The rambles and rants of one who dreams of publishing and producing bestsellers...
One can do and one can dream.
I do BOTH.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I'm Still Here!

This will probably be brief, but yes I'm still here. I just sort of forgot about my blog and all.
To make up for my absence, here is a video that I meant to post last year of my fish:

I think I might remove the section with my art since I have a deviantArt.... maybe. Not sure.
That's all for now, I guess. I hope to write something better soon.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

IN MEMORIAM

This post is dedicated solely to my dearest Annabelle who passed away Monday morning, April 23rd. She passed on peacefully, simply falling to sleep and leaving this world. She was a good thirteen years old, so I understand that she was old, and I understand the she was slowing down and that it was her time, but I will miss her.

Annabelle has been my only dog. I raised her from an adorable roadside puppy to the incredible loyal companion that she became. She followed me all over the property, across the fields, down the trail, to the neighbors houses... she always wanted to be by my side to guard me. She was simply amazing.

One of the last times I went home, I went over and spent about an hour at my aunt's (she lives on the road and we live in the middle of nowhere in the woods of Mississippi) and Annabelle sat at the top of my aunt's driveway, waiting for me to come back. I couldn't be mad at her. She just wanted to be with me to protect me. She did this all the time. She would even go to the blueberry farm next door in the summer, because she knew I went there every day to work, when the weather got bad if no one was home. She wanted me for comfort.

I could go on to tell you every story I remember with her, the good and the not-so-good, and share all the precious memories that I will forever hold dear. She was so precious to me and knowing I don't have a dog to go home to is depressing. And I don't want another until I can find a place that allows me to keep dogs. The apartment I have has a strict No Pet policy.

It's late. I need to sleep. But I had to say something about Annabelle to honor her memory.

And when I go home I will plant a lily on her grave, just as I did for Weetamoo (my first cat).


Annabelle

1999 - 2012

Rest in Peace. You will be missed.

St. Francis, take good care of her. I entrust her to you.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

What I learned for A Dollar (Plus Tax)

This just really goes to show the things you can learn from if you just look. I would have never thought of this, but the other day I learned something interesting from a cheap pair of dollar flip-flops I had bought at a dollar store for a walk on the beach.

Since it has been warm and nice outside, I've been wearing the flip-flops an awful lot and, as all flip-flops do, they have slowly started to mold to my feet. That's normal, grant it, but I picked them up off the floor and just felt the difference in them, so I examined them further.

I learned that I walk heavier on my left heel and more evenly with my right foot. While this makes plenty sense to me (because I have turf toe which is just a step down from breaking your toe), I really hadn't realized it. Now, every now and then, I feel the way I walk. I've noticed that with my left foot that I roll my foot in. So when I first step, instead of leaning into my big toe, I move more towards the middle and then slightly roll onto my big toe. Even so, the flip-flops show that I still do not put a lot of weight onto the balls of my feet when walking.

Makes me wonder what else I haven't noticed...

Monday, April 2, 2012

A reply to Mr. Landy

I decided to post a reply to Mr. Derek Landy's Blog (Derek Landy Blogs Under Duress which anyone and everyone should read along with his books if you haven't or aren't already) just because... well, because I could. Do I really need any other reason? This is my blog of randomness and now my randomness is being directed toward Mr. Landy.

Sad to say, no, Mr. Landy. I do not know the feeling of triumph after overcoming a first draft to a novel namely because I have *ahem*... I have yet to finish a draft. And that's because every time I get far into my draft, I go back and start to revise it then and there. Because I keep adding new elements. It's a very long and dedicated process.

Indeed, I instead have the feeling of constant improvement to make my novel the way I want to see it in the end as I go along in all it's glorious (or inglorious) wordiness. My main novel has taken me... oh... I'm not sure on how many years old the original is considering it was on another computer and I would delete the old versions, but it's been through seven or so revisions. For the better, I assure you. My writing style and story telling abilities have improved much over the years and through the revisions. At least, I hope so.

However, I feel I am possibly on the final version of my revising madness in this novel. Finally! It has been through so much and now I feel that it is nearing it's completeness! ... but then I have to try to publish it. And I hear that can be a tad expensive, which is bad news for a broke college kid in their first year. And I have seven years more ahead of me to become a veterinarian... *sigh*.

Ah, Mr. Landy. What I would give to be an accomplished writer like you.

But I can dream and persevere until I reach that epic moment when I can pick it off the shelf, all my work and dreams bound under a hardcover, and know that others can enjoy my journey and dreams as well. Until that day... I will dream and no one and nothing can stop me.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Change

A list of things I have done because list are fun:
  1. Most obviously, I have a new header. It's me, Annabelle, and Jabba the Alligator Snapper.
  2. I changed the background to a lovely pattern I found on deviantArt. (credit and link at bottom).
  3. I changed the color scheme and font.
  4. This is boring.
  5. You probably want something more fun than this.
  6. I should get to homework. Augh! OWL! (Online Web Learning, or whatever).
  7. There's a new page. Check 'er out!
  8. drum roll...
  9. I have an awesome clock! Yes! The time down to AM and PM is correct on it and it looks rather nice!
  10. Oh and an extra note: for anyone interested in the 'Something FUN!' Contest and it won't let you post an entry, just post it here.
This is a short post brought to you by boredom. Now to do some OWL and then go get some yummy raw dead fish draped over chunks of sticky rice with seaweed and other things. I mean... sushi. Yummy... delicious... I should stop now.

TTFN! (Ta-ta for now!)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

New Eyes

A recent event on my university campus has really gotten me to thinking about the world today and things such as the media. I realize there are bad people out in the world. I hear about them on the news, read about them in the papers, watch them portrayed in movies, and other sources of media. I watch NCIS occasionally where the main characters investigate the deaths of marines, often murdered in brutal ways.

But this event has me looking at all this in a new way. Saturday night, a student was shot on campus. He was rushed to the ER, but they were unable to save him. I did not know him personally, but it hurts and scares me all the same. I can only imagine what his family and friends must be going through and my heart goes out to them. Nothing like this has ever happened on our campus, so it is a tragedy for us all.

Never has the violence been so close to me. I have always viewed it from far away through the eyes of others in the various forms of media. It's different now. I feel like the media has almost dulled the seriousness and pain of such tragic events; in particular movies and television shows. We are constantly surrounded by death and pain through the lens of a camera. We flippantly play video games where we gun down our enemies, or like Grand Theft Auto and other such games, we become the villains and take on the "good guys". I was watching Captain America with Llama and his roommate and, despite the fact the Hydra were bad, I caught myself thinking one time when the Americans blew up a Hydra tank, "But there were people in there". How often do we sit back and think about the other side? How often do we consider the extras in a movie that are just there to die? How often does the movie focus only on the hero saving the world and not the mass destruction itself? We see the hero(es) fighting the evil force and maybe taking it down, but how often do we see the tragic recovery of the city? Like the second Jurassic Park. The T-Rex wreaks chaos havoc in the city it was transported to and we see it shipped off once they catch it. We see the victory, but not the bitter ruins of the city and lives it left behind.

I may be taking this a little too seriously with movies and television shows, but right now I can't help it. Media has given me the mental images of people who are shot and I keep seeing this poor student bleeding and dying in a residence hall. They tried to save him at the hospital, but could not. He died. I just need to express my humanity to others; that I consider people to be people no matter how bad they are or what side they are on. When a person is killed, it is another human life stolen. Sometimes it just doesn't feel like the world wants to look at us all as people. It feels like we separate ourselves by where you live, what you believe, and what has divided us in the past.

This tragedy has me looking at the world through new eyes.

"Don't give up! I believe in you all.
A person's a person, no matter how small!
And you very small persons will not have to die
If you make yourselves heard! So come on, now, and TRY!
"
-Dr. Seuss

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Away... Away...

I've been somewhat away from the internet lately but have not forgotten my blog. And to make up for my absence (which I rather doubt anyone was honestly worried) I will attempt to make a long entertaining post. If it isn't, you can boo me later in the comments.

Spring has sprung at my house and my sister's goats have near doubled their numbers. We now have eleven bouncing babies, six of which are male. If you have never cuddled a baby goat before you are missing out. They are soft and made to fit in you arms. I was fortunate enough to spend a whole week with them over Spring Break and enjoy their antics.

This is Jamie and her triplets. Only two have names so far, I think. Copper and Skulduggery, the boys. There's a story behind Dug's name, but I'll get to that later.

This is Holly, one of the cutest by far just for her coloration. Finally a little doe with striking colors!

And this is Bill (left) and Conan. Conan is the biggest of all the kids, thus the name 'Conan'.
Above I said there was a story behind the name of 'Skulduggery' for one. While I would like to say he was named after the amazing skeleton detective from Derek Landy's novels (of which only three have been released in America *cough cough*), I can say that the idea did. Anyways, proceeding with the tale:

The babies were only about four or so days old and were still remaining to a great extent in the main pen near our house while their mothers took to the field to graze. Sometimes a baby would follow their mom out, but they would always come home with her to the safety of the pen. The moms all came up to feed their babies when I heard one mother repeatedly "maaa"ing. I hadn't done a head count yet that day so I walked over and started. I only got to ten babies. I was missing one. I checked every nook and cranny of the entire pen from top to bottom because the babies are very good at hiding themselves and randomly appearing. My search was in vain.

About here is where the panic starts to set in. This is a very small four day old baby and any number of predators can pick it off, even hawks. Yes. The larger hawks can snatch up little baby goats. And something likes to take a goose every now and then as well, a fox or bobcat we presume. So my mom and I take off into the cow field as fast as we can, me with a posse of dogs. The first thing one of our dogs does is sprint all the way across the field to the barn and look at me as if waiting for me to catch up. This little lab rat, Yogi, is known for his tracking skills among our dogs, so his interest in this pursuit worries me. Luckily, he was only going to go chase down whatever wanders in the neighbor's yard at night, so the baby was not in distress wherever it was.

Five minutes or so of searching later and a million little "Please St. Anthony and St. Francis let me find this baby safe" prayers later, I find him nestled against a bush. Sleeping. And just as if he was a child, I picked him up and could only feel relief. I held him over my head triumphantly, much like a Tuskan Raider holding his gun over his head, so my mom could see that he was found. I brought him back to his nanny goat, who was just as relieved as me, and dubbed him Skulduggery for worrying us all. The end.

On a side note, I have not really been working on my books too much. Please remain calm. I have you guys to remind me, right? ...right? *ahem* Anyway, I'm hoping to get a move on it again soon, even though I am currently reviewing and critiquing my dear sister's work. And I'm at a bit of a standstill in mine. Hopefully summer will supply ample writing time and I will get oodles and oodles done... and then work on publishing... If and when I get closer I'll start to give you snippets. But I think I will start to post stuff about my Random Idea on deviantART where it can have its own nice little folder.

And also check out my 'Something FUN!' page. No one has posted anything yet. (sadness)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Epicness

It's five o'clock. That means our bell tower is chiming out the fight song campus wide. That means I am happy to be in my dorm where I can barely hear it through the window. I don't know... I think it sounds like a creepy music box tune. It sounds fine when the band plays it, but something about the music box effect the bell tower has on it... *shudders* That's just another of my quirky things I guess.

Anyway, STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE. I saw it Friday Saturday with Llama. I'm not a huge fan of the second trilogy (that's I through III for those who didn't know), but it was Star Wars in 3D. I didn't get to see any Star Wars in theaters, and now I can see all of them! In 3D! And I got these:


Yeah... And Darth Maul is on them. That is because they regret not letting one of their coolest characters live through at least two movies instead of killing him off. Like they do in lots of movies nowadays. How that irks me! They kill off my favorite people all the time and in the first movie! Ugh.

But yes. Star Wars in 3D was truly epic. Even if it was freezing outside and my teeth were chattering and I was hissing through my chattering teeth it was worth it.

Haha! And then there were the two girls in front of us who wanted to see the Lady in Black with Daniel Radcliff, that Harry Potter guy. But it wasn't going to play for another hour and a half. So they laughed about it, glanced over the movies, and then decided on Beauty and the Beast. Which had last played three hours ago. More giggling, glancing over movies, and giggling, debating, giggling... finally "Two for Star Wars" in an attitude like "haha! Star Wars? Really?" At least they didn't laugh through the movie.

In other news, an update on Mordecai and Bartimeus:
Look how big Bartimeus got! His little head is falling off (sadness!) but the rest of him is very green and happy looking. Mordecai has two cute little traps that I have attempted to trigger, but it is hard to tickle them right when he is in a pickle jar.

And for those who want to know about my stories/books/novels, I haven't really worked on them in awhile. I have taken a bit of a break. But I do have a contest. If you look at my pages at the one titled "Something FUN!", then you will find the rules. Have fun! :)

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Fun with Chauncey

Before I leap into this exciting tale of my immaturity, I need to go back and explain some things.
  • One: I am very unique and prone to do very random things with my friends. I stress the word random.
  • Two: Did I mention that I am in fencing now? Oh what fun it is! It's as close to sword-fighting as I can get and I eagerly leaped at the opportunity to join the fencing club. It's challenging, as is any other sport at first, but I have been told that I'm catching on rather quick. And one of the instructors likes my aggression. :)
  • Three: It had rained some, but not much. This is somewhat irrelevant, but plays a minor role in the outcomes. I take that back, it has a lot to do with what happened last night.
 Llama and I were returning from another vigorous fencing practice and it had stopped raining. As we walked down the sidewalk I spied a worm on the pavement and thought it dead. I picked it up and it moved. I was excited as this five inch or so pink earthworm slowly writhed in my hands while Llama took these:




Yes, excitement for this long lovely creature! You can even see his slimy gift shimmering on my palm and fingers. What a beaut! I released the worm, which we dubbed Chauncey, back into the wild wet world and we continued back to the dorms with Chauncey's gift on my hands.

I rubbed my hands along a rail to try to remove some of the sticky residue, which didn't help, and decided to attack Llama with my wet smelly hands. Worms have a very bitter earthy smell, for those who don't know. And we both knew. He dodged, but I repeatedly tried. I got it on his hands and wrist and finally, when he least expected it, in the face. Well, forehead more or less, with my sticky smelly hands.

He grabbed my wrist and forced my hand in my face and I put my other hand in his hair. We were both getting our hands wet with the rain water and hitting each other in the face. I could feel it on my face and between my fingers. That sticky slimy worm residue all over the both of us. We both agreed it wasn't clean fun, but fun nonetheless despite the gross factor, which I don't find that horribly gross. But I'm a little oddball. :)

Fun was had by both! Lots and lots! I was informed after that I smelled and had to take a shower, since I also was smelly from fencing...

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

A Short Drop and Sudden Stop

Tuesday. I start the day off with Statistics (not too bad, yet, but not the best) and then it's Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals. Oh yes. The day begins there!

Today, a cloudy 62 degrees with chances of rain, I decided to walk to the Vet building instead of taking the shuttle bus which I miss all the time anyway and worry about being late. No biggie. The walk is fantastic, even if people are looking out their cars at me like "Is she crazy?", "She is so gonna get hit...", and the people who couldn't think didn't if their ears where being blasted away. It's a good fifteen minute walk and along the way I rescue this bike that has been sitting under a tree for quite some time. Poor little bully bike. I walk it up, people staring at me still, and go to class.

When I got out of class, the bike was right where I left it, so I adjusted the seat to my level and took off. I hadn't ridden a bike in ages and my water shoes said, "Ummm... I don't think so. Nuh-uh. Not gonna help." I didn't have the best footing and my feet slipped around a lot, needless to say. I stayed off the road and parking lots at the Vet Center so as not to annoy the drivers (and, I'll admit, sort of avoid them), but would hop back on to the road whenever possible. Soggy ground and rusty chains do not go well together.

I was on the road and a car was coming up, so I decided to bounce back into the grass. But this lip had appeared along the road out of nowhere, the tire hit it, so the bike stayed on the road, but I didn't.


I fell and I didn't roll. It was a short little skid and a stop. Hurt a bit, but not too much. I looked up to see if anyone was around and saw my ridiculous stunt. Nope. I could breathe a sigh of relief despite the mud skids on my chest and legs. It looks like a cat tried to claw out my heart or something with claws of dirt.

I managed to get back to the parking lots behind my dorm without a problem, and went to check something on my phone. I looked in the little side-pockets of the backpack. No phone. I figure I should text Llama or someone to help me look for it, but I don't have a phone to do that with.

Luckily I found my roommate in my room and together we embarked on a journey back to the Vet Center. My phone was right where I had left it: on the side of the road where I had fallen. Naturally.

As if that wasn't enough (an edit):

Yep, as if one adventure was not enough, I had another, albeit more painful. Very much more painful.

That's right. Excruciatingly painful. Here's what happened:

It had started to rain finally after threatening to all day and I thought "I should go collect rainwater for my beautiful carnivorous plants, especially since Bartimeus, the pitcher plant, has decided to grow. Rainwater will be good for them!

I went over to my closet to grab my purple crocs, thinking it wasn't all that cold outside. As I was leaning over, it hit me. Pain. The worst kind of pain. I reeled away quickly, grasping my face with both hands, my left eye rolling as far back as it could while the lid squeezed shut. It felt like it must have been gauged clean out of my skull. Neither eye would open because the left hurts so bad, so I lay back on my roommate's bean bag and just stay there, both hands clasped over my face. It hurted like the dickens.

My kind kind roommate decided it would be best to go to the infirmary and lead me out like a seeing eye guide, because it hurts so much that I still cannot open either eye. Out the room, into the elevator, down some stairs, out the door, across the street. We were almost there when I could open my eyes. Good thing too, because the infirmary had closed.

It still hurts some, two days later, but I'm going have it checked out. It's blurry and rather dizzying at the moment. Hopefully that doesn't mean it's damaged horribly. Hopefully it's just a bruise or "just a flesh wound" that will fade away into memory and my 20/20 vision will be restored.

Wish me luck.

Last Update for this post. Promise. Anyway:

Good news is there is no visible scratches on my cornea. That's good.

Bad news, rather, not so good news is that they don't know why my vision is blurred in that eye. If it persists I am to return to them. 

Thursday, January 5, 2012

I'm BACK!!!

First off: Flame Phoenix, many many apologies as I was your secret blogland Santa. I got home from college and haven’t been on my computer at all since. No lie. I’m going to draw your character and, if you really want, I will send you the original to you. Even if you’re in Ireland. I can understand if you decline the offer.

Did everyone else have a great Christmas (Winter, Holiday, Hanukah, whatever) break? I did! Home for a month! Yes! And in… three days I head back up to college to continue my studies. But I had loads of fun at home! I received two wonderful carnivorous plants from my best friend “The Llama”, Pumas to play racquet ball from my dad (yay! Bring it on, Llama!), and Bazilio Charles the betta fish from… sort of myself.

Mordecai Jawz (Venus Flytrap) and Bartimeus Charm (Pitcher Plant). Mordecai has more growing to do, so you can't really see him. He's a stump behind Bartimeus. Thank you, Llama.

His majesty, Bazilio Charles, my crowntail betta

Sir Lughaidh (LOO-ee) Moxmox, my sister's yellow half-moon betta

I’ll continue my story soon-ish, whenever I have time, so hang in there whoever read it. It will continue and it will get weirder! It’s not what you think at all! I hope… Hopefully I have someone on their toes. As for all my books that I’m working on (since I am an Author to be), I’ve gotten minutely farther but hit a wall called nature and home. They took up all my time for a month. A happy, carefree month of dogs, cats, cows, and family! It also gave me time to discuss with my sister, ThiefQueen, other possibilities and details on our upcoming mega series that will blow the world out of the water with complexity! Honestly, if you are in the US, I will announce when the first book gets published and please buy it!

On that note of publishing, if anyone has tips, please put it in the comments. We’re dying for information about publishing and want to know about copyrights and whatnot. So if anyone can help two poor college girls wanting to share their ideas, comment. You (hopefully) will not regret it. I doubt you would, unless you are not a fan of fantasy fiction at all.

That’s all for now. Back to the dishwasher before mummy gets home, and then to packing for school, and cleaning my room… and the house…

Oh! And I'm going to change the blog's look with some more original art, so hang in there! It will be epic!