Happy Halloween, everyone! Do you have any big plans for tonight?
Good old-fashioned, tried and true, trick-or-treating? Such fun times. The one and only time taking candy from strangers is encouraged.
Taking someone younger than you trick-or-treating? Do you still dress up? I know my mom never did, but I vaguely recall seeing other adult escorts dressed up.
Attending a Halloween-themed party? Kim Possible did it once. She tried to go as a princess, but her accidental accessory has a mind of its own. She ended up with an awesome suit of armor.
Watching a scary movie? This was almost a tradition at my house after my brother for some very odd reason decided he didn't want to trick-or-treat anymore and our parents decided to keep both of us at home. I'm sort of wondering if maybe this is on my own agenda for tonight, compliments of either my RA or the girls across the hall from me.
Or do you just plan to do nothing? I actually have quite a bit of work to do still, so I may just lock myself in my room and work on English papers, communications speeches, French flash cards, liberal arts speeches, and biology homework. Ew, I hate that list of stuff I have to do...
Anyways, regardless, I hope you all have fun today, and especially this evening! But be careful not to scare anyone who won't take it as a joke after the fact.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Work
Ugh, I'm behind in my work currently. The reason is because I got very, very little work done yesterday thanks to volunteer work and a longer-than-usual lab and a meet and greet thingymajig.
So this post will be shorter than usual, because I really have to set distractions aside for today, buckle down, and get to work. So much to do!
Unfortunately, I really can't spare the time to wonder about what my topic will be for today's blog post. That's why you're putting up with my rant today about this.
Anyways, disregarding my very likely busy day, I hope you readers have a great day! Michael finished his blind playthrough of Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy; I recommend checking that out and also keeping an eye out for when he begins his actual walkthrough. =)
Bye, and have a terrific day!
So this post will be shorter than usual, because I really have to set distractions aside for today, buckle down, and get to work. So much to do!
Unfortunately, I really can't spare the time to wonder about what my topic will be for today's blog post. That's why you're putting up with my rant today about this.
Anyways, disregarding my very likely busy day, I hope you readers have a great day! Michael finished his blind playthrough of Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy; I recommend checking that out and also keeping an eye out for when he begins his actual walkthrough. =)
Bye, and have a terrific day!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Sirens
This morning, sirens were my alarm clock. Living on a campus in the middle of a bad part of town, sirens aren't so unusual, unfortunately. What I find unusual about this morning was they wouldn't seem to stop.
I don't think I registered them right away, probably because I was sleeping. But I'm pretty sure my subconscious picked up on the sound and I heard it anyways. I honestly don't know how much time passed before I did finally register them. And when I did, I just rolled over, thinking they're fade away soon enough.
They didn't.
I got up finally, and discovered it was five minutes before my actual alarm anyways. Still the sirens didn't go away.
I'm not sure when exactly the sirens did finally fade. Maybe it was after I was dressed. I wonder what happened out there...
May God be with that situation.
I don't think I registered them right away, probably because I was sleeping. But I'm pretty sure my subconscious picked up on the sound and I heard it anyways. I honestly don't know how much time passed before I did finally register them. And when I did, I just rolled over, thinking they're fade away soon enough.
They didn't.
I got up finally, and discovered it was five minutes before my actual alarm anyways. Still the sirens didn't go away.
I'm not sure when exactly the sirens did finally fade. Maybe it was after I was dressed. I wonder what happened out there...
May God be with that situation.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Fortieth Post
Woot, let's hear it for forty posts in forty days!
I never thought I would be able to think of enough stuff to keep this up for so long. Those of you who have seen several of my other posts know good and well I've included indecision into my blog posts more than once. I wish I could promise that from here on out, that will change; but let's face it, it probably won't.
But! I don't want to focus on the negativity here. We're celebrating, remember?
Speaking of the number forty, I have a tidbit of information to share. You may or may not know it already, but forty is the only number that is spelled with its letters in alphabetical order. (Conversely, one is the only number spelled backwards-alphabetically, if my wording there made any sense at all...)
And speaking of forty again, if it were years rather than posts, my blog would be a decade away from half a century! (Yeah, my pastor used that wording to tease my mom on her fortieth birthday surprise party. I just couldn't not use it here.)
Anyways, let's break out the fancy desserts, awesome balloons, messy confetti, and hang up streamers! Let's get fat from the desserts! Let's get high squeaky voices from the helium! Let's run around throwing more confetti that the cleaning crew will hate us for later! And let's leave the streamers where they are, because they won't look as nice torn from the ceiling. ;)
I never thought I would be able to think of enough stuff to keep this up for so long. Those of you who have seen several of my other posts know good and well I've included indecision into my blog posts more than once. I wish I could promise that from here on out, that will change; but let's face it, it probably won't.
But! I don't want to focus on the negativity here. We're celebrating, remember?
Speaking of the number forty, I have a tidbit of information to share. You may or may not know it already, but forty is the only number that is spelled with its letters in alphabetical order. (Conversely, one is the only number spelled backwards-alphabetically, if my wording there made any sense at all...)
And speaking of forty again, if it were years rather than posts, my blog would be a decade away from half a century! (Yeah, my pastor used that wording to tease my mom on her fortieth birthday surprise party. I just couldn't not use it here.)
Anyways, let's break out the fancy desserts, awesome balloons, messy confetti, and hang up streamers! Let's get fat from the desserts! Let's get high squeaky voices from the helium! Let's run around throwing more confetti that the cleaning crew will hate us for later! And let's leave the streamers where they are, because they won't look as nice torn from the ceiling. ;)
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Ella Enchanted
It's so hard to watch a movie based off of a book you've read. For me, though, if I watch the movie before reading the book, there's a higher chance that I will enjoy both.
Ella Enchanted, for instance. It was written by Gail Carson Levine, and made into a movie. I saw the movie before I knew the book existed, and I liked the movie. Then I read the book and really liked the book - once I got past how incredibly different the plotlines were. Now I like the book the best, but I still like the movie too.
Had I read the book first, I probably would've been upset with everything the movie changed, which was pretty much the entirety of the book other than character names. The protagonists' personalities were even changed, as was the way Ella's curse worked. Granted, Ella's curse was changed to be more dramatic/movie-styled, but I think Ella's and Char's personality changes would have really bothered me if I had read the book before the movie.
I think the movie also removed a lot of fans' favorite scenes from the book, particularly some things that revealed bits about Char, or represented a "pivotal point in their relationship," as I believe one fan put it. In the book, I suppose the pivotal point was the scene of Char and Ella sliding down a banister in the old castle. In the movie, it had more to do with the giants' wedding party.
All in all, I find both versions of Ella Enchanted enjoyable. Maybe only because I saw the movie first, but I do recommend both versions to all you readers/viewers who have yet to read/view either version. =)
Ella Enchanted, for instance. It was written by Gail Carson Levine, and made into a movie. I saw the movie before I knew the book existed, and I liked the movie. Then I read the book and really liked the book - once I got past how incredibly different the plotlines were. Now I like the book the best, but I still like the movie too.
Had I read the book first, I probably would've been upset with everything the movie changed, which was pretty much the entirety of the book other than character names. The protagonists' personalities were even changed, as was the way Ella's curse worked. Granted, Ella's curse was changed to be more dramatic/movie-styled, but I think Ella's and Char's personality changes would have really bothered me if I had read the book before the movie.
I think the movie also removed a lot of fans' favorite scenes from the book, particularly some things that revealed bits about Char, or represented a "pivotal point in their relationship," as I believe one fan put it. In the book, I suppose the pivotal point was the scene of Char and Ella sliding down a banister in the old castle. In the movie, it had more to do with the giants' wedding party.
All in all, I find both versions of Ella Enchanted enjoyable. Maybe only because I saw the movie first, but I do recommend both versions to all you readers/viewers who have yet to read/view either version. =)
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Chocolate
I love chocolate.
I'm pretty sure you knew that already, but I thought I'd make it clear just in case. Chocolate is awesome, and it comes in so many different forms! I won't be able to list them all here, but I sure can make a valiant effort anyways.
Three Musketeers. Mah. Fave. Just so... so... delicious! Hard-ish chocolate shell, inside chocolate fluffiness. Mmmmm!
Hershey's chocolate bar. Plain and simple milk chocolate, arranged to be easily broken into bite-sized pieces of paradise. Perfection hides itself in simplicity.
M&M's. All those colors, all those white m's, such unreproduceable goodness! Seriously. I went to Ryan's a few years back and got some M&M's that, as it turned out, weren't actual authentic M&M's. They were Ryan's candy-coated chocolate, and they did not taste the same. Still pretty good, but not the same.
Kisses. Little drops of chocolate wrapped in that almost-as-incredible invention that is so hard and yet addicting to get smoothed out without ripping it. The playing with the wrapper is almost as amazing as eating the chocolate. Almost.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. A perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter for the fan who dares to wish for a bit of variety.
Yes, yes, all these are fantastic! But is there more? Of course there is! There's so much more out there that uses milk chocolate, and I haven't even mentioned the dark chocolate and the white chocolate! And even that has yet to touch on the different forms such as hot chocolate! It would take days, perhaps weeks (possibly even months!), to list all the different forms chocolate can take and still be delicious. Maybe I'll continue this later, maybe not.
At any rate, my overdue post about chocolate has been written. You're welcome.
I'm pretty sure you knew that already, but I thought I'd make it clear just in case. Chocolate is awesome, and it comes in so many different forms! I won't be able to list them all here, but I sure can make a valiant effort anyways.
Three Musketeers. Mah. Fave. Just so... so... delicious! Hard-ish chocolate shell, inside chocolate fluffiness. Mmmmm!
Hershey's chocolate bar. Plain and simple milk chocolate, arranged to be easily broken into bite-sized pieces of paradise. Perfection hides itself in simplicity.
M&M's. All those colors, all those white m's, such unreproduceable goodness! Seriously. I went to Ryan's a few years back and got some M&M's that, as it turned out, weren't actual authentic M&M's. They were Ryan's candy-coated chocolate, and they did not taste the same. Still pretty good, but not the same.
Kisses. Little drops of chocolate wrapped in that almost-as-incredible invention that is so hard and yet addicting to get smoothed out without ripping it. The playing with the wrapper is almost as amazing as eating the chocolate. Almost.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. A perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter for the fan who dares to wish for a bit of variety.
Yes, yes, all these are fantastic! But is there more? Of course there is! There's so much more out there that uses milk chocolate, and I haven't even mentioned the dark chocolate and the white chocolate! And even that has yet to touch on the different forms such as hot chocolate! It would take days, perhaps weeks (possibly even months!), to list all the different forms chocolate can take and still be delicious. Maybe I'll continue this later, maybe not.
