Handled Stik

After reading a list of handles by a now departed member of the site, I was inspired Unfortunately, I can't remember all my handles. So, here's what I do remember (in no particular order). If you have others, please e-mail me, and I will add them

Let's start with the current one, Elisa, Stiky on the Shore. I love "Molly on the Shore" by Percy Grainger. It's probably my all time favorite song

Elisa-Stik in Avon Park was used in commemoration of my first solo trip to Avon Park back in January 2004. That was a trip that really ended up making a difference in my life, especially my writing.

Then there's Elisa-Stik %u2665s Holst. I had just gotten my British Wind Band Classics CD, and I was stuck on Holst's Suites (especially the 2nd).

This one was how I first found my port in search engine listings-Elisa loves Port Mayaca. Yes, there was a time when I didn't use the word Stik in my handle. Shocking, I know Anyway, I used that after a trip to Port Mayaca that helped keep me sane for a concert. Port Mayaca has also inspired several writings, both publically listed and those in my private WIP collection. Maybe one day I'll post some of those writings.

I'm not sure exactly how to explain Elisa-Stik overwhelmed. I mean, it looks pretty self explanitory, but it really isn't. A lot of gets into personal details, which can be looked up in the journal In any case, I was a bit of a victim to my emotions at the time. I let them get to me, and I just couldn't handle things for a while. Thank goodness I don't feel that way now!

Of course, where does the Elisa part come from? My pen name Elisa Dvorak. Elisa was the Spanish name bestowed upon me when I was in eighth grade, and Dvorak is the name of this hot hockey player who was playing for the Florida Panthers when I first discovered him. Hey, I'm not that much of a music dork!! Quiet, all of you!!!!!!

One of my vague handles is Elisa-Stik on the Verge. I was contemplating telling Gordon how I felt, something I knew was extremely dangerous (not to mention stupid). Thus, I was on the verge of something life changing. I decided to back away from the edge, though, to maintain my semblance of sanity.

Then there's Elisa-Crazy Stik. Why? I'm not exactly normal. When I can fill message forums with tons of strange band stories and have some weird friends *coughGordoncough*, I can't under any circumstances qualify for normal.

My current costumicon, the bunny, is for Elisa, (Poor) Bunny Stik. I like bunnies, Easter is on its way, and for a while, I was money and GP poor to the hilt.

Going onto another costumicon is Elisa-Snowman Stik. I snowmen. They are awfully awfully cute! However, my mom and I squabble over this because she insists that cows rule. Um, no

I had Elisa, Frightened Stik for because I recently put an essay in my Life on the Dark Side folder that I knew would get me in trouble (if you want to read it, then look for something entitled Evil: Problematic?). While I haven't landed in hot water yet, I'm bound to soon enough.

Sometimes, stuff happens here that makes me upset. After reading a rather snobby reply to a recent post of mine in the Preferreds' forum, I was prompted to use Elisa the Miffed Stik because that was the first time I truly felt unwelcome on this site. So far, it's the only time I ever felt that way here. Let's hope there's no other incidents to add to that list.

Of course you're probably wondering What is up with Elisa, Non-dancing Stik? There were some preferreds with dancing related terminology in my handles, and I admit I felt left out of something Let me put it this way. It wouldn't be the first time. Anyhoo, so to advertise the fact that I'm none too fond of dancing (thanks to a surreal experience on a high school band trip), I used that handle to show that I wasn't about to dance for anyone. Gotta love voyeurism!

Sometimes I have to drop the 'Elisa' from my handle. Stik keeping quiet on 9/11 is one of those times. Now why did I put 'keeping quiet' as opposed to 'remembers'? I feel that everytime we say we remember we're not allowing ourselves to carry on. While a tragic event, we can't make a big anniversary of it. It is a quiet vigil that will eventually bring us peace, not a vigil that is advertised to any degree.

One I can't believe I forgot is Elisa, Brillo Stik. Why that name? I felt like I was as abrasive (personality-wise) as a Brillo pad. I also am a bit asserive, harsh, and unrelenting in both offering my opinion and defending my opinion. My agressiveness perpetuates the notion of being very abrasive towards people. Well, I can be, and if the need arises, I have no inhibitions about letting you know in the coldest way possible.

