christmas

Closer To Myself

17 November 2008 / christmas, life, ronni

Last week, I was in some sort of unshakeable funk that I really couldn’t explain. I just felt blah, angry, irritable, and all sorts of icky things. Even getting my new Enya CD couldn’t cheer me up, much. I felt like I did before, too tired to try to be happy. And I didn’t like it.

Saturday, I started feeling more normal, and today, I almost completely like myself. It’s nice to go to work smiling in the morning. It’s nice to be able to say “good morning” and mean it to the people around me. It’s nice to feel hopeful and optimistic again. I supposed I’d better enjoy it now, because once I’m back out in the job market, I know those two feelings will be very rare.

I think my change in attitude had to do with my getting LOTS and LOTS of sleep last night. Even Adam said “It’s to early to go to b- Zzzzzzz.”

Still working a lot. Stayed late today, and worked 6 days last week. I also had some project work for Loyola which I did yesterday, so I essentially worked 7 days. I don’t mind, though. I like the work and the money is nice.

Saturday, I did some Christmas shopping at Target and online. Today, I looked at stuff for Adam online and then figured that I could TOTALLY save on shipping costs because the same things were probably in the stores for the same deals. And I was right, they were. And I didn’t have to wait for them. So now I’m almost all done with Adam. I feel like I should get a few more things for little Aidan. Haven’t started for some people, but I have ideas already. And there are a couple of people who I’m just kinda confounded about. But it’ll come together, it always does.

I’m really excited about this Christmas because it’ll be my and Adam’s first Christmas as a married couple. Well, he’s Jewish, and I’m such a Christmas-head that it’s hard to remember that ~~some of~~ all the time. Fortunately, he’s very indulgent and he lets me be all Christmas-goofylike anyway.

Christmas time really is my favorite of the year. There is just something about seeing all the pretty decorations, the windows, hearing the music, and giving to people I love most, and seeing them and eating with them and spending time with them. YAY Christmastime.

And on that note OWE EMM GEEE CAN YOU FREAKING BELIEVE THAT THANKSGIVING IS FREAKING NEXT WEEK? Even though the temperatures are in the 30s here and I’m seeing flurries and even dustings of snow on my car, I still can’t believe it.

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

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Catching Up

1 February 2008 / adam, chicago-bound 2008, christmas, family, friends, sick

It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?

A lot’s happened since I last wrote. Looks like November was the last time. Wow, and here it is, already February 2008. I’ve been spending most of my time at my Live Journal, and most of my readership is there, so I don’t really know what to write here!

Hmm, so a quick rundown. Right then.

November
I went to Atlanta for a combination Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration titled Thanksmas, and celebrated it with Adam’s family. I stayed there from 11/19 until 11/24 and it was awesome. The only bad thing was the sore throat, which was the start of several weeks of severe pain for me.

December

I went to New York City with Adam! I got to see RENT, the tree at Rockefeller Center, and got to hang out with my friend Wanda. It was really cool, even though I was again, sick.
I turned 33, saw the movie Juno three times, and ate Jeni’s ice cream for the first time.
Adam spent a week with me. We visited my mom for Christmas, and hung out with little Aidan, and generally just had a great time together. I loved having him here.
I got a new computer for Christmas!!!
Aidan turned five, the best age ever!!!

January
Jetted off to Chicago for the long MLK weekend and gorged myself on America’s Next Top Model and froze my booty off. Adam and I also started doing some cleaning and rearranging to the apartment that will soon be ours.

My sore throat finally stopped hurting at the level at which it was. It was horrible. The thought of it brings back scary pain-filled memories, and I am so scared it’s going to come back. I am not even sure what exactly caused it, but I don’t ever want it again.

2008 is huge for me. I’m moving to Chicago, I’m getting married, and life will be crazy. At least three major life changes this year in store for me, because I will need to find a new job. Which is crazy, I know, with us heading into a recession. But I have to leap now, or I’ll always find a reason to stay here, where it’s safe. And where I’m alone.

My hair is a wreck. A hot mess. I really wish I could go to a salon and have someone give it the help it so desperately needs, but for what I get, it’ll cost me at least $75 and with my budget being so iffy, with it looking like I owe the IRS AGAIN this year (grrrr) and with me trying to save all I can so I can move, I just can’t justify the expense, no matter how crazy my hair looks. That’s what ponytail holders are for.

A massage would be really nice, too….

Okay. Later.

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

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Productive & Random (Pictures)

13 January 2008 / aidan, christmas, meme, pictures, ronni, Uncategorized, weekend

Today didn’t start off so productively, I must admit. I lolled around in bed until about 4:30pm. It felt so nice, just relaxing, reading, and drifting in and out of naps. And that yummy electric blanket. Mmm. What a great way to spend a winter Saturday.

