacations (of which I don't do hardly enough), anything pasta or bread and a good movie.

Who's next.....

Hi I'm Suzanne and I've lived my whole life in the Metro Detroit area.  26 years in one house, then got married in 2007 and moved... 5 miles down the street :-D  My Favorite thing to do is travel, and I only wish I could do it more than once or twice a year.  I hope to see every state of the US, but I'm only hoping to visit a few countries.  Obviously I've been to Canada since it's only 30 minutes away.

In reality, since I can't travel every day, my hobbies include writing (no duh), photography, memory books, movies, spending time with friends, video games, and anything in the creative realm.  I get paid (my job) to design websites and small software programs for my department to use.  I work for a big company, but I'm actually not in IT and instead was hired by 1 department that needs A LOT of technological stuff.

I think that about sums it up!  BTW - If you couldn't do the math above, I'm 27 now :)

Hi I'm Regina.  I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.  In 2004 I moved down to South New Jersey and became a Piney!  We now live in Tuckerton.  This is a very small town; only about 2 miles wide.  I don't miss city life in any way!

 I live with my husband and 9 year old son. We have a cat named Alley Cat adopted from a local shelter, and we have a Golden Retriever named Burger (aka Sir Quiet Piney because he doesn't bark...it's too much of an effort for him). 

Life is very different down here.  I love to fish and crab and go right out my back door to do so.  I love to read...anything!  We like to travel, but are not able to do as much as we would like. We take long weekends discovering new places on the east coast.  I love the beach, my friends, family and doing things together.

 

Patty here! (Actually Patty Therre, hahaha)

Let's see...I am from central New York and have been married for almost 25 years. I was only four when I got married. ;) I have two sons, Dan (Mr----X here), who is 22, and Chris, who will be 18 in September. I have assorted animals in and out of the house but have a dog and two cats that actually live here.

I have been writing forever. I literally started writing at age four and never stopped. I have journals, diaries, and stories written when I was as young  as 10. I have been published in a variety of magazines over the years and I have been the Executive Editor/Editor in Chief of two - WCW Magazine and RollerJam Magazine.

I still research and write  for a UK based wrestling magazine (PowerSlam) and I write all over the net. I love it. It's my passion. I write for work and for fun. Other hobbies? Hmm...I am into working out and getting fit, playing with makeup and skin care, and I love to shop. I have more "stuff" than anyone should and my husband is going to move out if I don't get rid of some of it. I'll miss him. Heheh. Obviously I like to joke around but I have a very serious side too. I try to be a good friend but I sometimes fail because I am so busy trying to get everything done. For that, I am sorry and I am working on organizing myself and my time to not ALWAYS be rushing around trying to finish what I started. Or didn't start at all!

In general, aside from being surrounded by my family, writing is my true passion and my true love. I hope I never have to give it up.

Glad to "meet" you all!

I'm Bob Kovacs, a kid at heart who somehow managed to make it into my 50s. I still don't know how that happened. I've always been fascinated with electronics and mechanical things, and have been working in the electronics/communications industry since (gulp!) 1971. In 1979, I got my first job as a television engineer, and I've been involved with television ever since. I'm currently a broadcast engineer with Sprint Nextel, working on a huge national project involving most of the country's TV stations. If all goes well, I'll work myself out of a job in Sept. 2009.

My mechanical obsession led me to cars, and I know a fair piece about what happens under the hood. I do most of my own car repair, and it's not unusual to find me doing a valve job or replacing a transmission. I'm also pretty handy around the house and will tackle almost any project, big or small. If you don't expect perfect plumbing, we'll get along fine.

Like Patty, I also found myself doing a lot of writing. In 1998, I became the editor of a trade magazine called Pro Video Review, which is why you can find me around the Internet by the name "pvreditor." Pro View Review died after seven issues, so I moved to a sister magazine called TV Technology, where I was the technology editor for five years. Since 1998, I've published more than 250 articles and had more than 1,000 photographs published in various magazines. I've had about 10 articles and 100 pictures published in magazines so far this year. In addition to writing about television, radio and electronics, I write about cars for a magazine called Excellence, which you can find on newsstands. My next article, on consoles used in the television industry, will be in the July 9, 2008, issue of TV Technology.

Also like Patty, I grew up in upstate New York, about 60 miles north of New York City. After living all over NY State (Fredonia, NYC, Westchester), I moved to Virginia to escape the high taxes. I now live in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. I'm a teatotaler, have two cats, own two homes and eight guitars, and have been married (no kids) for nearly 28 years.

And I'm glad to be here!

--Bob

Love reading about all of you!  Now, for me.....to quote Samuel L. Jackson in "Jurassic Park", "Hold on to your butts!"  Born during Ike's (NOT Turner!!) reign as president, I came screaming into the world in a little clinic that no longer exists in Chattanooga, TN, or anywhere else, for that matter!  Spent the first 19 years of my life here, went to college for a year, got married, had kids, joined the Air Force at 23, retired at 43, got divorced, moved back here, got married again, had another kid, and here I sit.  Where the H-E-Double Hockey sticks did the time all go??????

After my stint in the AF, first 12 years a cop, last 8 an ophthalmic technician (go ahead.  Say that 3 times really fast.  Oh, and I'm already ON to the smart-aleck trick of saying "that", "that", "that".  So, straighten up!!  As  momma used to say, "Life is like a box..."  no. wait.  MY momma used to say, "I was born during the day, but not yesterday!")

Took 5 months off to just goof around after the Air Force, then got work as an opthalmic tech, then a clinic manager, THEN a computer tech, THEN a retail manager.  Follow that logical progression?  Me neither.  Story of my life, though. 

I've lived in Michigan, Georgia, Arkansas, California, Guam, Germany and Maryland.  Traveled through most of the 50 states and spend a year in Korea one month.  Also been to England (where I first saw the movie, "E.T."), France, Germany, and East Germany/Berlin, when such a place still existed as a communist occupied area.  The German folks were really nice to me.  The French, not so much.

I've been told I could write all my life, but never pursued it as a career for reasons unclear to me or anyone else.  When the ISP known as Prodigy existed and we connected on those speedy 9600 baud Hayes modems, I wrote country music reviews for a little Internet mag.  So, here I am, some how surviving enemies and general malaise to reach my early 50s, writing, quite a bit, and loving it.

I currently work as a retail manager in a regional grocery chain, and have 3 kids, a 30 year old and 28 year old by my first marriage and a 3 year old by my most recent "hitching".  It was NOT a shotgun wedding, for those of you wondering.  There might have been Uzi's involved, but, I'm not sure. 

I love to read a good book, play computer games (right now it's World of Warcraft and Guitar Hero III), watch movies and listen to all kinds of music.  I love spending time with my little girl and making people smile in general.  Oh, and we have a cat.  Man, I hate that cat........

I am Ron or as most know me here "The Resident Redneck of Viewpoints"...lol I love to work around my house and do landscaping or gardening. I ride a 2008 V Star Classic which I have been modifying to my tastes. I have been riding motorcycles since I was 18 and this V Star is my 4th bike. Riding gives me peace of mind and relaxes me as well.

I am a retired (due to an accident) long haul truck driver and I still love to travel, even if I don't get paid to do it anymore...lol I am a person that likes to have fun and work with my hands as much as I can. I am also not afraid to take anything apart to see what makes it work and even fix it if I can.

I have 3 grown kids (2 girls, 1 boy) of my own and currently have 2 step kids (1 of each) I am the proud granddad (Paw-Paw) of 5 (2 girls and 3 boys) and have another due in November that they say will be a girl. My kids and granbabies are my happiness in life and I spoil them whenever I can. I mail cookies to them all the time...lol

I have been writing product reviews for almost 9 years now and enjoy both writing them and reading others opinions and experiences. I also enjoy meeting new people through my writing and reading their works. I write in many categories but feel tools, home improvement and motorcycles are my best.

