Survey Time!

adamselzer is going to kill me, because he told me to go to bed about 30 minutes ago, but I simply cannot sleep.

So, here is the first survey of 2007! Woo!!

People usually call me: Ronni

But my real name is: Ronica

Birthday: December 20

Lady or Gentleman: Lady

I was born in: Cleveland OH

Sign: Sagittarius

Physical……

Righy or Lefty: Right-handed.

Best Physical Feature: My eyes, and my butt.

Worst Physical Feature: My abs. Ugh. I can look pregnant on a really bad day.

Do you notice looks first?: Of course.

Shoe Size: Six in womens. Four in boys.

Hair Color: Golden

Eye Color: Hazel

Glasses/Contacts or Both: Depends on my mood

Do you wear jewelry?: Yes

If so, what?: Tiffany bracelet and necklace

Any tattoos?: Not yet.

Any piercings beside ears?: Not yet.

Mental……

Are you a thoughtful person?: I try to be.

What are you thinking about in the morning?: The long work day ahead.

What about now?: The long work day tomorrow. I mean today. Eep.

Do you like to play chess?: Dunno.

How about checkers?: It’s okay.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?: Something to give me unlimited money.

Do you have a great idea right now?: Yes.

Do you like to play mind games?: No.

Emotional?: Yes.

How are you feeling right now? Excited.

Do you feel as though nobody truly understands you? From time to time.

Do you have trouble expressing your thoughts and feelings? I can do it better while writing.

If so, do you write in an actual diary or online journal? Both.

If diary, ever had somebody go through it? I hope not.

If online journal, which one? This one. Duh.

When was your last heartbreak? A while ago.

Last time you cried: Monday.

Reason as to why you cried? Long story.

Do you hate your life? Actually, no.

Spiritual……

How often do you go to church? ..about that.

When was the last time you went to church? June 2006, for a play.

Do you consider yourself religious or spiritual? More spiritual.

Do you pray everyday? Not everyday, but quite often.

Did you go to bible school? I did a few times when I was young.

Lust……

What do you first notice about the opposite sex? Face.

#1 Turn Off: Cockiness.

Hot body part of opposite sex: Nice, round butts.

Sex on the first date?: Well, I can’t say I’ve ever actually dated, so who knows?

Ever had a one night stand?: No.

Are you considered a tease?: No.

Lies……

Do people call you a liar?: No.

Had a fake ID?: No.

When was the last time you lied to your parents?: A couple weeks ago.

Do you believe in once a cheater, always a cheater? Not really.

Ever said I love you and didn’t mean it? Never.

What is the one of the things you would NEVER lie about?: My son.

This or That……

Work or School: Work.

Red or Pink: Pink.

Receive or Give: BOTH.

Love or Lust: Love.

Heaven or Hell: What kind of question is that?

Lights on or off: On.

Friends……

How many REAL friends do you actually have? At least seven. I’m so very blessed.

More female or male friends: Female.

Who is your best friend?: Adam, Star, Amy, Andy, Ivy to name a few.

How long you known each other?: Anywhere from fifteen years to less than one year.

Loudest Friend? I can’t think of any, really.

Shyest Friend? selfstyled.

Craziest Friend? adamselzer

Biggest Flirt? adamselzer

Would you ever live with your best friend? I think so.

Past……..

Favorite Childhood Board Game? I enjoyed Connect Four.

Regular Tag, Freeze Tag, Help Tag, or Cartoon Tag: Regular tag. Hehe.

Ever play school? Oh yeah.

Ever play with Barbie or GI Joes?: Both.

Ever go to parents job for “Bring your kid into Work” Day?: No.

Hide and Go Seek or Blind Man Bluff: Hide and Seek.

Present……

Are you in school? Negative.

Do you work? Yes

Have a car? Yep!

If so, what kind? 2002 Hyundai Accent.

What are you doing tonight? Going to bed soon, I swear.

What are doing tomorrow? Work, then grocery shopping.

Thanksgiving or Christmas? Christmas.

Future……

What are your dreams? To be a bestselling author.

What age do you plan on getting married? Been there, done that. Don’t plan on doing it again.

Where do you want to get married? N/A.

