A Narcissistic "about me" post - BUT I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOU!

So, I've been thinking about you guys a lot lately. Is that weird?
I mean, I have a long drive home, and plenty of time to think about random nonsense, and blogging usually takes up much of my thinking.

I kind of wonder what your life is like.
I mean, I know bits and pieces, a lot of bits and pieces. But I feel like I don't know much about your day-to-day, or mundane details. Like what do you like to do on a weekend? What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you have siblings? How did you like college? I mean, hook me up with a mini (or not so mini) biography.

Again...is it weird that I want to know this? The internet kind of blurs the line between what is considered creepy and what is totally acceptable. I think it would be weird if I walked up to one of my coworkers (that I wasn't super close with) and was like "What's your life like?" But here, I may get an awesome response. I'll take my chances.

I'll tell you about me. It's probably lame, but whateves. Everyone likes to write about themselves - its the spirit of blogging! If you feel so inclined, please write a similar post, and leave a link to it in the comments. I feel like this could be a getting-to-know-you sort of situation. Share as much, or as little as you'd like. Here we go...

My name is Ashley, I am 24, a Gemini. I graduated from college in 2007 with a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I only attended UIUC for 2 years because prior to that I started off at the University of Iowa, but left at the end of my first semester because I was too unhappy to pay the exorbitant out of state tuition. I finished my general education requirements at McHenry County College.

I met Mike (husband) when I was 15. He was dating my best friend at the time. When we were 17 they broke up, and Mike and I started hanging out. There's a whole sordid story that I'll have to share another time, but when Mike and I started dating, we were no longer best friends.

Mike and I broke up when we were 19, and at two different colleges. We stayed "friends", I use quotes because I was clearly still in love with him, but totally in denial about it. During this time, I rekindled my friendship with his ex girlfriend/my best friend, and we ended up being roomates at UIUC our senior year and it was awesome.

Mike and I got back together when we were 21, in our senior year of college, and from the day we got back together we knew we were going to get married...granted, I thought I was going to marry him from the time I was 17. His ex girlfriend/my best friend (who shall henceforth be referred to by name: Rache) stood up in our wedding, and is currently a great friend to both of us.

Mike and I briefly lived in Des Moines, Iowa while he finished his last semester of school. I worked at a small internet start up, and for the entire time I lived there I was depressed and mean and heinous...and I cried a lot. It was the first time we lived together and it is a wonder Mike didn't dump my ass. At this point I had graduated college, had no idea what I wanted to do, moved to a state where I didn't know anyone, worked at a crappy job and I was misssssserable. Mike has the patience of a saint.

The house in which our first apartment was located (Des Moines, IA)

While we lived in Iowa we adopted our little dog Maddie from a shelter. We were at the shelter for a good 45 minutes before we even noticed her, and we went there not really intending to walk out with a dog, but there she was. She was sick with kennel cough, clearly underweight and shaking like a leaf. As soon as we took her into the little visiting room she ran back and forth between us, so excited and peeing, and we were sold. I think it was the pee that sealed the deal.

Little Dog Maddie. They day we brought her home

We moved back to Illinois and I started working at my current job at a publishing company just outside of Chicago. We're the number one publisher of children's sound books, and I promise, if you have a little kid, or know one, you've seen the books. I was recently promoted and I now work very closely with our children's line. I really don't mind the job, and I love my coworkers, but the commute kills me. I leave my house at 6am to arrive at 7:30am, and in the afternoons I leave at 4pm to get home at 5:30 - 6pm. It's kind of awful.

(omg. this is insanely boring. If you're still reading, awesome. But I think I've reached a point where I'm just writing to write. A good exercise, no?)

My dearest ambition is to be an Academic Advisor or a HS Guidance Counselor, though I realize I have to go back to school to do that. It's something I've been looking into recently, because I would like to have a plan. And soon. I've looked into teaching (I've always loved working with kids), but I can't financially justify going back to school and then student teaching (working full time, for free, while paying tuition. No, thank you), when we're on the cusp of taking on a mortgage.

