My name is Randa. I'm a fairly new IJ user; I've been here since the end of June. I'm a long-time (nearly four years) LJ user who was not personally impacted by the recent suspensions, but the suspensions did cause me to begin looking for a new online home after being dissatisfied with LJ's (lack of) customer service during the past couple of years. I've felt nothing but welcomed and comfortable here on IJ. I'm glad to be here and am looking forward to making many new friends here; hopefully this introductory entry will spark some people to friend me.
BasicsName: Randa
Age: 37
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Occupational Info: currently a clerk for a collection agency's legal department, former paralegal and receptionist for a legal aid firm, and retired radio personality
Statuses: daughter to two living parents, auntie to two adorable nieces, sister to one, friend to some very good folks, girlfriend to Nick (also known as Mr. Z), ex-wife to one, legally blind chick, rape and domestic abuse survivor, dreamer, die-hard Cheap Trick fan
Hobbies-- music My tastes run toward 70's classic rock, power pop, and oldies; I will try listening to anything once, however. Cheap Trick has been my favorite band for 30 years. Jellyfish, Eric Clapton (and his bands), Collective Soul, Ani DiFranco, and Alanis Morissette are other favorites. I'm a recent convert to country music. I try to play the guitar; I'm not very good at it. I enjoy singing and miss my singing lessons very much.
-- reading (primarily crime- and legal-based fiction, true crime novels, and biographies)
-- crocheting
-- online journaling
-- watching TV (
Lost and
The Shield are my favorite current shows.)
-- watching movies
-- writing (mostly poetry)
Things I Post About-- photos of my completed crocheting projects
-- icons I've made
-- ramblings about my day-to-day activities
-- unabashed, unapologetic squeeeeeeing over whatever or whoever is making me happy at that moment
-- unabashed, unapologetic, squishy, checkerwhored love for Cheap Trick (my favorite band of 30 years) and Robin Zander (Cheap Trick's lead singer)
-- venting about the things I'm pissed off or annoyed about at that moment
-- random and often dorky notions that quickly make their way from my brain to an entry
-- liberal use of expletives
-- angstier, more contemplative ramblings... particularly about my being legally blind and a rape and domestic abuse survivor and issues corresponding to those two parts of my identity
-- some memes and quizzes
-- (perhaps) my poetry, magnetic poetry, and my therapeutic/cathartic writing project that I call SRZPP or "the pasta porn"
Online journaling is one of my primary creative and social outlets; so interaction is very important to me. I read my friends page AT LEAST once a day. I comment often and appreciate receiving comments very much. My online friends are not "just online friends" to me; they are my friends, period. I maintain
shuffle_songs and enjoy discussing music in the asylum's comments.
I'm generally optimistic, but I do have my bad days just like anyone else. Those who know me well have described me as fun, funny, supportive, loyal, passionate, and A DORK!