Half the summer is gone already.  This is very sad but also true.  I've done next to nothing because I've been so tired.  It is a very different tired than during the school year.  That is mental exhaustion and this is physical exhaustion.  I'm grateful for the change of pace.  But it has taken a while to adjust. 

Part of the reason I have done nothing is that I am so Poor.  Work Crew only gets paid every two weeks and you have to fill at the time sheet at the end of two weeks of work so that it can be processed in those two weeks to be given to you when you fill out hte next time sheet.  Since this is my third week on work crew, I will get my first pay check this weekend.  Until now I've been limited in what I could do.

My goal is to go on a shopping spree when I get my first paycheck.  So, here is the list of things to buy:

1. refill my perscriptions
2. buy books on Amazon that I need for my thesis.
3. buy a birthday gift for doom_ihl_varia 
4. buy red hairdye and try to dye my hair
5. postage for stuff for my Orientees

Then there is minor crafting things I want to get and the list goes on. 

Speaking of crafting, I have begun knitting a wrap shirt for myself.  I'm using a k2, p2, pattern that alternates every two rows to makes a checked pattern.  I'll try to post pics if I can as I make progress.  so far I'm only about six inches in on the first panel (of 2).  and each one has to be about 40 inches long. 

Seeing Redd is going well.  not as captivating as the first but that may also be that I'm just too tired to care about it right now. 

I spend most of my free time with doom_ihl_varia watching Babylon 5, which I have come to realize is possibly the best tv show of all time.  It's great.  I've gone through 3 and a half seasons in a little over 2 weeks.

but it's already past my bed time.  so, off to sleep for me. 

So, today I went out running errands.  I got the new 2nd Looking Glass Wars book: Soon I will write a review for the first one in the series.. which I loved by the way. 

Then, I went to Joann's and looked at patterns for hours.  I could have done this on my computer but I always feel more confident in what I'm getting when I'm staring at it in a store.  I didn't actually buy any of them, partially because I am broke right now and partially because I'm gonna be working with my mother on this project and want to run things by her at this stage of the game.  

What project?  you might ask.  Well, At New College we can wear whatever we want to graduation and while that's still a year away, I'm the sort of person who likes to plan ahead.  So, I've been thinking about what I would want to wear for graduation and I decided that I want to make a Renaissance Gown.  This lovely website has a comical explanation of everything needed for such a gown.  So these are the patterns I picked out:

So, I finished the semester.  Boy was that rough.  (remind me never to take 5 classes at once ever again)  but I did it.  and that was cool.  I then went on vacation.  My sister graduated from High School (top of her class) and then we went to Orlando for the week.  Now I'm back and a Work Crew supervisor for the summer. 

I SATed all my classes, though there were some were very unpleasant remarks about attendance and deadlines.  Now, I look forward to starting my thesis.  I have a list of 8 plays and 3 books to read this summer.  I'm kinda intimidated.  It seems like so much work.  I've also started looking a possibilities for my graduation dress.  Mom and I are going to sew it together.  It will have a million pieces and parts.  and hopefully will look amazing. 

Now, that I'm on summer break, as usual, I have more time for life, which means I'll be on LiveJournal more often.  In preparation for this i deleted all of my Lj communites from my friend's list so that I can actually see what my FRIENDS are writing.  

Summer Plans:
Learn Latin (it didn't stick the first time)
Read for my Thesis (easier said than done)
Continue to work on "my book" (don't ask)
Read for fun (I have no idea when I fit that in)
Play an epic game of Gestalt


I'm sure there is other stuff that will take up all my time and I wont do anything I said i would, but, Oh well. These things happen.  For now I'm just glad to have a break (and yes after the semester I've had doing all the afore mentioned would be a break.).

Review: The 8^th Journal by Nicole Parris

 

Normally, I would not have read a book such as this. I am usually only interested in something that is hundreds of years old or out of this world. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the end of the last Harry Potter book, and to compare the book to that on the back cover would usually rule it out straight away. But this book almost literally feel into my lap. So, I decided to give it a try. And I must say, I liked it. Up and coming author Nicole Parris is still wet behind the ears but what she lacks in formal technique she more than makes up for with her riveting plot and characterizations.

