Here's the 411.

Hi there. We know each other, don't we? Or at least we did once upon a time. Don't lie - you stumbled upon this blog after some hardcore Google stalking, didn't you? It's okay; we've all done it. Ain't no judging here.

So clearly, you're wondering what DogmaticSusie's been up to for the last few years. Let's get caught up - or let's get acquainted, in case you have no idea who I am.

Yes, I am living in my hometown again. I moved back in 2008 after being away for eight years because I got divorced. Yes, I also got divorced. That's all I'll talk about on that subject. You understand.

Anyway. Living back in the ol' C'ville has been interesting. There are a lot of negative things associated with living in an economically depressed area where pursuing an education is seen as gettin' above your raisin'. However, being close to family is invaluable and there are other good people here, people I remembered from high school but never bothered to get to know because it's high school and you tend live in your own little bubble there.

Which brings me to my next point. Yes, I am married to Kyle.

Yes, that guy who hung out on the back stairs who wore combat boots and lots of flannel and did the "Long December" video everyone remembers from media class in 1997. We both came back home for the same reasons and ended up trying our luck with Match.com. Three years and many awesome road trips later, we had the best wedding ever at our house in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, and if you've been wondering, yes, I have a lot of tattoos.

Nine of them right now, including two half-sleeves on my upper arms. No, I don't think that makes me trashy or irresponsible. With the exception of one which is rarely visible, I've thought through each of them for months to years before seeking out reputable, talented artists to make them a reality. And I can cover all of them up with relative ease when the situation calls for it.

And finally, yes, we have a little boy. His name is Hank (just his nickname, but that's good enough for the Internets). He is almost seven months old (!!!) at the time of writing and he's just as brilliant and adorable as you would expect from two people such as me and Kyle.

See?

I really never gave much thought to being a parent until Hank surprised us early last summer. It's true what they say about getting to a point where you can't remember what life was like before your child.(I do, however, remember what it was like to take naps whenever I felt like it. That's hard to forget.) Like this morning... I got up to get ready for work and came downstairs to this little guy smiling and kicking his feet excitedly. How did I ever manage to start my mornings before?

Oh, and I finally finished my Bachelor's degree. It's in English with a concentration in Technical Writing. Need some words? I'm your gal.

So there we go. Is everything clear as mud now? Good deal, Lucille.