Reese Ryan Romance

Colorful characters. Sinfully sweet romance.

A to Z Challenge

Z is for Zoos and Aquariums

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CleMetZooEntrance-sfgamchickSomeRights

Some of my fondest memories of my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio, are from days spent exploring the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The zoo is free to residents of Cuyahoga County on Mondays, making it accessible to everyone.

CleMetZooParrotschinkerj-SomerightsAs a kid I spent many Mondays during school breaks gazing at the animals, learning to appreciate their strength and beauty. When my son was growing up frequent zoo trips were part of our family routine. There was so much to see that we never grew tired of visiting. Later the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo expanded by adding the Rainforest–a beautiful indoor facility that houses tropical animals and fish.

Because the zoo was so accessible, I took for granted that everyone has access to a zoo within easy driving distance. But I was wrong; not everyone does.

For almost four years I’ve lived in central North Carolina. Not long after we moved here I wanted to go to the zoo. I was surprised to learn that the zoo wasn’t in the immediate vicinity of the state capital. Instead the state zoo is about a two-hour drive west. It doesn’t seem like a terrible imposition. Yet, in four years I haven’t managed to venture there.

I’ve driven well beyond the zoo for a weekend trip to Charlotte or the mountains. I’ve even driven nearly five hours to Atlanta where I visited the phenomenal Georgia Aquarium (a must see if you visit Atlanta).  And still I haven’t made it to the North Carolina Zoo. But this year I plan to.

Do you have a zoo or aquarium near you? Do you visit it frequently?

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo entrance photo courtesy of sfgamchick; some rights reserved. Parrot photo courtesy of schinkerj; some rights reserved.

Y is for Yellow

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I can’t believe how long ago it was when I first heard the song “Yellow” by Coldplay. I liked the song, but wasn’t exactly sold on the group. But by the time their next album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, came out I purchased it and was a hardcore Coldplay fan. (Well, not as hardcore as my neighbor. It’s the only album he listens to apparently. Ever.)

Recently I took advantage of my Amazon Prime account and watched Coldplay Live 2012. So now, of course, I’m obsessed with the idea of flying to a European country to watch the group perform live, and darnit, I really want one of the glowing bracelets. Like really.

Who are your favorite bands? Which musicians are on your To Be Seen list?

X is for X Factor (that unidentifiable trait that makes someone truly special)

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You already know I love storytelling, books, movies, music, and singer/songwriters. But I’m also quite fond of dancing. (Said with a jazz hands finger flourish like the lady in the State Farm/Aaron Rodgers commercial here.)

State Farm "You're a dancer?" finger flourish.I’ve always fancied myself a crazy good dancer with mad skills. (I also refer to myself in my head as Princess and imagine that I have minions who wait upon me. But the two aren’t related. Or, are they?)

So, the other day it had gotten too late to go for a walk and I was determined to get my thirty minutes of exercise in. Rather than go to the community gym, I opted to pull out the Kindle Fire HD, slip on the Bluetooth headset and dance my way to fitness.

I turned on JT’s 20/20 Experience and started dancing. And dancing. And dancing some more. Before I realized it, thirty minutes turned into an hour. My knees didn’t much appreciate the pivots, turns, and imagined ballerina moves. But the rest of me felt exhilarated, every muscle singing (or groaning), thanking me for not giving into the comfy couch or my not-so-comfy computer chair.

The next day I told my young adult son, Chef Boy RD, that I was going to dance again. He–who had tried his valiant best to videotape my AWESOME moves from around the corner the previous day–rubbed his hands together and smiled with glee.

“This is gonna get tons of hits on YouTube.”

Of course, I did what any other mother would do. I reminded him that he’d have to find somewhere else to live if it did. He then proceeded to mimic my dance moves from the day before in something that looked less crazy good and instead was just…crazy. (Imagine a hip-hop dance contest consisting only of people who normally move around with walkers. Yeah…it looked something like that.)

The next day my husband–GQ Jones–commended me for working out after he flaked on me was too tired to go walking with me the previous night.

“I worked out for an hour,” I said proudly.

He smiled at me the way people often do right before they pat you on your head…when you’re five. “Babe, you were dancing for like six hours. You danced through two basketball games. And every time I came into the room you were doing the same move. But it’s good you worked out. I’m proud of you.”

So perhaps I don’t have have mad dance kills; instead I’ve gone slightly mad. Whatever. They’re kind of the same. And at least I worked out.

Maybe I don’t have the X Factor, that unknown, truly amazing thing. At least not where my dancing is concerned. But Marquese Scott, a brilliant dancer who’s been featured in iRobot, Peugeot, and One Coke ®  commercials, and on Ellen definitely does. One of his dance videos is posted below. You can view more dance videos and commercials on his YouTube channel here.

