November Overview

It's pretty embarrassing, how I've let this blog slip through my fingers. It's something that I really enjoy. I love to put my thoughts down here, even if not many people read them. It's just fun to write, and to do different kinds of writing.
One of the reasons I got so backed up was that I felt like I had to post about Thanksgiving before I did anything else....welllllllll, I knew that post would have to include pictures and an actual description of what we did. That would take awhile. So, I pushed that post and so never posted anything. Now, I have 4 days till the end of 2012, and I haven't written anything since...maybe the 2nd of November? Yeah, like I said, embarrassing.

I shall do a very brief update of November and do December later.
First? What else? Thanksgiving! Haha!
With only four people in the house, we all agreed it made no sense to cook an enormous meal. So, we took the easy out and headed to Cracker Barrel for a full Thanksgiving spread. My personal plate is pictured below, with green beans as the chosen vegetable, and the root beer in the top right corner. It was quite tasty after watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, especially. :)

Now onto Nano.
I have completed my tenth book, Mind Runners. I finished the novel on the 30th at 11:30 pm, so only 30 minutes from the deadline. Yes, it was a close call. I basically bolted myself into my room and into my chair and typed as fast as I could. It was a whirlwind but was exhilarating. The novel turned out to be over 52,000 words which was super exciting. My highest count yet!

It was quite an experience this year, and very different from past years. Not only was it my first time on the adult site, but I had the minimum goal of 50,000 which (though it was only 5,000 more than what I hit last year) seemed ridiculously daunting.
There were also many other things I went through this November in regards to Mind Runners. I went through a dark plot with the most depraved and hopeless characters I've ever written. I had the most complicated plot and a refurbished style of writing, actually beginning to accomplish the common saying to writers "show don't tell" in regards to descriptions. I also managed to thread a color motif into the plot which made me giggle because it was such a "nerdy-writer" thing. Haha! And then there was the internal war of "making a good story" vs following what I believe and why I started writing in the beginning. It was a difficult struggle and I nearly didn't finish the novel because of it. However, the Lord was gracious and allowed me to follow my convictions while also feeding me another plot so I could finish the story.
And, though I thought even if I finished the novel I would lock it in a drawer and allow no one to read it, I'm actually very proud of the book. One, because of all the a fore mentioned writing improvements, and two, because the ending is actually pretty cool (to me, at least), and makes a dark, dismal book worthwhile to read. Again, at least to me. Haha!
  

Prologue

     This is the prologue to my novel Mind Runners that I'm writing for Nano. Enjoy and please comment. :)

Prologue

    The heartbroken sobs of an almost-mother soaked through the steel passages of the hospital. Dr. Fields sat in his office, his ears once again annoyed by the sound he heard nearly every hour. They were pathetic, these women sniveling over something that was never theirs to begin with. His disgust at them built up behind his eyes, shading the pupils’ color to a discomforting black. These women were utterly devastated and yet the procedure was so simple, he mocked. He had been there, so many times. A woman came in, needing a doctor for the delivery. He would, as always, have to take an examination of the child and then tell the mother of the alleged disease. So easily convinced their child would die without an immediate operation, the women were always eager to proceed with any recommended treatment. Then, it was just a matter of removing the child, a quick cut and snip.

     It was rather fascinating, Dr. Fields thought, to watch how each mother handled the news of the death of her child. Some were strong and held their face calm as they were fed the information, but they all broke. Eventually, they would all break down. He’d been known to stand outside the closed door of the operating room and wait for the sounds of tears.

     It was always an annoyance to have to show the body of the child to the mother. Why the women didn’t simply leave, he would never understand. They all insisted to be shown their child. They were all shown a child: a mock-up of a child, a silicon fabrication placed safely behind a wall of glass so the truth was never discovered. It was the created disease that required the glass. No, the women were never allowed to hold their children. But, this mattered nothing to him. He needed the children. The women provided the children, and he in turn provided them with a reason to live without the child they had carried in their womb. He needed nothing else to suffice his conscious. It was enough.

     The clack of footsteps disturbed Dr. Fields reverie, and a young man dressed in a gray coat appeared at the open door.

     “Excuse me, Dr. Fields.”

     Dr. Fields eyes flicked to the man, without turning his head.

     “The operation was successful, and the contributor has been informed. The next embryo has already been prepped for enhancement.”

     A few minutes later, Dr. Fields stood in front of an operating table. Before him lay the pasty, gurgling newborn. His tiny hands were closed into precious fists as he wriggled on the table, his white skin painfully contrasting to the inhuman silver board on which he lay. Dr. Fields picked up a syringe and stuck it into a vile. Slowly, the suction pulled up a thick, mercury colored liquid. Without ceremony, he turned, placed a hand on the infant’s chest to keep him still, and slid the needle into the child’s forehead.

     A cry fit to strangle the heart rang through the room as the baby lashed out, but the vice of the doctor kept him in place until every drop of serum had been pumped into the helpless infant.   

Through the Telescope of a Sunday School Lesson

      Hello all. I'm taking a little time out of my day to write this post. I haven't written anything here in a long time, and that's for several reasons. One, I've been busy (pretty much a given). Two, NANO! Three, if I do get free time from writing my novel and school, I usually have other things to waste my time with than blogging. Haha!
     However, I have to post SOMETHING to keep you guys up to date. ;) Let's recap some things. By the way, this is probably going to be a long post.... :D

     This week has been really good. I had a fabulous Sunday school class about giving thanks. My leader (Jeremy) talked about a timeline. It looked something like this:
-----------------/----------------/-----------------/-----------------/---------------/-----------------
   Extraordinarily         Hard           Ordinary        Good       Extraordinarily
     Hard Times            Times            Times           Times       Good Times

    Then, Jeremy dissected what fell into these categories and how much (percentage) time of our life (for the most part) is spent around the *actual* activity. Repercussions of an event could last for years, but we just looked at the actual event.                                              
1% E.H.T. = death, divorce
5% H.T. = financial trouble, failing a class (or being a failure at life--one guy suggested--haha!)
O.T. =  (he left this one blank)
7% G. T. = having money, good grades
1% E.G.T. = marriage, birth