At any rate, my overdue post about chocolate has been written. You're welcome.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Autumn
Brr, it's starting to get colder. I guess fall has officially arrived, then? It's time to trade out my shawl for a legitimate jacket, at any rate.
The residence hall I live in has already begun the fall decorations, and some of the girls in my hall have long since begun decorating for Halloween. I'm not really opposed to Halloween decorations, but I do actually like the just autumn decorations better. It makes things seem warmer, somehow.
As part of my English class, I had to go to my campus library and read a magazine. I forget which one I read, but it was one whose editor (I think it was the editor... Who's in charge of controlling what exactly goes into a magazine?) decided against the scary theme every year. Instead, it was filled with all sorts of fall goodness and yumminess, stuffed to the brim with all those nice fall colors like green and orange and whatnot. I enjoyed it, even if now I don't remember the vast majority of it.
What do you think of when you think of fall? Leaves falling off trees? Colder weather? Red, orange, and yellow? Or maybe a certain movie or book you were waiting to come out?
Well, I guess this is a slightly shorter post than usual, but I'm going to end it here anyways. Happy Friday, everyone!
The residence hall I live in has already begun the fall decorations, and some of the girls in my hall have long since begun decorating for Halloween. I'm not really opposed to Halloween decorations, but I do actually like the just autumn decorations better. It makes things seem warmer, somehow.
As part of my English class, I had to go to my campus library and read a magazine. I forget which one I read, but it was one whose editor (I think it was the editor... Who's in charge of controlling what exactly goes into a magazine?) decided against the scary theme every year. Instead, it was filled with all sorts of fall goodness and yumminess, stuffed to the brim with all those nice fall colors like green and orange and whatnot. I enjoyed it, even if now I don't remember the vast majority of it.
What do you think of when you think of fall? Leaves falling off trees? Colder weather? Red, orange, and yellow? Or maybe a certain movie or book you were waiting to come out?
Well, I guess this is a slightly shorter post than usual, but I'm going to end it here anyways. Happy Friday, everyone!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Breakfast
I'm hungry, so guess what this morning's topic is going to be?
Before moving to college, I rarely had a healthy breakfast. I had all those cereals that kids love but really should avoid: Cap'n Crunch, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc. I also loved those sugary pop tarts, especially the ones with chocolate in them. And on rare occasions, when I could wait for Mom or Dad to cook it, I'd have French toast or pancakes - doused with syrup, of course.
Yum, yum, yum! You agree, right? Right?? ...But not healthy. The only times I'd ever have a healthy breakfast was when I got the Mini-Wheat cereal.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Should a person really be putting that much sugar in their system so early in the day? Probably not recommended, although I guess I am proof that it could be done.
However, I am also proof that it can be changed! Now that I go to the college cafeteria for breakfast on weekdays, I get all sorts of fruit for breakfast. Mostly cantaloupe and grapes, but sometimes they have strawberries and peaches too. Admittedly, that often goes with a piece of French toast and syrup, but sometimes instead I get tater tots or hash browns or some other form of breakfast potato.
And now, on weekends, I can no longer stand to get such unhealthy breakfasts as before; it just doesn't start my day off well. I joke that college has ruined me, and I do miss my old breakfast; but I love my new one a lot too.
I heard a story from a friend who recently went to college. She said that, just like my college, hers had all of the sugary cereal and an ice cream machine available at breakfast. She would combine the two to have dessert for breakfast. I have to admit, that sounds delicious; but I have yet to try it and prove to myself how delicious it truly is. Maybe if I never know, I'll never have to find out. One can hope, right?
So how are you doing with your breakfasts?
Before moving to college, I rarely had a healthy breakfast. I had all those cereals that kids love but really should avoid: Cap'n Crunch, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc. I also loved those sugary pop tarts, especially the ones with chocolate in them. And on rare occasions, when I could wait for Mom or Dad to cook it, I'd have French toast or pancakes - doused with syrup, of course.
Yum, yum, yum! You agree, right? Right?? ...But not healthy. The only times I'd ever have a healthy breakfast was when I got the Mini-Wheat cereal.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Should a person really be putting that much sugar in their system so early in the day? Probably not recommended, although I guess I am proof that it could be done.
However, I am also proof that it can be changed! Now that I go to the college cafeteria for breakfast on weekdays, I get all sorts of fruit for breakfast. Mostly cantaloupe and grapes, but sometimes they have strawberries and peaches too. Admittedly, that often goes with a piece of French toast and syrup, but sometimes instead I get tater tots or hash browns or some other form of breakfast potato.
And now, on weekends, I can no longer stand to get such unhealthy breakfasts as before; it just doesn't start my day off well. I joke that college has ruined me, and I do miss my old breakfast; but I love my new one a lot too.
I heard a story from a friend who recently went to college. She said that, just like my college, hers had all of the sugary cereal and an ice cream machine available at breakfast. She would combine the two to have dessert for breakfast. I have to admit, that sounds delicious; but I have yet to try it and prove to myself how delicious it truly is. Maybe if I never know, I'll never have to find out. One can hope, right?
So how are you doing with your breakfasts?
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Buying Authors
Have you ever had an author you liked so much that whenever s/he came out with a new book, you bought the book without even paying much attention to what the book was about?
I'm scared that I'm getting that way. I'm not completely sure if I was focused on the author or the series, but maybe both contributed greatly.
Victoria Hanley (one of the authors I really like and have many books from) has a book Violet Wings which ends sort of openly; readers know there must be more to follow. And there is actually a sequel out there: Indigo Magic. Over the summer, I was super focused on getting that book. I checked my county's library and the next county's library to no avail. I checked Books A Million, and then Barnes and Noble. Nothing.
Then I checked on Amazon and finally found it! I wanted to buy it immediately. I forget what delayed me; maybe Mom was busy with something else so I couldn't buy it through her account or something. Anyways, I clicked on the sneak peek of the book and started reading.
Talk about disappointment. I know I read a lot of books meant for children, but that book really felt it, if that makes anything at all clear. The book stated the obvious, threw the main characters in a pointless and unprecedented fight, and just overall felt messy.
Maybe that's just my impression. Maybe you have read the book and love it. I admit I am definitely curious about the plotline, but I couldn't deal with that writing style at all, unfortunately.
I guess I said all that to say this: Be careful that you're buying books for the books themselves. Although an author's past record in books is very often an accurate thing to judge by, it's not perfect. Unfortunately.
I'm scared that I'm getting that way. I'm not completely sure if I was focused on the author or the series, but maybe both contributed greatly.
Victoria Hanley (one of the authors I really like and have many books from) has a book Violet Wings which ends sort of openly; readers know there must be more to follow. And there is actually a sequel out there: Indigo Magic. Over the summer, I was super focused on getting that book. I checked my county's library and the next county's library to no avail. I checked Books A Million, and then Barnes and Noble. Nothing.
Then I checked on Amazon and finally found it! I wanted to buy it immediately. I forget what delayed me; maybe Mom was busy with something else so I couldn't buy it through her account or something. Anyways, I clicked on the sneak peek of the book and started reading.
Talk about disappointment. I know I read a lot of books meant for children, but that book really felt it, if that makes anything at all clear. The book stated the obvious, threw the main characters in a pointless and unprecedented fight, and just overall felt messy.
Maybe that's just my impression. Maybe you have read the book and love it. I admit I am definitely curious about the plotline, but I couldn't deal with that writing style at all, unfortunately.
I guess I said all that to say this: Be careful that you're buying books for the books themselves. Although an author's past record in books is very often an accurate thing to judge by, it's not perfect. Unfortunately.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Pseudonymous Bosch
Bon matin, mes amis! How's life going for you?
...Hmm, now I'm really drawing a blank. What do I want to talk about this morning?
How about Pseudonymous Bosch? I think I may have mentioned him before, but not anything about him. He's an author. He's using a pseudonym, in case you didn't notice. He wrote a series of books with secret titles, secret information, and most importantly, THE Secret.
You do know what the Secret is, don't you? Of course you don't know the Secret, but I'm sure you've heard of it. *glances around furtively, then whispers* The Secret to immortality!
That's right! Mr. Bosch tells the story of some kids, two of them in particular, who get involved in a secret society that more or less battles against an evil secret society for possession of the Secret. And the Secret is revealed - oh, yes, of course it is! And unlike most authors, Mr. Bosch doesn't bail at the last second and leave his readers hanging, wondering about the Secret. I now know the Secret of immortality! Y'see, he's pretty bad at keeping secrets.
Like his pseudonym. He can't even keep that a secret! You'll see by the fourth book or so; I actually find it quite genius how it played out.
Pseudonymous Bosch is a once-in-a-lifetime author, if even that common. He talks to the reader, seems to have confidence issues because the reader he's talking to hates him, is obsessed with chocolate, talks to his cat, talks to himself, and is terrified of being discovered. You try telling me that an author like that can't turn out an epic story. He can. And has. Multiple times.
And recently, on a trip to Books A Million, I discovered he has another book that is written only so that the reader can write their own story. Can you say amazing?
So what are you waiting for? Don't you want to learn the Secret from an author such as this? Hop to it!
...Hmm, now I'm really drawing a blank. What do I want to talk about this morning?
How about Pseudonymous Bosch? I think I may have mentioned him before, but not anything about him. He's an author. He's using a pseudonym, in case you didn't notice. He wrote a series of books with secret titles, secret information, and most importantly, THE Secret.
You do know what the Secret is, don't you? Of course you don't know the Secret, but I'm sure you've heard of it. *glances around furtively, then whispers* The Secret to immortality!
That's right! Mr. Bosch tells the story of some kids, two of them in particular, who get involved in a secret society that more or less battles against an evil secret society for possession of the Secret. And the Secret is revealed - oh, yes, of course it is! And unlike most authors, Mr. Bosch doesn't bail at the last second and leave his readers hanging, wondering about the Secret. I now know the Secret of immortality! Y'see, he's pretty bad at keeping secrets.
Like his pseudonym. He can't even keep that a secret! You'll see by the fourth book or so; I actually find it quite genius how it played out.
Pseudonymous Bosch is a once-in-a-lifetime author, if even that common. He talks to the reader, seems to have confidence issues because the reader he's talking to hates him, is obsessed with chocolate, talks to his cat, talks to himself, and is terrified of being discovered. You try telling me that an author like that can't turn out an epic story. He can. And has. Multiple times.