What writers, musicians, actors, or dancers have that X Factor? How would you define what makes them so special?

Photo above is a still from the State Farm commercial on YouTube. Visit link above.

W is for The Words (The Movie)

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Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana in The Words

The Words is a complex, layered tale. A story within a story within a story. I admit that the ending left me confused with more questions than answers. Still, I enjoyed the ride just the same.

Bradley Cooper plays Rory a writer who is struggling to make his mark in the literary world. He’s newly married, in debt to his father who has been supporting his habit as a writer, and forced to take a corporate job. When his wife, Dora, played by Zoe Saldana, buys him a lovely, old leather satchel during their honeymoon in Paris, he discovers a manuscript inside. It’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever read and he decides to type the entire story, in the hopes that it will inspire his own work. When Dora discovers the manuscript on his computer and mistakes it for his work, Rory doesn’t have the courage to tell her the truth. It is the first false step down a  rocky path of lies and deception.

This is one of those films people seem to love or hate. Some critics have proclaimed it ambitious or preachy. But I loved it, and I thought Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Irons, Ben Barnes, Nora Arnezeder were quite brilliant. I found the third storyline with Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde distracting and confusing. However, I loved the first two threads enough to overlook the third.

Did you see The Words? If so, what did you think of it? Do you like books and movies that incorporate clever, ambitious story elements as this one does? If so, which one is your favorite?

Publicity photo from The Words.

V is for Villain (Best Movie Villains of All Time)

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Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie in Django Unchained.What would the heroes we love–James Bond, Ethan Hunt, Sherlock Holmes, and James West (YES, I said James West) be without the villains who made them shine–Goldfinger, Owen Davies, Professor Moriarity, and Dr. Loveless?

The video below is one of countless lists compiled of the greatest movie villains of all time. Many of my choices were on the list, including Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men (that was a seriously creepy, weird film), Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in Misery (I grab my knee caps every time I think of her), Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher Cutting in Gangs of New York, and Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

There are a few I’d add to the list. Javier Bardem–proving he is a masterful at portraying complicated, creepy villains–for his role as Silva in the most recent James Bond film, Skyfall. Daniel Day-Lewis for his role as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood (I don’t care if he was the protagonist, that guy was definitely a villain). Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen in Gangster Squad (Shivering, just thinking about the opening scene). Leonardo Dicaprio as Calvin Candie in Django Unchained. 

Who are your favorite villains of all time? Why do we love to hate them?

Publicity photo from Django Unchained.

 

Unafraid (or Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway)

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Fear--DaizyB--AllRightsI was at a complete loss about what to cover in today’s post. None of the “U” words I’d been scrolling through spoke to me. I was this close to posting a picture of an umbrella and calling it a day. But then I was reflecting on a motivating video I watched earlier today, and suddenly it hit me. The word for today is unafraid. 

Fear has held an unhealthy place in my psyche for as long as I can remember. Fear of heights and water kept me from flying, or learning to swim until I was a married adult and had powerful motivation to do so. Fear of rejection held me back as an entrepreneur, from joining a critique group, and from submitting my work to agents and editors.

Even now–with my debut novel being published this summer–I still peek through my fingers, hesitant to post an excerpt. Feeling both joy and dread that my work will be published. I have many more goals ahead, including a desire to establish a career in magazine writing (in addition to fiction writing). But that pesky, old friend fear perches on my shoulder and whispers in my ear.

You’ll never be good enough. Why set yourself up for failure? What will people think?

But this morning I got the most wonderful gift delivered to my inbox from local writer, Linda Formichelli. In a post on her site, The Renegade Writer, she shared the link to a Skype talk she and her partner-in-crime, Carol Tice, gave on overcoming fear.

The video is a half hour long, but completely worth it for anyone who struggles with fear of failure or rejection. Two of my favorite quotes from the video:

“Fear is natural. Action based on fear is a choice.” ~ Carol Tice

“If you get out there and do what an unafraid person, a motivated person, would do, it will start to change your attitude.” ~ Linda Formichelli.

There were so many juicy nuggets of motivating goodness in the video. Carol and Linda also shared their experiences with fear, and how they’ve dealt with them. Had I heard parts of their message before? Sure. You probably have, too. But we often need to hear a message multiple times, delivered in a variety of ways before it takes root.  Then sometimes it’s a matter of timing. We have to be prepared to receive the message. Maybe that’s why hearing it from Carol and Linda, in the manner they delivered it, on this day seemed to flip a switch for me. Maybe it will, for you, too.

During the video I jotted down a new mantra that I am hanging over my workspace:

I choose not to take action (or inaction) based on irrational fears.