     Jeremy asked us, how much time does that then leave us in the last slot? Answer? 86%
Most humans will spend 86% (give or take) of their lives in a regular state of living. How does that figure into our thankfulness? I shall explain.
     When we are in good times, we're thankful and when we're in extraordinarily good times, we're thankful--maybe not even as thankful as we should be. Now, when in extraordinary hard or regular hard times, we may not feel like being thankful, but we as Christians know we are supposed to be thankful. So, at least we try to be thankful. What about in the ordinary times? What about those days where you get out of bed, take a shower, get dressed and go about your day. You might see some friends; you might talk to family. You'll probably use your car, too. You'll definitely eat and use the bathroom; you'll most likely use your dishwasher, sit on a chair, and turn the lights on, too. Hopefully, you'll open your Bible as well.
     ...See where I'm going with this?
     Are we truly thankful in those "ordinary times?" Those days that take up 86% of the time God has given us on Earth? Are we thankful for that clock that tells us what time it is so we don't have to be running outside every five minutes to look at where the sun is in the sky? Are we thankful for the chair we sit in everyday?
Are we really thankful for the underwear we're wearing? And I mean, REALLY thankful? Have you thanked God for your underwear lately? I'm being totally serious right now. Stop laughing. Haha! :D
     I look at my own life and find millions of things I not only take for granted hourly but don't even *think* to give thanks for. Case in point, the underwear example. I confess I have not given thanks for my underwear ever in my life. But in all seriousness, what I take for granted and am not consciously giving thanks for EVERY DAY: my house, the cars(!) that get us places before tomorrow, a house full of food, electricity, a loving family that loves me and parents that are still married after 32 years, college, and my salvation.
     Of course, I could make a list a mile long with things like that, but the one that hit me the most as Jeremy was talking, was school. I think I've told *everyone* that I have 4 tests this week, 1 for each class I'm taking. I've been rather complaining about it too, thinking of "how hard" it's going to be. After Sunday school? The Lord had changed my entire attitude. Guys, I *get* to go to school. I'm allowed by God, my parents, and the government to go to college and better my education. I *get* to go to school. How many can say that? Not as many as you'd like to think.
     But, Jeremy's lesson wasn't over with simply pointing out how we have to be consciously thankful every day even in those "ordinary times." He also talked about not being thankful. He pointed out so many sins that stem from not being thankful. Pride, selfishness, meanness, a general bad attitude, and even a "ho-hum" attitude. If you're focused on being thankful to God for the talents he's given to you, where is there room for pride? If you're focused on being thankful to God for all the blessings he's bestowed to you, how can you be selfish? If you're completely immersed in being thankful to God for every day, every person, and every thing in your life, then how are you able to walk around with a bad attitude? How can you help but have a grin on your face? Look how much He's blessed you with? Look how much God loves you!

     Whew. Okay. I've wanted to get that out since Sunday, and I feel better having written it. Anyway, that whole thing was the back story to why this week (and only on Wednesday) has been really good. I keep thinking about the Sunday school lesson and that 86%. 86% keeps bouncing around. I would say today has been pretty ordinary. Have I been thankful today? Hmm, not as much as I could be, if at all.
    I was thankful yesterday, though. I'm not saying that in a prideful way, or in a way to point you out if you weren't. I just know that I felt confident in the Lord that He would give the election to Romney. I was sure of it. Well, the Lord did not give the election to Romney, and I wasn't nearly as depressed, sad, or maybe even angry that I think I might have been. That Sun. school lesson really helped. I basically shrugged my shoulders and said, "Okay God, that's Your will. What's next?" I'm not sure if people think that sounds ignorant and like-a-teenager, but that's how I felt.

     Well, I was going to write about Nano, but you guys are probably tired of reading. And, I'm really hungry. It's 1, and I haven't eaten lunch. So, I shall save all the Nano stuff for another post that hopefully will get written before December.
     Oh, I shall also be posting the prologue to my novel up here. :D Please, please, puh-lease comment and tell me what you think of it. Even if you don't like it, I'd love your comments.

Today

So much has happened today of worth that facebook was insuffient to write it all down. Well, this morning, everything started off really well with the drop in temperature. How can you go outside on a morning so brisk in a bad mood? Yes, it's easy; I know. But today, I was happy. :) I was wearing my pair of skinny jeans which I am unafraid to post about loving, my purple "converse," and a scarf. On top of that, I had an Upside Down Caramel Macciado (sp?) from Starbucks as I walked into class. In class, I got the highest test grade I've gotten in that class, and I was super ecstatic about it! :D
Now for the ride home. Oh, I must preface this story by letting you know one thing. Most of the road I traverse while going to and from school is all one lane....yeah, you know where this is going. Anyway, I asked to drive since I hadn't driven to school this morning. I turned onto this one road and had to slow way down because there was this silver truck totally putzing. Sighing, I slowed down and then Mom noticed that a gold van was in front of the silver truck and was the putzing culprit. We were in a 30 mph zone (where everybody goes *at least* 35 if not 40) and I was driving at 17 mph. I was really frustrated. Well, the truck took a quick chance and zoomed out illegally to pass the van. Mom made sure to tell me I was not going to be doing that. Haha! So, I had to wait. I nearly reached the point of ferocious road rage...ok, not really, but you get the idea. I mean, this is what they teach you in driving school to NOT do!
Something that perked me up after that was the knowledge that Mom had bought me two plain Panera bagels. Yummy! Yummy! Yes, that made me happy. Upon arriving home, I released my tension by putting Josh Groban on and making myself a bagel and cream cheese. Now, as I write this, I'm munching on my bagel with cream cheese, and You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) is playing in the background.
Happier and no longer frustrated with incompetent drivers as well as fed, I have math homework in my sights with some English research and chores.
Have a good day! :D

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."
--Kung Fun Panda

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!

