Once upon a very different time,
There was a very different girl,
With purple plaid well fought for,
A blue ring that was never quite right,
and yard and yards of perfect white satin
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Movies movies movies (aka Von's boring weekend)
So, L was out of town this past weekend, and likely is in the process of kicking me to the curb (more on that another day)
Which worked out well, because one of my bosses needed me to do some work over the weekend.
And by some, I mean a lot of mind numbing researchy stuff.
So I thought
'Hey! I can finally watch those two movies I've had from Netflix since June!'
I am so not kidding. What, I get busy a lot.
First up?
The Social Network. I liked this movie. I dare say I even liked it more than I thought I was going to like it.
Followed by:
The Kids are All Right. Or whatever the fuck it's called. I stopped caring by about minute 29. Needless to say, I hated this movie, and everything about it. I guess it's cool to name your kid Laser. I guess. Ok, no, it's actually not cool at all. Hated this so much, I want that time back.
Since I was on a movie kick, I ordered Paul on the tv.
I was SO disappointed in this! I am a huge Simon Pegg/Nick Frost fan. I will watch Hot Fuzz, Spaced, or Shaun of the Dead over and over and over and over.
Hated Paul. Perhaps because I hate Seth Rogen, and he voices the alien, but no, I think it was way more than that.
Sigh.
Looking for some movie redemption, and a break from working, went to see Contagion.
Great movie. Saw it with a friend who has a Master's degree in Public Health.
She filled me in on how very realistic it was.
Awesome.
Remembered my shitty health year I've been having.
Went home and googled "bubble". No such luck. I now have hand sanitizer containers just about Everywhere.
Which worked out well, because one of my bosses needed me to do some work over the weekend.
And by some, I mean a lot of mind numbing researchy stuff.
So I thought
'Hey! I can finally watch those two movies I've had from Netflix since June!'
I am so not kidding. What, I get busy a lot.
First up?
The Social Network. I liked this movie. I dare say I even liked it more than I thought I was going to like it.
Followed by:
The Kids are All Right. Or whatever the fuck it's called. I stopped caring by about minute 29. Needless to say, I hated this movie, and everything about it. I guess it's cool to name your kid Laser. I guess. Ok, no, it's actually not cool at all. Hated this so much, I want that time back.
Since I was on a movie kick, I ordered Paul on the tv.
I was SO disappointed in this! I am a huge Simon Pegg/Nick Frost fan. I will watch Hot Fuzz, Spaced, or Shaun of the Dead over and over and over and over.
Hated Paul. Perhaps because I hate Seth Rogen, and he voices the alien, but no, I think it was way more than that.
Sigh.
Looking for some movie redemption, and a break from working, went to see Contagion.
Great movie. Saw it with a friend who has a Master's degree in Public Health.
She filled me in on how very realistic it was.
Awesome.
Remembered my shitty health year I've been having.
Went home and googled "bubble". No such luck. I now have hand sanitizer containers just about Everywhere.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Sorry, this one is a downer
You all know I'm addicted to delightful God-daughter (DGD, I'll call her for the rest of this post) like she's crack.
She's everything to me, and the closest thing I'll ever have to my own offspring.
Well, Wednesday morning, I woke up to this text from her mom:
'One of DGD's friends died. I don't think I can handle this'
Friends, DGD is 11 years old.
She's never experienced death before, being lucky to have very healthy grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. I think she had a gold fish die once, that's about it.
After a flurry of texts and emails, I found out that DGD's friend and classmate had passed away six days before his 12th birthday. He had brain cancer, and had been diagnosed under a year ago.
My stupid question was how is DGD handling it? Her mom told me that there's a lot of sobbing in their house, and things are not good.
The only thing I can think to do is cancel my plans for tonight, and go to this wake with them. Of course, both of DGD's parents will be there, but in this situation I think she needs all of the people around her that she can get. Like I said, it's the only thing I can think to do. Being with her always makes me feel better, I can only hope that I do the same for her. I don't think I'll have much to say, because what do you say? VonMom said I need to be strong for DGD. I'm not sure how strong I'll be. Admittedly, I do not have nor ever intend to have kids of my own, but if anything were to happen to DGD, Oh My God. I can't even.......