And recently, on a trip to Books A Million, I discovered he has another book that is written only so that the reader can write their own story. Can you say amazing?
So what are you waiting for? Don't you want to learn the Secret from an author such as this? Hop to it!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Monday
Happy Monday, everybody!
...Yeah, I know, that was pretty much an oxymoron, wasn't it? I'm not particularly ready to get this week started, either; I just got back to college after a four-day weekend.
But another day is another day. A new sunrise! Not that I ever get to see it... And why not? Why must all these tall buildings and trees block my view of the sun peeking just above the horizon? I've heard so much about how gorgeous sunrises and sunsets are, but I've only ever seen one sunset. Sadly, that one was a disappointment, I think mainly because the 'horizon' was an airport runway and had no nature around to complement the sun and sky. And I wonder now if the lack of clouds had something to do with it?
But I digress. We were talking about happy Mondays! So all you coffee addicts, grab your first, second, third, whatever cup of the day, glug as fast as you can, then lower the mug with a long contented exhale!
When you go to work or school, SMILE! Oh, goodness, please tell me you already do this. If not, try it! You wouldn't believe how easy it can be to trick your body into thinking you're happy!
Oh, and send me a cookie around lunchtime. Preferably one with lots and lots of chocolate.
Thank you! And have a great day! =D
...Yeah, I know, that was pretty much an oxymoron, wasn't it? I'm not particularly ready to get this week started, either; I just got back to college after a four-day weekend.
But another day is another day. A new sunrise! Not that I ever get to see it... And why not? Why must all these tall buildings and trees block my view of the sun peeking just above the horizon? I've heard so much about how gorgeous sunrises and sunsets are, but I've only ever seen one sunset. Sadly, that one was a disappointment, I think mainly because the 'horizon' was an airport runway and had no nature around to complement the sun and sky. And I wonder now if the lack of clouds had something to do with it?
But I digress. We were talking about happy Mondays! So all you coffee addicts, grab your first, second, third, whatever cup of the day, glug as fast as you can, then lower the mug with a long contented exhale!
When you go to work or school, SMILE! Oh, goodness, please tell me you already do this. If not, try it! You wouldn't believe how easy it can be to trick your body into thinking you're happy!
Oh, and send me a cookie around lunchtime. Preferably one with lots and lots of chocolate.
Thank you! And have a great day! =D
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Yesterday I used a word that made me think of a character in my game Animal Crossing: Wild World. Why is this game so oddly addicting?
One goal players should feel the need to complete is their house debt. Yes, you have to buy a house, and they certainly are not cheap - especially when you start asking for extensions. That raccoon likes to keep you under his thumb; if he has his way, which I always for some reason give him, he'll end up making you pay a grand total of 3.56 million bells. Yikes. But if you want a good score when the Happy Room Academy evaluates your house, you'll want a big one with plenty of nice furniture.
Another goal that has always obsessed me in this game has been getting the golden tools - especially the golden watering can. The golden shovel is easy; the golden ax seems to be next to impossible for me; but the golden watering can... Its glorious presence is proof that you have cultivated the most perfect town ever, complete with well-placed trees, decorative flowers, and a weed-free environment. ♥ And besides that, if you manage to grow black roses, this watering can can turn them into gold roses.
Another thing many players may enjoy attempting is befriending the townsfolk and getting their pictures. Each picture, when placed in your house, gives your Happy Room Academy score a pretty nice boost. Plus it's just fun knowing you've reached that certain level of friendship with that animal.
Speaking of the animals themselves, perhaps I should actually mention what it was in my last post that made me think of this game. Blathers. He's an owl who runs the town's museum (which is completely empty until townspeople - namely, you - begin to donate to it) and will completely talk your head off about anything under the sun and moon. And if you really want to get him chatty, ask him to identify a fossil for you. Not only will he tell you what the fossil is, but he will beg - I repeat, shamelessly beg - for you to let him keep the fossil as a donation. And if you're feeling generous enough to give it to him (seriously, fossils sell for a lot of bells), he'll give you a rundown of the animal's history once the animal's body parts have all been donated. o_O
Anyways, I suppose this is long enough for now. Until next time!
One goal players should feel the need to complete is their house debt. Yes, you have to buy a house, and they certainly are not cheap - especially when you start asking for extensions. That raccoon likes to keep you under his thumb; if he has his way, which I always for some reason give him, he'll end up making you pay a grand total of 3.56 million bells. Yikes. But if you want a good score when the Happy Room Academy evaluates your house, you'll want a big one with plenty of nice furniture.
Another goal that has always obsessed me in this game has been getting the golden tools - especially the golden watering can. The golden shovel is easy; the golden ax seems to be next to impossible for me; but the golden watering can... Its glorious presence is proof that you have cultivated the most perfect town ever, complete with well-placed trees, decorative flowers, and a weed-free environment. ♥ And besides that, if you manage to grow black roses, this watering can can turn them into gold roses.
Another thing many players may enjoy attempting is befriending the townsfolk and getting their pictures. Each picture, when placed in your house, gives your Happy Room Academy score a pretty nice boost. Plus it's just fun knowing you've reached that certain level of friendship with that animal.
Speaking of the animals themselves, perhaps I should actually mention what it was in my last post that made me think of this game. Blathers. He's an owl who runs the town's museum (which is completely empty until townspeople - namely, you - begin to donate to it) and will completely talk your head off about anything under the sun and moon. And if you really want to get him chatty, ask him to identify a fossil for you. Not only will he tell you what the fossil is, but he will beg - I repeat, shamelessly beg - for you to let him keep the fossil as a donation. And if you're feeling generous enough to give it to him (seriously, fossils sell for a lot of bells), he'll give you a rundown of the animal's history once the animal's body parts have all been donated. o_O
Anyways, I suppose this is long enough for now. Until next time!
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Mystery Books
Believe it or not, once upon a time, I used to not really like to read. It was a mystery series that got me hooked.
I forget how old I was, but I had to have been pretty young. I have a vague recollection of my grandmother giving me the first four books in a series for Christmas one year. But instead of reading them, I just kind of set them aside and didn't even think about it until my mom starting pestering me if I had read them yet.
So I got the first one out and started reading The Boxcar Children series, book one: The Boxcar Children. This one actually had less mystery in it than the other books, but from then on I was caught. I asked for more, and more, and more of the books in the series, which amounted to over a hundred plus several "special" books.
When I started running out of those books to read and reread, I somehow got started on Nancy Drew. I read and read and read some more until I finally began running out of those too.
Then Mom pulled out a whole box of mystery books she had read as a kid - a lot of older copies of the Nancy Drew books, but also an entirely new series for me: Trixie Beldon.
I forget how I started to branch out from mystery into fantasy. Maybe it had something to do with seeing a movie, then finding out there was a book it had been based on. After that single book, I read more of that author's works. Maybe something like that.
Anyways, just because I now like a lot of fantasy, that doesn't mean I've moved on from my first love. My mom has a more adult series that's categorized as something like murder mystery that I've read. And I've also found miracle authors who can do wonders with their characters to get me fully hooked onto their mystery series too. Ever hear of the O'Malleys? The Mysterious Benedict Society? What about Pseudonymous Bosch? Works of genius, I assure you.
Well, thank you for listening to me blather on. Mystery books are wonderful. Last thing I'mma say.
I forget how old I was, but I had to have been pretty young. I have a vague recollection of my grandmother giving me the first four books in a series for Christmas one year. But instead of reading them, I just kind of set them aside and didn't even think about it until my mom starting pestering me if I had read them yet.
So I got the first one out and started reading The Boxcar Children series, book one: The Boxcar Children. This one actually had less mystery in it than the other books, but from then on I was caught. I asked for more, and more, and more of the books in the series, which amounted to over a hundred plus several "special" books.
When I started running out of those books to read and reread, I somehow got started on Nancy Drew. I read and read and read some more until I finally began running out of those too.
Then Mom pulled out a whole box of mystery books she had read as a kid - a lot of older copies of the Nancy Drew books, but also an entirely new series for me: Trixie Beldon.
I forget how I started to branch out from mystery into fantasy. Maybe it had something to do with seeing a movie, then finding out there was a book it had been based on. After that single book, I read more of that author's works. Maybe something like that.
Anyways, just because I now like a lot of fantasy, that doesn't mean I've moved on from my first love. My mom has a more adult series that's categorized as something like murder mystery that I've read. And I've also found miracle authors who can do wonders with their characters to get me fully hooked onto their mystery series too. Ever hear of the O'Malleys? The Mysterious Benedict Society? What about Pseudonymous Bosch? Works of genius, I assure you.
Well, thank you for listening to me blather on. Mystery books are wonderful. Last thing I'mma say.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Disney
Hmm, today maybe I'll talk a little more about what I love about Disney.
One thing I love about it is when it references itself. Remember when Zazu claimed Scar would make a very handsome throw rug? In Hercules, Scar was a decorative cape that Hercules discarded, so that if you paused on the right part Scar looked like nothing more than a throw rug.
And in Kronk's New Groove, there were several references to previous Disney works. I don't remember most of them right now, but there was one scene where Kronk and his girlfriend had a dinner similar to the famous Lady and the Tramp one. It was really quite hilarious the way it deviated from the original, though.
And in Monsters Inc., just looking around the kids' rooms meant you were bound to see toys from Toy Story. Speaking of Toy Story, there's one stuffed animal in the third movie who more or less has his own movie: Totoro.
So, yeah, there's a lot of little things embedded in these things for Disney geeks. And I'm positive I haven't even scratched the surface of all of these reference.
Another thing I love about Disney is the happy endings. In the end, everyone basically gets what they want - except for the villain, of course - unless of course the villain is converted - of course. And I'm not necessarily talking about just romance, either.
Kuzco never ended up with a love interest in his original movie. His journey was figuring out more about how the world in general saw him, and how to actually take care of the nation he was at the head of.
Tarzan in his second movie and Ariel in her third movie were more centered around family and staying true to who they are as opposed to conforming.
So, yes. Disney. Fun times. I'd better end this post before I rant too long, so I'll see you tomorrow!
One thing I love about it is when it references itself. Remember when Zazu claimed Scar would make a very handsome throw rug? In Hercules, Scar was a decorative cape that Hercules discarded, so that if you paused on the right part Scar looked like nothing more than a throw rug.
And in Kronk's New Groove, there were several references to previous Disney works. I don't remember most of them right now, but there was one scene where Kronk and his girlfriend had a dinner similar to the famous Lady and the Tramp one. It was really quite hilarious the way it deviated from the original, though.
And in Monsters Inc., just looking around the kids' rooms meant you were bound to see toys from Toy Story. Speaking of Toy Story, there's one stuffed animal in the third movie who more or less has his own movie: Totoro.
So, yeah, there's a lot of little things embedded in these things for Disney geeks. And I'm positive I haven't even scratched the surface of all of these reference.
Another thing I love about Disney is the happy endings. In the end, everyone basically gets what they want - except for the villain, of course - unless of course the villain is converted - of course. And I'm not necessarily talking about just romance, either.
Kuzco never ended up with a love interest in his original movie. His journey was figuring out more about how the world in general saw him, and how to actually take care of the nation he was at the head of.
Tarzan in his second movie and Ariel in her third movie were more centered around family and staying true to who they are as opposed to conforming.
So, yes. Disney. Fun times. I'd better end this post before I rant too long, so I'll see you tomorrow!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Cosplay
I only figured out what cosplay was a few years ago. Is that lame? Ignorant? Even now, I only have a vague idea of what a comic con is. The two are related, right? If not, I'm probably making myself look even more lame and ignorant.
Hmm, I'm not even sure why I brought this up. Where do I want to go with this topic?
I think Disney had a relatively recent-ish convention. How awesome would it be to go to one of those? To dress up like one of the characters, especially in a big ole hoop-skirted ball gown?
And what about anime conventions? To be a ninja for a day, or a Japanese schoolgirl? Or one of those mythical human-looking anime/manga creatures?
I guess this is sort of on my mind because of my brother. His high school is having a day where the students can dress up in stuff like this as part of School Spirit Week, and they okay'ed anime characters as well.
My brother was very nearly my hero by dressing up as one of my favorite ninja, but our parents were highly discouraging of him spending so much money on something he may wear only once. They convinced him to try first the mall, then a local party store, for a discounted version before being okay with him ordering the real thing online.
Problem being, by the time they would have let him order it online, the costume wouldn't get to him in time. So instead, he dressed up as everyone's favorite non-aging Pokémon trainer Ash by buying a hat, buying gloves he could cut the fingers from, and raiding his closet for the other supplies.
He doesn't look half bad, and he succeeded in making me jealous. I went to the same high school he did, but it never let the students do anything like this before. Why did they have to wait until the year I wasn't there to allow the students to attempt cosplay?
Oh well, I suppose. Maybe I'll have a chance to do something similar later. One can only hope.
Shall I invite you to make me jealous again by commenting anything you've done? I believe I shall.
Hmm, I'm not even sure why I brought this up. Where do I want to go with this topic?
I think Disney had a relatively recent-ish convention. How awesome would it be to go to one of those? To dress up like one of the characters, especially in a big ole hoop-skirted ball gown?
And what about anime conventions? To be a ninja for a day, or a Japanese schoolgirl? Or one of those mythical human-looking anime/manga creatures?
I guess this is sort of on my mind because of my brother. His high school is having a day where the students can dress up in stuff like this as part of School Spirit Week, and they okay'ed anime characters as well.
My brother was very nearly my hero by dressing up as one of my favorite ninja, but our parents were highly discouraging of him spending so much money on something he may wear only once. They convinced him to try first the mall, then a local party store, for a discounted version before being okay with him ordering the real thing online.
Problem being, by the time they would have let him order it online, the costume wouldn't get to him in time. So instead, he dressed up as everyone's favorite non-aging Pokémon trainer Ash by buying a hat, buying gloves he could cut the fingers from, and raiding his closet for the other supplies.
He doesn't look half bad, and he succeeded in making me jealous. I went to the same high school he did, but it never let the students do anything like this before. Why did they have to wait until the year I wasn't there to allow the students to attempt cosplay?
Oh well, I suppose. Maybe I'll have a chance to do something similar later. One can only hope.
Shall I invite you to make me jealous again by commenting anything you've done? I believe I shall.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy
I have news. It's way too awesome not to share. Arglefumph has received his copy of Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy. And he has already begun playing it and posting the videos on youtube.
I am a firm believer that Arglefumph + Nancy Drew games = better than any movie.
No, I didn't just come up with that, sadly. Another fan of his did. But it's the truth. He is funny, his jokes are clean, and the time it takes him to play a Nancy Drew game, especially his blind playthroughs, lasts much longer than an hour or so. So yes, these make it better than any movie.
I know from his own blog that there's a lot of controversy over the anticipation of this game. My own thoughts? I'm excited!
For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, here's a quick summary. There's a thing in California (I think it's California...) called Her Interactive. They make Nancy Drew games. The beginning is Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill, about a very much disliked high school kid who was murdered. This most recent one, I think the twenty-ninth game in the series, is called Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy. It delves into Nancy's mom's death.
Of course, there are definitely ways that Her Interactive could mess this game up. But given their track record, I think it's more than fair to at least give the game a chance.
And it's not like this entire game about Nancy's mom was completely without warning. For those of you who do know what I'm talking about, let's take a look at Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen. Bess brought up Nancy's mom, and how Bess had always assumed Nancy took up detective work because of what had happened to Nancy's mom.
Anyways, that was sort of a precursor, I guess. Now we get the game itself, and I'm so excited. Best of all, fall break starts for me later today, so I'll have about half a week of nothing but homework, courtesy of college, and Nancy Drew, courtesy of Arglefumph. ♥
I am a firm believer that Arglefumph + Nancy Drew games = better than any movie.
No, I didn't just come up with that, sadly. Another fan of his did. But it's the truth. He is funny, his jokes are clean, and the time it takes him to play a Nancy Drew game, especially his blind playthroughs, lasts much longer than an hour or so. So yes, these make it better than any movie.
I know from his own blog that there's a lot of controversy over the anticipation of this game. My own thoughts? I'm excited!
For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, here's a quick summary. There's a thing in California (I think it's California...) called Her Interactive. They make Nancy Drew games. The beginning is Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill, about a very much disliked high school kid who was murdered. This most recent one, I think the twenty-ninth game in the series, is called Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy. It delves into Nancy's mom's death.
Of course, there are definitely ways that Her Interactive could mess this game up. But given their track record, I think it's more than fair to at least give the game a chance.
And it's not like this entire game about Nancy's mom was completely without warning. For those of you who do know what I'm talking about, let's take a look at Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen. Bess brought up Nancy's mom, and how Bess had always assumed Nancy took up detective work because of what had happened to Nancy's mom.
Anyways, that was sort of a precursor, I guess. Now we get the game itself, and I'm so excited. Best of all, fall break starts for me later today, so I'll have about half a week of nothing but homework, courtesy of college, and Nancy Drew, courtesy of Arglefumph. ♥
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Rambling
Hm, now that I'm out of Princess Tales stories to talk about, I need to find a new topic. Only question is, can I find something to ramble about, or must I go running back to my bookshelf?
Depending on my bookshelf to provide me with something to talk about seems sort of like cheating, somehow. Doesn't it?
...Now, I'm going to change the topic randomly, and I'm counting on you to act as though it makes sense.
My blog title - just the overall title for this entire blog - Here I Am - drives me crazy. I picked it out on a whim. And ever since, every time I so much as glance at my blog title, a specific song has played through my head. My very first post's title is a continuation reference to the same song. How many of you have figured it out already?
Seen in the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is the song "Here I Am." It's not a bad song. I like it. Or... I liked it. You probably know very well that any repeated in your head too often gets annoying. I've even heard of people whose favorite song becomes one they can't stand because they heard it too often.
Time for another random topic change. Time for you to smile and nod and say, "Yes, Miss Kaiti, I understand that transition perfectly! Thank you for using it in such a wonderful way!" Time for me to smile and pat you on the head proudly and move into my next thing to say.
I feel like I may have slightly overused italics in this post. Not terribly, but enough to be noticeable. Hmm.
I once read a book (shocking!) that had a character whose vocal chords were probably very much abused by the girl's overuse of italics. Maybe I'll tell you some more about that book tomorrow.
What? Didn't I just say running to my bookshelf was cheating? Silly reader, this book is on my Kindle. It's completely different.
... ... ...Psst, your line is, "I can't wait until tomorrow! Whether you use your Kindle or some other topic, I'll be on pins and needles waiting for you to put up another fantastic post!"
Awww, aren't you just the sweetest. I'll see you tomorrow, darling reader. =)
Depending on my bookshelf to provide me with something to talk about seems sort of like cheating, somehow. Doesn't it?
...Now, I'm going to change the topic randomly, and I'm counting on you to act as though it makes sense.
My blog title - just the overall title for this entire blog - Here I Am - drives me crazy. I picked it out on a whim. And ever since, every time I so much as glance at my blog title, a specific song has played through my head. My very first post's title is a continuation reference to the same song. How many of you have figured it out already?
Seen in the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is the song "Here I Am." It's not a bad song. I like it. Or... I liked it. You probably know very well that any repeated in your head too often gets annoying. I've even heard of people whose favorite song becomes one they can't stand because they heard it too often.
Time for another random topic change. Time for you to smile and nod and say, "Yes, Miss Kaiti, I understand that transition perfectly! Thank you for using it in such a wonderful way!" Time for me to smile and pat you on the head proudly and move into my next thing to say.
I feel like I may have slightly overused italics in this post. Not terribly, but enough to be noticeable. Hmm.
I once read a book (shocking!) that had a character whose vocal chords were probably very much abused by the girl's overuse of italics. Maybe I'll tell you some more about that book tomorrow.
What? Didn't I just say running to my bookshelf was cheating? Silly reader, this book is on my Kindle. It's completely different.
... ... ...Psst, your line is, "I can't wait until tomorrow! Whether you use your Kindle or some other topic, I'll be on pins and needles waiting for you to put up another fantastic post!"
Awww, aren't you just the sweetest. I'll see you tomorrow, darling reader. =)
Monday, October 14, 2013
The Epical Conclusion
Now we have come to the sixth and last book of The Princess Tales: The Fairy's Return. The ending is based off of "The Golden Goose." Soo... Can you guess which fairy returns?
The very first one, of course! Remember, the one that messed up so badly with Rosella and Myrtle? How long has it been since the first book? Hm, I guess about a dozen or so generations of kings. And guess what? That entire time this fairy has been absent, she has not granted a single gift or punishment. She's way too scared she'll mess up again.
But back to her again later. Now, let me introduce you to today's main heroes. Princess Lark, upset because none of the castle children ever dare to let the princess lose at anything. They must think she's a complete idiot, too, because they don't even try. In hide-and-seek, they put one foot behind a tree, or stand behind a bush that barely even rises to their waist. Yep, another lonely princess.
