Being a perfectly bad example last night, I goaded Stu into taking a late-night drive to Waffle House to "split a waffle". I ended up eating a whole one, and on the way home I wondered how this would affect my dream cycle.
Apparently, waffles are good-for-nothings when it comes to dreams. Nada. So don't eat waffles dripping with excess maple syrup expecting sweet dreams. It's just going to be disappointing.
I'm now tempted to make delicious banana pancakes to see if they have the opposite effect of the waffles. Maybe it's something in the Waffle House batter.
SPEAKING OF WHICH
[I forgot about this until just now]
There is a conspiracy among the restaurateurs in the land - every single time I find something I like, the next time I go to order it, I hear this: "I'm sorry...we're out." It has happened at several locations, and about every other time we go out to eat. I like beer cheese soup from Baker Bros? Next time I go, it's all "Yes, we have it. Wait...no, we don't." I like Pizza Soup? "I'm sorry, we are discontinuing it." Did I want chili from Waffle House? "We're out today!" AND, last night, all I wanted was a buttermilk waffle. "We don't have any of that batter made up." *sits down and sobs* Sheesh. I'm never mad at whoever tells me - it's not their fault, and besides, there is something just as delicious on the menu. It's just weird that it KEEPS. ON. HAPPENING. Even at places like McDonald's, for Pete's sake!!! :P
/rant over.
So I have a new T.V. favorite - I cannot believe it's true, but someone I love dearly likes it so I thought I'd give it a try - and now I'm completely hooked! 2 stars from some of my favorite T.V./film [Arrested Development/Enough] are in it, which is a bonus, and there's a character on there I just LOVE. [Kurt Hummel, anyone?!] Yeah...I'm watching GLEE. You would have thought I'd be watching it before now, right? A T.V. show that's a musical? Well, the entire truth is that I forgot it was on, and when it did come on, I was in the midst of Fringe/Ugly Betty/The Office/Castle/Psych/Leverage and didn't feel like I had time. But now, while Psych and Leverage are on a waiting list to start up again next year, I have time, right?! HA! Too bad! Now that I LOVE this show, it's going to STOP on Dec. 9 and I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FREAKING APRIL! Sigh...such is my life. Just one stroke of bad luck after another.
Kidding! Well, it is bad luck where t.v. and food are concerned, but hey...there are much more important things to be concerned about...right? :P
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I'll be blogging later about my NaNo novel! I wrote over 50,000 words this month! WOOHOO!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Hot Chocolate & Popcorn
Last night I settled down to wait for Stu to get home and decided that while I was writing for my NaNoWriMo project, I would make myself some popcorn and hot chocolate. I rewarded myself every few hundred words by eating popcorn or drinking the hot chocolate, and I met my goal at midnight. Stu got home a few minutes later and I went to bed full of buttery and chocolate-y goodness. My dream was pretty epic, and I owe it to the popcorn. Try it sometime.
I dreamed that I was at a lakehouse, attempting to rescue Edward James Olmos from an underground conspiracy/government overthrow. I was waiting for them to leave him in a room alone for a few minutes so I could run in, but I was in disguise so I had to pretend like I was one of the people enjoying the pond/lake [which I hate] so I ended up going to float on the pond - as I sat there in my tube, I wondered, "Isn't this the pond with the alligators in it?" So then I got out of the pond [It was beside the lake].
I saw a group of men in soldier outfits escorting Mr. Olmos to one of the smaller buildings beside the lakehouse and followed them, to see him tied up in a chair. They left, talking and smoking, and I crept in and untied him. We were going to make our escape but...
I woke up.
:(
It was pretty epic though anyway - I mean, Edward James Olmos?!
I dreamed that I was at a lakehouse, attempting to rescue Edward James Olmos from an underground conspiracy/government overthrow. I was waiting for them to leave him in a room alone for a few minutes so I could run in, but I was in disguise so I had to pretend like I was one of the people enjoying the pond/lake [which I hate] so I ended up going to float on the pond - as I sat there in my tube, I wondered, "Isn't this the pond with the alligators in it?" So then I got out of the pond [It was beside the lake].
I saw a group of men in soldier outfits escorting Mr. Olmos to one of the smaller buildings beside the lakehouse and followed them, to see him tied up in a chair. They left, talking and smoking, and I crept in and untied him. We were going to make our escape but...
I woke up.
:(
It was pretty epic though anyway - I mean, Edward James Olmos?!
Monday, November 23, 2009
This Is Why I'm So Tired
Two nights ago I had a dream of epic proportions. I'm talking a full on, three switch dream with characters from West Wing, the Disney Channel, and Harry Potter. For the record, I ate Ramen noodles and Cheez-its for dinner, which is what brought on the onslaught.
