About

Just a quick note about who I am and why I started this blog:

Me, currently:

This blog has existed since 2004, when I went on walkabout with my 2-year-old son. Yes, I like traveling and have a bit of Romanian in my blood, and my husband is a “why can’t we sleep in our own bed again?” kind of person, so every few years I satisfy my craving for movement by taking off with his children and traveling on my own.

Yes, I know, it’s strange. Just you try to explain to the Canadian border patrol why exactly you want to cross with a minor in the middle of the night WITHOUT the permission of his other parent. Uh huh.

Anyway, for that trip I planned to be gone for a month, wherein I would enjoy myself do research for a book I was, and am still, writing. (Note to self: set 10-year deadline to finish)

Since we were going to be gone that long, my husband, being extremely geeky, bought me a laptop and started up a WordPress blog for me under the name “Misheru,” which, by the way, is pronounced mi-SHEH-ru, and not MI-she-ru or mi-she-ROOO. It actually has a meaning, as it is the Japanese pronunciation of my given name, Michelle. Since my husband and I met while I was teaching ESL in Japan, he thought it a clever title. Also, my other knickname, Missy, was taken (darn those pop stars!).

So he started the blog so I could keep an online diary FOR HIM while I was traveling, which I did. In fact, he missed me enough that in the middle of my trip, he surprised me by meeting me in Seattle for a weekend, and it’s probably because of these little compromises (like, sure, honey, go away for a month — take the credit card!) that we’re still married after nine years. After I came back, I mostly wrote whatever I felt like, ignoring all the blogging advice ever written that states that you should pick a topic and stick to it.

So, you’ll see a little political commentary here, and some whining and griping, and a lot of photographs of my children and my desert home in Tucson, Arizona. Also, photos of dogs — I have two, both of whom I love and both of whom drive my husband crazy. Recently I became a geek, too, and work as a computer programmer at the University of Arizona, so there might be some geek jokes thrown in for good measure.

Most recently, I passed the foreign service exams and all the clearances (bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha) and I’m waiting to get into a training class and start that particular career (bringing my husband and kids with me for this one) so here’s a shout-out to any FS folks who might stop by.

I hope you enjoy reading the blog (not that I actually WRITE it for you — it’s still mostly for those who know me IRL) and if you’d like to subscribe, look for the little button under the thumb drive on the right, and you can get new posts sent to your favorite reader or your e-mail.

Also, feel free to comment — I know my family members certainly do, especially on the political posts. I particularly like comments like, “You are SO awesome,” and “I like, so totally love your blog.” What can I say? I’m a sucker for flattery.

Anyway, that’s how it all started, and why it’s here.

Ciao,

Misheru