Tara Stand
Stroller Maven & Dictator for Life
"We should write each other's bio's for the website" sounds like a fantastic idea, let me tell you, until you sit down to actually do it. Then you get to wondering, what do I tell the world about - brilliance, megalomania, an almost fanatical devotion to a good idea? Somehow, I feel like some things are more suited to public consumption than others.
Starting off easy: Born during the waning days of the 20th century, Tara has a degree in industrial engineering and extensive experience in both the public and private sectors in telling people what to do - with an astonishing degree of success. Strollers became something akin to an obsession, not when she became pregnant with our child, but when her best friend became pregnant with her second....and I can see that look even over the internet, but I promise it makes sense (I don't promise that at all). A modern renaissance woman, the scope of her interests and the encyclopedia of seemingly random information she can summon seemingly at will (industrial engineering and occupational safety are more closely related than you might think, just ask....no, really, go ahead) have played a large roll in getting us to where we are today.
A self described feminist (she's a humanist, don't let her lie to you, but we can leave philosophy for later), she loves the great outdoors - hiking, kayaking, camping, and the like - and being possessed of an adventurous spirit, is just as happy to get herself lost so she can find herself again.
Now we get to the fun part: Tara has just that right amount of megalomania to make her good at what she does (or crown herself empress of the known universe, whichever). As I said, my wife has enjoyed a rather stunning amount of success telling people how they have been running their business wrong - and she gets paid for this, I know you're jealous. And successful, as I have said, because she is so often right (I'll never tell, and it's a good thing that I am as close to a perfect person as I am or this could be seriously problematic for me).
Now, for all of you who have bought a stroller or are planning on it in the near future, you know just how much of a time consuming and stressful process this can be. After all, this is an accessory that you will be using, on the average, every single day for the next several years. So, when looking for a stroller for her best friend - somewhere around 4 or 5 stores and at least two dozen websites (I kid you not) into the process, the idea that there was a better way became screamingly self-evident (if you missed the obvious ways it could be improved, don't feel too bad, I myself was guided step by step to stroller shopping enlightenment).
And again, she's right. That would be really annoying except that I can think of several benefits to being married to the empress of the universe, so who am I to complain.