And of course Robin is lonely too. But I would actually think he has much more excuse than anyone else in the series (except maybe Marigold; maybe the two are tied or something). Anyways, Robin is the youngest of three sons to the village baker. His father is clever; he makes up poetry. His brothers are clever; they make up new words. And then there's Robin; he makes up jokes. But no one ever lets him finish them, and he's dubbed a fool and a slacker.
One day, Robin's family makes a delivery to the royal family. Robin manages to slip off and runs into Lark. Of course Robin is thrilled when he tries a joke on her and she laughs; and of course Lark is thrilled when he plays catch with her and times his jokes to make her miss.
I must say, this is my favorite couple of the entire series. It might even be my favorite storyline too - this or Cinderellis and the Glass Hill. Ms. Levine ended terrifically and left me begging for more. And the way she ended the story itself? Very nicely done. You might argue that she had the original fairytale for that, to which I reply, "You've obviously never read the book for yourself."
Please don't just take my word for it. Get the series for yourself! You can get each story individually, or you can get them all in a single book titled The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales. Now, shoo! Off to the bookstore or library or amazon (via Internet; should you decide to physically go to the Amazon Rainforest, make sure to send me pictures, please) with you!
The very first one, of course! Remember, the one that messed up so badly with Rosella and Myrtle? How long has it been since the first book? Hm, I guess about a dozen or so generations of kings. And guess what? That entire time this fairy has been absent, she has not granted a single gift or punishment. She's way too scared she'll mess up again.
But back to her again later. Now, let me introduce you to today's main heroes. Princess Lark, upset because none of the castle children ever dare to let the princess lose at anything. They must think she's a complete idiot, too, because they don't even try. In hide-and-seek, they put one foot behind a tree, or stand behind a bush that barely even rises to their waist. Yep, another lonely princess.
And of course Robin is lonely too. But I would actually think he has much more excuse than anyone else in the series (except maybe Marigold; maybe the two are tied or something). Anyways, Robin is the youngest of three sons to the village baker. His father is clever; he makes up poetry. His brothers are clever; they make up new words. And then there's Robin; he makes up jokes. But no one ever lets him finish them, and he's dubbed a fool and a slacker.
One day, Robin's family makes a delivery to the royal family. Robin manages to slip off and runs into Lark. Of course Robin is thrilled when he tries a joke on her and she laughs; and of course Lark is thrilled when he plays catch with her and times his jokes to make her miss.
I must say, this is my favorite couple of the entire series. It might even be my favorite storyline too - this or Cinderellis and the Glass Hill. Ms. Levine ended terrifically and left me begging for more. And the way she ended the story itself? Very nicely done. You might argue that she had the original fairytale for that, to which I reply, "You've obviously never read the book for yourself."
Please don't just take my word for it. Get the series for yourself! You can get each story individually, or you can get them all in a single book titled The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales. Now, shoo! Off to the bookstore or library or amazon (via Internet; should you decide to physically go to the Amazon Rainforest, make sure to send me pictures, please) with you!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
For Biddle's Sake
Up next, For Biddle's Sake, is another combination of fairy tales. The beginning is reminiscent of "Rapunzel" in that the father risks his neck to steal food from a powerful being - in this case being a fairy. But instead of stealing for his pregnant, parsley-craving wife, he steals for his sweet daughter who refuses to eat anything except parsley.
The fairy, though angry, falls in love with the girl Parsley's sweet smile and takes the child to live in the fairy's castle.
Later, the storyline picks up that of "Puddocky." We introduced to the three princes: Tansy and his twin older trouble-making brothers who blame everything on Tansy. Ripping the Royal Robe, breaking the Royal Scepter, laming the Royal Steed - you name it, the twins did it and convinced the king Tansy did it.
I'm going to skip most of the plot this time. I'll only say Parsley fell in love with Tansy before they even met, which made her fairy crazy with jealousy. She tried to turn Tansy into a frog, but Parsley jumped in the way, causing the curse to fall on her instead.
Now, deviating from the plot, let me just say that this particular story is one definitely suited for fans of the series. Ms. Levine makes several references to her former Princess Tales books. Frogs are a constant thing throughout the book, and each kind of frog is named after a former character in the series. As Prince Tansy searches for a bride, he remembers his history lessons of all the former queens of Biddle. And as Parsley uses her spyglass here and there in Biddle she sees two characters from the previous book who are still alive.
If ever a book was made for fans, this was it. And there's more, too, for those of you willing to look a bit closer. So what are you waiting for? There's very likely a copy of this book waiting for you at a nearby library or something. ;)
The fairy, though angry, falls in love with the girl Parsley's sweet smile and takes the child to live in the fairy's castle.
Later, the storyline picks up that of "Puddocky." We introduced to the three princes: Tansy and his twin older trouble-making brothers who blame everything on Tansy. Ripping the Royal Robe, breaking the Royal Scepter, laming the Royal Steed - you name it, the twins did it and convinced the king Tansy did it.
I'm going to skip most of the plot this time. I'll only say Parsley fell in love with Tansy before they even met, which made her fairy crazy with jealousy. She tried to turn Tansy into a frog, but Parsley jumped in the way, causing the curse to fall on her instead.
Now, deviating from the plot, let me just say that this particular story is one definitely suited for fans of the series. Ms. Levine makes several references to her former Princess Tales books. Frogs are a constant thing throughout the book, and each kind of frog is named after a former character in the series. As Prince Tansy searches for a bride, he remembers his history lessons of all the former queens of Biddle. And as Parsley uses her spyglass here and there in Biddle she sees two characters from the previous book who are still alive.
If ever a book was made for fans, this was it. And there's more, too, for those of you willing to look a bit closer. So what are you waiting for? There's very likely a copy of this book waiting for you at a nearby library or something. ;)
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Cinderellis and the Glass Hill
After Princess Sonora's story is the story of a young inventor and a lonely princess in Cinderellis and the Glass Hill. Contrary to the title, this story has little connection to the classic story of Cinderella. The only similarities I noticed were Cinderellis's name and the fact that there's something made of glass that generally is made of other materials.
The storyline follows more closely the second part of the title: The Glass Hill, which is itself its own fairy tale. It gives more depth of character to the main and supporting characters, and even to the horses.
Poor Cinderellis is lonely. His older brother don't appreciate him, barely even acknowledge him except to jeer. He works hard at farming and is a great success, but his real talent is inventing. He invents flying powder, shrink powder, sticky powder, wet powder, underground umbrellas to keep plants safe from floods, and much, much more. And eventually, he obtains three horses of his own, each more beautiful and powerful than the last. But he's still lonely.
Princess Marigold is lonely, too. The castle children are all too shy to play with her, and her father is too busy on foolish quests to spend much time with her. She despises all of his quests, especially since he never brings home anything useful. She'd still hate them anyways, though; she once vowed that if he did manage to bring her back a genie in a lamp, she would wish for her father to stay at the castle with her more often. At least she has her cat to keep her company.
Then: disaster for Marigold, opportunity for Cinderellis. The king declares a contest for his daughter's hand in marriage. Whatever knight could climb to the princess (as she sat at the top of a glass hill) and take three golden apples from her would get to marry her and immediately inherit half the kingdom.
Cinderellis goes to work improving his sticky powder, determined to win the three apples, sell them, set up his own inventor's stand in town, and marry a sweet dairymaid he met.
Marigold goes to work (in disguise) getting to know the contestants, and is horrified by what she learns: each of the knights she speaks to would make terrible kings - one even swore he would drown her cat, unaware he was speaking to the true princess. The only semi-decent man she spoke with wouldn't even be able to compete - he was a farmboy, not a knight, so he wouldn't have any armor. She came up with a plan, olive oil, to ensure none of the knights ever made it to the top.
How does this unlikely couple finally work things out? How do they vanquish loneliness once and for all? Does the cat survive? And what's with the flea big enough to fill a teacup? Find out for yourself: Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, by Gail Carson Levine.
The storyline follows more closely the second part of the title: The Glass Hill, which is itself its own fairy tale. It gives more depth of character to the main and supporting characters, and even to the horses.
Poor Cinderellis is lonely. His older brother don't appreciate him, barely even acknowledge him except to jeer. He works hard at farming and is a great success, but his real talent is inventing. He invents flying powder, shrink powder, sticky powder, wet powder, underground umbrellas to keep plants safe from floods, and much, much more. And eventually, he obtains three horses of his own, each more beautiful and powerful than the last. But he's still lonely.
Princess Marigold is lonely, too. The castle children are all too shy to play with her, and her father is too busy on foolish quests to spend much time with her. She despises all of his quests, especially since he never brings home anything useful. She'd still hate them anyways, though; she once vowed that if he did manage to bring her back a genie in a lamp, she would wish for her father to stay at the castle with her more often. At least she has her cat to keep her company.
Then: disaster for Marigold, opportunity for Cinderellis. The king declares a contest for his daughter's hand in marriage. Whatever knight could climb to the princess (as she sat at the top of a glass hill) and take three golden apples from her would get to marry her and immediately inherit half the kingdom.
Cinderellis goes to work improving his sticky powder, determined to win the three apples, sell them, set up his own inventor's stand in town, and marry a sweet dairymaid he met.
Marigold goes to work (in disguise) getting to know the contestants, and is horrified by what she learns: each of the knights she speaks to would make terrible kings - one even swore he would drown her cat, unaware he was speaking to the true princess. The only semi-decent man she spoke with wouldn't even be able to compete - he was a farmboy, not a knight, so he wouldn't have any armor. She came up with a plan, olive oil, to ensure none of the knights ever made it to the top.
How does this unlikely couple finally work things out? How do they vanquish loneliness once and for all? Does the cat survive? And what's with the flea big enough to fill a teacup? Find out for yourself: Cinderellis and the Glass Hill, by Gail Carson Levine.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep
Up next is the story of a girl who was actually born a princess; this one is based off of The Sleeping Beauty. The infant princess Sonora is given gifts by seven fairies who each try to outdo the others, when an eighth fairy bursts in, livid at being forgotten. She curses the baby to eventually prick her finger and die.
Of course we all know this part: the last of the original fairies has yet to give her gift, so she tweaks the curse so that instead of death, Sonora and the entire castle will sleep for a hundred years, woken when a prince kisses Sonora. Still unwilling to take chances, the king and queen order not just spindles, but just about everything sharp in the castle, to be locked away in a highly secure shed.
But Sonora doesn't want to just sit back and wait for the curse to find her. One of her fairy gifts was that she was ten times as smart as anyone else. So as a toddler, she goes to the shed, picks all the locks, and relocates a spindle back to her nursery. She determined to prick herself at the best possible moment.
