BG takes on too much...

Out of sheer desire to wear a costume, I attended the Harry Potter movie opening night and was pleasantly surprised. I haven't been a huge fan of the movies so far, but this one was pretty decent. It being 3AM helped a bit, but it was really funny (the parts intended for humor, that is). All in all, having watched it in a mindset of not being over critical in comparison to the books, it was very entertaining.

I personally found the romances easier to believe in the movie than I did in the book. Perhaps I had my mind a little skewed by fanfic, but I was not impressed with the couplings in the book. However, something in the visual media of the movie or simply the director's choice to put more emphasis on it earlier on made it more believable for me.

I liked Tom Felton's performance as Draco. It really showed his indecision. As always, I *loved* Luna Lovegood. Daniel Radcliffe, though not my favorite actor, did an *amazing* job with the luck potion sequence of scenes.

The flow was good, and I was relieved to see that there weren't any overly long, unnecessary scenes done simply to show off special effects.

Definitely a movie worth watching.

Summer is becoming a long blur of books, Young Avengers, and taking care of my sister's horse. "Barn Drama", as all my sister's friends call it, is the worst.

We've stabled my sister's horse with this same lady for the two/three years my sister's been riding. She was great... most of the time.
It's just that recently, her relationships have started interfering with her business. And now she's off, moving away to live in a far away city with a man she met. She sold her property (mostly) and left town. Only she planned to keep the business open through the end of the year. All us boarders were assured that the horses could continue to stay where they were.
Stay, yes. Safely, no.
There was a week when my sister was at camp, so we didn't go out to visit the horse. That weekend, we go out, and no one has fed all week. Panic ensues. Confusion. Chaos. Everyone thinks someone else is feeding. The new people who *bought* the place, are forbidden from touching the old owner's business, which means *they* aren't feeding. The old owner isn't even in *town*. We end up driving up there *every day* (that's 22mi one way) to feed the horse (morning *and* evening). Luckily one of the other boarders organized a schedule for the boarders to feed, but really she and we were the only ones reliable enough to actually *do* it.
We start calling new stables. My sister had been wanting to switch to this new, English stable anyway, so we call there. They had already agreed to get us in at beginning of August, but with our frantic calls, they agreed to free up a spot sooner. Still, "sooner" was a week away. At that point, we were ready to put a lead rope on the horse and walk her down the street to stick in our friend's back yard. We called everyone we knew who had the property to keep horses. They all agreed to take her if we needed it, but my mom was scared to leave the other horses behind because at this point the other reliable boarder had gotten her horse out and we were the only ones feeding.
The old owner came back weekly to check in and stuff, but all *she* saw was that the boarders had set up this nice schedule and were feeding, so she didn't see anything wrong with the leaving it that way. My mom's fairly non-confrontational, and really, we used to be good, good friends with the owner, so we tried to stay peaceful. My sister, however, was in such a state of fury, she wasn't even allowed to speak with the old owner.
Meanwhile, the new owners of the property were gutting it (muchly needed) and trying to make the place higher class, but they were just trying to stay out of the old owner's way. The old owner took everything not nailed down. And then most of the stuff that *was* nailed down. She took the chickens and the cats (which weren't *really* pets. More like vagrant animals she was caring for). She took the *barn*. She unscrewed the feed buckets from the inside of the stalls.
She took the gates.
People were leaving the barn like flies. Anyone who *can* get out is. But this one horse, Roany, her owners are on vacation and won't be back until the end of summer. Mom's constantly worrying because Roany is skin and bones, but eventually the old owner takes Roany with her to her new place (I assume Roany's fine now because it was mostly an "out of sight, out of mind" issue. The old owner never let a horse get sick without doing something about it).
Everyone who gets their horse out is finding out at their new barn that everything they've been doing is *wrong*. Vet, farrier, feed, you name it. All of it has to be fixed. The baby horse of the property hadn't been properly fed, was (possibly permanently) too small, and had round worms the size of snakes (not exaggerating. Foot long worms). It's owners are, understandably, quite upset.
We've finally gotten our horse off the property and pretty much washed our hands of it all. There aren't any horses there anymore to my knowledge (or I think I'd have called the cops at this point). My sister's livid, righteous fury still burns, but the worry we've all been living with is easing, and we no longer have to drive that far every day.
This will be a lesson for years to come.
Don't take someone's word for it when they tell you how to care for your horse, and run, run, run from Barn Drama.

Well, if it hasn't been a year since my last post...

With a bit of anxiety issues, and an intense school workload, I kind of fell off the face of the internet, but I remember this being a pretty fun place, so I thought I'd come back.

If I tried to recount all the things I've done over the past year, I'd probably go into a panic attack, *eyeroll*, so I'll try to just say some of the things I'm *going* to do.

I'm headed off to college in just over a month. *really excited* Though I doubt many crazy stalker-type people are tracking me on LJ, I won't post where I'm going. However, if you're curious, email me or comment or something and I'd be happy to chat with you. :D
It's a *really* awesome school, with this alternative sort of education style. They do "contracts" for each semester's class schedule (a contract is, like 4 or 5 classes), then you do 3 independent study projects (sort of like designing your own course), and write/present a thesis (150 page). The contracts don't have grades. They're just "Satisfactory" or "Un-satisfactory".
It's small and sounds like *so* much fun. Despite a little bit of expected homesickness, I can't wait.

I've still got quite a few writing projects, but I seem to have been sucked into the black hole of fanfiction. Slash, to be more precise. I keep trying and trying and finding myself unable to write anything else. *Sigh* Current fandoms include Yu Yu Hakusho and a (recent, but) deep and abiding passion for Marvel comics (Young Avengers in particular).

As a side note: Comics are expensive. And difficult to get a hold of if you have a gripping fear of speaking to the cashier about starting a pull list.

For something more interesting and sparkly to look at, here are some recent dolls:
Scarlet Witch
Base
Billy and Teddy
Base
The first, the Scarlet Witch one, is an entry to a pageant. I'll post again when it comes time for the voting to begin. Scarlet Witch, briefly, for those who *aren't* comic people, is Magneto's daughter, who became an Avenger, and recently went crazy over the loss of her twin sons. She's a really, really fun character and awesome to doll.
The second is Billy and Teddy (codenames Wiccan and Hulkling), done with Blu's *insane* palette for a palette contest. Long story short (again, for non-comic people), Billy and Teddy are a canon gay couple from Young Avengers. They are WICKED SHINY AWESOME and deserve much fame and glory. They occupy 79% of my brain function at present times.

Here's to hoping it won't be a year before I work up the nerve to post again...

I've just gotten back from the second big event of my summer: my big Arizona trip!

It was a ton of fun, but I can't even begin to describe how exhausted I am now. *curls up in safe desk chair, happy to be home*

It started out with a trip to visit family, which is always fun, but not necessarily thrilling. I haven't seen them in so long, so it was really good to catch up. We had a cool 4th of July -- great cookout/fireworks display/watching the dry brush catch fire.
I had a piece of firework land on me! It wasn't still hot/burning or anything, but about 2 minutes after the fireworks finished, a burnt piece of cardboard fell out of the sky into my lap!
Here's something that made my cousin and I unhappy: She's 21. I'm 17. My sister is 14. We're all the same height. *Head.Desk.* I'm never getting any taller, am I?


Then I went to go visit Blu! I had an awesome time! Her family made gluton-free stuff for me (made me happy), we LARPed, played video games (which I failed epically at, but which gave Blu a shiny enough plotbunny to make up for it), and hit each other with newspaper swords (because the lightsabers hurt too much)! I also got to meet Sissors, who's a pretty awesome person. All in all, it was a great four days. I nearly cried when I had to leave.

Then came the truly exhausting part (outside of Blu's unending energy -- Srsly, Blu, how do you *do* that? It's amazing! (and fun)). The cross country road trip. See, my grandpa -- one of the relatives we visited in AZ -- bought the family a car (edging more towards being my car) and we had to get it back to FL. We were on the road 6 days. We did stop in Tombstone, AZ to see the O.K. Corral, and in San Antonio, TX to see the Alamo and the Japanese Tea Gardens, but otherwise it was mostly driving. My poor old little car.
It can go 70mph. It can handle hills/mountains. It can run the AC.
It can't do all three at once.

101:
3. Meet Blu
SQUEE
14. Read 42 books
I read Howl's Moving Castle when I was at home, and so decided to start my next book on the plane to AZ. I chose Twilight. Bad move. I then preceded to read at every free moment until I'd finished Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. I took breaks in between books to make sure I didn't ignore my family while I was there, but it was really, really hard. Like I said, big mistake starting it.
17. Take another road trip with mom
Boy, if that doesn't count as a road trip, I don't know what does.
31. Learn to bake gluton free pie
Blu and I made chocolate meriang(*has no idea how to spell that word*) pie. We whipped the meriang(again, spelling is bad) by hand! The crust was baked to long >.>, but I never said I had to make a *perfect* pie.
81. Practice for and complete 6 piano performances
I did perform at the evening concert at piano camp.
91. Read a book I've tried and failed to read before
Twilight. Believe it or not, I am now totally addicted to the same series I put down half a year ago because I couldn't get into it. *So* glad I gave it another shot.

I'm having a blast at piano camp (*sneaky in the library posting using one of their computers during the waiting between auditions*). I'm learning a lot of fascinating things about theory that will help a lot when I do more work with writing music. (I'm *so* close to finishing at least the rough draft of one of my songs for Twelve Dancing Princesses) We have several classes (theory, literature and duet), lessons (private and public), and -- everyone's favorite part */sarcasm* -- ~6 hours of practice a day.
My roommates are cool. My music is getting better. I've even gotten a little time to write/read. But, pretty much, it's all practice.
The performances are Fri. I think everyone who auditioned gets to play, but I'm still pretty anxious to see how I did. That's how they'll chose our order to perform in. *Crosses fingers* Please don't let me be first.
The sleeping schedule here is so *NOT* what I'm used to. We go to bed at ten and get up at six. I can't wait to get home so that I can stay up/sleep in.

101:
6. Open a checking account
Done! I got it the day before I went to camp. The debit card didn't get mailed fast enough for me to bring it with me, but it should be waiting for me when I get home.
14. Read 42 books
I'm lucky my roommates read. That way I don't feel bad reading during the few breaks in the busy schedule. I've been borrowing and lending books all around (I've gotten one of my friends into Tamora Pierce and the other into Jonathon Stroud. SHARE THE LOVE) I've finished 5 since I last posted (four of them re-reads): The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Lioness Rampant, Protector of the Small: First Test, Protector of the Small: Page, and Good Omens.

Whew. I need to get back into updating this daily.

I had my 17th birthday, and I got a *tablet*. I've been happily playing around with it since and have come up with a few decent things (http://thebookgeek.deviantart.com/art/Pastel-87663505, and http://thebookgeek.deviantart.com/art/Woman-87631347 (nudity warning)).

I'm getting ready to start Teh Busy Summer of FUN.
Leaving Sun. for a two week piano camp (I'll upload a video of the song I'm planning to audition for the end of camp performance when I get the video camera to work), coming back for only ~a week before I'm flying to AZ to meet Blu (YAYZ). We're driving back instead of flying (because AZ relatives bought us a car at an auction), and then I go to 4-H camp. *Falls over*
Then I go back classes.
(Mom's been trying to convince me to go to a different camp because I got free tuition from winning a bake off, but it's a outdoors camp and just the thought of it makes me cringe. Not for me. Too much hiking and bugs.)

I rearranged my room and got it nearly clean. Another day (/another book-on-CD) should do it.

101:
4. Clean my room and keep it clean for > a month
So close to getting it clean. I'd love to have it clean during all these comings and goings this summer.
14. Read 42 books
3 more. I, Robot, Redwall: The Wall, The Virgin's Knot. I'm almost finished with a book on tape, and a actual *paper* book. (loving the books on tape. We used to read aloud all the time, and I'd do things while mom read, so when I hear a book I just have an urge to get things done.)
17. Take another road trip with mom
This is planned in the driving home from AZ. *This* roadtrip I'll actually get to be the one driving some of the way.
28. Sketch a male face that dad recognizes as a guy without being prompted
It is sad that despite attempting this several times, I have not yet succeeded.
48. Be vocal about my needs
I'm very pleased with my progress in this area. I've even started a list on my door to keep my mother informed, as I find this is a lot more effective than *meaning* to tell her I need something and then her not finding out until ~a month later. I'm going to count this goal as accomplished.
62. Dye, streak or in some way color my hair
Family gave me a bottle of hair dye for my birthday. I'm planning to just do my tips or something. It's black hair dye (what I really wanted) so, because of my sheer paleness, I can't dye my full head without looking goth or emo. *le sigh*
83. Learn how something I know nothing about works
I've been reading a *fascinating* book on genetics (The Survival of the Sickest. Read it. It's *really* good) and I've been enjoying it, which is a huge shock. Not only do I not know *anything* about genetics, but biology is by far my least favorite subjects (*gasp* I do indeed have a least favorite subject).
97. Become proficient enough in an art software to start a webcomic
I've been working on it with the tablet. >.> Only coming along okay. Not great. I lack consistency of any kind.

I have my license a month and I've hit someone. I was *just* talking to my mother about *not* having hit anyone. There you go. I *cursed* myself. Lucky for me, it was just in a parking lot. Not much damage, (nothing to my car, the most expensive possibly being paint for the other car) but a lot of stress. Mom was there to help me through the insurance stuff, which is good because I was distressed and I have a hard time speaking when I'm upset.
At least it was a good experience. I'll know what to do if it happens again, and hopefully I now have the caution to never *let* it happen again.
*Le sigh*

101:
6. Open a checking account
I came *so* close to doing this. We even went into the bank. But it was a spur of the moment thing, and I didn't have the amount of ID they needed, so we'll have to try again later.
14. Read 42 books
I'm counting listening to books on tape. That's the only way I'm going to get 42 done. I just *don't* have time, and the books on tape I can listen to while I clean/do art. So, I've gotten 4 done. Alice in Wonderland, Memoirs of a Geisha, Parrotfish, and Julius Caesar.
20. Hold a masquerade
I went to a masquerade for prom, which encompasses the real desire behind this goal, so I'm going to count it as finished.
39. Have family game night every week for a year
Since this consistency is not going to match my family's schedule, I'm going to settle for 52 family game nights. 2 completed
67. Write a letter to myself to be opened when I graduate college
Finished it! I'll print a hard copy sometime, but, frankly, I think a computer copy will last until then better than paper.
70. Swim once a week from April-August (
As I should have known, April is much, much too cold for this. I'm moving it to June-August.
79. Attend all available POW Protege meetings unless it is physically impossible
They moved to another location! It's *so* far away! I really wish they'd meet closer
81. Practice for and complete 6 piano performances
I'll be performing at the First Friday concert on June 6th and HOPEFULLY at the end of piano camp concert as well later in June.
85. Make a list of my accomplishments
I made it, but I need to keep adding.
95. Finish wood carving/burning commission as requested
I bought the wood and started carving, but the battery on the carver ran out, so I'll have to finish another time.

I was working on my snowflake, and I ran into the issue that... my main character (and only pov) character cannot be present at the climax of the story. Several sporkers have aided me in ways of putting him in there anyway and making the climax... more climactic.
I *think* the problems have been solved, but they may require more pondering.

101:
11. Compile a list of 10 colleges to apply to
It's a very flexible list. No doubt going to change. But it's a list nonetheless.
27. List 101 things that make me happy
Added one. Dang, it's hard to come up with things that haven't already been said in some form or another.
41. Get my drivers' license
PWNED
60. De-clutter 101 things
Up to 40 now.

Yes, it's been a while since I updated!
I had been limiting my computer time for Lent, and thus getting off at 11:30. This scheduling helped me to post to my journal every day at 11. Now that Lent is over... I don't think about blogging until it's so late I can't think.

Brief update on me:
[b]School:[/b] My classes are almost over, which is a nice thought. I'm in a little turmoil about what classes to take next semester, but... *sighs* I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
[b]Writing:[/b] I finally finished step 6 of Soup's snowflake, so I can move on to the scene outlines. Finished the outline for 12 Dancing Princesses and moved on to doing a rough script for it as a modified Script Frenzy project.
[b]General Life:[/b] I've gotten in the bad habit of developing insanely huge crushes on guys who I only see for a minute and am probably never going to see again. *eyeroll*

101:
1. Enter artwork in the fair
I entered a painting in the 4-H exhibit (Judged against itself/meeting criteria; It got a blue), and one in the open youth division. This made me very annoyed at the judges. Not even counting the fact that I would have liked to win, I have *no idea* what they were looking for in winners. There were several paintings and sketches (other than mine) that were a *great* deal better than the winners.
16. Contact Peter Yarrow or Leonard Lipton or appropriate person about my book
This is looking unlikely at the moment as my general antipathy for the book in question in great. Maybe if I leave it alone and then get some more editing in, this will change.
38. Paint a painting good enough to be worth framing
The painting I did for the fair is framed and I intend to leave it that way.
41. Get my drivers' license
This is going to happen Tuesday! Legally, yesterday was the last day I had to wait, but Tuesday is the first day that will work schedule-wise
49. Develop a system to organize my projects and stick to it
It's taking fine tuning, but it'll work, I think!
70. Swim once a week from April-August
April be too early. >.< So cold, even in FL. I did do it the first week. I just need to do it this week. Tomorrow, that is.

Today I got to do a real studio recording of some of my piano pieces! I had to make an audition tape for the college piano camp where I want to go. It was great. The piano in the studio was so nice to play. Made my Nocturne sound *beautiful*. I wasn't happy with how I did on my Bach, but I suppose it'll do.

Yes... I'm sad to say that my lack of post yesterday is due to getting addicted to an old show I used to love. My sister found all the Cardcaptors episodes on youtube, so I've been making my way through. I'm not quite as... obsessed as I was when I rediscovered Teen Titans (No joke, 36 TT episodes in 2 days.) but it's definitely taking my comp time.

It took almost three months, but I finally got all my stuff on my mac so that I could get the PC junk out of my room. I've spent the rest of the day fiddling around with the mac, learning all the short cuts and stuff that I'd been to lazy to do when I was still surfing PC and Mac at the same time.

101:
1. Enter artwork in the fair
I worked on a sketch for a painting. If I don't get it done in time, that's fine, but hopefully I'll be finished.
54. Do the splits
Getting closer with all this yoga I'm doing
96. Paint a mural in the bathroom
Finished! I'll get a picture as soon as I figure out where my camera is.

First day of the first spring break of my life, and it was everything I thought it could be.

Being unschooled (form of homeschooling where you do little actual work) means that breaks (spring break/summer vacation/ weekends) mean very little, as you don't actually do anything differently. This year, however, with my college classes, I finally get a spring break that actually means something! Wh00t!

101:
1. Enter artwork in the fair
Ahhhh... need to get working on this v v soon.

I got a ton of world building done today. It was fun. I kept telling myself all the time than I had to focus my creative energy on editing, but I've been aching to world build for so long... I just had to indulge.

101:
99. Wear my contacts every day for 2 months
Day 1

I finally got my doll site updated. It takes FOREVER. I know I should be editing instead, but... I'm so far behind that it feels really hopeless.

101:
52. Turn off computer an hour before bedtime every night for a month
4 Days
92. Make a page for my compilation of quotes
Finished!

Worked on worldbuilding. Broke down and started switching my stuff from a freewebs to a pbwiki.

Forgot my hw... >.> Yeeesss... Quiz tm, so no 101 update whilst I study.

We're donating a bunch of crap stuff to the church yard sale, so I've been trying to clear out my room. Duuuuude. I have a lot of cra-... no, wait, crap is the lightest word I can use to describe it.

101:
2. Win NaNoEdMo
1 hour and 35 mins.
3. Meet Blu
Our parents talked today. Wh00t!
4. Clean my room and keep it clean for > a month
Not there yet, but I'm gonna make it, dangit. *growls*
48. Be vocal about my needs
>.> <.< >.>
52. Turn off computer an hour before bedtime every night for a month
Night 2
60. De-clutter 101 things
I'm counting today as 20, even though I have no idea how many it actually was. It was a lot.

I got to read some of my stuff out for a writer's group, which I always enjoy. They reinforced some of the advice I'd already been getting from the books I'm reading, so, hopefully, it'll help with the editing.

101:
2. Win NaNoEdMo
I got just over a half hour of editing in today.
52. Turn off computer an hour before bedtime every night for a month
Day one again. I'm finally managing to not just collapse into bed.
85. Make a list of my accomplishments
Started last night.

I decided that, since I had a whole free day, I would do *nothing* productive. I watched 5 episodes of Big Brother. I don't even like the show... >.< I need to stop doing this.

101:
2. Win NaNoEdMo
One hour and 5 mins today.

I spent the *entire* day doing hw. If I hadn't been watching the Animaniacs at the same time, it might have been faster. >.> Why! Why do I do this to myself? I make something last *way* longer than it needs to be because I can't *focus*. >.< I feel like Jack (character).

101:
2. Win NaNoEdMo
Only got a half an hour done because I had to finish hw first.
3. Meet Blu
Plans are progressing. Albeit, slower that a snail that's glued to the floor.