Worst. Day. Ever.

Enough said.

My brother went camping in CA this week, and on his way to the site stopped at the Wheel Inn. That's the truckstop PeeWee Herman gets dropped off at by Large Marge. So he took a picture of the dinosaurs there and sent them to my phone. Of course I had to make the dinosaur my new wallpaper... which got me looking around, and now my new ringtone is the PeeWee's Big Adventure theme music.

I have such issues.

I just finished reading Watership Down tonight. Easily one of the best books I've ever read. Everything about this book is wonderful, from the characters to the pacing, and especially the descriptions of the setting. I got to the end, which was a good, happy resolution, but I was crying because it was SO good and SO right. I find it hard to even try to explain how profound the book is, and how it's affected me. Amazing. Read it now. So worth it.

A belated happy birthday to stakethrumyhart! Hope it was a happy one, and this year is a wonderful one for you!

Happy Birthday to kefkafloyd! May it be a very happy one!

My brother's an extra on CSI Maimi tonight! I just watched the scene he's supposed to be in, but didn't catch him. My parents are TiVo'ing it, so I think I'll watch it in slo-mo tomorrow. As for tonight, I have the beginnings of a cold, so I'm heading to bed. But yay, famous brother!

So I got back to work today after my week of illness, and it was fine. I'm quite tired, but all in all it went alright. However, one thing happened that has enlightened me.

The question came up about my preference in the Ninjas v. Pirates debate. I tend to lean toward Pirates, but it was only today that I realized why.

Ninjas v. Pirates is kind of like Jedi v. Sith. The Jedi are ascetic, logical, and controlled. They act with precision and meditate on their actions and consequences thereof. They draw from the Force by using logic and by closing themselves from emotions. Sith, on the other hand, get their power from their emotions. They allow their emotions to draw from the Force and use it in the moment with no thought or care for the future.

Ninjas are like the Jedi. They are precise and controlled and spend time in study and practice. They train and know that there is a bigger picture that extends beyond their own pain at the moment. Pirates, on the other hand, live in the moment. The whole Pirate lifestyle is based on emotions and the desire for freedom. Pirates navigate the seas, because what's larger than the ocean? It is the last uncharted area of the earth, and it is vast, unpredictable, and exciting. Sith are unpredictable; Pirates are too.

I've always identified with the Sith, because of the emotional aspect. I can be logical, but I tend to act emotionally far more. I like to feel, rather than cloister off my emotions. So I think that's why I've always preferred Pirates in the Ninjas v. Pirates debate.

Thoughts?

/nerdiness

I feel like a serial killer, and it feels awesome.

Okay, so that sounds psycho. It isn't, really, once I explain the context.

For my March MFA submission I elected to severely rewrite a few more of my earlier chapters in this latest incarnation of "Wands". It started slowly at first, but as I go on, man, does it feel good to cut. There's so much material that is just extraneous, or repetitive, or just doesn't really advance the storyline. The storyline gets buried in lots of narrative about the characters thoughts and feelings. And I can show those thoughts and feelings by her actions and dialogue.

As far as the character herself goes, I've added things about her--little habits, observations, the choices she makes on what to look at or focus on... so it hasn't been all cutting. There's been some addition. There's been more action added, and less narrative needed. A lot of Kim's commentary last semester was that there seemed to be a mystery about Ange's mother developing, and really, cool as that could be, it's not a focus of my novel at this point. I introduced the mother-mystery too early. Once Ange gets to her new home, then I want to deal with it. So stuff about that? Cut. Repetetive passages about her apprehensions regarding school? Cut. Obvious statements? Cut. Long narrative passages with little to no action? Cut mostly, though a couple have been carefully rewritten, and those few that remain are important to the character and the story, so the fact they're few and far between will hi-lite that importance.

So maybe I'm a serial killer, or maybe a sculptor, carving away the extra material to see what's hidden inside. Either way, I feel like my writing's the better for it.

Okay, you know the drill. Here's lines from 15 movies I like, no googling, using IMDB, or any other search function to find the answers. Guess correctly and you'll be credited.

1. "I'd give my left nut to see that again."
2. "Fish gotta swim, birds gotta eat."
3. "It's like being hit by a Coke machine with legs!"
4. "Marilyn! You're vulnerable!"
5. "Gandhi. I'd fight Gandhi."
6. "What's the significance? I don't know!"
7. "That still only counts as one!"
8. "To my son, I tell him to keep his heels down when he rides. And to my wife... that is none of your business."
9. "I don't know the wanker's name."
10. "Her name is Goldie."
11. "Oh! The big, blue, wet thing!"
12. "I knew you weren't suited for literature."
13. "It hurt that my friends never stood downwind."
14. "That's a cute outfit, did your husband make that for you?"
15. "You have sacrificed sure footing for a killing stroke."

ETA: I'll be getting to striking the correct guesses at some point tomorrow or Wednesday; today I spent sacked out in bed or on the couch, pretty much too sick to move. And with that I'm going back to bed. Happy guessing! Oh, and 15, 13, 7, and 5 have been correctly guessed already. The others are up for grabs.

They're predicting MORE snow. Either 3-6" or 4-8", with sleet and/or freezing rain to top it off. At this rate I'll be in school until July. The only good thing that could come of a snow day tomorrow is that my piece is up for peer review in the workshop tomorrow; I could stay home in PJs all day and read, weep, and post.

So I'm having a quandary about how to react to the news about Heath Ledger. It's very true, it's all over the news, and yet it doesn't feel real. He wasn't really splattered all over the tabloids with OMG DOWNWARD SPIRAL headlines. After Brokeback Mountain it was all "Wow, he can act well." And the most recent thing was about his split with Michelle Williams. And now he's ALL over the news... and he's also dead.

It's just very strange. I think it's also quite strange because he was my age. I know people in every age group die every day. Celebrities die. For some reason this feels stranger.

Well, Griff's on his way to CT. Long story short, he interviewed with a company there on a whim, and they gave him a great offer for a management-level position. We talked it over a LOT and came to the agreement that it would be worth it for him to take the job. Definitely not easy by any stretch of the imagination... but he'll be happier in his work and CT's not that far away.

Of course this presents a new opportunity for me as well. No, I'm not moving to CT with him. But his apartment is now vacated. His apartment is twice the size of mine, for less money per month. Tons of storage, quiet street, and I'd have room for an office/library. AND there's a washing machine/dryer there. And the landlord's a nice guy who wants a trustworthy tenant.

The thing is I HATE moving. HATE moving with a fiery passion. But I wouldn't have to do it all at once! As Griff's moving his stuff out, I can move my stuff in, starting with things in my upstairs storage unit, and then gradually moving my books and some furniture pieces. And then over my February vacation I can move the rest of my stuff in and be out of my place before my March rent check is due (Happy Birthday to me!... until I pay my first check there that is :p). I looked through my lease agreement carefully, but there's nothing in there about ending the lease before the official end date, so I'm not sure about fees, etc. And the downside is that the landlord's not keen on having cats, because he's not sure what they'll do to the carpet, but we can work on that, I think.

Comments, thoughts, questions and/or concerns? Things I should think about?

Happy Birthday, forsakenphoenix! May it be a happy one!

I have today off. A whole day to work on things. And goodness knows I have a lot of things that need work.

Firstly though I'm off to the polls! Then it's back here to work on making midterms/finals (due Friday 1/11) and rewriting two chapters for my final submission of this semester (due 1/15), and then if I have the chance I may run out to the mall to look for my boyfriend's birthday present (1/13). So yeah, I have a lot coming up in the next few days, so I'm grateful for politics having given me this wonderful gift of a day off.

ME: I think you'll enjoy the storyline more if you experience it first hand rather than hear it from me
RI: You're probably right
RI:It's just that evil worm of curiosity
ME: which is why you need to feed the worm with the book
ME: and then it'll be a book worm

Today's the first day back to work after vacation. That's the downside. The upside is we have a 90-minute delay. Yes, I'm pretty psyched. And I'm going back to bed.

Woohoo, I'm heading out for dinner and to see Evanescence at the Verizon. I'm pretty psyched.

That is all.

Happy Birtrhday, maiafay!!! Have a happy one!

I got up at 3:30 this morning, put on jeans, brushed my teeth, and went down to Kohl's for their 4am opening. After finding much success at Kohl's I went to wait in line at Target for their 6am opening. After much success at Target, I went home, slept, got up, cleaned my apartment more, visited with my mom, and then we went to B&N... again to have much success. Over all I am 90% done with my Christmas shopping. I'm happy with what I got for people. Of course, now I have to wrap it (bought a bunch of wrapping paper today, at least!), but I feel VERY accomplished. Extremely tired, perhaps even borderline catatonic. But accomplished. And I didn't even go to the mall ^.^