Sunday, November 30, 2008

I...WON...


How amazing it that? I actually won NaNoWriMo...
I was not really expecting this kind of elation I am feeling right now....
WHEEEE!
Anyway, next is the editing process, and that will take forever... Especially since it is 83 pages long... Shoot... Well...
Hopefully when I get the published paperback copy from Createspace, then I will let everyone read the crappy copy, then when I get it published, you will all get to say that you read the first version...

Just in case you didn't know, I was screaming to myself for about 5 minutes... Thank heavens my family was gone... They would have thought I was insane...

This is the newest novelist, signing off!

Noble.

P.S.

I hope you all enjoyed listening to Artemis during the month. She might make guest appearences now that she has been introduced to you all, but that all depends on her mood, which is really wacky.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

A quick update


So Noble had some trouble last week.

Well, not really trouble per say, but she didn't write anything on Thursday or Friday, and fell a little bit behind.

Luckily, she wrote just over 3,000 words yesterday and plans of writing another 3,000 today so that she can catch up.

The reason she fell behind?

Twilight.

Yes, Noble went to see the midnight showing of Twilight.

Here's what happened.

Thursday she got up early and went to Institute, after which she wasted time on the Internet by playing Yahoo! games like Cake Mania, which is one of her favorite games.
Then she drove to work, where she was able to write about 400 words during the slow periods, but that was all.
Right after work, she went and picked up her friend, Cheez, and together they drove North to Salt Lake, intent on going to the theater.
They went to the theater near Noble's house and tried to get in, but the ticket taker said that the ticket that Noble had bought on Fandango didn't exist.
And so Noble took a closer look at the ticket and noticed that it was for the other theater of the same name, only several miles further North.
So they drove to the correct theater, where they got some seats close to the screen next to a pair of girls, one of which had the same phone as Noble and had the same name as Noble.
Then they watched the movie.
She doesn't want to say anything and give anything away to the people who still haven't see it, but she would like to say that it was AWESOME!
After that, which was just after 2 in the morning, they drove back to Cheez's house for the night, arriving around 3.
And Noble tells me she has never fallen asleep so fast before.
The next morning Noble took Cheez to school then drove home.
And her dad had fixed her laptop. Sort of. It wasn't finished, but it was close, and they watched Mission: Impossible 3 on it, another time waster, and Noble wrote only another couple hundred words before leaving for work.

So that's why Noble didn't write anything on Thursday or Friday.

In other news, Noble almost became a Mary Kay consultant.

And I have to go now, before Noble's brothers yell at me too much.

But I'm writing this from Noble's awesome new laptop!

Monday, November 17, 2008

New Total!

Noble has reached the halfway point.

True, she cheated a little bit by doing this: do not, not don't, adding double names, and spacing out the msn messenger names.

But she has made it half way.

In fact, she has 26,800, and is working on her next goal. 30,000 by tomorrow night.

Amazing, right?

And she is so stunned that she has been able to stretch the plot this far. She actually added several scenes that she wasn't planning on happening, and they are really great scenes!

And Noble would like to make a confession.

Her main character has the same birthday as her best friend, Balgram...

Monday, November 10, 2008

I am sorry I haven't posted yet.

Well, I apologize for the fact that I haven't posted since the last time, but Noble has kept me fairly busy. However, I have some very good news for all you readers.

Noble is on track.

Unlike last year, where she stopped at 6,000 words, this year, she is right on schedule. In fact, as of this moment, she has roughly 15,300 words. She would like me to mention that this is the most she has EVER written. And she doesn't see a time in the near future where she will run out of things to write.

She would also like me to tell you a little bit about the story, so that you can all wait eagerly for it to be finished.

The working title she has for it, according to her spot on the NaNoWriMo website is Returned Huntress and the following is the little blurb she has on said site.

When a new family moves into the old abandoned house across from her house, Chandra Graves is a little miffed because the four siblings in high school don't seem to want to leave her alone, constantly invading her privacy. But when she begins to have dreams that point to there being something more about the family, she starts to wonder who she really is. And before long, she finds out that time is running out for her and the family. Can she remember her past before her future is gone?

Technically, the blurb is a bit behind, because as of two days ago, Chandra remembered her past, and is busy planning her future with the family. And Noble doesn't want me to tell you who she really is, or anything about the family other than the fact that there are 14 members not including Chandra.

But, there is some more great news Noble would like me to tell everyone, because she screamed when she read this, and is dying very slowly of excitement.

Breaking News
Posted by: Chris Baty on 11/09/2008
News we could all use
Need another great reason to keep those sights set on 50K? Our fantastic sponsor CreateSpace, whose sponsorship helped fund NaNoWriMo and the Young Writers Program this year, is offering all NaNoWriMo 2008 winners a free proof copy of your manuscript in paperback book form. They'll even cover basic postage! We'll post details on the Special Offers page and the "I Wrote a Novel, Now What?" page on December 1.
If you have any questions before then please drop the good folks at CreateSpace an email or check out their community boards.

That was from the NaNoWriMo website front page blog that the founder, Chris Baty, writes almost every day. It's like a mini pep talk right there. For anyone who wants to read the paperback copy when Noble is finished and has recieved it, please feel free to hollar at her, and she will see if she can bear to let of it long enough for you to read it.

Noble would also like me to note that she still doesn't have a laptop, and probably won't until the latter half of the month, but that it hasn't fazed her in the slightest. She is still writing hard on her desk top and, while at work, on paper, and foresees that she will complete the novel.

Artemis, signing off

Saturday, November 1, 2008

I am called Artemis

Just a little introduction, my name is Artemis Standring, and I am the writing personae of Noble. Noble has passed the baton over to me for the month of November because she has practically vacated reality in favor of another crazy endeavor called National Novel Writing Month. I have been with Noble for about four or five years, and Noble can't tell you any different because she doesn't remember all that well either.

Noble is the biggest procrastinator I have ever met, just so that everyone knows that. She tells me that she was meaning to post something all this past week, but never got around to actually doing so. So there are several things she wanted me to tell everyone who reads this blog.

I don't think I have ever been so pissed off at my dad than I am now, and I'm torn between wishing he would read this and hoping he never does.

The last time I got a paycheck, October 17th to be exact, I was planning on buying a laptop so that I had something to work on during November. Dad got wind of the idea and made so suggestions. After thinking about it, I decided to ask him for some more help, and ended up leaving it up to him whether or not I actually had a laptop in November. What a mistake.

I thought I was a procrastinator... It's November, and my dad STILL hasn't made a purchase for the laptop, after I went through all the trouble of giving him $400 to help with his mortgage... GRRRR....

And I told him that the latest I could wait for a laptop was the 3rd, because I didn't actually need a portable computer until I went to work on Monday, and he tells me now that I won't have one on Monday.

Well... I'm screwed for NaNoWriMo... My goal had been to be typing none stop, to surpass the daily word count as much as possible, but that is no longer even feasible... GAH! Now I will only be able to write while I'm at home on my ridiculously stupid desktop that gives me headaches if I leave it on too long, instead of when ever I had nothing to do, like when I'm riding the bus.

And don't tell me I can do it longhand, because I can't. If I do anything longhand, everything gets lost in my inability to write as fast as I think. GROWL REALLY LOUD!

I must admit, it is very disappointing. And she tells me that she doesn't have the money to just go and buy on today. Wow. I don't think I would be able to hide her emotions as well as she did during dinner after she learned all that.

Noble tells me that she also would like to tell you all about her Halloween, but I have made the decision to save it for a post tomorrow. That way I don't overload everyone with too many stories by her.

I will also be reporting on how Noble is doing for NaNoWriMo.

Friday, October 24, 2008

And so...

You will not see me posting until after November 30th. Just a warning. But you will see Artemis, who has so kindly volunteered to post updates on my nano throughout November. Keep a look out for her!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Surfing the web, la la la, SLAP IN THE FACE!

Today I was on the computer listening to Disturbia by Rhianna and some other music, trying to get my 1,700 words in without success. I finally gave up, and turned to watching stuff on YouTube.
My absolute favorite TV show ever is Stargate: Atlantis, which started a new season last July. You remember a while back I posted about the season finale of season 4? Yeah, I finally gave up and watched season 5 episode 1 on youtube. It was very good, finished well, solved the problem beautifully. So watching that, I wanted to know what the next episode was called, so I went to Gateworld, which is THE website to go to for all Stargate questions. And right there on the front page was this headline:
ATLANTIS CANCELLED
Gah! Giant slap in the face!
So I hurried up and read the artical, dreading that they were going to cancel it before the season was over, and found out that they were going to finish season 5, do a movie, then Atlantis will be done.
GAH!

But they are going to be doing a third show, called Stargate: Universe, that might be good. It will never be as good as Atlantis though.
*Tears up*

In other news, I reached 12,000 words yesterday! I am so happy! That is the most I have ever written on one story, EVER.
*Happy dance*
I have no idea where the story is going, but I am writing 1,700 words a day no matter what, and I am going to make it to 50k by Halloween, then I will know for sure that I can do it in November. And I will have finished two novels by December!
Wheeeee!
Then December will be devoted to editing and getting them ready for sending out to publishers.
*Squeal!*
I CAN DO IT!