I messed around on the computer for a couple hours, and then I decided that it was FINALLY time to take down the Christmas tree and decorations. To be honest, I feel kind of cheated regarding this last Christmas. It was wonderful, it truly was, but it just SPED by! Maybe because I put my tree up so late. Maybe because a lot of the holiday was spent in kind of a pain-filled haze. At any rate, it just doesn’t seem like I should have to wait another eleven months to hear holiday music and enjoy the pretty lights and decorations. It’s not fair. Time crawls all the time, but my favorite time of year comes by and it’s over in a blink. *sniffle*

Oh well. I’ll get over it. I mean, I do have a lot to look forward to this year. There’s the big move to Chicago (which makes me have more panic attacks than it should–simply because the whole thought of packing this place up, loading it into a truck, moving, unloading, unpacking, setting up is sooo overwhelming). I hate the moving process. If I could afford it, I’d have movers do the whole thing. The packing, loading, driving, etc. As it is, I MIGHT be able to swing the U-Haul and all its pieces and parts. So, that’s the part that scares me. And the job search that will take place once I’m there. That scares the hot banana out of me. I hate the job search process. I just changed my careerbuilder profile to start showing me Chicago-land jobs, but my line of work–I don’t think it’s worth trying until I’m there. I know how cheap publishing companies are. They’re not going to fly me out to interview me for a copy editing position, not where there are 49084594 copy editors already living there. Anyway, I’ll probably end up someone’s administrative assistant when I do get a permanent job.

I’m going to have to do some MAJOR de-cluttering. That means going through all my clothes again and getting rid of stuff I don’t wear now and never will again. That means getting those space bags and condensing a great deal of “fluffy” things. And I should really, really try to use up all the shower gels and things I have, because I do not want to move that stuff!

I’d like to snap my fingers and have all that stuff taken care of, so I can just enjoy setting up house with Adam.

So, the tree is down, the decorations are put away. I did a little bit of rearranging. I put the side table on the right side of my futon instead of the left. The lighting seems to work a lot better that way. I also cleaned Aidan’s room, and finally put up the Disney posters his soon-to-be Aunt Melissa gave him. I also set up a little radio in there and plan to get him storybooks on tape so he can listen to them before bed. Maybe those things will make him more inclined to sleep in his own bed without much fuss. It would be really nice.

The top of my entertainment center which used to house a clusterfuck of a mess, now has my degree, my “Ronica” name thingy, and the bananas dancing picture Jen painted for me years ago. Much nicer looking. I packed away a lot of things I’d had out as decorations before, but one giraffe is still out, and my little white elephant with its trunk up.

I had a goal of condensing my Christmas decorations into two boxes, and I did it! I was so excited. And you know how everyone amasses billions of those plastic bags from the grocery store, etc.? I finally found a use for some of mine. I wrapped ornaments in them, and my village pieces, too. When I start seriously packing for moving, I will use the rest for that. No need to get newspaper or foam things! Whee!

I got on my other computer and cleaned out my gmail accounts. I had Inbox Dollars paid emails from before Christmas to process, and a few surveys to take. I’m going to be cashing out my Inbox Dollars balance soon and put it in the Chicago account. I have a few other things to cash out too, that’ll help the move a little bit.

I need to clean out my refrigerator. This is sad. There are loads of Christmas leftovers in there, but I was in so much pain that I didn’t bother to eat them. Now that I can enjoy them, I suspect they will wreck havoc on my digestive system. So I have to throw them out. Well, I am procrastinating because throwing out leftovers means there will be dishes to wash. Ew. It’s not even *that* many, but still. Ew.

I need to get groceries, but I refuse to do it until my fridge is clean. I have half a mind to do it now and then make a late-night run to Meijer. I just printed off some coupons, and I am desperately craving bacon, which I am out of! I will need to get cat food for little Lucy soon, and I also want some ice cream. I need to make a list and get more coupons printed out, though, before I hit the store. A late-night run to Meijer sounds really good, though. I’ll be done and can relax all day tomorrow, and I will have a clean fridge. And I’ll take out the trash before I go to the store, so no stinky apartment to worry about.

This not being in pain stuff is so strange to me. The other night, my ear started to bug me so I was scared it was coming back, but by the time morning rolled around, I was okay. YAY. It’s nice, though, feeling normal. My appetite still is not full force, which I don’t mind. I do keep eating too much candy, though.

I’ve been listening to The Andrews Sisters lately. I love that kind of music, it reminds me of cartoons such as Tom & Jerry and Woody Woodpecker. It helped me get through the whole “decorations coming down” ordeal.

Aidan comes back to town tomorrow. I’ll see him on Wednesday. I have all this stuff planned for when we have a weekend together. My mom gave him two $25 gift cards to Toys R Us, and I have a $3 off birthday coupon for him! I also have a coupon for a free meal for him from Bob Evans, so we’re going to make a day of it. Plus, he has all his Christmas stuff to play with. YAY Aidan. 🙂

My computer is mad at me because I turned off the automatic update install. Well, when I have stuff on it overnight, I don’t like for my computer to randomly reboot and take it away. So POOP on you, Norton and HP Healthcheck!

