There's always a post or few about "sorry I was gone so long" and this should be one of them, but I'm not going to do it. Nope. Not even with that title. I just did it to tease you (or annoy you...whichever the case may be).
The convention was a great day. I wish I could've gone for the whole weekend, but I honestly don't think it would have been worth the money for more than the one day I went. It's not that the panels weren't good, because they were great - mostly because of Candace's friends being the fun people they are - it was just that the dealer room was REALLY sub-par this time. I don't know why. Maybe it's that I didn't find too much of what I wanted or maybe...aww heck. I really don't know. I just felt cheated dealer room-wise. Meh. Had a good time in artist's alley having portraits drawn, which was interesting. Our costumes were perfect, absolutely perfect. They fit well and looked great, except for Candace's wig. I hated that it made her head hurt. I need to find a good replacement wig for her so she can enjoy when we wear them again. Oh, and another bad part about only going with the two of us was that we didn't think to get pictures of ourselves! I loved the way our costumes looked, but there weren't many opportunities to take pictures for ourselves. Boo. Oh well. Maybe we'll do a cosplay "School Rumble" photoshoot with our "sister from a different family," Kenya. I've never done a photoshoot before and Candace is a pro. I wonder what it will be like! I have a funny feeling I'll be laughing a lot because Candace and Kenya keep me in stitches; their interplay is WAAAY too funny.
Ugh. I feel so off. I've been sick this whole week and the cold/sinus infection is finally leaving me, but it's taking its sweet time, leaving me snotty and funny-sounding in the process. One good thing about it is that Ryan and I have been taking garlic pills to help fight the cold (for me) and prevent it (for him) and they're working, but they have the strange side effect of making us both have quite vivid dreams. It's funny because I was thinking about how much I've been dreaming and remembering it since I started taking the pills and Ryan just out of the blue makes a comment that he's been dreaming (and remembering them) every night since a few days back. I tell him about my theory on the garlic pills and he agrees. Unfortunately, he seems to have nightmares and/or sad dreams and I end up with weird stuff that makes me smile. Different people, similar but differing reactions. Huh.
I think I need to go swimming to set me straight again. It's the start of summer and I've yet to go in the water since the 21st. I know that's a factor for some of this off-ness. Hopefully I'll get the chance this weekend if the dreary weather lets up. If not, I'll jump in a full bathtub to help alleviate this wrong. That'll do.
I Wants: I want to see a ghost sometime soon because I have a few questions to ask; I want a silver blue definitely-not-new-but-nice-looking-and-shiny Kia Rio (with A/C) to begin the Duran Duran mobile; and I want to be able to finish my fanfiction so I can satisfy that one freaking reader who is great and consistent, but kinda pushy about updates!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Glossing over
I've started and restarted this blog over and over and I can't seem to get it right. Something in my head is telling me that I just have to write this blog and then I can move on to the unimportant stuff I usually post about. I'm tempted not to do it at all. Of course, I know that if I choose to do that, I won't come back for a good long while. I'm sure of it. Soooo...as this is such a nice little steam-letter-outer, I just have to get through this blasted post.
Why is it so hard, you ask? Because it is. So there. Life goes on and we just have to get through it - that's what family and friends are for!
Yay! I did it! That was all. I know it's vague, but didn't you read the title of the post? Sheesh. Some people.
...
I started playing the video game "Red Dead Redemption," which I got for my birthday from Ryan. It is WAAAYYY much better than "Grand Theft Auto IV!" I LOVE IT!!! In the game, you play as John Marston, an ex-outlaw whose goal is to get back to his wife and kid. Dueling, retrieving bounties (dead or alive, of course), shooting coyotes (which I now pronounce 'ky-ohts' in my Old West enthusiasm) and all manner of interesting creatures, including a jackalope (which I have already bagged, by the way). Woo!
So far, I think my favorite thing is still riding the horse. I just enjoy it. He's so neat. He snorts and whinnies and shies and doesn't poop. That's a dream horse right there. On another note, my character currently has a beautiful golden palomino stallion named Santo Domingo.
You see, Ryan had dismounted to be less of an easy target for a group of outlaws he'd been tasked with killing. When you dismount out on the plains with no hitching post around, your horse just decides to go wandering and that's just what Brownie did. When Ryan finished killing the bandits and lassoed the gang leader, who had a hefty bounty on his head, he realized his horse was gone.