I've reached a new stage in my life. I've carved a pumpkin. There's just something about shaping a vegetable into a predetermined object that elevates you to a new level of consciousness. Haha! No, I'm just kidding. But it was fun. Let me tell you the story. :)

At my community college, they were having this event of pumpkin carving. Several booths were set up with huge tubs of pumpkins. You could carve your pumpkin, paint it, stick feathers and glitter all over it, and more. I originally wasn't going to go, but one of my friends was working the event. That got me thinking, and then I realized that I might never actually get around to carving a pumpkin ever again. So, I went. 

I knew immediately what I wanted to do. I wanted to carve my pumpkin into Cinderella's carriage. Fitting, right? Probably not super original, but still. 

I found a good size pumpkin, signed a release form (basically if I chopped off a finger, I couldn't sue), and got to hacking. I poked holes all around the stem, but had to get a nearby guy to yank it out...he broke off the stem. Hahaahahaha! We got the top of eventually, though. Then, I put on the plastic gloves and relieved my pumpkin of it's inner gunk.

Paint time! There was a station for spray paint and I headed over there. After sifting through quite a few empty cans, I found a silver one. It was my first time spray painting, and it was fun. Then, I hit the carving station. They had these little knives and then these tiny, thin--thin like toothpicks--metal things that had serrated edges. I didn't think the toothpicks would hold up, so I started using the knife...but it kept cutting on a rounded edge. Rather frustrating. I picked up the toothpick saw and went to work. It cut through that pumpkin skin like crazy. I did end up breaking one off at the handle, but they had extras. 

So, now my carriage was starting to take shape. Last top was the paintbrush-paint station. That's where I added the wheels, vines, and curtains. If you remember, there are pink curtains in the carriage. I tried to represent them properly. :D

I had a lot of fun and am quite proud of my creation. It's been sitting in the kitchen since I brought it home and is now growing mold. The top is sinking through the hole; the inside is turning brown. And then of course, there are the little fuzzy patches that are starting to appear. Still, I really like it, and am proud of my first attempt to turn a vegetable into a predetermined object. :D You should go out and try it too! And don't forget the spray paint! 

Pictures from all sides reside below. Let me know what you think! 

Twiddling My Toes

It's been a slow day. I woke up at 5:11 this morning, hacking and hacking. Then, I was unable to go back to sleep. I've been tired all day because of this, and I haven't been able to muster much energy or ambition. So, I'm sitting downstairs right now, with my feet propped up on our coffee table, wiggling my toes back and forth to a nice pulsating rhythm.

I have managed to do a few things lately. I've decorated the house for fall, something I've been wanting to do for awhile. Mom and I went to the store, and I got a pumpkin and some gourds and some dried corn. It looks quite autumnal in here, but the "sage-ey" smell pumping out from Mom's air-freshener/diffuser is messing with the whole thing. It's supposed to smell like lilac and rosemary, but it's just coming out sage.

I'm still gearing up for Nano. In other words, getting more nervous. Thanks to a post from a Nano user and the brilliance of Kathryn (and a little genius of my own-haha) I've finally nailed down the end of my novel. I'm very sad, because it will be very sad. One character which you're supposed to like from the beginning and which I liked from the moment I created him is going to turn out to be a coward and pretty pathetic. :( And, other characters will turn out to be heartless. It's all very depressing, very fitting for the novel's overall aura, but still depressing. And you know I'm the "happy-ending" kind of person. Still, I know it's going to be a very good end, and I'm pretty sure I can write it successfully.

I've been working on a secret project for awhile now; it's a labor of love, really. It's been a bit challenging/ frustrating at times, but it's been a lot of fun. I worked on more of it today, and it will soon be finished. When it's done and is no longer a secret, I shall post some pictures. Anyway, I just felt like sharing that I really have enjoyed working on this project because of the fact that it is a labor of love. Aren't those just the best?

I shall leave you with a random quote today as I continue to twiddle my toes over here. It's from the movie National Treasure between Ben and Riley.

Riley: "This is huge...*prison* huge. You are gonna go to prison."
Ben: "Yeah, probably."
Riley: "That would...bother most people."

Fitting In

You fold yourself up.
Pull up the sides,
And bind them with tape.
Next comes the lid.
You forcefully pull it down.

You're in the dark,
Helpless and hopeless.
Why did you do this?
What was the point?
You don't remember.

It's getting close.
It's getting hot.
You're can't breath.
Suffocation.
You have to get out now!

You push at the lid,
But you fastened it to tightly,
Trying to ensure
It would never come off.
You put yourself here.

There's very little time left
For you to save yourself.
Soon, you'll be lost
Forever in the dark,
Helpless, hopeless.

You push once more at the lid, at the walls.
It's a last effort.
One final attempt to save yourself,
To remain alive,
To remain you.

The walls are weakening.
It seems you didn't bind them
As firmly as you thought.
You can still come out of this.
You can still be free.

The tape releases.
The walls fall down.
The lid is off.
Air rushes in, up, around you.
There is light!

Freedom!
It's never felt so wonderful!
Never to be taken for granted again.
You are saved.
You are still you.

Daily Joy/Daily Chore

Random inspiration for another poem.

Bubbles, Froth
Streaming, Swirling
Back and Forth
Back and Forth
Submerge
Emerge
Pat, pat, pat
Ahhhhhh

Getting into Politics

I'm not a big one for reading different articles and going and digging stuff up. I'll do it sometimes, but there's other stuff I want to spend my time doing. I look up articles on politics and such even less than other stuff. How I usually end up hearing about stuff is from having the radio on in the morning as I get ready. Well, this morning I heard something that honestly, disgusted me. Telling my mom my opinion wasn't enough. I felt like I needed to share it here.

This is what I heard: The Sesame Street corporation is denying its allowance for President Obama to use Big Bird in his campaign adds.

Okay, if the president cannot come up with a better campaign idea than using a random statement made by his opponent to fuel his adds, what plan does he have to improve this country that would make voters want him as a president? If the president can't stand on his own two feet without using the giant orange and pink ringed ones of a humongous yellow bird as a crutch, what is he going to stand on while he wrecks our country for another four years? And if the president is so desperate to keep the population's eyes on him that he has to use a children's fictional character, who will he get to represent him when he's too busy NOT taking care of domestic and especially international issues like Libya?