 

The 8^th Journal is about an 18 year old girl, Holly, who finds out not only that she is adopted but also that her mother was a world famous author of a children's adventure series and recently died. She must uncover a series of family secrets and follow in her mother's foot steps to finish writing the anticipated final book in the series.

 

I found myself yelling to the characters on more than one occasion that this person was the stalker or that that person was related and such. The main characters unfortunately are fresh out of high school and do not understand how to think like they are in a mystery story. For this reason there is a cast of colorful secondary characters that come in and out of their lives to help them decipher the clues that ultimately lead to tales about the past and hidden treasure.

 

There is never a dull moment. Every time one piece to the puzzle is revealed, two more mysteries take it's place. This high intensity ride does not, like some rollercoasters, have an abrupt and jarring ending but rather wraps up in a very satisfying conclusion. Not only did I think this was a great first book. I believe that with such creativity and excitement, we can expect bigger and better things from Parris in the future.

I have been toying with some creative writing ideas. Not just fanfiction. School has been preventing me from doing much of anything but I have gotten a little done on this new idea. But I don't know what to do with the stuff that is coming out of me. I feel like the fact that I have begun to refer to it as “my book” is interesting, seeing as it is only three pages and I've been working on it for months. I seems like if this project continues it will end up as a book. But while this is gaining momentum it could still be years from completion and that's only if I don't get bored and set it aside. I kinda want to post it here just to get it out where people can see it. But I also don't want to post it here because I also feel that posting it here puts it on the same level as my fan fiction. I have a freewebs website, where I keep my art. I could set up a new section and put it there. But that might encourage me to update the artwork on that site which is so old I would know where to begin in adding new stuff. (I also haven't done much new stuff... or atleast not kept most of the stuff I have done). I could put it someplace specifically for creative writing or start going to workshops and stuff but that's never really been my thing. I don't know.. but I'll keep you updated. This was really just me getting ideas out and we shall see what comes of it.

Though, where ever it goes my fairytale should go as well. And the new one I'm writing along with it. (the second fairytale being for a class.)

This is the dungeon set up for our event.  At least as it stands at the moment.


Any Questions?  Comments?

I got this from calliopepurple .

The first eight (8) people to respond to this post will get something made by me.
All comments will be screened. Please include your address (if I don't already have it!) so that I can send it out to you.


Restrictions and limitations:

1) I cannot guarantee you will like the result. Not without extensive emailing first and that spoils the surprise. So you may get something random.
2) Whatever I make is yours. For you. There probably won't be anything the exact same made for anyone else.
3) It will be done and with you by the end of 2009.
4) It may be anything.

The catch is that you put this in your journal as well.

PRESENTS FOR YOU:
1.nellierose 
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

this is for slwatson .  As part of an art meem.  I'm new to Gimp and my tablet so it's kinda rough and i made it a little hazy to compensate.

I hope you like it.

I read this in no time flat.  I thought it was great.  If you haven't seen it before, check it out.

This morning I am writing from Caliban.  What is Caliban you might ask.  Besides a grotesque Shakespearean Character, it is the name of my new computer.  I supposed New is a very relative term in this case.  It is James' old computer that he renovated for me and gave it to me as a late Christmas Present.  It is set up next to his computer so that we can both be on the computer working and still interact with each other. 

Now my keyboard with all the extra keys for accents and special characters is hooked up (that's what  I'm typing on.  See:  ñ, æ í ) Huzzah!  I have also hooked up my tablet.  but I need to figure out where I put the software so that it works properly.

This work space makes me so happy.  It really is the best thing ever! 

So, I promised people  that I would update over christmas to let people know I'm still alive.  Well, I am.  

I made it home safely and nellierose : I wanted to tell you that i got the card.  thankyou.  and any time you want to go get that stuff just call

slwatson : I had been working on the pic for the meem and then I left my tablet in my dorm and wont be able to finish it for two weeks.  Sowwy.


Well, another smashing christmas party.  I love my relatives but I can only stand so much.  Tonight I was told "You looked better as a blonde" "You need to go back to being a blonde; I didn't recognize you' "Are you goth" and then a series of "So, did you vote for Obama"  "You're the reason this man got elected"  "When are you going to stop being a liberal"  

oh and one of my littlest cousins said "you aren't cute"  

And aside from listening to gay-bashing and racist remarks for the last hour it was fun.... well actually the party was fun.  the party was great.  I almost got a lava lamp but in the end someone half my age got it.  which is cool he's now the hippest kid in 4th grade.  I also found out that the books I got for the kids in my family are all the right levels. 