Elisa, _________ Stikalet was invented by Texas Belle during an Easter night chat on scroll. I don't remember exactly what I had said, but she addressed me as Stikalet at some point. After howling for a couple minutes, I decided to use it

On April 26, 2003, a young girl named Lauren Katzenstein lost her life due to a drunk driver while riding in te MS 150 Breakaway to Key Largo Bike Trek. Along with my poem "Elegy in the Pavement", I quietly commemorate this somber anniversary with my handle Elisa, Stik remembers.

I may as well explain my username since I'm here. What could that possibly be? soledad_moon. I bet you're wondering how on Earth I came up with that. Well, at the time I first joined Writing/Stories.com (thanks to someone posting work at fanfiction.net), I was still in my Spanish classes for IB. Having developed a liking of the language, I had selected a favorite word: soledad, which is 'lonliness' in Spanish. As for the moon part...I don't really know! All I know is at the time, I thought the pairing of the words 'soledad' and 'moon' were extremely beautiful and had been using it as my user name on other sites. Needless to say, for those other sites, I kinda forgot my passwords.

Elisa, Band Happy Stik reflects all the joy, chaos, and amazement of going to State Concert Festival. The music was lively, I fell in love with new songs, and an issue was faced...sort of. Music is my second joy (next to writing), and no matter what, band will always have a special place in my heart

Hinging on becoming somewhat poetic is Elisa- a(/SLAM) Stik divided. Why poetic? It's a bit iambic in rhythm and very dramatic, in my opinion. This handle stems from my conflict of pursuing Igor. In my mind, I know it's not right, but my heart (among other things) is pushin' me to go for it. In the end, I compromised by still caring about him but seeking only to resolve our conflicts.

The latest to come about is Elisa-Stik Toasts Life. I had begun to feel low in my life amd for some odd reason sought out Jon's Live Journal. I found it, and while it made me queasy, it helped me in getting past him (see No Inhibitions for the details). After that, I felt...better, an I have slowly begun to see life in a less depressing light.

Lately, my beloved stick family costumicon has been replaced by...a slice of pizza? Yes, Elisa, Pizza Stik has arrived, but my objective is (believe it or not) to escape uneaten. Actually, the pizza is a means of teasing someone since he's not allowed to have pizza (his favorite food!).

Did I tell you about Elisa-Stik 2K? I didn't? Well, it's pretty simple. I was celebrating 2,000 por views. I remember when I very first arrived. I immediately put some poems there, and I logged on one night to find 50 port views, which took me by surprise! Well, two and a half years later, I've passed the 2000 mark. As I'm writing, I realize I'm coming up on 3000. Wow....

And, oh my! We have another feline roaming the site? For now Elisa, Feline Stik lurks as a bit of a tribute to mi amor, a cat person in waiting Well, that's not quite the reason, but it's your clue as to the identity of mi amor.

After getting insulted by a customer, I began to doubt my goals, dreams and self. At the same time, there were those that were bound to keep my determination strong. Being stuck at the halfway point of those emotional extremities lead me to being Elisa, Ambivalent Stik.

Being a Florida resident during Hurricane Season 2004, I was affected by the mass of hurricanes that hit the state. Two directly hit my hometown area, and my home was affected by both of them. I left for Frances, hance Stik running from Frances. However, I stuck around for Jeanne, which lead to Elisa, Hurricane Stik. Hurricane Stik, interestingly, has become my Halloween costume idea for this year.

One you'll see frequently but with various costumicons is Elisa, Party Stik. Why? I love to plan and throw parties, the bigger the better. The two times this handle will definitely be seen are New Year's and whenever the Fish Party is being held. It will also pop up for other big parties at any given time.

I'm not sure how I forgot this one, but in September 2004, I was Elisa-Stik 3K because I got to the 3,000 mark for port views. Not bad work for being here less than three years. I can assure you, though, that getting to the 4,000 mark will be rough going. I'm around 3330 at the moment.

After a rather nasty incident at work, I took on the name Elisa, Gimpy Stik with the thumbs costumicon. I had smashed my thumb at work, and the costumicon reflected some of that irony.

In January 2005, Peggy, the oldest of my three cats, was put to sleep. Thus, I donned the habdles Stik mourns her Pegasus and Elisa the Lost Stik as I tried to cope with the loss of a being that had been with me nearly my whole life.

