Deadline Diaries

Five Romance writers tell all.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

The Animal in You and Me...


Posted by Christine

Years, ago, when I lived in East Hollywood, I had a dear friend named Vilma who lived just across the courtyard from me. Vilma had this dog. I loved this dog. She was a miniature Dachshund and her name was Violet. What a gal, that Violet. She had the most intelligent big brown eyes and when she was your friend, well, she’d stick by your side no matter what.

Vilma, Violet and I had many amazing adventures out there in Hollywood. I won’t go into them here as I eventually have another point to make with this blog—I hope—but I will just say that Violet was not only wonderful, she pretty much ran the world in which she lived, inspiring my sister, Boo, (who also lived in our courtyard apartment complex at that time) to remark, “When I die I want to come back as Vilma’s dog.”

I remember thinking back then that it wouldn’t be bad at all to be Violet, smart and gorgeous and delicate and aristocratic with those eyes to die for…

But no. In the end, my real animal affinity is…okay. The picture gives me away, right?

I’m a raccoon.

In my heart, deep down where I live in my fantasies and my own private nature, I’m a raccoon. Somehow, I am always drawn to collect raccoon figurines. I have pewter ones and china ones, pottery ones and ones carved out of wood and bone and stone.

Way back when I studied acting in college, long before I knew Vilma and Violet, it was the raccoon I chose to “be” during our Animal Image exercises.

I love that raccoons are smart and sweet and damned resilient. I love their bandit eye markings. I love how, when they want to get in your stuff, almost nothing can stop them. I love that my dad, the mighty hunter, who lives in the Sierras, can never bear to shoot one, no matter how often the clever little buggers get into his carefully bungee-secured garbage cans. I love how they never do anything that they don’t want to do.

So that’s the question for today. If you were an animal, which one would you be?

And today’s the day, folks. Christie’s latest, Must Love Mistletoe, is on the stands. Don’t forget to pick up your copy. And remember, post a comment any time this week and you’re eligible to win a great book from Christie’s backlist!

18 Comments:

At 7:39 AM, Blogger Christie Ridgway said...

Chris, we've recently spotted a raccoon checking out our aviary. This is probably not good news for the parakeets, but the critters are so darn cute!

While I'm a dog person, if I was to come back as an animal I'd probably be a cat. Lazy, likes to bask in the sun, likes alone-time. If the cat I came back as could have a stack of books and read, well, that would be perfect!

Thanks for the book plug, too!

 
At 8:22 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think my affinity as a kid, was always the penguin. I use to have braces on my legs and when my mom would have me do my leg exercises, she would tell me to walk like a penguin. I have tons of penguin figures and stuffed animals. (Definately plan on seeing Happy Feet) As an adult, realizing that the dad is the one responsible for sitting on the egg, while the Mom goes out hunting, makes me like the animal even more.

Christine, I have the kid's swim tonight and a meeting tomorrow, but hopefully, I will get to the bookstore by the weekend.

Cady

 
At 8:23 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oops, meant Christie, not Christine.

Cady

 
At 8:35 AM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Oh, Cady. I love penguins. I adored March of the Penguins. I'll see Happy Feet, too--though as a rule I don't watch animated films since the kids are grown...

Christie and Susan--oh, yeah. I have admit, a cat would be my second choice. I do think it's the whole basking feature. My cats will find that patch of sun no matter where it is in the house...

Susan, argh. Snowed in. Always less romantic than it sounds...

 
At 9:23 AM, Blogger Maureen Child said...

I've always loved Tigers. Not sure why, either. But they're just so beautiful and watching them walk is like magic. So guess I'd be a Tiger--but not in a zoo, thanks! LOL

Christie heading out tomorrow for the book!!

 
At 9:54 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would be a bunny! I love bunnies--we had a pet bunny for years--the first pet the dh and I had together. He was a trooper--he was litter trained, and jumped in and out of his cage when he needed to "go". He died of very old age--he was 11. He died the winter before my oldest son was born--too bad, he would have loved the little guy!

I have a cabinet full of rabbit figurines, and a desk full of rabbit beanie babies. Everytime I think about a "better" use for that cabinet, I open it up and look at the figurines--each one is a memory--I close the cabinet and move on...there isn't a "better" use for it.

Our weather is 60 degrees today--but will be the icky cold/ice/wind tomorrow...gotta love the midwest!

Best to all!

Kim

 
At 10:23 AM, Blogger Pat L. said...

I am not really an animal person. Although I do think kittens and puppies are adorable.

 
At 10:37 AM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Pat, kittens and puppies, oh yeah!

Kim. Oh, bunnies...I always wanted one when I was a kid. I even loved jackrabbits, which used to bounce around in the open fields by our house when I was growing up. Really, up close, a jackrabbit isn't that cute. They're wiry and fast and if one's bouncing at you...well, kinda scary. But a pet bunny...adorable.

I like hamsters too. Our older son had one. It escaped during cage cleaning into the wilds of the backyard and was not seen again. So he got another. He was careful to get males. But really, how are you ever sure you've got a male. Turned out he was mistaken with his second hamster. Woke up one morning to a cage full of little pink hairless hamster babies.

 
At 12:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok, bunny story--our bunny was a boy--he never met the bunny of his dreams...but you know what they say about rabbits?? Well, I have several stuffed animals and some house slippers that are no longer virginal--if you get my meaning!

Of course, dh and his buddies thought it was a parlor trick. They would trot the little guy out and give him stuffed things to choose from. It was all fun and games until one night dh fell asleep on the floor....then it wasn't quite as funny anymore...at least to dh....I thought it was hilarious.


I admit it--I have a somewhat strange sense of humor sometimes.

Kim

 
At 12:30 PM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Kim, OMG! I almost blew my iced tea all over my keyboard.

And well, that is what they say about bunnies, right????

 
At 12:34 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, I should have put a "DO NOT DRINK WHILE READING THIS ENTRY" disclaimer at the beginning of the bunny story!

:0

Kim

 
At 1:54 PM, Blogger Dana Diamond said...

That bunny revenge story was awesome. :)

As for the question of the day, I think I'd be a cat.

They do what they want and get away with it and sleep in the sun all day.

If that's not for me, I don't know what is.

:) d

 
At 2:29 PM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Dana, hey! Yes, to be a cat. Especially, as Susan said, a cat with an adoring human to feed and love you...

Kim, still ROFLOL!

Maureen, now I must admit. There *is* something about a tiger...

 
At 4:09 PM, Blogger Kate Carlisle said...

Obviously, I'd be a beaver. They are industrious, they're very strong swimmers and they mate for life.

I, on the other hand, am lazy and have a tendency to collect husbands. Other than that, I'd say I have a lot in common with the largest of the North American rodents. *g*

 
At 4:20 PM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

See, I knew that, Kate. ;)

 
At 5:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Christine ~ loved the pic. What a cute creature! I'm a dog girl myself!

Kate

 
At 7:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've thought and thought but can't come up with any other animal/s-- cats and little dogs do have their humans trained well so that's who I'd want to be.

We aren't snowed in but I won't be getting out this week till I start my Christmas shopping Sunday, maybe I can get enough giftcards to solve my shopping needs LOL and get myself a stack of books so I can forget what time of year it is!

 
At 7:26 AM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Kate--I found that picture on google and I love it, too. See, that's how my inner raccoon looks. *g*

Kathleen, a hummingbird. What a beautiful choice!

Barb, well, you can't go wrong with a loving dog or a gorgeous cat.

And we're getting an ice storm here. I swear the temp has dropped 20 degrees in the past hour. Low of 26 tonight, high tomorrow of 28. Brrrrr.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home