Ryan: "Where is it?"
Me: "It exploded."
Ryan: "What?!"
Me: *sad face* Brownie got hit by a train.
Ryan: "What? When?"
Me: "When you were shooting those guys. I saw it. He exploded like a balloon filled with red mist. It was sad."
Ryan: "Huh." *he whistles and a pretty chestnut horse shows up*
Me: "Ooh. What are you going to name him?"
Ryan: "Dunno. Reddie?"
Me: "Nice. Noooo...really think about it. Get to know him for a bit and THEN name him!"
Ryan: *laughs a little* "Ok."
To my amusement, he listened to me and after a round of hunting out on the plains, he noticed that this new horse stuck a lot closer to him when he wasn't on it than Brownie ever did. In fact, the horse followed him around "like a dog," he said. "I'm gonna call this one Doggy," he told me with a smile. AWWWWWWWW! He humors me and gets a kick out of it to boot. I think he still has Doggy the horse, too.
As for me, Santo Domingo is still my mount of choice, ESPECIALLY since he's one of the top 3 types of horse in-game. Also, I'll get a trophy if I can keep the same mount for 20 story missions without hitching a new one to the post in front of my house. I didn't think that was hard until last night. I go out to pick some flowers for an old guy and first, I fall off a cliff while saving a man from mountain lions. I was on Santo Domingo at the time and, though I survived the fall, Santo did not. I was devastated and re-loaded my game. This time, I traipsed around to near the same area (where those blasted flowers grow) and a mountain lion came out of nowhere, killed my horse and then killed me. So...after 30 minutes or so of playing, mountain lions put me right back to where I was twice. No sirree. I'll get it right tonight...stupid mountain lions. I'll wear all your mangy pelts AND keep my pretty Santo Domingo! Hah! Take that, you overgrown house cats!
...man, I love this game!
Why is it so hard, you ask? Because it is. So there. Life goes on and we just have to get through it - that's what family and friends are for!
Yay! I did it! That was all. I know it's vague, but didn't you read the title of the post? Sheesh. Some people.
...
I started playing the video game "Red Dead Redemption," which I got for my birthday from Ryan. It is WAAAYYY much better than "Grand Theft Auto IV!" I LOVE IT!!! In the game, you play as John Marston, an ex-outlaw whose goal is to get back to his wife and kid. Dueling, retrieving bounties (dead or alive, of course), shooting coyotes (which I now pronounce 'ky-ohts' in my Old West enthusiasm) and all manner of interesting creatures, including a jackalope (which I have already bagged, by the way). Woo!
So far, I think my favorite thing is still riding the horse. I just enjoy it. He's so neat. He snorts and whinnies and shies and doesn't poop. That's a dream horse right there. On another note, my character currently has a beautiful golden palomino stallion named Santo Domingo.
John Marston on a Kentucky Saddler, which is Santo Domingo's breed.
Courtesy of the Red Dead Wiki
I told Ryan that I named mine and he immediately started looking in the menus to find out how to name your horse. I laughed and explained that there's no naming your horse in-game, but that I did it just because. I asked if he wanted me to supply a name for his horse and he said he'd name it himself; he called it Brownie, which suited it as it was a bay horse. I say 'was' because Brownie wandered onto the train tracks and got hit by a steam engine.Courtesy of the Red Dead Wiki
You see, Ryan had dismounted to be less of an easy target for a group of outlaws he'd been tasked with killing. When you dismount out on the plains with no hitching post around, your horse just decides to go wandering and that's just what Brownie did. When Ryan finished killing the bandits and lassoed the gang leader, who had a hefty bounty on his head, he realized his horse was gone.
Ryan: "Where is it?"
Me: "It exploded."
Ryan: "What?!"
Me: *sad face* Brownie got hit by a train.
Ryan: "What? When?"
Me: "When you were shooting those guys. I saw it. He exploded like a balloon filled with red mist. It was sad."
Ryan: "Huh." *he whistles and a pretty chestnut horse shows up*
Me: "Ooh. What are you going to name him?"
Ryan: "Dunno. Reddie?"
Me: "Nice. Noooo...really think about it. Get to know him for a bit and THEN name him!"
