New Kinda

[Cat]

Just thought I'd pop in and say hello. I've been a longtime lurker (over a year now!) and I'm finally ordering my first kilt in the next day or two (a USAK Semi-Trad, probably in Grey Granite.) I've already posted a couple things, and so far, everyone has been awesome!

I've got a bit of Scottish in me, although the family history gets confusing (and kind of humorous at the same time!) My great-grandmother on my father's side was a McKinnon (the name somehow got Anglicised as "Mc" instead of "Mac", although I've also discovered that there's about a dozen different variations on that name in Scotland!) There's also some Stewarts and Grays in there, a bit farther back. I also know I've got a bit of Irish on my mother's side, but I haven't gotten around to too much family history on her side yet.

Here's the funny part: my last name is Krakowski! It'll be fun trying to explain that one to people! It's actually pretty simple: my mother was adopted, and I was given her last name when I was born (her maiden name was given to her at adoption) and have kept it ever since (although I have thought about having it changed, but that's a royal pain.) I've got a lot of Polish relatives that I love dearly, but honestly I'm about as Polish as a box of frozen pierogies from the grocery store freezer aisle.

At any rate, I've been quite interested in Scotland for the past couple of years and have read up on it quite a bit in my spare time, Ireland as well. Any time I flip on PBS and Rick Steves is in Scotland or Ireland, I've been known to drop everything and watch the entire episode. It was all of this exploration discovery of my Celtic heritage that led me to finally get around to ordering my kilt! (This, of course, is a PV kilt, which will be nice in the Spring and Summer...plus, it'll hold me over nicely and allow me to save up a bit of extra cash from my student loan disbursements over the next couple of semesters to get a nice tank for next winter!)

Aside from that...I'm very much into music (both creating and listening to.) I'm also very much into outdoors stuff (in the Summer anyway!), such as hiking, fishing, hunting, target shooting...that sort of thing. If you wanna talk anything that goes "bang" or "twang", I'll probably be interested! I also enjoy reading, having just finished Neil Peart's "Roadshow" (and yes, I'm a huge Rush fan) and currently working on Bruce Chatwin's "Songlines" (I enjoy the travel books, whether fiction or non-fiction.)

Other than that, I'm divorced but have a wonderful six-year-old daughter (my ex-wife and I get along...usually.) I recently decided to go back to school (Bachelor's Degree in Music), and I'm sort of getting my life "in order" it seems...I'm only 30, but now seems like a good time to start growing up a little bit!

Anyway, so far everyone here has been just great! I would just like to make one statement: Most of us Americans here on the board probably aren't pure Scottish or Irish or whatever other Celtic lineage, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that (I think everyone looks good in a kilt!)...It's just that at some point I think everyone finds that part of their ancestry that "speaks" to them, that they can relate to the most, and that makes them feel "at home."

Well, I feel at home.

[mbhandy]

From the Mts. of Utah




MrBill

[turpin]

Welcome from Roswell Georgia!

[McMurdo]

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

[sharpdressedscot]

from North Carolina!

[Phil]

from Scotland. Lots of Polish people here and Polish delicatessans all over the place nowadays.

[Jake_S]

Welcome to the rabble from the Carolina's.

Jake

[OFCJAX]

Welcome from the bluegrass state

[Marshal Moroni]

Cat,

Welcome from So. Cal.

Many of us are like you, I most likely have Scots/Irish background. However, you don't have to have the heritage to enjoy wearing the most comfortable man's garment in creation. All the wonderful tartans and the opportunity to impress the ladies with your confidence... pretty cool. Even for us old married guys!

Marshal Moroni

[McFarkus]

from Chicago