random

Lists & Such

/ life, ronni, to do, work

It’s February 1, 2007, and I have a few resolutions for this month.

1. Write something, even if I ultimately deem it as crap.
2. Reduce fast food intake. I was “treating” myself twice a month or so, but I think I want to stop it all together.
3. Eat more vegetables.
4. Read four new books.

I also made a few decisions.

1. I am going to start using Mane N Tail products on my hair.
2. I am going to use my Barnes & Noble gift card to buy a copy of adamselzer‘s book for my mom, and I’ll have him autograph it for her.

Chores I did today:

1. Tidied up my room.
2. Washed (most of) the dishes.
3. Got a few groceries.
4. Did a load of laundry.

Interesting things I found out:

1. It’s VERY possible that it wasn’t the Ramen at all that made me so sick earlier this week. At least two other people were struck with it this week, and I remembered that I also threw up Saturday night. But I’d swallowed the wrong way and was coughing my head off, so I figured that was what had caused me to puke. As for the Ramen, I may wait a while before I actually test that theory…
2. The Columbus Metropolitan Libraries now have free wireless internet access!! Can I get a whut-whut??? As if I needed another reason to love the library. 🙂 🙂 🙂
3. A .54 lb steak does not need five minutes to defrost in the microwave.
4. Aidan plays VERY nicely with Play-Doh! 😀

* * *

I got to see Aidan today, which was a treat! Chris had to come by and pick something up and he brought Aidan along. Aidan’s such a good little boy, so funny and cute. Tomorrow I pick him up and we get to spend the whole weekend together. I think he’s excited. Especially since he discovered the Play-Doh. I’d like to take him to the library at some point, and maybe teach him some handwriting.

Today at work, I was checking some confirms/googol (which means that I’m checking revised confirm pages, even though confirms are supposed to be the VERY LAST STEP before PDFs and F&Gs and then bound book), and I found a page that I’d put a comment on. I’d requested that they put in the new SE redux, but apparently no one knew what I was talking about, because there was a self-stick note with THREE questions marks. Different colors, which means three people had no clue what I was talking about. My confusion came when I asked myself “why didn’t anyone just come to me and say ‘what do you mean put in the new SE redux? This IS the new one!'” And I could have said “No, see, the apostrophes are different sizes, and in the SE, that was fixed, but here in the TE, this SE reduced page is showing the old page with the different sized apostrophes.” Oh well. It got fixed anyway, and I got told I have a “good eye.”

And THEN I was copyediting these mazes for… well, a surprise to be launched May 31, 2007, and the instructions said “Help the gorilla find the grapes.” But at the end of the maze, there was a carton of JUICE! No grapes to be found, unless it was supposed to be grape juice, but I don’t know. It’s going to be a blackline master, so no one would have any way of knowing that it was supposed to be grape juice because it’s not in color. I love catching stuff like that. It’s fun.

Or maybe I’m just sadistic. I do enjoy making red marks all over things.

Lucy is on the floor, waiting for me to stop fussing around with stuff so I can give her loads of attention. She’s lying that way I love for cats to lay, with her front paws tucked under her. I think cats are so cute when they lie like that! 🙂

Lay/lie. God help me.

I think I’m ready to get off of the computer and read a bit. I got the sequel to Peeps out of the library yesterday, called The Last Days. I hope it’s as good as Peeps. I also just read the latest A-List novel. I swear, those books are like a train wreck. The name-dropping is sooo annoying, and the stuff that happens in them is way outlandish and over the top, but I can’t stop reading the damn things. It’s like Desperate Housewives for teenagers or something. I also read Anatomy of a Boyfriend, and that book is Judy Blume’s Forever for the 21st century.

Ta ta!

Comments Off on Lists & Such

Much On My Mind (Video)

/ aidan, life, money, videos

I’m sitting here FREEZING. My hands are like ice blocks, but I am hesitant to turn on the heater because my last gas bill was over $75, and that was with my thermostat being set at 64º or 65º for most of December. I’m thinking of investing in a space heater, because my electric bill is just over $30. Much more affordable.

Now I just need $20 for a space heater. OR I need to remember to bring the one I use at work home with me on cold evenings. Then I have to remember to take it back to work!

I had a really good weekend. Someone awesome spoiled me rotten, and got to eat at Morone’s, where I haven’t been in years!!! It was as delicious as I remember. Mmm, I love that place. They’re always hiring too, I wonder if I got a job hostessing there a couple nights a week would I get discounts on food? Meh, I’ve heard too many horror stories recently about how restaurant workers are treated; so it’s not likely.

Now I’m craving Morone’s again. Mmmmm.

My Web site host emailed me and told me they changed my password. I’d had the same password for anywhere-is for over six years now, so this new password thing is kind of annoying. It’s longer and more crazy than before. But that’s the thing now, strong passwords. And I’m cool with it. I’m down. Word.

Ivy (swankivy) showed me a Web site that allows one to look up his or her old sites on the internet. I did some searching and came across tons of old layouts I’d done for anywhere-is. And pixels! Clique graphics. Anyone remember the wormie clique? I had a blue one! And anyone remember The Cutie Factory? That site had the best pixels ever. There are still pixel-making sites out there, and I still LOVE collecting them. 🙂

A while ago, I’d posted the Aidan Mega Mix for people to download. I wasn’t sure if people with Macs or whatever could watch it. But I uploaded it to YouTube over the weekend, so behind the cut is a video that I made in late 2005 of Aidan being cute.

I plan to make a new video soon. You guys have to see this kid in action.

He’s been with my mom since the 6th of January, and I miss the little bugger.

Popped into a comic book store over the weekend. The Laughing Ogre. Had to see which Peach Girls I’d missed. I need 5-10, plus the Sae ones. Someday. Someday, perhaps. I also found myself drawn to the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels. *looks around innocently* Didn’t buy anything, of course, but the place is a block and a half from me. I can walk there any time. If it would ever stop raining.

Actually, it did stop raining. Just in time for the weather to drop to “freeze your nutsack off” temperatures. Still not happy weather for me to walk in. I can’t wait until the late Spring, when the trees have pink blossoms all over them and it’ll be warm enough to walk without a jacket on. But it’s only January.

I have to do dishes. Eventually.

I did drop $8 I really can’t afford on jenlyn_b‘s new book Tattoo. I wanted to get robbiewriter‘s book Better Than Yesterday as well (I’ve heard awesome reviews about it), but I didn’t see it. Not that I had the money for it anyway–I think I’ll try to reserve it at the library, though. 😀 If it’s not there, then WAH. I’ll figure something out.

Who plans to watch American Idol tonight? I MIGHT. We’ll see. It depends on how well Fox will come in on my TV. I do it old school, see. I have rabbit ears. And sometimes the channels aren’t so clear. But that’s all right. Ha.

Moof.

I’m experiencing a letdown right now. After such an awesome weekend, I’m readjusting and having kind of a hard time with it. I’m feeling depressed about my writing (or lack thereof) again. Big things coming up in the next few days that are on my mind. I’m cold. I’m also very tired. Early bedtime is on the agenda for tonight, I think. We’ll see how that goes, though.

I guess I’ll turn the heat on now. I’m freezing THROUGH MY SHOES. That’s bad.

‘Til next time.

P.S. I’m doing one of my favorite things right now. Reserving books at the library. Wooo!

Comments Off on Much On My Mind (Video)

Good Things

/ life, positivity, shopping

I’m hanging out at cheebychumba‘s, watching The Office with him, his brother, his roommate, and his roommate’s girlfriend. I drove over in my pajamas, and post-shower, so when I go home tonight, I’ll go straight to bed. Well, I’ll be ABLE to. Who knows if I ACTUALLY will!

Anyway, helenatural does these… what I call positivity posts, and I figure it’s time for me to do one. It’s been a while. So here goes.

Positiveness

1. Getting a huge pat on the back for the Pre-K TE Style Guide I put together at work;
2. Good conversation with good people;
3. Finding a Burger King located fewer than five minutes from my apartment!!
4. Brownies fresh from the oven;
5. Newsies;
6. Free Cheryl & Co. cookies every month at work from a vendor. (Can’t wait for Snickerdoodle month!)
7. When boys call other boys “bitch”;
8. Tomorrow being FRIDAY;
9. Sudden, unexpected instances of being saved;
10. ♥

So, a few weeks ago, I was at work, talking to Tamera. Just about random stuff. She mentioned this planetarium she got from The Discovery Channel Store. You can set it to any part of the world, and it’ll project the stars onto your ceiling. She said it’s the coolest thing ever. That evening, I got home from work and opened a letter from meimeigui. In it was two gift cards; one of them $30 to The Discovery Channel Store. The planetarium? $29.99. Guess what I’m gonna use my gift card for when I go to that store this Sunday? 🙂

All right, gonna head out. I’ve gotta go home and go to bed. Or at least pretend I’m going there. ‘Til next time!

Comments Off on Good Things

Normal Life is Underway

/ life, positivity, work

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! 🙂

Comments Off on Normal Life is Underway

Lunch Break!

/ car, life, work

I’m on my lunchbreak. I had leftover spaghetti from last night, and a snickerdoodle cookie from Cheryl & Co. I never used to care much for Cheryl & Co. cookies. There was something a little “off” about them. I think they were too soft. But their snickerdoodles. Oh God. They’re almost better than the A Blessed Cookie Co. ones I used to eat when I worked at Nationwide. Heavenly. Perfect. Soft, delicious. Oh God. Mmmm. Snickerdoodles.

I was thinking about how much I like organizations such as Toys for Tots or Operation Christmas Child. I wish I could open something like that, but make it year-round. Kids have birthdays. Kids need clothes all the time, not just in December. I would love to start an organization and have people donate clothing and toys, and then I’d ship them to shelters and churches all over the city. I’d love to adopt a family one year. Give things to an entire family, brighten their season. Toys for the kids. Clothes for the parents. Food for a Christmas dinner. Maybe one year I’ll be able to do that.

I missed most of the donation barrels and drives this year, which disappoints me. I just didn’t have the extra cash to give this year to get a great deal of stuff. The ironic thing is that my friends are giving to me–going above and beyond to make sure I’m taken care of–and learning to accept that when I want to give so much myself is a learning experience. Flat out asking for help is hard for me. Sometimes I’ll drop hints, and hope someone offers to help me, but it’s so hard for me to go to someone and say “hey, can I borrow $30 for groceries?” Or even worse, “Can I have $30? I probably won’t be able to pay you back.” I feel like–I’ve made certain choices in my life and that I should be able to deal with those consequences–bad or good–like an adult. And for me, like an adult means not having to borrow or take money from my friends, or ask my mom for help with groceries, or even whine about being broke on my LJ. I guess I’m not so good at this being an “adult” thing, huh?

It’s not hard for me to accept the help, but it’s hard to let go of the guilt that floods in with the relief.

I’ve listened to this Canon Christmas song over 30 times today. It’s been on repeat for hours. I don’t want to get sick of it, but it’s so pretty!! I should turn it off after this time. Heh.

There should be at least two packages waiting for me when I get home after work! 🙂 Hopefully one from swankivy as well. I love packages. LOVE them. And fun mail like cards andletters. I will take a picture of my card wall this weekend. Okay, actually, it’s card closet doors–the doors to the closet that holds what Aidan calls “the fiery furnace.”

Tonight, it’s off to Midas to get my brakes looked at. I really hope it’s just the brake pads. This noise didn’t really start until the past few days. But I remember that for a month or so, when I’d stop, it would sound like a space ship stopping. That “brooooom” sound. I can’t describe it–but you hear that sound a lot at Cedar Point near the Power Tower and the Top Thrill Dragster. I wonder if that wasn’t the brakes going weird on me. I’d thought it was because of the flat tire I got a few weeks ago, but who knows? Poor Little Ronica. I’m worried about her. She’s not even five yet! Anyway, I hope today’s trip to Midas is quick and painless, and that I don’t have to bumble up my holiday travel plans. I have a feeling my mom spoiled me, and I KNOW she spoiled Aidan!

Rumour has it that the newest HP title is…. …. wait for it … …

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Oooo. Sounds SCARY!!!! I think that’s all for now. I always have a list of things to write about, but then I get on here and my mind starts wandering and I lose track and yeah. Heh. Back to work for me. Errata and errata and errata, but Handwriting PDFs like WHOA will be hitting, probably starting today!

Oh my, I just checked my inbox. AJ put a card in, and on it, there is a mean-looking dog guarding the fireplace going GRRRR and Santa looks a bit perturbed. The inside says “Good thing Santa had an exit strategy,” and there is a picture of a bone wrapped in a bow. HAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHA. HAHAH. Okay, I’m easily amused. Or punch drunk. Or maybe just addled from listening to Christmas Canon too many times. Still, HAHA. What a great card! HAHA. Santa’s face. The dog, he looks so pissed. And there is a reindeer looking in the window like “oh shit.” HAHAHAHA. I just found out that AJ made the card himself! HAHA. Even better! 🙂

All right. The Mountain Dew must be kicking in. Back to Errata for me. ‘Til next time!

Comments Off on Lunch Break!