Next week I am going to Indiana to see my girls and grandbabies for 3 weeks. I will be traveling on my V Star and plan to go to Little Sturgis (annual motorcycle event) along with going to the Brickyard 400 (Nascar) I have been a big fan of Dale Earnhardt Sr and Dale Jr. for a very long time and look forward to Dale Jr.'s first championship (his dad Dale Sr. won 7 titles)

I am Deranger and live near Kansas City, Missouri.  I am married, and we have two grown children.  Our daughter is a teacher and our son is a software engineer.

 

My DH is a carpenter and just recently retired.  I am an elementary school 'lunch lady' -- the baker.  Right now I am enjoying my time off!

 

I enjoy reading, doing crossword puzzles, cooking with my DH and spending time with family and friends. 

 

I also enjoy message boards such as this one. 

Hi, I'm Duke the PC DR.  I go by that name because I repair, upgrade and build PCs as a hobby and a business.  I also do contract IT tech support work.  I am also a proctor for certification tests for Electronic Technicians Association International.  I live in Las Vegas, NV but grew up in Nebraska. 

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources majoring in Range Science and Agronomy from the University of Nebraska.  I also have CompTIA A+ certifications.  I used to work for the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service doing conservation planning with farmers and ranchers. 

I really enjoy playing video games.  I enjoy reading and writing about games almost as much as I enjoy playing them.  I also love watching movies, reading books and comics, hiking and botany.  History is another of my interests, especially medieval times.  I belong to a medieval reinactment group called the Adrian Empire.  I do sword fighting in real armor, archery and crafts in the group. 

I stumbled upon this site by accident one day.  I really like it so far.  I've done a lot of blogging and review writing on other sites like epinions.com, yahoo answers, 1UP.com, and AnswersWiki. 

Hi, I'm Jo. I'm a computer addict or at least at one time I really was one spending hours online. When there are fewer years ahead than there are behind things take on a different hue. Anyway I have 3 adult children. One's married and we're hoping to be grandparents someday soon; one is an M.D. and the other owns The Laundry Locker in San Francisco and just got engaged.

Hubby is a college prof; I am a retired Social Worker and formerly a personal trainer. We live on the beach with our adored Pomeranian and my NEW FISH!! His name is Lucky.

We love to travel but due to some issues with my mom we brought her up north and are staying home this summer. I write for several sites and have been on one or the other for over 8 years.

Two of the kids live in CA so we try to get out there as much as possible. Our one trip this summer will be 10 days between San Francisco and L.A.

I'm very glad to be here and enjoy Viewpoints a whole bunch. Jo

let's see:
I just stumbled upon Viewpoints recently. Love it here! I'm new at writing reviews and such, but I figure I'll get the hang of it.
I'm 21, got married last August.. so it'll be a year soon! It's been an awesome year.
I graduated highschool in 2005, I went to nursing school right after at my parents pushing. I didn't finish.
I'm debating on going back for my LPN, or else I'm just going to get a medical office job. I have a form of rheumatoid arthritis, so I can't get through nursing school.
I LOVE to cook! That is what I invent. I am always googling and finding new ways to make things and experimenting.
I also love music. I play the violin and cello, I played viola for a year.. hated it! I started out with the Violin and then moved to the cello. The cello is my instrument. I love to dance. I love to sit and listen to music. I enjoy many varieties from classical, to porgressive jazz, to R+B, to rock, etc.
Right now I am a homemaker.. and I do work with the husband quite often. I do his secretarial work. He is a process server.. he's the guy showing up at your door with legal documents.. divorces, suits, debts, etc. I fill out the paperwork and descriptions for him.
The husband works on cars on the side. We own a 2001 VW Jetta TDI (Turbo Diesel Injected) and our pride and joy: 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution SSL package.. he has it slightly modified. Stock the Evo has about 300ish wheel horsepower, he has around 400-450. It is an All wheel drive racing machine! We love it.  He got the SSL package (Sunroof, sound, leather) The only 3 options available.. and yes, its yellow!
We live in the city of Buffalo Ny. We love the city life. We live in a pretty good sized apartment on Elmwood Ave. in Allentown area (its the artsy district). We are walking distance from some of the best restaurants, clubs, dessert places, and entertainment. We are a 5min. drive from the Canadian border (my sister married a Canadian) We love where we live. Our landlord is a good friend of ours so we hang out with him a lot.
We have parties at our place a lot. I love cooking for people and having people over!

