I'm... tired.

Life's insane. Rather than getting used to it, I'm doing the opposite - it feels like if I have one more activity or commitment that I have to think about, then I'm going to lose my mind and jump on the next plane to Alaska and live in an igloo for six months!

I don't mind the schoolwork. Heck, I like the schoolwork. It's everything else; the playing for Mass, applying to colleges, writing emails, practicing driving, babysitting, cleaning, preparing for vacations.... etc.... that are driving me crazy. And it's too icy outside right now to go running, so I can't de-stress that way - nor can I go biking or teach myself rollerblading, obviously. The only times I get outside when it's like this is when I take Kodi out on his walks.

I can't wait until I graduate (again). Just... I'm ready for another break. Ready for all these college applications to be sent in and done with. Ready to know where I'm going to go to school. Ready to have time to write again.

I'm so ready to be DONE.

Writer's woes...

Oooooookaaaaaay. Most writers have their own individual pet peeves, but there are a few certain misspellings and errors that annoy EVERYONE. Here is a sentence that demonstrates a few of those certain errors.

"Their are two girls who enjoy taking they're mothers dog, who's collar is too tight, to the park with its owner whose always more tired than her children."

Rewrite it correctly. If you don't see anything wrong with it... a grammar book is in your near future.

Essays

I'm using my blog to study. Usually, I don't study with a computer at all, but this is an exception: I need to improve my writing, and as quickly as possible.

My writing is too murky. My meanings are ambiguous, my thesis is indistinguishable from the rest of my introduction, and my points are obscured by my language. I need to develop the habit of writing in a direct style, rather than enjoying myself and writing flowery prose. I need my writing to be more coherent and easily understood. The SAT reader who grades my essay will only have about three minutes to read my piece; I can't afford to be vague and have them wondering what on earth I'm talking about! My writing must be direct, lucid, straightforward, and hopefully interesting, and it must also demonstrate a competent understanding of sentence structure, spelling, and vocabulary.

My question to you is thus: how does the above paragraph conform to those qualities I just listed?

Random moment

This morning, Zita came wandering up to Rebecca with a very forlorn expression. Beck, being the nice sister that she is, picked her up and asked, "what's the matter?"

Zita gave Beck a sad puppy-dog look, then told her, "I'm so hungry... I want an appetizer!"

Beck, doing her best to hide a grin, asked, "Do you even know what an appetizer is?"

Zita's response: "Uh-huh. See?!" Zita took off running for the kitchen, opened the refridgerator door, and pointed out what she wanted. "Appetizer!"

Beck: "Zita, that's apple cider."

Splashdown!

Okay, no 'splashing'. BUT--

WE OFFICIALLY HAVE THE LATIN MASS!

We had the first Mass yesterday evening, and the next one is in a week. After that, it'll be once a month, on the first Sunday of the month. Once we have enough people that they think can support a priest, we'll get our own apostolate up here, and our own church. Hoorah!

Quote

One of my many favorite quotes... I'm curious to see if anyone knows it.

"Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the Powers, against the Principalities, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

No googling that quote! - I want to see if you know it offhand.

Sickling

I.

Am..

Sick...

So, I'm camped out on the living room floor, refusing to get up or move any more than I have to - and I'm DEFINITELY not going to eat anything for the next few days. I don't even feel like typing. Talk to y'all later.

Success!

All right, I know this is minor, trivial, and in all other ways ridiculous, but...


I UNDERSTAND SINE, COSINE, AND TANGENT!!!

*dances* Hahahahaha I finally understand it! It's so simple that I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out... I don't know if I was making it too complicated in my head or what, but now that I get it it seems absurdly easy! Tangent is opposite over adjacent.... hehehehe WHOO!

Writing

I just started working on a lipogram for the fun of it (for those who aren't vocabulary nerds, a lipogram is a piece of writing without the use of a certain letter of the alphabet. Most lipograms don't use the letter E). So, I'm working on a whole short story with not one single E in it. Call me crazy, but it's fun. Half of the time, my first draft sentences are kinky and unreadable, but now that I've been working on it for three days I'm starting to get the hang of it.

The difficult thing: Can you imagine a fantasy story without Es?! That nixes at least half of your setting nouns! Forest, tree, palace, house, hovel, cottage, throne, castle, turret, tower, desert, vale, valley, dale, dell, dance, stone, tunnel, cave, hole.....

Not to mention that there's no "the" allowed.

Music love

The soundtrack for Stardust is coming out in TWO DAYS!!! I hope I can get it from the library ASAP... otherwise, I'm sure I'll end up blowing $10 for it on my next B & N trip. And same goes for the soundtrack to Transformers! The movie was all right (nothing to write home about, I'd say, but not too bad, either), but the soundtrack was love at first hearing. Forget all the heavy metal/rock that they put into the movie; I could care less about all of that. But the orchestral score was fantastic! And, to top it all off - I'm next in line to get the soundtrack for Pirates of the Caribbean III from the library. Weeeeee.