So take this for what it is. Hug someone you love today, whether they are a child or a grown up. Love someone you hug today.
And say a prayer for that poor little boy. May angels lead him in, and comfort his family.
She's everything to me, and the closest thing I'll ever have to my own offspring.
Well, Wednesday morning, I woke up to this text from her mom:
'One of DGD's friends died. I don't think I can handle this'
Friends, DGD is 11 years old.
She's never experienced death before, being lucky to have very healthy grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. I think she had a gold fish die once, that's about it.
After a flurry of texts and emails, I found out that DGD's friend and classmate had passed away six days before his 12th birthday. He had brain cancer, and had been diagnosed under a year ago.
My stupid question was how is DGD handling it? Her mom told me that there's a lot of sobbing in their house, and things are not good.
The only thing I can think to do is cancel my plans for tonight, and go to this wake with them. Of course, both of DGD's parents will be there, but in this situation I think she needs all of the people around her that she can get. Like I said, it's the only thing I can think to do. Being with her always makes me feel better, I can only hope that I do the same for her. I don't think I'll have much to say, because what do you say? VonMom said I need to be strong for DGD. I'm not sure how strong I'll be. Admittedly, I do not have nor ever intend to have kids of my own, but if anything were to happen to DGD, Oh My God. I can't even.......
So take this for what it is. Hug someone you love today, whether they are a child or a grown up. Love someone you hug today.
And say a prayer for that poor little boy. May angels lead him in, and comfort his family.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
And I remain....
Two years ago, a reader asked what Von for now meant.
At the time, I was not prepared to answer that question.
This being my 500th post, I think it's a good time to try to explain it.
Hi, I'm Yvonne
Before I popped out of VonMom, in her head, I was to be Yvette.
She forgot.
No, I'm not kidding. She found the note in her purse a few days after she had me with Yvette written on it.
"Close enough", she thinks she said. Thank GOD, because I am so not an Yvette.
Though she tried really, really hard to get the world in general to call me EJ (middle name is actually Jae. Cool, for the mid-70s, I guess). It didn't stick. There's one person in my life who calls me EJ to this day, and I call her Sissy even though her name is Diane. EJ is ok, but like I said, it didn't stick.
VonSis wasn't down with either Yvonne (fyi, pronounced EEEEE-von, and do not fuck it up, or I will killz you) or EJ. She had her own mind, even at 1 1/2 years old.
She decided on Vonnie.
And it stuck.
From birth to mid high school. I was Vonnie to just about everyone. Even the places I worked. The Girl Scouts of Chicago organization only knows me as Vonnie.
Yes, I have corrected about nine million people that No, my name is not Bonnie. It's Vonnie. But it became second nature, like breathing.
There started to be variations, after a while: Vonster Monster, Y-von (pronounced Why-von), Y, you get the drill.
Eventually, I met Shannon. She doesn't really like nicknames, and she had a best friend growing up named Yvonne, so I started the slippery slope back to my "given name".
But I was uncomfortable in this Yvonne-skin.
Yvonne is me at work, when networking, when working at Old Town. Yvonne is very serious and task driven.
Yvonne is NOT me, at least not 100% of the time.
Then I met SIL1X, who has nicknames for just about everyone in her life. Sure, who she met was Vonnie, but who she named was Von.
I LOVED Von, pretty much more than I've ever loved a name I'd been given (ok, except for "Tuesday Night", but that's another story for another time).
Von is the social butterfly made of metal. She was a teenage anarchist. She is the music loving, wishing to dye her hair blue to this day, rebel who still owns her black leather motorcycle jacket. Von, it turns out, is pretty bad ass.
No wonder some people who had been in my life longer than others did not take to Von. Not only did they not take to it, they hated it. Perhaps Von is not the person they think I am, or want me to be.
So, when I decided to start this whole blogging thing (holy shit, 500 posts ago!), I started thinking about a name. I didn't want anything trite, lame, bland.