Well, I'm L.B. and I'm the official VP anime geek (or as Meredith refers to me, 'anime guru'). I keep it very well hidden but I enjoy anime quite a bit. ^_^

Have been a reviewer for about 5 or 6 years now starting on various sites to hone my craft until about 3 years ago when I opened my own DVD review website (which currently has about 530 reviews published to it, give or take a few). I'm hoping to make reviewing into a full time career but its not an easy task.

Currently living on the north Oregon coast (Astoria).

Im the Diva. I love to explore life by meeting new people, share ideas, tip, experiences. I even created my own social networking website www.swelgroup.info because I love it so. Its fun to see like minded people all over the world who enjoy the things you enjoy and to hear their intake and observations.

Howdy. Im Jolie. And, I love this thread. 

I am always on the go and never one to sit still. So, you can always find me out and about either at work, walking my dogs, hanging with my gal pals, going to a comedy club with my husband, off at a PTA meeting, organizing school activities or pulling my kiddies in the wagon off to the park. I am a master multi-tasker. I hate to sit at home!  

While I work FT and have lots of personal interests, I think I define myself first and foremost as a mom. I have 2 great kids (4 and 2.5) and I love every minute I spend with them. While most parents are running to get out of the house, I am running to get home! (I credit my doting Italian Mom for making me realize the influence that a parent has over their children!)

On a personal level, I love culture-- everything cultural. If I had my way, I would spend my days with my kids in museums, traveling the world, sipping tea (no, I dont drink coffee), traveling to visit friends and my evenings at the theater, the opera, eating gelato, muscial festivals or dining out a local hole in the wall. Oh, and I would mix in a little pilates and dancing too. And, dont forget the champagne-- there is always a reason to celebrate life. :)I am also a big believer in giving back to my community. :) I like to volunteer, help people, be active in my kids school, politics, etc. 

So, I never sit still. How about you???

Like Mysticstarfish, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY - and I still consider it to the best place on earth. I left NYC about ten years ago for beautiful New Zealand, and I'm lucky enough to enjoy dual citizenship....so I may well move back there one of these days. I'm a published writer of short fiction, but my bread-and-butter job is that of Director of Development and Communications at not-for-profit that deals with civil rights advocacy. That's a fancy way of saying that I write grant proposals, develop advertising campaigns and resources, and coordinate events. Like a lot of people my age (41) I floated around for a while before settling on a career path. I taught special ed for several years, and worked at a shelter for survivors of domestic violence, among other things. On a personal note, I live with my partner of ten years, and I'm very close to my family - especially to my mother and three youngest nephews, who I visit in Florida several times a year. I love travel, and do as much of it as I can - something that American work schedules can make very difficult. I'd love for the USA to adopt the NZ tradition of everything closing down for summer, and everyone getting at least one month off.

I'm Katrena (bet you'd never guess that one) and I just started here. CyndiA talked me into it, so blame her. I've always enjoyed writing but figured nobody would ever want to read it, so I have a lot of children's books sitting in my hard drive at the moment.

I grew up in Cleveland, NC, where there was an unbelievable neighborhood watch program. There were more people in my dorm at UNC-Chapel Hill than in my home town!

I'm the youngest of four, and my siblings knew I was gullible. My sister talked me into eating live ants, and my brother convinced me to shake a jar of milk for half an hour before I realized it would never make butter.

My husband is a computer technician at Wake Forest University. I break them and he fixes them!

I'm the mother of three daughters, ages 6,4, and 9 months. I used to work full-time as a bone marrow transplant RN, but I want to be home to see my daughter's first steps and to be able to kiss boo-boos and to wrap my arms around my kids as much as possible. That means I moved to part-time (2-3 days/month) at the hospital and pursued other jobs closer to home.

