Toasted Cheese Member Site of the Month
Meet Renee
TC: Describe yourself (or your site) in five single words.
Renee: I am anal-retentive, obsessive-compulsive, and silly.
TC: Tell us about your first website.
Renee: The first one was Sonny and Renee's Homepage, but it's not done yet. The second one was my blog, which is updated almost daily, but generally not on Saturdays.
TC: What's the last word or phrase you did a search on?
Renee: I searched for Party City…needed to get HP accessories for Halloween.
TC: Do you hand-code your pages or use a program?
Renee: I use templates, as in the templates that Comcast and Blogger provided.
TC: What's your favorite form of potato?
Renee: It varies, but right now I'd like a baked potato, loaded.
TC: Describe the perfect pizza.
Renee: Pepperoni and pineapple, not too much sauce.
TC: Name your poison.
Renee: I don't really have a particular one, but I like Amaretto sours.
TC: What's the last creative writing you've done?
Renee:. I'm working on a short story about a compulsive shopper. I think it's almost done because I'm sick to death of looking at it.
TC: What are three essential things in your writing space?
Renee: A clock, so I don't forget to pick up my son from school. A thesaurus because I need it badly. A comfortable chair for obvious reasons.
TC: Tell us about one of the first things you remember writing.
Renee: I wrote a story when I was seven or eight (I think) about a girl whose mother bought her this awful shirt that was itchy and ugly, but it turned out to be a magical shirt.
TC: Who was the first person to encourage your writing?
Renee: My mom…she liked to read my stories.
TC: Describe your current mood in one word.
Renee: Decent.
TC: What one thing is guaranteed you laugh?
Renee: Remember that "Dinner and a Movie" thing that one of the cable channels used to do? Maybe they still do, but I'm not sure. They had this song that went "Beans and Corn Bread"…it cracked me up, and I have no idea why because it's really dumb. But I like to sing it, and it makes me laugh.
TC: What was the greatest invention of the 20th century?
Renee: Spell checker. I'm a lousy speller, and it keeps me from looking like a moron (at least in the spelling department).
TC: What is your favorite word? What is your least favorite word?
Renee: Favorite word, hmmm, I'd say "scrumptious". It sounds like what it is, and I like that. Least favorite, hands down, is "nipple". Hate it…don't know why.
TC: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? What turns you off?
Renee: What turns me on creatively is pretty much anything…whatever makes the juices flow, even if they don't flow far. I think anything can be inspiring, even if only a little. Spiritually…honestly, that side of me has yet to be uncovered, but my mom said something recently that helped. We're both total control freaks and she has given that up recently because it wasn't working for her. She said she had screwed up directing her play (i.e., her life) so badly that all the actors and crew had quit, so she gave up control and put it in God's hands. She said let Him direct the play and ever since she quit trying to control every little detail, things have gone smoothly. I'm not there yet, but it's nice to know that she could do it. Emotionally…laughter. I love to laugh. Feels so good!
TC: What is your favorite curse word?
Renee: Fuck. Sorry about that! There are just so many ways you can use it, but oddly, I don't think I've ever used it in a story.
TC: What sound or noise do you love? What sound or noise do you hate?
Renee: I love the sound of a filtered fish tank. I hate the sound of a dental drill.
TC: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? What profession would you not like to do?
Renee: I'd love to be a judge…just so I could yell "Overruled! Counsel, you are way out of line! Chambers, now!!!" Either that, or I'd like to be a professional ice cream taster. I would not like to be a dermatologist.
TC: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Renee: I would like God to say I could look up close at the rest of the universe. It really pisses me off that everything is so far away, and while we can see it, we can't see tiny details. I want to see if there are lights on other planets, like Jodie Foster saw in Contact.
TC: Where do you call home? Are you there now, and if not, where are you?
Renee: Dallas is home. I lived there for twenty-five years. I'm not there now, I'm in Albuquerque. I want to go back.
Renee's site:
