About Me, 2009: edited, updated, but you know still the same ole me.

I'm a writer, editor, and procrastinator extraordinaire . . . not to mention one hell of a foxy, fancy lady. And SHHHHH . . . I am also a superhero, Superwife, whose powers are granting domestic bliss and bequeathing chocolate souffle cakes to the afflicted and whose superoutfit consists of an apron . . . and only an apron.

I arrived in the wonderful world of bloggyness circa March 2006 via Friendster and have been an addict ever since. A year later I signed my lease, gut-renovated, and moved into this space here on Blogger, where I've continued to tinker, but for the most part have been quite happy with the square footage and amenities. Although I arrived in cyberspace years after the trendsetters deemed blogging to be rather passe, per usual I arrived on my own damn time: late, but I'd like to think fashionably so. We at May in the Bay became mayumishimosepoe.com in early 2009 while homeless due to an apartment fire; it seems that while husband, dog, and I were stuck couch-surfing through our friends’ homes, I was determined to shore up the foundation of my cyberhome.

I will say it again later, but it bears noting now: I really, really, really like lists. This is both warning and show of self-awareness.

I blog about whatever the hell is interesting to me, including but not limited to creative writing, my dog, love and marriage, friendship, books, stuff I like to cook, stuff I like to have other people cook for me, people that are awesome, blogs that are awesome, quotes that made my day, horoscopes, yearning and ennui, movies, advertising, anthropology, science stuff, politics (pointedly, about my love for OBAMA), photos taken by me or my husband, race and racism, travelling, and stupid memes that sucked up my time and will now suck up yours, mwahahaha. I try to keep it kind but still speak my mind; I encourage you to do the same if you comment in this space.

These are all my names: Clarissa, Mayumi, Alohilani, Kaleilikokalehua, Shimose, Avery, Poe. I've also, at various points, answered to May, My, Yums, Yumi, Maybe, Miami Mice, Sweet Pea, LBJ.Lo, Peanut, and Poptart.

I am 1/2 Japanese, 3/8 various Caucasianness (Irish, English, German, Scottish, I believe), and 1/8 American Indian. My husband is 1/2 Filipino, 3/8 Hawaiian, and 1/8 Chinese. This means that when we have children someday not too far in the future, they will approximate a summit meeting of the United Nations.

I live in Clinton Hill/Brooklyn, New York, by way of (most recent to least) BrooklynHeights-Burlingame-Pacifica-NewYorkCity-Astoria-Bronxville-LosAngeles-Honolulu-Sacramento. And what they say is true: You can take the girl from the islands (Oahu, Manhattan) but never the islands from the girl. I live with the best husband and best puppy in the world, and we are determined to prove to our friends that while this video is alarmingly accurate, Brooklyn is not the place where married people go to die.

I like alphabetizing; aprons; babies; Bang! (the card game); blogging and reading blogs; books, all the time books, books of every way shape and form; BROOKLYN; brunching (always); bunnies; cocktail hour; coffeecoffeecoffee; cookbooks; cooking elaborate meals with good friends; correspondence, kicking it old-school style, with pens and paper and stamps, remember that shit?; crème brûlée; dance movies; eggs benedict; filing; friends, new and old; languages; lists; magazines; mah jongg; New Yorkers; organizationalness; picnic baskets; PUPPIES!!!!; real jewelry; rib meat that falls off the bone and into my belly; sake; shiny objects; singing in the shower; Tahitian black pearls; tattoos; tea and tea accoutrements; the written word; travelling, esp. internationally to pretty cities or, alternately, island countries where they put umbrellas in your drinks while you lounge on the pristine beach sand; Vermont College of Fine Arts; Wii (esp. bowling, at which I excel); wine tasting (Napa, Long Island); writing me some fictions; and xmas tree ornaments.

I love my husband, her highpuppyness Nahe, my rabbit Lapa (R.I.P.), our families, and our friends, who continue to spread themselves across the world, and I have a complicated but nonetheless deep affair with New York city.

I am determined to keep it real in 2009, and so my New Year's Resolutions were limited to: 1. make a good dirty (gin) martini, 2. make my own creme brulee, and 3. don't be so hard on myself. So far, 1. and 2. have been waylaid by the aforementioned apartment fire and subsequent move to Clinton Hill that commandeered my February and March, but 3. has been going great and I have high hopes for all three by December 2009.

I adore the idea that you never know where or how you’ll end up.

I entertain the idea of having children, but when I hear about childbirth/breastfeeding from those in the know and remember my goal of being swimsuitmodelthin before getting pregnant, I also think deeply and with much fervor about adoption.

I have dreamed of living in Tahiti and Tokyo and Aotearoa, but the more I get bogged down with Being an Adult I think northern California, New York, and Hawai'i might be as exotic as it gets; as I get more humble in my old age, that horrifies me less than it would have previously.

I have hoped, feverishly, of having money and fame and books published, but I’m learning not to knock the simple gifts of being as happy and as swaddled by love in many forms as I am today.

I've wanted to be all of the following (see also here): a ballerina, a marine biologist, a writer, an editor, a publisher, a tambourine girl in a band, owner of an indie tea shop, hip-hop video ho, lyricist, a teacher, a weekly columnist, an advertiser, a painter, a restaurant owner, a pastry chef, a model, and a jill of all trades in service to my Uncle who oversees this business, this business, and these festivals. My life and those of my friends continually astound me and remind me that anything is possible. It's all about clearly and thoroughly visualizing exactly what you want and being willing to put in the work to get there . . . and about being careful about what you wish for. So, don't be surprised if someday I blog about my upcoming tambourine girl gig or the delicious treats I am now making at my new job as a pastry chef-cum-model-hiphop video ho.

And, finally, thank you--YOU--deeply, for spending some time out of your day with me. I welcome your (preferably nonanonymous) comments* and your return visits.

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* Although I do reserve the right to ignore any that are vicious in spirit or straight-up spam.