Good and Salty

June 30th is the best day ever.

2006-06-30T22:52:00.000-05:00

And the reason why it is, is: C'est mon anniversaire! Tänään on minun syntymäpäivää! Heute ist mein geburtstag! Today is my birthday!

Yup. Today at 8:32 I turned -*gasp*-a startingly old 17!

It's extra special because my grandma and aunt and cousins are here instead of us going to their house! It was really fun. I had a blast.

We went to see Cars, which I wanted to see, was doubtful about how Pixar would pull it off but was pleasantly surprised. Mater managed to be both the cutest and most hilarious thing ever. And I don't even like Larry the Cable Guy! Also, the references to Formula 1 and European racing were funny, we'd been fans more of that then NASCAR.

Then we went to The Machine Shed, which is an truly Iowan restaurant where all of us including little ones could eat, and it boasts really good hearty farm food. After I was sung to by the waiting staff clad in overalls and kerchiefs and ate half of the apple dumpling (the previous course was a stomach buster!) we all went back to our house for presents!

I got wonderful wonderful presents from everyone. A remote release for my camera from Dad, Two CD's I've wanted, a cool book, A figurine of Belle from Beauty and the Beast reading a book, Hostess Cupcakes, a bag of Starbucks and some money.

Now my aunt has gone back to the hotel they're staying at with my littlest cousins and my grandma, and the two older cousins are here and we're going to watch Kate and Leopold with my Mom.

The best part? We haven't eaten my cake yet, we will tomorrow! My birthday will last about 2 days!

Thank you Lord, for blessing this year and continuing to show me Your paths. Thank you for this wonderful day. Thanks you for the best pair of parents. And the best pack of brothers. Thank you for the blessings You've showered on me in the past and the plan You have for me in the future. Please help me obey You in this coming year.

Love, Danielle, the newly 17 yr. old.

I've been watching Bible movies...

2006-05-07T21:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm back from retreat! It was really good, as usual, this time it was different for me, but that's a good thing. I wouldn't say I got a specific touch from God that I could link back to the retreat, but rather it seems to have set things in motion for God to work in my life in a new way. Which is great.

It has been really good for our group as a whole, though. The monthly prayer meeting was interesting, it's one that our youth group has every first Friday of the month, and it is from 10:00 to 1:00 a.m. Don't ask, even I'm not exactly sure why it is that time. But while we usually just pray by ourselves, God moved and we were praying for each other and interceding...it was pretty awesome.

And on a completely unrelated subject, here in our family we saw...I'm almost too embarassed to say...Demetrius and the Gladiators. I'm glad most of you don't recognize the title, it's the sequel to The Robe and even cheesier. You see, at our house we have this thing about Bible movies from the 60's. I don't mind them, they're fun to watch, and very fun to snark at.

Not at the Bible parts, but at some of the extra-Biblical little touches they add, and the portrayal of Bible times. Like how you didn't have to be ripped to be the male lead, walking around with your shirt off and yet still be a tough guy. (Now, I don't like watching really muscled guys walk around with their shirts off either, but honestly. There's a reason why normal people keep their shirts on.)

Also, the fact that if you are a young male Israelite, you must be hot-headed and yearn to give it to the Romans/Egyptians/Name-The-Tyrant and get yourself in lots of trouble fighting with them. If you are a young female Israelite, you must be under twenty, nubile, water girl/hand-maiden/servant of someone, completely innocent, also prone to fall madly in love with the lead, for no other reason then he's a guy and she's a girl. Oh yes, did I mention that she must get attacked/hauled off/threatened with the worse-than-death by the Name-The-Tyrant so Hot-Head can rush in and save her, possibly getting them in a lot of trouble.

Yeah, and how come Victor Mature is in all of them?.Cecil B. DeMille probably had to cast him as some unamed slave in The Ten Commandments to give it true Bible movie status.

Speaking of The Ten Commandments, it is, of course, the best known Bible movie and practically everyone has seen it, (If you haven't...don't give me any wimpy excuses about it being 4 hours, be a man and go sit through it. All of it.) I saw it when I was really young, I just remembered how it lasted fore-EVER, and had something about Moses and an Egyptian hussy that I did not remember from Sunday school.

But, over the Easter weekends that have passed, I have recognized it for the Gone With The Wind of Bible movies that it is. And noticed how much Charlton Heston looks like a living skeleton. And then occasionally I've been known to sometimes announce in my best Yul Brynner impression, "So it shall be written, so it shall be done."

Another good example of extra-Biblical enhancement is The Story of Ruth. Which should be seen, it was an enjoyable movie . Nonetheless, did you know that Ruth was a priestess of Moab? And her first husband, Mel-whassiname died not from sickness but escaping from Moabite prison, only to die hours later after having a bedside marriage to Ruth? And that Boaz was a hot-head? AND prejudiced against foreigners?

Oh, well. Normally you can't let your knowledge of history, or solid Christian doctrine, for that matter to engage fully to enjoy them. (Although The Robe and it's superstitious hocus-pocus about Jesus' clothes drove me CRAZY) Quo Vadis had it's little prophysing boy who then "woke up" and was all "What did I say?". The Egyptian (which goes down in my book as Worst Bible Movie Ever except for Peter Ustinov's performance but then Peter Ustinov was the best thing to happen to the whole genre) was odd, because the entire movie had nothing to do with anything in the Bible and was just a sword and sandals sort of thing, until the last two minutes, where out of nowhere the main character has sudddenly met Paul and become a Christian and the movie ends with a verse. It was fine in itself, but what? Did that have anything to do with what happened before?

As I said before, Oh,well. They're not for analyzing. Just some good, men-in-skirts wearing, damsels-in-distress, dragon slaying...no, wait I've my formula genres crossed...anyway, they're just for having a good cheesy time.

Mmmm...Retreat

2006-04-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

Ah, look! She's not dead after all! Joe, call the coroner back!

