ronni

11 Things

I’ve seen this meme going around, and I’ve finally been for it by the lovely Courtney of Baxtron Life. So, let’s get this thing going, shall we?

RULES
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions.
5. Tag a few people, let them know.

Hi!
photo of me

11 RANDOM THINGS
1. I am 100% completely DONE with winter. Wait, this isn’t so random, is it? Still. I’m ready for spring.

2. Every time I sing, Crookshanks either climbs on my lap or he stares at me, purring like a maniac. He apparently doesn’t mind that I’m kinda tone deaf.

3. I’m currently “singing” The Wind Beneath My Wings. Yup.

4. I used to hate it when Charla (my BFF from junior high and high school) would start singing Wind Beneath My Wings when we were talking on the phone. She also used to sing a Donna Summer song that drove me nuts. I can still hear her singing I’m going crazy just to let you know… in my ear just like it was yesterday.

Here’s a link to the video (Google + YouTube = YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING!):

5. I totally just posted a link to that video on Charla’s Facebook wall.

6. Now I’m singing this along with the video. It’s a fun song to sing. I get it now, Charla.

7. Here is a picture of Charla with Ricky Luna:

MMC in Cleveland 1993

8. If you’ve been reading my blog for at least a year and don’t know who Ricky Luna is, shame on you. For those of you who don’t know, check out this post to learn more.

9. Speaking of MMC, I can get lost in a YouTube MMC spiral for hours.

10. I wanted to be a Mouseketeer on the 90s MMC in the worst way. There’s no way you’re surprised by this.

11. I am meticulous about tagging all my mp3s in iTunes. I hate when there are blank spaces (like missing album names or artists), I hate when the genre is wrong, I hate when there are 14 different spellings for the same artist. I will go on amazon and download proper album artwork. I’ve spent many happy hours organizing my mp3s.

11 QUESTIONS FOR ME
1. You just won a trip, all expenses paid — you have to choose the destination now, where will you go? Who will you take? Why?
BAHAHAHAHA. OK if you’ve only been reading my blog for two seconds you should know the answer to this! Actually, I have many places but the first thing I’d do is plan an EPIC Disney World vacation with all my favorite people in the world. Two weeks, we’d take over the Polynesian or Port Orleans French Quarter. I’d take Adam, my mom, Aidan, Chris, Matt, Rosa, Richard, Aimzy, Charla & her kiddos, Amy R, (I’d invite Jen but I know she wouldn’t want to come), Seanan, s00j, Ryan (but I’d have him avoid it’s a small world–he got stuck on it for hours when he was a kid so he’s had enough of that for a lifetime), Vixy, Amy V, Deborah (and Jeff if he wanted), Adam’s mom and dad, Cassidy, Lola… am I missing anyone? Consider yourself invited if so.

2. Dark, Milk or White Chocolate?
Well, definitely not white chocolate. It’s a toss up between dark or milk. It’ll depend on how sweet I want it. But dark is winning. Which is funny because when I was little, I thought dark chocolate was pointless and disgusting. Now I love it.

3. Have you ever succeeded in giving up something that was bad for you? What was it?
Not really. ๐Ÿ™

4. You have four ingredients: eggs, milk, cheese and bread. What is the most creative thing you can make?
Scrambled eggs with cheese, and toast on the side.

5. Zoo, Aquarium or Circus?
Zoo or aquarium. Better yet, zoos with aquariums included!

6. If there were no other factors to consider except for pure joy’s sake, how many children would you want to have?
MAYBE one more.

7. Do you wear glasses or contacts?
Yes.

8. Have you ever been in a bad accident?
No. I’ve been in a scary accident (totally Charla’s fault), but not very bad.

9. How many pets have you had / do you have? What kind? What are their names?
I currently have three cats. Crookshanks, Helena, and Fi.