Honeymoon Destination? N/A.

How many kids? I’ve got Aidan. He’s enough. 🙂

Career? Writing/Publishing.

Car? I like Little Ronica. I’ll try to hang on to her.

Small or Big Wedding? *grumble rumble*

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Normal Life is Underway

Just about everyone’s back at work. The traffic is back to being thicker on the highways. It’s noisier at work than it had been the past couple of weeks. The holiday decorations have come down. My place is almost back to normal. And by that, I mean the main rooms are actually clean. I walk in after work like WHOA, it seems awfully bare in here…oh yeah, it’s clean. HA. Clean and smelling of incense. Mmm, Nag Champa.

I wasn’t going to do my “read 100 new books,” thing this year, but seeing as it’s January 3rd and I’ve already read two and I’m halfway through a third, I don’t think it will be a challenge to do again. This time, I won’t lose track of them. I have them in a Word document! 😀

Work. Oi. PDFs and PDFs and PDFs. Lots of handwriting. Lots of kids out there, going to be learning the ZB way of manuscript and cursive. It’s good stuff. Simple strokes, easy moves. Oooh, today, my project manager gave me Wikki Stix. They’re basically yarn covered with wax. FUN! I can’t wait to show them to Aidan! And, I might be allowed to test some of the new ZB Pre-K handwriting stuff on Aidan. She said it’s for four-year olds–guess who just turned four! So exciting. My job’s turning out to be way cool.

It’s amazing what a clean dwelling can do for the soul. I feel uncharacteristically cheerful. I keep looking around and smiling. Let’s see how long this will last.

‘Til next time! 🙂

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CRUSH

Hey, folks.

I am in need of someone to read over CRUSH and give me a thorough (I’m talking fine-tooth comb) but gentle critique of it.

I want to give it another go. I can’t let this book sit by and collect dust–I believe in it.

I’d like it back on or before January 20th. Any takers? Please comment. I’ll be willing to look over some stuff in return if need be.

Thanks! :)

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End of the Year Reflections

01. Was 2006 a good year for you?
Yes, I’ll have to say, for the most part, it was. It certainly was interesting.

02. Where were you, and who were you with, when 2006 began? And where will you be when it ends?
I was at Chad and Christy’s house, at a New Year’s Eve Party. Some of the people I was with included Kim, Ben, Caty, Christy, Abbie to name a few.

I will be here in my apartment, wearing my blue footie pajamas, and hanging with Aidan when it ends.

03. What were your biggest achievements of the year?
– Aidan, Aidan, Aidan, and Aidan;
– signing with a big time literary agent;
– making it through the year with no accidents or speeding tickets;
– taking huge leaps of faith in regards to my personal life;
– taking a chance with a new job;
– taking my first “road trip” all alone;
– reading more than 100 new books;

04. What was your biggest failure or regret?
– Not selling ONLY YOURS.
– CRUSH getting rejected.

05. What did you do that you’d never done before?
– saw Bob Dylan (twice!);
– saw Wicked;
– ate rattlesnake;
– visited The Grand Canyon;
– visited Philadelphia, PA;
– visited Phoenix, AZ;
– attended a Writers’ Conference;
– took a ghost tour (I ended up taking six!);
– cooked a Crock-Pot meal;
– attended a Writers’ Conference;
– started a debt management program;
– got a flu shot;
– friendship journal with Amy and Star.

06. What did you hope to do but didn’t manage to?
Save money. Visit Ivy. Sell Only Yours.

07. Are you going to try to do these things this coming year instead?
Yes.

08. Did you make any major decisions? If so, what were they?
a) I became separated.
b) I asked for a dissolution.
c) I changed jobs.
d) I decided to wean myself off of the Lexapro. I am down to 10mgs a day instead of 20mgs. So far, so good.

09. Did you explore any new ideas or concepts you had never considered before?
Yes.

10. What did you learn?
That there is a lot more to me than I ever imagined. And that I like it.

11. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My friends tell me that MY behaviour does, because I was strong and taking charge and blah blah blah, but I have to say THEIRS did, because they’ve gone above and beyond to make me feel supported, loved, taken care of. Andy, Rosa, Ivy, Star, Adam, Amy, Wanda, Helen, Ci, I love you all and I am very grateful to have you in my life. Thank you for everything.