It was hanging around after the party that was depressing.   The remarks about being a liberal came out of no where and were attached to nothing I was talking about at the time it was flung as me.  I was so caught off guard that I could not finish what I was saying.  I also watched helplessly as my sister was ridiculed for not knowing the difference between softball and baseball.  and this is my cousin's idea of a fun family conversation.  

Oh well.


Edit:  I completely forgot about the "oh look an engagement ring"  even thought the ring I was wearing was on the opposite hand.  

Why did no one tell me that Bridget Jones' Diary is really just a simplified version of Pride and Prejudice?

I was watching the BBC Pride and Prejudice this evening and when I finished I was interested to know what other things Collin Firth had been in.  I looked him up on IMDB and saw that aside from playing Mr. Darcy on the BBC, he also played Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones' Diary.  So, intrigued I watched it too.  

So, why don't people tell me these things?

Title: Fireside

Author: Dragonzfaerie

Fandom: The Scarlet Pimpernel

Word count: 1017

Summary: Sir Percy tells Sir Andrew that Margarette denounced the Marquis de St. Cyr.

Warnings: Angst. Otherwise, nothing to warn you about. 

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this. We have the wonderful Baroness for that.

Author's notes: The book starts almost exactly one year after Percy and Margarette are married. I wanted to take a stab at what life was like before all of that.  I started writing  this while I was finishing my finals but refused to let myself post this while I was still finishing them.  So this is sort of a post-finals treat.
 

( The story is under here. )

 

that's really the only word to describe my experience.  At six I decided to walk down to the bay to clear my head.  I put on my headphones and started walking.  Suddenly the Safety Dance and then I would walk 500 Miles came on my media player.  I danced on the bay front in the dark.  Then I realized that the Cook Hall was open so I went in got to see the wonderful decorations all lit up with no one else around.  on the way back I listened to the B52's Rock Lobster.  I got back and saw that x dorm looked glorious all lit up with the lightened sky behind it.  So, I grabbed my camera and got a few good shots that I'll upload latter on. 

Its this Awesome.  It really made me go "I love this Place!"

Now, It's time for me to get back to work.  I have finished one and only have 4 pages for the other.  I guess they wont be that great but they will be done.  and since they are definitely concept pieces for my thesis I figure I'll have a chance to rework them later on.  So, eight hours the finish up.

Oh, and on a side note.  The Scarlet Pimpernel Musical?  It's AWESOME.  I love the music I've been listening to it all night.  I really want to see a production of it now. 

Ok, I waited until I felt like I have accomplished enough to give myself leave to write a post, which always seems compulsory during paper writing. SO, progress? I have been up since about 10 this morning and don't foresee sleep before 8 tonight. I have written about 5 and 5 on the 8 and 10 page papers i have due at 5:00 today. One is on the One-sex model and Judith Butler's Gender Trouble and the other is on The Duchess of Malfi and The Roaring Girl. They are moving well now. but I'm definitely going to beat myself up. I should have started this much earlier. But I keep pumping myself full of Coffee so that I wont care and my fingers just keep clicking the keys.

on as slower note. I've not worked on it much since I have had finals to do. but I have worked a little and now I am:



yep three colors from the end. 

ok guys.  Get sleep and do well on finals (those of you who have them.)

SO I've actually already started other projects.  which means that this one is starting to slow ever some much.  Thought I only have a hundred more lines and should finish the scarf soon.  though knitting isn't exactly the end.

the new thing I've working on is a wrap shirt which I think will be awesome.  though I was about a foot into it and took it all apart last night because I decided I had made it too small.  so RESET.

TOday nellierose and I go to my parents house for dinner and my birthday.  i expect it will be fun.  I'm skipping classes today in order to get there faster.

So this morning I picked up my knitting and found that several of the stitches had come undone. I was terrified that I had messed it up so badly that I wouldn't be able to fix it. but after about 30 mins I got it back together. I also put one of the stitches back together wrong and then had to fix it. But i did and aside from a worn looking stitches, it's all fixed.

and I am now here: