Raison d'être

Delicious

2009-12-23T00:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I hung out with a good friend of mine who I hadn't seen in a while. Separate colleges, busy schedules sort of thing. We did an early Christmas exchange; I gave her a coloring book of intricate Chinese designs (hope she likes it) and she gave me the best tasting stuff on the face of the Earth.

THIS
TEA
IS
DELICIOUS

I'm turning into an even bigger tea drinker lately since I have no money to spare for Starbucks and it's just plain nice to smell. Chai is my absolute favorite kind of tea and Gypsy's stuff is pure bliss. Just by opening the can is like shwoom! Fresh burst of spicy heaven...

I guess it's found at Safeway and conveniently enough, I live by everything but a Safeway. I shall make do. I will travel to the ends of the Earth to get more of this stuff if I have to! I'm rambling now. What I guess I'm trying to say is, thank you so much, friend! You are the greatest person in the world and I love you!

It's Been a While

2009-12-17T00:09:00.000-08:00

Time goes by and I still have nothing interesting to post. :[
My first quarter ended with less than a bang (more like a squeak). College is out for the winter and I'm sitting toasty at home slightly depressed, despite the holiday spirit. I need more eggnog.

I also need more music, but I'm broke so this is gonna be another reminder playlist post for me. With an actual playlist!

Other titles I couldn't find links to:
I'm Looking Through You - The Beatles
Azur et Asmar
Lights Out - We Fell to Earth

NaNoWriMo

2009-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

It's currently the last week of October and Halloween is well on its way (I'm so excited about my costume). Usually I hate skipping over this holiday, goddamn you early Christmas specials, but November is also an important month to think about and not just because of the grub.

The National Novel Writing Month is coming. 50,000 words in thirty days and I'm gonna do it! Which will be very interesting since my last work was only 23,000 something words and that took me well over four months to do. At the same time though, I was attending school everyday and had a slightly larger social life and of course all the angst a teenager can carry. I do not miss high school at all.

I have a plot all set in mind and I'm very excited about it. It's going to be a lot darker than my last one. No happy ending for dead children for you. I can't wait to really get started! Let's just hope I can get 'er dun in time.

Wild Thang

2009-10-25T03:08:00.000-07:00

I saw it! I saw it! And Jesus, I cried at it (just a little bit)! This is definitely going on my list of movies that invoke emotion in me. You should know, this is a very prestigious list. There are very few films that make it on there:

1. Amelie
2. Where the Wild Things Are
3. What Dreams May Come

See what I mean?

It hit all the right tender spots. All the emotions I felt when I was little and still feel now, like Carol's desire to keep his friends together in one happy haven, his stress when things don't go as planned and he feels his friends are slipping away, and Alexander's feeling ignored and unimportant all the time. You don't know how bad I wanted to give that goat a hug. I found out there's an underlying reason for that too. Alexander's voice actor was Paul Dano, Dwanye from Little Miss Sunshine. That one melt down scene in the car made me love that guy.

But back to the Wild Things, Spike Jonze was the best man for the job. He turned a childhood favorite into a masterpiece and in some ways it almost felt like a more (I hate this word) mature version of the book. It's like the story (I hate these words too) grew up with us. It had so much depth with Max's emotions (Max Records for a first time nine year old actor did an amazing job) along with each of the Wild Things. I loved the way they conversed. It sounded exactly like how I used to talk on the play ground. "I have a shield that'll block all sadness," and such.

The moral of the story was more insinuated than just flat out said, something that most children's movies will do. It gave it a softer sort of feel, I think, and wasn't thrown in your face at all. You just came to realize it for yourself. And speaking of soft, the music! I've been listening to Karen O and the Kids - Hideaway all day. The soundtrack is a lullaby practically, with some rough edginess here and there.