November is coming guys. We have the opportunity and the duty to structure our government. Let us not disregard this rare and beautiful gift. Let us fight for America, for our rights, for our children's future, for our freedom, and for our very lives!

It's October!

It's October, guys! It's October! Do you know what that means? It means good weather will be here shortly. It means we're out of September (haha!). It means we're half-way through the school semester. And it also means...that Nano is only a month away!
Every October the site gets a revamp to clean out old posts and just start fresh. Well, they've now revamped and they put in a posting area just for names. I basically spent the last hour in that forum just enjoying dreaming up cool names for things and then letting people know about them. This used to be a hobby of mine in the YWP program, and now that the "Name Bank" area is now in the adult program, I'm super excited. This could be a bad thing though. Haha! I could get addicted!
Also, I'm worried about this Nano. It'll be my first year balancing it with college and most importantly, my research project including a 10 page paper. The other big reason for worries is that the novel is not fully formatted yet. I've got a beginning and an end...but no middle. Yep, basically there's no plot.
So! I'm going to get off here, go eat lunch and while I'm eating, I shall find that elusive plot. Hopefully. :)

The September Slump

September is nearly over, and I must say I'm happy about that. This is my first year to discover what Kathryn calls "The September Slump." It's basically this black hole of time after the first two weeks of school till the beginning of October. During this time, the first tests come, quizzes are in full swing, homework is coming fast and furious, and you might even be writing papers or at least starting research. Free time is thrown out the window as you're working till 10,11,12 or later to knock out your work.

Well, for me, school was really enjoyable when it started. I went through the first (around) two weeks pretty much in a breeze. Then, I hit this wall. Quizzes, tests, and heavy homework were flying towards me and I started getting so tired EVERY day. I would fall into bed only to get back up at 6 the next morning to do the same thing. I was on the phone with Kathryn telling her how this last week had been pretty rough and I was looking at the week we're currently going in, a bit scared of all the stuff due. She comforted me (haha) by telling me that it's simply the September slump and will right itself out as soon as October comes (because October is when good weather starts down here). And truly, weather makes such a difference. 

Well, today, after a long Mon-Thurs as well as a hard week last week, I finally realized that my heavy load was over. I'd gotten over the hump. I'd pulled out of the slump. Granted, we still have 3 days of September to go, but I think I've got a handle on this thing now. I've been managing my time well and I now have a solid idea of how much work goes into each class (for right now, of course.) ;)

Ahhh, now I'm looking forward to October and that nicer weather. 

The Mirror in Your Room

I recently went to a meeting of the writing club at Lonestar. We did a writing prompt about writing a quatrain. A quatrain is a difficult kind of poem to write. It is four stanzas long with four lines a stanza, and each stanza must have only 8 syllables. Also, there is one line that is repeated throughout every stanza but switched around in wording. One of the prompts was "I bought a mirror for your room." I chose this one to write my poem about, but had to tweak it to "I bought the mirror in your room." I'm so happy with how this turned out. Enjoy!

I bought the mirror in your room
'Cause you don't see yourself enough.
You never realize that you
Have everything you need to do

Anything you want. I wish I
Could open your eyes to all that's
Within your character, shown in
Your room, in the mirror I bought.

The life inside you is lost on
You, on others. It seems you need
The mirror in your room. I bought
It today, it's simple and

Beautiful just like you. Look in
The mirror I bought in your room.
Please try and see yourself for once.
And just, just love yourself for you.

Philosophical Philosophies in Philosophy

I hope, through the title, to convey some of the confusion that's been running rampant through my mind as I struggle through my Philosophy class this semester. It has been rather a struggle the entire course (and I'm only in the 3rd week), but I'm hoping that hard work will prevail. Also, I'm going through the class with a friend, and it has helped immensely to have her there. She is certainly an anchor in "the corrupt sands of commerce"--You've Got Mail.

That quote above is "not a precise definition, but it's an exact Oxford."--A Wrinkle in Time (audio tapes) Yes, now I am showing off, but I couldn't help it. ;)

Anyway, I wanted to share something really funny about yesterday's class. There is a possibility that once this is all typed up, it won't sound so funny, but it was funny at the time--and is still humorous in my head, so I'm going to set it down.

My philosophy teacher, is somewhat of a quirky character. (I think all philosophy teachers must be, though.) That's just to set you up for what's coming. Anyway, he calls on a man in my class (Mr. N for the sake of privacy) to read aloud a section from our textbook. This textbook is a compilation of Socratic dialogues. 

Mr. N. "What about someone who believes in beautiful things but does not believe in the beautiful itself?"

Prof: "Mr B" (not for the sake of privacy this time--just can't remember his name)"please point to a beautiful thing in this room."

Mr. B: "Uh.........that guy" *pointing at Mr. N*

The whole class kind of sighs as our teacher said, "OH MY!" Haha! 

Prof: "Now, please point to the beautiful itself."

Mr. B: "Uh.........."

Now, as I have learned, one cannot point to the beautiful itself because "beauty" is a form. It is an ideal; it does not interact with time and space and is therefore not physical. 

Prof: "Mr. N, please read the same passage."

Mr. N: "What about someone who believes in beautiful things but does not believe in the beautiful itself?"

Prof: "Mr. B, please point to a beautiful thing in this room."

Mr. B.-not wanting to get into trouble again-"Every woman in this room."

Prof: "Please pick one." 

Mr. B points to a girl. 

Prof: "Now, please point to the beautiful itself."

Mr. B-still unsure-"Uh....."

My professor teaches us more about the ideal vs. the physical. 

Prof: "Mr. N, please read again."

Mr. N: "What about someone who believes in beautiful things but does not believe in the beautiful itself?"

Prof: "Mr. B, please point to a beautiful thing in this room."

Mr. B-definitely not going to get unsettled this time--"The girl in the green jacket." *turns to her* "You are beautiful." (The look she gave him was "gee-thanks!" haha)

Prof: "Now, please point to the beautiful itself."

Mr. B: "You can't?"

Prof-very excitedly-"You CAN'T!"

He again emphasizes the difference between ideal vs. physical. But this time, he goes deeper, telling us about how physical things are mere copies of the ideal.