Unfortunately, her smartness didn't go over great with everyone - ahem, well, anyone, really. She learned and learned and learned, and she came up with ideas to do things in better and more efficient ways. She even came up with a theory to grow skinless potatoes, "which would save hours of peeling!"
But people are stuck in their ways, and they didn't want some little brat telling them how to do their jobs. Even her parents were unresponsive to Sonora's attempts to help.
You know what? I'm going to end it here. What happens to lead up to her pricking herself? Was it truly the best possible moment? What does she do in the meantime? What's the prince like that will supposedly wake her and her castle? What drives him to make that attempt?
Get the book and find out. ;)
Of course we all know this part: the last of the original fairies has yet to give her gift, so she tweaks the curse so that instead of death, Sonora and the entire castle will sleep for a hundred years, woken when a prince kisses Sonora. Still unwilling to take chances, the king and queen order not just spindles, but just about everything sharp in the castle, to be locked away in a highly secure shed.
But Sonora doesn't want to just sit back and wait for the curse to find her. One of her fairy gifts was that she was ten times as smart as anyone else. So as a toddler, she goes to the shed, picks all the locks, and relocates a spindle back to her nursery. She determined to prick herself at the best possible moment.
Unfortunately, her smartness didn't go over great with everyone - ahem, well, anyone, really. She learned and learned and learned, and she came up with ideas to do things in better and more efficient ways. She even came up with a theory to grow skinless potatoes, "which would save hours of peeling!"
But people are stuck in their ways, and they didn't want some little brat telling them how to do their jobs. Even her parents were unresponsive to Sonora's attempts to help.
You know what? I'm going to end it here. What happens to lead up to her pricking herself? Was it truly the best possible moment? What does she do in the meantime? What's the prince like that will supposedly wake her and her castle? What drives him to make that attempt?
Get the book and find out. ;)
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Princess Test
Second in The Princess Tales series is The Princess Test. As you might gather from its name, this is a retelling of the old story "The Princess and the Pea."
Lorelei is the story's main character, and Prince Nicholas takes the leading male role. Prince Nicholas's story is more or less generic: he's a prince who respects his people and their jobs and has to put up with the strange whims of his "perfect" royal parents.
Lorelei is a blacksmith's daughter. As she grows up, she more or less needs everything to be perfect, or she simply won't put up with it. As a baby and toddler, she cried to get her way. As a child and teenager, she explained what she needed. She grew up more or less spoiled, but with a sweet temperament.
Then her mother dies. Her father swears never to marry again, because the old stories say nothing but bad things about stepmothers. Instead, he hired a housekeeper, and set out on a journey across the country to attend an earl's horses.
Lorelei tries to help out the new housekeeper, but something got in her way - the same thing that had always gotten in her way ever since she stopped crying about everything: she got sick or had accidents. When she tried washing a dish, her arms got a rash from the soapy water. When she tried the spinning wheel, she either drew blood or created a tangled mess. Et cetera.
Needless to say, the housekeeper was not happy with her new ward. Murderous thoughts began running through her mind. Finally, she got Lorelei stranded. In a forest. In the rain. At night.
Meanwhile, Prince Nicholas is dealing with problems of his own. His parents have decided it's high time he married and began king, but they wouldn't dare accept anything less than perfect bride. So they devise a series of tests that no one less than a true princess could possibly pass.
Nicholas is sure they're going to end up marrying him to a monster. Besides, his heart belonged to someone else.
You're probably seeing pretty clearly where I'm going with this. However, get the book and read it for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed. The actual flow and detail of the story was not done justice in my summary, and nothing I say can properly appreciate the subtle humor throughout the chapters.
Lorelei is the story's main character, and Prince Nicholas takes the leading male role. Prince Nicholas's story is more or less generic: he's a prince who respects his people and their jobs and has to put up with the strange whims of his "perfect" royal parents.
Lorelei is a blacksmith's daughter. As she grows up, she more or less needs everything to be perfect, or she simply won't put up with it. As a baby and toddler, she cried to get her way. As a child and teenager, she explained what she needed. She grew up more or less spoiled, but with a sweet temperament.
Then her mother dies. Her father swears never to marry again, because the old stories say nothing but bad things about stepmothers. Instead, he hired a housekeeper, and set out on a journey across the country to attend an earl's horses.
Lorelei tries to help out the new housekeeper, but something got in her way - the same thing that had always gotten in her way ever since she stopped crying about everything: she got sick or had accidents. When she tried washing a dish, her arms got a rash from the soapy water. When she tried the spinning wheel, she either drew blood or created a tangled mess. Et cetera.
Needless to say, the housekeeper was not happy with her new ward. Murderous thoughts began running through her mind. Finally, she got Lorelei stranded. In a forest. In the rain. At night.
Meanwhile, Prince Nicholas is dealing with problems of his own. His parents have decided it's high time he married and began king, but they wouldn't dare accept anything less than perfect bride. So they devise a series of tests that no one less than a true princess could possibly pass.
Nicholas is sure they're going to end up marrying him to a monster. Besides, his heart belonged to someone else.
You're probably seeing pretty clearly where I'm going with this. However, get the book and read it for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed. The actual flow and detail of the story was not done justice in my summary, and nothing I say can properly appreciate the subtle humor throughout the chapters.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
The Fairy's Mistake
Gail Carson Levine is one of my favorite authors. Her book series The Princess Tales are short, sweet, and highly entertaining. Now that she has finished the series, they've been combines into one normal-sized book. Maybe I should start a series, talking about each tale - one a day.
I guess I'll decide tomorrow if I want to continue it or not. But first up in the series is the story The Fairy's Mistake.
Some of you may have heard of the old fairy tale about the fairy who blessed a sweet young girl with the ability to speak precious gems, and cursed the girl's rude sister to speak snakes and bugs. That's what this story is based on, but with a twist.
The two girls are twins. Myrtle is the rude one, and Rosella is the kind one. While it's true that at first the fairy seemed to have given perfectly just rewards, things start unravel rather quickly.
Rosella agrees to marry the prince who falls in love with her ability to create riches, but everyone in his castle (especially the prince himself) not only won't let her not speak, but won't listen to a word she says. Myrtle and her mother nearly get into an argument, but just as Myrtle begins to speak, her mother fearfully apologizes, giving Myrtle an idea.
So Rosella is forced to speak but given no real say in anything, and her prince's greed eventually makes her sick - literally, and very dangerously. Meanwhile, Myrtle marches around town and puts together a party for herself. A few words in each place was enough to buy Myrtle attendance and gifts from everyone in town.
You can imagine that the fairy who caused all this is getting very anxious. When Rosella heals too slowly for the fairy's liking, the fairy finally decides it's way past interfering time.
How does it happen? Read the book and find out! In the end, everyone gets what they want - heroes and antagonists alike.
I guess I'll decide tomorrow if I want to continue it or not. But first up in the series is the story The Fairy's Mistake.
Some of you may have heard of the old fairy tale about the fairy who blessed a sweet young girl with the ability to speak precious gems, and cursed the girl's rude sister to speak snakes and bugs. That's what this story is based on, but with a twist.
The two girls are twins. Myrtle is the rude one, and Rosella is the kind one. While it's true that at first the fairy seemed to have given perfectly just rewards, things start unravel rather quickly.
Rosella agrees to marry the prince who falls in love with her ability to create riches, but everyone in his castle (especially the prince himself) not only won't let her not speak, but won't listen to a word she says. Myrtle and her mother nearly get into an argument, but just as Myrtle begins to speak, her mother fearfully apologizes, giving Myrtle an idea.
So Rosella is forced to speak but given no real say in anything, and her prince's greed eventually makes her sick - literally, and very dangerously. Meanwhile, Myrtle marches around town and puts together a party for herself. A few words in each place was enough to buy Myrtle attendance and gifts from everyone in town.
You can imagine that the fairy who caused all this is getting very anxious. When Rosella heals too slowly for the fairy's liking, the fairy finally decides it's way past interfering time.
How does it happen? Read the book and find out! In the end, everyone gets what they want - heroes and antagonists alike.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Alarm Clocks
I had the perfect topic to talk about last night as I fell asleep. Now I can't remember what it was. Just so you know, it was going to inspire you. You were going to gasp in shock and awe of the depth of my wisdom.
But now you're just going to have to put up with my craziness again.
You want to know my favorite type of alarm clock? The kind that doesn't wake me up.
You want to know me second favorite kind of alarm clock? The kind that doesn't beep at me annoyingly when it finally goes off and I'm ready for it.
I currently have the best alarm clock possible - it combines my two favorites. It's going to go off in about three minutes as I'm typing this. And when it does, it'll be chimes rather than beeping, because that's how it's made. With wind chimes. And a thing at the bottom of the chimes to set them off when there's no wind. Because who here has the ability to make wind make their alarm clocks go off at just the right time?
*points to one person with their hand up* You. Are incredible. Can you teach me? No? Aww, grr...
My alarm clock just went off. Maybe it's a sign I should wrap this up now. So, good morning everybody! Have a great day and, as my high school teacher says, a better tomorrow! Not that that means I won't post this again tomorrow. Not that that means that I will, either, though.
You'll have to wait... and see... Mwahahaha!
But now you're just going to have to put up with my craziness again.
You want to know my favorite type of alarm clock? The kind that doesn't wake me up.
You want to know me second favorite kind of alarm clock? The kind that doesn't beep at me annoyingly when it finally goes off and I'm ready for it.
I currently have the best alarm clock possible - it combines my two favorites. It's going to go off in about three minutes as I'm typing this. And when it does, it'll be chimes rather than beeping, because that's how it's made. With wind chimes. And a thing at the bottom of the chimes to set them off when there's no wind. Because who here has the ability to make wind make their alarm clocks go off at just the right time?
*points to one person with their hand up* You. Are incredible. Can you teach me? No? Aww, grr...
My alarm clock just went off. Maybe it's a sign I should wrap this up now. So, good morning everybody! Have a great day and, as my high school teacher says, a better tomorrow! Not that that means I won't post this again tomorrow. Not that that means that I will, either, though.
You'll have to wait... and see... Mwahahaha!
Monday, October 7, 2013
The Seer and the Sword
Let's do another book review, shall we? This time I promise I'll add more plot and less fangirling. Even though this happens to be another one of my favorites.
The Seer and the Sword, by Victoria Hanley. In it there are two main characters: the spoiled daughter of a successful war-waging king, and the sheltered son of a once-prosperous and kind king. The first king overthrew the second, and offered the thirteen-year-old son as a slave to his nine-year-old daughter. She set him free, prompting her father to rethink his strategy and offer the son a place in his academy for training the best warriors.