I love all you guys who update regularly, with brilliant content for me to read, and I'm sorry I've been awful and haven't reciprocated...the job at the paper looks like it's going to turn into a once a week thing instead of a once a month thing, and my Mom wants me to work on my novel. Not to mention I've been spending less time on the computer anyway, focusing more on what's important that I need to get done around the house...and we have so many activity things that just keeping up with the homework on them takes up so much time.

Whoof!

I'm excited though. Our youth group is having our spring retreat this weekend! Retreat is always a great time, because God always moves in amazing ways. People got healed last retreat, addictions were broken, there are always so many great testimonies coming out of it. So many people like jumping around to the worship and it seems like it's their favorite part, but it's not really my favorite part.

My favorite is sitting in the glorious, sunny, blue-sky, green-grass outside and have quiet time, with just God, me, my prayer journal and my Bible. It's so peaceful, it's almost literally like the old hymn "In The Garden".

"He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share, as we tarry there, no other has ever known."

And I think of Elijah, in the cave, fleeing Ahab and Jezebel,

"The LORD said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave."

-1 Kings 19:11-13

That's what I'm hoping for this weekend, a whisper from Him, something I can hang onto when the everyday's of life set in, when the normal seems to clog my system again. I always love to see Him move in spectacular awe-inspiring ways, with loud feats of wonder, and I can't wait to see what He'll do this weekend, but I also pray that everyone will also experience the joy and peace of His reassuring whisper.

April Fool's!

2006-04-01T23:06:00.000-05:00

I decided to post a short post, because it's the opposite of what I usually do. And it's April Fool's. That made sense a bit ago.

I wasn't planning on doing an April's Fool's Day joke, until last night when I was brushing my teeth. I was the last one to go to bed and I realized what I could do.

I went into the kitchen and taped down the kitchen sprayer trigger, so whoever used the sink would get a wet surprise. Not mine, I heard it somewhere. It got my Mom, who woke up early, and thought it was my Dad, until I came out of my bedroom asking who got wet.

But, other than that...not much happening. I have to play the piano for church tomorrow, in addtion to being there an hour earlier. Not to mention we jump forward an hour! So, by all good sense, I should be in bed right now. But I'm not, because we're watching Left Behind: World At War. That's the third one. It's got a bigger budget than the previous two, but I still don't like it very much. Maybe it's just Kirk Cameron. But, I do like the show he and that Australian guy do, called "Way of The Master" where they go out and street witness. It's so intriuging watching the conversations they have.

No, I think it's the uncomfortably close shots of people's faces while they're talking...creepy. Oh, The President just got thrown out the window of a four story building landing on his car roof and survived. Nice trick.

Anyway, I must go. I'm just blathering about nothing now and doing it badly...hope everyone had a fun April Fool's!

Purell-ing Doorknobs

2006-03-29T00:31:00.000-05:00

Or, my Mother's code about plumbers.

So, the plumbing in our house has been kind of weird lately. Ranging from "Hmmm, that's funny..." weird to "This fixture is possesed!" weird. First of all, our toilets quit working and when the plumber came to roto root it, he found tree roots in the pipe.

Which is strange enough, in my book. Apparently, this is not uncommon though, or so he said. You can never tell with plumbers. The twinkle in their eye is awfully hard to detect. But the toilets started working again, and I thought no more about it, except a while ago, when going down to do some laundry, it smelled like an open sewer. And behold, there was sewage (yes, the raw, brown, smelly kind) literally on the floor of our basement, coming from this big drain under our laundry tub (which is next to our washer and dryer).

We will pause for a moment of remembrance concerning my Mom's expression. And don't try to picture it. You had to be there.

Okay, I can go on. So after the whole reaction, a different plumber came to fix it. Somehow it involved unhooking the washer and everything went downhill from there. I can only report what I heard, for I was upstairs, but I was sitting next to the vent and heard this...whooshing noise. It was followed by shrieking. It continued, and continued, for a few minutes. Eventually it died down.

I tread cautiously down the stairs and saw my Mother, holding a mop and bucket, dripping wet, gaping at the plumber, who was also wet and sheepishly holding the faucet. Somehow the man had lost control of the faucet and it sprayed all over the place and spread the sewage further across the floor, since it couldn't go down the drain. And soaking them both.

All was right in the end, but it was touch and go for a bit there. I mean, for the plumber.

But let us back up for a moment, to before the plumber's arrival. My Mom was expressing shock and horror about the last plumber's sense of hygiene. To ascertain the problem, he flushed the toliet and stuck his hand in there, to feel the degree of pull or something, pulled it out, made some grunt of satisfaction and shook it off. My Mother watched helplessly as he trod all over the house, touching who knows what, without washing his hands.

She related to me, as she squirted Purell all over the doorknobs following his departure, that "You have to follow them around and open doors for them, do things for them, because they can't while they're working."

So the second plumber arrived and headed downstairs, with my Mom hot on his heels. I know not what his transgressions of hygiene were, only that I heard this excahnge through the vent.

Mom (over-eager): Here! Let me get that for you!

2nd Plumber (in good humor): Aw, no thanks. I can get it.

Mom (with desperation): Really! Here, let me-

2nd Plumber (tickled, but still the gentleman): No, no, I can get it just fine. Thanks.

I only hope they couldn't hear me laughing from upstairs.

A Repentant Blogger

2006-03-26T17:16:00.000-05:00

I'm afraid I have been bad. I haven't updated with anything resembling regularity and have even gone off into the stratosphere for stretches of weeks. But I am not dead, only delinquent.

And strangely (or not so strangely considering Life and all it's aspects) there was an avalanche of things to do after we got off the media fast. Articles and tiling and long visits to my Grandmother's and excursions to the flower show in Chicago. And THEN I finally found The Restaurant at the End of the Universe at my library and greedily checked out the whole rest of the Hitchhiker series.

The nagging realization of my abhorrent selfishness bothered me into further procrastination, into I just couldn't TAKE it anymore. So I am back and am wondering if everyone else's blog has given them odd neuroses and enough emotional baggage to flatten a Clydesdale.

Oh, but I have more assigned reading for you all.

The Code of the Woosters is one of the best Jeeves and Wooster books I've read. They're all wonderful, but this one is really in top form. Besides, if you've read the others and heard Bertie refer to an incident with a cow-creamer, this is it.

The Butler Did It is, yes, Wodehouse again, but not Jeeves and Wooster. It is one of his other delightful books about a group of young people, a butler, an art curate and the entanglements they get themselves into. This is one of the best non-Jeeves, non-Blandings novels I've read.

And I know everyone and his nephew have read the entire Hitchhiker series except me, but I finally picked up the rest of them and have been devouring them accordingly. The Restaurant...etc. are really good. I just finished Life, The Universe and Everything and they have been good, except for slightly depressing endings.

But I must go, I must write some e-mails and work on some other writing projects which my Mom wants me to (when I said I was updating my blog, she gave me a dissapointed look.). Oh, but one last thing, I saw Mr. Smith goes to Washington last night. Again, me being drastically behind the times, but whatever.

I did, however, like it. Pardon my ignorance, but I didn't know that's what a filibuster was until I saw the movie. I thought it was just some sort of legal document you filed. Practically holding the Senate hostage though, is way cooler. And all that sappy goodness about Truth and Idealism...ahh. I can't decide which is better, Jimmy Stewart's filibuster scenes, or Claude Rains' corrupt senator breaking at the end. Both were such great actors.

But, really must go now! Have spent an inordinate amount of time over this...but that's what I get for being emotionally involved!

*Edited for spelling by her brother*

*Brother given stern talking-to about hacking into sister's blog without telling her, even if it was to change spelling*

The Breath before the Plunge

2006-03-06T01:16:00.000-05:00

Hello! Can't post long, just have to let everyone know that I won't be on for a week, because our whole family is taking an electronics fast for this week. It's been coming on for a while now, but was announced today. The Oscars were like the last bash before the plug is pulled (at least for a week).

And on a sidenote, who is ecstatic that Brokeback Mountain didn't win Best Picture!? C'mon, it may have gotten every other one, but it didn't get the big one. That's got to be God. But P&P didn't even get Best Original Score OR Art Direction. How phony is that? I didn't mention the costumes because I didn't like them, but I LOVED the look of the movie and the music. LOVED the music. But must go now and get some SLEEP.

See y'all later!

(It's alright, I was born in Texas, I can say y'all. It's like, my birthright. Only I may have given it up by not liking Mexican food. Or spicy anything for that matter...hmmm.)

Bleh and sundry

2006-02-27T20:13:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the long update between posts, I've been working on other writing projects, some for a contest and also trying to finish up the NaNo novel. I'll probably be devoting all of March to that last venture.

And I just came back from my Grandma's, where we went this weekend for my Mom's birthday. It was pretty fun. We went to Chicago (which I love to do) and to the Shedd aquarium, and then to the Cheesecake Factory. It was Saturday night and they don't take reservations...downstairs there was a twenty minute wait for a pager! But upstairs it was a "cafe" version that was less popular, but needless to say it was a zoo!

One of the main things I love about going to Chicago is the people watching. I find it fascinating to observe all the different kinds of people. I feel like a foreigner, or a farm kid, walking around the big city for the first time...it's so eye opening to see the variety of ways of thinking, talking and dressing.

Now, I don't live in a small town, but there isn't hardly as much variety. You don't see really fashionable people walking around, or anything really out of the ordinary. Now there are exceptions of course, but as a rule, we're pretty much the same.

I mean, you're pretty much either conservative or liberal, white, black, or hispanic, preppy, punk/goth/sk8er, midwestern mom (which is a fashion genre all it's own), artsy, couture-y (they are few and far between), or normal jeans and a t-/sweatshirt.

One time in Chicago, we got in line for an elevator, thinking it went down to the lobby when in fact it went to the 95th floor to a cocktail lounge, enough a different thing in itself, but you should have seen the people in line!

So, it was fun.

But my mood is anything but happy right now, as just a bit earlier, when I was transferring my short story onto the memory stick to work on it with the laptop, I took the version on our main computer and overwrote the version on the memory stick.

Which would have been fine, if the version I overwrote wasn't the latest version, that had included all he editing work I had done on it with my Dad and was practically finished. Not to mention I was getting it ready for a contest at my library in two days.

And that's why I'm feeling a bit ill at the moment. It was hours of work, and hopefully I can get it back, and if not, I hope I remembered everything I wanted in it!

Discovery!

2006-02-17T00:10:00.000-05:00

I just found this comic strip while surfing around in Yahoo Comics. It's called Brewster Rockit (not a misspelling). It has bad puns, enthusiastic, but dumb main characters, crazy off-the-wall storylines and in spite of itself, manages to be hilarious. A spoof of sci-fi everywhere, I was laughing at practically each of the strips.

Or maybe I'm just a geek.

I have medium neuroticism...

2006-02-15T00:28:00.001-05:00

Hee, found this on Christy's blog and had to try it. I'm a sucker for personality tests...and this one actually was pretty darn accurate!

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:
You have medium extroversion.You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party.Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences.But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time."
Conscientiousness:
You have medium conscientiousness.You're generally good at balancing work and play.When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done.But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it.
Agreeableness:
You have high agreeableness.You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly.Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone.You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance.
Neuroticism:
You have medium neuroticism.You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic.Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy.Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of.
Openness to experience:
Your openness to new experiences is medium.You are generally broad minded when it come to new things.But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it.You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

(If the link doesn't work, it's www.blogthings.com/thatfivefactorpersonalitytest/)

Hyvää Ystävänpäivää!

2006-02-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

That is what all the Finns were saying to each other today. In Finland Valentine's Day is a bit different. A literal translation of the title is "Happy Friends Day". The pronunciation...well, I'll try to phoneticize it. Hoo-va Oo-sta-van-pie-va. Hey, that worked out better than I thought.

Yes, instead of all this romantic junk we talk about here in the US on Feb. the 14, across the Atlantic they are celebrating friendship. The colors are still red and pink but the emphasis is almost completely off the romance. It takes all the pressure of "I don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend, oh my gosh, I'm an outcast, no wait, I can't let people know that so instead I'll just be anti-Valentine's Day and pretend like it doesn't matter because I'm so cynical and cool." practically all off.

There you give a nice card to a friend, call up old aquaintances, and otherwise make an effort to show them how much they mean to you. If you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend than that's fine, but everyone is thinking about their friends.

There's no changing what Valentine's Day is in the US, but think about how much less stress and depression it would save for a lot of people who aren't secure and aren't saved and take it really seriously, if instead of emphasis on romantic dates and roses, it was a time when they could expect an encouraging card from a friend and in turn encourage their friends.

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart

and good news gives health to the bones."

Proverbs 15:30

I'm not bitter about Valentine's Day and the romance, I look forward to the day when it will hold special meaning for me, but for everyone of us whose life dating doesn't have a part in for the moment, have a wonderful Happy Friend's Day!

Oh the Humanity!

2006-02-13T00:30:00.001-05:00

It's 11: 42 and I'm sitting in front of the computer, eating a crusty scone I let sit untouched for too long, and gulping down some cold tea (not in front of the computer, Dad.) with the same problem as the scone, and watching the Women's Short Track Speed Skating.

Ah, the Olympics.

I've got no right to be as excited about them as I am, my level of atleticism being what it is, that is, practically non-existent, but ever since I was little I've loved watching them, Summer or Winter. I remember prancing around our living room when I was 6, in a leotard and scarf I specifically changed into because I was watching the Gymnastics Competition.

I probably shouldn't be allowed to watch them, though. I get all emotionally attached to the athletes and take it almost personally if they lose. It's such great drama, however! Huge wins, tragic losses, upstarts claiming gold and champions falling short. Or better yet, champions becoming long-shots, and then winning.

We may have been the only ones watching this afternoon, but in the Cross Country Skiing (Pursuit, which means it's more of a sporint, I think) there was one of those moments. The favorite, a Norweigian, Frode Estil, the World Cup Champion and gold medalist, was in an accidental pile-up at the starting line and after being sorted out and skis fixed started out in dead last. But the other skiiers , in a show of good sportsmanship, actually slowed down for him, and he rejoined the pack and eventually pulled ahead to win the silver.

Seeing that show of selflessnes on the part of the other skiiers and watching the previously written out champion pull ahead, almost made me tear up. (I know, I know) It surprised me how emotionally attached I was.

And then, conversely, hearing that Michelle Kwan was dropping out, just about tore my heart out. I was so wishing for her to win. She deserved it, and wanted it so bad. I felt so bad, especially because I had rooted for Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes, the upsets that won at her Olympics. Even Bode Miller, the arrogant jerk that he seems to be, finishing 4th in downhill skiing because of ski problems, the look he had on his face at the bottom was so genuinely agonized that I was moved to pity.

I think it's the unexpected things that make it so exciting and heart rending at the same time. When we see how quickly and with no warning a dream can be shattered, leaving only the regret behind, and how someone with no expectations of glory, just setting out to do their best, suddenly be granted the victory...it rings true somewhere deep inside.

I'm tempted to cry, "Oh the humanity!" as I watch them, dissapointed and radiant alike.

Speed Skating is over now, it's so late that they are showing a medal ceremony for someone who isn't American...that's really late. I will pop off to bed now, but be back again tomorrow to see what else happens in this drama that is the Olympics.

Airplane Hilarity

2006-02-06T23:18:00.000-05:00

The oldest of my younger brothers is all about airplanes and flying and Microsoft Flight Simulator and this online game called Airline Empires. He was surfing their forums and came across this which someone else had referenced to, and read it out loud to us.

It left me in tears even though I know almost nothing about airplanes, and I had to post it here for everyone's enjoyment. (No one knows who came up with it, so I can't attribute it, except to say it's not my work!)

To induce greatest laughs, read aloud to family members with expression,

------------------------------------------------------------

Remember it takes a college degree to fly a plane but only a high school diploma to fix one. Reassurance for those who fly routinely in their jobs: After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet" which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems and document their repairs on the form and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submittedby Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers. By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident.

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're for.

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

And the best one for last:
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget

Mundane Woes and Little Joys

2006-02-04T23:51:00.000-05:00

Bleh. I hate my room.

Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that I was in there for hours today, attempting to clean it, but I'm not sure. The real estate moguls chant: Location, location, location! (at least, I am assured they do by my mother.) and my room fails this test absolutely. It is located in such an unfourtunate position as to be not much more than a glorified hallway.

The hall starts at my brother's room, continues past to the bathroom, and then does one of two things. It either, (a. stops at the door to my room and sort of leaks into the living room off to the right) or (b. continues straight through my room, into the kitchen via the door at the other end.)

I am inclined to the latter of these two theories, which popular opinion backs me on. Not only is it the shorter, more attractive route to the kitchen, but has the added bonus (if you are one of my little brothers) of almost certain irritation to myself. Anf then if they are caught, they can widen their eyes angelically and say.

"But I was only trying to get to the kitchen..."

I know this sounds a rather trivial subject to take offense too...but after years of people tromping through my room, without permission or even acknowledgement of my presence, it's rubbed a raw spot.

To change the topic dramatically to a much plesanter subject, I was reading recently The Uncollected Wodehouse, which is a collection (ironically) of some of P.G. Wodehouses earlier works, short stories, poetry, articles. I highly recommend it. No one should go through life without having read any Wodehouse, and his short stories are a great place to get a good taste. You are commanded to get it from your nearest library, even on the merits of "The Man Upstairs" and "When Doctors Disagree" alone. "The Best Sauce" is another charming piece of work.

The nice thing about his titles is they don't seem to make sense until you've read the piece, then go back and look at it, and then the light goes on. "So that's what that means..."

However, I mustn't be using up any more of my creative juices...I have things I am supposed to be writing at this moment, which I have been trying to finish up for a while. In fact, the family members in the living room probably think I am buzzing away happily at the ol' manuscript, while I am, in fact, typing this. Which I will stop doing presently. As soon as I am finished. Which will begin (or end, depending on your point of view)...now.

THE END (I mean it.)

P.S.: A note to the worried (or perhaps relieved) This does not mean forever. Just until next time. I see those looks, I'm really stopping now, I promise...

Tagged!

2006-01-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

I was recently reading Rabenstrange's blog and was surprised to find my name at the bottom. It was in a list of names that had been "tagged". And after figuring out what that meant (I'm a green blogger), I have attempted to fill out that survey as follows:

My Only Real Jobs

Babysitting (The only people who don't think this counts have never baby-sat.)

Writing for our local newspaper. (Their teen columnist left for college, and they sent out the call for new teen writers, and got so many replies they made a whole new section. So now I write articles for it once a month.)

Being homeschooled (At least my Mom thinks this is my real job. )

Movies I could watch over and over

The Winslow Boy. This is a lovely film, by David Mamet of all people, (it's G rated, I promise) based on a Britsh play and it has a very British premise. A young boy is expelled from military school because he supposedly stole sixpence from another boy. He gives his word he didn't, and his outraged
family hires famous lawyer to take the case and sues the government.

It sounds boring, I know, but the real story is in the character's lives. The arrogant lawyer (played by Jeremy Northam), The suffragette daughter, the long suffering mother and the father who is wonderfully played by Nigel Hawthorne. It also has one of the best ending scenes. Just trust me and go see it.

The Princess Bride . Does this even need an introduction? A side-splitting parody of swashbucklers of old, somewhat reminiscent of Mel Brooks. Full of quotable lines, if you haven't heard "Inconcievable!" or "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." than you are hereby ordered to go out and see it now.

Star Wars IV: A New Hope. My personal favorite of the Star Wars. Classic, classic, classic. The trio of Luke Han and Leia and all the accompanying banter is the best in this movie. It's Star Wars for Pete's sake! You don't need a reason for liking it!

Finding Nemo. I heart Pixar. I love their smart comedy, and their beautiful animation. And this movie is their best so far. The Incredibles was good, but this is the best. "You so totally rock, dude!"

Pride and Prejudice. Yes, it's a mini-series. But it's worth it. And you've heard about this already so I won't say anything more about it.

Scaramouche. Okay. Nobody had better laugh. I mean it. This is a hopelessly cheesy old swashbuckler, with Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer and Janet Leigh. It's the kind of movie you don't tell anyone you like, it's that embarressing. But that doesn't mean it's not a good movie, the sets are great, the costumes are over the top, it's nothing but high drama, but well acted high drama. Basically it's a good movie, but one you will be laughed at for liking.

Places I've lived

I was born in Texas, moved when I was seven to Illinois, did a two year stint in Finland, because of my Dad's job. Yes, Finland, as in over seas, the one next to Russia. It's a beautiful country and lots of them speak English. I would highly recommend it.

But now I live in Illinois.

TV shows I watch

Stargate Sg-1 and Stargate Atlantis. I used to watch these every week, but I haven't in a while...they're good series, sci-fi and everything. The only thing is that the writers can't write 'ship to save their lives. It's aggravating to see the wrong people getting thrown together...

The Apprentice and The Amazing Race. Heh. I watched them when they were on...

Jeeves and Wooster. This TV series isn't on air anymore, but it's absolutely wonderful. Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry star as the bungling Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves respectively. I actually got my family hooked on P.G. Wodehouse this way. And that's something.

Yes Minister, Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, and all that great British stuff. Just one comment: British comedy ROCKS! Go find some episodes of these and just try not to go around talking in a Britsh accent.

Places my family vacations

Lots of places. My Mom just likes to take trips. Last summer we went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania with my grandparents, then went up to Bethany Beach , Delaware. I'm not huge on traveling though. I like my comfy home.

Websites I frequent

I go to a couple blogs on blogger.com...sometimes to lotrplaza.com, ummm...not tons of different places. Imdb.com is a cool site. And pluggedinonline.com for good Christian movie reviews. Otherwise not very many places.

Foods I like

Mmmmm...I like food. Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken (but not broccoli) is a guilty pleasure, also fondly known as "Heart Attack on a Plate". Chicken I like. A lot. Meat, is a good thing. Noodles, I am also fond of. Oh, yes, I mustn't forget, FRENCH TOAST. WITH REAL SYRUP. NOT THAT MAPLE JUNK.

My Mother, has a thing about whole wheat. And maple syrup. It just doesn't work on french toast. Prepare yourself for something terrible, I only get Mrs. Butterworth's wonderfully artificial, sickeningly sugary, ambrosia of a syrup on my birthday. As in, Once a Year. *sigh*

Well, that was a cool survey. Who to tag? I think I 'll tag: Hayley J, jolene*marie and christy. I think that's everyone who has commented on my blog except for Rabenstrange himself. So if you are reading this and your name is on the list, consider yourself tagged!

Pride and Prejudice: An Austenite Review

2006-01-21T19:24:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make.

I am an Austenite.

You know, one of those people all the movie critics talked about in their reviews of the new Pride and Prejudice that would supposedly pick it to pieces for being inaccurate. On the whole, they portrayed people who love Jane Austen's splendid prose as petty, humorless, librarians who probably spend their free time poring through magazines looking for grammar mistakes.

The reality is, I only point out the differences in the movie from the book because the way it was in the book was better.

Well, to them I will just say that tonight I will be going to the movie theater to see Pride and Prejudice for the third time. It will tie my record for how many times I've seen the same movie in a theater. Phantom of the Opera is the co-holder. But that's all my cousin's fault...which is a subject for another blog post.

Anyway, I liked this latest incarnation of Pride and Prejudice, with it's beautiful photography, lovely understated music, and excellent performances from most of the cast.

Just in case you didn't know, there was a mini-series done by BBC on the same book with Colin Firth as the one and only Mr. Darcy, and Jennifer Ehle as the self-assured, witty Elizabeth who is more than a match for Darcy. You can tell it was made by people who loved and above all, really understood Austen.

Naturally, I wasn't expecting the movie to measure up to the mini-series, but I found you can't really compare the two.

The movie tries to take the elegant, but constructed style of Austen and shake it up to make it into something more modern looking and sounding.

Yes, sounds like a good thing on paper, but the point they're missing is that what makes Pride and Prejudice so good is that it is Austen. If you mess with the dialogue, you take the whole heart out of the thing.

In the original, you have a group of (yes, I will admit it) formal characters all conversing in witty repartee, and by the time you're done "keeping it real", you have a bunch of teenage girls either running around wild or not saying anything at all, one very stilted and out-of-place guy and his bumbling friend who can't phrase a sentence without tripping over his tongue, and they are all talking over each other at such volumes, and behaving in general as if they had never heard of manners in the first place.

The place this really irked is the first proposal scene, where they dilute the glorious declaration of Darcy's feelings, "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed, you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." to a long rushed sentence, where we don't get to catch half of what he's saying, ending with "I love you. Most ardently."

The only thing that saved it was Matthew Mcfadyen's wonderful delivery. He stands there in the pouring rain (another liberty) and looks just like the proverbial kicked puppy, so when he utters lines as lame as that, we believe that it's because he really is At A Loss. He turned in a solid performance as Mr.Darcy, and considering whose shoes he was filling and what he had to work with, he really did a fantastic job.

I wish I could say the same about Keira Knightley. She really tries, and sometimes hits the mark, but when you see her on the screen you think "Oh, there's Keira Knightley...I mean, Elizabeth."

She's got a funny quality about her, she's too sharp and sarcastic, too much lively and not enough class. She wears her heart on her sleeve and says whatever happens to pop into her head. Which is just not something Elizabeth would do.

I guess the ultimate problem with her performance (or the director's interpretation, rather) was that it makes you wonder what on earth the cultured Mr. Darcy sees in her.

But Elizabeth aside, several of the supporting character's are pitch-perfect, even better than the mini-series.

Claudie Blakley plays Charlotte Lucas, Lizzy's best friend, and was just right. She shares Lizzy's fun-loving personality and keen wit, but not her beauty. The ending to her story, shows the harsh shallowness of those times, where only beauty and birth secured your place in the world.

Tom Hollander as Mr. Collins interpreted the part much differently, more sympathetically and less the revolting prideful prig, that he was in the mini-series. Surprisingly this works just as well, and I almost like his performance better.

The other Bennet sisters are a mixed bag. Jane, played by Rosamund Pike, was perfect. She was delicately lovely, maternal and made of sugar and spice, just like she should be. Kitty and Lydia, were a bit dissapointing. Lydia lacks the inherent naughtiness of her mini-series predessecor, and goes overboard trying to compensate while Kitty really does nothing but giggle.

Mary Bennet was a charming surprise. Talluah Riley was great. Even with such a tiny character to play, she left an impression on me as the only other decently human girl in the house, but sadly left out by all her sisters.

The Bingleys were well done, Kelly Reilly as Caroline does the snotty, rich girl to an absolute Tee. A pleasure to watch. Simon Woods plays a goofier Bingley, but with such a lovable good-naturedness it works.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were...less than they could be. After the histronics of Mrs. Bennet in the mini-series, anything else is an understatment, but Brenda Blethyn does a good, realistic job with the character. Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet, though, has left me still wondering where the casting director's brain had got to.

Not only does he really not do a British accent, but he's such a lumbering, useless presence, it's painful to watch. Granted, it works somewhat in the story, but so opposite to how Mr. Bennet was written. But, *sigh* it's only a thing that would matter to an Austenite.

Now that I have rambled and rambled until your brain must be leaking out your ears, I will say:

Yes, it has it's flaws and you will have to sit up and listen if you want to know what is going on, but it's worth the effort for this spirited attempt at making Austen "accesible" to people who wouldn't sit through the book.

I want to be a Princess like the one in Disneyworld

2005-12-20T21:40:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I haven't posted in so long, was because I was on a family trip to Disneyworld. Maybe I'm a sap or a loser, or some other derogatory term, but I am a teenager and I still like Disneyworld.

Not fanatically, but walking down Main Street USA and seeing Cinderella's Castle at the end of it, gives me a little glow. And while I have grown out of running eagerly up to all the costumed characters and holding out my autograph book, when I watched all the other little kids do it, I felt a quiet little pang of loss, and secretly wished I could.

While my Dad doesn't really like Disney, (It's contrived and fake, as he puts it), and even though I'm no profound believer in "that special magic of Disney" myself...I have an affinity with the storybook quality of the place.

Seeing Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan and Wendy in tangible form, even though I know it's just a person in costume...there's a realization of a fantasy in that. Maybe it's because I enjoy dressing up in full period costume myself, and I like the stage atmosphere and drama of people walking around in character, but it's really special to me.

Also, no matter how sappy the lyrics to every song are, you can still catch me walking around the house, singing and humming "So This is Love" . Which easily makes it onto my all time favorite songs list. One memorable time, while I was loading the dishwasher, I belted out "Colors of The Wind" and was shocked to hear a burst of applause coming from the living room. It was my brother at the computer, grinning like a maniac. I even attempted "Once Upon a Dream" but gave up halfway through as I am not a first soprano, no matter how much I wish it.

Although I don't like them all. While I may love "Just Around The Riverbend", I also run screaming from the room whenever "A Whole New World" comes on. And I press the skip button on the cd player when it "Someday My Prince Will Come".