Check out Carol and Linda’s fear-busting chat here. What fears do you struggle with? How have they held you back? How did you overcome them?

Photo courtesy of DaizyB. All rights reserved.

T is for Timer (The Movie)

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I saw a review for the movie, Timer, on another blogger’s site several months ago. (Sorry! I can’t remember who it was.) She included the trailer, below. Immediately I was intrigued. A rom-com with a touch of science fiction and angsty characters? I was hooked. So I added the movie to my Blockbuster queue and forgot about it.

TimerPosterThen it arrived. My husband gave me the usual “Not another chick flick” eyeroll. But I was excited. More excited than I’d been about the arrival of a movie in awhile. I put it on the speaker next to the TV and went about my day, figuring I’d watch it over the weekend. Only that was three or four weekends ago.

So finally, after a little pouting from GQ because I was hogging up the Blockbuster movie queue with my unwatchable girly flicks (my words, not his) I decided to watch the movie. And I wasn’t disappointed.

The story of smart, anxious orthodontist Ooma (Emma Caufield) and her family was sweet, funny, and made me think. How would we approach life differently if life, love, or success came with a guarantee?

I have a thing for movies that examine alternate realities, like Butterfly Effect and Sliding Doors. And while this movie didn’t follow alternate possibilities, I couldn’t help but think in terms of them the entire time.

In addition to an interesting plot the movie is filled with deliciously flawed characters who make all degrees of questionable choices. Yet, we know enough about them to understand their behavior and still care about them.

The movie didn’t end the way I hoped, but that was okay. Because Ooma’s actions were in line with her character and I could understand the decision she didn’t make.

The story made me laugh, cry, and think. Most of all, it made me a little envious. I want to tell stories like that.

Have you seen the movie? If so, what did you think? What kind of stories do you enjoy reading, watching, or spinning?

Note: This post originally appeared on my old blog, Mindful Banter.

S is for Side Effects (The Movie)

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I adore this movie, probably my favorite film of the year thus far. It is an enigma wrapped in a puzzle, stuffed with yummy goodness.

SideEffectsPosterSide Effects is a provocative psychological thriller  featuring Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum as Emily and Martin Taylor, a couple who has the world at their feet, until Martin is busted for insider trading. He does a stint in prison and they lose everything. Emily suffers with debilitating depression because of this and is still having difficulty adjusting when Martin comes home from prison.

Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) begins treating Emily when she ends up in the emergency room after running her car full-speed into a cement wall. After a consult with her former psychiatrist, Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and at Emily’s urging, Dr. Banks prescribes the drug Ablixa–a drug that has an unexpected side effect.

We watch Martin and Emily’s world dissolve, but the fallout from the tragic results of Ablixa’s side effects also sends Dr. Bank’s world crashing to the ground. His judgment called into question, he soon becomes a pariah in the medical community. When he simply can’t let it go, he too loses everything and refuses to give in until he discovers exactly what went wrong.

I loved this movie upside down and inside out. Rooney Mara and Jude Law play their characters brilliantly and the story is magnificent. The only thing I didn’t like was a rather painful scene near the end which I found nauseating, mostly because it seemed like one of the two characters involved was painfully uncomfortable with it. But, my lips are sealed until you’ve seen it.

The movie turned out not to be what I expected, it was so much better. Definitely giving this one two thumbs up. Have you seen it? I’d love to know what you thought of it. If you haven’t seen it–do. As soon as you possibly can.

 

R is for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

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Most of us want to do our part to help the environment. But with such a lofty goal in front of us, we’re often at a loss for practical ways to achieve it. So here are three simple ways to live an eco-friendly lifestyle without going Grizzly Adams, or breaking the bank.

Reduce

Looking for an easy, no-fuss way to start living a greener lifestyle?

Start by making simple lifestyle adjustments. Here are a few ways to reduce energy usage that pose minimal inconvenience, but can have a cumulative impact on the environment–and your energy bills:Water faucet photo courtesy of Joe Shlabotnik.

  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Do this even when you think you’ll be returning immediately. A quick trip to the kitchen for another cup of coffee can easily turn into doing laundry, straightening the kids’ rooms, or going to get the mail. Suddenly an hour has passed and your energy meter has been ticking the whole time.
  • Unplug phone chargers and other small appliances when not in use. Beware of energy vampires in your home. This refers to plugged in appliances–like toasters and coffee makers–that aren’t in use. Even though they’re not on they’re still sucking energy. To make things easier, try putting your phone, tablet, and other chargers on a power strip. After you’ve charged them overnight, simply turn off the entire strip. Cutting off energy vampires can save as much as $100 per year.
  • Don’t run the water while you brush your teeth. Okay, so maybe this one seems a little inconvenient at first; but you quickly become used to it and the amount of water you’ll conserve is well worth it. Don’t think this is a big deal? Try a little experiment. Plug the sink while you brush your teeth, with the water running as you normally would. Turn it off once you’re done. Surprised by how much water is in the sink? Well, that’s just the beginning. Now multiply that amount times the two or three times you brush each day. Now multiply it by the number of people living in your house. Yep. Totally worth it.