Here we go again...

Almost time for another schoolyear to start - or, rather, time to plunge headfirst into the maelstrom of studying. School begins on the 4th. I've got vocabulary, reading, composition, religion, German, biology and chemistry, Algebra II and advanced math (pre-calc), organ, and American literature.

I don't think I'm forgetting anything...

Yiiiiiippee!!!

*raises both eyebrows and gives everyone a crazy grin* Guess what, peoples!

Gggggguueeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssss........... guess what just made my day.

hehehehehe.

*dances*

Fascinations

The concept of fascinations is fascinating in itself if you think about it long enough. Every person lives for different reasons; different activities are considered worthwhile or important; even lifestyles are vastly different from person to person. Eventually, looking at these differences leads you to the root: each person's unique fascinations. Fascinations sculpt us into what we are, who we are, and who we will become.

An interesting thought, isn't it?

I'll use myself as an example. My number one fascination is, of course, God. I live my life with the sole intent to know, love, and serve him to the best of my capabilities, which mean that I do my best to hold myself to perfection (no, I don't achieve it. But I do my best). That's going to govern a lot of my actions.

Other fascinations include: music, writing, reading, exercise, and animals.
- Music will always play a huge part in my personality; while I don't listen to music constantly, and would probably be get annoyed if I did, I love to perform, listen to, attempt to compose, and learn music.
- Writing is my outlet; through it I express whatever I'm feeling at the moment, whether it be blinding rage (rare) or a newly-discovered sense of humor.
- Reading is my pasttime; whether it be in immersing myself in the confines of a fantasy world, entering the mindset of the author in an autobiography, or confining myself to a Siberian forced labor camp in a non-fiction story, I adore entering the world of the story.
- Exercise gives me energy, in more ways than one. I feel an insane thrill when racing my bike down a mountain at 35 mph, or running until my legs can hold me up no longer, or slamming down a volleyball over the net as hard as I possibly can.
- Animals are my refuge; my dog Kodi is an ever-present companion, who howls when I leave him and welcomes my return with a deep "aaawww-WROOF!". I would love to surround myself with animals, whether they be dogs, cats, or squirrels - but the fact of the matter is, I'm 17, and I don't have the money to feed a Great Dane just yet.

There's another thing that rules my life, but it's not a fascination: family. Family, though, is not about "me", therefore, I don't classify it as a fascination.

Now, that's me. My life. My loves. My world. The above fascinations are unique to me - take away one, or add one, and I'd be completely different. There are so many different fascinations that it boggles my mind: cars, racing, horses, art, money, working, sewing, watching movies... the list goes on.

And fascinations are why it's so much fun to meet a new person, too. They carry with them their own set of fascinations, some of them alike and some of them not so much like yours. It's always interesting to watch two people meet while thinking about their fascinations - it makes it into a game of predicting how the two will interact.

I won't end this by asking 'what are you fascinations?'. I could, but I see no point. Rather, I'm just going to ask you... Do you think that I believe what I just said in this post?

Random music wonderings...

Anyone have suggestions for music to sing for the first High Mass up here in Ft. Collins? I have plenty to draw from, but I don't really feel like thinking about it at the moment... just curious to hear your thoughts/suggestions.

And hey - anyone familiar with the Latin Mass, feel free to comment on which chant Mass you think I should do (VIII, XI, whatever). However, I can already guarantee I won't have the choir "learn" XVIII. :P

I feel like going to sleep now. And it's only 7:20.

Latin Mass meeting

I just got back from a meeting for the people who want the Latin Mass in Fort Collins. Here's the scoop:

- They don't know where it's going to be yet, but wherever it is at first, it'll be temporary: We're eventually going to be building our own church. And, judging by what Fr. Jackson (the priest who will probably be saying Mass for us) said, it may not be an itty-bitty chapel. We've already got pews, Communion rails, and there's a surplus of high altars that have been offered to us (not just cheesy ones, either. Real white marble, fantastic statuary, the whole she-bang!).

- They don't know what time exactly, but it'll be on Sunday afternoon/evening-ish. It depends on the location.

- The first Mass is going to be Sept. 2nd.

- Said Mass is going to be a High Mass. Heeeeeeeeeerrrrrrreeeee's where it gets interesting.

Getting together the Music for a High Mass is not going to be a walk in the park! Carl Dierschow, the director of a Gregorian chant choir at a very contemporary parish right by my house was at this meeting. The first person that Fr. Jackson looked to when he said "This will be a High Mass," was Carl. The expression on Carl's face was priceless. It was something between "Holy Lord, Mother Mary, HELP!" and "Are you serious?"

