pictures

Potluck (Pictures)

31 March 2007 / life, pictures, survey

I ate too much today. Dinner will be VERY light or non-existent. Moof.

Today, I took Aidan to Toys R Us. He’s been collecting the die cast Cars characters, and they’re cheap, so I wanted to get him a couple. I was confused by the big crowd there. Well, they were having some sort of Easter bru-haha. There was a scavenger hunt, goodie bags (filled with weird stuff like cookie mix, bubbles, hand sanitizer), story time, and… wait for it…..

THIS!

Yes, it’s Geoffrey the Giraffe! Wheee! Aidan is holding the Spiderman Mr. Potato-Head that he ended up not wanting after all. The raincoat I’m wearing—I got it in Vegas last May. It’s London Fog and v. cute. Does a good job keeping me dry, too.

Here is Aidan with Geoffrey:

My camera battery died, but the sales associate was nice enough to grab me a pack of Duracell AAs to use, and trusted that I’d pay for them before I left (which I did, of course). So yay! I love character greetings. And I love cool store employees.

So far, Aidan has:
Mater
Brand New Mater
Lightning McQueen
King
Sally
Dinoco McQueen
Chick
Lizzie
Sheriff
Green Ramone
Radiator Springs McQueen
Nitroade
Leak Less

He needs:
~~Doc Hudson~~
Fabulous Hudson Hornet
~~Wingo~~
Sarge
Fillmore
DJ
Purple Ramone
Yellow Ramone
Dirt Track McQueen
Boost

Yesterday, the idiots were certainly out and about. I was driving down the street and the street doesn’t have a sidewalk. Okay, pedestrians will be in the street. Fine, whatever. Well, these two dumbasses were walking in the MIDDLE of the street and had the nerve to give me a dirty look when I went around them. Like they own the fine streets of Columbus Ohio? Ugh.

I have a whopping fifteen books checked out of the library right now. One might say I’m obsessed. I’m reading Kate Brian’s Private series now. I’m loving it. Finally, books about rich girls that aren’t name dropping every other paragraph. Refreshing. In addition, those girls are CLEVER and complicated. Kate Brian is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. I’ve been devouring her books recently. Oh, speaking of that, I decided to open a book review site: Ronni’s Reviews. I read so much, I figured I might as well share my opinions on some of the dang things. Plus there are google ads at the bottom. You know what to do to hook a sister up.

SOMEBODY sent me a dozen pink roses at work on Wednesday. Now, I’m not a huge fan of getting cut flowers. I prefer them to remain in the ground. Main reason is that I don’t do well with them. I forget to water and give them food, and the next thing I know, they’re slumped over and looking depressed. Yeah, not a good thing, right? But these are pink and pretty and extremely fragrant and all the women in the office are going nuts over them. So they made me smile. Have I ever said that my friends are beyond amazing?

I can’t believe it’s 7pm already! I love this longer day stuff. YAY Daylight Savings Time. Yay Spring.

And especially YAY for The O.C. season one on DVD. Adam Brody gets cuter every episode, and Melinda Clarke is just… wow. Stunning. For some reason, she reminds me of my mom, but I can’t figure out why.

Anyway, here’s a s u r v e y!

~Basics~

Name: Ronica Lanean
Birth date: 12.20.1974
Hair color: Golden-brown
Eye color: Hazel
Birth place: Cleveland, OH
Current location: Chicago-bound
School: None
Height: 5’1″
Weight: 115 lbs
Status: Divorced
Religion: Confused

~Favorites~

Color: Pink
Food: Spaghetti
Drink: Juices or water. And Kool-Aid.
Store: None
Restaurant: None
Season: Autumn or Spring
Day of the week: Friday
Holiday: Birthdays and Christmas
Flower: wildflowers
Candy: chocolate
Musical Genre: No particular favorite, I’ll listen to what sounds good.
Band: Aerosmith
Artist: Joan Baez
Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate
Hangout: my place
T.V. Show: N/A
Movie: The Boondock Saints

~In A Boy/Girl~

Hair Color: No favorite, but there must be curls. I like curls.
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: At least 5’10”
Personality: Smart-aleck, funny, intelligent, nerdy
Clothing style: His own
Hot or Sweet: Both

~Can You~

Play an instrument: Very little.
Sing: Barely
Play a sport: Meh.
Dance: Sure

~Have You Ever~

Bungee jumped: No
Been in an accident: Yes.
Broken a bone: No.
Barfed in public: No.
Skinny dipped: Not yet.
Kissed in public: Yes.
Embarrassed yourself in front of your crush: Um… I’m sure I have.

