Noelle

Well, hello there. I haven't updated this in a damn long time. For starters, I am now 28 -- 29 if you're reading this after February 2, 2008. I am happy to confirm that I am still an Aquarius.

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, something that has had a profound effect on who I am, who I was, and who I aspire to be. Almost five years ago I moved to Seattle with my ex-boyfriend, Mr. Polly Prissy Pants (Mr. P for short). He broke my heart twelve ways from Sunday, but in the process of supergluing myself back together, I spent some time pondering the age old "who am I?" question. Turns out, I'm pretty damn cool... OK, no, that is entirely untrue. I am a HUGE DORK, but I have come to accept and even embrace it and you should, too.

In January 2002, I had life-saving surgery to remove 18 inches of my small intestine that were badly damaged by (previously undiagnosed) Crohn’s disease. It was a life-altering experience, and if you want to read my ramblings about IVs and colonoscopies and gastroenterologists, you are in luck. There are pages and pages lurking within these website walls and I'm pretty sure it's all really whiny. The good news is, these days I'm (doctor-prescribed, immunosuppressant) drug-free and in control of my intestinal health. I pulled that off with the help of an extraordinary naturopath.

I'm a not-so-closeted lover of the crafty arts, a champion comma splicer, and a Rambler Extraordinaire. I have a finely-honed appreciation for pooping regularly, which I fully admit is bizarre and gross, but highly appropriate. I have two Burmese cats, Max and Bussie, and I am under the age of the 30. I'd like to think I'm off to a fantastic start in my quest to achieve Crazy Old Cat Lady status.

The most fun part about updating this About Me is that a lot of things have changed. I used to hate spinach, but now? Now, I like spinach. Amazing! This, people, THIS is proof of real growth. I also listed that I am terrified of spiders, but I am proud to tell you that in the recent past I trapped a spider in a cup and set it free outside. Big fucking deal, right? Yeah well, there once was a time when I would hyperventilate when I was in the same room as a spider, all "It's looking at me, MAKE IT STOP".

I believe the following still holds true:

Seattle: 58 sunny days per year (on average)
Pittsburgh: 59 sunny days per year (on average)

I am too lazy to look it up and reconfirm, so let's just go with it. I'm all about the quality, clearly.

I named my blog "A Most Livable City" because that phrase is used everywhere in conjunction with Pittsburgh. You see it on Pittsburgh calendars. You see it in articles about the 'Burgh. You see it on huge signs in the P-Burgh airport. It makes me laugh every damn time. The not-so-subtle subtext is perfectly clear, though what is less clear is who they are trying to convince: "Pittsburgh is livable, people, LIVABLE. YOU SHOULD LIVE HERE. WE LOVE LIVING HERE. IT IS A MOST LIVABLE CITY, GOD, WE ARE SO LUCKY TO LIVE IN A MOST LIVABLE CITY. DON'T YOU FEEL LUCKY? I FEEL LUCKY. IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS. YOU SHOULD MOVE HERE. BECAUSE OF THE LIVABLENESS." Keep trying, guys. Someday you might even convince yourselves.