And Carl's first reaction: To point to me, the one teenager there, and say, "Hey, she's the one that you should talk to, she knows what she's doing." (Not an entirely true statement, people! I have much to learn)... So, I am now unofficial music person for that Mass. And possibly all the following ones.

Now, regarding this particular Mass: there is no way Carl's chant choir is going to be able to sing the Propers for a High Mass. No way. Not feasible. Me, I can sightread the Propers, but that doesn't do any good. I need to find a choir. Ooooooooohhhhhh boy. I have a month to get together enough people to sing at a High Mass. *promptly gets down on knees and says a Memorare and a prayer to St. Jude*

- Supposedly, we have an organist. He wasn't at the meeting, but someone said he'd be willing to come play. (whew! that's a load off my shoulders.)

- We have land. Donated for $1, provided we build a church on it.

------

A request: Rebecca Willen, if you're reading this, can you beg your sister (and heck, the whole Holy Rosary choir!) to visit me on the 2nd of September? I... need... help... *goes off to find the Propers for that Mass*

Character deaths

For those of you who are familiar with my writing and/or why I started writing, you already know that one of my pet peeves is that my favorite character in a story usually dies a heroic death. The point of this post, however, is not to rant about how the author had the nerve to kill off a character (specifically, a character that I liked); rather, I want to show why character deaths bother me so much from a writer's standpoint.

Realistically, I don't mind the character dying. Hey, I've killed off my fair share of valiant heroes, innocent bystanders, and rabidly cruel villains alike. BUT! I really do mind when my favorite character in a story dies for practically no purpose whatsoever, especially in a story with sorcery. It's not the death itself that bugs me (often, some character death is necessary) - I just want to see it done well!

First Point:

There must be a need for the character to die.

If a characters dies, there MUST be a need. Take, for example, Gandalf from "Lord of the Rings": though he technically didn't die in Moria while fighting the Balrog, to the knowledge of all but he and the Balrog, he was no longer on the radar. This was necessary because, with Gandalf present, the Fellowship probably would not have broken up. Gandalf would have kept Boromir in line, so Frodo wouldn't've run off to Mordor; he would've sensed the Orcs coming sooner, and so would have warned Merry and Pippin to stick with everybody else. His death also heightened the stakes and increased the sense of danger for Frodo. So, Gandalf's temporary death was necessary, story-wise.

What I dislike is when characters die simply because "someone has to die". That is so incredibly pointless. Which leades into my next point:

Second Point:

The death cannot be cheesy.

If I read - or watch on TV, for that matter - another heroic death in which the loyal servant/sidekick/friend character takes the death blow instead of the hero(ine), I'm going to retch. Not because I dislike heroic deaths; rather, because they're usually done so poorly.

My opinion of the typical "friend leaps in front of the hero and is skewered by the spear meant for hero" scenario: it's pretty pathetic and an easy way out for the writer. If someone has reflexes fast enough that they can leap in the way of a moving spear (or arrow in flight, or javelin thrust, whatever), they're going to have insanely fast reflexes. So, if they're fast enough to throw themselves in the path of a moving javelin... wouldn't they be fast enough to be able to shove the weapon away with their hands? Or at least deflect it?

That's one thing that bugs me.

The other thing is mostly applicable in novels with sorcery or magic. The very first thing that a sorcerer (especially one with a lot of enemies) is going to do is protect his life in some way or another. All right, maybe some morons would do this by surrounding themselves with spells of strength, invincibility, etc. - but, if someone's smart enough to use sorcery in the first place, why would they do that? Rather than practically shout out "here I am and I cannot be killed... except by someone who breaks these spells!", why not hide all methods of self-preservation? Why not make a labyrinthine maze of complex spells that are next to impossible to trace and almost completely invisible/unbeknownst to the average enemy? It seems odd that sorcerers would put all their energy into, say, something as obvious as the One Ring.

So, in conclusion: I like deaths that are obviously well thought-out on the writer's part, that work well in context of the story, and that take characters who are likely to die. Apart from that, though, characters deaths annoy me. A lot.

Chinese Zodiac

I find those things absolutely hilarious, for more than one reason. They're interesting ways to pass the time if you're bored while waiting for food at a Chinese place, but apart from that, I can't imagine their usefulness. Take my zodiac sign, for example -

"Horse: You are popular and attractive to the opposite sex. You need people."

... *dies laughing* I think they were describing my opposite, because:

1) I don't particularly need people. As a matter of a fact, I vastly prefer to be alone. My dream home is a 100-square-foot house in the middle of the Sierra Nevadas, with no neighbors except the mountain lions for a few hundred miles. Aaaaaah, bliss.