~Do You~

Believe in God: Sometimes.
Believe in ghosts: Meh.
Like roller coasters: Yes.
Get mad easily: Yes.
Have a curfew: Hell no.
Believe in love at first sight: Yes.
Have siblings: Yes.
Daydream a lot: Absolutely.

~This Or That~

Hugs or Kisses: Both.
Iced Tea or Nestea: I’m not into iced tea.
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate.
Black or White: Both.
Love or Wealth: Both.
Cuddle or Sex: Both.
Sit or Stand: Sit.
Rock or Rap: Rock.

~Top Six Dreams~

1. Live comfortably as a full-time novelist;
2. Live in Chicago;
3. Visit Ireland;
4. No more debt;
5. Aidan would continue to be awesome;
6. A secret. ♥

—————————–

Girly Confessions

*~*Guys*~*

What’s the worst excuse you’ve ever given to not go out with a guy? Um… I think I just told him I wanted to be friends or didn’t like him that way or whatever.
Ever cheated? Yes. 🙁
Ever wanted to? …
Ever dumped a guy? Yes.
Ever used a lame excuse when dumping a guy? No.
Ever make a guy like you, just to see if you could? Like I ever had that kind of power. Whatever!
Ever had a guy dump his girl for you? Again, like I ever had that kind of power.
Ever been called a tease? Not to my face.
Do you get honked at when you walk down the street? I did when I was 23.
Do you like it? Yes. Yes, I did.
Ever honk at a hot guy walking down the street? No.
Worst thing you’ve ever done to a guy? …

*~*~Girls~*~*

Ever spread a rumor about a friend? I don’t think so?
Ever kissed another girl? Yes.
If so, were you drunk? No.
Ever cheated with a friends boyfriend? No.
Ever bitched a girlfriend out? Yes, through AIM or email.
Lost a friend to gossip? No.
Ever caused someone to lose a friend over the gossip you spread? No.

—————————

What is your name spelled backwards? Acinor
What is the worst smell that you’ve ever smelled? Hmm. Probably anything poop-related. Or rotting things.
Do you believe in soul mates? Yes.
What was your worst experience? Huh?
Do you ever meditate? No.
What do you find to be a great for of relaxation? Reading.
Do you like the taste of octopus? Never had it.
Do you have anyone’s name tattooed on your body? No.
Who is your favorite Fraggle? N/A
What is your opinion on global warming? It’s real and scary.
What is your opinion on abortion? Pro-choice. I just choose not to have one.
Would you ever consider turning vegetarian if you aren’t already? I’ve considered it in passing.
Do you still keep in touch with letters? Yes. In fact, I owe a couple.
What did you want to be growing up? Do you still? An author, and yes.
What is your favorite era? None.
Who do you look up to? Sarah Dessen, Laurie Halse Anderson, JK Rowling
Have you ever made someone cry? Yes.
What was the first concert that you have ever been to? The Jacksons!
Why were you given the name that you have? I can never remember the story.
Where are your parents from? Ohio.
At what age did you receive your first kiss? I was sixteen going on seventeen, innocent as a rose….
What was your favorite game growing up? The Legend of Zelda, and Tetris. Oh, and I kicked ass at Millipede.
Who are your godparents, if you have them? N/A
What are you hearing right now? Aidan’s ABC game.
How do you think the dinosaurs died? Meteor.
What is your least favorite type of music? Anything that’s obnoxious.
Is it okay for guys to cry at movies? Hell yes. Right, cheebychumba? 😉
Have you ever been used? Yes.
Have you ever attempted the so called “Impossible”? Every single day, I attempt it.
Where would you like to go to dinner for your birthday? A fancy steak house. Or Harry Carey’s. (hint, hint adamselzer) >:)
Do you have an accent? I don’t think I do.
How would you spell your name without using letters? I’d use numbers.
Did you vote in the last presidential election? Of course.
Do you have self-respect? Sometimes.
What is the effect of stress on you? I beat myself up.
What is your favorite word? Banana.

TTFN.

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Laurie Halse Anderson!! :) (Pictures)

25 March 2007 / authors, pictures, yay

Today, I got to meet Laurie Halse Anderson (aka halseanderson), bestselling author of the novel Speak, among many other great ones, including her new one Twisted.

I’m a dork, so I was the first one there. People were setting up, and let me tell you how weird it was to be in a high school again. Upper Arlington High School doesn’t have bells, they have this weird bell-like sounding device. Like a simulation bell, if you will. So strange and unsettling. I wouldn’t want to hear that while running late for class, that’s for sure. Quick poll—if any of you are still in high school, do you use bells or weird electronic bell simulators? I’ve never seen or heard such a thing before.

ANYWAY, I was standing there and chatting with a few people, and then I recognized Laurie. She had on a smart leather jacket and a cool red shirt. I smiled at her and she pointed and asked “don’t I recognize you from Live Journal?” I said “Yes, I’m bananagirl—” and she ran over and gave me the biggest hug ever. It was so cool! We chatted for a bit, and then a brand new author showed up. Her name’s Lisa Klein and she wrote the book with the gorgeous cover called Ophelia. I’d seen the book in the stores and thought it looked interesting, but now that I’ve met Lisa, I’m definitely going to pick it up at some point. Lisa is so quiet and shy, but once she said something about having a published YA novel, Laurie and I were both “Really? Tell us more!!!” I got to meet two authors in one night. What a treat!

So we tried to do pictures, then I realized I’d left my CF card at home. ACK?!?!? I had twenty minutes, so I ran home and got it, and also my copy of adamselzer‘s book, to show to the owners of the bookstore who were sponsering Laurie’s signing. (Adam, the owner is pretty sure they’ve already ordered your book, but she did take down the information just in case they haven’t). When I came into the auditorium, Laurie, who was in the middle of a sentence, stopped and said “oh, hey Ronni!” That was kind of cool.

I love the irony she talked about. She hated The Scarlet Letter when she was in high school, and in some schools, Speak is being taught in conjunction with it. Crazy, right?

She’s such a good speaker. She’s inspirational. She’s friendly and grounded and super smart. She’s also quite gorgeous. I really enjoyed talking with her, and listening to her, and getting to hang out with her for a bit. She signed my book with a very inspirational message, and I’m still floating. I’m going to make note of this, make it my mantra, make it my LIFE: Pre-publication is a temporary condition.

Thank you, Laurie, for an awesome Sunday evening! ♥

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It’s Time For A Change (Picture)

11 March 2007 / body and soul, pictures, ronni

During the past several months, there has become what I will call “more of me.” Meaning, I’ve put on weight. I’m outgrowing my pants and shirts. I’m feeling increasingly gross.

I still get a lot of compliments on how tiny I am. Maybe I am extra hard on myself, or maybe they just can’t see what I see. The point is that I am not happy with how I look and feel, so I need to fix it.

I have a PLAN.

Tonight was the first step of the plan. I did the Paula Abdul Cardio Dance DVD, plus the fifteen minute tone-up which HURT like eight bitches on a bitch boat. Plies are no joke, and the funny thing is that the tone-up was harder than the cardio. HUH? Anyway, here is what I plan to do:

Sunday: Paula Abdul Cardio Dance
Tuesday: either Basic Yoga, Denise Austin’s Mat Workout Based On The Work of J.H. Pilates, or T’ai Chi
Thursday: same as Tuesday

In between, I plan to walk more as the weather gets nicer. Eating better always helps. I have a weakness for carbs, but you know, I am starting to like veggies a lot more than I used to. It’s to the point where I feel weird if I don’t have them at least twice a week. And I mean GREEN veggies, not corn or french fries. I do not like this extra Ronni sections that’s come about, and I plan to get rid of it by June. Woo!

I always forget how HUNGRY I get after a workout. Man, I am craving some beef like whoa right now. Anyway…

This is me, after today’s workout, determined to become a MILF again:

See ya!

ETA: You wanna know when the real moment of truth hit? When I realized that ALL of my spring jackets were too tight. THAT is a problem, my friends.

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At The Playground, Ya Know! (Pictures)

10 March 2007 / aidan, pictures

“DADDY! PUSH ME HIGHER!”

“This is fun!”

“WHEEEEEE!”

And finally, Aidan: “Mommy, push me up to the SKY!”

It was Saturday, it was sunny, it was NICE! So I did what 2839573485 other people in the neighborhood did: took their kids to the playground.

We got muddy, I got to swing, and well, it was a lot of fun. Spring is coming! YEA!

‘Til next time!

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No Point, Really. (Picture)

3 March 2007 / aidan, books, life, pictures, survey

I got Aidan yesterday, and even though I am broker than eight bitches on a bitch boat, I treated us BOTH to McDonalds. One, because I know he loves it, and two, because I’d had such a stressful week that fries were about the only cure at that point. And hell, if I owe the IRS almost $2K, then spending $6 at McDonalds is not going to make much difference in how much my financial situation sucks.