The first section of my dream, I was Donna from The West Wing and Sam, Josh and I [both from The West Wing] were at a political rally that was quickly turning sour. We ran out of the stadium, fearing for our lives, and Josh and I tripped, and somehow we were hurt because we laid on the ground waiting for Sam to get help while we hopefully avoided the riotous crowd.
The dream then switched to an audition for a new Disney venture - Disney Musical Theatre! Ashley Tisdale and I were competing for the same part, but I think we were friends because she wanted both of us to have a part. I have not danced in years so I knew my dance routine was a little crazy and not on par, which resulted in me not getting the part. The old man who was auditioning us [along with a few others from the Disney Channel, but I can't remember who they were] then had to listen to Ashley begging for me to at least be her understudy. I then decided to try one more time and made a very graceful, very classical ballet audition, which won me another role. We then sat on an antique couch and talked about what we would buy with our paychecks. I made the comment that I would pay for ballet lessons and fencing [I THINK it was fencing - either that or voice] lessons, which resulted in everyone laughing at me, but I said, "I am serious! I have not taken ballet in years and I would love to take lessons again!"
The third sequence happened right then - I was in the front seat of the Ford Anglia with Ron and Harry in the back, waiting on Mr. Weasley to find a Port Key as we escaped from Death Eaters and Voldemort. Ron got out of the car and disappeared, only to reappear later with a jagged, glowing green sword [almost a lightsaber] that we were going to fight Voldemort off with.
There ended the dreams, and I awoke as exhausted as when I went to sleep. :P
The first section of my dream, I was Donna from The West Wing and Sam, Josh and I [both from The West Wing] were at a political rally that was quickly turning sour. We ran out of the stadium, fearing for our lives, and Josh and I tripped, and somehow we were hurt because we laid on the ground waiting for Sam to get help while we hopefully avoided the riotous crowd.
The dream then switched to an audition for a new Disney venture - Disney Musical Theatre! Ashley Tisdale and I were competing for the same part, but I think we were friends because she wanted both of us to have a part. I have not danced in years so I knew my dance routine was a little crazy and not on par, which resulted in me not getting the part. The old man who was auditioning us [along with a few others from the Disney Channel, but I can't remember who they were] then had to listen to Ashley begging for me to at least be her understudy. I then decided to try one more time and made a very graceful, very classical ballet audition, which won me another role. We then sat on an antique couch and talked about what we would buy with our paychecks. I made the comment that I would pay for ballet lessons and fencing [I THINK it was fencing - either that or voice] lessons, which resulted in everyone laughing at me, but I said, "I am serious! I have not taken ballet in years and I would love to take lessons again!"
The third sequence happened right then - I was in the front seat of the Ford Anglia with Ron and Harry in the back, waiting on Mr. Weasley to find a Port Key as we escaped from Death Eaters and Voldemort. Ron got out of the car and disappeared, only to reappear later with a jagged, glowing green sword [almost a lightsaber] that we were going to fight Voldemort off with.
There ended the dreams, and I awoke as exhausted as when I went to sleep. :P
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Movies I'd Rather Have
Don't get me wrong: I love Twilight. I don't care who thinks it is retarded, weird, stupid, or simply a piece of crap. I love the books and I'm glad Stephenie Meyer wrote them. [Although I will say her sci-fi book The Host is heaps better. Really. And I have a whole long rant about Twilight, the fans, Stephenie, etc., but it is too long and frankly I'd rather not go into it without provocation]
BUT
I would rather be watching these books being turned into movies, preferably directed by someone like Peter Jackson, with music by James Newton Howard or Michael Giacchino, with an amazing cast:
1. The Prydain Chronicles - either a T.V. show or movies. Come on, that's 5 movies right there, or a mini-series!
2. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - they've been trying to make this one for years. Still 'in production'.
3. The Giver - same as above.
4. The Abhorsen trilogy - the most kick-ass fantasy films of the Millenium. For serious. I would LOVE to see this come to life with Peter Jackson at the helm.
5. Redwall - I'm not talking the new cheap CG that has been drowning the market recently. I am talking Pixar style. This would also be amazing.
What books would you like to see on the big screen?
BUT
I would rather be watching these books being turned into movies, preferably directed by someone like Peter Jackson, with music by James Newton Howard or Michael Giacchino, with an amazing cast:
1. The Prydain Chronicles - either a T.V. show or movies. Come on, that's 5 movies right there, or a mini-series!
2. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - they've been trying to make this one for years. Still 'in production'.