2) "Popular"? Me? I hope not. While I try to be friendly, true, I want to be there when I'm needed as a friend, not just have people seek me out constantly.

3) "Attractive to the opposite sex"...? Excuse me while I go vomit. *fierce glare* I hate being considered (much less called) attractive, especially by a member of the opposite sex. Let me repeat: I like anonymity and being unnoticed. "Graceful", "attractive", "gorgeous", etc. - you get the idea: I hate those words. If my zodiac sign is right, and I am attractive, then it's time for a serious makeover.


So, yeah... point made: Anything attempting to predict your personality and/or tastes regarding companionship based on your date of birth is absolute malarkey.

-------- that was a really random post.

I now have a goal.

Results for the 5K I ran... 32:10. I forget what I placed; 600th-something out of about a thousand.

Ouch. That's lame even for someone who didn't train beforehand. However, I'm not at all disappointed - it was fun, and it was my first time running in an official race. Now, if I'd've been dead last, that would've been a bit of a damper.

So, my new goal: to run the next 5K I enter 10 minutes faster than I did this one. It'll be a bit difficult, but I've got the rest of summer to train. *chuckle* Here goes nothin'.

A much-anticipated first

- I just signed up for my first run! Only a 5K (3 miles, roughly), but I figured I'd start out with a shorter run rather than leaping in headfirst and signing up for a half-marathon. So, obviously, I'm pleased with myself... and I can't wait.

Hiking pictures

We rarely take pics while we're hiking (unless F or Rebecca has the camera!), but here are a few random pics.

Gateway Park, Ft. Collins:

The place was perfect for shooting a fantasy movie. Crystalline lake nestled 'midst the rocky hills and mountains, surrounded by the varied greens of pine and fir, with bounders strewn over the ground like pebbles... very picturesque. If only Z would have stopped screaming - argh, did those hills carry an echo!

Z's pitching a royal tantrum in that picture, but hopefully you can't tell. Dad had his hands full on that hike, let me assure you!

After a good, long hike, we were all exhausted - except for Zita. After being carried for most of the hike, she was just getting started.

Rebecca at Lory State Park, Ft. Collins. Yes, we climbed past all those hills in the picture.

McCormick's Creek State Park, in some tiny city in Indiana. I loved that place; no other people around. Just us, the trees, and a million gray squirrels that loved to chitter at us.

LESS THAN A WEEK....

'Til I'm in Washington DC, surrounded by fellow lovers of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony, and learning as much about sacred music as I can possibly hold in my head!

*dances around* Haha, I can't wait! I'm looking forward to the plane flight, too - I think it's a total of about 4 hours, one way. I'm looking forward to a lot of writing and/or reading during those hours... not to mention the time that I'll have to spend waiting in the terminal.

So, yes... the music colloquium at CUA starts next Tuesday (19th). I'll be flying to Chicago the day before, then hopping on a flight to DCA the next morning - I think that's what the plan is, anyway. After that... ahhh... inundation in Catholic sacred music. *huge grin*

The only downside: the day that I get back, we have relatives arriving from California - which means that we're working like crazy to get the house clean before I leave for the colloquium. Though, I guess that's more of an upside than a downside, since I've never seen the house this clean since we've moved into it...

This is a definite first!

I've finally read a book that was worse than the movie based on said book. The book: "The Princess Bride". If you ask me, the movie was great; the book left a lot to be desired. My advice to anyone considering reading that book - stay content with the movie, because the book isn't worth it.

So, to repair the damage done to my avid love of book-reading, I read "Wolf-Speaker" by Tamora Pierce and am in the middle of "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke... both of which are excellent, in my humble opinion. Two totally different books, but they're both great in their own way.

Technology is taking over.

Hah. Well, I can attest to that... I'm still trying to break my computer addiction. Or, well, my internet-addiction, I suppose I should call it; I use my computer for writing, but I don't count that as computer time. But, even though I've been trying to break away from the computer, I still spend at least an hour and a half on it EVERY DAY! Agh. And now I'm blogging, which is on the internet... I'm ranting about how much time I spend on the internet, while being on the internet. My gosh.

On a similar note... my 4-year-old sister Zita just came up to me and said, "I need to check my email."

Summer break, HERE I COME!

WHOOO! School is over, I have my final grades back, and it's time to kick back and enjoy the surf! (Too bad I'm a thousand miles from the nearest beach. Ah well, I can fantasize.) But hey - there's still biking, hiking, running, writing, reading, dog-training, dog-walking, playing with the dog, re-varnishing my desk, cleaning my room... and a million and one other things to do!

I am so ready. I have a bike to ride, a car to drive, a dog to walk, and a computer addiction to break - all in all, it's time to enjoy life again instead of slaving away for my teachers. Haha, I feel like hiking a 14er!

