The boring but necessary part ...

First post on a new blog - oh, the pressure of writing something worthy and witty is beyond me right now, so the usual waffle and piffle will have to do. You have been warned.

Should one write an introduction to oneself? OK, too many 'one's' there already. Bad start off the old blocks there love. Concentrate! if only for a few meagre minutes of your day, so as to be able to compose something vaguely literate and potentially interesting. I know, the standards are high and the competition is staggeringly competent.

I feel like I'm making a movie - the camera pans around and must grab the viewer's interest from the get-go. Woah, the pressure of being a director, I need to sit down in my funky monogrammed chair already.

So, OK - Me!

Forty-something years old. I'm not being coy, I just don't remember. It takes a lot of effort to work out the years nowadays. Married - very happily (yep, one of those smug-marrieds - sorry!) to a gorgeous, unselfish and kind-hearted guy with whom I have been in love since the very first kiss. Celebrating 16 years this year.

Two children - girls aged 11 and 9 - both beautiful, of course, and who at the same time are challenging, pride-inducing, frustrating, delightful and a pain the backside - not necessarily in that order. My impressions of a screaming banshee have become few and far between in recent years, but hey, you'd have been impressed a couple of years ago. However, I fear that as teenage years approach, my ability to remain a calm influence and mature guiding light to my offspring will go out of the window on a regular basis. Let's just say I'm not relishing the thought of two teenage girls in the house - but then who would? ("Two teenage boys" as your answer does not count).

And finally, we have two dogs - Smudge and Honey (though I am self-confessed cat-lover and still quite haven't worked out how two mutts are now in my life - oh yes, my husband is allergic to moggies - that'll be the reason then) who are the most lovable, noisy, annoying, adorable poop-machines you ever did meet. Who needs a good quality lawn when you have two dogs and two kids?

Born and educated in Surrey in the south of England. Moved to Alberta in Canada in May 2007.

There - that's enough to be going on with, do you reckon? Succinct, not quite completely boring (but nearly) but did my opening shot grab your attention or have you in fact already clicked on your mouse and buggered off to pastures new and more riveting?