I was born on a cold, dark, and stormy night in late December, 1971.....
Ok, truth be told, I don't know if it was cold, dark, or stormy. What I do know is it was late December, 1971, and I was one HUGE pain for my Mom. Yeppers, just one big constant pain. (still to this day, likely) Hey, at least I saved her the whole labour thing, right ? Oh, forgot the "gutted from stem to stern, never able to wear a bikini again" cesarean thing.... but hey I was came out pretty cute, so it was worth it, right ?
I think you could say that I had as close to a "Leave it to Beaver" childhood as it gets these days. I was blessed with parents who were always there for me; taught me the value of a dime, right from wrong, and that I could be or do anything I wanted with enough determination and a bit of hard work. My big brother, Mark, has inspired me, protected me, and supported me - always. My extended family of 6 grandparents, numerous aunt & uncles, and a seemingly infinite number of cousins have been the source of unquestionable love, acceptance, pride, and amazing memories every day of my life.
My Immediate Family includes my Mom (Glenys), my Dad (Keith), my big brother (Mark), and my "better half" (?!?!) Aaron. We have a little munchkin (ok, he's a four legged munchkin...) named TC, but haven't been blessed with any two-legged munchkins (yet).
My Career ? When I was 3 years old, I told a family friend that I was going to be "an engineer" when I grew up. Unlike most children, I didn't deviate from that plan, and today I am a civil engineer. (Basically I design water, sewer, storm water ponds, etc. for industrial, commercial, and residential properties) I run my Dad's municipal engineering firm, LGI, and am trying to follow in his very large, successful shoes. (Yes, I am "a Lathem". Yes, I am related to *the* Keith Lathem. Yes, all the stories are true.)
The Real Me is a growing, evolving person - or so I hope. I love reading mystery novels (on my Kindle), stitching (albeit very infrequently these days), crafting, and baking (learned mostly from my Grandma Lathem). I'm a huge hockey and Toronto Maple Leaf's fan, and enjoy watching the NFL, CFL, and occasional golf game. I'm addicted to Talk Radio, love to follow politics, and am an avid newspaper reader/debater.
I also have battled CFS/ME, and fibromyalgia for more than 2 decades now, and I am a "depression/anxiety survivor", although that continues to be a daily battle. I consider each of those to be badges of honour that have taught me alot about life, people, and perserverence. I also make a conscious choice to be vocal about them in hopes that I can help someone else even just a little bit. (In otherwords, if you have any questions, let me know.)
That's me, in a very wordy nutshell !