Chaos, craziness, and confusion galore...

That's synonymous with college applications, of course!

To sum up the past week: Mom and dad made the spur-of-the-moment decision that I should go to CSU this fall, not next fall like I was planning (yes, they got my consent on it too, obviously). My SAT scores are good enough, my GPA is phenomenal for an entering freshman, I'm already taking organ lessons with the professor who'll be my teacher, I have more than enough credits to graduate... the only hitch: my application is due THIS WEEK. I've missed most of the scholarship and financial aid priority deadlines. And I have a music audition in a week and a half!!!

Yikes. So yes, I'm practicing piano/organ between 4-5 hours a day, already wrote up my essay, need to write a resume, need to fill out the application and get it in ASAP.

Not to mention that my neighbors are moving out today and mom volunteered me to help, I still haven't gotten my driver's liscense (needs to happen soon), I just got glasses and am still getting used to them, and astronomy finals are coming up.

Craziness abounds...

New shoes!

YAY!!! My organ shoes came in today... and they fit! These are probably the nicest shoes I've ever had, and *gasp* the first pair of women's shoes I've gotten that actually FIT! Now I don't have to play in duct-taped, falling-apart shoes that I've had for almost 7 years (YAY!). Can't wait until the next time I practice organ so that I can try them out...

The joys of...... nothing!

Hehe... I have nothing on my mind... no schoolwork, no chores, no scheduling... no guilt about homework that I haven't gotten done yet... no random thoughts flitting through my brain... NADA! It's awesome! It's so nice to be able to think about zip. *stares at ceiling in pure bliss*

Strange?

I haven't been able to write much lately - matter of fact, I was so caught up in my classes that I went for several months straight without writing. And when I finally do get to write, what comes out of my tormented, overworked, school-ridden brain? This.


Insanity was pleasure.
Kiandi threw himself over the edge with a shriek of pure rapture, plummeting down into the darkness of the abyss with the grace of a dragon in flight. Engulfed in blackness, his body plunging ever swifter towards the bottom of the rocky chasm, his mind ready to be exploded into a million pieces when his body splattered on the ground below… this was joy. Mindless, idiotic, insane joy.
Kiandi’s last thought before he hit the ground was a wish that this could have truly been his final moment.

How weird is that? That's got to be the strangest thing I've written yet... but... it's interesting, and reflects the chaos in my brain (no, I'm not suicidal - but the part about mindless, idiotic, insane pleasure sounds nice right now). Crazy.

Perfect timing

The bad news: we have the flu (not the stomach flu - we have the real thing, influenza). Six out of seven people in this house were sick yesterday - me, Dad, Mom, Beck, F, and Z. Only Martin's stayed well so far. The good news, though: Nobody has had it for more than three days. I had it very mildly yesterday, but am fine today (whew!) - then Beck and Dad had it for three days each, and F and Z are somewhere in between.
What was bad about it was the timing. The morning that me and Mom got sick, my dad had a crisis at work and had to be working from home all day, even though he was still sick. I also happen to have an astronomy test on Monday, and wasn't able to study with any of my classmates because I got sick. Meeeeeeh.
But hey, I'm well now, so - yay!

SAT

My scores just came in...

I'm not happy with how I did. At all. I was barely above average in math, and my critical reading + writing sections could both stand some improvement. My scores will probably be okay for any college I'm considering, but... aaaargh. I could have done so much better.

I'm going to see if I can take it again.

Striving for:

This is what I'm always trying to accomplish, yet never seem anywhere near to achieving:

My chores are done, my room is nice,
The kitchen is spotless and smells of spice;
The house is clean, I can enjoy relaxation,
My work is finished - time for a vacation.

The greatest gift ever given...

The Holy Eucharist

That is God. Jesus Christ is there present, in his full body, blood, and soul. He is present physically, in his full humanity and divinity. Through the powers bestowed upon the priest in his Ordination, what was ordinary bread and wine at the beginning of Mass is transformed into the physical flesh and blood of Jesus during the Consecration. Though it still maintains the appearance, taste, and texture of bread and wine (the "accidents" of bread and wine, as defined by Church doctrine), it has been completely transformed into Jesus' body and blood.

I receive God every week. Every time I go to Mass. For a time, I'm a tabernacle, because until the last particle of the Host dissolves, I'm holding Jesus Christ inside me. What thing on this earth can ever be greater than that? It's... almost incomprehensible. Jesus Christ has, for mankind, taken on the appearance of bread and wine so that he can be with us in the fullest way possible. Apart from Creation, or the Redemption, this is God's greatest gift to humankind. He's given (and giving) Himself.