Now this Stik absolutely loathes 2/14. I hate sap and commercialism involved with it, so I rebel in any way I can. In 2005, despite having mi amor in my life, I had the handle Elisa-Stik of Clubs with the club costumicon. It actually was inspired by a drawing I did of a stick figure in a dance club that I thought was hilarious. You can check out the clean version of this drawing at http://www.cafepress.com/stikshop4 .

This past Easter brought both an unusual wave of spring weather and 4000 port views for me. Thus, in honor of the holiday and the milestone, I was Elisa, Bunny Stik 4K.

My latest handle, Elisa, The Stik Ascending, was influenced by two things. The first is the title of a wonderful Ralph Vaughan Williams piece, "The Lark Ascending". The second was one of my more recent poems, "Ascension"  [13+], which seems to be pretty well liked so far. The poem is about a dream I had that was very surreal but at the same time a tad comforting.

In honor of my 21st birthday in May 2005, I had a countdown to my birthday that was either Elisa-Stik Approaching 21 or Elisa/Stik-__ to 21, with however many days till my birthday put in the blank space. As a present from my parents for my birthday, I went to Las Vegas, and my handle for that was 21 Stik in Vegas 5/30-6/2. Quite a mouthful, huh?

Unfortunately, not long after I came home from Vegas, one of my cats (Tommie) had a stroke. We put him to sleep two days after we came home, and for that, my handle was Elisa-Stik mourns.

But not long after his death, we got two new kittens! In honor of "George and Sam"  [E], I was Elisa, Kitten Stik.

The Fourth of July is a celebration of American independence from the British, but this year, I also realized how different I am from much of society. Sometimes, it's rough to be so different, but I celebrated my happiness with my state of being with Elisa, Independent Stik.

In a similar vein, Elisa, Renaissance Stik reflected the many things I can or pine to do. Sometimes, my multiple interests leave me baffled as to my lot in life, but after some serious reconsiderations of everything I know, I've finally made my decision.

Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans on the day I moved to Miami, a move which had been postponed because of Katrina for two days. As a result, the hurricane really stuck as a symbol of mortality. My handle reflected how stunning this had been, because I couldn't shake the images from my mind. Thus, Elisa/Stik-SurvivorsOnMyMind was my handle, accompanied by the hawk costumicon. Though I had the costumicon to match mi amor's case, it has the optimistic symbolism of fierce vitality, something you must possess if you live in a hurricane zone and must face the prospect of everything you knew to be gone.

A few days before 9/11/2005, I, by some miracle, hit 5000 port views. I was surprised it happened so quickly; I could've sworn I was just commemorating my 4000 port view milestone. As a result, I was Elisa, Stik 5K.

It all got started with a test the mods did to determine their occupations in the medieval era. Well, mi amor sent me a link because he was curious of my results. As it turns out, to my knowledge, I'm the only person on the site to be a Black Knight. Hence, I was Elisa,Black Knight Stik. As for that test? You can take it at http://www.cmi-lmi.com/kingdom.html . It's a quick test but very interesting.

After the events of hurricane Katrina, being immersed in the university environment and being increasingly irked by some of the naive optimism online, I declared myself Elisa, Realist Stik. I am relieved to find, though, that there are enough college students like me who take a more realistic (if perhaps cynical) outlook. Maybe we should form a group. Hmmm...now there's an idea!

On the somewhat more optimistic side, I had Elisa, Stik thanx Tig&Leger for the mentor merit badge they gave me. These ladies, along with Nikola~Thankful Library Lady and Jay's debut novel is out now! , all gave me merit badges to boost what had been kind of a rough week for me. I greatly appreciate the gifts, ladies!

For Halloween the past couple years, I've been Elisa: Stik-or-Treat!. I admit that was a little too easy, but when I came up with it towards the end of October 2004, it was not common to see the phrase 'trick-or-treat' incorporated in a handle. It worked out great that year, so I've been using it for Halloween ever since. However, in October 2005, I had to change my handle for a bit....

So I could be Elisa, Stunned Stik. I was quite stunned to see my case turn blue in the middle of the night, especially after a not-so-lovely day. At first, I thought it was some sort of prank, but it wasn't. I was shaking like I has Parkinson's disease when I saw the abrupt change from yellow to blue. To say I was surprised is a gigantic understatement, but I was elated, nonetheless.

