Meet the Cast

So let me introduce some of the people who are sure to find their way into these stories, whether they want to or not. After all, isn't that what family is for? The husband and I have been married for (hang on, gotta do the math...shh, don't tell him. You and I will have lots of secrets here on this wildly public site) 15 years. We've been together for over 18 years though. While I am ever so slightly impulsive and marginally irrational, he is wired completely differently. Probably a good thing. He'd lead a boring life without me. Don't worry; you can share that fact with him. He already knows. He and my oldest son will probably end up as my technological consultants. If there's something about the computer they don't know, it isn't worth knowing. My husband can rip a computer's guts out and stitch them back together. He's pretty good at recovering lost files, linking networks together and a wide variety of other things I barely even comprehend. He keeps my mighty Surface Pro connected, even if I go all the way out to the woods at the back of the property to write. In return, I have imbued him with infinitely more patience than he started with, and a heightened sense of humor. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Next up, I have a teenage daughter. She is smart, she is funny, she is beautiful. And she is exactly what my mom wished on me: "a daughter just like you!" There have been moments during a heated discussion where I've had the distinct misfortune of watching myself fall right out of her mouth. It's hard to argue effectively with her then. A fact I am certain she knows and capitalizes on whenever possible.
Then there's my son, the aforementioned computer genius. He is a pretty even tempered guy. Until he's not. He's a middle child, so I will admit he occasionally gets the short end of the stick. He'll say it's more often than occasionally, but I think that's standard middle child talk.
Finally in the people department, we have my youngest son.He has this quick wit that will totally catch you off guard. He is wise beyond his years. Most importantly, though, he still likes to cuddle. I suspect I'm running out of time. He's a mere 18 months behind the son who will most definitely not say "I love you." I will admit a small part of me thinks that he cuddles in an attempt to be the sole heir to our fortune. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Joke's on him; there IS no fortune!
Continuing on, there's our husky Wolf. He is 3. He believes he is a lapdog. There is simply no convincing him otherwise. He is well traveled. Every summer we load the car up with kids and snacks and drive somewhere. Since he loves adventure, Wolf usually joins us. He's been to places like Florida where he's learned the white "snow" on the beach tastes funny. Tennessee, which provided him with the answer to the age old question "Does a bear shit in the woods?" (The answer is "Yes. A lot"). But I'm guessing his favorite is Kentucky, where the people in the magic windows seem particularly friendly and willing to share their fast food treats with an oversized fluff ball.

Winnie is our 4 month old kitten. She thinks she's a husky. Go figure. She's not nearly as well traveled, but to be fair, she's not nearly as well behaved. She and Wolf will most likely find themselves the subject of many of these posts.
Lastly, there's our 6 year old chinchilla, Chili. He's quite feisty. I'm pretty sure he thinks he's a dragon, or some other equally invincible creature. He has no fear and will yell at and torment the kitten and the dog far more than any of us puny humans do. But he's so soft and fluffy, so he pretty much gets away with it. Head's up though. If you ever crash on the pullout bed in the family room, he WILL yell in the middle of the night just for the joy of seeing you crap your pants. It's just what he does.
So now you have a little backdrop to the people and animals who make up the menagerie. If I ever find myself in court, however, I bet they'll simply be referred to as exhibits A through G.