I asked the question a while back on a previous post: "Why am I a Catholic?". Well, even if I hadn't already reasoned that the Catholic Church is the ONE, TRUE, HOLY, and APOSTOLIC Church, that the Catholic Church has the Truth in fullness and entirety, and that the Catholic Church is the one and only Church that Jesus Christ founded - I'd be a Catholic because the Catholic Church has more than any other Church has. It has God. And I can worship Him, and touch Him, and see Him every single time I go to Mass.

That's why I'm a Catholic.

Revelation!!!

NOW I know why I have problems with my computer sometimes!

Cars and I don't get along.

-- Not if I'm in the driver's seat, anyways.

Being a student driver sucks. Seriously. All right, so I can drive on the streets, but still..... I have so much left to work on. I always - always - start cutting my turns too late. If I pay attention to one thing (say, staying the speed limit), I lose attention and let something else slip (like missing my turn?). Not to mention the fact that I'm a total moron and can't remember to take the parking brake off if I'm driving mom's car (the parking brake on that car is messed up... you can't tell when you're driving if the parking brake is on or off). And better yet, I have a driving test in 15 days. Oooooooh boy. And if I manage to fail a driving test, I'm going to practically murder myself.

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

On the good side, though... I can drive on the freeway. It's a whole lot easier than city driving (no stop lights!! WOO!!), just because there's not as much to watch out for - you just focus on a few things and you're good. And I drove to Nebraska and back over this past weekend to pay my boyfriend a visit, so I got plenty of driving time in on the freeway between Ft Collins and York, NE. Oh, and I even got to hit over 95 mph......... yeah, I know I was speeding, but I had a good reason. Had (yes, that's "had") to pass a semi AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Not a stunt that I will ever duplicate again unless I have to, though.

Why fantasy novels rock...

... It's the CREATURES, dude!!!

Haha, yeah... In my mind, it's the creatures that really make a fun fantasy novel.

Sure, you're probably thinking... "vamps, werewolves, dragons, dryads, goblins... so how does that make or break a story?" Well, I'm not really talking about those kinds of creatures. I'm not saying that dragons or werewolves aren't awesome - quite the opposite, they're popular for a reason! But it's the unique creatures, the ones that the author has made up to fit their own little fantasy world, that make reading a fantasy novel really cool.

One of my favorite examples of this is Kate Forsyth's novel "The Witches of Eileanan". I was kind of annoyed with the main character (she was described as spunky?? Are you kidding me?!), the writing style made the story hard to follow, and the neatest character of the bunch was getting tamer, not the other way around! But I couldn't put it down because her creatures had totally captured my attention. Though they didn't play a huge role, she'd populated her world with elven cats, dragons, Mesmerds, and all sorts of other interesting animals. By far, I'd have to say the Mesmerd was my favorite... a swamp creature with big eyes, a bunch of arms, wings, marsh-grey skin, (overall, it looked like a sleek, oversized Gollum... a bit) a breath that kills, and a mission to steal young children - how could that not be riveting?

So yeah... I'll admit, some of my stories are just excuses to make up my own fantasy creatures. Preyteons, Satarri, Kine, Kridh' - ah, I have so much fun with them. And even the creatures that aren't totally my creation are fun to play with, like weredragons, wind dragons, sprites, shapechangers, Elementals, and vampires... I could go on and on, but you've probably heard enough.

Try it sometime... just pull out a piece of paper and start sketching, or watch a movie and let your imagination run wild, and see what sort of crazy creature you can come up with!

The SAT is OVER!

WHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! *combined shriek of joy and sigh of relief* Man, I'm so glad it's over with... actually, I kinda didn't take it seriously enough. And it didn't help that I had two power bars right beforehand... I was fidgeting whenever I wasn't totally focused on whatever test section I happened to be on.

Anywho... as far as I how I did, I'm not very happy. I guess it went all right... I had no problem with the verbal/writing/reading sections, but math.... I think I blew it. I don't think I'll score well. I had one section where my brain just totally froze for two whole minutes. I get my scores back on the 29th of March, I think, so we'll see just how bad I did... I sincerely hope I didn't do as bad as I think I did. As far as the essay, well - we'll just say, it could've been better. I finished it on time, but had absolutely no time to proof what I wrote; I put my pencil down after the last sentance just as the time was up. I don't even remember what I wrote, the time went by so fast.

So yeah.... I really, really, REALLY hope I did well... if I didn't, that means a retake, because I NEED a good score - something I know I can get, but just... eh... I don't know. I still can't believe that my brain froze during a math section, and I'm worried about the essay... aaaaah... I need to stop thinking about it. I'll find out my score soon enough.

This is tragic.

4 days.

