About...

...me

This is me. You can call me Jay.

I don't live by an ocean, but I like to visit them. This particular ocean, if you are interested, is in San Sebastian, Spain. You should visit there. It is lovely.

I live in Ottawa, where I work as an Executive in the Public Service. I know that you are thinking that this means that I am boring. But I am not. I am the edgiest public servant that I know. And probably the edgiest public servant that you know too, I would bet. I dress extremely well, I rock cool haircuts and colours, I'm an awesome blues singer, and I follow my life passions without regret. These passions include: wine, Bruce Springsteen, football, my friends and family, and most importantly...


Kind of handsome, n'est-ce pas?


...my husband

This is my husband. You can call him Hubby. He likes wine. Which is good, because he is a trained sommelier. And a damn good one at that.

He and I met almost eleven years ago, and despite spending the first 18 months of our relationship separated by 5,000km (Yellowknife to Ottawa, if you are interested), we have been together ever since. After thinking long and hard about it, we finally got married - much to the delight of my very Catholic parents - a little over three years ago. It was a small, casual, backyard ceremony, followed by a reception at a local pub. I wore a backless, gold sequin dress. I told you that I am edgy.

Now, our parents - and most other people who know us - are sitting back and waiting for me to pop out...

Oh wait... that's an empty frame...

...kids

Well, they are going to have to wait a very long time...

Hubby and I are child-free. By choice.

I suppose it is possible that we change our minds one day, but it is unlikely. So it is best not to hold out too much hope that this white box will one day be filled with the smiling faces of adorable children. We like our life, and the freedom (and money) that we have from being a family of two...

At least, we were a family of two. Until I finally convinced my husband to make room for a furry friend...

...our dog

Looks like he owns the place...



This is Fergus, also known (affectionately, I assure you) as "The Beast". Because he can be, well, downright beastly. He is an Australian Shepherd, mixed with - we think - some Border Collie. Which means that he is seriously smart, more seriously energetic, and most seriously high strung. He comes from Kingston, Ontario, where he was given up by a couple going through a divorce. Likely because he is so smart, energetic and high-strung. He came to live with us when he was 11 months old, and we have been doing the best job that we can do to raise him every since.

Fergus has the dubious honour of being my muse, as he is the inspiration behind...

...this blog

This is my blog. Indeed, it started out being entirely about the Beast - about the trouble that he gets into, the even bigger trouble that this in turn gets me into, and about the many lessons that I have learned - and continue to learn - as he burrows his way even further into my heart...

Then I found that I had more stories to tell. Sometimes they involve Fergus, but sometimes they don't. Either way, they all reflect who I am (the edgiest, happily married, happily child-free and happily dog-owning public servant that you will ever meet). Which means that they also reflect those who matter the most to me. Those who ground me. My herd.

Happy reading.