In November, I debuted on the NaNo scene, so I was Elisa, NaNo Stik. I'd then posted my word count at the end of my handle. All went well until I started working and attending school at the same time. This lead to a huge backslide, and I became Elisa NaNo Stik-40K for Nov. in the end.

2006 started off with me in debt and facing a lot of potential stresses. I was in debt, wondering how I was going to get to Minnesota, facing a new roommate and a major class load. Hence, I was Elisa/Stik-Shaky 2006. I just hope I can get through this.

Though January 2006 has proven to be a rather unstable month, there have been moments (at least onsite) where justice has prevailed. To honor those who ensured this, I bore the name Elisa, Justice Stik.

After crap day (Valentine's Day for the rest of the world), I happened to experience another site milestone. It took a bit, but I was shocked to log on and find I had 6000 portfolio views. I never thought I'd ever get that many. So for a while, I celebrated that achievement with Elisa-Stik 6K. Let's see if it gets any higher....

Contrary to the appearance of Elisa, a musing Stik, I wasn't trying to show off my sense of humor that I apparently possess. Folks, my supposed sense of humor is news to me. I chose this handle to show my constant deep thoughts and contemplations of my current living state. College (and education in general) does that to the Stik.

After a while, even the most beloved automobiles have to die. Moby has since been laid to rest, but another silver car has taken his place. That's right! As of May 17, 2006, I am the owner of a five year old silver Kia Sephia named Dante. Why Dante? I like the name, and I wrote a paper on Dante Gabriel Rossetti (named after Dante Alghieri). As a nod to this landmark event (hey, having a running car is a huge deal for me), I donned the handle Elisa-Stik on Wheels!.

In honor of my attempt at SLAMming (of which I bombed a bit), I donned the handle Elisa-SLAMming (or SLAMmed) Stik, depending on my "success" with the contest. Will I participate in future rounds? It really depends on my schedule. Will I make it to SLAM finals? Brad Pitt will win an Oscar before that ever happens.

And of course, even Stiks get to leave Florida every once in a while, hence Elisa-Vacation Stik. Now while I was in Minnesota at the time, I still logged on and journalled since I was in mood indigo 's journalling contest. I hope she holds the contest for many rounds to come, because it was fun even while on vacation. Now I just need to convince mi amor to jump in on the fun. Hehhehhehheh....

Have you ever seen those commercials for the Honda Element with the handdrawn crab? Well, mi amor and I saw them, and the "I pinch." line became one of our favorites. At one point, we both donned crab costumicons, but we had different handles. While his was Kraken Pinches, mine was Elisa-Stik with zing. It didn't make all that much sense, but to have Stik pinches would have been a little too creepy for site members to handle.

I didn't think it was even possible, but after four and a half years of portfolio plugging, it happened. I hit the 7000 port view milestone! And of course, as tradition goes, I was Elisa-Stik 7K. What else would I be?

My next handle actually has something of a story behind it. . I was chatting with Robert Waltz about people and their moronic tendencies, and he mentioned how he didn't care if whiners and complainers decided to face off as microcosmic human versions of Israel and Lebanon. He then said he'd be New Zealand. I opted to be Japan because I figured I could handle the microcosmic version of North Korea, nuclear missiles and all. The conversation (and my demeaning comments about Kim Jong IL) inspired the handle Elisa, Nuclear Stik.

To celebrate the new batch of costumicons unveiled by The StoryMistress , I created the handle Elisa, Stik in her element to accompany my gavel costumicon. I acknowledge that people have a tendency to judge. For me, learning how to judge well is an art (be it an online contest or determining the severity of a given situation). I consider it one of my stronger traits, and one of my favorite underused expressions is "I throw it down like a gavel.", indicating how I like to have the last word in any situation.

Tropical Storm Ernesto was mostly an annoyance, bringing rain, an unexpected trip back to Stupid and two days of cancelled classes. Needless to say, I was quite ticked off because of all these distractions. Hence, the handle Elisa, Stormy Stik.

In one of my more ironic handles, I call myself, Elisa-Not Stikin to 1 thing. I originally used the handle to show off my vertical striped costumicon, but it soon became useful for my feelings about the fifth anniversary of September 11. I was not going to be stuck on rehashing my fears in a time when fear is what will be the downfall of the United States. So how is this ironic? I, er, stuck with this handle for nearly the entire month of September!