Anyway, we went to the McDonalds at Eastpointe in Reynoldsburg. I HAVE NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD AT A MCDONALDS IN MY LIFE! It was very slow, so the employees were in rare form. One girl was cleaning the tables and cleaning the seats really well, so they were teasing her about santizing the seats so everyone would have clean booties. And Aidan’s response to that? “My bootie is already clean!” The banter and everything was cracking me up. Aidan also turned on the charm big time in there. Everyone loved him. He flirted with the girl they called Pippi (she had two long, red braids), and he played with another girl who’d taken a break before her shift started. Those kids totally made my week. Aidan and I had a good date at McDonalds.

Afterwards, we went to Target because I had mad prescriptions to pick up. The total of all that came to a cringeworthy amount. Stupid UHC and their stupid deductibles. 🙁

Then the weather got really cold really quickly, so I was glad to be home for the night.

Aidan and I went to bed at 9:37, but he didn’t get to sleep until a little after ten. We lay in bed and talked about silly stuff. I asked him if people opened the light or turned on the light. Then I asked if we opened the water or turned on the water. He giggled and said “Do you open the TV or—” and he didn’t get any furthur before we both collapsed in giggles.

Unfortunately, the little bugger has a cold. He could barely breathe last night, and I didn’t even think of that when he and I walked to the library today. He had a blast there, though. He played with a little girl named Maggie and a little boy named Ian. Ian might be back next week, so I will try to take Aidan again too. It has to be a good thing when you try to get your child to leave the library and the child cries. I remember when my father would drop my sister and me off at the Shaker Heights library and leave us there for hours. I LOVED it. I’d read Our Bodies, Our Selves over and over and over. THEN I’d check it out! I used to check out twenty books at a time. Funny thing is that I haven’t outgrown that, really…but anyway, Our Bodies, Our Selves was MY Forever. I didn’t read Forever until early last year.

Speaking of reading, I just read the latest Princess Diaries book and HOLY HOT BANANA. WTF?????!?!??!? Yeah, no words. None. Anyone else keep up with that series? And even more so, does anyone know the name of the font they use as the journal headings? I NEED THAT FONT!

I tell people that I’m 19 at heart and do they believe me? Well, maybe my obsession with Mia Thermopolis will convince them so.

ANYWAY, Aidan played hard at the library, so besides being really stuffy and coughing occasionally, he’s okay. We went BACK to Target and I got him some cold medicine, though. Doesn’t seem to be helping much. Serves me right for getting the generic stuff. AND I FORGOT THE TISSUES. He did eat soup for lunch, but he ate oatmeal for dinner and he refuses to drink orange juice. He’ll be going to bed really early tonight, because that medicine, of which he’s already had two doses, is making him super drowsy and somewhat cranky. Plus, he’s already had his bath.

There was an endcap of movies for $5.50. I asked him if he wanted Elmo in Grounchland. He said “No, it’s too expenfis.” One thing I have to say about him. If I tell him that something is too expensive and he can’t have it that time, he’s usually pretty understanding about it. He doesn’t get mad and throw fits like I probably would have. I just say “Mommy doesn’t have the money for that this time,” and he usually says “Okay.” Another unique quality about him is that when I DO get extra money, I enjoy spending it on him. There have been times I’ve been dying to buy him something, a little car or airplane or something, and he’d say “No thank you. I don’t need it. I already have cars.” Isn’t that amazing? And I’d ask “are you sure?” because what kid turns down getting new toys for no reason? But he does, because he’s amazingly considerate and non-greedy. He’s also very appreciative of surprises. And… he gives gifts! He gave me the cutest Valentine’s bear on Monday. “Mommy, I got you a gift!”

I am so blessed!

Anyway, here’s my most recent picture of him, taken today outside of the library:

So cute, isn’t he?

I’m pretty sure the laptop is A-OK now, and I didn’t have to spend $130 to get it fixed! Wooo! I’m so glad I know SOMETHING about computers, and what I don’t know, I have friends who DO know. See? There is an advantage to being best friends with nerds and geeks. They save you money!

I’m getting sleepy, believe it or not. I’ve not even finished my dinner yet. I’ll bet Aidan isn’t done either. He gets his slow-eating traits from me, that’s for sure.

And now, a survey! Admit it, you’ve missed them.

I originally did this one October 13, 2005. See my original answers here.

SECTION ONE: THE FACE
1. Do you wear makeup? If so how much and where? All I wear is face powder.
2. Do you use face creams/moisturisers? Yes.
3. Do you pluck/wax your eyebrows? No, but I probably should.
4. Have you made any permanent changes with surgery? No.

