Author Archives: rkpaulus

About rkpaulus

Writer. Mom. Wife. Basketball coach. Lover or all things chocolate. Winner of bubble gum jar! Grace is my oxygen.

Who is Your Neighbor?

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Supei Liu of Nomi Network

 

When I grew up in Canada, we knew our neighbors. The ones next door. The ones down the street. And definitely the ones across the street, especially the mother who screamed, “Ian!” every evening around 6:00PM, a.k.a. dinner time, because Ian loved to play outdoors, no matter the weather or the season.

As I grew up and we moved the States, I noticed more and more, that society turned inward. Kids played outside less. Folks paid landscapers to mow their lawns, so you rarely caught a glimpse of your neighbors unless they were pulling in or out of their driveway.

Fast forward a decade and Hubs and I somehow end up in New York. New York lives up to its title ” The city that never sleeps “, it is pretty much very busy and work is everywhere. People use https://www.conversantmedia.com/digital-marketing-industries/restaurants for marketing and improve their business and publicizing malls/restaurants. The very mention of New York suggests high rises, pricey goods, and crowded subways. Oh, and fear. Don’t trust anyone, especially your neighbors. Then, by a fun turn of events, we moved into the town of Oyster Bay, first to Glen Cove and then, Locust Valley, where we currently live.

I never imagined being on a street where you not only know your neighbors, they become like family to you. And they have… Continue reading →

Crush Me… Part 3

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Where were we? Ah, yes… the bubblegum episode. If you missed Parts One or Two of this Novel in Progress, Bit by Bit, Soap Story thingy I’m trying, hop on back and catch up. Then Hop forward and read today’s episode. 🙂

**

The next morning, mom tells me she’s working from home. As a project manager for Wells Fargo, she likes to boss her employees around, but she also loves them enough to do it via emails once or twice a week. When she camps out in her makeshift office, really a corner in my parents’ bedroom with the least amount of clutter. But since she’s home, skipping is out of the question. Unless I pretend to go to school and go elsewhere, but that never works since the first place the school calls is always the house.

Nothing like New York city in the fall. I try to focus on the changing leaves on my walk along Central Park and decide to detour by Belvedere’s castle in order to arrive at school ten minutes late. Just need the hallways to be empty so I can enter under the radar. And then I’ll jet a few minutes early to make my Potter with-the-cape exit.

Buzzed into the front door, Mr. Jones, the school Dean of Discipline, aptly nicknamed Dean Dread or Dean Dead depending on who you ask, greets me. He is not smiling. “You’re late. And Ms. Meena. If your locker’s not cleaned up by the time the first lunch bell sounds, detentions for an entire week.” Continue reading →

Meet Ms. New York United States 2012

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Jeannette Josue (Ms. New York United States) with Erik Mckay

Although I love to make up stories and do the novel/fiction thing, I’m also an off the charts extrovert who loves to write about the lives of cool peeps I meet! 

Today, I want to share an up close and personal with the lovely Jeannette Josue, the current Ms. New York United States. She’s modeled Nomi Network‘s products and helped present the awards last night at their annual Rockefeller Center Reception with the help of actor Erik McKay. Yes, we’re talking the real deal winner of a major beauty pageant! She’s so cool and fun and has been a blast to get to know. Dive into the interview below and plan to discover the deep and fun world of a woman who is beautiful, inside and out!  Continue reading →

What’s Your Dream?

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Sarah: “You know Mom, everyone has their own dream! I don’t have to be writer.”

Me: “Okay. What’s your dream?”

Sarah: “I want to be a candy shop.”

Me: “You mean a candy shop owner?”

Sarah: “Yeah. A candy shop owner.”

***
I don’t think I ever told my five-year old that she HAD to be a writer. I might have told her she has a fun imagination, an ingredient that makes great writers. And passion. My five-year old is all kinds of passion. Especially about candy!  Continue reading →

Crush Me… Part 2

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In case you missed the start of this story… Then come on back for Part 2! 🙂

***

The school day ends like any other day. I drifted through the high school hallways like an invisible princess, wearing an invisible crown, in search for my visible prince. My life is the kind of fairy tale girls envy. The girls who wish they were invisible, that is.

“Jay! We’re late for practice! Let’s jet before coach makes us do crawling push-ups across the field again!” Ben says loudly from near my locker.

Ben says everything loudly. But blond Ben is not who I’m listening for. Who I’m fixed on. Jason, Jay, my visible/invisible prince with dark waves that match his dark brown eyes, borrowed my pencil this morning. Visible because I can see him. Invisible because he can’t see me. He still has my pencil.

Just as I reach my locker, Ben and Jay slam their lockers closed and walk past me. No “Hey, what’s up?” No, “Thanks for the pencil.” Because no one can see the invisible girl.

My pencil! He stuck it to my locker, just above my combination lock. With the help of chewed up bubblegum. I glance left and right to make sure I don’t have an audience, pull off the pencil with the gum still stuck to it and pop the small pink wad into my mouth. Continue reading →

Chi-Town Girl Risks Livin’ in KnicksVille

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Basketball Battles are on the upswing now that more and more games are being nationally televised. While some run red lights to catch the opening minutes of Downtown Abby, those of us without the DVR feature on their cable box, that is, the Paulus crew rushes home to take the stands. Court-side couch seats never felt so cozy.