Prof: "Mr. N, please read the passage again."

Mr. N: "What about someone who believes in beautiful things but does not believe in the beautiful itself?"

Prof: "Mr. B, please point to a copy of a beautiful thing."

Mr. B: *pointing to my friend* "The girl in the blue jacket."

Prof--to my friend-- "Ahhh, you are only a copy of beauty." All laughed at the joke. 

Sooo, that gives you rather the idea of how classes go. Now, it's probably not going to be very funny to you as you read it. I suppose it's funny because of the voices to read it in. I promise you, Mr. N, read that sentence with the same inflection every time. Quite humorous. 

Contemplations of Writing

My honors English class that I'm taking this semester requires us to read Huckleberry Finn. Since I'd never read it before, I was eagerly looking forward to delving into it. Well, I hope no one has a heart attack or anything but I do not really care for the novel. Now, I have not finished it yet; I have roughly 100 pages left.

I can't seem to get "into" the book if you know what I mean. It's slow, boring, and no matter how many "adventures" they have, nothing changes in the. They just go back to the raft and float down the water. Now, Where the Red Fern Grows, is my favorite book and I also really enjoy the book Because of Winn Dixie. Both are slower, country reads...but this? Nope, I can't seem to get into it.

One of the reasons I attribute this to is that satire is completely lost on me. I am a literal reader and a literal writer. I don't put undertones or hints of hidden meanings into my own writing.  Therefore, I don't pick up on it in other short stories, and novels. I know that in literature classes, we study the why of stories so I do try to look for the subtleties in what we're given to read. I just can't seem to ever find it.

I read for enjoyment. I pick up a book and if it interests me, I read it. If it's boring, dumb, or uncomfortable, I put it down. Reading fiction is for enjoyment. That's my opinion. There's nothing wrong with reading for knowledge, though.

Going hand in hand with that idea, I write for enjoyment. My writing is very shallow. It may be a good story or a fun story, but it's not deep. That's for sure. There is no body to my writing; it is exactly what you see on the pages in front of you. Part of that has spread from hating how people haphazardly pour allegories into novels never meant to have hidden meaning. It just bugs me, so I figure if all my writing is just what's on hard paper, people won't really have the option to do that. Also, I really don't feel like being satirical or pointing out the flaws of the government and society. That's not what I think writing is for.

Today, though, something hit me. None of the great novels (like Huckleberry Finn for example) were written for simple entertainment. They all have a point to them. This made me think. Could I write a great novel and still have it be dessert instead of a steak dinner? I don't think so.

Now, I don't know if I can ever truly write a great novel. Or, if I can put enough depth into one of my novels to have it be at least in the entree category. Still, I'm going to endeavor to do it. I don't think I'll write cryptically, 'cause that I flat out don't like. But, I'm going to put more behind my writing: more complex characters, two-sided characters...and other stuff I can't put names to right now. 

Joys and Torments of an Author

I'm quite proud of this poem. :) Tell me what you think.

Stories

Swimming in my head.

Plots 

Prancing up and down my brain.

Characters

Chatting up a storm.

My mind is not my own, 

Run down by the business of others,

People that listen to me, and 

Do whatever they want. 

I lay out their destinies.

I introduce them to their spouses.

I crush their dreams.

With the tappings of my fingers,

I can unseat the evil rulers

Or extinguish a life.

These are the things that haunt my dreams.

First day of school!

Hello gang! Today I started my journey into the academic forest of college. I was rather excited about it, too. College is a whole new experience, and though I've been on campus and doing dual credit for over a year, it's different. It's the difference of just being able to say, I'm in college. I can't say I'm a homeschooler anymore. Sad, yes. It's been a bit weird for me to have to shift that thinking. Oh well, I shall grow used to it. But, the idea of plunging into college, as the idea of college is rather cool. Yes, I was indeed looking forward to it. I'm taking a total of 4 classes this semester: Spanish 1, Philosophy, Algebra, and English. My classes for MW are Span. and Math. 

First class was Spanish at 8:00. My very first 8:00 class, and it's at the Montgomery campus of Lonestar to boot. Anyway, it was a very good day. I like the teacher. I think her style (the whole class in Spanish) is interesting. And, I'm excited to learn more of the language I started learning in high school. You know, waaay back then. 

After chatting some with my friend who's also in the class, I hopped in the car and we drove to Tomball for Math. I'm not going to go through the whole story. But, suffice it to say, I sat through the entire period...and it turned out to not be my class. I don't have Math on MW, it's scheduled for T/Th. To boot, I missed the first day of my English class. *Sigh* Oh well, something to put down in my embarrassing moments, right? And one of those stories to tell to the kids, "So, there was this one time when your mother went to the wrong class of Math and never found out till she got home." Haha! 

Still, it was a good day, and I'm excited for tomorrow with Philosophy...and MATH! :) 

The picture below is my carefully planned outfit. I was super excited to wear it all together. It's not the best picture; I need to start standing on an angle, but I always forget. Oh well, next time. Still, I like my clothes. :) 

"Don't you love New York in the Fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies." -- You've Got Mail

Pics of Philadelphia

I know, I know. We've been home for more than a week and the pictures aren't up here, let ALONE up on facebook. So, I'm going to post a few up here to give myself some excuse on the others. ;) Enjoy!

The M-I-SS-I-SS-I-PP-I 

We had dinner at Cheddars which was fun 'cause 

we haven't been to one in quite awhile. 

Just one angle of the truly immense battlefield. 

The cutest baby in the whole world!!!! 

During our tour of Valley Forge and Washington's

Headquarters, I snapped this picture! :) 

On our last full day there, we drove to Lancaster and

a few other smaller towns around it. It was a lot of fun. 

I did a lot of editing on my book on the drive back. 

No pictures allowed inside, but it was just exquisite! 

I'll get the whole album up on facebook soon!. :)

Sum Fun!!! (8)

An additional chance to see another departing senior came not much later. Kathryn's and my friend Angelique came over for a "Disney Day." We owned a Disney waffle press and lots of Disney movies. So, we were going have breakfast for lunch and watch two movies.
 

Our Disney movies to pick from!

