Who Am I?

Well, since you’re feeling nosy…

I was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia on May 8th, 1975. Known as Tammy to my family and friends, my full name is Tammy Breigh Canavan (with a – Soldaat attached as of May 12, 2000). Yup, that’s right.. Breigh actually is my name. It’s said Bree-ah and is gaelic for beautiful.. no it’s not Bray or Bree, even though I’m sure you will all call me one or the other anyway.

I grew up in a small town called North Sydney (the red dot on the map!), where I had the most amazing childhood. I had tons of friends, parents who made me feel safe and loved. Pretty much everything you could imagine the perfect childhood to be. I’ve never liked school, nor have I ever done well in it. Things have to truly interest me for me to learn about them, otherwise things pass my eyes and ears without ever finding their way in.

I lived in North Sydney until I was 21 when I left for Prince Edward Island. I lived there for approximately a year before getting the itch to move again and leaving for Toronto. I loved Toronto.. if I had to choose any place to live right now it would be there. I left Toronto in 1999 when I moved to the Netherlands to be with my husband.

Now we live in Rotterdam, a city that took some getting used to but I have really grown to appreciate over the years.  It’s such a modern, lively city with so much to do.  The public transit is fantastic and I have really made some great friends in the time I’ve been living here.

The rest is just random facts, so I’ll just throw them out there that way…

• I’m an animal lover and am terrible for wanting to take every animal I see home with me.
• I’m short, but I don’t mind being short because I’m also chubby and with short you at least still get the cuteness factor.
• I had braces when I was a kid and am constantly worried that my teeth are going wonky again or that a tooth will get knocked out.
• I love my husband’s hugs. If I’m down it’s the most warm and comforting place in the world.
• I hate armpits with a passion. I think people shouldn’t wear sleeveless tops in public unless their arms are firmly planted at their sides at all times. This isn’t a joke, male or female, hairy or bare, I am disgusted by people’s armpits.
• I’m a major TV and Movie nut. I download tons of each and always have my laptop near me with something on it to watch. I don’t know what I’d do without Bit Torrent.
• I have trouble wearing makeup because I forget about it and rub my eyes.
• I hate Monty Python and don’t get how the rest of the world likes it.
• In 2012 I had gastric bypass surgery. You can read about it here
• I think fleece sheets are one of the best parts of winter.
• I prefer to have a few close friends than a lot of acquaintances.
• My family is the most important thing in the world to me.
• I’m a major geek. I love my laptops, games, downloading shows, chatting and arsing around with my blog.
• I have a weird obsessing with looking at local house listings. We aren’t even looking for a house but I still like looking at the interior photos of houses that are for sale and how much they are selling for.
• I eat ketchup on most of the things I eat.
• I am really outspoken and have trouble knowing when to not say things.
• I talk too much when I am nervous.
• I have no children, but there was a time when I wanted them.  You can read about my experience with infertility here.
• I secretly love to sing, even though deep down I know I’m no good at it.
• I love cold pizza for breakfast.
• I hate small talk and am not very good at it.
• I love to knit, crochet, cross stitch and quilt, but my favorite is knitting.
• I have tattoos and piercings and have trouble explaining why I like them or have them to people who don’t.
• I love dogs.
• I have a weird need to not sit with my back facing a room.
• When I feel like someone is treating me badly I can be very vengeful and bitchy.
• My biggest regret is not integrating to live in the Netherlands sooner.
• If I could go back to school to study anything it would be psychology.
• I love taking pictures.
• I was a total tomboy as a child and often kept things that terrify me now, like bugs.
• I need my own space, I don’t like to feel hovered over or crowded.
• I spend more than I save.

That’s all I can think of at the moment. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, I guess you’ll have to ask!