But when I'm there in the Magic Kingdom, seeing Belle sing about her "little town", or watching Sleeping Beauty dance with her prince, or Wendy learning how to fly for the first time, something resonates.

It's the atmosphere of uncomprimised ideals. In a world where you're doing good to get second best, and where most girls never are swept away by their prince, or claim he doesn't exist, it's a little voice that says "Why not?".

Although "magic" and "believing in your dreams" is a worldly substitute for The Holy Spirit and having faith, it still stirs that ideal up. It's not cynical at all, it celebrates what most people are afraid to admit,

That they really do want a storybook life. That when they put their broom down, there'll be a fairy godmother to turn them into a princess. That there will be a prince who will search the whole country for them, after one dance, one look in her eyes. That Love and Beauty are alive and well.

It reminds me of the real and living Truth,

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 (I think)

God has called us beautiful and loved even right now, crowning us,

"...and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. " Isaiah 61:3

It only gets better,

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you...Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. "

Thank you Lord, for giving us the gift of Your presence and blessing which surpasses a storybook life anyday. And for making us beautiful and loving us, no matter what we do or feel like. You are the ultimate Author and I praise You for your wondrous works.
Amen.

[Edit: After I posted this, I hopped over to my Dad's blog, Good and Faithful Servant (Isn't that funny, both of our's begin with "Good and...") and read his post about Disneyworld...I completely didn't know he posted about it, but it makes a nice little study in compare and contrast. So to the few (if any) people reading this, go over to it and click on the entry "TMD" and read his take on it. All I can say, is I told you he didn't like it.]

Hello again!

2005-12-18T01:46:00.000-05:00

Why do I always seem to update in the middle of the night? It 12:48 at the moment, the family is watching War of the Worlds and the only reason I'm not is because they started without me, because I just just got back from baby-sitting and don't want to watch halfway through.

The family I was baby-sitting for went to a concert of some kind so they got back late, which is understandable. They were celebrating a friend's birthday, something like that. The kids are really adorable actually, 4 year old and a 6 year old, boy and girl, both blonde and blue-eyed. They could have been twins really.

They also had a sweet cat who walked right up to me and lay back on it's back, waiting for me to pet it. It started purring instantly and was a general sweetheart...but no time to write any more, must go to bed now...

WHOOOOOOO!!!

2005-12-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

Guess who won NaNoWriMo this month?! A half-hour before the dealine?

ME!

*dances around, throwing confetti in the air*

I know! Me! I didn't think I would make it through the whole thing...I just kind of started out, didn't have a plot or any characters...my Dad was doing it and I wouldn't have made it through without him, he sat and listened to me go on and on and on about the problems I was having and the things my characters were doing...

Listen to me, I sound like I'm accepting an Oscar, "I would like to thank the Academy..."

But honestly, my Mom loaded the dishwasher and did the laundry all month long...they're my job, but she did it so I could get time on my book...which still doesn't have a title...

But most of all, it was God.

I prayed over this and He just continually smoothed things out and arranged appointments so I could write and gave me the ideas...Thank You Lord!!!

I'll put up the cool little "NaNoWriMo Winner" icon later...must go now. I've got confetti to throw, horns to blow, and a bed to fall asleep in...Good Night all!

A Quick (musical) Check-In

2005-11-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

I'm not dead...just very busy. In that weird, undefinable way. Like if somone asks me how I been, like this,

Cheery Someone: Hey! How've you been?

Me: Busy! [Because I have been.]

Cheery Someone: Whatcha been up to?

Me: [Struggling for words, trying desprately to rememeber what on earth I have been doing and coming lamely up with,] Stuff.

Cheery Someone: [now with undertones of suspicion] So anything particular you've been busy with?

Me: [panicking now, as, though I know I have been busy, I can't think of what I've been busy doing! Throws socially accepted filler in, instead of actual explanation] You know...running around...chores at home...grocery shopping...you know.

Cheery Someone: [Gives up, hearing vague incomprehensible filler and pretends to understand.] Yeah. Sounds like my life recently, too.

Yeah. So this post is going to be socially accepted filler instead of actual soul baring, gut wrenching, raw blog like it should be, but I have a NaNo Novel which is open at the same time as I'm typing this.

I've found that most of my best scenes come from images I hear while listening to a perculiarly evocative song.

"Love Song For my Mom" by Moby, is one of those songs. I wrote a (probably) crucial scene while under the influence of that song. It's purely instrumental, with a sweeping synth background. So calm and beautiful.

"Breathe" by Telepopmusik. It's that Mitusbishi car ad song! It's also like bottled inspiration for my brain. I always have a good idea when listening to it. Also electronic, it's a sort of laid back dance track, with a sound like it's underwater.

"The Highwayman" by Loreena McKennitt. Actually this hasn't inspired my book, I've just been listening to it. It's that poem "The Highwayman" set to music. It's really long, about 10 minutes and a bit repetitive, but the melody is so beautiful that it can last for 10 minutes without being exhausted. Not electronica, this is like a New Age/folk/instrumental piece.

"The Girl From Ipanema" by Stan Getz, with Joao and Astrud Gilberto singing. I've heard about this song forever, but never actually heard this bossa nova gem until recently, and now I can't get it out of my head. I love Astrud Gilberto's vocals, so childlike but sensitive to rhythm. And the irresistable swing of the piece makes me bop around in my seat until my brother stares at me funny. Da da da-dee-dah...

Right now, I'm listening to the Andrews Sisters...love them. They're currently crooning about some outdated form of dance. And they're doing it so well, I would dance the Pennsylvania Polka too, if I knew what it was...

Anyway, must bop off now! Humm-di-dum-dadi-dolaaa...

No, it really stands for National No Sleep Month

2005-11-07T03:42:00.000-05:00

Now that I think about it, I may have picked the worst time to start a blog...just before November, which is NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. And yes, that means what it looks like it means, I am writing a novel in a month. Make that trying to.