3. The Giver - same as above.
4. The Abhorsen trilogy - the most kick-ass fantasy films of the Millenium. For serious. I would LOVE to see this come to life with Peter Jackson at the helm.
5. Redwall - I'm not talking the new cheap CG that has been drowning the market recently. I am talking Pixar style. This would also be amazing.
What books would you like to see on the big screen?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Quotes
I have just received my library card for Richland County and have consequently been reading a lot. Some of the new books I have grabbed from the shelves to devour are:
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
Mister Monday by Garth Nix [Book I of the Keys to the Kingdom series]
Taggerung by Brian Jacques [part of the illustrious Redwall saga]
The Prydain Chronicles [5 books] by Lloyd Alexander
I have also started keeping a notebook of quotes that I really like from the books I'm reading, or movies I've watched, or professors that I love listening to in class on Friday afternoon and then eat lunch with them to discover that they share my love of Ugly Betty which makes me wish I'd had classes with them freshman year because my whole school experience could have potentially been very different. And better.
Anyway: Here are some quotes of the week from the books I've been reading:
"For each of us comes a time when we must be more than what we are." [Dallben of Caer Dallben, from Lloyd Alexander's third book in the Chronicles of Prydain, The Castle of Llyr]
"I want to be recognized!" Eilonwy cried. "I want to be me!" [Princess Eilonwy in The Castle of Llyr]
"How will the world change if we do not question it?"
"The world cannot be changed," said Gloria. "The world is what the world is and has forever been."
"No," said Leo Matienne softly, "I will not believe that. For here is Peter standing before us asking us to make it something different."
[from The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo]
What are we to make of a world where stars shine bright in the midst of so much darkness and gloom?
[also from The Magician's Elephant]
If you have never read any books by these authors, I highly recommend them. Most of them are on the short list of authors that I always try to read everything they write. [Contrary to what one may imagine, I am an author/subject/series hopper. I rarely stick with a favorite author b/c I don't always like all of their books.]
Here's the short list of writers I always read from:
Sharon Creech
Cameron Dokey
Jane Austen
L.M. Montgomery
Agatha Christie
Joan Aiken
Natalie Babbitt
Andrew Clements
Gerald Morris
Notice that some of my favorite stories do not belong to any of these - Madeleine L'Engle, Lois Lowry, Lloyd Alexander, Avi, Garth Nix, and Kate DiCamillo have some of my most favorite stories, but I just can't like everything they write. Madeleine and Avi, especially, have written some detestedly boring books.
Books I am interested in reading [now that I actually have a library card]:
The Keys to the Kingdom Series by Garth Nix
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques [have to play some catch-up]
Artemis Fowl series [I'm just curious]
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
Replay by Sharon Creech
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
The Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken [haven't read all of them yet]
Belle by Cameron Dokey
The Wild Orchid: Ballad of Mulan by Cameron Dokey
Snow Child by Cameron Dokey
What books do you want to read? Do you prefer buying them first or borrowing them and then purchasing if you really like it?
The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
Mister Monday by Garth Nix [Book I of the Keys to the Kingdom series]
Taggerung by Brian Jacques [part of the illustrious Redwall saga]
The Prydain Chronicles [5 books] by Lloyd Alexander
I have also started keeping a notebook of quotes that I really like from the books I'm reading, or movies I've watched, or professors that I love listening to in class on Friday afternoon and then eat lunch with them to discover that they share my love of Ugly Betty which makes me wish I'd had classes with them freshman year because my whole school experience could have potentially been very different. And better.
Anyway: Here are some quotes of the week from the books I've been reading:
"For each of us comes a time when we must be more than what we are." [Dallben of Caer Dallben, from Lloyd Alexander's third book in the Chronicles of Prydain, The Castle of Llyr]
"I want to be recognized!" Eilonwy cried. "I want to be me!" [Princess Eilonwy in The Castle of Llyr]
"How will the world change if we do not question it?"
"The world cannot be changed," said Gloria. "The world is what the world is and has forever been."
"No," said Leo Matienne softly, "I will not believe that. For here is Peter standing before us asking us to make it something different."
[from The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo]
What are we to make of a world where stars shine bright in the midst of so much darkness and gloom?
[also from The Magician's Elephant]
If you have never read any books by these authors, I highly recommend them. Most of them are on the short list of authors that I always try to read everything they write. [Contrary to what one may imagine, I am an author/subject/series hopper. I rarely stick with a favorite author b/c I don't always like all of their books.]
