About

What’s a Sonria? · About Me · About the Site · Legalese

Here’s everything you wanted to know about sonria.org and me, and possibly a few things you don’t. You have been warned!

What’s a Sonria?

I’ve owned and used the sonria.org domain since late 2003. It’s pronounced “sohn-ree-ah” with the accent on the second syllable. It’s also my standard web handle, though in a few places I reverse it to airnos.

The short version about sonria: it’s a pretty word. Here’s the long version:

It started as a conversation about vanity license plates. My mother suggested “smile!” as a good one since people usually do that when they read the word. That’s a fairly common word in English, so the domain name and web handle were quickly taken after the World Wide Web started.

But I also speak a fair bit of Spanish and the word sonría is the command form of the Spanish verb, “to smile.” That was less common and not (completely) taken, so I used it.

Accents are significant in Spanish so sonria without the accent is actually a nonsense word. But it’s short and easy to pronounce, so it meets my needs. As a note, I’m not associated with the Foundation for the Development of Multiple Intelligences at sonria.com. I only own sonria.org.

You’ll find a lot of references to the sun on the site as well. That’s a play on words based on the similar pronunciations of sonría and the English word “sun.” Don’t get confused: the words don’t translate back and forth at all. But I love sunlight and warm colors, so it’s a bit of harmless fun. (It’s also the reason for the “smiling sun” shortcut icon you can see in your address bar.)

I generally write sonria in all lowercase because it’s not a proper name or actual word. And for the record? I really did get the vanity plate for a couple of years although I don’t have it anymore.

About Me

CatherineI’m a thirtysomething, semi-crazy cat lady, currently living and working in the Atlanta metro area although I’m originally from eastern North Carolina. Yes, I have an accent, although I’m told it’s pretty mild. No, I’m not a redneck — although I’ll firmly correct anyone who even suggests barbecue might be red.

During the day, I’m an employee benefits specialist. I started working in human resources in 1996 and moved into this sub-field in early 1999. I later took a few years off, but returned as a contractor in late 2011 before securing regular employment in early 2012. I’ve worked in both government and small business, and you can find more details on my résumé.

At night and on the weekends, I’m a writer. According to my family, I started playing with sentences and words as soon as I learned how to read. I’ve been writing since elementary school — journals, poems, stories, essays, you name it. Writing isn’t something I want to do; it’s something I have to do, and if others enjoy my work then it’s perfect icing on an already-delicious cake.

During my off-hours I enjoy photography, reading, participating in science fiction fandom, hiking, travel and occasionally a bit of cross-stitch.

I’m always open to making new online friends. So if you see me online, drop me a line and say hi. Chances are I’ll say hi back.

Just as a quick note to current and potential employers: I do not ever create blog posts from work. However, since it’s not unusual for me to enter several posts at one time, I use WordPress’ scheduling feature in order to avoid flooding others’ RSS readers. This means that posts will sometimes go live during business hours.

About the Site

I’ve used WordPress since version 1.5 and I’m quite happily still using it today. I’ve hosted my web site with HostDime since about 2005, and I’m happy to recommend them as well.

I’m currently using the following WordPress plugins:

The current theme is my own work, but I’ve shamelessly stolen ideas and CSS tweaks/tricks from around the web. As a result, I plan to pay-it-forward whenever possible. The header photos are also my own work.

Legalese

Nobody likes it, but everyone has to take a few steps to protect themselves. So as you visit this site, please take note: this is a personal web site and the opinions you’ll find are solely those of the poster or commenter (usually me). You’re also using this site at your own risk. For more information and disclosures, please check out the site’s full terms & conditions.