Off-Topic

13 Personal Questions :)

September 10, 2015 by Emily Dill Leave a Comment

So I was browsing online the other day (bulk-stalking certain blogs, in other words), and I found this cool post on the gorgeous Anna Saccone’s blog: 13 Personal Questions Tag. I liked the questions, so I decided to answer them on here for fun. 🙂 And one of the questions asks about a YouTube community (I guess the tag was for YouTubers), but I’ve changed that part of the question to “writing community”. And if anyone wants to copy/answer on their own blog or in the comments, I’d absolutely love to read that!

1. What do you order at Starbucks? Unless the weather is unbearably hot, I go with coffee (sometimes with milk) or a hot tea. Their passion tea and peach tea are sooo good hot. If the day is a scorcher, give me an iced passion tea or a green tea frapp.

2. What’s one thing in your closet you can’t live without? Jeans. Shirts and shoes come and go, but a pair of jeans is forever. Or until you get that heartbreaking hole that you just can’t pretend isn’t there anymore.

3. What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you? I’m related to President James Madison on my mom’s side and the real-life Braveheart (William Wallace) on my dad’s side. No pressure, or anything.

4. What’s one thing you want to do before you die? See freaking Disney World. Publish a book. Run a 5k. Don’t get me started, I’m a sucker for life goals.

5. What’s one food you can’t live without? Probably eggs? I consume them in some form pretty much every day haha. Eggs on eggs on eggs!

6. What’s one quote that you live your life by? I love “knowledge is power”. When I’m reading and come upon something I don’t know much about, I hit Google. When I’m diagnosed with something (like gluten intolerance or Barrett’s Esophagus), I want to learn everything about it to treat it best I can. When someone mentions going somewhere or doing something I’m not familiar with, I research the heck out of it.

7. What do you like and dislike about the writing community? I like pretty much everything about it! Seriously, the writers on Twitter and Instagram are some of the most encouraging and inspirational people ever, with their positive words and “you got this” attitudes. I love the writing community on social media. I can’t think of anything I dislike about it!

8. What’s your number 1 song on your iPod/iTunes? Probably my favorite song, “Make Damn Sure”, by Taking Back Sunday.

9. What kind of style would you describe yourself as having? Pretty casual and classic right now. I definitely have a lot more nerdy influences than I used to haha, like Star Wars and superhero shirts and shoes. But I have a lot of basic, understated things, like jeans, one-color flats, black cardigans, statement necklaces, hoop earrings, and v-necks.

10. Favorite number? 33

11. Two hobbies? Writing and reading, obviously haha. To not be so obvious, I also love exercise, especially walking/sprinting or hiking, and traveling.

12. Two pet peeves? PDA, man. PD freaking A. It’s the worst. May God separate the next two PDA’ing people I see with a lightning bolt. Not enough to hurt them, just something to scare them and make them think twice next time. The other pet peeve is probably pitiful-acting people, the ones always feeling sorry for themselves or guilting others. Get a life, homes.

13. Your guilty pleasure? Chocolate or french fries. Give me all of it. Even chocolate-covered fries. I wants it. (No I don’t.)

Off-Topic Tuesday: Last Weekend’s Color Blast 5K

March 25, 2015 by Emily Dill Leave a Comment

It’s Off-Topic Tuesday time, pretty people. Which means I get to briefly ramble about my weekend and pretend that people care. Last Saturday I walked in Owensboro, Kentucky’s Color Blast 5k, the second color 5k I’ve walked in. *In which I’ve walked. Is that better? Is it?*

I feel like I should mention that I really wanted to run this one (I walked a color 5k in October 2013 as well). However, winter, um, happened, and an ice/snow storm of epic proportions hit the area (the country?!) and I wasn’t able to train the slightest. And training, I need. Because this body doesn’t wake up ready to run. Oh no, child.

Anyway, it was a blast and a half, and it was for a good cause, and I donated a little extra to get a tutu, and it’s orange and delightful and NO I ABSOLUTELY DID NOT wear the tutu in front of all of those people.

A buuuuunch of walkers/runners. Zombieeeeees! Not really.

I highly encourage you to participate in one of these at some point in your life, whether it’s a Color Blast, Run or Dye, Color Run, or whatever. I’m hoping to run one next year, but walking it isn’t a big deal, because almost every person at either 5k I’ve been to just walks. It’s not a timed, competitive deal…it’s just a fun thing to do with your community and friends.

This is how little I got splattered this time. My last 5k I got ASSAULTED by color.

