Goodness
Well, to try to fit Hubby and self in a neat little box would really be missing the point, I think -- and I also think that there's not a big enough box!
The best short phrase to describe us would be 'counter-culture'. I have multiple tattoos, Hubby has shaved his head by choice. He masquerades daily as a banker with a nationally (probably internationally, come to think of it) well-known bank and his second job is providing customer technical support for Apple's IPhone and IPad. He really *should* be one of those guys that works in a lab all day for NASA, making new discoveries about stuff, though.
We are both MASSIVE geeks, and our first date was spent discussing the literary archetypes in the Lord of The Rings and whether or not those same archetypes made it to the silver screen, and how they were treated as a film.
I have been in theatre as a stage manager and backstage tech (BTDT, all of it) for well over half my life as of this moment. I have extensive training in stage combat and a bit of knowledge about safe stuntwork as well. I also studied western martial arts for a while until my group disbanded. I am female. And I used to routinely get asked by the leader of our group to spar against the men who were smug mysoginists, because (quite frankly) I was better than they were and that sort of attitude can get you killed when playing with live steel, as we were.
We are both active in our local living history re-enactment group, we re-enact a small part of military history regarding the 30 Year's War as a regiment of newly recruited Scottish mercenaries. It's quite fun!
I also worked at my local Renaissance Fair for a full decade.
Hubby and I both have quite a lot of college education, though neither of us have degrees.
We aren't very 'crunchy', really, even though I really enjoy gardening (as well as having chickens!) and consider myself a Food Rebel and support the Real Food and locavore movements. Hubby isn't really into any of that at all but puts up with it because he can see how much better my health is. . .
We don't have a ton of extra money to throw around, and we do live from paycheck to paycheck but we also have a bit to put away into savings at the end of every month, although usually there's some sort of emergency once or twice a year (this year, a new water heater and a new suspension for his vehicle) that wipes out what we've saved, so we're *always* starting over. I work as an independent contractor in two separate jobs, one from home via the internet (and that's so new, I have no idea about how much $$ I'll get from it) and one as a delivery driver, dropping off advertising materials at various places around the city.
I was brought up silk-lined and silver-spooned, though I turned my back on THAT when I was old enough to escape from the gilded cage. My parents are still very well off and are willing to help for major things if necessary, but it's not often necessary. Hubby was a farm boy for the 1st 12 years of his life and was always solidly 'of the people' but there's nothing wrong with that! I was supposed to be a city slicker but except for refusing to go camping, I'm pretty much happy if there are animals and plants around me, LOL.
We have two cars, one of which is paid off, the other will be within the next 2 years. Neither of them are new. I drive a small SUV (a Honda CRV, which I love dearly) that was new in 2000, and he drives a 1995 Lincoln. We do not keep up with the Jones', preferring instead to compete against a much different (and more spiritual and metaphysical!) landmark. I am a Celtic Christian, Hubby believes in God and Jesus while preferring not to side with any particular faction. We are deeply spiritual but not religious, we think little of mindlessly repeating a ritual and calling it faith.
In some ways we look very normal. We have our own home, which God willing we will be able to keep even through this economic downturn, we have 2 dogs and a cat in addition to our 3 chickens, we live in a busy urban area, and on the outside, there's not much that's different.
But.
Roller Derby and RenFaire and living history and being child-free (by choice) and geeks . . . I don't really 'do' brand names (I don't get the point, really, and right now nothing fits me anyway) and anyhow, most of what I can afford comes from Fleet Farm and Target!
And I am set further apart by the fact of my Asperger's and other issues. Happily Hubby knows about everything and loves me regardless.
Oh, and speaking of other 'lifestyles' . . . yes, we know about those, and no, they don't bug us. In fact, we support marriage equality etc and don't feel that the government has any right to dictate how we live, as long as we don't harm anyone while going about our private lives. Needless to say, I'm fairly libertarian in my political views. Hubby can be a bit more conservative here and there, but he's really more fiscally conservative than socially, LOL!
I am glad this thread got brought back, I've very much enjoyed getting to know people here a bit better!
Whitewater
. I drive a minivan, I wear designer jeans (but never pay full price) paired with yard sale finds, I am raising chickens for eggs and would like to use them for soup when they stop laying but that may be a little hard after my kids become attached, so we will have to cross that bridge when we get there.