It started when I got the book No Plot? No Problem! from the library, which is written by the hilarious Chris Baty, founder of this crazy enterprise. Trust me, if you started reading this book doubtful, you will leave it filled with a firm feeling in your gut that you can and will do this. And your life will be better for it. Hey, I hear those remarks about the freshness of the cottage cheese I had for lunch!

Now, believing is easy, the hard part is to go and make believers of all your (very) skeptical friends and family. And then not telling random aquaintances who will be deliriously happy for you and will say when they introduce you to everyone from now on until forever, in tones of frenzied joy, that "She is writing a novel in a month!!! This month!!" and then turn to you, with fixed grins on their faces, as if expecting some kind of literary halo to appear over my head, or me to burst out in raptures, like "I know!!! Can you believe it?!? This month!!"

But what really happens, is I smile, somewhat queasily, at the person I'm being introduced to, and am usually speechless, beside the weak "Yeah. I am. It's pretty crazy." They of course, don't know what to say, and it is very awkward, as I don't either, and we stand around quietly until they ask the expected questions like what my novel is about, etc. I reply in vague terms, stalling for time as I don't really know that either.

All in all, not an experience worth repeating. It sounds like I know from personal experience, right? I noticed that too. Well, once I had decided to undertake this...undertaking, I envisioned not telling anyone besides the closest family memebers, as Chris Baty recommends, to not go blabbing it all over the place.

You know who the first person was that heard about it besides my immediate family memebers was?

My youth pastor.

Yeah, I know. Completely unintentional. Now, it's not like I minded telling my youth pastor, because he's a great guy who was genuinely happy for me...it's just I didn't plan on making it all public, until maybe it had some weight to it...but oh,well. It might motivate me to actually go out there and put some weight on it. But it started like this,

It was the night of Nov. 1st, and he was calling about details for going on the youth retreat, normal stuff. Somehow I thought he was calling about some scheduling thing, so I ended up giving him my schedule. And the last thing that came out of my mouth was,

"And this month is NaNoWriMo, too."

There was a pause, as I hunted down and tortured the gleefully laughing little braincell that activated my tongue before I could stop it.

My brain had a panic attack and so my tongue went completely verbal diarrhea, with no one holding the reins.

"Yeah,it'sshortforNationalNovelWritingMonthwhereweobviouslywrite
anovelinamonthbutitsreallyonly50,000wordsbutwe'reallowed
tocallitanovelanyway...."

I think I also made some asinine remark about the Great Gatsby being only 50,000 words too. *groan*

His reaction was a stunned pause at first then an incredulous laugh, saying "That's great!...A novel in a month." followed by another laugh of disbelief.

So I'm putting muzzle on my shopping list, as well as shackles to make sure I stay here, actually writing my novel, instead of talking, thinking, planning, and writing about it, instead of writing it.

Like I'm doing now. When I should be sleeping. Or working on my other writing project that's due tomorrow. So I will bid, adieu, and happy trails to anyone else reading this who happens to be on this same amazing, trippy, wonderful and horrible experience called NaNoWriMo.

A Musing upon Art and Beauty

2005-10-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

Oh, hello...*yawn*...I've forgotten how good having nothing to do feels...I mean, besides the normal chores, school, homework for science and piano and discipleship. But really, evenings spent in leisure are incomparable.

I'm sure there's some great Oscar Wilde quote about that...it's bugging me that I can't think of one. While showing a genius for witty dialougue, his worldview was unfourtunate. He was a follower of a philosiphy called Aesthetisism, that everything in life should be dedicated to creating Beauty. At least I think that's what it was, not exactly sure. I really shouldn't be talking about things I only know a little about, I'm sure it causes nothing but trouble.

But anyway, worship of Beauty and all that. Purely Art-wise, I lean towards that view of things. When some soulful artist is espousing their lofty goals about how they want their paint-splattered canvas/experimental sculpture/untitled series of cleverly arranged lightbulbs/name-your-strange-art-form-here to get across their society-shattering, earth-moving, message to the masses, I'm sitting in the opposite seat wailing "But it's not pretty!".

Whereas hand me a simple but elegant clay sculpture, a photo of a rose in a good light, or a few lines of charming, understandable poetry and I get all warm and fuzzy inside. It wasn't made with a purpose in mind, other than to simply capture and portray a snippet of the beauty the artist found around themself.

As an artist, I can't "create" anything that God hasn't first. He tinted the first rose, sculpted the first mountain, spoke the world into existence and wrote, directs, and stars in the greatest play in history. Our lives.

But that's where Oscar Wilde missed the mark. He stopped at worshiping Beauty for itself, not looking to the original and only Artist. His way of thinking led the the belief that if everything that looked good, was good and honorable, then everything that feels good cannot possibly be bad, so why not indulge yourself?

He enjoyed much popularity in public life, owing to his brilliant plays, poetry and being one of the most charming dinner guests in London, but due to a accusation of homosexuality (which apparently was true) and ensuing lawsuits (which he lost), spend most of his later years in prison, a sad and lonely man broken of his arrongance. After his release he went to France, where he died suddenly of acute meningitis only 3 years later.

I found after quick search at Bible.com, a verse, very apt, but one I'd never thought of in this light before,

"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen. " -Romans 1:24-25

Amen indeed.

2005-10-26T02:00:00.000-05:00

Aaah...I love that new blog smell...so pure and untainted, a blank map waiting to be inscribed upon, thoughts and musings rambling their way across the surface to form a picture of the person writing...

But what am I doing? Not 5 minutes old and I'm already burdening this poor thing with flowery prose. But it's late and I don't know what to write about. I just couldn't wait to make...The First Post. And I don't even have a bottle of champagne to christen this shiny new blog with. Oh well, couldn't have done it anyway, the champagne would have stained something terrible and I would have gotten off on a bad foot with the little blog. I mean, how many sucessful friendships do you know started out byone person breaking a hard bottle of alcohol over the head of the other?

But there's more than enough time to start off on the wrong foot tomorrow, right now it's time for bed!