In a silly mood, I chose the handle Elisa, Feeling Stiky. However, it became a fitting handle for the month of November, as I stalled in NaNo, got into numerous sticky situations at work and had a heap of schoolwork to accomplish. I think I'll lapse into a coma during the week before Christmas.

Ever wanted a particular time in your life to end? 2006 was that way for me. If you read my journal toward the end of said year, you'd see why I decided to use the handle Elisa/Stik-Is 2006 over yet? before getting ready to party. Let's hope 2007 doesn't suck quite so much.

2007 is going to be a big year for me, between graduating one level of college, proceeding to another and moving. It may sound cheesy, but the future is now. Therefore, I decided that Elisa, Future-Seeking Stik would be the most appropriate handle for the beginning of 2007.

I held onto the aforementioned handle for about half the month of January before a port view milestone prompted me to change it. That's right, folks. Elisa-Stik 8K! has happened! It looks like I just might hit 10,000 port views after all. Not bad for being a member for five years. Then again, people find me through the strangest avenues.

In celebration of a whole whopping five years on the site, I donned Elisa, Five Year Old Stik for about a week. Things have certainly changed on the site during that time, and I'm left numbly wondering what more can/will happen.

I felt like using the saxophone costumicon, and I didn't think I could get away with Saxy Stik. So, I opted for Elisa, a Stik in Tune. Oddly enough, saxophones are one of the more difficult instruments to tune, especially the tenor sax. Ironically, when I played tenor sax, I had an easier time tuning it (as opposed to the alto sax, which I had played for a longer time and is a smaller instrument).

To sum up my spring semester as a college senior, I went with Elisa, Busy Stik. I think that one explains itself.

However, in the midst of the semester, mi amor and I lost an old pal named Boris. Boris was one of the cats owned by a neighbor of mi amor's, a cat I had the pleasure of meeting. This cat was funny without intending to be funny. For example, he became quite fond of my purse. In honor of such a funny cat, I donned the name Elisa, Stik misses Boris.

While I don't officially graduate from college until the summer term is over, I still had the chance to participate in the spring commencement ceremony. So to commemorate this milestone, I donned the handle Elisa, Stik of 2007. Of course I paired the celebratory handle with an equally celebratory grad cap costumicon.

To commemorate the milestone of reaching 9000 port views, I donned the handle Elisa, Stik 9K! I'm amazed that so many people have been poking around my port. I will be amazed whenever I reach the 10K milestone.

One of the things about my job at Home Depot is that I need to be licensed to operate heavy machinery. Otherwise, it's very difficult to get my job done. To celebrate getting my order picker license (and thus providing me with another way to refute discrimination I encounter from female customers), I was Elisa, Machinery Stik. This was a big deal to me, and hey. The order picker is kind of fun to operate!

Color me a cynic, but I have a difficult time believing anyone on the site anymore. If I ever get cancer, I'll be sure not to let the site know because hey, I don't believe such announcements, either. This is why I donned the handle Stik Believes in Nothing. It was in response to all those attention seekers who put "believes in ______" in their handles. What are they? Stupid or something? How can you be that trusting, naive and gullible without meeting that person in physical proximity. I drew my line in wet concrete on this issue. I don't expect you to believe me because odds are I won't believe you. Why? Because you cry wolf to get a truckload of virtual tokens. No, thank you. I'll earn them, even if my Community Recognition becomes the lowest in town

Bridge collapses are always surprises. The collapse of the 35W bridge in Minneapolis really struck close to home. Aside from the fact that I love the city, I had driven over that bridge multiple times, and that highway served as a point to gain my bearings if I ever got lost while driving. So, in honor of the bridge collapse and to support my future home, I donned the handle Stik %u2665s Minneapolis. In spite of the collapse, I sincerely believe that the bridge and the city will reemerge as more invigorated and ready to rock the world in a good way.

Do not cross me. Do not make me angry. Do not mess with me. Otherwise, I turn into Elisa, Lion Stik. I am a very difficult, fierce and frightening person when provoked, and unfortunately, people on the site have been provoking me. Even in hiding, I'm still quite the figureative fireball. So consider yourself warned.

After nearly six years on the site, I had a Thanksgiving themed handle. Given how much of a dorky idiot I can be, I figured Elisa, Turkey Stik to be very fitting. Of course, like a turkey, I forgot to use the turkey sig I ordered. Dur! I did, however, remember the costumicon.