Mike and I will close on our first house on Oct. 8th. It's a cute little townhouse in my parents' neighborhood. We'll be neighbors, which is a little weird, but I grew up in the neighborhood - I know it is safe, and clean and everyone is nice. We've been living with my parents in my childhood bedroom, and it's been reallllly cramped.

Our soon-to-be first house

The plan is that we're going to make it an awesome little house, do a lot of affordable improvements (and blog about them). We want to refinished furniture, and paint and basically start our married life off, because it feels like it's been on hold since we've gotten back from the honeymoon (remember, we've been living with my parents...) We've got huge plans to launch the etsy shop, get in shape, cook, garden, craft, write, read.

We want to have kids in the next 5 years. At first it was the next 8 years, now it's 5, but recently we've been talking about 3. We are very quickly whittling the number down. We're hoping to have two, and we've already talked about names. Haha.

Truthfully, we mostly have to wait because of our financial situation. We're buying this house, and we're going to be close to broke - so we need to rebuild our savings and make sure that we will be able to survive on one income, because both Mike and I feel that it is important that I stay home once we have kids. And currently, that makes me do backflips in excitement, because on principle, I don't really like working. I prefer to clean, cook, pay bills, run errands, and duh, take care of kids. Do most people prefer that? I don't really know.

I'm a hardcore homebody. I love blankets and pajamas and watching a movie. That's my favorite way to spend an evening. I also love to go to bed. And sleep. I love to sleep. Though, it does cause me a little anxiety because I feel infinitely boring. I feel like I SHOULD want to do other things, and enjoy nightlife, but I just don't. I like my house, and my bed.

Mike and I are still friends with our friends from high school. Our entire bridal party was made up of the people we grew up with. They are fabulous, and we've managed to maintain very strong bonds with all of them for almost 10 years, and they are totally understanding when I blow them off to sleep.

Our siblings and friends from high school (click to enlarge, if you are so inclined)

(If you're still reading...i kind of love you. But please. Don't feel obligated, this has become quite the tome.)

Our etsy shop is in hiatus. We've been brainstorming and figuring out what we want to sell, and how we want to go about it. We keep getting more and more excited about it. We hope it is somewhat successful, because we both love to do artsy craftsy things, and would love to have a really cool reason to do them.

Mike is a graphic designer by education and trade. He looooooves video games, and truthfully him playing them is one of our biggest battles. Partially because he's fanatical and can go a little overboard (though not recently!), and partially because I am unreasonable and needy. Someday we'll reach a truce. Someday...
He's currently running the show with the acquisition of the house, making the phone calls setting up appointments - While I take care of things on the back end, finances, budgeting, paperwork. We have both taken on the roles that we prefer, and it's going swimmingly.
Michael is a daydreamer and has an insane imagination. I am much more pragmatic and in the here-and-now. He is the art to my science and I am the method to his madness.

I am lazy, and usually feel very awkward. I obsess over cutting my hair more than a healthy person should. I've recently discovered a love of artichokes, and I. Love. TV. but it is a total time-suck. I complain more than necessary, while I should be counting my blessings (a house, a husband, a loving family, non-insane in-laws, my health, a job) instead. But I've found that you make more friends commiserating about things than you do advertising how awesome your life is. The longest love affair of my life has been with Harry Potter, and I still feel very passionate about him to this day. I think doing dishes by hand is relaxing, and I find solace in a clean living space. I am obsessed with Food Porn, and I collect recipes that I will someday make. I am fascinated by pin-up culture, but am an outside observer. I think tattoos are beautiful and I have 4, while Mike has 5, and intends to eventually have a half - 3/4 sleeve.

Beyond that...I've got nothing. That's a lie there's plenty more - but I think this has gotten insane enough.

Remember, if you feel so inclined, please write a similar post, and leave a link to it in the comments. I feel like this could be a getting-to-know-you sort of situation. Share as much, or as little as you'd like.