The daughter is Torina. The son is Landen. Neither has siblings, both eventually sent into exile. Landen's exile I just told you - the result of a threat from an outside force. Torina's exile comes much later in life, the result of opening a door to an insider threat.
You may be wondering about how the title comes into play. Landen's home country had a legendary sword, and the legend was that any daring to oppose its home country was doomed to failure. Considering I told you up front that Landen's country was lost to another king, are you assuming the legend was a lie? Do not judge so quickly; there's more to it than that.
Moving on to the seer. Torina was given two gifts when her father came back from war: a slave and a crystal. The slave, you remember, she freed. The crystal was truly a gift for her, as the former owner specifically said so to her father during his raid. In the crystal, Torina could see both the future and the past. What she saw of the past was always true. What she saw of the future was always true, unless she acted quickly enough to stop it.
Back to the plot. Torina and Landen soon became secret friends, as you might imagine. Time passed, though, and things got in the way. Torina's memory of him dimmed as she became wrapped up in her suitor. Landen's heart never faltered, and he had some very justified suspicions about Torina's suitor.
Then evil struck. Landen was ready for it - expecting it, really. He tried to warn Torina, but she didn't accept his words as truth in time to prevent evil from succeeding - at least for the moment.
And that is when the story truly begins. Go out and get your own copy and find out what happens. Bookstore, library, garage sale, online, whatever. But I highly recommend you get it from somewhere.
The Seer and the Sword, by Victoria Hanley. In it there are two main characters: the spoiled daughter of a successful war-waging king, and the sheltered son of a once-prosperous and kind king. The first king overthrew the second, and offered the thirteen-year-old son as a slave to his nine-year-old daughter. She set him free, prompting her father to rethink his strategy and offer the son a place in his academy for training the best warriors.
The daughter is Torina. The son is Landen. Neither has siblings, both eventually sent into exile. Landen's exile I just told you - the result of a threat from an outside force. Torina's exile comes much later in life, the result of opening a door to an insider threat.
You may be wondering about how the title comes into play. Landen's home country had a legendary sword, and the legend was that any daring to oppose its home country was doomed to failure. Considering I told you up front that Landen's country was lost to another king, are you assuming the legend was a lie? Do not judge so quickly; there's more to it than that.
Moving on to the seer. Torina was given two gifts when her father came back from war: a slave and a crystal. The slave, you remember, she freed. The crystal was truly a gift for her, as the former owner specifically said so to her father during his raid. In the crystal, Torina could see both the future and the past. What she saw of the past was always true. What she saw of the future was always true, unless she acted quickly enough to stop it.
Back to the plot. Torina and Landen soon became secret friends, as you might imagine. Time passed, though, and things got in the way. Torina's memory of him dimmed as she became wrapped up in her suitor. Landen's heart never faltered, and he had some very justified suspicions about Torina's suitor.
Then evil struck. Landen was ready for it - expecting it, really. He tried to warn Torina, but she didn't accept his words as truth in time to prevent evil from succeeding - at least for the moment.
And that is when the story truly begins. Go out and get your own copy and find out what happens. Bookstore, library, garage sale, online, whatever. But I highly recommend you get it from somewhere.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Vampires
It used to be that nothing mythical could disgust me more than vampires.
Dragons? Well, in the Bible, they're all evil. But fictional stuff I would read often portrayed them as neither all good nor all bad, so I never really hated the idea of the species in general.
Gryphons? Rotten scavengers with an endless appetite was how I was first introduced to them, but they were more or less just mindless beasts looking for a meal.
Unicorns? Okay, really, what's not to love about these beauties?
Fairies? Disney showed me fairy godmothers pretty early on, not to mention Tinkerbell. As varied as humans, as far as I could tell.
Witches? Often green skin, cackling and flying away on broomsticks. Rude, yes. Gross, yes. Evil, often very much so. But they were a villain I loved to hate.
Werewolves? Ew, I didn't like the transformation thing. But they were dogs, more or less.
But vampires. They disgusted me in every way. Human in form, but with fangs. May I just say - scary! Also, they slept in coffins, for goodness' sake. And they went around randomly biting people, sucking their blood - thriving off of it. And they would often convert the bitten people to vampirism as well. If I needed any more proof that vampires were all-around awful, they couldn't seem to stand the sunlight. What kind of good creature makes sure to stay away from the sun at all costs?
When Twilight started getting popular, I never went and saw it. My parents warned me to stay away from it, and the kind of blind faith I had - still have - in them made me agree.
But then, (I think it was either last summer or the one before; I can't remember when it came out) I saw a trailer for Hotel Transylvania. The fact that vampires were the main characters immediately turned me off, but the level of humor embedded in the trailer eventually made me curious. So eventually, I found the movie. And I watched it.
And now I can no longer say I despise all vampires. They are by no means ever going to make a list of my favorites, but my hate has certainly lessened. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Depends on your own personal viewpoint of mythological beasts.
Dragons? Well, in the Bible, they're all evil. But fictional stuff I would read often portrayed them as neither all good nor all bad, so I never really hated the idea of the species in general.
Gryphons? Rotten scavengers with an endless appetite was how I was first introduced to them, but they were more or less just mindless beasts looking for a meal.
Unicorns? Okay, really, what's not to love about these beauties?
Fairies? Disney showed me fairy godmothers pretty early on, not to mention Tinkerbell. As varied as humans, as far as I could tell.
Witches? Often green skin, cackling and flying away on broomsticks. Rude, yes. Gross, yes. Evil, often very much so. But they were a villain I loved to hate.
Werewolves? Ew, I didn't like the transformation thing. But they were dogs, more or less.
But vampires. They disgusted me in every way. Human in form, but with fangs. May I just say - scary! Also, they slept in coffins, for goodness' sake. And they went around randomly biting people, sucking their blood - thriving off of it. And they would often convert the bitten people to vampirism as well. If I needed any more proof that vampires were all-around awful, they couldn't seem to stand the sunlight. What kind of good creature makes sure to stay away from the sun at all costs?
When Twilight started getting popular, I never went and saw it. My parents warned me to stay away from it, and the kind of blind faith I had - still have - in them made me agree.
But then, (I think it was either last summer or the one before; I can't remember when it came out) I saw a trailer for Hotel Transylvania. The fact that vampires were the main characters immediately turned me off, but the level of humor embedded in the trailer eventually made me curious. So eventually, I found the movie. And I watched it.
And now I can no longer say I despise all vampires. They are by no means ever going to make a list of my favorites, but my hate has certainly lessened. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Depends on your own personal viewpoint of mythological beasts.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Japanese Numbers Puzzles
Japanese number puzzles are amazing. I learned about one when my mom got hooked on it, then I learned about two more when I ran into the game Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge. And I completely fell in love with one of them. Let's do a count-off, shall we?
Renograms. This is the one with which I am the least familiar. There is a sheet of squares - some with numbers in them, most blank. The player's job is to connect the smallest number to the greatest number in an unbroken chain of numbers - in numerical order, too, of course. ;D If I were to ever try playing this on my own, it would probably be boring and addicting at the same time. But then again, I've never played it myself, so I don't know.
Sudoku. This is probably the most popular of the three. You have squares within squares: one big square broken into nine smaller squares, each of which have nine more squares. Just like with renograms, some squares are filled but most are empty. In Sudoku, the player has to fill each middle-sized square with the numbers 1-9, but there's more! In each row, and in each column, the player also has to have the numbers 1-9. No repetitions in any of those three regards. I personally found this a bit too challenging to be fun, but my mother and grandmother both love it.
Nonograms. Now we get to my personal favorite! This one also deals with multiple squares, but unlike the other two, this one isn't usually partially filled in when the player gets ahold of it. And instead of numbers going in the squares, there are numbers on the left of each row and at the top of each column. The player's goal is to fill in the squares (just completely darken them out) according to the series of numbers. It's sort of complicated to explain, but once you figure out the basics, it flows more smoothly - and you often get a fun picture in the end! Depending on the level of difficulty, the puzzle can be as small as 5x5 squares, 10x10, 15x15, or however big you want it. I learned by mastering the 5x5's, then moving up to 10x10's, and so on. Now I can do stuff like 40x35 and whatnot.
The best part about each one of these puzzles? They're Japanese, but anyone can learn how to do it! Are numbers universal or something? So far in my experience, it looks that way. I mean, English, Spanish, and French all do the same 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,... Even if we call it something different (one, uno, un), it's still the same 1.
Anyways. Japanese number puzzles. Purely amazing.
My recommendation: Try out at least one puzzle, preferably one of each (though I can't push that one too hard since I have yet to try renograms), and see if any of them catch your fancy. ;)
Renograms. This is the one with which I am the least familiar. There is a sheet of squares - some with numbers in them, most blank. The player's job is to connect the smallest number to the greatest number in an unbroken chain of numbers - in numerical order, too, of course. ;D If I were to ever try playing this on my own, it would probably be boring and addicting at the same time. But then again, I've never played it myself, so I don't know.
Sudoku. This is probably the most popular of the three. You have squares within squares: one big square broken into nine smaller squares, each of which have nine more squares. Just like with renograms, some squares are filled but most are empty. In Sudoku, the player has to fill each middle-sized square with the numbers 1-9, but there's more! In each row, and in each column, the player also has to have the numbers 1-9. No repetitions in any of those three regards. I personally found this a bit too challenging to be fun, but my mother and grandmother both love it.
Nonograms. Now we get to my personal favorite! This one also deals with multiple squares, but unlike the other two, this one isn't usually partially filled in when the player gets ahold of it. And instead of numbers going in the squares, there are numbers on the left of each row and at the top of each column. The player's goal is to fill in the squares (just completely darken them out) according to the series of numbers. It's sort of complicated to explain, but once you figure out the basics, it flows more smoothly - and you often get a fun picture in the end! Depending on the level of difficulty, the puzzle can be as small as 5x5 squares, 10x10, 15x15, or however big you want it. I learned by mastering the 5x5's, then moving up to 10x10's, and so on. Now I can do stuff like 40x35 and whatnot.
The best part about each one of these puzzles? They're Japanese, but anyone can learn how to do it! Are numbers universal or something? So far in my experience, it looks that way. I mean, English, Spanish, and French all do the same 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,... Even if we call it something different (one, uno, un), it's still the same 1.
Anyways. Japanese number puzzles. Purely amazing.