Also, I got a raise at work yesterday. I am now earning $10/hour! I was so happy that I had a hard time not breaking out into a giddy grin the last 5 minutes of work last night. And I smiled all the way home!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Anyone know CSS?

I have a problem.

I went to try and make my website look better, and ended up with something wrong. Check out the bottom.

I have been over the CSS, but nothing makes sense to me because I only know HTML.

Here is the site it's supposed to look like: Link

And I can't remember where I got it.

If you think you can help, please email me.

Is it stealing if I use D & D as a guide to make my own world?

I have almost sort of decided what I'm going to be doing for NaNoWriMo.

It's going to be a fantasy, it might involve a Druid, it will have a princess that was changed into a fluffy white kitten, and it will have lots of black shadows.

I think.

The story I'm writing right now is set in a fantasy world that is pretty interesting. Since I wasn't really paying attention to what I was writing when I wrote the first 3 pages, I have a new world that warrents some expansion.

Example: The city the main character is living is is called Fifth's Dawn. Why? I don't have the foggiest idea. There are two festivals mentioned, the Festival of Leaves and the Midwinter Festival. It's baking hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. There are Gray Magicians and Elves. One part of Fifth's Dawn is called the Lower Courts. There is magic, what kind I don't know for sure.

So far there have been no mention of a government, the only other characters other than the 12 year old girl who is the main one is a gray magician who wishes her ill, an elf Prince who wishes her well, a seller of strange artifacts, and her son. Any others are only mentioned in passing.

The question I pose is this. Is it stealing if I take ideas for fleshing out this world from D & D v3.5?

I was looking through it earlier and thought that if I changed a whole lot of things but still followed the same principles and ideas, I might be able to have a world worth writing stories in.

Is that wrong?

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Ready, set... Oh... It's next month...



So next month is November, as I'm sure everyone is aware, but it's also NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month.

I did this last year and totally bombed out at 6k words. Never got close to the 50k goal. The biggest reason was because I had been so hyped up on Halloween that I started a novel about a girl who finds out she's a witch from Halloween land and I combined several other story ideas that I had had and wanted to write but could only pick one.

And November isn't really a Halloween month. So I got bored really fast, especially with the plot not moving forward very fast.

This year, things are going to be different, I will tell you that right now. First of all, I don't have classes to go to. True, I do have work, but I spend about 4 hours a day sitting on a bus to actually get to work, so that's 4 hours I can be writing.

And I am getting a new, awesome, powerful laptop. My dad is helping me with this, as he is a computer expert. He's going to be doing the actual shopping for a great computer, I'm just going to pay for it.

Luckily I have an extra paycheck this month that I don't have to pay bills with. Whoot!

The biggest problem now is that I have no clue what I'm going to write this year. Last year I was all planned out before I started, was all set to go, all I had to do was write everything down. Only I got bogged down with the boring details.

This year I'm going to start with nothing. With actually might not work, but what the heck. I don't even know what genre I'm going to do... We'll just have to see after the first, which thankfully is a Saturday. So I'll have all Saturday to write 20k and be ahead of everyone. Then I might actually finish the 50k before the end of the month and try to make it to 75k, which is what some other people are doing.

Actually I think that is insane. But you know, if I do finish the 50k before the month is over and the story is not over, then I'm going to keep writing.

All this planning and I'm not sure I can do it...

DON'T SAY THAT! I'M GOING TO DO IT, I'M GOING TO MAKE IT, I'M GOING TO FINISH!

Okay.

For anyone who wants to try, the website is nanowrimo.org. It would actually be nice to have people I know doing it as well, that way I have buddies, and might be able to plan a write-in on one of the Saturdays.

The only distracting thing I'm going to do during the month is I'm going to go see Twilight in theaters for the midnight showing.

Anyone want to go with me?

Thursday, October 2, 2008

8 Years and then, so beautiful, so wonderful... WHAT THE?! What happened?

There is a book called Into the Land of the Unicorns. It's written by Bruce Colville, who's a very good childrens book writer. It came out in the '90s and was a very good book. I really loved it. Then book two came out in 2000, called Song of the Wanderer, and I loved that one just as much, but I could tell that the story wasn't over. So I waited for the next one to come out. And waited... and waited... and waited....

Finally, yesterday I found out it had come out and that there was a copy at one of the local libraries. So I used some of my precious gas to drive over and grab it before anyone else could.

When I left for work around 11 and rode the bus for an hour and a half, I read the book, which is called Dark Whispers. I read it during my 10 minute break at 4:30 and my lunch break at 7. I read it all the way home and finally finished it just before arriving at the train station.

It took all of my strength to keep from screaming on the bus.

Dark Whispers has the worst cliffhanger ending I have ever read!

NOOOO! I don't want to wait another 8 years! WRITE FASTER BRUCE!

The book was so amazing, it switched viewpoints a lot, which he hadn't done in the other two, but even though they weren't the main character, Cara, I was still rooting for them, not caring that I had to wait for Cara to come back onto the page.

And one of my favorite unicorns dies! HOW COULD YOU?!

Thankfully, my ultimate favorite is still alive, seperated from Cara and in the direct path of danger, but still alive!

I just wish I knew what happened... *Whimpers pitiously*

In other news, I have rediscovered my old Eragon website, Alagasia Manin, mostly because for some reason, people keep joining even though IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT ACTIVE and so I sent all the members an email asking if they wanted to reactivate the site, and, what I was not expecting, three people came back and said they did!

Therefore, I need to find someone who can do a layout for me. The website is hosted on Invision Free and the current layout, which I did myself, is crap.

And anyone else who want's to join is welcome to!

That's all for now...

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

So much to say, so little space...

Life has been so interesting the last little while... I'll start today and move backwards.

Today I ran out of gas. After institute, I was taking someone home and before I reached the gas station I was heading for, the car stopped accelerating. So I pulled off of State street into a parking lot and called my dad. When he finally arrived, he had bought a little more than two gallons and put it into my tank. Aren't I glad I have a dad?

The funny thing is, I have driven farther on less gas. In stop and go traffic, too. So I don't know what was so different about today, but it was.

I've been reading Breaking Dawn again, reliving the magic and remembering why it's my favorite. *sigh* Such a good book...

And I finally decided once and for all what I'm going to major in when I finally buckle down and go to college next year.

Drum roll please.

Hold your breath...

Forensic Science!

Are you surprised? I was. All those math and chemistry classes? *shudders* BUT. I'm going to do it. I have always been interested in that sort of stuff, and always return to it, so I guess it's meant to be. The program at the new university about 30 miles from where I live is 121 credits and will only take 4 years IF I take summer classes. Otherwise I might be stuck for 5...

But the classes I get to take! Wow! Bloodstain pattern analysis, Fingerprint Examination 1-3, Footwear Impression! I'm so excited! But they're not until my junior/senior year... At least I have something to look forward too...

The last two weeks I have been researching everything I have to do before school starts, such as applying, ACT, scholarships, financial aid, housing, job, possible class schedules... That much work, you know I'm going to do something. At least, I hope so.

Some time when my friend Balgram has some time, after I have register for next fall, I hope we can get together and she help me, so that I do things the right way. Let me tell you, if I don't have someone helping me, and telling me how to do it, 1; it won't get done, or 2; it'll get done, the wrong way...

I'm also planning on taking the ACT in December, instead of October, so that I have some time to actually learn algebra and hopefully get good scores, 'cause I need at least a 23 in math and a 19 in reading and English in order to get into the right classes, or else I WILL need to take 5 years to finish... *yeech*

I still plan to move out in June, though my savings plan never actually got off the ground... I just love shopping too much... But at least I didn't have to borrow money this paycheck! I just have zero cash except for bus money and I am so tempted to spend that... But I won't because then I would have no way to get to work, and my next paycheck would be just as bad as my last one and I REALLY don't want that to happen. I hate getting $400 paychecks...

If I always get my hours in I'm earning $9. If not, I'm earning $8. I want to be earning $11 by next fall... So that I have money for rent and insurence.

I'm so glad I won't have to pay for my car after June... $273 a month is lot of money... Plus phone ($50), rent ($100), Insurence ($65), and anything else, it really adds up. Of couse, I'm also glad that I'm not paying tuition or books right now... That would make things even worse...

Anything else I can think of?

Well anyway, I've got to go to work. Anything else I can think of will have to wait until tomorrow.

Monday, September 29, 2008

I know...

I know I haven't posted anything worth while in some time. I hereby promise that I shall compose something while at work and type it up and post it tomorrow morning after Institute. I also promise it shall be REALLY long as I have a LOT of stuff I want everyone to know about.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I almost died again...

This time, it was on the freeway.