Anyway, I barely got any color on me this time, which was kind of a letdown. Last time I was color wasted. I mean, it was on my skin, in my hair, down my shirt, in my pores, coursing through my veins, etc. It was awesome. Have you ever participated in one of these? If so, tell me about it below! 🙂

Off-Topic Tuesday: Black Kitties (Kiddies?)

March 17, 2015 by Emily Dill Leave a Comment

Today’s Off-Topic Tuesday is just a quick post showing off my babies – our inside chick, Janie, who we’ve had for a little over three years, and our new addition, outside cat Edgar Allan Poe, who showed up a little less than a month ago.

We got Janie from Pet Smart in January of 2012 – she had only been at Pet Smart for a few hours when we adopted her. The local shelter had just sent her over, hoping someone would adopt her. Black cats are very ignored at shelters, and have very low adoption rates. Lucky for her, within hours of her getting there, a certain couple came by looking for a black female kitty. For some reason, that’s what my husband and I were looking for, and as soon as we saw her (only 7-8 weeks old) attacking another kitty in the cage with her, we knew we wanted her!

Edgar Allan, the newest addition to the Dill pet clan.

This stray black kitty came to the right house – we’ve built him cat tents outside, keep him in supply of food/water/treats, and let him climb us quite often. 🙂

Janie in "her" gaming chair. — Janie in “her” gaming chair.

I named Janie after my favorite female character in literature, Jane Eyre, and I always figured we’d add another inside cat or two and name them after book characters too. However, she has vehemently rejected any attempts to bring any other cat inside, so she’s the queen right now!

Edgar on my shoulders. He's convinced he's a parrot. — Edgar on my shoulders. He’s convinced he’s a parrot.

We knew we wanted another literary name for this guy, and my husband and I are both fans of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. And we thought it fitting to name a black cat after someone whose work is so eerie.

Janie with her little stuffed black cats - she was a little scared that they were kittens wanting love and attention. — Janie with her little stuffed black cats – she was a little scared that they were kittens wanting love and attention.

I HIGHLY encourage anyone thinking of getting a cat to go for the black babies…they’re overlooked for no reason except the color of their fur, but they’re beautiful and exotic and were actually revered by ancient Egyptians. I love my babies!

Off-Topic Tuesday: Disney Plans!

March 11, 2015 by Emily Dill Leave a Comment

Two Halloweens ago, I was Minnie Mouse. Like I say, the obsession runs deep.

If you’re familiar with me at all (and if you’re not, where the heck have you been, pal?), then you know that I’m completely obsessed with all things Disney: the princesses, the songs, the movies, the merch….ALL of it. That mouse is my dude.

Well, in a wonderful twist, it looks like this will be the year that I FINALLY go to Disney World. Nope, I’ve never been! Which shocks everyone that knows about my obsession, but sorry folks, taking off for a super-expensive vacation and spending hundreds on rides and souvenirs isn’t the easiest thing in the world. We’re also planning on visiting Universal Studios while we’re in Orlando. I’m almost as obsessed with Harry Potter as I am with Disney, so there’s NO WAY I can be that close to those Harry Potter rides and not visit Hogwarts, drink some butterbeer, get my geek on, etc.

Needless to say, I’m over the freaking moon, and I can’t stop thinking about it! Things got even more exciting yesterday when my husband directed me to an Internet article about all of the gluten-free dining options in Disney World. I did NOT see that coming – I was expecting to have to leave the park and find a Jimmy John’s or Chick-Fil-A or some other place where those of those of us whom wheat hates can actually dine. But apparently the House of Mouse is great about accomodating people with food allergies or intolerances. If you have any experience in dining gluten-free at Disney, I would LOVE to hear about it. Feel free to comment or shoot me an e-mail. Heck, if you’ve been to Disney World and have any advice at all I’m all ears. Mouse ears, that is. 😉

Off-Topic Tuesday: New Hair Is Fun!

March 4, 2015 by Emily Dill 2 Comments

Today’s very pointless Off-Topic Tuesday post: I finally broke down and got a new haircut/color, and it’s kind of fun! I’m one of those chicas who hates spending money on herself, and I always end up feeling really guilty when I buy myself something. Like, serious buyer guilt.

That’s one of the reasons I never go to hair salons: those appointments add up (NOT cheap), so I’ve always just done box color and kind of styled my own hair. But all that got me was about 7-8 years worth of box color damage, and some very split ends. Several inches had to come off to give me a fresh start, and I can’t wait to see how fast my hair will grow now. Gotta get it grown out to the length I want for Disney World this summer! 🙂

So as shallow as this Off-Topic Tuesday post is, I wanted to share that I finally broke down and spent the money to have my damaged hair cut off, my color extracted, and lots of miracle products put on my hair to help heal it…and if this cheapskate can spend the money to do something that will make me happy and feel better about myself, then you sure can! Whatever it is that you’ve been putting off doing for yourself, you have my permission to do it. This week. You’re worth it, my pretty!