My recommendation: Try out at least one puzzle, preferably one of each (though I can't push that one too hard since I have yet to try renograms), and see if any of them catch your fancy. ;)
Friday, October 4, 2013
Hamsters
I have thirteen hamsters.
Why thirteen? Because I had one and then my aunt sent me twelve for Christmas.
Each of them are so distinctly different, too; I never have any problems telling them apart. Want to know their names?
Oxnard. He likes to eat. A lot.
Howdy. He wears a red apron and likes to tell puns.
Pashmina. She wears a pink scarf and has a little blanket-covered friend whom I unfortunately don't have.
Maxwell. He's tall. And a bookworm. Gotta love them booklovers.
Jingle. He loves music, though unfortunately I don't have a guitar for him to play.
Snoozer. He's always sleeping, hence the name. But can be wise when he's semi-awake.
Dexter. He wears glasses and a bowtie.
Panda. He looks like a panda. And is pretty good with a hammer, too.
Bijou. She wears blue ribbons. And she's French. Can you say awesome?
Cappy. He wears a green cap. He's so sweet.
Sandy. She wears a red ribbon and has a twin brother, whom I unfortunately don't have.
Hamtaro #2. Does this one even need introduction?
Hamtaro #1. My very first hamster, given me by a friend years ago. I love him so much. ♥
I'm sorry, did you think I was talking about real hamsters? Nono, these are all rubber or plastic or something. =3
For those of you who wish to fanrant with me about Hamtaro, I wish I could. But other than what was shown in my GBA game, I don't know anything. Horrifying, I know. Maybe I can correct that knowledge gap one day. I hope so.
Why thirteen? Because I had one and then my aunt sent me twelve for Christmas.
Each of them are so distinctly different, too; I never have any problems telling them apart. Want to know their names?
Oxnard. He likes to eat. A lot.
Howdy. He wears a red apron and likes to tell puns.
Pashmina. She wears a pink scarf and has a little blanket-covered friend whom I unfortunately don't have.
Maxwell. He's tall. And a bookworm. Gotta love them booklovers.
Jingle. He loves music, though unfortunately I don't have a guitar for him to play.
Snoozer. He's always sleeping, hence the name. But can be wise when he's semi-awake.
Dexter. He wears glasses and a bowtie.
Panda. He looks like a panda. And is pretty good with a hammer, too.
Bijou. She wears blue ribbons. And she's French. Can you say awesome?
Cappy. He wears a green cap. He's so sweet.
Sandy. She wears a red ribbon and has a twin brother, whom I unfortunately don't have.
Hamtaro #2. Does this one even need introduction?
Hamtaro #1. My very first hamster, given me by a friend years ago. I love him so much. ♥
I'm sorry, did you think I was talking about real hamsters? Nono, these are all rubber or plastic or something. =3
For those of you who wish to fanrant with me about Hamtaro, I wish I could. But other than what was shown in my GBA game, I don't know anything. Horrifying, I know. Maybe I can correct that knowledge gap one day. I hope so.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wassup
Okay, so today's post will probably be short and more or less pointless, because I'm just in a mood to ramble. Also because I don't have a lot of time before I have to be in class.
Why am I typing this right as I'm about to go to class? Silly asker, it's because I didn't type it sooner.
Why didn't I type it sooner? Because I was studying. And because I slept in about half an hour.
What was I studying for? If I told you, I'd have to kill you.
Why did I sleep in? Because normally the sun wakes me up. Today, my eyelids must've blocked it out better or something. But I still woke up before my alarm, so no harm done.
Do I always wake up before my alarm? Yes.
What's with that short response? You're boring me.
Why am I boring me? Because I'm too weird sometimes even for me.
Why am I so weird? I blame genes. My dad is weird. My mom isn't weird, which makes her twice as weird. So I got a triple dosage.
Isn't everyone weird? Yes.
Why am I giving myself a Q&A? I just told you, I'm rambling and I'm weird.
So, yeah, I guess that's about it. Until tomorrow!
Why am I typing this right as I'm about to go to class? Silly asker, it's because I didn't type it sooner.
Why didn't I type it sooner? Because I was studying. And because I slept in about half an hour.
What was I studying for? If I told you, I'd have to kill you.
Why did I sleep in? Because normally the sun wakes me up. Today, my eyelids must've blocked it out better or something. But I still woke up before my alarm, so no harm done.
Do I always wake up before my alarm? Yes.
What's with that short response? You're boring me.
Why am I boring me? Because I'm too weird sometimes even for me.
Why am I so weird? I blame genes. My dad is weird. My mom isn't weird, which makes her twice as weird. So I got a triple dosage.
Isn't everyone weird? Yes.
Why am I giving myself a Q&A? I just told you, I'm rambling and I'm weird.
So, yeah, I guess that's about it. Until tomorrow!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Mysterious Benedict Society's Beginning
Alright, let's see a show of hands. How many of you here have read Trenton Lee Stewart's The Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy? Hmmm, okay. How many of your have read his fantastic prequel The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict? ...Shocking.
Well, if you have a hand that is more vulnerable to gravity than others, I suppose I can excuse your lack of participation. However, if you were just plainly answering that you have not read the above books, shame on you!
Admittedly, I suppose the books are tailored for younger kids. But believe you me when I say they are extremely enjoyable for any age. I got the original book as a way to keep myself occupied during any lulls in our vacation one summer. I liked it a lot, so I bought the other two when we got back. I liked them, too, and then I found out the library had the prequel, so I got and read that.
And that was the moment. Mind. Blown. I loved that book. I loved Mr. Benedict as a nine-year-old Nicholas. I loved his friends. I despised his bullies. I wanted to strangle the head of the orphanage. I admired his good heart. I disagreed with his viewpoint that there's no such thing as a good adult. I ached with pride when he met an adult who went out of his way to assist Nicholas. I squealed with delight every time Nicholas's brilliance shown through. I shrieked with pure ecstasy in the one moment I realized I knew what he was going to do a split second before he did it.
Should I give you a plot summary?
Nah, I'll just leave you with my impressions. Which were nothing but good. So go get your own copy. Whether from a bookstore or library, I don't care. Just read it. And you will fall in love with the little nine-year-old narcoleptic genius (Oh, yeah, did I mention he has narcolepsy? Just another reason to love him!) just like I did. Promise.
Well, if you have a hand that is more vulnerable to gravity than others, I suppose I can excuse your lack of participation. However, if you were just plainly answering that you have not read the above books, shame on you!
Admittedly, I suppose the books are tailored for younger kids. But believe you me when I say they are extremely enjoyable for any age. I got the original book as a way to keep myself occupied during any lulls in our vacation one summer. I liked it a lot, so I bought the other two when we got back. I liked them, too, and then I found out the library had the prequel, so I got and read that.
And that was the moment. Mind. Blown. I loved that book. I loved Mr. Benedict as a nine-year-old Nicholas. I loved his friends. I despised his bullies. I wanted to strangle the head of the orphanage. I admired his good heart. I disagreed with his viewpoint that there's no such thing as a good adult. I ached with pride when he met an adult who went out of his way to assist Nicholas. I squealed with delight every time Nicholas's brilliance shown through. I shrieked with pure ecstasy in the one moment I realized I knew what he was going to do a split second before he did it.
Should I give you a plot summary?
Nah, I'll just leave you with my impressions. Which were nothing but good. So go get your own copy. Whether from a bookstore or library, I don't care. Just read it. And you will fall in love with the little nine-year-old narcoleptic genius (Oh, yeah, did I mention he has narcolepsy? Just another reason to love him!) just like I did. Promise.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
October
Happy October, everybody! I am super excited and slightly worried about this upcoming month.
Why excited? Because I get fall break midway through the month! And I've still got Thanksgiving break coming up in November! Three cheers for October!
And on a less excited but still not worried note, Halloween is coming up too. I actually haven't really celebrated this holiday for a few years, since some kill-joy *coughMomcoughDadcough* decided my brother and I were getting too old to dress up and grab some candy from the neighbors. Grr, I'm never too old for chocolate.
And moving on to the slight anxiety, I now have midterms this month. The joys of college life - double the number of exams you take, just because each course lasts a semester rather than a full school year. Hmm, I had a couple courses in high school that lasted only a semester, and that teacher only gave us exams with the rest of the school.
Of course, that teacher also walked around the classroom during the exam and told us when we had a wrong answer. And then when a classmate or two said the answer out loud, he acted annoyed but not angry. Yeah, maybe I got spoiled. Just a little.
Of course, I wasn't expecting that in college. Who would? I just wasn't expecting midterms to take place in the middle of the semester.
Anyways, back to the bigger topic at hand. October. We all know what comes after October, right? Right: Octember! You'd better get out paper and pencil and start finishing off that list of things you want for the first of Octember. It's going to be a great day!
...Now I'm wondering how many of you actually caught my reference. I mean, the author's pretty famous, and I'd say more or less genius. But no, I'm not going to say any names. Although I just Googled it, and now I'm thinking we may have to wait until after December for Octember to come around... Sigh, the joys of not researching things before you type them and then being too excited about them to erase them...
Oh, well. Happy October anyways, people!
Why excited? Because I get fall break midway through the month! And I've still got Thanksgiving break coming up in November! Three cheers for October!
And on a less excited but still not worried note, Halloween is coming up too. I actually haven't really celebrated this holiday for a few years, since some kill-joy *coughMomcoughDadcough* decided my brother and I were getting too old to dress up and grab some candy from the neighbors. Grr, I'm never too old for chocolate.
And moving on to the slight anxiety, I now have midterms this month. The joys of college life - double the number of exams you take, just because each course lasts a semester rather than a full school year. Hmm, I had a couple courses in high school that lasted only a semester, and that teacher only gave us exams with the rest of the school.
Of course, that teacher also walked around the classroom during the exam and told us when we had a wrong answer. And then when a classmate or two said the answer out loud, he acted annoyed but not angry. Yeah, maybe I got spoiled. Just a little.
Of course, I wasn't expecting that in college. Who would? I just wasn't expecting midterms to take place in the middle of the semester.
Anyways, back to the bigger topic at hand. October. We all know what comes after October, right? Right: Octember! You'd better get out paper and pencil and start finishing off that list of things you want for the first of Octember. It's going to be a great day!
...Now I'm wondering how many of you actually caught my reference. I mean, the author's pretty famous, and I'd say more or less genius. But no, I'm not going to say any names. Although I just Googled it, and now I'm thinking we may have to wait until after December for Octember to come around... Sigh, the joys of not researching things before you type them and then being too excited about them to erase them...
Oh, well. Happy October anyways, people!
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