Here's the short list of writers I always read from:
Sharon Creech
Cameron Dokey
Jane Austen
L.M. Montgomery
Agatha Christie
Joan Aiken
Natalie Babbitt
Andrew Clements
Gerald Morris
Notice that some of my favorite stories do not belong to any of these - Madeleine L'Engle, Lois Lowry, Lloyd Alexander, Avi, Garth Nix, and Kate DiCamillo have some of my most favorite stories, but I just can't like everything they write. Madeleine and Avi, especially, have written some detestedly boring books.
Books I am interested in reading [now that I actually have a library card]:
The Keys to the Kingdom Series by Garth Nix
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques [have to play some catch-up]
Artemis Fowl series [I'm just curious]
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
Replay by Sharon Creech
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
The Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken [haven't read all of them yet]
Belle by Cameron Dokey
The Wild Orchid: Ballad of Mulan by Cameron Dokey
Snow Child by Cameron Dokey
What books do you want to read? Do you prefer buying them first or borrowing them and then purchasing if you really like it?
Monday, November 9, 2009
Sick, Sick, Sick with Worry
So...
Things have gone from bad to worse. I paid for a money order of $650.00 on last Monday. I mailed it to our landlord's box on Tuesday. He has still not received it and came to check on us on Friday to see if everything was alright.
The bad part is, I have no idea where the receipt is. I know I paid for it with my debit card so I can get a statement, but I have no idea how long that will take because I don't have online banking and I won't be able to even have free time to go to the bank until Thursday.
We also cannot afford to pay $1300 in one month on rent. We just can't. We have had to ask Stu's mom for help every month but last, and we were so proud we made it the whole month without having to beg for some extra cash. They are having a rough time too so it's not like we can borrow $650.00 at one go and pay them later.
I am so sick with worry. I'm about to vomit and I'm already sick with something else [it being that time of the month] so you can just imagine how I feel. I don't know what to do and of course I assume the worst so I'm imagining getting kicked out of our house that we've been in two months.
I knew we hadn't put the boxes away for a reason. I knew that's why we hadn't unpacked all our stuff. I knew we weren't going to stay here long - all this stuff keeps running through my head, all similar to the above.
I am praying and praying that I can either find a receipt [which possibly got thrown out this morning by my officemate] or get the statement and find a # for the money order. We just can't pay any more and I'm afraid we've used up the last of our landlord's patience. I already feel bad because the people I asked to move in so I could move out have been rather nasty lately about deposits and paying for their nasty dog messes that have stained the carpet and the flooring underneath, and I don't know what to do.
I don't know what we can do. Except move out. Start over. Find a cheap little craphole and put all our stuff in storage until we a) get better, full-time jobs b) buy a house [with the $0 we have] or c) move in w/ someone.
I am so sick and tired right now. I'm sick of people who won't talk to me or who apparently don't want to hang out with me even though I've tried being their friend for over 3 years, I'm tired of hanging around people I don't really know, and I'm tired of having to be out of the house all the time. All I want to do is be home with Stu. Write. Work on my dollhouses. Do craft stuff. Cook. Clean. Watch movies and t.v.
I WANT TO ESCAPE.
Things have gone from bad to worse. I paid for a money order of $650.00 on last Monday. I mailed it to our landlord's box on Tuesday. He has still not received it and came to check on us on Friday to see if everything was alright.
The bad part is, I have no idea where the receipt is. I know I paid for it with my debit card so I can get a statement, but I have no idea how long that will take because I don't have online banking and I won't be able to even have free time to go to the bank until Thursday.
We also cannot afford to pay $1300 in one month on rent. We just can't. We have had to ask Stu's mom for help every month but last, and we were so proud we made it the whole month without having to beg for some extra cash. They are having a rough time too so it's not like we can borrow $650.00 at one go and pay them later.
I am so sick with worry. I'm about to vomit and I'm already sick with something else [it being that time of the month] so you can just imagine how I feel. I don't know what to do and of course I assume the worst so I'm imagining getting kicked out of our house that we've been in two months.
I knew we hadn't put the boxes away for a reason. I knew that's why we hadn't unpacked all our stuff. I knew we weren't going to stay here long - all this stuff keeps running through my head, all similar to the above.
I am praying and praying that I can either find a receipt [which possibly got thrown out this morning by my officemate] or get the statement and find a # for the money order. We just can't pay any more and I'm afraid we've used up the last of our landlord's patience. I already feel bad because the people I asked to move in so I could move out have been rather nasty lately about deposits and paying for their nasty dog messes that have stained the carpet and the flooring underneath, and I don't know what to do.
I don't know what we can do. Except move out. Start over. Find a cheap little craphole and put all our stuff in storage until we a) get better, full-time jobs b) buy a house [with the $0 we have] or c) move in w/ someone.