Ryan: *laughs a little* "Ok."
To my amusement, he listened to me and after a round of hunting out on the plains, he noticed that this new horse stuck a lot closer to him when he wasn't on it than Brownie ever did. In fact, the horse followed him around "like a dog," he said. "I'm gonna call this one Doggy," he told me with a smile. AWWWWWWWW! He humors me and gets a kick out of it to boot. I think he still has Doggy the horse, too.
As for me, Santo Domingo is still my mount of choice, ESPECIALLY since he's one of the top 3 types of horse in-game. Also, I'll get a trophy if I can keep the same mount for 20 story missions without hitching a new one to the post in front of my house. I didn't think that was hard until last night. I go out to pick some flowers for an old guy and first, I fall off a cliff while saving a man from mountain lions. I was on Santo Domingo at the time and, though I survived the fall, Santo did not. I was devastated and re-loaded my game. This time, I traipsed around to near the same area (where those blasted flowers grow) and a mountain lion came out of nowhere, killed my horse and then killed me. So...after 30 minutes or so of playing, mountain lions put me right back to where I was twice. No sirree. I'll get it right tonight...stupid mountain lions. I'll wear all your mangy pelts AND keep my pretty Santo Domingo! Hah! Take that, you overgrown house cats!
...man, I love this game!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Birthday Day!
I just like the way that sounds: birthday day.
Don't ask because I have no idea what to tell other than that.
Birthday day, birthday day! La la la, it's birthday day!
So, I am now 25 years old. My sister is under the impression that this fact alone will make my insurance go down, but I have no clue why she thinks that. I think that, if it's true, that will be the only worthwhile change that takes place while I'm occupying this nice rounded number of an age.
I got a cute card from my co-workers today with cartoon cats tied to balloons that move when you turn a paper dial à la a pop-up book. There's this one that has a face like this:
^ ^
O . O
^
It's so great! Makes me think of my Po, who already gave me three presents for my birthday, which is super, considering she's a cat. Yeah. They weren't the most pleasant of presents, either. First one she gave me early this morning:
Po: *crinkle crinkle*
Me: Ughhh... (waking up)
Po: *more crinkles*
Me: No ball! It's too early, stupid cat. (rolls over)
Po: *crinkle crinkle crinkle*
Me: Fine! That's it!
I get up, grab the paper ball from her and put it in a drawer. Glancing at the glaring red numbers on the stove clock, I see it's exactly 6:00 AM, one hour before the alarm goes off. Nice timing, Po!
Second present from Po comes when I wake up fully with the third try of the snooze button.
Ryan, waking up: It smells like poop.
Me: You smell like poop.
Ryan: No, I'm serious.
Me: *sniff sniff* Great...
Yup. Po took a great big dump in the litter box (on the other side of the house, mind you) and failed to cover it like usual. This time even Seffie was so disgusted that she didn't go in and cover up Po's monstrous dump. She was so upset this morning at Po's nasty poo that I didn't even see her until I'd cleaned out the box and Febreezed. Smart cat.
Third present from Po came when I was in between waking up and getting out of bed.
Ryan's already up and we're both very aware of the distinct poopy odor scenting the air when he turns and says this: "Is that puke?"
Yes, Ryan. Yes it is. AND we know how to distinguish between the puke of Seffie and Po because Seffie usually pukes chewed food and/or clumps of black hair and/or whole pilfered ribbons while Po, on the other hand, pukes up almost solely unchewed, partially digested dry food. This little clump on the floor in front of his dresser was the latter. Thank you, Po!
Of course, I couldn't stay mad at her for long. She followed me to the bathroom when I was getting dressed and hung out around the door, batting a hair tie she'd stolen from my purse. She purred and wagged her stripey tail while I brushed Seffie, who'd appeared from nowhere like the chubby ninja that she is. I guess it wasn't too bad of a birthday day morning after all.
Don't ask because I have no idea what to tell other than that.
Birthday day, birthday day! La la la, it's birthday day!
So, I am now 25 years old. My sister is under the impression that this fact alone will make my insurance go down, but I have no clue why she thinks that. I think that, if it's true, that will be the only worthwhile change that takes place while I'm occupying this nice rounded number of an age.
I got a cute card from my co-workers today with cartoon cats tied to balloons that move when you turn a paper dial à la a pop-up book. There's this one that has a face like this:
^ ^
O . O
^
It's so great! Makes me think of my Po, who already gave me three presents for my birthday, which is super, considering she's a cat. Yeah. They weren't the most pleasant of presents, either. First one she gave me early this morning:
Po: *crinkle crinkle*
Me: Ughhh... (waking up)
Po: *more crinkles*
Me: No ball! It's too early, stupid cat. (rolls over)
Po: *crinkle crinkle crinkle*
Me: Fine! That's it!
I get up, grab the paper ball from her and put it in a drawer. Glancing at the glaring red numbers on the stove clock, I see it's exactly 6:00 AM, one hour before the alarm goes off. Nice timing, Po!
Second present from Po comes when I wake up fully with the third try of the snooze button.
Ryan, waking up: It smells like poop.
Me: You smell like poop.
Ryan: No, I'm serious.
Me: *sniff sniff* Great...
Yup. Po took a great big dump in the litter box (on the other side of the house, mind you) and failed to cover it like usual. This time even Seffie was so disgusted that she didn't go in and cover up Po's monstrous dump. She was so upset this morning at Po's nasty poo that I didn't even see her until I'd cleaned out the box and Febreezed. Smart cat.
Third present from Po came when I was in between waking up and getting out of bed.
Ryan's already up and we're both very aware of the distinct poopy odor scenting the air when he turns and says this: "Is that puke?"
Yes, Ryan. Yes it is. AND we know how to distinguish between the puke of Seffie and Po because Seffie usually pukes chewed food and/or clumps of black hair and/or whole pilfered ribbons while Po, on the other hand, pukes up almost solely unchewed, partially digested dry food. This little clump on the floor in front of his dresser was the latter. Thank you, Po!
Of course, I couldn't stay mad at her for long. She followed me to the bathroom when I was getting dressed and hung out around the door, batting a hair tie she'd stolen from my purse. She purred and wagged her stripey tail while I brushed Seffie, who'd appeared from nowhere like the chubby ninja that she is. I guess it wasn't too bad of a birthday day morning after all.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Happy Birthday, Marilyn!
Today is June 1, 2011, and it is Marilyn Monroe's 85th birthday. I've got a special place in my heart for the lovely Ms. Monroe for many reasons, one of which is that we almost share a birthday. She was born exactly sixty years and one day ahead of me, give or take some hours.
She was a very unique person and I think the world is a better place because she was in it. Of course, I can say that about a lot of people, some of whom I'm sure you would claim are much more qualified to fit that statement than she, but I am choosing to say it about her right now. It isn't just because she was pretty. She was alternately determined and lazy, she was bright and bubbly, she was pleasant and unpleasant...she was normal. I like that.
So...in honor of her birthday, I'm going to post some of my favorite pictures of the late Ms. Monroe. Enjoy!
She was a very unique person and I think the world is a better place because she was in it. Of course, I can say that about a lot of people, some of whom I'm sure you would claim are much more qualified to fit that statement than she, but I am choosing to say it about her right now. It isn't just because she was pretty. She was alternately determined and lazy, she was bright and bubbly, she was pleasant and unpleasant...she was normal. I like that.
So...in honor of her birthday, I'm going to post some of my favorite pictures of the late Ms. Monroe. Enjoy!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Road blocks, writer's block and building blocks
Ok. I'll admit first thing that the title is intentionally misleading. This post is about writer's block and I added the other two because I liked the way the sentence had an elementary school feel to it. You know...when you first learned how to write "essays" with a beginning, three topic middle and end. The last sentence of your first paragraph would be something like this: "Vegetables are bad for you because they get stuck in your teeth, they destroy your brain and they enhance all that is bad with the world." Come to think of it, that's how you ended the whole thing, too - with a copy of the end of your first paragraph. Maybe I was doing it wrong.