I was driving just a little above the speed limit, only about 67 mph, and I looked down for a second to check what time it was. In that second, someone who was going probably only 55 mph pulling into my lane in front of me. When I looked up, I was barreling towards them really fast. In seconds, I checked both sides of me. To my right there was a semi and the my left was a yellow mustang. I pushed my brakes a little, just enough for the mustang to get past me enough for me to change lanes, and just as I was about to hit the car in front of me, I swerved around them.

I'm still alive! Whew.

May that teach me not to care what time it is on the freeway... And that people are stupid like that....

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Heroes should come with a warning label

I have recently become a fan of the NBC TV show Heroes.
As the title says, Heroes really should come with a warning label.

Warning: Highly addictive, creates compulsions to believe you have super reflexes which make you a hero.

Saturday, my friend Balgram let me borrow season one episodes 7-23 and season two episodes 1-5. I can only say I didn't get much sleep after that.

And I was dieing to know what happened so I went out and bought season two. And watched the other 6 episodes last night.

Can I say ended badly?

No, actually it ended great. I was sad they killed off one of the characters, but it was a great ending. It was still terrible though! For a full five minutes after it ended and I was going to bed, I was trembling uncontrollably and screaming into my pillow.

My friend, Cheez, before I had seen season two, had told me that she didn't like Peter, my favorite character, all that much in season two. I can now understand why. I still like him a ton because I understand his motive and what happened, but I understand why Cheez doesn't like him all that much.

I think he's amazing. Misled, but still amazing. He thought he was doing the right thing. He was manipulated by Adam into believing that Adam wanted to destroy the virus, but when faced with the facts, he made the right choice.

*Sigh*

And Heroes has spawned, like, three different stories for me... What can I say, the good things inspire good things.

But know I have to wait until the next season comes out and I don't think I can... It's too long! And it ended so badly, I want to know what happens! Who kills him? How does she escape? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!

And enough ranting about my new favorite show...

Laters!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Why I hate College, among other things

The biggest reason I hate college is the homework. In my opinion, which I think many people don't agree with, having a ton of homework in any class means the teacher doesn't know how to teach so that the students learn and has to resort to giving the students homework so that they can learn on their own time. I mean really.

My first semester of college, I had three classes. Nanotech (don't ask), World Religions, and Psychology. Nanotech, and World Religions, I didn' t learn hardly anything in the actual classroom, and the teachers gave out a LOT of homework. Now, Psych, since it was a one-day-a-week-for-three-hours, I was expecting to be bored out of my mind and not be able to remember everything for the tests. But, the teacher had a system where she had an over head of what we were going to talk about that day, then she explained everything in easy-to-take-notes format. We had three tests and one paper in that class and I learned SO much more in that class than in the other classes. (True, I dropped out of the other two, but still)

I know that's not much experience to go on, but that is why. It could be I just liked the subject of Psychology, or it could be the teacher really knew how to teach. I don't know how the other students faired in that class, but I got an A. (It was a low A because my paper was late, but still...)

Anyway, enough about what I hate.

I think I'm going to make a record: I went and saw Prince Caspian twice again this Saturday. Wheeeeee! And I might do it again next weekend! *Squeals*

Plus, I bought all the music that goes along with the label Chronicles of Narnia. Music from the first and second, and music inspired from the first. It's all so good!

And I've got a new story that I'm working on that I have really high hopes for. It's really good. I think I'm going to put it on my website, but stay tuned. I'm only to page 10 so far, and want to be a bit farther and more into the actual plot before I start showing it off.

I start Institute tomorrow. For the next while I'm going to be getting up at 5:45 every morning to get to class. And a friend of mine is going to be taking one of the two with me, so I have no excuse for not going. But I will have Fridays to sleep in. But that's it...

I now no longer work Monday evenings. The companies we make calls for has decided that we're not going to call on Family Home Evening any more. So I get off work at 6 on Monday instead of 9:30. I love it! That means I can do things then! Yeah! Possible date night!

My plans for moving out of my parents house has begun to more forward, I have 1/21 of my goal of $4200 before June. Every paycheck, I have decided, I'm going to save $200 towards my goal, that way I can get an inexpensive unfurnished apartment and have money to buy furnishings. Anyway, when I move out I won't be paying for a car anymore, so it will be easier.

I'm so excited! I can't wait! I have wanted my own place for ever and I'm so close now!

I think thats all for now.

Laters!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

GAH! I don't know what I'm doing, and Prince Caspian

So, any and all of my plans have changed three times in the last week or so.

I planned to move south out of my parents house next summer: Then I changed to I plan to move out, but not south...

I planned to go to the new university south of where I live next fall: Then I changed to I plan to stick with the college here...

I planned to be a librarian, then an ASL interpreter, then a crime scene investigator, then a clothes designer, then a police officer...

*Big Sigh* I don't know what I want to do. I do want to move out, I just don't know where. I don't really want to go to college but I know I have to, to do any of the afore mentioned careers. But the only thing I REALLY want to do that probably won't make me very much money is write. All I want to do is write all day long. (well, and read and watch movies, but that's different)

Maybe if I get married it will solve all my problems. I won't have to have a career if I get married. Then I could write practically all day long, unless I marry someone who is still in school, then I'd have to work so that we could live and he could finish school... Anyway, the point is I wouldn't have to have a career meaning I wouldn't have to go to school. Wouldn't that be nice. Maybe this institute class... If I actually stick with it...

I'm rambling, sorry.

Last Saturday, I worked until 11am then went and saw Prince Caspian with my friend Cheez. *Halleluiah Chorus* I love that movie! Gasp! Warning, New Favorite! My friend will attest, I squealed practically throughout the entire thing.

If everyone will recall, the first one had two guys that I liked, the one more than the other: William Mosely and James McAvoy (Who is just a little too old for me)

Prince Caspian has THREE all of which I can squeal with joy over. William Mosely (Peter), Skander Keynes (Edmund, who grew up so NICE), and Ben Barnes (Caspian). EEK! Just thinking about them makes me giddy!

This is the best part. When I got home from watching it with my friend, I took my younger brothers to see it as well. I got to see it twice in one day!

And it might happen again this Saturday! WHEEE!

In other news, I'm taking two institute classes, one Monday and Wednesday from 7-7:50am, the other Tuesday and Thursday from 7-7:50am. Both the same class. The reason? I need an excuse to get up early EVERY day, and this was a good one. And since during the winter I will be riding the bus more than taking the car (Maybe, depends on how cold it is) then I needed it to be fairly early so that when I get back, I still have time to do my writing.

I am going to discipline myself and become better and (hopefully) meet someone in one of these classes who will want to go out with me since I have had no luck in my ward, stake, or work.

And don't ever watch the TV show Torchwood. The English are disgusting.

And I feel like it should be fall already. Mostly because I grew up starting school in September, not August.

I get paid tomorrow!

And I'm done rambling.

See you next time!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Part Three: The Invisible Man, Breaking Dawn, and My latest dream

So I discovered a new TV show that I have fallen in love with. It's called The Invisible Man, started in 2000, and stars Vincent Ventresca, whom I'm sure no one will know. Here's what it's about, according to IMDB:

Darian Fawkes is a petty thief and conman who is bailed out of jail by his brother in return for undergoing an experiment that implants a "quicksilver" gland in his head that allows him to turn invisible. When his brother is killed, he ends up working for a top-secret government organization (disguised as the Department of Fish & Game) in return for a counter-agent which keeps the gland from driving him insane.

It is AWESOME! You should all check it out!


Speaking about awesome, I read Breaking Dawn Saturday and Sunday. (Balgram now has my copy, otherwise I would read it again) I'm not going to say anything, for those people who haven't read it yet, but I LOVED it! That's all...

Now, my latest dream that I can actually remember happened last night.

The entire dream was one big car race, with me in the seat of a white Dodge Charger, my favorite car. The dream played out like a movie, so sometimes I could see outside the car as the cars passed, sometimes I could see the dashboard where I could see how FREAKING fast I was going. Just over 200 mph throughout the entire race/dream! Now, it's nowhere near as fast as Speed Racer goes, but that was the speed of the race. (All the other cars looked like cars from Speed Racer, which was funny cause mine didn't...)

The last little bit of the dream, I was not driving the car any more, Speed Racer was, I was just waiting for him to return to me. And I felt so exhausted! Like I had run the entire race! There were a bunch of 'friends' in the dream who were all clustered around me, and I was wearing a blanket around my shoulders to keep warm...?... And the Dodge Charger came to a skidding halt a few feet away from me and I hobbled over to it and Speed came out, carrying a big trophy. We were all happy and everything, talking about, of all things, a torn out earring, when Mom woke me up at 8:30 to get ready for church at 9.

But just dreaming of driving a car at 200 mph was AMAZING and AWESOME and COOL and the best dream I have had in a long time!

Part Two 1/2: River Trip Happenings

Day One. Thursday:

I actually never went to bed Wednesday night. I knew that if I did, I would never be able to get up. I got home from work at 10 ish, and if I did go to be, it wouldn't have been until after midnight anyway. Mom braided my hair in a ton of little braids while we watched Tristin and Isolde. Not the best movie...