SECTION TWO: HAIR
1. Which brand of shampoo do you use? Optimum Care.
2. Do you condition? Every time I wash.
3. Do you blow dry/straighten/curl your hair? My hair is chemically relaxed. I sometimes wear it curly, sometimes straight, sometimes wavy.
4. Do you use mousse/hair spray/any added volumisers etc? I use spray sheen for shine sometimes, and I use this botanical oil. I sleep in it, and then I put some on my hairbrush and brush it through in the mornings.
5. How often do you go to the hair dressers? Never.
6. Is your hair coloured? No.
7. Have you got streaks/highlights? Natural. 🙂
8. How do you usually wear your hair? Down.
9. Ever had extensions? No.

SECTION THREE: THE BODY & CLEANLINESS
1. Any piercings? If so how many and where? Two in each ear. One might be closed now.
2. Any tats? If so what are they, where are they, how many? None yet.
3. Do you wear jewelry? How much? I wear my Tiffany necklace, my Tiffany bracelet, a Mickey Mouse watch, and rarely earrings.
4. How much of your wardrobe contains brand names? (as a percentage) Um…probably most of it. But the problem is that I can no longer fit it. Stupid weight gain.
5. Favourite item of clothing: My 7 jeans. Although they might be done for now thanks to a STUPID surprise visit from a certain …. I don’t even want to get into it. 🙁
6. Do you own any fur? No.
7. Brand of deodrant: Secret.
8. Perfume/Aftershave: N/A.
9. Shaving foam/shaving gel/wax/ugar/soap and water? I actually use hair conditioner!
10. Do you shave/wax your legs? I shave them.
11. Do you shave/wax your arm pits? Yes.
12. Do you shave/wax your arms? No.
13. Do you shave/wax bikini line? Yes.
14. How often do you shave? I plead the fifth, especially during the winter.
15. Do you use talc? Sometimes.
16. Do you use a body moisturiser? I try to remember to, but I often forget.
17. Brand of bubble bath: None.
18. Brand of soap: Caress (bar)
19. Brand of washing powder: N/A.

SECTION 4: FOOD & DRINK
1. Do you prefer fizzy/still drinks? Still.
2. Favourite hot drink: Chocolate.
3. Favourite cold drink: Kool-Aid.
4. Favourite snack: Depends on my mood!
5. Favourite meal: Spaghetti.
6. How many meals do you eat a day? 1 or 2.
7. Do you eat out? Not really, unless someone else is treating.
8. Convinience food agree/disagree? Agree.
9. Favourite fast food outlet: McDonalds.
10. Regularity of eating out: Erm, when someone else is paying, could be a lot. But usually, about once every couple months or so.
11. How often do you cook? 2–3 times a week.
12. Milk: semi skimmed, full fat? I HATE MILK.
13. Bread: white/brown/wholemeal? White.
14. Butter/marg? Either.
15. Do you own a food mixer? Yes.
16. Slice your own veg/buy ready prepared? Slice my own.
17. Oven/Microwave? Depends!

SECTION 5: OUTDOORS
1. Favourite sport: Gymnastics.
2. How often do you work out? Uh… 😡
3. In any clubs/societies for sport? No.
4. Own a car/vehicle? Yes.
5. How often do you drive? Almost every day.
6. Prefer to walk/drive? Either.

SECTION SIX: TECHNOLOGY
1. Own a computer? Yes.
2. Email/Hand Written Letter? Both.
3. Hand written notes/typed up? Both.
4. Broadband? Wireless? Dial up? Broadband and wireless.
5. How often do you use your computer? Every day.
6. Have a fax? No.
7. Have a mobile phone? Yes.
8. How often do you use your mobile? Almost every day.
9. Is it just the one mobile phone? Yes.
10. Average bill monthly? Someone else covers, so I’m not sure.
11. Pay as you go/contract? Contract.
12. Ever used your mobile over the landline to save time walking? No.
13. Cable/Sky/Freeview? No.
14. Do you own a DVD Player? Yes.
15. How many DVDs do you have? NO CLUE.
16. VHS? Tons.
17. Stereo system? Small one.
18. Laptop? Yes.
19. PDA/Blackberry? No.
20. How many game consoles you do own? Two but one doesn’t work. I think I need a new cable.

SECTION SEVEN: PERSONAL THINGS
1. Smoke? How many a day? No and None.
2. Brand of cigarettes: None.
3. Drugs? No.
4. Drink alcohol? Rarely.
5. Favourite alcoholic beverage: Amareto Sour.
6. Pick litter up/leave it? Pick it up, if it’s my own.
7. Turn off lights/appliances or not bother? Turn off.
8. Leave the tap running when cleaning your teeth? Yes.
9. Sort trash into seperate bins? Yes, at work.
10. Recycle? Yes.
11. Worry about the world? Yes.

I looked through my LJ folder and found tons of surveys that I had meant to do and post. One of them was a Valentine’s Day survey. Oops. Maybe next year?

See ya!

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