So yeah. I looked up this "Mercon" thing about a convention for mermaid-loving people/mermaids and read on their front page that the next "big thing" in "paranormal fiction" would be mermaids. Heck even stupid Stephanie Meyer of the Twilight awfulness said that she's writing about mermaids. F*** it! I practically threw something when I read that. Not that EVERYTHING I write about is about mermaids, but I have a few really good ideas that I've been messing with for a while now. I've written out character summaries, typed up scenes and dialogue, but never finished or really polished anything and then I read this. Boo!!! I really hope those people are overreaching in their theory that mermaids are going to be the next big "thing" because then it'll be one of two things:
1) It'll become WAAAY too hard to publish anything mermaid related because there's such a high expectancy level
- or -
2) It'll become WAAAY too easy to publish anything mermaid related because they'll take any piece of crap out there and it will become hard to distinguish between books and then they'll just become passe like stupid vampires and (to a lesser extent) zombies.
Bah. Can't let the bad feeling stick because it might never happen. Also, I suck at maintaining any one thing. I've got so many story starts (and subsequent abrupt stops), unfinished character maps, ideas, pieces of nothing that I don't know what to do with them. I get bored and move on before I ever finish anything. I'm surprised I've kept up with at least one blog a month on here so far. Maybe I'm growing slowly out of this "never finishing anything" phase. At this rate, I may have a novel ready to be presented by the time I'm 60. Woo hoo! I'm just now hitting halfway to 50. Crap.
So yeah. I looked up this "Mercon" thing about a convention for mermaid-loving people/mermaids and read on their front page that the next "big thing" in "paranormal fiction" would be mermaids. Heck even stupid Stephanie Meyer of the Twilight awfulness said that she's writing about mermaids. F*** it! I practically threw something when I read that. Not that EVERYTHING I write about is about mermaids, but I have a few really good ideas that I've been messing with for a while now. I've written out character summaries, typed up scenes and dialogue, but never finished or really polished anything and then I read this. Boo!!! I really hope those people are overreaching in their theory that mermaids are going to be the next big "thing" because then it'll be one of two things:
1) It'll become WAAAY too hard to publish anything mermaid related because there's such a high expectancy level
- or -
2) It'll become WAAAY too easy to publish anything mermaid related because they'll take any piece of crap out there and it will become hard to distinguish between books and then they'll just become passe like stupid vampires and (to a lesser extent) zombies.
Bah. Can't let the bad feeling stick because it might never happen. Also, I suck at maintaining any one thing. I've got so many story starts (and subsequent abrupt stops), unfinished character maps, ideas, pieces of nothing that I don't know what to do with them. I get bored and move on before I ever finish anything. I'm surprised I've kept up with at least one blog a month on here so far. Maybe I'm growing slowly out of this "never finishing anything" phase. At this rate, I may have a novel ready to be presented by the time I'm 60. Woo hoo! I'm just now hitting halfway to 50. Crap.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Chills from songs, movies and books
In the midst of getting rid of this stupid cold, helping Ryan get over his stupid cold, waiting for my birthday, waiting for my Chinese "School Rumble" costumes and watching too many episodes of "Parking Wars" on Netflix, I thought I'd post about the music that I like. Oh yeah.
Do you have a song that just sounds so right you get a chill and the hairs on your arms stand up? Yeah. There are a few for me. Every now and then I'll find a new one, but these two always do that for me: "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by YES and "Rio" by Duran Duran. There's something about the way they're arranged that just sounds so pleasing. They're from the same era and the bass is incredible in both; they're bright, glistening examples of exactly what good 80s music was and still is.
Another group of songs that I've just discovered to give me chills are the songs on the soundtrack to Elizabeth I The Virgin Queen starring Anne-Marie Duff and Inception's Tom Hardy. The soundtrack was put together by Martin Phipps and features Elizabethan sounding songs performed by a group called Mediaeval Baebes. Every single song is absolutely gorgeous and they will immediately put you in a mind to don a ruff and grab a quill and a bottle of ink to write your own sonnets. The movie was wonderfully done and the soundtrack is incomparable. I mean...I liked Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age with Cate Blanchett - she makes a marvelous Good Queen Bess and the dresses and sets are to die for - but they're so inaccurate and Hollywood-esque that they truly pale in comparison to the modest "Elizabeth R" series with Glenda Jackson, the "Elizabeth I" two-parter with Helen Mirren and this Virgin Queen TV movie.
Umm...I've gone a little off topic. (I like to rant sometimes.) Back to the music.
Well, when those Medaeval Baebes start harmonizing, chills race over me. They're so haunting, many of the songs on this soundtrack. I can't get enough. I also like that Martin Phipps wrote a song based on some lines from Elizabeth I's own poem called "On Monsieur's Departure." Attention to detail is always a super plus in my book.
