The Name

So, why did I choose to name my blog "Shtick This!"? That's a good question, and I'm glad you asked. It's nice to know there are still clueless yet inquisitive people out there.

Basically, it came down to a couple of things -- choosing a theme and finding the best eye-catching yet relevant name for the blog. First, I've been thinking for some time now of starting and keeping a blog, but the more I looked into the process, the more I realized that I needed (or should have) a regular theme. Thus my conundrum. I couldn't decide on one issue that I wanted to devote my time on a daily or weekly basis because I have many interests. I knew that if I went with travel, as I originally considered, I'd have many things to talk about, but that somewhere along the line I'd surely veer off into the need to know another language which would lead me to why you should study another language which would lead me to another possible area I considered -- teaching. I've been a foreign language teacher for over twenty years, so I could go on forever about the ins and outs of teaching, the problems of public schools, dealing with (and expertly avoiding) parents, etc., but the point of writing, for me, is often to escape my problems, and, let's face it, teaching causes A LOT of problems in my life, so why would I want to devote all my blog time to writing about it? Another thing I'm passionate about is reading, but I already I write a regular column devoted to books and book-related topics for a local newspaper, so I have that area pretty well covered. Another topic I love to discuss is writing, but I don't consider myself to be any sort of expert in that area, and I don't want to have a blog that only deals with my rejection in that department. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

 So, after a lot of thought and a lot of time, I realized that the one thing in my life that covers every above-mentioned topic and any other topic I'd care to address is comedy. I've dabbled in stand-up comedy for many years now, but I live in an area that is far from stand-up venues, so that makes it hard for me to branch out and have what I'd consider to be success in the comedy world; however, I use comedy every single day because I am, without a doubt, a grade-A smart-ass. I joke in my classroom, in my travel, in almost every conversation I have with friends and strangers, in my writing -- really, comedy pervades my life. So, while this isn't a blog about comedy, it is intended to be a comedic blog, and a "shtick" is a piece of comedy meant to gain a laugh or draw attention to oneself, and that is exactly what I hope to do not only with the title of my blog but with the content as well. A "shtick" can also be understood as a person's special interest or talent, and in this blog I will use my talent of making people laugh (or mildly chuckle; heck, I'll even accept an eye roll and a groan) to discuss many of my special interests.

Here are a few things to know about me from the start, so you'll know what you're getting into should you choose to join me on this adventure into the blogging sphere.
1. I'm a bit of a Luddite, so the fact that I'm even doing this blog goes waaaay against my basic nature. Don't know what a Luddite is? Look it up. Learn something new today! See, there's the teacher in me; there's simply no escaping her.
2. I'm in the midst of a divorce, but hopefully that will be over before too long, and then I can delve into the mind-boggling world of middle-aged dating. Can't tell you how excited I am about getting back on that horse. Of course, at my age, it's a run-down gelding covered in saddle sores.
3. I have two kids -- a son who is about to leave for college; thus giving me all sorts of new shit to worry about, and a daughter who is about to be a teenager; thus giving me even more new shit to worry about.
4. I've hosted five exchange students over the years, and you're  bound to hear about my visits abroad to see them. I love to travel when I can afford it -- like every other year -- and I keep detailed accounts of where I go and what I see.
5. I live in a very small town -- very, very small town. So small that we have to combine with another town to have enough students to even have a school. I've taught here for 20 years. That's a long time to be in Hell. Did I mention that my parents live about five blocks away?
6. I love to read, walk my dog, swim, do puzzles,  ride motorcycles, drink beer, visit new places and talk in
Spanish to people who don't know the language just to piss them off.

You'll learn lots more about me and my rather warped views of things if you visit often. Until we meet again, I invite you to "Shtick This!" in your pipe and smoke it!

Introduction

Hello! Hola! Ciao! Aloha! and as my drunk uncle always says, "Welcome aboard, asshole!" I'm Tammy, and to let you know from the get-go, I'm a smart-ass. I'm a teacher by trade, and a writer/stand-up comedian at heart, so prepare to be schooled by a true wiseacre in all sorts of shit. I've got 43 years of material just aching to be heard. Most will deal with the things I love like traveling, reading, walking my dog, doing stand-up, writing, being a parent, drinking beer, riding motorcycles and even teaching (but don't tell any of my pain-in-the-ass students that I actually like them.) Sometimes I'll be serious and other times you'll notice the sarcasm -- if you don't recognize sarcasm when you see it, though, you'd best move on to a different blog because I might just piss you off (of course, that might be kind of funny, so what the hell, stick around.)

That was just a quick introduction of what is to follow, so for now and until we meet again, "Shtick This!"