I realized that I am not a still pond. I am a roiling ocean - ever changing, ever challenging.
As I change, so does my name. As I grow, so does my life.
So there you have it. I am Von, for now.
And as it is my 500th post - I want to say part of who I am today, mostly the good parts, I thank you all for. Most especially: Jennifer, Mendacious, Zombie, Brando, Becky, BG, K-Unit, Mikey, B4, Snag, Fish, Thunda, my beloved New Zealanders and Mandos. Wicked props to TheMarty and of course Shannon, for showing me this wacky wonderful world of blogging.
Hope you all keep reading, and I'll keep writing.
At the time, I was not prepared to answer that question.
This being my 500th post, I think it's a good time to try to explain it.
Hi, I'm Yvonne
Before I popped out of VonMom, in her head, I was to be Yvette.
She forgot.
No, I'm not kidding. She found the note in her purse a few days after she had me with Yvette written on it.
"Close enough", she thinks she said. Thank GOD, because I am so not an Yvette.
Though she tried really, really hard to get the world in general to call me EJ (middle name is actually Jae. Cool, for the mid-70s, I guess). It didn't stick. There's one person in my life who calls me EJ to this day, and I call her Sissy even though her name is Diane. EJ is ok, but like I said, it didn't stick.
VonSis wasn't down with either Yvonne (fyi, pronounced EEEEE-von, and do not fuck it up, or I will killz you) or EJ. She had her own mind, even at 1 1/2 years old.
She decided on Vonnie.
And it stuck.
From birth to mid high school. I was Vonnie to just about everyone. Even the places I worked. The Girl Scouts of Chicago organization only knows me as Vonnie.
Yes, I have corrected about nine million people that No, my name is not Bonnie. It's Vonnie. But it became second nature, like breathing.
There started to be variations, after a while: Vonster Monster, Y-von (pronounced Why-von), Y, you get the drill.
Eventually, I met Shannon. She doesn't really like nicknames, and she had a best friend growing up named Yvonne, so I started the slippery slope back to my "given name".
But I was uncomfortable in this Yvonne-skin.
Yvonne is me at work, when networking, when working at Old Town. Yvonne is very serious and task driven.
Yvonne is NOT me, at least not 100% of the time.
Then I met SIL1X, who has nicknames for just about everyone in her life. Sure, who she met was Vonnie, but who she named was Von.
I LOVED Von, pretty much more than I've ever loved a name I'd been given (ok, except for "Tuesday Night", but that's another story for another time).
Von is the social butterfly made of metal. She was a teenage anarchist. She is the music loving, wishing to dye her hair blue to this day, rebel who still owns her black leather motorcycle jacket. Von, it turns out, is pretty bad ass.
No wonder some people who had been in my life longer than others did not take to Von. Not only did they not take to it, they hated it. Perhaps Von is not the person they think I am, or want me to be.
So, when I decided to start this whole blogging thing (holy shit, 500 posts ago!), I started thinking about a name. I didn't want anything trite, lame, bland.
I realized that I am not a still pond. I am a roiling ocean - ever changing, ever challenging.
As I change, so does my name. As I grow, so does my life.
So there you have it. I am Von, for now.
And as it is my 500th post - I want to say part of who I am today, mostly the good parts, I thank you all for. Most especially: Jennifer, Mendacious, Zombie, Brando, Becky, BG, K-Unit, Mikey, B4, Snag, Fish, Thunda, my beloved New Zealanders and Mandos. Wicked props to TheMarty and of course Shannon, for showing me this wacky wonderful world of blogging.
Hope you all keep reading, and I'll keep writing.
Friday, September 9, 2011
A GENTLE reminder
Ahem
I NEVER got my Toy Story aliens (THE CLAW!!!) cake last year.
So
Y'all have 48 days to get that done.
Here's a picture, to get your creativity all awhirl.
I NEVER got my Toy Story aliens (THE CLAW!!!) cake last year.
So
Y'all have 48 days to get that done.
Here's a picture, to get your creativity all awhirl.
Just saying
My personal laptop is on the fritz. Again.