On another note: Tudor overload going on over here now! I'm watching "The Monarchy with David Starkey" part II and I'm reading Margaret George's latest novel, Elizabeth I. I just watched that Anne-Marie Duff movie about Elizabeth last week (and I'm aching to see it again), I'm listening to that movie's soundtrack and I think I'm going to re-read Margaret George's The Autobiography of Henry VIII after I'm done with her book on the latter part of his youngest daughter's reign. *sigh* I overwhelm myself with these things and I do nothing to stop it.
Do you have a song that just sounds so right you get a chill and the hairs on your arms stand up? Yeah. There are a few for me. Every now and then I'll find a new one, but these two always do that for me: "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by YES and "Rio" by Duran Duran. There's something about the way they're arranged that just sounds so pleasing. They're from the same era and the bass is incredible in both; they're bright, glistening examples of exactly what good 80s music was and still is.
Another group of songs that I've just discovered to give me chills are the songs on the soundtrack to Elizabeth I The Virgin Queen starring Anne-Marie Duff and Inception's Tom Hardy. The soundtrack was put together by Martin Phipps and features Elizabethan sounding songs performed by a group called Mediaeval Baebes. Every single song is absolutely gorgeous and they will immediately put you in a mind to don a ruff and grab a quill and a bottle of ink to write your own sonnets. The movie was wonderfully done and the soundtrack is incomparable. I mean...I liked Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age with Cate Blanchett - she makes a marvelous Good Queen Bess and the dresses and sets are to die for - but they're so inaccurate and Hollywood-esque that they truly pale in comparison to the modest "Elizabeth R" series with Glenda Jackson, the "Elizabeth I" two-parter with Helen Mirren and this Virgin Queen TV movie.
Umm...I've gone a little off topic. (I like to rant sometimes.) Back to the music.
Well, when those Medaeval Baebes start harmonizing, chills race over me. They're so haunting, many of the songs on this soundtrack. I can't get enough. I also like that Martin Phipps wrote a song based on some lines from Elizabeth I's own poem called "On Monsieur's Departure." Attention to detail is always a super plus in my book.
On another note: Tudor overload going on over here now! I'm watching "The Monarchy with David Starkey" part II and I'm reading Margaret George's latest novel, Elizabeth I. I just watched that Anne-Marie Duff movie about Elizabeth last week (and I'm aching to see it again), I'm listening to that movie's soundtrack and I think I'm going to re-read Margaret George's The Autobiography of Henry VIII after I'm done with her book on the latter part of his youngest daughter's reign. *sigh* I overwhelm myself with these things and I do nothing to stop it.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Birthday requests
From the last post until now, I've done things, seen movies, enjoyed life and am now slightly suffering the effects of a cold that my immune system is trying desperately to beat. I started feeling ill when I woke up yesterday with a sore throat, but I took an Airborne (yes, I swear those things work) and it died down until later in the day. Today, it took me about 15 minutes to pull myself out of bed and my eyes and throat have been dully aching all day so far. I really could take a nap, but that wouldn't be productive now would it?
I can tell my immune system is trying really hard instead of giving up (like it usually does) because I'm not completely incapacitated yet. However, I'm not 100% sure whether that should be heartening or disheartening.
I'm tired and I've been tasked with writing out a wish list for my birthday (which, from this day, is only 15 days away) by my sweet boyfriend, my wonderful parents and my lovely little sister. Sheesh. I love birthdays, and they're always fun, but I can never figure out what I want in time. I knew a few weeks ago what I wanted, but now I can't think of anything. I guess I'll brainstorm it out here so that I'm doing something semi-productive...sorta.
Hmmm...what do I want....OH! There's a book coming out next Tuesday that I've been wanting forever: Dreams of Joy by Lisa See. It's a sequel to one of my all-time favorite books, Shanghai Girls, and I even reread that one to prepare myself. Granted, I've read Shanghai Girls more than three times already, but that doesn't matter; I'm ready! I guess I can wait a few days to get it...I AM currently reading the latest MASSIVE Margaret George book, Elizabeth I, and I don't think I'll be done with it quick enough for me to justify buying Dreams of Joy for myself on its release date.