Who would have thought my portfolio would actually get ten thousand views? I didn't, but it happened! To celebrate this unbelievable feat, I sported the handle Elisa, Stik 10K! for quite a while.

I donned the handle Stiks on a Plane not as a nod to the infamous Samuel L. Jackson movie. Instead, it was a subtle way of informing people that I was out of town for my grandmother's funeral. I wanted to make it clear that I wasn't available, and I was tired of putting up with immature site shenanigans. I need my space when grieving, and this handle worked well for that.

A long while ago, I used Elisa, Stik of all I survey as a title for a journal entry. After the funeral, I decided it would make a great handle. Plus it gave me a reason to use my beloved sti(c)k figure costumicon, which I think I've only used twice since becoming a mod. Go figure. I think it's one of my more clever handles. Now I just need to find an excuse to use Stiky-Wan Kenobi....

Not long after Writing.com made Writer's Digest list of 101 Best Writing website in 2008, I decided to pull out all the stops with a poll, "Status Versus Merit"  [E]. In light of the poll's creation, I broke out the handle Standing my (Stik) ground? with the question mark costumicon. I was uncertain about doing this, thinking it might not be prudent for a moderator to seemingly call the site's integrity into question. THen I realized that all I'm doing is gauging the community barometer, and someone has to do it. Might as well be someone who busts out the mad research skills.

In an irresistible nod to Iron Man (a movie I have yet to see), I sported the handle I am Iron Stik. I actually got the idea from the Black Sabbath song of the same name, though. Why? I played a marching band arrangement of the song in high school!

In light of turning 24, I sported Stik is gettin old! Along with that, I had some balloons on my costumicon. To me, though, the balloons looked like aliens.

Why Stik-Doña Quixote? I feel like my chances are that good when it comes to getting the site focused on reading and writing again. Even with support, so much of the focus of the site has shifted to raffles, auctions and other non-writing activities, leaving me feeling defeated. Trying to reverse this trend is slightly more impossible than Don Quixote's adventures. I think his odds were better than mine, actually.

After getting my own kitty, "Orange Julius"  [E], I announced my new bucket of purrs in my handle. What handle was that? Stik with a kitty. He's a good kitty (and perhaps a tad spoiled).

Everyone who knows me knows I got nuts when it's time for the Olympics. I eat, sleep and breathe Olympics when they roll around (and sometimes in between games). Though Michael Phelps annoyed me to no end, and NBC's coverage drove me batty at times, I proudly carried the handle Elisa, Olympics Stik, complete with hurdler costumicon.

When the circus Republican National Convention came to town, you know I was going to be besieged by it. I decided to feed the monster by going to town to observe the Labor Day protests. I journalled about it, but let's just say I was one of those who managed to get out of town without injury and/or an arrest. In that vein, I donned two handles: Stik*s surviving the conv and Stik survived the RNC! Politics: It's a contact sport.

In a surprise twist, I made it to 11,000 port views. I commemorated the milestone with the handle Stik 11K! (Wait. What?). I think I'll be maxing out at this figure so I better mark it down for posterity. I expect to scale back my online activity in favor of real life pursuits, so I expect the port view total to stagnate. Still, 11K? Good times!

November 4, 2008: a day no one alive could forget. I acknowledged the political milestone with two handles: Elisa, Obaden Stik and Obaden Stik voted!. After doing my research, I support the Obama-Biden ticket primarily for foreign policy reasons. Unlike some people, that was my primary issue, because I felt more could be done in that area. On top of that, Obama is my kind of guy. I might not have gone to Harvard, but I still identify with him (and not just because of the biracial thing). Change is good, but what I value from the ticket is pragmatism. Obama-Biden has it.

In 2008, I decided to try out a slightly different Thanksgiving handle: Turkey DrumStik. Hey, I'm a turkey. What else would you expect? Stik is a ham? Well, if there was a ham costumicon, I'd consider it.

This winter has been cold, and my stress levels have been high. Therefore, the handle Stik is chillin out serves two purposes: to relay the frosty temps in Minneapolis and my goal for my mental health during 2009. The first objective has been fulfilled all too well. The second? We'll see how that pans out once I get out of call center purgatory.

This is me getting passive-aggressive. Of course, only a few people would have gotten it. In response to the Paper Doll Group (and others of its overfluffy ilk), I paraded the handle Stik is no dolly. Fallen Angel is a little too universal for people to notice what I'm condemning, and Simply Negative was out of the question since I caught flack from people when I made a joke about it in my journal. This, though, was a little more oblique.

In light of a Follow the Leader entry on running, I decided to be Little Running Stiky. The entry had me reminiscing about my childhood days and how I wasn't that bad of a runner. I wish I could have gotten training to become better at it. For now, a handle that hearkens back to some Indian names works to keep some of those old memories alive.

2009 marked my being alive on this planet for a quarter century. Wow, does that make me sound old! In light of that happy thought, I busted out the handle Elisa is an old Stik! To make matters worse, mi amor and I joke that mentally we're double our chronological ages, which makes me 50.

After getting my iPod Nano, there was only one logical handle to don: iStik. And yes, that is what I named the musical device. I'm considering getting another iPod for movies/video and calve only used twice since becoming a mod. Go figure. I think itling it iBrains. I don't know if I'll do it, but it is tempting.

In defiance of all the 9/11 mourning in 2009, I opted to celebrate the fact that I am still alive and kicking. Ditching the "never forget" handles, I chose Stik is alive! as my way for getting my head out of the herdlike grieving sand. Actually, I don't think it was ever really there in the first place. And while remembering the impact of 9/11 isn't entirely a bad thing, the way most people approach it says to me that some people's hearts and minds refuse to leave 2001 to help us conquer today's problems.

On October 2, 2009, the IOC selected Rio de Janeiro as the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Aside from my love of the Olympics, I was excited because mi amor and I decided our honeymoon would revolve around said Games. That said, we were both pulling for Rio. When the announcement was made, I showed my support of this decision with the handle Stik congratulates Rio!.

For a different start to the new year (and for some a new decade), I rung in 2010 with Wishing You a Stiky New Year. Make of that what you will. I simply wished to substitute "happy" with "Stiky" to give it a more personal touch.

Stik says Gobble Up was the official Thanksgiving 2009 handle. I think it's time to request that ham costumicon so I can proclaim myself a ham and ham it up for my Thanksgiving handles. I can't remember if I did that or not. We so need some new costumicons (including a pineapple for mi amor).

2010 started off pretty chilly in Minnesota, as in sub zero on New Year's Day. In light of that, I was Elisa, Popsicle Stik because I almost was a frozen confection during that time!

Because I pay attention to bandwagon behavior on the site, I had something (actually a lot of things) to say about the whole mods donning 3 star handles shindig. While a lot of what I know is information I can't really reveal, I could mock the ever living daylights out of it. That's exactly what I did with 1 Star Stik Needs Work!. To my surprise, that handle was something of a cult hit.

For something a little bit different (and because it sounded kind of imposing), I stuck with Elisa, The Mighty Stiky for a few months. I did take a break to don the 1 Star handle, but I was quite fond of this handle. There's a chance it could become my default handle for everyday purposes.

Even I can't believe it. In eight plus years, I've had over 13,000 port views. What is that? Surely I can't be that interesting. In any case, Elisa, Stik 13K??!! came out to play for a while and stayed because life got busy during the Summer of 2010.

As always, I make sure to defy the typical mourning handles found around the site on 9/11. (This ought to be interesting in 2011.) I decided to go a little further in 2010 with Stik celebrates being alive! because really, being alive is a real challenge these days with six billion plus people occupying the globe. I'm starting to think that humans are like viruses. If you've seen The Matrix, that will make way more sense.

Thanksgiving was really chilly in 2010. I think it reached 12 degrees Fahrenheit or something along those lines. I actually stayed pretty warm most of the day, but Stik is a frozen turkey was too good to pass up.

The script bug bit me in early 2011, and even with a wedding I started the preplanning for a project I anticipate needing at least a year and a half to finish the first draft. I highly doubt the script will ever be optioned or even spared from being kindling. Still, to mark my crazy endeavor, I was Cinema Stik for quite a while.

As some people already know, Davy Kraken and I got married in the summer of 2011. We both donned the handle StiKraken after exchanging vows. Isn't it scary that we're now an officially married couple? I think it is.