Normally this would freak me out, I mean, if I don't buy at least a handful of songs on iTunes, I go through withdrawal.....but anyway.
This time, I took a deep breath
and called my brother. Both brothers have mad skillz when it comes to anything computer related, but I called the one that has a link up installed on my computer.
"Hi. My computer is broken."
"again"
"Yes, again."
----silence----
"Ok, so it won't connect to the internet, like at all. You fix?"
----silence----
"So, um, can you get into my computer and look around?"
*chuckle* "You don't have internet. So no, I can't get in and look around"
hahahahahaaaa
It would be funny if it wasn't so unfunny
Because he's awesome, he agreed to come over last night and check things out.
After about two hours of messing and digging and digging and restarting and me whining that I was hungry he offered to take it home so he could mess with it when he had time.
Of course I agreed to that.
I also agreed to tag along to dinner with him and his lovely wife.
Which he paid for.
The point of my boring Friday tale?
See, I spend a lot of time talking about how awesome my friends are, and how much more they are to me than my own family.
And then something like this happens, and I have to say to myself
"Hey, my family is pretty cool sometimes too"
Now go hug a family member or something
Normally this would freak me out, I mean, if I don't buy at least a handful of songs on iTunes, I go through withdrawal.....but anyway.
This time, I took a deep breath
and called my brother. Both brothers have mad skillz when it comes to anything computer related, but I called the one that has a link up installed on my computer.
"Hi. My computer is broken."
"again"
"Yes, again."
----silence----
"Ok, so it won't connect to the internet, like at all. You fix?"
----silence----
"So, um, can you get into my computer and look around?"
*chuckle* "You don't have internet. So no, I can't get in and look around"
hahahahahaaaa
It would be funny if it wasn't so unfunny
Because he's awesome, he agreed to come over last night and check things out.
After about two hours of messing and digging and digging and restarting and me whining that I was hungry he offered to take it home so he could mess with it when he had time.
Of course I agreed to that.
I also agreed to tag along to dinner with him and his lovely wife.
Which he paid for.
The point of my boring Friday tale?
See, I spend a lot of time talking about how awesome my friends are, and how much more they are to me than my own family.
And then something like this happens, and I have to say to myself
"Hey, my family is pretty cool sometimes too"
Now go hug a family member or something
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Random schtuff
- Yes, blogger, I am aware I have
4three posts to go before the big 5-0-0. I'm still thinking about that one. - When it comes to people in general, I am wicked good at dealing with them, when it comes to men I fancy, I have zero clue what I'm doing.
- I CAN survive and stay awake for a 6 + hour drive that begins at midnight after working seven hours and being up all day without a nap.
- I can do the above because Shannon is hilarious, and incredibly easy to talk to, and my best friend.
- I can also survive the car ride when the destination is the North Woods of WI. So so so pretty. Too bad it was such a short trip.
- Sometimes my food allergies and food hang ups (ie, I do not eat ribs or chicken wings simply because I cannot eat meat on the bone. If my teeth hit bone, the meal is over for me) make me very shy and self-conscious.
- New people can be entertaining, but pretension can be annoying.
- New Glarus beer is my favorite beer right now. Again? Still? Either way, yum.
- I do not like the show "Big Sexy". The girls on it make fun of skinny girls. Not cool, ladies.
- I will always help clean up any mess I made, but will punch someone if I have to clean up a mess I had no part of.
- Playing games is super fun. I don't think I play enough games. I need to start scheduling some game nights or something. Plus, playing games often leads to fantastic inside jokes - even if you just met someone.
- I fear a man who carries a machete around for fun.
- I cannot go two and a half days without listening to my music, or music I like. Sorry TheMarty and Shannon, I needed it like a drug on the drive home.
- Eight people in a cabin, five men and three women, and only one bathroom. Not a problem. This time.
- I'll be in Boston in eight weeks. Who's counting? I'm counting. Didn't make it out there last year, missing it like a phantom limb.
- L's favorite band is Rush. I know this is a problem for some friends, and a bonus for others. I think it's funny.
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