Off-Topic Tuesday: Ten Reasons I Can’t Wait For Warm Weather!

February 24, 2015 by Emily Dill Leave a Comment

Hello, dears. So, since I used last week’s Off-Topic Tuesday to talk about the pretty snow and try to convince you to not complain about it too much, I’m using this week’s post to list ten things that I’m desperately looking forward to about warm weather. Thinking ahead to these things is helping me get through this long, icy winter!

1. Disney – If you know me at ALL, you know that I’m a Disney freak of the highest order. This is the year that my husband and I have decided to finally buckle down, spend the dough (UGH so expensive), and go to Disney World! I’ve actually never been there, and that’s just a humiliation I can no longer endure. Dill (my better half, or so he thinks) and I are also both 30 right now, and this year marks 5 years of marriage, so why not treat ourselves? We’re planning on a June trip, but it may get pushed back a little depending on our schedules. Either way though, I’m over the moon! Disney, people!! Disney!

2. Beach – Dill and I also go to the beach once a year. These aren’t extravagant trips, mind you…we don’t stay in beachfront condos or dine in 5-star restaurants every night. But we do have amazing trips and the thought of our summer trip South gets me through snow and ice every single year.

3. Outdoor exercise – This is a biggie for me. I’m not very into exercise DVDs or YouTube videos. I’ve tried, and just can’t get into it. I much prefer hiking (we have great hiking trails/parks in my area) and I’ve recently gotten into running. This weather has thrown a MAJOR damper on my cardio, and I can’t wait to get back to hiking with my mom and sister and starting my running routine again!

4. Ice cream and FroYo – If this doesn’t make your list or reasons to love warm weather, we probably can’t be friends. I mean, c’mon. Frozen yogurt.

5. Enjoying the Riverfront – My town (Owensboro, Kentucky) sits on the Ohio River. (Well, not exactly on it. It’s not Jesus. But you get my drift.) Our downtown has undergone a major renovation, and it’s now one of the most fun places to be in the city. I can’t wait to get back down there and eat ice cream (see above) and watch people on their boats and smell that fresh air!

6. Clothes – Now I’m not going to lie: there are some fantastic-looking winter clothes. Sure, there’s nothing cuter than leggings and boots with a cute dress and a scarf. But….methinks I’m over it. Until next winter, at least. Come on with the sandals, shorts, tank tops, and sunglasses. Yes, please!

7. No sickness/colds – This, to me, is one of the two worst things about winter (I’ll talk about the other worst thing next.) – I’m so sick of being sick, and I’m sick of people I know being sick, including our animals. I’m tired of colds, mucus, coughs, sore throats, drainage, flus, bronchitis, ear infections, etc. I hate this part of cold weather.

8. Better driving/traveling weather – And here’s my other least favorite thing about cold weather: the freaking ice on the roads! Yeah, being snowed-in can be cozy, under the right conditions. But the right conditions do not include sheets of ice on the roads and drivers putting their lives in danger just by going to work. No thanks, Winter – and come on, Summer!

9. Festivals – We have some pretty kick-butt festivals in this area. Owensboro holds the International BBQ Festival each year, which is always a lot of fun (even though it RAINS. EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.). We also have Bluegrass festivals, pumpkin festivals, apple festivals, and lots more.

10. Bad luck in winter – I have no idea if any of you guys deal with this. But every single winter my family deals with so much crap. Seriously, everyone gets sick, there’s car trouble, things break in the house, pets die, money issues come up, things get lost, health problems pop up, so on and so on and so on. It’s a long-running joke in our family that January and February beat the everloving snot out of us, but as long as we get through it alive, glorious Summer and Fall are waiting for us.

So those are just ten of the reasons I’m looking forward to the weather warming up. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the seasons, and Winter has appealing aspects too. But I’m over them. 🙂 Feel free to share your thoughts below!

Off-Topic Tuesday: Snowy Craziness

February 17, 2015 by Emily Dill Leave a Comment

In today’s edition of Off-Topic Tuesday, I want to talk to you about something that you probably had no clue about: it’s actually snowing/icy in certain places across the United States. Shocking, right? I’m sure you’ve seen NOTHING about this on the news, your Facebook, television, and certainly NO ONE is talking about it in grocery stores or while at work.