I was playing a bit with my integrated webcam last night, and came up with a couple cute ones.

O hai!!

Lovin’ on Little Lucy
(yes, I know, I need to get reaquainted with a comb or a brush….)

And finally, my typing test results:

75 words

Touch Typing

I need to dust, but I can’t find my Swiffer dust thingy. Oh well. Some other time.

Off I go to clean the fridge, do the dishes, and hit the store, I think. Good night, I mean, good morning.

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Bittersweet (Pictures)

27 December 2007 / adam, aidan, christmas, family, friends, pictures, ronni, sick

Today, I went to a new doctor. I needed one closer to home, and one that wasn’t so insanely busy. I like my old family doctor, but it just wasn’t working out for me anymore. So, this new guy. He is totally cool. Spent at least 30 minutes with me, explaining what was happening and why I felt so bad. He drew diagrams and everything. Told me what he was going to do for me now, and then next steps to take if these didn’t work out. Basically, I have a chronic sinus infection. Chronic because it’s been going on for more than six weeks. The pain is due to all the drainage, my throat apparently looks like a cobblestone road, and the stuff that needs to drain is too thick and it’s all bunching up in my ears. Now I’m on this medicine called Pseudovent 400 for the next month. It is not an antibiotic. It should thin out the stuff that’s too thick to leave me alone. It cost me more than $50, so it had better work! If that doesn’t work, I have an antibiotic in reserve called Levaquin. I’ll be on that for three weeks. If THAT doesn’t work, then I’ll have to go in for a CAT scan, to make sure there isn’t a cyst or something harboring bacteria. So, here’s hoping that I will get better, and SOON. For real this time. At any rate, this new doctor is very cool. Any one who allows hair band music to be played in the office can’t be bad.

* * * * *

The past week was incredible. Spending my birthday and Christmas with Adam was perfect. PERFECT. He spoiled me, too. I spend a great deal of time alone, I forget how nice it is to have someone bring me a cup of Earl Grey with four sugars (yes, I know, Rosa, my SYRUP) just the way I like it. And it’s nice to have someone to cuddle with. I also forgot how many more dishes 2 to 3 people can create. I shudder when I look at my kitchen. He made this grog stuff in the Crock-Pot that smelled amazing, but I’m scared at how hard it will be to clean up.

Adam got me the last Leven Thumps book, so now I have all three of them. Win!

Christmas and all was really amazing for me. Sunday night, Aidan and Adam (adamselzer) got to bond. Here they are being cute together:

They listened to Alpha Butt by Kimya Dawson a lot, and we watched Christmas stuff, and Adam and Aidan got into their stockings. We also had dinner at Outback Steakhouse, which was quite the yum. On the way to dinner, it snowed a bit. Here’s Aidan trying to catch a flake:

Aidan would NOT go to sleep Sunday night. I finally just left him in his room. He got up and turned the light on and made a hot mess, which he will need to clean sometime soon. I went to get his stuff out of the closet. There are bells on the closet. The bells jingled. I heard him gasp and go “Santa?” It was the CUTEST THING EVER. But my child is way too smart, he figured out it was me. I hadn’t even been trying to trick him or anything, it just happened. But to hear that little gasp and … “Santa?” Awww.

Monday morning, we all got up and opened gifts. Adam got me a very pretty sweater and this Rent hardcover: [link]. (He also took me out to eat 39385349 times). Aidan really had a great time opening things.

Here he is, opening one of his presents from Rosa (meimeigui)

I got this awesome tea from Rosa. One is cookie-flavored. Mmm.

Monday morning, Adam, Aidan, and I to my mom’s. On the way there, we stopped at a Flying J so Adam could get my stepfather some lottery tickets. Adam bought ten for Greg, and one for himself. Adam won $1 on the ticket.

Mommy’s was a lot of fun. Andy (crimsonghost_oh) and Chris (zenosidal) was there, and Aidan was running around and it was chaotic and crazy.

Dinner was yummo. Once again, my mac & cheese was a hit. But my dressing was too dry. 🙁

newlifeinstpaul, this one’s for you:

After dinner, there was a small exchange. Andy gave Aidan a Cleveland Browns fleece shirt, which Aidan LOVES, and he gave me a bag of Cheetohs. I’d been craving Cheetohs for quite some time now, so that made me happy. THEN he gave me a brand new HP Pavilion dv6000 Entertainment PC. Um… whoa? Of course, it’s an investment, which means I need to write a kick ass book. 🙂 🙂 🙂 It’s so nice not to be chained to my desk anymore. I am now posting from my futon, and I should probably go ahead and move to my bed. w00t!