The waffle press

We had quite a few fixings for the waffles. Butter, syrup, chocolate chips, pecans, strawberries, Nutella (the only one not pictured, and whipped cream. Also, there was bacon to sprinkle a little protein into the scrumptious feast.

My waffles, each one a little different and equally delicious!

The movies of choice!

The three of us filed into Grandpa's room (where our TV is) and hunkered down to watch "The One that Started It All." It was quite a lot of fun, chatting some and then submersing ourselves in Disney magic and such tasty waffles. It was truly "sum fun," and we'll definitely have to do it again. :) 

Sum Fun!!! (7)

So, I just realized that the post I just wrote... I had already talked about Fiddler in another of my posts "Dos Plays." So, yeah.

"I feel sheepish."-- Aladdin

Of course, I could have deleted it, but I didn't feel like it. So, you guys just get two different takes on the same day. Haha! Well, don't worry, this post will be truly new.

Awhile back, I was realizing that all my friends who are seniors (of high school ;) would be leaving soon and I wanted to see them again. So, I set up a lunch date. My friend Caitlyn and I met at Chick-fil-A to catch up. We enjoyed scrumptious chicken, delicious potatoes, and quite tasty ketchup. It was so great to meet up with her and just spend time chatting. We were actually there fore several hours and had to keep turning down offers for refreshed beverages from the workers. (I love that they come to your table and offer table service; I think it's so cool!)

Lunch time with friends is always the best. Thanks Caitlyn! Let's do it again soon!

Sum Fun!!! (6)

Well, though I'm behind, I decided I had to write the last three Sum Fun posts. So, here's the first one. The community college 5 minutes from our house (Lonestar: Tomball) puts on a musical every summer. Well, this summer it was Fiddler on the Roof. This would on it's own be something I wanted to go see, because you know I can't resist live performances. But as a bonus, two of my friends were in the show. Also, three of my friends were going to come watch the show with us.
So, when the friends arrived, we had an amazing dinner of Mom's Mongolian beef and then ice cream followed--Bluebell happy tracks. Y-U-M!!! Does anybody *not* want ice cream? Have you ever asked, "So, who wants ice cream?" and someone says, "not me." 'Cause I haven't. My feelings can be simply stated with a movie quote, as seen below. Haha!

"You don't hear nobody say, I don't like no parfaits. Everybody loves parfaits!"--Shrek

Anyway, so after eating, we headed out to the show.

It was a truly wonderful performance! It was pretty believable and I just enjoyed seeing each new scene, so much. Some of that came from not really knowing anything about the story. We have the movie, and Mom loves the plot. Also, Dad will periodically come downstairs doing his own rendition of "If I were a Rich Man," but I didn't really know the story. Haha! Anyway, so I was excited to simply learn the story and the musical numbers were just so good! I had such a great time! Plus, getting to do it with friends and family just lumps bonuses on top of it. :D

Making Puddles

A bit of poetry for the mind. :)

Drip, drip, drop,
Puddles slip and slop

Two feet jump in,
Ripples wildly spin

Drip, drip, drop,
Will it ever stop?

The rain is losing stout.
And now the sun's come out.

Olympic Fanatic!

     As I sit watching Jen Kessy and April Ross smack the volleyball around on the sand, competing against the Argentines, I feel compelled to write a post about the Olympics.
     I love the Olympics. I mean, seriously, there's nothing broadcast on TV that I get more excited for! If I needed to, I could definitely live without cable. But, I feel pretty sure that I would need to check into a hotel or something during the Olympics so I could watch. Maybe I'd just temporarily invite myself over to a friend's house (temporarily for 17 days, that is-haha).
     One of the reasons why I believe the Olympics are so amazing is this. We live in a world of already high but ever increasing political problems. Issues and strife run rampant. Then, every 2 years, though those problems are still present, they are put aside as the best of the best in sports compete. It's basically someone saying "Hey, I love this sport, and I'm really good at it. You like this sport too? Great, let's play and see who's better." That's the Olympics. The world comes together for sports. I don't care if it sounds cheesy or dumb or anything; it's true.
     Sports are great! I think sports are great, anyway. And it's such a fun time, rooting for your team! I mean, most of us don't even know a quarter of the over 500 athletes from America that are competing. Yet, all I do is look for the Stars and Stripes, and I can get off my seat, jumping up and down for someone I've never heard of.
     You say that's not normal? Well, maybe it's not. ;) Haha, in fact, it's probably not, yet that's what the Olympics do to me. I don't care what sport is on; I'll watch it (except basketball--I can't abide basketball). I prefer the Summer to the Winter games. And in Summer, Gymnastics is definitely my favorite. I used to REALLY want to be a gymnast, so my adoration for the sport runs deep. After that, Volleyball comes (a sport I took 2 classes on and really enjoy!). Swimming's probably next with everything else. I mean, all the sports are just so much fun...except basketball. Haha!
     Yes, I do love the Olympics. I know I already said that, but it's worth saying again. It's such a wonderful time of record-setting and history in the making! Watch and enjoy with me! This only happens every 2 years!  :D

Books, books, and more books.

I might have mentioned this in some previous post, but when I was little, I was pretty much against reading. It was for boring people. It was uninteresting and plus, you had to sit STILL while you did it. Any activity that required that was pretty much written off my list. I didn't see how someone wanted to read when they could go outside, lay in the grass, and make imaginary friends to talk to for hours on ends. I mean, come on, what's better than an imaginary friend who says exactly what you want them too. You have no control over book characters.

Well, awhile ago, this reading kick hit me. I realized how few "classics" I'd read, much less knew the story of. Stuart Little is a perfect example. So, I went through our old guestroom/ library/ junk room and pilfered the books I had an interest in reading. They were everything from My Friend Flicka, Christy, War of Worlds, to The Iliad. Yes, I do have a desire to read the Iliad.

After rereading some of those "everybody should read" book lists on facebook, I realized how few I hadn't read. I mean, it really hit me. Well, I decided to expand my little book stack. Adding was The Scarlet Letter, Mansfield Park, and Tale of Two Cities. And, much, much more. I actually made a file on Word of almost 90 books that I want to read.