Ooh...and now that I'm thinking about books, I would really enjoy getting my hands on The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir. She's my favorite nonfiction author and the Tudor rulers are her particular speciality. This book finally came out in paperback recently, too...hmm. I'd love that one.
Umm...I know I'll love "Tron Legacy." Didn't see it yet, but I know I'll love it, so I guess I want that.
I kind of want the video game "Red Dead Redemption" because I like the "Old West"...but I hated "Grand Theft Auto," and that's just the "Old West" version of that game by the same company. Why did I hate GTA? Because I suck at driving the car. Yeah...that and I hated the cell phone. It was always ringing with the stupid cousin character asking you to go out with him and get drunk and hit on boring looking strippers in the "titty bar." Yeaaahhhh...that's nice. I can't decide one way or the other about it because boyfriend says it's going to be a lot like GTA, just on a horse. Here is one of our conversations about it:
Ryan: "If you don't like the car, what makes you think you'll like the horse?"
Me: "...because it's a horse?"
Ryan: "I bet the mechanics of it are similar - if not the same as - the cars in GTA, just bumpy instead of smooth."
Me: "But I like horses."
Ryan: "..."
Me: "And I'm good at shooting."
Ryan: "Then try GTA again. You'll get a feel for the driving if you don't give up on it."
Me: "But there's no horses."
Ryan: "..."
He loves me.
Hmm...what else? Oh. I know I want to go to Metrocon this year JUST so I can dress up as Eri Sawachika from "School Rumble." (AND hang out with little sister and her fun friends, but that's beside the point.) I watched the whole anime series and read the manga and fell in love with the hilarity and the characters. I'm even writing a lovely little fanfic, and if that's not a seal of approval from me, then I don't know what is! As for how that relates to my birthday, well, I want mia mamma to help me make a vest for my Eri costume a la this picture:
It's their summer school uniform and Eri's the blonde one, though that doesn't make a difference, clothes-wise. I can find the shirt, skirt, socks, bowtie and shoes separately, but I need the vest. Seems simple enough, huh? I know she's over doing costumes for me and my many manias, but she said she'd help, so she also told me that I have to think of something else to ask from them for my b-day. ARGH! ...maybe an eBay gift card to help me find the right parts of the costume? It's no fun to open present-wise, but it's something I want...
**EDIT**
After posting this blog and doing some thinking, I found it best to just suck it up and order the dang costume on eBay via a cosplay house in China. I did it once before with a store that had great feedback and I received a fantastic costume just in time for the convention. This store that I just ordered from also had fantastic feedback for their items and I ordered two "School Rumble" summer uniform costumes: one for me and one for my sister. Why? Because I asked her what she was going to this convention as and she said she didn't know yet, so I just suggested she pair up with me like we have before. It's always fun and it's also getting her to watch this hilarious anime! Yay!
**EDIT OUT**
Summary of my list with some extras:
~Dreams of Joy~The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn ~"Tron Legacy"
~MAYBE "Red Dead Redemption" game
~eBay gift card
~Anything related to the anime/manga "School Rumble" that's not the Harima keychain or cell phone charm (because I bought those earlier this month) - maybe the actual physical copies of the animated show?
~Anything with a pretty mermaid on it would be nice.
~Having my parents finally able to close on the house they want (which might happen in the next day or two).
~Physical copy of "The Virgin Queen" starring Anne-Marie Duff by Masterpiece Theater - it was AWESOME and I want to see it again. I already bought the soundtrack via iTunes. ^_^
~Any good costume drama movie that I haven't seen - OR - one that I have seen and don't own (like "Downton Abbey" *swoon*)
...so that's basically books and movies and a real wish. A magic wand, eBay and Amazon gift cards, maybe? Oh man. I'm boring.
***Post Script***
Parents closed on the house! Yay! No more magic wand needed! (Unless it can get me a sliver-blue Kia Rio and 2 Dodge Durango badges. Hee hee. Duran Duran mobile planning phase stage one commence!)
I can tell my immune system is trying really hard instead of giving up (like it usually does) because I'm not completely incapacitated yet. However, I'm not 100% sure whether that should be heartening or disheartening.