It's half a week until the SAT. Crazy thing is, I'm not nervous yet... maybe a little, regarding the essay, but overall, I'm feeling fine with the whole thing. I wish it wasn't at 7:30 in the morning, though - but hey, at least that means that I'll be getting it over with, first thing.

Practice done to date: 10 lessons of algebra II, 2 practice essays written, and 2 novels read. My astronomy homework has been taking a big bite of out of the time I can spend practicing for the SAT, darn it.

6 days and counting...

I have less than a week until the SAT. I'm not nervous about it - I know that if God wants me to do well on it, I will, and if he doesn't... then I won't. But I'm still studying like crazy for it.

Practice that I've done to date: 8 lessons of math (including some trig), 2 practice essays, and one novel read (that's my way of studying for the verbal sections - reading, reading, and more reading).

Keep me in your prayers, please!

You know you're in 2007 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

And now you're laughing at yourself.


----
I know, I post way too much stuff like this, but... hey, I got such a kick out of it that I couldn't resist, haha!

Why do I write?

A few days ago, Kloude posted about how she first started writing, when, and why, and asked others to respond. So...
I started writing for a few reasons... I think I was 10 or 11 at the time. Probably the main reason that I started writing was because I hated the ending to Lord of the Rings - crazy, but true (hey, I still don't like how sad it is). After I finished reading Lord of the Rings, I decided that I was going to write a sequel purely for my own enjoyment, just so the ending didn't bug me. Obviously, that project got ditched pretty quickly, but that was the big thing that got me started writing.
The second reason why I started writing - it drives me CRAZY when my favorite characters die. And it happens in almost every single book I read! It's safe to say that I'll usually be sobbing at some point in a story when my favorite character dies some heroic death. That is soooooo depressing. So a big reason I write is so that I can have awesome characters that don't die at the end of the book. There's usually a death or two in each of my stories, but it's rarely a character that I absolutely adore (I think I've killed off a favorite character... once. And then I missed her so much that I brought her back. I'm terrible, aren't I?).
What else... apart from those two main reasons, I also started writing simply because I wanted something fun to read. I needed a few characters who weren't all wishy-washy and docile, a villain that it was a pleasure to hate, a liberal sprinkling of magical creatures, crazy escapades, zippy comebacks, and just some all around fun.

Writing is awesome.

25 Ways to annoy your parents

Not quite as good as 27 things to do in an elevator, but there are a few laughable ones. Forwarded by my sister.

25 ways to annoy your parents:

1. Follow them around the house everywhere.
2. Moo everytime they say your name.
3. Pretend to have anmesia.
4. Say everything backwards.
5. Run into walls.
6. Say that wearing clothes is against your religion.
7. Go to their room at 4 in the morning and say,"goodmorning sunshine"!!!!!
8. Snort loudly when you laugh then laugh harder.
9. Say all of the words in a movie.
10. Pluck someones hair out and yell,"DNA!"
11. Wear a sticker that says,"I'm a retard."
12. Talk to a pen.
13. Have 20 imaginary friends that you talk to ALL the time.
14. Try and climb the wall.
15. In public yell,"No, mom, I will not make out with you!"
16. Put pegs on your nose and eyes.
17. Switch the light button on and off for awhile... and then say: "Oh... now I get it!"
18. Eat your hair.
19. Hold their hand and whisper to them,"I see dead people!"
20. When you shower or bathe yell,"I'm drowning!"
21. At everything they say yell,"LIAR!"
22. Pretend to be a phone.
23. Try to swim on the floor.
24. Tap on their door all night.
25. When they say a word from a song you know...burst out laughing if you know it!!!!

Staring into space...

... all done with that, for now at least! Just got back from doing my astronomy lab at the local observatory - I can now say that I can identify and point out in the sky the eight brightest winter constellations and ten brightest stars. The only downside of going out tonight was that it was absolutely FREEZING outside (AND WINDY!!!), so I was standing outside and literally shaking because it was so cold. But my homework is done with (for now), so I'm happy.

Now I get to look forward to the organ recital tomorrow night... *gulp*

I hereby declare war on... on second thought, never mind!

*mischievous grin* I've decided to surrender to the homework!! --- okay, not. But my mindset has shifted dramatically in the past few hours... essentially: hey, it's just homework, it's not gonna kill me! Besides, I can so totally whip any homework that my classes send my way - and it's just goin' in one ear and gonna be out the other, come end of this semester! So why should I give a care? :D

*completes solar elevation angle projects with a grin* I love my fizziness!

I hereby declare war against...