Okay, in case you can’t tell, I’ve noticed that people cannot stop talking about the weather. Specifically, chances of snow. And heck, here I am, talking about it! Will it ever end?

Heading out Saturday night before the snow to get supplies. Such a pioneer woman.

I feel like mentioning that my husband and I were supposed to make the two-hour trek south today to watch the Nashville Predators hockey team play at home. But since we’ve gotten 7-8″ in our town, and most of Tennessee is under ice storm/state of emergency, we decided to resell the tickets and our butts are staying home. With the rest of us.

Snow ice cream! Or snow cream. Although the former sounds less gross. — Snow ice cream! Or snow cream. But the former sounds less gross.

Although not being able to leave the house is hard on a go-go-go person like myself (even a few hours at home makes me restless), I’ve been making the best of it. Snow ice cream, hot chocolate, movies, reading, writing, spaghetti, pancakes…it hasn’t been so bad, friends!

So if you’re one of the people whining or complaining or groaning about the snow, just know this: I understand the frustration. I wanted to go to that hockey game (seats right behind the penalty box, people, C’MON). And yes, my beloved Gulf Shores annual vacation could NOT seem farther away right now. But think about the fact that you’re alive, and you have a better chance of staying that way if you don’t try to drive on a sheet of ice.

So try to find the beauty in this snowpocalypse – hot summer days full of back sweat and runny eyeliner will be here soon enough…and then, maybe, you’ll look back at your snowed-in days with a little fondness, right?

Or maybe not. But either way, there’s beauty in everything. Even insanely huge amounts of snow and cancelled Nashville trips. (SUCH GOOD SEATS.) If you’re also enduring these weather conditions, stay warm and safe! And if you’re not…well, don’t rub it in.

Off-Topic Tuesday: Fables (Comic) and The Wolf Among Us (Game)

February 10, 2015 by Emily Dill Leave a Comment

Welcome to my first Off-Topic Tuesday post, in which I attempt to write about anything BESIDES writing or reading, and have already slightly failed because a comic book is one of the topics of this post.

I love playing Xbox 360/Xbox One, but normally only shooter games: the Call of Duty franchise and the Left for Dead franchise are my favorites, but I’m also a big fan of Lara Croft/Tomb Raider games. However, Telltale Games’ The Wolf Among Us completely captivated me – I beat the game over the course of two nights. Normally that kind of speed is reserved for my reading. 🙂

There are two really cool things about this game for me: the characters are “modern” versions of popular fairytale characters…just very screwed-up versions of these characters. The other thing I really like is that this game is based on a popular and long-running comic book series by Bill Willingham, so if you beat the game and miss the characters, you can go read books from the series and get right back into the world. (AUGH, this wasn’t supposed to be about books, was it? Dang you, Emily.)

I’ll be doing a review of the first deluxe issue of Fables the Comic over on my book review blog, She’s Got the Book, so I’ll try to focus on the game in this post. Bigby is the sheriff of Fabletown, a little community of fairytale characters who now live in a NYC apartment building because they’ve been kicked out of their homeland. (This part of the story plays a much bigger role in the books than in the game.) Bigby was the Big Bad Wolf back in their fairy tale home, but he is reformed and trying to be human in this land.

Snow White helps run the community, and is assistant to the mayor. Also living in Fabletown are Jack (of the Beanstalk fame), Beauty and the Beast, the Ax Man from Red Riding Hood, Blackbeard, one of the three little Pigs, and many more. As a fairy tale fanatic, this game was completely up my alley. If you’ve played the Walking Dead series game, then you’ll notice that this one plays a lot like it – you’re given choices about how to respond and act, who to talk to, where to go, and so on. This means that two people can have different experiences playing the same game depending on their choices.

After finishing the game, I immediately ordered the first deluxe edition of the comics, which includes the first two books. I adored the book and will be ordering the second deluxe edition this week. As much as I enjoyed the game, I didn’t think the comics would hold up – don’t get me wrong, books are kind of my life, but I’ve never enjoyed comic books as much as novels, nonfiction, etc.

This comic series, however, is fantastic, and I can’t wait to start reviewing this series on my book review blog. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures of a beautiful and vivid game, and then play it for yourself. The ending is a little confusing/cliffhangery. (Of course that’s a word. And the Little Mermaid? Yeah, no big deal, she’s a stripper.) Never fear, though – this was just the first “episode” in the Wolf Among Us series. More games are to come, and I, for one, can’t wait. 🙂