2012 proved to be a year chock full of big anniversaries. For me, it was my tenth year of being a Writing.Com member. I signed up on February 3, 2002. A Decade for a Stik? expresses some surprise that I've stuck around this long. Then again, it's pretty easy to lose track of time when you're running an annual contest, editing site newsletters, judging many contests and embarking on many other projects. These days, though, I'm in writing overload mode.

I love Duluth, and I thought about the city a lot after the June floods. That said, I kept my phrasing a bit more oblique with Elisa/Stik-Stay Afloat Duluth. They're still floating and carrying on with their summer events. I think I'll venture up there in the early autumn months for leaf changes, the lake and some awesome local burritos.

It's been 11 years, but I'm still surprised that people are even looking in my portfolio these days. Between major events in my career and pursuing non-writing interests, the fact that I can even have the handle Elisa, Stik 16K! surprises me. 20K? It might take a few years, but at this point, it could happen.

During the spring and summer months of 2013, I decided to actually run in races. Because of my running schedule (and other things that kept me off the site for extended periods of time), I was Elisa the Running Stik for quite a while. Then again, I will be running even more in 2014, so maybe the handle might "stik" around. *ba-dum CHING!*

Looks like I hit another portfolio view milestone, and my handle of Elisa, Stik 17K! advertised that for quite a while. Given my general reclusiveness on the site these days, I'm amazed I've continued to get portfolio views. What is this madness?

In honor of my Five Mile Frenzy attempt in 2015, I was Little Running Stiky for a number of months. As of this writing, I've completed four of the five races that comprise the frenzy. I would like to do this series of five races every year. With more and more mile races popping up in the area, why not?

To commemorate a dream come true, I announced my big plans with Stik is Rio bound! I had a fantastic time on the trip, and I found myself asking the question How do I get back to the Olympics?. Oh boy.

On that note, because 2016 ultimately self destructed (or at least tried), I stuck with Elisa the Olympics Stik for a while because I needed some good memories to get me through the latter months of the year.

I donned Elisa the Fish Stik initially to commemorate the Fish Party I held in the late summer. However, I ended up sticking with that handle for quite some time due to work again taking over my life.

The summer of 2018 was brutal, which was really odd considering how long and cold the preceding winter was. We had more 90 degree days than average, which inspired Elisa the Broiling Stik. I really was broiling. It was a tough summer I was glad to see go.

In a very unexpected milestone, I hit 20k portfolio views! Of course I had to celebrate that with Elisa, Stik 20k!. I suppose after, um, 17 years I could make that happen.

When the stay at home orders rolled out in March 2020, I became Elisa-Stik Stuck Inside. I was amused by the cheeky semi-repetition. This being inside theme ended up recurring a few times by way of riots and a post-travel quarantine (because my husband and I do NOT mess around with COVID-19).

In the StiKraken household we are very pro-mask! I made that super clear with Elisa/Stik: Mask Up! Sadly, there was no face mask costumicon available, so a masquerade mask had to be used. Here's to hoping for some new costumicons.

Once the vaccines became available to my husband and me, it became very clear that in our house we are pro-vax! I was also not afraid to broadcast this on WDC by way of my handle: Elisa the Vaccinated Stik.

In 2019 the squid and I wore matching Meese shirts to the State Fair. In 2021, this shirt inspired me to change things up a bit with my handle. Hence for a bit I declared I was Elisa Stiking with Meese. I mean, why wouldn't I?

Spring 2022 meant a return to Des Moines for a mile road race I had not been able to attend since 2019. To commemorate this return to a running tradition, I made my handle reflect the moment: Stik's Ready to Run!

The summer of 2022 kicked my butt so hard I didn't really get a chance to breathe until October. Hence you may have seen me state that Elisa is a Very Busy Stik! I mean, I really, really was.

I took my first cruise in April 2023. This moment in time was commemorated with Stik's on a Boat! And then of course I forgot to change it because life really came at me after I returned from said nautical adventures.

From one international trip to another, my 2023 handles showcased a lot of travel. When I ventured over to Europe, I shared this by way of Stik's Across the Pond! How else could I succinctly indicate visiting both the Netherlands and the UK? When I went to Europe, I actually visited more than one country (and travelled through two more for good measure).

In 2024, I hit a major milestone: turning 40! As a result, I found room in the schedule to don the handle Elisa: Middle Aged Stik. I'm old now!