Blahggy looks at the little cracks and crevices of life with a lot of humor and utmost honesty from the perspective of a junior high nerd turned struggling Los Angeles actor turned Nashville suburb stay-at-home mom.  Blahggy not only serves up the funny, but also aims to create an understanding and sense of normalcy – either because you can completely relate or because compared to my whacked-out self you’ve GOT to be normal!

The Players:

Me (Liza)

In June 2009, I ventured into the world of personal blogging, with the goal of having a humor / mommy / life blog / memoir of sorts since the hubby and I were planning on getting preggers and I LOVE making people laugh – and think.

In September 2009, I got my first (well, my first FOUR) positive pregnancy tests.
On June 2, 2010, I pushed our little girl into this crazy, funny world.

Things I've done, in no particular order:

• Graduated Cum Laude from the University of Southern California
• Spent my junior year studying Theatre in London, England
• Graduated from and became a weekly performer (improv and sketch comedy) at The Second City Los Angeles
• Met my husband at The Second City where he was also a performer
• Saw "Hamlet" at The Globe
• Saw my first Shakespeare play at the age of 12 in London, performed by the RSC
• Went to college 2000 miles from home
• Stayed in Los Angeles for 6 years after graduating pursuing an acting career
• Had a job dressing as children's characters and entertaining kids for their birthdays
• Worked for contract/entertainment/new media/bleeding edge technology lawyers for three years
• Taught myself graphic design and simultaneously started my own graphic design company, which I still have
• Toured Europe for three weeks after college graduation, knowing no one before I left
• Had only black & white film in my camera when taking a tour of Gaudi's architectural works
• Saw Vanessa Redgrave in "The Cherry Orchard"
• Became a wife
• Moved back to Tennessee to be closer to my family - the best move I've ever made
• Gave birth
• Became a mom

The Hubby (Tom)

Tom took this photo himself along with a few others while he was kindly taking time out of his day to take some maternity photos of me.  I’m pretty sure he thinks his self portraits are hilarious.
We met in Los Angeles in 2006 taking classes and performing regularly at The Second City.  Which, as Tom likes to point out, “is so much better than having met in a bar.”  Or online.  Yes, we’re judging.
This man makes me laugh on a daily basis.  He works his ass off to help take care of his family.  He’s one of those people that when you’re in, you’re in for life.  He’s going to make an amazing dad.  Mainly because of his philosophy on How to Make It So That Our Daughter Does Not Turn Into a Slut, which consists of “taking her out to ice cream.”

He gets told a lot that he looks like Mr. Big from Sex and the City.  I think it’s the eyebrows. (Between the two of us, we will probably have to start waxing our daughter’s eyebrows when she’s a toddler.  Just so she can see.)

INTERESTING FACT: The first time my parents met him he was on stage in a sketch show in black cowboy boots, a cowboy hat and a leopard print thong sporting a sassy southern accent.  And my parents thought it was hilarious.

Sailor

Conceived early September 2009 in the romantic fashion of “Hey! I’ve got fertile fluid and my temperature is right! Stop watching reruns of The Office and get your ass off our old people recliner and LET’S GO!”
Born June 2, 2010 and ruling our lives in the most adorable, I-can’t-get-enough kind of way.
If you’re curious about her journey into this world, you can read about it here.  Don’t you love when nicely laid plans go out the window?

She’s six and a half months in this photo (December 2010).

Sampson (our super mutt)

This handsome devil of a dog is our 7-year old rescue mutt.  Well, we’ve been told he’s about seven.  We got him two years ago when he was five.  It broke my heart that he was five and had yet to call a place home.
Now, he can practically call our house his castle considering how spoiled he is.  He sleeps on a doggie bed, two fluffy white comforters and gets covered up with a fleece blanket – all the way over his head – each night.
In the morning, Tom feeds him, lets him in the backyard and, after having his feet wiped upon reentering the house, he hauls ass to jump under the covers with me and go back to sleep.
He hates all things rabbits, cats and birds along with any vehicles that run on diesel.  I thought that dogs chasing after cars was just a cartoon thing until this dog.  Sometimes we worry that he’s just a little off.  I mean, who knows what happened before we got our hands on him.  But, we’re a little off, too, so it’s okay.

Where’d BLAHGGY come from?

1. Blahggy (blŏg-ee), blah, blah, blahing about life

I came up with the title (my husband will likely want some credit here, ok, he helped) after a full day of throwing around other possible titles and finally asking my husband (who I knew would be too tired and too into whatever reality show we happened to be watching to give any kind of intelligent answer – and I was right) to help.

Now, my husband has this habit? desire? to make fun of Gary Dell’Abate’s nickname on Howard Stern, Baba Booey. (Think what you will.) He’ll walk around going, “Baby Booey. Fafa fooey. Mama Monkey.” (I know, you’re wondering about the IQ of the man I’ve chosen for my life mate. I’d like to see what weird things YOUR husband does.)

So, when I asked him to help me think of ideas his immediate and predictable response is, “Baba Booey!” Uh, no. Then he starts chanting, “Bla, bla, bloggy. Bla, bla, bloggy.” And my brain goes, ooohhhh. BLAH, Blah Bloggy! Like, “And this bitch was all, you can’t cash your check here, blah, blah, blah!”
But the three “blahs” was a little overkill. And so, the birth of BLAHGGY.COM.