Three Cats
not my best but probably the only time
they’ll all get close enough to be in one shot

10. What is the funniest joke you have heard lately?
*shrug* Can’t remember.

11. I like the dream car question, so if you could have any new car of your choosing what would it be?


audi tt roadster, $47,500

MY 11 QUESTIONS
1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
3. What is your favorite scent?
4. Would you rather have the perfect body and your current face, or the perfect face and your current body?
5. What is your guilty pleasure?
6. If it didn’t cause any bad consequences (weight gain, high cholesterol, etc.) what is the one thing you’d eat tons of?
7. What is one thing you would eliminate from the world if you could?
8. Would you rather sky dive or go mountain climbing?
9. What is one talent you wish you had?
10. What is one song that makes you want to rip out your eardrums?
11. Are you a PC or a Mac?

… and I tag Mandi, Jenn, Adam, Firinel, and Lauren! Anyone else want to join in? Go for it. Comment and let me know so I can go read your answers. ๐Ÿ™‚

(If Charla had a blog, I’d totally tag her, too.)

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Our Love Story

So Happy Together

How long have you and your significant other been together?
We’ve been together for nearly six years.

How did you meet? {What’s your “love” story?}
We met in 2006. I’d known about him because I’d read his Live Journal, I was friends with his agent at the time, and also some of his agent’s other clients, namely Mandy Hubbard. Mandy was my critique partner and best writer friend at the time. I was in Chicago with the agent and other writers (now authors!) at a Writer’s Conference. Adam was running a ghost tour and had invited all of those people along. Mandy asked if I could join, and Adam said “sure.” The day I arrived in Chicago, Mandy and I had lunch and spent ages speculating on what Adam was going to be like. I said that he’d probably be full of really weird facts and wear penny loafers with the pennies in them. That led to all of us later making predictions on what sort of shoes Adam wore. The night of the tour, I walked onto the bus and thought he was the cutest thing ever. The advantage of having a crush on the tour guide is that no one thinks you’re weird for staring at him while he’s telling stories.

By the way. He IS full of weird facts. But he wears walking shoes or boots.

If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}
We got married on July 27, 2008.

Ronni & Adam Kissing in the Water

If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?
We got married at Edgewater Beach in Chicago. It was a small wedding. It was technically an elopement. See, I had been married before, and he had no interest in a fancy ceremony. So we told our friends “Hey, we’re eloping on July 27 at 10:30am at Edgewater Beach. Feel free to come if you want!” And people showed up! It was a short and sweet ceremony, a beautiful day.

Ronni & Adam

Ronni & Adam Exchanging Rings

Everyone! :)

Random Note: A few years ago, some meany-heads on The Knot decided to completely tear my and Adam’s wedding apart. They made terrible fun of us, called us names, threw in racist and ableist remarks, and really had nothing nice to say. (Apparently, these people have nothing better to do but troll wedding pictures of random people and make fun of them.) I didn’t go visit the forum where they were doing it, but a friend of mine told us about it, after she realized they were hotlinking her photos from our wedding. Chris (Aidan’s dad) got the thread shut down and deleted. No, I didn’t have a huge, fancy $10,000 wedding. It wasn’t formal at ALL. I don’t care. The day was perfect for us. Plus, we took all the money we’d have spent on a fancy wedding and spent it on our Disney World honeymoon.

Do you have any nicknames that you call one another? Do share!
I call him “Baby Adam” and he calls me “Little Ronica.”

Name 3 things you love most about your honey.
a. I love that he’s such a smart ass. His brain is always working. OK, you know how you get into a confrontation with someone, but you never think of the right thing to say until way after the fact? He not only thinks of the perfect thing to say, but he actually SAYS it at the right time.
b. He’s intensely loyal. I’ve never had a partner have my back so solidly.
c. He takes care of me. He cooks me dinner, he has no problem doing a lot of the household chores. He’s there for me when he sees that I’m not doing so well. He does everything he can to make me happy.

Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?
I flew in for an impromptu trip to Chicago one weekend in September 2007. See, he’d already mentioned that he was ready to propose. So when he said he was eager for me to come visit, I had a feeling it was going to happen that weekend. I had no idea it was going to happen that NIGHT. He proposed over a chocolate phosphate at Margie’s Candies. The full story is here.

Here’s the ring:

I also use it for my wedding ring because why the hell not? It’s an antique, it’s beautiful, it’s a perfect fit, and I can’t think of a ring I’d love more.

Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?
NEITHER! Adam’s not huge on overly romantic/cheesy gestures like that most of the time.

Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?
Pop in a movie and relax on the couch. For sure.

Tell us one thing you’d like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?
I’d like to enjoy the millions of dollars we’ll surely one day have. We’d get homes in Florida, Chicago, Ohio, and England. We’d travel to Europe. Hit all the Disney parks in the world. Start some scholarship funds. Help people.

I dream big.

Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine’s Day.
We’re going to be at Epcot at Disney World! We’re going to have dinner at Garden Grill, our favorite Disney restaurant, and we’re going to get our pictures taken with Mickey Mouse.

Love

Are you asking for anything this Valentine’s day?
I’ll try not to because HELLO I’ll be at Disney World, but you know, the Japan store is in Epcot with tons of incense, and the England store is there with JAMMIE DODGERS and I’ll need to replenish my stock of those.

Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
Patience and communication. Patience because you will get on each other’s nerves sometimes. There will be habits that aren’t necessarily harmful but can be annoying. Personality quirks that make you go what the hell? You’ll have to learn to deal with it. And communication is so very important. Don’t hold in resentments until they build up an explode. If he says something that hurts you, tell him so. He might not realize it’s hurting you. Also, be sure to communicate appreciation! Don’t just bring up the bad stuff.

Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Us
Look how he’s looking at me.
It’s like he knows I’m crazy, but he loves me anyway.


Linking up here:

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Thinky Thoughts

Thinking

This winter’s been a weird one. Up until this point, the weather has been scarily mild (not complaining AT ALL), but I still haven’t had much desire to go outside. And right now, even though I am fully dressed, I’m really cold.

Which is good because I will be GOOD and ready for Disney World and warm Florida temperatures. We leave at (as Seanan would say) Oh God WHY o’clock in the morning for the airport, flight takes off at 6am, and I’m hoping to be in Magic Kingdom no later than noon! This means I’ll be consuming lots of energy shots once we land in Orlando so I can be good and awake.

I am so in need of warm sun on my skin. Warm sun PERIOD. I still have loads of stuff to do before the trip, but that’s cool. It’s stuff to keep me busy until we’re there.

In yoga, we talk a lot about seeing the light in people. And I start to think about the light in people who do really bad things. Like the father who blew himself and his two sons up in his house. Or the teenager who killed her nine year old neighbor. And I wonder about their lights. Do they have a light? Has it dimmed? Am I being judgemental by even wondering about it?

This is why I avoid the news. I know that if something super important goes down, I will find out about it. But I tend to stay away from watching CNN, local news, all that stuff.

I know that’s part of why I love Disney World so much. I go there, and I’m pretty much cut off. I’m in this happy fantasy world, and life is awesome. There’s music and rides and happy people and Mickey Mouse and desserts. Oh yes, desserts. And bright colors and flowers and princesses and sunshine. Did I mention that I’m ready for sunshine?

I had a lot of stuff on my mind, but it’s all escaping me right now. I’ve been dealing with random stomach pains and my appetite’s not been so good. Trying to turn my sleeping schedule into a normal one is a 1/2 step forward, 99 steps back operation. I’m just naturally a night owl, and playing the Sims 3 from 9pm until 4am just encourages it.

I worry all the time. I worry about Aidan. I worry about my mom. I worry about money. I worry that I’m wasting my life/time/talents. I worry about death and dying. I worry that I’ll never succeed at anything (especially in Chicago, where competition is fierce and I’m really starting to question if I am cut out for it).

Am I weird?

Wait, don’t answer that. I know I’m weird.

I love this cat more than any other cat alive.

I Love This Cat

Don’t get me wrong. I love Helena and Crookshanks, but Fi is my favorite. Shhh, don’t tell any of them I said that.

I wish my blog had more readers. I mean, I write stuff, I want people to read it! I have some envy for the blogs that have 1000+ followers. I know, it’s silly. It shouldn’t be a popularity contest. I tell myself I’d rather have a smaller following of quality people who comment and interact with me, but I’d honestly like a large following of quality people who comment and interact with me. Hmm, but then again, a larger following = a bigger chance for trolls. I’ve had that. Don’t want that again.

These are just the thoughts flipping around in my brain these days.

Thinking


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If You Looked…

Hi!

If you looked into my home you would see lots and lots and lots and lots of books.

If you looked into my work office you would see the same thing, because I work from home.

If you looked into my work email you’d see a lot of stuff from Moksha and assignments from Loyola University Chicago.

If you looked into my personal email you’d see lots of emails from Jen and Amy, a lot of shopping deal emails, website and blog stuff, Live Journal comment notifications…

If you looked into my phone you would find a TON of games (especially word games), pictures, pages of apps, text messages, voice mails, etc.

If you looked into my head you’d see my crazy. What, you thought I was letting you see it all on this here blog? HA, please. I’ve been SPARING you the worst of it! *evil laugh* But you’d see my worries, what annoys me, writing ideas, blog ideas, seriously fanciful daydreams, gymnastics moves, and yoga poses.

If you looked into my heart you’d find how much I love my friends and family, and how much more I wish I could do for all of them, see them more often, give them more time, energy, and love. And things. I love to give things.

I snagged this from here. Original source here at The Shine Project.

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February = AWESOME

I am determined that February will be awesome. For one thing, it’s a red and pink month. I don’t have synesthesia, but months have always had colors for me. January is blue and grey. March is green. And February is red and pink. Probably has more to do with the seasonal decorations than anything special my brain is doing.

But ANYWAY. February is going to be made of awesome because I SAID SO. I’m already one book ahead on my 2012 Reading Challenge, and today, I got back on my exercise bike after not using the poor thing for months. I just don’t want to be one of those people whose exercise equipment becomes a coat hanger.

Pre Workout
pre-workout myspace angle pic

I really do need to be committed to taking better care of myself. I got the bike because I know myself. Even if I paid $1,000/month for a gym membership, I’d never go. Part of the reason is that I had a bad experience with a gym. I am pretty sure the events are unrelated, but the last time I worked out really hard in a gym (January 2000), I caught a terrible round of the flu that night. I was sick for two weeks. IT SUCKED. Every time I think of a gym, I get scared that I’ll catch the flu if I go.

So, I figure it’s better for me to workout at home. For one thing, the bike is RIGHT THERE taunting me like “Dude. You’ve been on the couch for four hours. Get over here and get your workout on.”

Not only that, but I get FREE UNLIMITED YOGA at Moksha. It’s a seven minute walk from my apartment. I need to be going to a class at least three times every week. EVERY WEEK.

(I also have yoga DVDs here.)

There really is no excuse.

So today, February 1, 2012, I commit to being more physically active. No matter how much winter makes me want to hibernate. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to do this:

So, this has been the week of GETTING STUFF DONE. I used to rave about iProcrastinate, but Producteev is so much better. It has a reminder function. I can sync my tasks between the computer, the net, and my phone. It sends me emails when stuff is coming up due, and if I’ve forgotten something, it sends an email for that, too. And I can mark things as “done” in the email, send it on, and it’ll update everywhere. It really keeps me organized. Cloud software RULES.

Disney World in less than two weeks! That is AWESOME, y’all. I was going through a friend’s Disney pix and working myself all up. It’s a short trip–four days/three nights–but we’ll make the best of it. I guess I’m kind of in denial. I never pack or anything until very late the night before. I don’t know why I have to act like that. I *am* excited. Can’t wait to see Mickey and the gang and eat good food and just be cut off from the world.

I have a lot of prep to do for Disney. Like making a packing list. Checking in to our hotel. Asking Adam if he wants to pre-order the Photopass CD. Making arrangements for the kitty cats. A bunch of other stuff that escapes me right now. I can’t believe how chill I am. I used to freak out, making spreadsheets and all sorts of things for trips. Now I’m just like “Whatever. It’ll be good.”

When I get back from Disney, I need to work on Making More Money. I don’t like pinching pennies. And pennies don’t like to be pinched. It hurts them.

But I’m not going to worry about that now.

I’m sure I had some other stuff to write about, but I can’t remember any of it. So I’ll go for now.

‘Til next time.

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