Andy had to leave. We waited ’til Greg got home to exchange everything else. Aidan was really excited:

I would like to note the sweater he is wearing. All this time, I’d been trying to locate an argyle sweater for him. Come to find out, he already had one that my mom had bought him some time ago. I was right, he DOES look handsome in one!

I got sweaters, pajamas, and a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble from my mom and Greg. Perfect. Chris gave Adam and me cute Longaberger Christmas accessories. Aidan made out like a little bandit, as usual. 🙂 And you know what that little bugger insisted on playing with? This old parrot that repeats everything that he found in the garage. What the ever loving hell? Yes, he got tons of new toys and clothes (check out the two big bags by the tree. Both for Aidan, both full of toys), and he insisted on having that stupid parrot repeat everything he and everyone else said. Oh well. Kids. At least he was having fun. I should have gotten a picture of the parrot.

Greg scratched off the lottery tickets that Adam got him. Seven of the 10 were winners. Remember that Adam’s ticket had been a winner as well. Eight out of 11 lottery tickets bought at the Flying J were winners. What are the odds of that?

Later, Chris and Aidan (and all of the noisy toys, including the parrot) headed back to Columbus, and Adam and I crashed at my parents’. I slept horribly because I was in SO MUCH pain. My mom was warning me about taking so many ibuprofen pills, but I had to do something for relief. Christmas Day was kind of weird because it was the first year I didn’t have anything to open ON Christmas Day. It was still a nice day, sitting around and chatting and watching TV. The drive back was nice and clear. Adam and I got back to Columbus about 4:15 or so, and we spent the evening watching Arrested Development on DVD and drinking champagne. The champagne helped me get to sleep. The pain was still there, but I didn’t care as much.

Yesterday, I got a package from Ivy (swankivy)! This girl knows me so well. It’s hard to believe that next summer, we’ll have known each other for ten years. Here was the funny thing. Adam was taking me out to breakfast, and on the way out, I saw the mail truck. Something told me to stop and go to the mailboxes in my building. Adam stayed in the car and made a phone call while I went in. The mail guy saw me and said “You’re Davis! I have a package here for you!” Woohoo! It was the package from Ivy, and it was full of cool stuff such as a Bananagrams game! OH MY GOD. I LOVE playing anagrams, and I love bananas. How freakin’ perfect, right? And… and… she got me this book that’s supposed to be p*rn for women. It’s actually pages of really good-looking men saying things like “The game’s on. That means there should be plenty of parking at the craft show, let’s go!” The best part is that many of the nice, sensitive things in there are things Adam already does for me. *feels spoiled* She also got me 100 sticks of Nag Champa. I haven’t even used all the Nag Champa that she and Andy got me last year, and I have more. This makes me VERY happy. There was a journal, a copy of Firestarter (the book) and some really cool stuff for Aidan. I can’t wait ’til he sees what she got him.

I started to get a bit sad because well, I knew that the next day, Adam would be going back to Chicago. I drank wine, and he drank this special Christmas ale that Andy got him, and watched more Arrested Development. I thought to myself that I could get used to this. I need to go and buy wine. There is this cheap citrus stuff at Marc’s. I can get a bottle for $3.49. Yum.

Today was bittersweet. I was excited about the new doctor, but really upset about Adam leaving. I was grateful for the week we got to spend together (which certainly wasn’t long enough), but angry that it had to come to an end. When will it be time for us to NOT have to say good-bye?

I know that every day is a day closer to when we’ll be together. I know that he is in Chicago pounding those pavements and doing what he can to get me out there ASAP, and building up this new ilfe for us. And I’m here to spend time with Aidan and prepare for yet another HUGE life change that is coming up for me. But now, it’s hard. The good-byes hurt more every time. And my apartment feels so empty now. Sunday night, it felt so perfect.

The good thing is that I have a new computer to customize. And a book to write. It just recently hit me that I got to have a one-on-one consulation with an agent and she helped me plot out a book. That is beyond awesome. Those’ll keep me busy until I see him again… it’s harder when I have no idea when the next time will be, though. 🙁

Time to get off of here for now. The ole ear/throat pain is pounding, as usual, and work is NOT going to be easy tomorrow.

Ta ta for now.

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Merry Christmas!!!

25 December 2007 / adam, christmas, family, friends, sick

I am at my mom’s (she’s still upstairs) posting from my BRAND NEW LAPTOP! WIN WIN WIN!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Andy is awesome. I’m mobile again!

It’s an investment, however, which means I need to start writing again. Having a laptop will make it so much easier. *grin*

Had a great Christmas Eve. Details soon. Adam’s right next to me on HIS computer. I might beat him with the posting here. 🙂

Still in a lot of pain, but having fun anyway. Pix soon. Bye for now.

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