I teach nursing assistants online and created the first online curriculum for nurse aides in NC. That's actually a bit comical since I have never taken an online class! I discovered I could get a free membership to the YMCA if I taught aerobics classes, so I teach step, cardio, kickboxing, boot camp, and yoga. I quickly discovered it's hard to skip class if I have to teach it!

Hobbies, hmmm.... I like to cross-stitch, read, bike, and enjoy flower gardens and the thrill of a fast roller coaster. Put me on those slow things that go around and around and I feel like throwing up!

All of the girls have food sensitivities, and I do too, so most of my reviews under the food category will have that slant. Quite a few people have food sensitivities and/or allergies and don't know it. You can check out my story of discovery in my post about the celiac website.

There you have it. That's me. It's been really nice to meet so many from such varied walks.

I look forward to reading more from others!

Hey, how ya doin? I'm Randall, aka Sparky, and I just wandered in a few minutes ago.

 I was born in Fairfield CA, but I've lived all over the west, including the Oregon coast (rain rain rain ugh!), Lake Powell, UT (HOT!!!! but not much rain!!!!), Several different towns around CO, but currently residing in Aurora.

I've been a dishwasher, gas jockey, roustabout, roughneck, painter, carpenter, plumber, parks caretaker, guitarist, bassist, drummer, ranch hand, tree farm grunt, and bum. I'm currently (and for the past 20 years) an IT tech for a small computer business. So far this is the best of the jobs I've held, mostly due to the fact that I'm gettin kinda old and there's heat in the winter and A/C in the summer! d;-)

I enjoy readin, writin, (no 'rithmetic, sorry!), ridin the scoot up in them thar hills, playin music, listenin to music, wanderin around the cliffs and canyons, swimmin, skiing (water, not snow), knee boardin (although it hurts to do it these days), loafin around, workin on my house (it's a bit of a fixer-upper ya know!), or just plain old doin absolutely nothin! I'm happily divorced, have an 11 year old daughter, and 13 or 14 guitars.

dovey here, I really like reading about everybody.  I am first, a mom of two beautiful girls, 7 and almost 4 months. I grew up in MA and lived in NC for a while, now I am on the Cape. I am a freelance artist, and a former preschool teacher. I married young for all the wrong reasons, and turns out, 15 years later, Mr. Wrong really was Mr. Right, either that or we just grew up!  We are always doing something to the house or yard, and both of us love to shop. I have three dogs, one a rescue.

I volunteer in the public school and introduce artists and their art to my daughter's classes. I enjoy all types of music and like to listen to the music of other cultures. When I taught, I encorporated art, music and culture into my curriculum. 

I enjoy trying new recipes, and making up recipes.  I like my house clean and like to organize things. 

That's the short story!  

As the moniker implies, I live in New Jersey.  I'm actually in central NJ and about 10 minutes from the ocean.  As the New Yorkers would say, I live "down the Shore". 

I'm a high school Biology teacher.  It is hard, frustrating work.  I also run a cat/dog rescue out of my home, so I'm always busy feeding, watering, scooping litter boxes, bathing, brushing, cleaning crates, etc.  I also own 3 parrots who demand a lot of attention and clean-up of their own.

My husband and I were married just 2 months ago in Mexico.  Sure we're newlyweds, but we've been together for 5 years already so not much has changed.  If I could, I'd quit my job and move somewhere that is less corrupt and less expensive to live. I can't, though, because my entire family (including 3 grandparents and a great-grandmother) all lives in the next town over.  I can't and won't leave them.

 

Hi my name is Dawn I moved to Maine 5 years ago after living on Cape Cod all my life.I have 2 boys ages 22 and 16 my 22 year old lives on the Cape and the 16 year old with me.I am a CRMA and i love my job. I have a boyfriend of almost 4 years.

Hi. Most of my real life friends know me as Larry. On the web, however, I mostly am known by some form of the word gambler. Back in the '50s I had a '56 Buick Century convertible. I had the name Moonlight Gambler (from a popular'50s hit) painted on it  When CB got big I used that as my CB handle. It was just natural to use a shortened form when I got interested in the Internet. You will find me as gambler57 on some sites, gamblin_man on others, and as lgambler on Poker Stars. Yes, I do enjoy some gambling.