Anyway, After that, I watched Battlestar Galactica until 3am, then grabbed my small travel back and pillow, the rest of my stuff already taken and loaded up. My brother's and I walked down to the church and waited with the rest of the people until the bus arrived. My friend Angel, who was practically the only reason I was going, was late, and I was kind of worried that she hadn't woken up. She's a late night person like that. But she made it, and the bus arrived close to 4.

It was a school bus. Have you ever ridden in a school bus in the dark for 6 hours straight? Didn't think so. We had Cosco muffins and Sunny D for breakfast before trying to fall asleep.
Maybe it was just our bus, but the bus was like a strobe light. Outside, we could see the reflection of the strobing light everywhere. It was WEIRD!

When we arrived at our destination, we unloaded our trailer with our stuff into their trailer for transportation along the river. We then changed, learned a few rules, got our life-jackets, and loaded into another bus. This bus ride was an hour long, taking us to our launching point. We ate lunch, then launched the boats. I ended up on a boat with my friend Angel, a guide named Sam (Who was hot) and another YSA named Marcus (Also hot). And thankfully, none of my brothers.
For the next few hours of rafting, there were tons of water battles between boats, with lots of dunking, splashing, and boat leaping. It was a blast. We stopped for camp around 4 ish, and quickly set up the tents.

Me, I was still exhausted from my all nighter, and from paddling more than anyone else, and as soon as I had washed all the dirt and sand off as best as I could, I zonked out on my sleeping bag.
We had dinner of hamburgers and such, then the guides, Sam, Mike Jenny, Brianne, and Carry, but on a show, intruducing the trip's theme of Olympics, to mirror Bejinj. They also introduced us to the guest 'country', a small family from France who were traveling with the group.
My raft had picked the name Vengence, so we were from the country of Vengence. I think everyone on the boat had pirates on the brain, including me.

We designed our flag, which was on an orange piece of old tee shirt, then played some 'Olympic' games, like hamburger patty toss, and bean eating contest... I didn't participate... After that, a few people from Vengence and I played some girls camp games, and then I went to bed. By the time I went to bed, it was only around 10:30, which is early for me, but it was pitch dark, and I was still exhausted.

Day Two, Friday; Rapids Day:

Friday was Rapids day. The first half, up until lunch, there were no rapids, but all the guides promised there would be plenty after lunch. At the start of the day, my brother somehow ended up on Vengence, much to my annoyance. He seemed to have it in his mind that he 'needed' to dump me into the water. I had avoided it all the other day, and now he seemed to think I owed him.

It's not hard to avoid that when you are on the beach, but it's really hard when you are on a boat. I was sitting second to the front on the left side, right behind Marcus (*sigh*), when I spied my brother out of the corner of my eye coming at him. I turned just in time to catch him face first, when he pushed me off, and I grabbed on to him and pulled him in with me. The first time I had been all the way into the water, and it was COLD! As soon as I came up, I grabbed hold of the rope that went around the side of the raft, and tried to stay above the water, without my brother pulling me under again.

Then strong arms grabbed my life jacket and pulled me back into the boat. (again, *sigh*) Marcus had rescued me. When I got back in position to paddle again, I thought I had seen the last of my brother. Alas, it was not so.

This time, he pulled me in from the water. And this time, I scrapped my foot on something, and started to bleed. Marcus pulled me up again, and someone else pulled my brother in, and I was really pissed at him for the rest of the trip.

We stopped for lunch, which was sandwiches again, (With roast beef and swiss cheese, yum!) then when we set out again, Vengence had lost some people. My brother had decided to take a Ducky, a two man Kayak, and Marcus had as well. (Seperate, of course.) To make up for the loss of cute Marcus, Zac, another YSA joined use. (I can't decide who was cuter...)

Then came the rapids part of the day. It was a blast! Our guide steered us into the best ones, and everything was going good, until later.

During one of the rapids, when I had switched sides to sit in the back by Sam on the right side, we hit a rapid wrong, and it's hard to hold onto the raft with just your slippery, wet legs, and I fell off, along with two other people.

This is the part were I was terrified. People tell me I was under the water, stuck in a recirculating current for 3 seconds, 6 seconds, and 1 minute, though I know Zac was kidding when he said that. I would be dead if it was that long.

All I know was that I was under the water, and all I could think about were two things. "I'm going to die." And "I need air."

I don't think I have ever been so scared in my life. There was nothing but water, I couldn't tell which way was up, then there was air for a second, long enough for me to take a gasp of air. Then I was under again. I came up a second time and this time I was out of the recirculating current, but not out of the rapids. I tried to manuver into the Pina Colada, the position everyone was told to do when in the rapids, and found it was harder than it had sounded on the beach. The waves kept pushing me, and splashing me in the face. I was trying to get back to the boat, which was getting farther and father away with each breath.

As soon as I had come up, I had looked for the boat, and when I had found it, I could see that Sam and Zac both were standing up, near the edge. From their body language, I sort of assumed that they were both worried for me. It made me feel a little bit better as I struggled for my life.
I caught sight of a ducky with only one person in it, Karina, also a YSA. I then tried to get to it, instead of the all to distant raft, and made it. When I was safe aboard, we rescued the paddle that had fallen with me, then sped up to where the raft was floating. I got back on board the boat and was welcomed back happily. The other two people who had fallen out had fallen so close to the boat that they were able to be rescued right away, it was only me who had been so far off.

After that, I was little bit more careful about holding onto the boat, but not so terrified that I didn't want to raft any more. Sam said that he was glad that I was a good sport about it, and Zac, and later Marcus when he heard about it, both said they were glad I was still alive. (*glows*)
The rest of the rapids were pretty tame compared to the one I fell of into, but it was still fun.

When we stopped for camp and after we had set up the tents, the stake had an activity. Fear Factor, of all things. I was kind of leery at first, I'm not the kind of person who will eat things I don't know anything about. But it was all fun. We were all divided into teams, and, lucky me, I got Angel on me team, as well as both Marcus and Zac. It must have been my lucky day. The following were the activities: Finding gummy bears in flour, the trust fall (Which I have only done once, and never so quickly as I did then... Both Zac and Marcus were there to catch me...), holding weights in the air as long as you could, seeing how many marshmellows you could fit into your mouth (I got 6, one girl got 24!), and trying to get across a piece of land with only 9 wooden stepping stones, a mute, a blind person, and a person with no arms. After that, all the leaders told everyone what they all meant spiritually, then bore there testimony.

After that we had dinner of spaghetti, and after that we went to bed.

Sort of. We were going to go to bed, but then we saw the stars. Angel and Melissa and I laid out on the sidewalk gazing at the BLANKET of stars that we could see, including the milky way, the big and little dipper, and Orion. It was amazing! And VENUS! Man, it was so BRIGHT! I love the stars so much...

Then we went to bed.

Day Three, Saturday:

After breakfast of french toast, we packed up and launched the boats for the last time. As soon as we got past the last little bit of rapids, all the rafts, including the food raft, totally five, hooked up together to form a party barge, and they flipped one of the rafts over. On the flipped mat, they then held wrestling matches. Lots of them. The first one was between Sam and the other guy guide, Mike. I cheered for Sam, and he won. Then there was a match between Zac and Marcus, who are best friends. That one went on forever it seemed. Supposedly Marcus is afraid of the water, or of drowning, or of something... I think it was irrational fear or something like that... Anyway, I didn't know who to cheer for that match and Zac won, then helped pull Marcus in. It was so cool to see them be best buds...

After a while, I got bored. I didn't know many people, and while it was fun to watch the hotties wrestle, I don't much like wrestling. So I floated in the water, rode a ducky, stuff like that.
It was about noon I think when we landed and loaded the rafts onto this big truck then boarded another bus back to where we had started.

This time, the trip took minutes, and when we got out, we hand lunch of tuna sandwiches, then loaded our stuff from their trailer to ours, loaded the bus, and left, all exhausted. It was around this time that my sunburned legs started to REALLY hurt. I could barely walk, and it hurt when ever anything touched it. My shoulders got burnt, but they didn't hurt. My scalp also, but all it did was get crusty yellow stuff in my hair... Yuck...

The ride home, I tried to sleep, STILL getting over the all nighter, but it was too loud. Everyone was hyper and ready to be home. Zac sat in the back of the bus with, of all people to have, his girlfriend... Marcus sat a few seats behind and on the opposite side of the isle with my younger brother, not the one who pushed me in.

We talked a little, my brother threw skittles at me, and smiled when I glared playfully at him. Then Marcus tried to get a skittle in my mouth, and I just had to comply, and smile as wide as I could, and laugh when it didn't make it. We then tried again, and he ran out of skittles after that. I made a friend with a girl who is in my ward and who I should have been friends with, but never got the chance to... And we made it back home around 6. Then Angel's mom gave me a ride home, and the trip was over....

It was a blast thought!

Part Two: River Trip Pictures


Two of my friends who were leaders with me, Angel, in the back, and Melissa, in the pink.














Centerstage, Zac. Very cute guy, nice too. Strong too.











Standing up, Sam, my raft's guide. You can't really see him that good in this picture...
Zac and another cute boy named Marcus are bottom center. Both are YSA's as well, and both are getting ready for missions.









Another picture of Sam, again, I hate that it's so bad...











Zac and Marcus watching while two guides, Sam and Mike, wrestle aboard a flipped raft. Part of the party barge activities. Sam won.









This picture, you can't really see it, but it's of one of the boats on the trip playing a game where everyone tried running around the edge of the raft and the last person still standing and not in the water wins.









There are some old ruins you can see on the hill. I don't know what they are, but they are cool.












A little bit of rapids and a pretty view of clouds above the mountains.












More pretty mountains and BEAUTIFUL sky.












Some canyon that looked cool

Part One: Balgram's planned birthday present to me

Here are all that I could think of. It would be cool if you could do singles then couples, but you don't have to. Alexandra and Jeremy, have two different genres, and the Grant family has different time frames... More down below.

Sabrey Jane Wolff & Tyler Madison
Ages:
18 & 25
Professions:
Runs family Café, Police detective/forensic scientist
Looks, Sabrey:
Lean and graceful with white blond hair that is straight, and blunt cut at her mid back. Prefers it down. Sapphire blue eyes, smooth ivory skin, 5’5”, small features. Wears flattering clothes.
Looks, Tyler:
Lean and muscular, short thick dark brown hair, 5’11”, rounded features, serious looking, gray/brown eyes, clear, pale skin, always looks slightly tired. Wears a suit most of the time.
Personality, Sabrey:
She is an odd combination of outgoing and homemaker. She loves her family without a shadow of a doubt, and loves hanging out with her three cousins that are her age. She wants nothing more than to run her grandfather’s café for the rest of her life. She always had lots of friends in high school, but only ever hung out with her family, and even then, only when she wasn’t working at the café. She loves to sing and dance, and doesn’t care that people are watching her when she dances behind the counter.
Personality, Tyler:
Serious and focused. When he starts something, he finishes it to the best of his abilities. He does laugh and have a little bit of fun sometimes, but there is always seriousness behind it all. A workaholic, in a good way, from a small family, mother, younger brother both died in car crash, father lives in Oregon, wants to do what he is doing for the rest of his life.

Sabrey Jane Wolff & Tyler Madison
Ages:
18 & 25
Professions:
Runs family Café, Police detective/forensic scientist
Looks, Sabrey:
Lean and graceful with white blond hair that is straight, and blunt cut at her mid back. Prefers it down. Sapphire blue eyes, smooth ivory skin, 5’5”, small features. Wears flattering clothes.
Looks, Tyler:
Lean and muscular, short thick dark brown hair, 5’11”, rounded features, serious looking, gray/brown eyes, clear, pale skin, always looks slightly tired. Wears a suit most of the time.
Personality, Sabrey:
She is an odd combination of outgoing and homemaker. She loves her family without a shadow of a doubt, and loves hanging out with her three cousins that are her age. She wants nothing more than to run her grandfather’s café for the rest of her life. She always had lots of friends in high school, but only ever hung out with her family, and even then, only when she wasn’t working at the café. She loves to sing and dance, and doesn’t care that people are watching her when she dances behind the counter.
Personality, Tyler:
Serious and focused. When he starts something, he finishes it to the best of his abilities. He does laugh and have a little bit of fun sometimes, but there is always seriousness behind it all. A workaholic, in a good way, from a small family, mother, younger brother both died in car crash, father lives in Oregon, wants to do what he is doing for the rest of his life.

Tyhra & Elayna
Ages:
22 & 17
Professions:
Lord, Lady
Looks, Tyhra:
Shortish black hair and light brown eyes. He is average in height, only 5’10”, lean, but not really muscular. He’s more of a book noble than a sword noble, though since he has become the new Lord of a small providence, his right hand man has insisted he begin to learn to defend himself.
Looks, Elayna:
Average in height (5’4”), slender. Her long hair is pure white, no one can explain the reason, and her eyes are light green.
Personality, Tyhra:
Very bookish and shy. He is trying to do better at everything for the sake of his suffering providence. He believes in freedom and prosperity for the ordinary people, which is a contrary way of thinking in his society, so he hides it most of the time. He is gentle and kind.
Personality, Elayna:
She is the only thing that keeps the armies of the Lord of the Land away from her brother, who is leading a resistance, and it constantly weighs on her mind. She is a cheerful person, but wishes she were with her brother, learning to fight and helping him get ready for battle. She isn’t very patient with most of the girls at Court, who are all ‘fluff’ in her opinion.

Kevin & Liz Gunn
Ages:
25 & 25
Professions:
Pirate King, pirate/Pirate Queen
Looks:
(I think you know both of these people, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I have pictures if you need to be reminded.) Kevin: Not too tall, only about 6’, and not too muscular. He has long sideburns and kind of shaggy reddish brown hair. He has hazel colored eyes.
Looks,
Liz: You know me.
Personality, Kevin:
Always formulating plans for raids, thinking of ways to get around the laws and still retain legal pirate status. He loves what he does, and he loves his ship, the Emerald Claw. He’s a bit absent minded. He loves his wife.
Personality, Liz:
You know me. (And Liz is the reason Kevin is still the Pirate King and not dead yet)

Acorla Danguard & Jasria Lonerunner
Ages:
26 & 309 (28)
Professions:
Arconin tribe leader, loner
Looks, Acorla:
Average height(5’7”), mid back length black hair, golden eyes, slender yet muscular, wears a tan tunic and brown pants. Wears twin daggers, one on each thigh.
Looks, Jasria:
Tall for an elf (6’7”), pure white hair that is just past his shoulders, but he keeps it up in a pony tail most of the time tied with a green ribbon, bright green eyes, long pointed ears.
Personality, Acorla:
Very reckless, though never with the lives of her tribes people. She usually has a smile on her face, unless she is really worried about something. She has a nasty temper, but rarely gets too angry.
Personality, Jasria:
Always tired from his endless battle with holding back the minds of all the people around him. (He can hear everyone’s thoughts, non stop) He tries to keep a calm face most of the time, not wanting to seem weak to anyone and not wanting to give away his secret gift/curse.

Kristina Stewert
Age:
18
Profession:
Student
Looks:
On the short side of average (5’5”), very light and slender for her height, slender with strong legs made for running, dark blond hair that is waist length yet kept up, wide hazel eyes that are prone to tears, heart shaped face with small features. She has a light scar on her right forearm that’s about half a hand long and travels lengthwise in the middle of her forearm.
Personality:
Puts on a façade of being a cheerful and happy girl, but under it all, she is plagued by her parent’s ugly and unhappy relationship that has bothered her. She always has a lot on her mind, whether it’s school work or her future or her parent’s latest fight.

Toliver
Age:
19
Profession:
Royal guard in training
Looks:
You have drawn his sister (Tolomine) and I can show you the picture to remind you. He’s almost a foot taller than his sister, lean and muscular. He has shaggy dark brown hair that is slightly curly. He has wide brown eyes and strong hands. He wields both the traditional Guards Sword and the smaller long sword expertly.
Personality:
Very much a joker, he always seems to have a goofy grin on his face. The only time he is serious is when he has a sword in his hand to defend himself or others. He loves his sister, and loves to tease her.

Aederhy the Golden
Age:
23
Profession:
Prince/king
Looks:
Not called the Golden for nothing, his hair, skin, and eyes are all a golden color, average height, average weight, not very muscular, but enough, long features, can show a picture of something he might wear
Personality:
He would rather be reading than anything else, other than doing something with his younger sister, Alexandra (See above). He usually has a lot on his mind, running a country and trying to find the person who has kidnapped his sister and her bodyguard. He is the kind of person who always tries to find the silver lining to a situation, though it has become difficult for him the last few months.

(Special request for the Family: Singles; the age they are during their book, group; random time when they are all together for a little while. Single age is first, then the group age)

Kayden Grant & Liz Thelin (Tuleen) Grant
Ages:
23 & 22, 45 & 44
Professions:
Co-pilot, pilot
Looks, Kayden:
Tall, (6’ 5”) muscular, and handsome. He has shaggy black hair that has a little of natural wave to it, matching perfectly with his bright blue eyes. His face is rounded, almost boyish, with short sideburns.
Looks, Liz:
You know what I look like. (I’m 5’9½”)
Personality, Kayden:
Very quite, loving, and protective. He’s very devoted to his wife. He loves flying in his and Liz’s ship, but he also loves flying period, as well as any kind of space travel. He loves little children and wants some of his own.
Personality, Liz:
Again, you know me.