I'm tired and I've been tasked with writing out a wish list for my birthday (which, from this day, is only 15 days away) by my sweet boyfriend, my wonderful parents and my lovely little sister. Sheesh. I love birthdays, and they're always fun, but I can never figure out what I want in time. I knew a few weeks ago what I wanted, but now I can't think of anything. I guess I'll brainstorm it out here so that I'm doing something semi-productive...sorta.
Hmmm...what do I want....OH! There's a book coming out next Tuesday that I've been wanting forever: Dreams of Joy by Lisa See. It's a sequel to one of my all-time favorite books, Shanghai Girls, and I even reread that one to prepare myself. Granted, I've read Shanghai Girls more than three times already, but that doesn't matter; I'm ready! I guess I can wait a few days to get it...I AM currently reading the latest MASSIVE Margaret George book, Elizabeth I, and I don't think I'll be done with it quick enough for me to justify buying Dreams of Joy for myself on its release date.
Ooh...and now that I'm thinking about books, I would really enjoy getting my hands on The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir. She's my favorite nonfiction author and the Tudor rulers are her particular speciality. This book finally came out in paperback recently, too...hmm. I'd love that one.
Umm...I know I'll love "Tron Legacy." Didn't see it yet, but I know I'll love it, so I guess I want that.
I kind of want the video game "Red Dead Redemption" because I like the "Old West"...but I hated "Grand Theft Auto," and that's just the "Old West" version of that game by the same company. Why did I hate GTA? Because I suck at driving the car. Yeah...that and I hated the cell phone. It was always ringing with the stupid cousin character asking you to go out with him and get drunk and hit on boring looking strippers in the "titty bar." Yeaaahhhh...that's nice. I can't decide one way or the other about it because boyfriend says it's going to be a lot like GTA, just on a horse. Here is one of our conversations about it:
Ryan: "If you don't like the car, what makes you think you'll like the horse?"
Me: "...because it's a horse?"
Ryan: "I bet the mechanics of it are similar - if not the same as - the cars in GTA, just bumpy instead of smooth."
Me: "But I like horses."
Ryan: "..."
Me: "And I'm good at shooting."
Ryan: "Then try GTA again. You'll get a feel for the driving if you don't give up on it."
Me: "But there's no horses."
Ryan: "..."
He loves me.
Hmm...what else? Oh. I know I want to go to Metrocon this year JUST so I can dress up as Eri Sawachika from "School Rumble." (AND hang out with little sister and her fun friends, but that's beside the point.) I watched the whole anime series and read the manga and fell in love with the hilarity and the characters. I'm even writing a lovely little fanfic, and if that's not a seal of approval from me, then I don't know what is! As for how that relates to my birthday, well, I want mia mamma to help me make a vest for my Eri costume a la this picture:
**EDIT**
After posting this blog and doing some thinking, I found it best to just suck it up and order the dang costume on eBay via a cosplay house in China. I did it once before with a store that had great feedback and I received a fantastic costume just in time for the convention. This store that I just ordered from also had fantastic feedback for their items and I ordered two "School Rumble" summer uniform costumes: one for me and one for my sister. Why? Because I asked her what she was going to this convention as and she said she didn't know yet, so I just suggested she pair up with me like we have before. It's always fun and it's also getting her to watch this hilarious anime! Yay!
**EDIT OUT**
Summary of my list with some extras:
~Dreams of Joy~The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn ~"Tron Legacy"
~MAYBE "Red Dead Redemption" game
~eBay gift card
~Anything related to the anime/manga "School Rumble" that's not the Harima keychain or cell phone charm (because I bought those earlier this month) - maybe the actual physical copies of the animated show?
~Anything with a pretty mermaid on it would be nice.
~Having my parents finally able to close on the house they want (which might happen in the next day or two).
~Physical copy of "The Virgin Queen" starring Anne-Marie Duff by Masterpiece Theater - it was AWESOME and I want to see it again. I already bought the soundtrack via iTunes. ^_^
~Any good costume drama movie that I haven't seen - OR - one that I have seen and don't own (like "Downton Abbey" *swoon*)
...so that's basically books and movies and a real wish. A magic wand, eBay and Amazon gift cards, maybe? Oh man. I'm boring.
***Post Script***
Parents closed on the house! Yay! No more magic wand needed! (Unless it can get me a sliver-blue Kia Rio and 2 Dodge Durango badges. Hee hee. Duran Duran mobile planning phase stage one commence!)
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