Well, since then I've knocked off some of those books as well as added on many others. Not all of them are classics. Some are just books I want to read; but the majority are ones that I feel I need to have read in order to label myself an well-rounded author.

On the plane ride to Boston, I finished Ben-Hur. That book was an immense disappointment. Don't know how it ever got to be a classic, but it should be stricken from the records. Seriously, that book had NO back story to the characters thus making the characters flat. The plot seemed simple, stale, and stagnant. I was never once rooting for Judah to prevail, even in the chariot race; he just seemed like a whiner who couldn't handle his problems. In my opinion, the movie (or dramatized audio book) is miles better.

The classic I'm in the middle of at the moment is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Though I'm only still very early, I'm immensely enjoying the story and the writing style. REALLY liking the writing style, actually. Hoping the rest of the book lives up.    

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul--Emily Dickinson." -- A Wrinkle in Time

Sum Fun!!! (5)

I know I'm going backwards, 'cause this fun was before both the shows I previously blogged about. But, this event was so much fun that I couldn't not post about it. We were blessed with some free baseball tickets that were for an Astros vs. Padres game. After inviting some friends to go with, we headed out. 

I love baseball parks!

The gals!

Funny faces

It was tons of fun! While we didn't watch the game much haha(the Cubs weren't playing so...), we watched quite a lot in the last 2 innings as things started to heat up. It was a lot of fun visiting, catching up, and eating ball park food! I love baseball games! And going with friends makes them 10 times better! :D

Dos Plays

Whoah, goodness, it's been awhile! I have lots of half started posts in my box, but I can't seem to finish them and get them published. Now, I would love to make this post all about my recent mission trip to Boston, (And don't worry, I WILL write one!) but that would take way way too long and dinner is making and it smells delicious and I'm way too hungry. Yes, I know that last sentence was a run on of about 4 independent ideas. :) And to answer your question, I will be getting a degree in English. But, grammar is put aside at this moment because dinner smells delicious, and I'm trying to type this post out as fast as I can. Mainly, I'm writing this because I feel guilty for not having posted anything in a long time, but I also have some interesting things to tell you all.

So, going WAY back to a week ago, before Boston, the fam went out to 2 performances. The first night was the Lonestar College production of Fiddler on the Roof. 2 of my friends were in it, and not having seen the movie in ages, I was very interested in the story. The performance was excellent. I enjoyed the whole thing immensely! The costumes were great, and the acting was great, and the singing was great. It just was a wonderful performance. Plus, we went to see it with some friends which makes any outing better!

You know, there's really nothing I enjoy more than going to see a live play or performance. I don't care if it's professional or an elementary thing; I love going to any type of "theater" production. It could be the cheesiest, worst acted thing ever, and I'd still enjoy it simply because it was a show. There is simply so much energy, running through the whole building and through all the attendees. People dress up (usually) and go to sit in a large group to watch whatever other people have spent months of their lives working to perfect. And you could see the same show 10 times, and it'll be different each one of them. :D I really don't care if it's opera, ballet, musical, drama, or something in the middle. I just can't get enough of shows!

 Well, Fiddler was amazing! I could have been satisfied with that alone, but to put two extra scoops of ice cream in the bowl, we would be going to see another show the very next night. What was it, you may ask? Broadway's The Lion King. Except for the time I saw Cirque du Soleil perform Ovo (which I don't think will ever be topped unless I see CduS again), I have never been so awestruck by any other production in my life!  The show was UNREAL! It was incredible! The opening number was so powerful and washed so many memories into my brain at once, that I was brought to tears simply because the entire thing was just SO wonderful! And when you're balling through the 1st song, you know the rest of the show is going to be fabulous! And it was. I know I keep saying this, but it was unbelievable what they were able to achieve. The way that took animated numbers and turned them into live-action stunts was phenominal. And how they did the animal work? It took my breath away! The cheetah was my favorite, but the zebras were a close second.  I thought The Festival of the Lion King was "like the coolest thing." Well, it still is--will always love that show--but this was simply spectacular.


Well, now that I've pounded my exclamation key into powder, and dinner is smelling more delicious as it nears completion, I will end my post here. I really think you need to go see Lion King if you get the chance, though!
Oh, and I'll soon post about Boston. promise :)


"Hey, Uncle Scar. When I'm king, what'll that make you?"
"A monkey's uncle."
"Ha! You're so weird."
"...You have no idea."   -- The Lion King

Sum Fun!!! (4)

The 4th activity of boundless fun this summer was just last Thursday. Kathryn and I had a wee outing. We went to Chick-fil-A for lunch and then headed to the movie theater to immerse ourselves in the silver screen. We chose to watch Snow White and the Huntsman. I thought it was enchanting. And for me, to say that about a movie is a HUGE compliment. Only certain kinds of movie are enchanting and this one was. It was so much in fact, that it inspired me to go home and write a fairy tale. This said fairy tale is in the works at the moment and will be posted just as soon as it is finished. :)  

Kathryn and I get the same candy every time we go to the movies. She gets Junior Mints and I get Buncha Crunch. It's become such a standard, that going to the movies without having the candy or eating the candy and not being at the movies is the WEIRDEST thing.  

Sum Fun!!! (3)

So, Mom recently took a trip up to Michigan to visit Ryan, Noelle, and Julianne. She was gone for nearly 2 weeks, and it was quite weird being home without her. Also, it was somewhat of a culture shock having to remember to make dinner every night. Well, one of the days that Dad was on the road as well, some great friends (the McClungs) invited us over for dinner and fun. We had an amazing dinner of some of the best chili you've ever had, over rice which was new for me to try but I thought it was great. We chatted too, and played some games. The last game that lasted till we left, was LOTR Trivial Pursuit. Kathryn and I had such a great time, the entire evening! 

The board, with an outstanding action picture of the dice in mid-roll. haha 

All the kids, minus Ella.

So this is Christmas...