.... MY HOMEWORK!!!!!!! The soul-sucking, brain-washing, idiotically complicated homework is driving me sane. So what if I'm only taking two college classes this semester? It's disgusting to think that my life "depends" on me getting into a good college, getting into a good college depends upon my grades, and my grades depend on knowing such pointless trivia as the differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. I'm sick of having to know infinitely tiny details about stuff I don't even care about - or want to know. Why must I waste my time on stuff like that? I'M A GOING TO BE A MUSIC MAJOR, NOT A FREAKIN' SCIENTIST!!!!!!
---
I need a vacation.............. but it's only the third week of the semester.

*dies*

The Prayer Every Student Should Know

*grin* Taken from my astronomy teacher's webpage... no idea who wrote it.

Test Prayer

Now I lay me down to study,
I pray the Lord I won't go nutty.
If I should fail to learn this junk,
I pray the Lord I will not flunk.
But if I do, don't pity me at all,
Just lay my bones in the study hall.
Tell my teacher I did my best,
Then pile my books upon my chest.
Now I lay me down to rest,
And pray I'll pass tommorrow's test.
If I should die before I wake,
That's one less test I'll have to take...

Let it snow?

Whoever wrote that carol must have lived in the Sahara Desert.

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful..." very aptly describes our weather. It's windy. It's -11 degrees outside, windchill not included. There's roughly two and a half feet of snow on the ground, accumulated from four or five snowfalls, and it has partially melted and refroze several times, which means it's also icy. And guess what? It's snowing outside - MORE! I need to commandeer my sister's camera so I can take a few pics of the vast whiteness outside. It's awful to go out in, and it's even cold in the house... but oh well! I like snow. I kinda like the cold weather (even though this is pushing it), because it gives me an excuse to stay inside and read a good book.

So - let it snow!

A well-deserved thank you...

... to Kyla, for drawing my character "Rain". She did this a few months ago (something like that?), and I loved how it turned out so much that I wanted to post it on my blog. I love how the expression turned out... Kyla captured Rain almost perfectly! The posture, the expression, it's almost exactly how I'd imagined Rain in the beginning of my story. I am thrilled with it - I'm an absolutely awful artist, and no one else has ever volunteered to draw my characters, so I've never actually had a character from my story drawn out before. Thank you, Kyla!!!

Why am I a Catholic?

I've heard this question, and others that are very similar, more times than I can count. From door-to-door missionaries, from roadside "preachers" telling me to convert to their own "true" religion, to people who are just genuinely curious - my statement that I am a Catholic and am not going to budge doesn't make sense. Even more frequently, I hear people say (and not unkindly), "Oh, you're Catholic... I'll bet that you can't wait to get out of the house so your parents aren't making you go to Church any more."

It's saddening that when I say I'm Catholic, people automatically assume that I'm going to quit my faith as soon as I possibly can. Truth be told, it's the exact opposite.

Most people look at the vast realm of religion and their initial thoughts are either "These people are all insane." or "Every single one of them thinks that THEIR religion is right, and maybe one of them is - but how can I know which one?!"
For me, there are two main reasons why I think my belief Catholic faith is justified.

1) There is more evidence to back the Catholic Church than any other religious denomination that I've yet encountered. (to those reading this who aren't Catholic - please correct me if I'm wrong!)

2) Everything in the Church is logical.

Expanding upon the first reason: the Bible is widely recognized by scientists and historians to be historically accurate. There are a few incidences of questionable nature (such as that the world was created in six days), but the New Testament (the Gospels) is known to be valid. In the New Testment, Jesus states explicitly that he is God, and came to earth to redeem mankind. This is supported by the miracles he performed (facts which, to my knowledge, were not questioned or refuted by people at the time).
Secondly, throughout the ages there have been amazing miracles attributed to Catholic saints. The history books tend to leave these out; but there are multitudes of these miracles, which have been verified by medical professionals (yes, there are still miracles today, verified by our "cutting edge" doctors) to be beyond the realm of human intervention.

Expanding upon the second reason: "faith" and "reason" are in no way separate. There are many religions I consider to be illogical, either in their foundations or teachings. To give an example, I have come across people who say "it doesn't matter what you believe, just so long as you're a good person." That may be - but shouldn't we strive for truth? Take the Muslim and Catholic religions; one says that Jesus is God, the other that he is not. They can't both be right. Does this mean that we shouldn't investigate further or make a decision for ourselves which we think is correct?
That said, I believe in the Catholic Church because its evolution as a religion follows a series of logical steps. The Jews (I won't go into why they're credible, it'd take too long for me to explain every little thing) believed that a Savior - the Messiah, the true King - would come to save them, liberate them, and reopen the gates of heaven for them. Jesus not only fulfilled all of the prophecies, but also said that he was the Messiah - however, the Jews had been expecting a more physical King, one who would also save them from the Romans, not a carpenter's son. The religion that resulted was the original Christianity, Catholicism.

And why I believe that Catholicism is the correct version of Christianity... that requires a separate post.