Best part, none of our Knicks fan neighbors can throw tomatoes or dirty looks at us when the Bulls hit a buzzer beater three and we’re doing a Benny the Bull jiggy on our living room dance floor.

Creeeeek! [That’s the sound of brakes on my fingertaps.] It’s 9:09! There’s something I’m forgetting. FLU Shot appointment at 9:00 AM. That was nine minutes ago! Siri!! Why you gotta play me like that? Ring! Beep! Something!

Tell me, “Stop typing, Hot Mama, because it will take you exactly three minutes and twenty-two seconds to drive to your doctor’s office. Then leave an extra forty-seven seconds to park and walk in the door and sign in. Yes. You will be late.”

That’s it Siri. I’m getting a watch!

For the record, Siri and I made up. The deed is done. Strange thing is, my other arm hurts. Go figure. Continue reading →

Manic Monday Flu Shot

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When it comes down to it, a lasting relationship requires one main ingredient: communication. That’s why I almost broke up today. With Siri.

You see, it all started out like every great romance, hours on the phone. 😉 Holding each other’s hands. Well, I held her in my hand. And constant eye contact. Except when I was driving, of course.

And we talked about everything.

“Good morning Siri, what’s for breakfast?”

“I have located several options within 0.1 miles, but the fridge, I must say, looks a little scary. I wouldn’t go in there, if I were you, Hot Mama.”

“What should I wear today, Siri? Is it a sweatshirt kinda day?”

“Whatever makes you feel pretty, and makes you write faster, Hot Mama.”

“What are you in the mood to listen to while I write, Siri? Which playlist should I start with?”

“I’m thinking the ‘songs that make you cry’ list since that scene you’re refining is so sad, Hot Mama.”

What’s that sound I hear? “Siri, are you crying?”

“It’s nothing, Hot Mama. Something in my camera eye. I’ll be fine.” Sniffle.

And then the request I will ask her till the day she dies. “Say, ‘Raj.'”

“Checking my sources. Okay, Hot Mama, here you go.” Followed by a long list of definitions for the word “Rise.” Sigh. Should have known things would go sour after this reminder that she still can’t pronounce my name. Heck, she hasn’t even figured out that Raj is my name. Whatcha gonna do? Continue reading →

Crush Me

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[Welcome back to FICTION FRIDAY all you lovely Readers! A little story inspired at the bus stop this morning. Enjoy! 🙂 ]

Open my locker Friday morning to buy time. Everything I need for the day is already in my backpack. Fiddle with the pencils in the small, hot pink container magnetically stuck to the inside door. Just need to look like I’m trying to choose one. Run my fingertips along the top of my remaining text books on the floor of the metal niche. Just need to look like I’m looking for something. 

Just about the time my index finger catches a corner of Beginner’s French, I hear your voice. “Ouch.” Thanks. Now I have a stinging slit to remind me all day that you distract me. Because you do. Distract me. Continue reading →

The Root of the Matter

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Remember that song by Don Henley, “The Heart of the Matter?” 

Love that song. He was onto something. “Forgiveness. Even if… you don’t love me anymore.” 

This blog is not about that. But, I thought of ol’ Don the other day when we stopped in to grab a little bite at a diner in Farmingdale near Runner’s Edge. Hubby was buying some new sneakers. I actually went for a two-mile run while he shopped and the girls played hide and seek among the racks. I definitely got the better end of the deal, especially since the streets were flat! Yes! No hills or mini-mountains like my runs in Locust Valley when I resort to leaning forward in an attempt to reach the peak of every other street. And lean back so I don’t eat it on the down hills. 

Where was I? Oh yes. The diner. There was an old JukeBox in there. Got me all excited when I saw the titles in there. Whitney! Henley! Michaels! and of course Gloria Estefan! And only $1.00 for two songs.  Continue reading →

Beware the Question, “Any Questions?”

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I’m starting to think meaningful story times with the girls is one of Hubby’s new year’s resolutions. He’s been reading more to them. Which to me reminds me of my teaching days when I had the kids make reading circles and discuss a chapter from a novel. Fun to the fun for this writer/reader lover. I just don’t know that Hubs planned for the interesting insights and discussions that have risen from our first two couch times. But then again, when you have a room full of tweeny-bopper girls and you throw in a precocious five-year old, you have to sort of expect the unexpected.I invite you to be a fly on the wall of our living room Christmas morning [Think good-looking, non-bugging type of fly…and read on.] 🙂

Hubs: “So we’re going to read a little of the Christmas story before we open presents.”

Three older girls: “Okay Daddy.”

Sarah *the five-year old: “But, but, but… okay.”

Hubs reads the first few lines of Mary’s story from the book of Luke, when an angel comes to her and tells her she’s having a baby. And Joseph takes her to Bethlehem and there was no room in the Inn. Most of you have heard this classic take of the birth of Jesus, so I won’t rehash all the details.

Then Hubs says, “Do any of you have any questions?”

Third Princess: “I just have one: What does the word, ‘union’ mean Daddy, because you read a part that said, ‘Joseph did not have union with Mary,’ or something like that.”

Hubs and I exchange glances. Neither of us expected Christmas morn to turn into a birds and bees conversation. Whatcha gonna do? Continue reading →