Alistair Kerry Grant & Cable Pierce Grant (Twins)
Age:
17 & 17, 22 & 22
Profession:
Pilots
Looks, Alistair:
Black hair that isn’t long or short, is very straight. He has the same blue eyes that his dad does. He’s tall but not as tall as his dad (6’2”), lean and muscular. He has a little more of his mom in his long face, compared to his dad’s round face.
Looks, Cable:
Black hair that isn’t long or short, is very straight. His eyes are the only thing different than his brother. He has one blue, like his dad’s, and one green, like his mom’s. He’s tall but not as tall as his dad (6’2”), lean and muscular. He has a little more of his mom in his long face, compared to his dad’s round face.
Personality, Alistair:
A joker, always has something witty to say, always joking around. He rarely takes anything serious.
Personality, Cable:
More mellow than his twin, quieter, yet just as willing to joke around. He’s the one who is always bringing his brother back from going too far with his jokes, always trying to set things right and keep him in the Corps.

Rei Jelisa Grant
Age:
17, 21
Profession:
Pilot
Looks:
Long blond hair that is slightly curly, like her dad’s, with forest green eyes. She’s very short, the shortest in the family at only 5’ even, and slender. Any ship she flies has to be adjusted for her height. She has a heart shaped face.
Personality:
A born leader, miffed at being third, very strong spirited. She hates being babied by her older brothers and is always trying to get them off her back. She is always doing her best, and trying to be better. Her favorite thing do be doing is flying her SSF (Single Space Fighter). She loves her family, but it’s a ‘I love you but want to be away from you” kind of love, especially true with her older brothers. She does love her younger brother a little more, because he is so soft hearted.

Emile John Grant
Age:
19, 17
Profession:
Battlefield Medic
Looks:
Watch Speed Racer. That’s what he looks like 'cause that's who he's based on. He really does look like a younger version of his dad, Kayden Grant. He has brown hair so dark its almost black, and pale green eyes. He’s average in height, only 5’11’, but still lean and muscular, like all the men in his family.
Personality:
Soft hearted, quiet in bearing burdens, doesn’t complain. Unlike his older siblings and parents, he doesn’t want to kill things to help the war, instead, he wants to heal things to help the war. So he became a Medic. He loves his family, and is particularly fond of his younger sister.

Tayrien Valerie Grant
Age:
18, 15
Profession:
Singer
Looks:
She looks the most different than the rest of her family. Her hair is light brown that is thick, silky, and extremely curly. She has blue eyes that are just a shade lighter than her dad’s. She’s about 5’6”, putting her at second in height, and slender.
Personality:
She feels just a little left out of the family, as she is the only one who’s not really helping with the war. She loves to sing, and loves her family. She wishes the war would end so that her family would come back and stay back. She tries to be optimistic all the time, and tries to write inspiring music. She wishes there was something she could do to help the war, as she doesn’t like feeling left out of the family.

If you need any more info, don't hesitate to ask. I will try to provide. I have discovered that I have the tendency to be lax in describing my characters physically and mentally... For information on their stories, go to The Works of Artemis Standring

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Screaming into a Purple Pillow

I am never going to learn my lesson...

So my favorite TV show, Stargate: Atlantis, just started their 5th season. And I just got to watch the entire 4th season, which just came out on DVD. Not having a TV to watch what happens next cause it's only on the Sci Fi channel sucks...

Here's what happened. As soon as I knew that I had access to the 4th season, I started watching 4 episodes at a time when I got home from work. Meaning I was up until 2-3AM for almost a week. And I finished Friday night.

IT HAS THE WORST CLIFFHANGER ENDING I HAVE EVER SEEN! As soon as it was over, I screamed into my pillow until I thought I was going hoarse. I don't get to see anything else for a whole nother year!

GAH!

Aside from the ending, I think that last episode was really amazing.

And in other news, my Mom now has a job. At a gas station. It's really weird having her actually working outside the home.... But we are going through some finantually rough times, and the family needs the money.

Talking about money, that sort of leads me into my next story.

I came home from work Friday night, having ridden the train and bus to work because I wanted to save what little gas I had left, and when I turned into the driveway, MY CAR WAS GONE. Normally I park right behind the family suburban, but instead of my car, there was a black chevy blazer.

I panicked. Had my dad traded my car in for a new one? What was I going to do? I tried to stay calm, and when I went inside the house, I dropped my stuff in my room before coming back out into the dining room to see if I could find dad.

He came walking out of his bedroom, a very solumn expression on his face. My heart fell. He had. Then he said, "I'm sorry," and I almost lost it. Before I started yelling at him, I asked him if he got my stuff out of the car first. I keep all of my CD's in the car.

He frowned, and said, "What stuff?" I swear, I almost started crying. More than a hundred dollars in CD's, not to mention my best way to get to work, all down the drain because my dad wanted a new car.

Then he broke out into laughter, all smiles.

"I got you!" He said, smiling.

I breathed a GIANT sigh of relief. I don't think I have ever been so scared in my entire life, and I know that sounds kind of dumb, about a car...

But it's MY car, and I like having a car. It makes my life a whole lot easier when it comes to getting around.

There is the problem of paying for gas... But I figure if I get all my hours at work, and don't spend too much on clothes and books and movies especially, then I should be okay. And if I use the bus pass I have more than the car, at least until it expires in September.

Tomorrow is my birthday, but today was my family party. There were 3 of my cousins, who were the closest in age to me, two of which go to school only 30 miles away, two of my aunts, one who lives next door, and my mom's cousin who lives in the big city up north. Oh, and an aunt and uncle who live an hours drive away.

I got two pairs of slippers, one that has jelly belly jelly beans on it that also came with flip flops, and a pair that are SOOO comfortable! I also got a wolf tee shirt from Yellowstone, some money, a new sunday outfit, a book I have been meaning to read, a binder of recipes, another tee shirt, this one pink and plain, a makeup bag full of, you guessed it, makeup, and I can't remember what else. All in all, I had a great birthday party.

My BIG birthday party isn't happening until August 9th, though I don't know what time yet. I will reiterate that Balgram and her social circle are invited and that Cheez is also. I am also inviting the young single adults in my stake, and possibly my cousins. I don't know. We will be playing kickball, with waterballoons. It's going to be a blast!

And I discovered a new TV show that is awesome. It's called The Invisible Man. You should look it up, it's really cool. I got it at the library. It swears a little excessively, but that's the only thing bad about it. There's not a whole lot of violence, the good guy is a really good guy, and there is nothing past a kiss, sometimes not even that. It's a very ironic show, and can be extremely funny at times.

I would recommend any one see it.

I think that's all for now!

Laters!

Friday, July 4, 2008

Go, Speed Racer, Go!!!

I have known about Speed Racer for a long time. When I was younger, I remember watching a few episodes from a movie we got at the library. I now own the VHS that has all the episodes I saw as a kid, and now I have seen the movie.

GASP!

New writing genre!

In a nutshell, Speed Racer the movie (2008) was AMAZING! I don't think it's my new favorite movie, but it comes pretty close. (Edit Sunday 6th: Nope, it is my favorite movie! I saw it again!) It was visually stunning, with graphics that were just a little bit odd for this day and age where every graphic looks real, but put together, Speed Racer was something I cheered for. (Only in my mind. I'm not that rude in a theater...)

I went with my brother, cause we had nothing else to do. My parents are in Northern California right now, for something I'm not going to reveal yet, and my three youngest brothers are staying at my Aunt and Uncle's house, and hour away. I would have liked for my other brother to be there as well, but, I can't have everything I want... At least I don't have work today or tomorrow...

Birthday plans........

Lets just say there are none. I am having a 'party' on the 9th of August, which will substitute for my 'birthday party'.

What we are going to be doing is I'm reserving the ball field behind my stake center and we are going to have a BBQ and play wet kickball...

Allow me to elaborate: We will play normal kickball, only when someone is running around the bases, the other team has to try to hit them with, not the ball, but water ballons! Won't that be fun!

Anyway, Balgram and her social circle are all invited.

And the YSA group in my stake.

And my best friend Cheez.

And anyone else I can think of.

I want to have the biggest party ever, and have a blast. (Which will happen anyway if Balgram invites her group. You can't not have a good time with them...)

Anyone happen to know the cure for spending money? If you do, I would like to know... I'm not letting myself even step into a bookstore anymore... (I went in to get one book for my brother, ended but buying two books and a movie...)

Laters!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Since I said I would and didn't...

Okay. I think I have collected two notebook pages of stuff for this post... I need to post more often.. Anyway...

There is a guy at work who, while shorter than me, is the funniest guy to listen to, has read and loves everything Stephenie Meyer has published, and I try to tell myself I don't have a crush on him, but it doesn't work.
One day at work, I think it was because I was looking tired or something, he said something which I couldn't hear properly except for the word Princess. And he was obviously talking to be and calling me that word. Inside I was blushing and screaming like none else, which was the first clue that I like him.
Then, a few new girls came through, and he happened to be the one that traided them on the computers, and just listening to him chatting with them and helping them was enough to spark my jealousy. That was the second clue.
The two problems with the unexpected liking is that he is leaving on a mission in half a year, and is shorter than me. Not by much, but by enough. (Go ahead, laugh at me...)