I was born in Kansas City, Kansas about 68 years ago and lived there until my family moved to North Carolina when I was fourteen. I returned to KC at around 20, got married, had the first of three children, a boy, and went to work at TWA. I was there until my first wife and the family that had added another boy and a girl, went to Los Angeles for a promotion at Continental Airlines. When Frank Lorenzo took it over I changed jobs again, moving to Annapolis, Maryland to join a company called ARINC that was owned by the largest commercial airlines. I retired from there 22 years later. My first wife passed away in 1994, shortly after we had moved from the hustle and bustle of the Western shore to the tranquility of the Eastern shore.

My current wife and our two youngest daughters started out as my neighbors. As sometimes happens, we got a little closer. We left our five grandchildren and our five kids last year to move to Vancouver, WA. We sold out most everything and moved in with Honey's dad so he wouldn't have to go into assisted living. Some people see what we did as brave or challenging. We see it as an adventure.

My hobbies revolve around the computer and a pretty small woodworking shop I am rebuilding after selling out most of my tools on the East coast. Since this area is new to me (Honey is from here) I am having fun exploring the Pacific Northwest. I enjoy sharing what knowledge I have with others so you will see me jumping in occasionally with a new review or six.

Larry

Hi I am new and not really sure about this.  Would Love to make new friends from anywhere!  I live in IN. Pet lover.  Disabled, so limited to a lot of things.  Is there anybody that can over look my disability and be a friend?  I do not have any friends .Born in Spokane, WA.  Old farmer girl.  I am easy going and like to do a lot of things.  Love to fish and go camping, horse lover and love to trail ride.   There is more to me than that. Been called Ann Landers-HA HA.  I'm game for any responses.  Sherry

Hi Nichica,  Read where you were married in Mexico.  Are you still there? Thats 1 place I would like to visit. Did you enjoy it?  Thought about moving near the area.  Any suggestions?  Sherry

What a great thread!
I am Angela.  I am a happy wife of ten years.  Our secret- we figured out early on that no one else would ever live with either of us!  Our sweet daughter just turned nine and our lively son is almost five. 

Before kids, I taught preschool through middle school.  I had published some lesson plans and decided to try writing from home to stay connected to my field while enjoying being a stay at home Mom.  I've had family and education related articles published in seven different print magazines and currently have the Kids Korner department in In The Kitchen magazine.  This column is such a joy to me because I really love to cook and share that passion with my kids.

Last year I stumbled into on line writing and like the quick turn around and variety of options.  I thank Lisa Carey for steering me to Viewpoints because I have always written reviews in my head.  Maybe it comes from writing all those progress reports and report cards.

Now I homeschool our children so I say I still teach, just a longer day with a smaller class.  We enjoy traveling and fishing as a family so often we take our classroom on the road.  I do short stints at local academies and museums teaching cooking, art and preschool theme camps.  I play guitar (not well, but kids gives a lot of credit for enthusiasm) and volunteer to lead music at a local preschool. 

At home we like to grow herbs, roast marshmallows, play board games, play lacrosse and dance and sing.  The truth is, I'll do anything to avoid doing laundry- shadow puppets, homemade volcanoes, snow cones...check out my Freezer Paper review and you'll see what I mean.
Well that's my Viewpoint...

Hi Dawn,

I lived in Kennebunkport for a few years and really miss it.  It's SO beautiful and peaceful there.  I'm in Michigan now and the Detroit River just doesn't compare to the Atlantic (lol).  Enjoy your beautiful state!

Mindy 

Hi, I'm Mindy from Michigan.  I've only been with Viewpoints for a short time but I really am loving it.  Everyone is so nice and I really enjoy reading all types of reviews, especially the witty ones.

I'm a SAHM to Sawyer(4.5) and Sydney(3).  My husband works in automotive, which is a scary field to be in these days.  He is from Romania so I've been fortunate to have visited there twice, the most recent trip being last fall with the kids.  Remind me to tell you about how I got locked in the Bucharest Airport bathroom sometime.   