There was maybe one or two scenes that were a little freaky (i.e. Carol gets reaaaallly mad), but nothing to really worry over. The movie is rated PG for a reason, but what I can't stand is people trying to discourage others from watching it. It's not this horribly terrifying thing that'll scare your kids to death. You're not taking them to Saw, for Chirst's sake, and it's not a Disney movie. Yes, there will be lots of roars and rambunctious behavior, but isn't that part of the fun of being a kid?

Anyway, I don't want to focus on the controversy. It was a great movie and I would (and will) gladly see it again soon. By the way, the stomach never looked more cozier.

Playlists and Posters

2009-10-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

In a fit of stress and angst after a particularly horrible few days, I went on a spontaneous adventure today. Wandering around the wet cold streets of downtown Seattle will clear anyone's mind, especially if you make a pit stop at the closest Starbucks and Le Panier in Pike Place. I highly recommend getting a la framboise, just cause raspberries are my favorite kind of pick me up. The windows were open today and there's nothing as comfy as getting stared at by a huge group of old tourists while you eat. It's cool though.

I tried to hunt down the Soap Box, but ended up at the comic store in the basement instead. Bought myself a lovely Hendrix poster with the last of my money and now I have a new goal/obsession in mind. My walls have been bare for too long. I'm gonna decorate them with all sorts of junk. Besides, just that one poster up there looks lonely.

Also, I've been finding more and more music I want to buy that I can't find to download (illegally) anywhere. There's always torrents, but my computer's been kinda slow lately so I don't want to fuck it up anymore. Gotta make a list so I won't forget:

I Need a Man to Love - Janis Joplin
Damned - Wendy o Williams and the Plasmatics
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack
Your Friends are Gone - Circa Survive
Meet me in Montauk - Circa Survive
The Knife - Grizzly Bear (don't give me shit about them being hipster crap. I like em)
A Long Time Gone - Crosby, Stills, & Nash

First Can of Whoopass

2009-10-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Ahhh! I wanna rip my stomach out! Just a few days ago I turned in a horribly stressful essay (different from the one mentioned before) online after fighting with it for over a week. I had a hell of a time trying to research for it and put it all together. After I think I've done an okay job and I THOUGHT I met the 1000 word requirement (which was the knife in my belly) I submit it only to learn, NO! It's not long enough! Read the fine print next time, ya fool!

I've got till Friday midnight to resubmit it with a 10% reduction. Fuck me in the ass. All that stress that had left me over the blissful weekend has come back in full force. I don't want to fight with it again!

...But I also don't want to fail the class.

I just need help on what more to add since I think I covered all the topics really thoroughly. *sigh* I'll get someone to read it tomorrow. I hope the rest of my essays aren't like this. I should've never taken this class online. It's threatening me with ulcers.

[/just needed a rant]

Never Not Procrastinate

2009-10-08T22:34:00.001-07:00

It gives you horrible anxiety if you don't. English class has been a bore for too long. Let me turn in what I thought was due a week ago, goddamnit. I'm gonna lose it!

Etsy has been trying to eat its way into my sadly poor pocket book lately. I want chokers and really badly. I've already run into two that I'm really considering buying as soon as I get some cash on my card. One pretty little hemp one and a key pendant from Coraline.

Do I need these items?
Absolutely not.

Do I care?
Not right now.

There are more lucrative things I wish to spend my money on currently. Halloween is on it's way and I know exactly what I want to do:

Hell yes.

Only problem is it's hard to find a good corset-like top to match my ratty skirt. I'm not about to go buy a sixty dollar dress at a costume only to shred it up. I don't have that kind of money (if I did, I'd abuse it horribly). I also need shells... and lots of them...

They're Taking Over!

2009-09-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

I started my first day of college today. Not as exciting as my pre-fall class, though. There were a hellva lot more people, all of which too shy or too cool to say hello. I was kinda put off because the school decided to change my math class at the very last second causing me to wander around campus like an idiot. There were a few other people in the same predicament as me. It's like, we are the very last to start school. This should've been settled sooner, but I digress.