So I saw Jessica and her mom one day, Balgram might remember who that is. First I talked to them at Barnes and Noble, then they spotted me later at Walmart. And I got her number, which was good.

Some pretty interesting names I have run across in my job, Zoran Alu-Acol and Fasi-He-Ngalu Kalawafoni....

There was this one phone call that was really funny. It was a husbend and wife on the speaker phone talking together about whether or not to buy the films I was selling. It was really funny to hear two people talking to me in one ear. (I am on douples now I normally have a person in each ear...)

And now at work two people are doing TRIPLES. I didn't even think that was possible! How they do it is the third computer is on a speaker and they never do the end screen, where they actually sell the films. They transfer it to someone who is only doing the end screen. And now they have everyone transfering, which means that I have to use the guy's voice (Gabe) instead of the girl's voice (Melissa). And it bugs the crap out of me, cause I can't go live when the computer can pronounce the name or they interupt and ask a question I don't know the button to.

And I got to train two girls. Me, training. When did that happen? I just started the job! Anyway, everyone jokes that I scared one of the girls off, cause she never showed up after two days training with me. The other girl is on vacation in Texas right now, but she has stayed.

While on the phone one time, I asked for a girl in Gabe's voice, and the man who had answered the phone shouted "You can't have her!" and hung up. ? I mean, ?

And one person I called has exactly the same name as my newest character.

One person's excuse for not having time to take the call is "Have to get off the line, I'm waiting for a call from the White House." ?

There was this one guy who bought films from me who made me take a 'test' before he gave out his credit card number. This was how it went.
"Who is your 'pastor'?" I answered, I don't have a pastor, I have a bishop, then gave his name.
"Do you take 'communion'?" I answered, I take the sacrament.
"What is your favorite scripture?" 1 Nephi 3:7. Then I recited it for him.
He finally bought the films, and afterwards I laughed so hard my side hurt. It was the funniest call I have every had!

One none job related thing is, Wednesday I took my brother to work and dropped him off at his friends house, picking him up afterward. When I got home, I had a brilliant idea. I went downstairs where the parents were watching a movie and I chatted with them for a little bit. Then, when my mom asked where Jo, my brother, was (like I knew she would), I put my hands to my mouth and gasped, like I had forgotten all about him. My mom groaned very loudly, and then I burst out laughing, saying I had gotten her. We had a good laugh, and I got my mom! Whee!

About my birthday, which will happen in less than a month, the next post will tell everything, mostly for Balgram's benefit, 'cause I think she is the only one who reads this...

Laters!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

And now I'm pissed...

So, I'm buying my parents car. I think I said that before. Anyway, now I use it to get to work and cut about a hour and a half off my commute to work.
Tonight, I was driving home, minding my own business, when ahead of me, maybe five car lengths, I could see the car in front of me was going way slower than myself. I was using cruise control, and didn't want to turn it off, so as I got closer, I got ready to change lanes and pass the super slow car. But as I turned on my signal and looked to the left, the car that had been ahead of me on that side was slowing down a whole ton. So I looked to the other side and the same thing! By this time I was really close the the car in front and had to slam on my breaks in order to not hit the vehicle.
THEN EVERYONE SPED UP AGAIN LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED! It was like they had slowed down on purpose, with no reason other than to bug me! There was no accident ahead, no blocked up traffic, less than thirty seconds after I had to slow down from 65mph to 30mph, it was clear again!
It doesn't even make sense!
I was pissed off the rest of the drive home and no amount of soothing music could calm my anger...

I just had to write that one down...

The rest of the stuff I have collected since the last post will come tomorrow, I think. Maybe later.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

I have so much to tell you! (And Balgram must read the entire post)

Lets start with how much fun my job can be at times: There are so many people who say the funniest things! One woman, convinced that I was a recording (which technically I am) asked if I had a current temple recommend. I went live and answered that I did. She listened to the rest of the script thoughtfully.


Some of the excuses people come up with are downright hilarious, one of which being that she was in labor. It didn’t sound like though…


One man with an adorable Irish or Scottish accent kept telling me to ‘get to the point’ in a really nasty voice.


One phone number led to a Sushi restaurant!


Someone’s name was O J Redhair, another’s name was Devin, and it turned out to be a girl.! When did that become a girl’s name?


And another person, Alan Fry, was the biggest flirt over the phone…!


Sometimes I want to wish the Bourne movies away, not because I hate them, but because they have ‘alerted’ people to the ‘fact’ that people ‘can intercept cell phone calls’. NOT! I wish people wouldn’t believe everything Hollywood thinks up. It is way over exaggerated.


There was one woman who had the last name of a family I remember from when I was twelve, and another man gave me some help on making my… I don’t know the word…better. He said that I had done a great job and that I had a great personality. (What’s really funny is that we use pre-recorded voices for everything!)


And yesterday we called Hawaii. Someone answered the phone with Aloha!


Oh and there’s a new guy at work named John who is 6’ 9”, adorable, and drives a blue mustang!

Aside from the job, I had so much fun last Saturday when my family was in Yellowstone, because I got the car while they were gone and Saturday I hung out with two of my friends!

I have discovered that since I have stopped buying books at Borders, I started buying movies at FYE. OOPS.

And I just bought Dungeons & Dragons the movie, and it is my new favorite movie, aside from the ending. But it has a scene in it, actually two or three, that I have watched over and over and over and over and over again, like over a hundred times… (Guilty of self induced depression….) And they are sad scenes. I have come close to tears each time I have watched one of the scenes. And I’m not going to tell you which one! Haha! If you’ve seen it and know all about my weirdness with movies, than you will know what scene I’m talking about. If not, too bad.

However, on the DVD of D&D, there is a PC extra that I printed off. It was a D&D fast play game based on the movie, and I played it with my two youngest brothers and had a blast as the DM. Wheeee! I should play more often… If only I had time and access to the D&D group my BFF is in…

I do, however, want to ask my BFF Balgram if she or her brother might be willing to be DM for a YSA group D&D activity one time. (I personally think it would be so much fun, I just haven’t talked to the group yet. It’s all girls, and I’m not sure how they will like it. Just a question though…)

And I haven’t talked about my week home alone yet!

My family left for Yellowstone on Friday the 6th, and I was home alone the entire time. And since I had gotten my driver’s license on Tuesday (Squeal!), I got to drive the car the entire time they were gone, from Friday to Wednesday the next week. It was a blast! It was wikabang! (That’s my new word, in case you didn’t know… It’s a combo of wicked and bad said really fast on accident… It’s a great exclamation!)
Anyway, got of subject… The entire time, I had until 1pm before I had to leave for work, instead of the normal 11am. It was heaven! And I got to listen to what ever music I wanted, however loud I wanted it, with the bass pumping the floor like none else! It was the best time I have ever had in a lifetime! And like I said before, after work on Saturday I hung out with two of my friends, Cheez and Dani. We ate at Del Taco then went and saw College Road Trip in the local dollar theater. It was the funniest show ever! I love Martin Lawrence!

I think I just ran out of things to talk about…

No! I have one more thing!

I’m buying my parents car from them, and not moving out for a long time.
The car, I’m paying the last year of payments until it is all paid off, then it’s mine. Because of that, I won’t have money to move out, or go to college next year. But no worries! I will have a car! And I won’t have to ride the bus 5 hours a day just to get to and from work!
Ain’t it grand!

I have also finally seen the movie Blood and Chocolate, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who has read the book, and recommend it to everyone who hasn’t, then recommend the book as a completely separate story. The movie was terrible compared to the book, but it was a great story by its self.

And I love the music on the Blood and Chocolate CD, almost all of which is NOT in the movie.

And I’m done. For now.


Laters!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Moving/Not, Job, Zack A., and a great deal of rambling

Written 11:42pm-1:23am, the night before.

(You don’t have to read everything. It kind of rambles closer to the end as it got later and later.)

So I was planning on talking happily about the apartment that I would be moving into on Monday. I was going to write about how I had gone to the management office, applied, and got an apartment where my new job is now. I would have raved about how great it was with the two pools, the cheap rent, and the walking distance to my work.
Well, I did go to the management office, but I did not get an apartment.
The reason?
I have no credit. And no credit score. Big whoop. Comes from not believing in credit cards and never buying a car.
The alternatives were as follows: Have someone else over the age of 18 submit to a credit score check and guarantee that I would pay rent, or pay the entire lease up front.
The first, my parents said ‘No way.’ The second, I said ‘I don’t have that kind of money.’
So, I’m back to getting a driver’s license and getting home after midnight on weekdays.