No, don't worry, you've still got 6 months...literally 6 months from tomorrow. :D Anyway, anyone remember that song by Paul McCartney? The radio usually plays it quite a bit every Christmas season. I don't mind 'cause I like it so much, though. "So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun." Anyway, that song popped into my when I was thinking about what I've done this last month.
All last semester I kept saying over and over again all the MANY things that were on my list to accomplish during the summer: hanging out with friends, reading TONS of books that I didn't have time to get to, finish editing my last Nano novel and get it sent out to some publishers to see what feedback I get, write some other stuff, and...well, there was other stuff too, but I'm trying to keep this post reasonably short. ;)
Well, I examined how I'd spent June, this first month of summer. Didn't accomplish really any of those things.  The one I did the most was being with friends, but I hadn't even done that a bunch. So, this is July (nearly) and what have I done? Not much. Mostly killed time doing mediocre things and thinking how I had nothing to keep me busy. Beeeeep! Wrong answer!
So, I decided that there are still 2 months of summer left and plenty of time to knock out everything I want to do. "Right? Right!" (That's from Rudolph, by the way. haha) Well, what I started today was the reading aspect. I picked up Ben-Hur, one of the books on the HUGE list of what I should read if I'm going to be an author. Only read the 1st three chapters, but I'm really enjoying it. Now, I do think Lewis Wallace went a bit far to suppose that Joseph was 50 years old and Mary's uncle, that Mary had a sister named Marian, and that Mary was blonde and blue-eyed, but I'm still enjoying the book. :D

My favorite line so far? "The newcomer was tall and gaunt, with lean face, sunken eyes, white hair and beard, and a complexion between the hue of cinnamon and bronze." I mean, come on, you gotta smile at that writing!

I'll try to post more on my readings and editings and such to keep you posted, and partly to keep me accountable. Haha, also, I've got a new recipe that I tried while Mom was gone to blog about.

Catch you later!  

Sum Fun!!! (2)

Yes, another installment in the ever progressing realm of fun this summer!

My friend Meredith came over and we hung out for the afternoon. We talked for awhile, had lunch, played on our Wii, and watched many hilarious youtube videos which caused us to nearly DIE laughing. So funny! :D It was lots of fun and we already have our next time planned. :D

In one of the Wii games, the fishing one, she absolutely crushed me. haha 

Sum Fun!!!

"We're gonna have fun in the sun, now that all the hard work-work is done!" -- High School Musical 2

No wise cracks about the preceding quote. I happen to like HSM movies and stand by them as "good, down to earth entertainment." That's a quote from the radio program Big Jon and Sparkie that you must have heard me talk about before.
Anyway, I'm here to tell about the movie extravaganza that happened not too far back. (The internet hasn't been working very well around here so loading pictures and such were difficult.) Kathryn and I met up with Rosie and Jesse Williams to go to the Drive In movie theater to watch Men in Black 3 and What to Expect When You're Expecting. 
We had Chick-fil-a for dinner while we waited for the place to open. Once we got in, we swung on the swing sets that are there and had a tether ball tournament. Kathryn and I had never played tether ball before so we had fun learning. Jesse is by far the best and creamed us all, quite soundly. :D After that, we chatted as we waited for it to get dark enough for the movies to start.
The movies were both entertaining, and I actually really liked WTEWYE. It's was fun, guys! Can't wait to do it again!  

The screen! :) 

Best friends! 

We like to make funny faces.

Sum Fun!!!

I plan on posting many posts with pictures about the fun that happens this summer. This is because I'm planning for a lot of fun, and feel like it's worthy and *should* be posted here. I'm going to title them all with a play on words, Sum Fun, short for summer and instead of some. Get it? Well, even if you don't, I like it. Anyways, so here I start my Sum Fun series!
A couple of weeks ago, one of my really good friends, Jesse, held a senior recital where he showed off his killer skills on the guitar and banjo while singing. It was an amazing concert and one I would have paid to go see! Yes, THAT good! I want him to make a CD immediately.

Some pictures from the night:

 The Master at work! :D

 You did great buddy!

(l to r) Me, Jesse, Kathryn, and Rosie (J's sister)

Ellipticals and Soap Operas

Kathryn and I went to the gym today. I always enjoy going to the gym; I feel extremely healthy. I used to always use the treadmill, but lately, I just use the elliptical. Mostly from my dad always reminding me that it's better for my knees and ankles. :) 

While at the gym, though, there's a dilemma. To watch one of the three lame offerings on the TVs or listen to one's iPod. The offerings were a news channel...not a chance, a softball game...only if I'm bored stiff, and a soap opera....*shudder.* However, I did NOT feel like listening to the same old music on my iPod that I always listen to at the gym. Therefore, it was the soap opera. 

Oh my word! Is it possible for acting to be that bad? Is it possible that a writer could be payed for writing those flat and gagging lines? Is it possible that there could be so many different characters that look exactly the same? Oh yes, it is. Sorry, but it's true. This particular soap opera show that we saw was titled The Young and the Restless. (We happened to miss The Bold and the Beautiful.) The titles make me laugh. But, I must share with you the worst quote of the episode. Prepare yourselves...

Jack: "I love you."

Nikki: "What a coincidence, 'cause I feel the same way."

Yeah, maybe I should've chosen the iPod. Oh well. I went to the gym, feel better, and that's really the main point of this whole thing. I'll post more this week!  

Pics from Hawaii!

Okay, I promised them. So, here are some pictures from Hawaii!

 

 So excited for movies on the plane!

A view of the mountains from the air!

 First full meal on a plane- (from left to right) Kathryn's, mine, Mom's

Our outdoor lobby! 

A view from our outdoor lobby--you're seeing the super pool and the ocean after that.

The beach! 

 Gorgeous flowers are everywhere! 

 Dole whip sundaes!

 We stopped at Matsumoto Shave Ice.

 We went to Outback one night! 

 Climbing Diamond Head was fun!

 While climbimg

 We ate at Cheesecake Factory and this is the best meal there. Best potatoes ever! 

 At the Luau!

The Fire guys!

 ABC stores are like mini-Walmarts, carrying everything and on every corner like Starbucks. 

We made it a joke to go in to a ton of them. :D 

Yes, the bathroom signs at the airport have outfits on. 

Our 1st class breakfast! Actually, really yummy!