Reuse

  •  Switch to reusable grocery bags. Invest in a few pretty, but inexpensive reusable bags. Keep them in your car and they’ll be ready whenever you go shopping.ReusableBagCantonPublicLibrary
  • Buy reusable rather than disposable goods. Paper cups and dishware certainly have their place, but whenever possible substitute throwaways for reusables. Treat yourself to a special mug and use that for coffee at work, rather than paper or Styrofoam cups. Encourage your workmates to do the same.
  • Repurpose. Before discarding an item, consider whether it could be used in some other way. If it can’t be used in your home, consider donating it and providing the item with a good home elsewhere. Want to save even more? Discover how far your budget will stretch with resale shopping.

Recycle

  • Participate in your local recycling program. Hopefully your city offers curbside recycling. If not, it takes a little more effort, but the environment will love you for it.
  • Donate or recycle phones and other gadgets. Best Buy has a cell phone donation program. But if you’d prefer to get back at least some of the cash you invested in that fancy gadget, try selling it instead.
  • Buy recycled goods. A growing number of products include recycled materials. Purchasing new products which include recycled goods closes the recycling loop. For the most impact, look for goods with the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled content. 

A commitment to helping the environment doesn’t necessarily require drastic changes. Instead, take small steps. Buy a few reusable shopping bags and take them each time you go to the grocery store. Even a small change like that can have a positive impact on the planet while giving us a sense of pride and accomplishment. Plus, stores like Target and Trader Joe offer a savings for each bag you bring. Win. Win. Win.

What do you find most challenging about trying to live a greener lifestyle? What steps have you taken already? Which of the options listed above have you used in the past? Which ones do you plan to use in the future?

Photos courtesy of Joe Shlabotnik and Canton Public Library, respectively. Some rights reserved.

Q is for Question Everything

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Around the age of four children, who are naturally curious, learn one of the most glorious words in the English language–Why? This single word–tiny and unassuming–is the key to knowledge and, more importantly, the development of true understanding. Of ourselves. The people and world around us.

Mother and Daughter Baking TogetherEach time we ask why we are developing our curiosity and gaining additional knowledge. Expanding our minds and discovering new worlds. Such a small word, but it is the key to a magical universe where everything seems twinkly, exciting, and new.

It’s not uncommon for a small child to ask a successive string of whys that exhaust his or her parents, or anyone else who will respond (as is the case for the poor guy in the Hyundai video below). Each why provides new information which, of course, requires additional questions.

But somewhere along the way we no longer question everything. We accept the status quo and the narratives learned from others…You can’t do this. You should never do that. Don’t say this. Don’t question authority. Don’t rock the boat.

And so we follow the leader and fall in line. People who question everything, yet succeed, are considered renegades. People who question everything, and just annoy the hell out of us are branded rule breakers (or words that are a lot worse). But maybe these folks are onto something.

Let’s clarify. I’m not advocating being a jerk, or questioning things just for the sake of teeing everyone else off. I’m talking about questioning everything we don’t understand, or that doesn’t seem right. Not questioning others  for the sake of demonstrating that we’re smarter, but because we really want to know; need to know.

As a society, we view questioning everything–especially authority–with a negative connotation. But valid questions from our children, spouse, friends, or employees don’t have to be a slight against us. In fact, they might be the impetus for a breakthrough, a new discovery, a better way of doing things. So rather than taking exception with a sincere question, why not view it as a learning opportunity? We should encourage our children to question everything; but teach them to do it appropriately.

Questioning everything isn’t just about questioning others. Some of the most important questions we can ask are those we ask ourselves.

What do I really want? Why do I always do this? Why didn’t I say no? Does this person/thing/habit really serve my purpose?

We can learn a lot about ourselves when we ask these questions, then dig down deep to find the honest answers–even if it reveals some ugly truth we’d rather avoid. We are so much better for having asked–and answered–them.

Writers–a curious lot–often ask this question of their characters. Why is she doing this? Why would he say that? Why wouldn’t he just say he loves her? The answers to these questions often require us to dig deeper into our characters to discover hidden secrets of which even we–their creators–weren’t aware. It also helps us to use that knowledge to shape the character and make him behave in a manner that is believable, true to his character, and moves our story forward.

Why? Such a powerful word. Has asking why helped you reach an epiphany in the past?  Does the thought of questioning the status quo unnerve you? Why or why not?