Let’s just say that my job great.
Today, we started at the new workplace. And I had two phone calls that were a little more stressful than normal.
The first, because I had to go live every call to ask for the person because there were some problems that were still being fixed, I asked for the woman’s name when a man answered the phone. He asked who I was and I stayed live because it’s just easier that way before the actual person answers. I said, in the same tone and inflection and everything as the recording, who I was and were I was calling from, then asked if the woman was available again. He immediately began saying stuff like I don’t like your tone and even after I apologized, he still was practically yelling at me. After about a minute, he finally gave up yelling and hung up. Yuck. Some people….
The second, I was talking to a woman who had decided that she did want to get the films I was selling, but wanted to do the split pay that we offered. After I got her credit card number, I asked her to hold while I asked someone how to do the split pay, which I had never done before. Halfway through learning how, the computer program which we use turned off on my computer. I panicked, of course. The woman would probably think she had been scammed! I also felt terrible! I immediately asked someone how I could call her back, and after I learned all I needed to fix it, I tried calling the woman back every 2-5 minutes. After a while, I finally got her back on the phone and began apologizing very profusely. She was more understanding than I could have hoped for, but had decided to wait a few months. I apologized some more, then we said goodbye and hung up.

Our new workplace has a lot of windows. While I worked, I was able to watch the trees as the breezes gently blew. While I watched, I caught a glimpse of someone I knew and had a crush on for a long time. He was someone I knew when I lived farther south than where I am now. He went to marine corps boot camp before he went on an LDS mission. When he got back from boot camp, he was the most gorgeous, tanned, muscular, blond haired, blue eyed man I have ever seen. Sigh… Then when he got back from his mission he worked with the young men, then he got married… Sigh… Oh well…

Oh, yeah… And about my phone… last Friday, I got on the bus home, checked something on my phone, then did something with it, what exactly it was, I have forgotten. When I got off the bus and went to wait for the train, the bus left for the garage, and I realized that my phone was still on it. I was so scared that I would never get my $220 phone back. The next day, when dad got home from work, he held his phone out to me for me to listen to something. It was a voice message from the bus driver saying that he had found my phone and that I could pick it up anytime after Tuesday at the lost and found. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get it until today. I am so happy that I have it back now… Sorry to any one who tried to call or text during the week… I have it back now….

‘Satan’s Camaro. In my backyard. It’s stalking me!’
That’s my new favorite quote. If anyone can guess what it’s from, kudos to you.

I’m running out of things to ramble about….

Guess what my favorite car is!
Dodge Charger.
Haha, you never would have guessed!
I just love the aggressive face it has! It’s so beautiful!

You know what is really hard about my job? I don’t agree with most of the stuff. Sure, I like the videos that I’m selling, but I don’t believe that it’s getting harder and harder to find positive entertainment. Just this month I saw a really cute and clean move called Penelope. The Narnia movies are good, Transformers may have a ton of swear words, but it has great themes through out.

I think I want to make computer wallpaper…. To bad I need a way better computer, and some graphic manipulating program.

The only unrealistic thing in Transformers is the fact that the robots make groans and cries as if stuff really hurts them. There probably is some explanation somewhere, but I haven’t found it, unless I’m just being stupid and unobservant.

You can tell what I’m thinking about right now…

I would stop writing, but I’m not going to be until the movie is over, and I’m still in the middle of the big battle at the end.

Maybe what I’m going to do to get some credit on my record is get some kind of simple, small loan from the bank, use the money to buy a great laptop, and pay it off before the summer is over. That’s what my mom suggested, sort of. Only she said that the money should go into a savings account. Only I would rather use the money for something useful, rather than just to get some credit on my record…

How can Megatron smell Sam, he is a robot and has no olfactory senses? Just a question…

Kay, I totally take back everything I said last post about college and everything that had to do with that subject. I don’t want to go to college, I don’t want to get anything higher than an associates degree. I don’t want to do anything other than write sorties for the rest of my life. Oh, and have a family. That’s pretty high on my list of things to do. Plus, I need a husband that would be able to support me while I wrote. Not a paper pusher, and only maybe a military man, only if he is gorgeous. (See how shallow I am?) Maybe a teacher, if he teaches something cool and isn’t like my dad was, staying at work until way past school hours just cause he likes to work. I would rather have a husband who would rather spend time with his family. And who will go to church on a regular basis, and who is healthy. I think I need to take a cooking class…

Movies I want to see in theaters now….
Indiana Jones 4
Prince Caspian (AKA Narnia 2)
Speed Racer

Movies I want to see in theaters in the future…
Batman
Harry Potter 6
TWILIGHT
Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D
Winged Creatures
Transformers 2


Inner voice (AKA voice of reason) : “Do you know how late it is?”
Me: “Yeah…”
I V: “It’s after one in the morning. What are you still doing up with everything you need to do in the morning?”
Me: “Finishing Transformers?”
I V: “Are you unsure?”
Me: “No…
I V: “Oh, just go to bed…”

Another thing that bugs me about Transformers is that Bumblebee, through out the entire movie is a really hip, cool robot who talks through the radio. He acts kind of like the newbie, but in a way that makes him even more cool. Then, at the end, he speaks, and out comes this weird, English accent that just doesn’t fit his personality. What is with that?

And why do the robots have to blink!?

Oh yeah. I also wanted to talk about how I’m never going to the dentist again. But I will have to do that some other time, because the movie is over, and I have to go to bed now. I really do have a ton to do tomorrow…

Adieu!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Getting A Car

Here's a little bit of info:

My new job is more than an hour bus ride from where I live. And at night, I just barely have enough time to catch the last bus back north. On Saturdays when I have to work, however, there is no bus that runs as early as I need it to be. Mom promised that she would drive me, but said that I should get my license. After further investigation, I have discovered that when my workplace moves to it's new home, I won't be able to catch the bus home. Therefore, I need to get a car.

I am so excited!

It's probably just going to be a cheap car, under a thousand dollars, and not very new. However, if it will get me to and from work every day, it will be the best thing ever!
I have yet to investigate how much insurance will cost, but with my new job, I think I will be okay. I might not be able to go to school full time in the fall though. (Yeah!) Not that I want to any way, but you know. The 'rents think it's best for me... Maybe once I have established myself financially I will be able to start going to school full time, which is what I need to do if I'm ever going to finish college in what I want, which has changed drastically since I started school last year.

Let me explain. When I finished high school, I had decided that I wanted to be an American Sign Language interpreter. I wanted that for a while, then it's slowly changed back to being a librarian, until I learned that I would have to do a lot more schooling for that. So then I didn't know what I wanted. When I went with a friend to the college I'm going to transfer too, I changed it again, to just plain English, with a creative writing emphasis. That changed again when I got interested in forensic science again. Now, I don't like science very much, but I think that I would be able to get through all the hard and boring science classes if I know that I would be able to do what I'm really interested in.

What started the interest back up again (I have been interested in this kind of stuff since I was 12, and I get it from my grandma, of all people...) was, I have to admit, the TV show CSI, then CSI: NY (which is way better). Of course, having read a whole lot of books on the subject prior, I knew that most of the timing and scenarios weren't very realistic. After watching a whole bunch of that (and when I say a whole bunch, I mean a TON), I went to a fireside that my church was holding where George Throckmorton, the forensic expert who cracked a bit case in the 1980's, spoke about the case. I was totally entralled, and knew that that was what I wanted to do. Not what he did exactly, he emphesises on forgeries, but solving crimes, proving theories, that kind of things.
I definitely don't want to be a pathologist or anthropologist. Maybe DNA or trace, but both of those involve nano-microscopic things, and I was terrible in my nanotech class last year. Didn't understand anything. Can't comprehend things that small. Maybe I'll be a digital forensic scientist. I'm good with technology. Or maybe I'll be an actual investigator, who knows a little bit of everything, and actually goes to the crime scenes to document it.

Well, that's a lot of talking, and I have to finish getting ready for work...

P.S.
My grandparents and aunt are staying at my house for my grandma's 80th birthday!

Laters!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

New Obsession, New Job, and a really cute guy

New Obsession:

CSI: New York. Just the name gives me the chills! I really like how it is a combination of science and police work, until CSI (Watched this first), where it's mostly science. My all time favorite episode is the season finale for season one. I think I have watched the first two minutes of that episode about a hundred times (No joke!) I even started a story idea based on it! I'm way obsessed. Maybe even more than SG:A, because I went out and bought the first season of CSI:NY, but not SG:A, at least, not until a while after the obsession faded...

New Job:

I'm finally leaving the fast food business. Wahoooo! Instead, I'm going to be selling family videos over the phone. I'm going to be a telemarketer! But it pays good, is only a two minute walk from where I'm planning on moving to, and is a sit down job, a big relief after a job where I was ALL WAYS standing up.

A Really Cute Guy:

As I was walking home from work today, a young man stopped me. He looked about my age, with skin darker than mine and a really cute face. He asked me if I rode the bus, and I said yes, what could I help him with. He said that he was trying to sell bus tokens for $1, which is pretty cheap now. I apologized to him, and told him that I had a bus pass from my school, and continued walking. Normally, this sort of thing wouldn't leave such a big mark on me, but he was REALLY cute!


Laters