I am so sick and tired right now. I'm sick of people who won't talk to me or who apparently don't want to hang out with me even though I've tried being their friend for over 3 years, I'm tired of hanging around people I don't really know, and I'm tired of having to be out of the house all the time. All I want to do is be home with Stu. Write. Work on my dollhouses. Do craft stuff. Cook. Clean. Watch movies and t.v.
I WANT TO ESCAPE.
Friday, November 6, 2009
New Addition to the DOLLHOUSE Family!
GREAT NEWS!
So, I haven't been on the dollhouse forum in months, mostly because I felt bad that I couldn't find my camera to post pictures of my fairytale dollhouse, which they were all clamoring for. I lost touch with my two friends and for six months didn't hear anything. Then, one of my friends writes me yesterday to tell me she's moving and did I want an unused dollhouse kit and a furniture kit to go with it?!
She's shipping it to me as an early Christmas present! WOOHOOOOO!!!!!
It's a 1/2" scale, which I haven't done before, but it's a lovely little Victorian house with lots of fireplaces and an adorable little porch. I'm quite excited.
So that makes a total of 4 dollhouses that will be in my possession, one needing re-decorating, one needing finishing, and 2 still in their kit boxes!!!!
If the little Victorian one turns out, I might give it to Stu's mom, although it's already shaping itself into a house for one of my characters...we'll see, I suppose.
Have a great weekend, everybody!!
So, I haven't been on the dollhouse forum in months, mostly because I felt bad that I couldn't find my camera to post pictures of my fairytale dollhouse, which they were all clamoring for. I lost touch with my two friends and for six months didn't hear anything. Then, one of my friends writes me yesterday to tell me she's moving and did I want an unused dollhouse kit and a furniture kit to go with it?!
She's shipping it to me as an early Christmas present! WOOHOOOOO!!!!!
It's a 1/2" scale, which I haven't done before, but it's a lovely little Victorian house with lots of fireplaces and an adorable little porch. I'm quite excited.
So that makes a total of 4 dollhouses that will be in my possession, one needing re-decorating, one needing finishing, and 2 still in their kit boxes!!!!
If the little Victorian one turns out, I might give it to Stu's mom, although it's already shaping itself into a house for one of my characters...we'll see, I suppose.
Have a great weekend, everybody!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Mess
I once had a dream that I was on a road blocked by trash. There was a steep cliff on one side, and a high wall on the other - no way to get past the huge trash heap. I wondered how I would keep going and an angel appeared, handing me a sword. Together, we began hacking away at the huge stash of paper, wood, and plastic.
I never got to see the road cleared, but I woke up knowing that there were things in my life junking up my path.
I sometimes wish to revisit that dream so I can see if I've cleared up a lot of stuff or if there is more junk piled on top. I need to keep hacking away at it, I guess.
Writing "Violet's Monster" reminded me of this because of NaNoWriMo - for those of you who don't know [and I'm sure most of you DO know], November is National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days which is a good way to get a very rough draft of a story done. Your "inner editor" goes on vacation [or you put her in jail, depending on how you feel about her] and you just write.
Of course a lot of it is trash - but that's what the first draft is for. I wrote today thinking "Ok, when my editor comes back I'm going to cut this out," and it was a lot like slogging through a bunch of trash.
But I see a little tiny light in there. There's a jewel in there, somewhere, ready to be polished. I have a 'graveyard of novel ideas' and I know this is the first one that really has promise. I'm going to keep hacking away at it until it's presentable. Hopefully I'll have cleared all the trash out of it by then. :)
I never got to see the road cleared, but I woke up knowing that there were things in my life junking up my path.
I sometimes wish to revisit that dream so I can see if I've cleared up a lot of stuff or if there is more junk piled on top. I need to keep hacking away at it, I guess.
Writing "Violet's Monster" reminded me of this because of NaNoWriMo - for those of you who don't know [and I'm sure most of you DO know], November is National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days which is a good way to get a very rough draft of a story done. Your "inner editor" goes on vacation [or you put her in jail, depending on how you feel about her] and you just write.
Of course a lot of it is trash - but that's what the first draft is for. I wrote today thinking "Ok, when my editor comes back I'm going to cut this out," and it was a lot like slogging through a bunch of trash.
But I see a little tiny light in there. There's a jewel in there, somewhere, ready to be polished. I have a 'graveyard of novel ideas' and I know this is the first one that really has promise. I'm going to keep hacking away at it until it's presentable. Hopefully I'll have cleared all the trash out of it by then. :)
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