The point of this really is that I came to school expecting a shitload of paper work assignments, especially in my new math course. But no! Nothing at all! Everything I do is online! My math homework, my quizzes, my exams, my readings, my essays, my classroom discussions. I'll never have to leave my laptop again!

And I still don't know if I like that or not.

I mean, my high school was "technologically advanced" too. They gave us laptops, we had fancy projectors, online credit, teacher servers to turn some of our crap into, but nothing as sophisticated as my college's system. They tell me it's all in preparation for a swine flu outbreak in case the school has to close (I don't know about the rest of the country, but shortly after a few cases were found in Washington, certain schools were closing left and right). But this is all a guise!

My teachers really being brainwashed by robots! Swine flu was created by robots! Mexican robots in rebel of the boarder patrol! They're trying to hit us where it hurts. Making it so we'll never have to pick up a pencil again. We will lose all sense of humanity and grow to love only the machine. We will rely on only chat rooms to meet new people. We will only LOL, never really laugh. Our sex will turn into text from smutty novels, literally! Our babies will be nothing but avatars. If there's ever a power outage, the majority of the population will commit suicide. Our mouths will slowly evolve shut forever! We will morph into our chairs, couches, and beds until we become nothing but chairs, couches, and beds. And once they've won, turning us all into mindless zombies, the Mexican robots will invade our country and take all the jobs that we don't want.

It's a conspiracy!

That and I really gotta stop drinking soda before I go to bed.

Let the Right One In

2009-09-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

I finished it! I finished it and I loved it too much! In this day and age where the only vampires you read about are permanently stuck in their angsty teenage years and doomed to fall in love with stupid, ditsy, hole-in-the-head girls, this book was a total relief. Yes, there's... love in the story, but it's almost pure in a sense. Not that shallow "omg, you're the most beautiful piece of undead flesh in the world and I'm dazzled by you" kind of shit. More like we're both in need of a friend in the world and you're it. *sigh*

It also stayed really true to the popular, for lack of a better word, legend of the vampire. Oscar always had to invite Eli in before she could enter his room (for painful reasons explained later), they catch fire in the sun, feed on human blood, appear to be dead (slowed heartbeats and no need for breathing), and, this was new to me, they're not very well liked by cats. Suck on that, Mista Edward.

The only thing is the English translation of the book is a bit... It's written in a way that makes sense and doesn't disrupt the story flow, but for those of you who're a little anal, you'll notice small shit like the tenses changing and fragmented sentences. But hey, don't let it get to you. The stories well worth it.

I once again saw the movie first before I read it. Took forever to get it on Netflix. My dad is a control freak when it comes to movies and he didn't exactly trust my choices after I asked for Requiem for a Dream (good movie, rent it). It was totally worth the wait. The book clarifies more things and adds a lot more action (part of it's a little gross, lovely), but the movie did a great job staying close to the story. What disheartened me was that I heard there's going to be an American remake. I wish people would grow some balls and just watch the movie with some goddamn subtitles. I mean, we could do a good job with it, but there's really no need and I won't be first in line to see Jonas Jr. and Noah Cyrus as Oscar and Eli.

Howl's Moving Castle

2009-09-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

Most people I know have seen the movie, they know what's what, but none of them have ever read the book. I bought my copy on a whim back in January along with Let the Right One In and Coraline so I'd have something to read on my class trip to Japan. I tried to read it on the plane, but then I discovered Korean Air had very interesting movie and show choices all set up for me. So then I tried reading it while we rode the bullet trains for long distances, but I got distracted by my munches and my friends were chatty. My last resort, I tried reading it at our numerous hotels, but I'd get so tired by the end of the day that I'd pass out as soon as I hit the rock hard bed.

Many months later to this day, I finally got around to finishing it along with Coraline (LTROI has about thirty more pages to go). I'll tell you right now the movie was completely it's own plot. Sophie had a lot more spunk and Howl was more of a lovable asshole than a mysterious know-it-all. I loved the book. She laces her story with so much sarcasm, I was grinning to myself the whole time. I gotta get the others! There's like two or three more left to read, but first I should probably stop neglecting my poor Swedish vamp-child.

My Time Fly

2009-09-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

My baby sister just started high school today. It's so depressing. I remember when she was just a little thing with a little afro picking dandelions, eating dirt, sniffing dogs, and saying hi to everyone. Now she's all hip and too cool to talk to me, which may be partially my fault. I can't help it if going into her room and bugging her makes for a great past time.

She'll most likely kill me if she reads this.

Jesus, I feel so old and alone now. The house is empty all day and I don't start my classes for another week. *sigh*

Screw just sittin' around. I'm taking me and the guard dog to go see Ponyo and I don't care who gives a damn!

Sleepy Sleepy

2009-08-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

I have not made much progress on anything lately. I haven't even stayed in my house for more than a few hours. I miss my Dad's cooking greatly. Half the time I don't even know where I'm going for most of the night. This night I go to this friend's house, the next day there's a party, then the next I have to babysit, and the very last is a sleepover somewhere. All done with very very little sleep under my belt, and that's not all!

It's nice that I'm being more social and all, but I've completely lost track of time. I woke up today in a strange home thinking it was the morning of the twenty-sixth. Damn near shat myself when I found out it was halfway through the twenty-eighth. I start school in a week and a half. My sister's even worse off. She starts in the next five days.

I'm not ready at all.

I gotta look for another job.

I gotta buy more textbooks.

I gotta work on my project.

I gotta go on more play dates.

I really gotta get some sleep.

Bed Shopping Sucks

2009-08-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

I just spent the whole day running around Kohl's, Targets, and Bed Bath and Beyonds looking for a new goddamn bedspread. No luck whatsoever. Not everyone has only a King or Queen sized bed, designers!

In preparation for school we're trying to redecorate my room so it looks less like a ten year old's pad, which is proving to be more difficult than it should be. The walls are eventually going to be repainted light green instead of pink, the bed's getting new sheets (if I can finally find something in a twin size) and moved closer by my window, my desk is getting thrown out and replaced with something more sturdy, I'm making a sit n'chill place in the corner where my books and new egg chair will hopefully go (gotta raise $1500 more *sigh*), and the TV and Playstation stay! Fun, fun. It'll look a lot better when it's done.

Aside from that I've got my characters and the first couple of chapters outlined for my newest project. It's my last escapism world story for a while. It's got missing mothers, a bus, dream catchers, desperate children, and that's all I'm gonna say about it for now. :)

Agent Wanted

2009-08-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so after reading articles and articles warning me about publishing scams and running into so many well-known companies that don't take unsolicited manuscripts, I think I'm going to change my focuses on getting an agent. Yay, I get to experience the joy of query letters!

I still plan to submit AWTR to a few small presses and see how that goes.

This is gonna get interesting when school starts up again. I'm not taking a lot of courses this quarter (just two actual classes and another online). The main problem is getting a job in the mean time and then balancing out school, work, and writing. That is if I get the job.

I've recently sent in a whole bunch of apps to places that are hiring (oh boy, Claire's) and am now in that hopeful waiting stage. So far all I'm getting is sale's calls. Poo.

Feet off the Ground

2009-08-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

I've finally come to a decision to do something with AWTR (A Walk Through Reverie). It's the first story I've completed "professionally" and how do I treat it? I leave it on my desk collecting dust, the poor thing. It's the story about a young girl who wakes aboard a flying whale headed for a surreal world. She has no memories and has to rely on the very few people she meets (the residents of this place have been disappearing without a trace recently) and slips of notebook paper with cryptic messages written on them.

I'm happy with the way it came out and so are most of the people who read it, so maybe I have a chance.

I was researching the how to's of formatting manuscripts and a couple of publishers till three in the morning. That had to be the most productive night I've had since school ended (I spent many a night making up for my procrastination during those days).

I also spent some time with my newest story idea, working out the big kinks and all that jazz. I think it's almost ready to begin really workin' on it. I'll post little sneak peaks as I go along.