My husband and I love to travel and did quite a bit of it before we had kids.  Now we find ourselves taking "exotic" vacations to local campgrounds and the Dairy Queen.  I've been to all but three of the 50 states (North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho are still on my list) and have been to a few countries in Europe and some provinces in Canada.  My hubby and I love cruising but I got pretty sick on the last two that we took (including our honeymoon in Hawaii), so I'll probably stick with our backyard kiddie pool from now on. 

I have a Finance degree that I never really used, but the college memories are worth every student loan that I paid for it.  Never one to settle down for long, I've lived and worked in different states and have had such jobs as a nanny, travel agent, hotel auditor, and quality analyst in the automotive industry. 

When I grow up, I would love to live in northern California and hopefully work in the travel industry.  Right now, I'm content to live in Michigan where all of my family and friends are.  A wise friend once told me to live by the mantra "bloom where you are planted."  That's what I intend to do. 

Hi.!  I am a life-long St. Louisan, and like most St. Louisans, I am die-hard baseball fan. I love my St. Louis Cardinals. Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols are my fav players, although I love most of them.  My husband and I met in high school and have been together ever since! We have been happily married for 30 years now.  I love animals and nature.  I am a dog parent and a sponsor to a manatee.  I love to read mystery books, and love to write as a hobby. Maybe someday I will be published!

Cheers, Linda

Hi Everybody,

My name is Charles and I currently live in New Jersey after having moved to the Garden State four years ago from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, my birthplace. Yes, I'm a Canadian! My wife (MotherGrizzly on VP) and I have known each other for 8 years and will be married for four years this month. I have a 16-year old stepson and a 9-month old baby boy.

I'm a graphic designer and feel like I've been doing it my entire life (okay, 16 years does seem like a lifetime). In a perfect world, I would be outside in the backyard drawing and painting all day if it was possible. Maybe one day.

I would love to travel some more, and would definitely go back to Rome where I would purchase an Italian villa for one of my dwellings I plan to have all over the world.

Two secrets about me: I'm a comic book junkie (maybe that's not such a big secret) and, at one point, I was going to become a priest. Though the latter never happened, people spill their problems to me thinking I'm a walking confessional and have divine powers of absolution.

More importantly, I'm a chameleon. People can never figure out my ethnicity because, in reality, I'm a mutt. I'm a blend of so many things that in the end, for the sake of simplifying things, I generalize it by saying I'm Asian. Of course, Asia is a big continent with many different cultures residing in it so to narrow it down will take another lifetime to explain my genetic makeup. Even I get confused by it, and I've heard the story many times over!

I'm married with children.Like sports,gardening,reading,music,tv,martial arts,learning languages,arts,and cooking,and computers.I'm trying to start a housecleaning business.

Hi! I'm Angi from sunny Kansas. I'm a true Jayhawker and grew up in a small town of 1700 people in south-central Kansas near Wichita. Now I'm happily married and living in the Kansas City-metro burbs in Johnson County. I'm upbeat and cheerful (most days), and I like others to feel at home around me. I think it's those darned home-town values I embraced throghout the years.

I have two munchkins running around - Jack will be 3 at the end of September, and Zoey will be 1 at the beginning of September. The husband, Travis, is a moderator on the website http://www.youthink.com/ and a supervisor at a national weight loss call center. I work at a commercial GPS company, handling all the necessary copy. I actually recently had my first article published in a trade magazine!

However, I'm the company event planner. For large meetings, trade shows or even social events, I'm the person they turn to. It's not always the most glamorous job, but I love it. If anyone needs anything planned, weddings, birthdays or just a girl's night out, they turn to me.

One interesting thing to note is that I have survived 2 "major" tornadoes in the state of Kansas - the Hesston tornado and the McConnell AFB tornado. As a result I have a great respect for weather, but I still dream of earning a degree in meteorology.  

Until then, you'll catch me walking with the kids outside or in the mall window shopping. My life isn't perfect, but I wouldn't give it up for anything.