12. Whose behaviour upset you?
No names, but the people who decided to stop talking to me because of decisions I made with regards to my personal life.

13. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Traveled more. Planned more. Written more.

14. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Holding back. Keeping secrets. Stressing out. Worrying.

15. What did you get really excited about?
a) Visiting Chicago all the times I did. :)
b) Seeing the Grand Canyon.
c) Bob Dylan concerts.

16. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not that I know of.

17. Did anyone close to you die?
Grandpa Davis. :(

18. Did you attend any weddings or funerals?
Grandpa Davis’s funeral in February.

19. Did you miss anybody?
Yes.

20. Which countries did you visit?
N/A. Dang it.

21. Which new places did you visit?
Ft. Wayne, IN., Philadelphia, PA.

22. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing unusual.

23. What was the best thing you bought?
All of my plane tickets to Chicago, and my digital SLR camera.

24. Where did most of your money go?
Bills.

25. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? the same
b) thinner or fatter? fatter
c) richer or poorer? poorer, most definitely poorer

26. What was your favourite film of the year?
Clerks II.

27. What was your favourite TV programme?
N/A.

28. What was the best book you read?
The Giver by Lois Lowry.

29. What did you want and get?
A DSLR camera, an agent.

30. What did you want and not get?
A publishing contract. Constant financial security.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 32. Bizzy came over and we ate spaghetti and watched The Boondock Saints.

32. What was your personal fashion concept of this year?
Jeans, sweaters or tee-shirts, my cheap Champion shoes. Or peasant skirts and camis.

33. Did you make any significant changes to your appearance?
I stopped wearing makeup, except for powder to tone down the shine. I began wearing my hair shorter, although that wasn’t really my choice. BUT, I did stop straightening it so much, and started letting it air dry.

Curly Sunday New Hairdo

34. Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
I didn’t really fancy anyone, but I did have a raging crush on Trent Ford for about ten minutes.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Execution.

36. What world event affected you more than any other?
Too many to get into right now.

37. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 29, 2006, for reasons I want to keep private for now.

38. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing outside of the ordinary.

39. What song(s) will always remind you of 2006?
“My Love” by Justin Timberlake
“Sanctus” by Philip Riley and Jane Elleson
“What Goes Around…/…Comes Around” by Justin Timberlake
“Sorry” by Madonna
“Gotta Go, Gotta Leave (Tired) by Vivian Greene
“Believe In Me” by Pleasure Center

40. Did you fall in love in 2006?
I did. With Chicago. With pretty, dramatic sunrises over the Columbus skyline. With the American Heritage dictionary. With copyediting. With photography, using filters and lenses. With my little boy, as he grows and becomes the person he is meant to be–funny, charming, affectionate, smart, amazing. With much, much more, that I want to hold inside for now.

41. How many one-night stands?
Negative.

42. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t think so.

43. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I enjoyed “discovering” Bob Dylan, Josh Groban, and Justin Timberlake (again). Oh, and Jennifer Berezan. The Returning CD is ace.

44. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Selling a book!

45. What kept you sane?
My friends. Sometimes, I just don’t understand how they put up with me!

46. Who was the best new person you met?
Adam Selzer. He’s awesome. ?

47. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Selling a book!

48. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“Getting your dreams, it’s strange, but it seems, a little well, complicated. There’s a kind of a sort of, loss, and a couple of things get lost. And there bridges to cross you didn’t know you crossed until you cross.”

49. What would you like to happen in the coming year, either personally or in a more global sense?
I want to get better with money, and MAKE MORE OF IT. I want to finally publish a book. I want to write and write and write. I want to travel more. Continue enjoying the copyediting. Pick up some freelance jobs. For Adam’s prediction to come true that 2007 will be a good year.

50. What are some of your personal goals for the new year?
Get a promotion. Publish a book.

51. What would you like to avoid?
Drama. Living paycheck-to-paycheck.

52. And finally, where do you see yourself in a year’s time?
I have no idea.

* * *

Were you in school (any time this year)?
Nope.

How did you earn your keep?
McGraw-Hill for most of the year, then I moved to Zaner-Bloser starting in September. Still in the publishing world.

Did you have to go to the hospital?
Nope.

Did you encounter the police?
Nope.

Where did you go on vacation?
In May, I went to Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon, and Phoenix. In June, July, August, and September, I went to Chicago. In November, I went to Philadelphia.

What did you purchase that was over $500?
My digital SLR camera.

Did you know anybody who got married?
Holly & Robert. I photographed the wedding.

You know anybody who passed away?
Grandpa Davis.

Have you run into anybody you graduated high school with?
I talk to Andy all the time.

Did you move anywhere?
Yes, I moved out of the house on Bauer St., into my own place in Clintonville.

What sporting events did you go to?
None.

What concerts did you go to?
I saw Bob Dylan in Ft. Wayne, IN, and I saw him in Philadelphia, PA. In addition, I popped in on a Tony Lucca gig that was local.

Are you registered to vote?
Yes.

If so, did you do your patriotic duty on Nov. 7?
It’s not a duty to me. It’s a privilege and an honor. And yes, I did vote.

Where do you live now?
Columbus, OH (Clintonville neighborhood)

What’s the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2006?
See Wicked!!!

What is one thing you regretted this year?
Spending too much money. Bah.

What’s something you learned about yourself?
I guess I’m a lot braver than I thought.

Any new additions to your family?
No.

What was your best month?
June, and September.

What from pop culture will you remember 2006 by?
– Justin bringing SexyBack. Oh my.
– Actually LIKING the damn Paris Hilton song (Stars Are Blind).
– Britney’s crotch. Double oh my.
– TomKat madness. Oh help.

How would you rate this year with a scale from 1 (lousy) to 10 (excellent)?
I’m going to have to say a 7.85.

* * *

IN 2006 HAVE I:

Hugged someone? Of course!!
Gotten into a fight? Yes.
Cried? Yes, far too much.
Smoked? A bit.
Drank alcohol? Yes.
Kissed someone on the cheek? Yes.
Reunited with an old friend? Yes.
Been suspended? No.
Let something go? Yes.
Been whipped? No. Unfortunately. ;)
Learned any important lessons? Yes.
Got a kiss on the cheek? Yes.
Kissed someone on the lips? Yes.
Considered suicide? Not seriously.
Cut/dyed your hair drastically? No.
Flirted? Sure.
Been backstabbed? Yes.
Missed someone? Yes.
Hit someone? Oh yeah. >:)
Broken something really important to you? Yes.
Cuddled with someone? Yes.
Broken somebody’s heart? Yes.
Done something you really regretted? Don’t even get me started.
Laughed so hard that it hurt? Yes.
Cried so hard that it hurt? Yes. Too often.
Got cheated on? I hope not.
Gone on a date? No.
Got dumped? Yes, by some “friends.”
Dumped someone? No. More like stepped back for a bit.
Made a new screen name? Yes.
Lost a friend? Yes.
Gotten any tattoos/piercing? No. Dammit.
Watched porn? Hell no.
Been in a love/hate relationship? Eh?
Loved someone so much that it hurt? Yes.
Been grounded? Nope, LOL.

FRIENDS:
Lost: I’m not going to list them because it doesn’t matter anymore.
Drifted: Can’t really say because friendships are so static.
Found: Adam, my writing friends. Friendships with others have grown deeper, like with Rosa, and Wanda.

Me & Adam Me & Mandy Group Shot

BODY:
Weight: Went up five to ten pounds. I’m now 115-120lbs. Eep.
Piercing/tattoos: N/A
Height: 5′2″ ish.
Hair: Short.

STUDIES:
N/A

BAD THINGS I HAVE DONE:
– As if I’m going to admit them here. >:)

GOOD THINGS I HAVE DONE:
– Grand Canyon.
– Chicago, a lot.
– Bob Dylan.
– Raised Aidan.
– Debt management program (that means I can accumulate no more debt!)
– Taken a HUGE step.
– Got a new job.
– Traveled a lot.
– Let go.

THINGS I HOPE TO DO IN 2007:
– Sell my novel.
– Finish a new novel.
– Go back to a Disney park.

Happy New Year!!

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)

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