Hello, Blog. Long time, no see.
Due to a combination of laziness, slight emotional upheaval (which I won't get into here), and lack of faith in my writing skillz, I've avoided blogging. In fact, I've avoided most things, except knitting, crocheting (I'm getting better at it now), some reading, and watching TV. It's a bit sad, how things have turned out, but I'm putting on a brave face.
In my defense, it's been too bloody cold to do much of anything. Every time I mean to walk down to the library, the weather plunges into sub-zero temperatures. It's kind of turned me into an internet-obsessed hermit, which I really don't like.
But some good things have come out of my cabin fever. I'm once again participating in the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup on Ravelry, this time representing Hufflepuff. I've ventured out of my comfort zone and made a top-down hat - Foliage, from Knitty - and I'm currently making fingerless mitts that use two colours, the Bungled Mitts by Sharon Dreifuss, from an issue of Knitscene. I might take a picture of the first mitt when it's done, to show how neat it looks, but right now it's inside-out on double-pointed needles, so...
As far as reading goes, I'm reading an interesting book from the library called Save the Enemy by Arin Greenwood. I kind of reserved it on a whim, and it's been a good whim thus far. I love how flawed some of the characters are; it makes for good reading.
That's my life thus far. I'll try to be more vigilant about blogging. Emphasis on "try"...
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Bored on a Sunday afternoon
I am well and truly bored, so I've decided to write a post while listening to Evanescence. But please bear with me...
I watched Arthur Christmas last night - another DVD borrowed from the library - and really enjoyed it. I think it'll be one Christmas movie I might have to own, because there are so many little things that I might have missed, or barely saw. (You know, like how you miss some of the more subtle jokes in Shrek the first time you see it.) Also, Ashley Jensen voices a very enthusiastic gift-wrapping elf, which makes the movie even awesomer.
What annoyed me yesterday, though, was that I couldn't find Eight Crazy Nights on for the first night of Hanukkah. Usually someone has it on fairly late in the evening (because the subject matter isn't really child-friendly), but nobody had it on. I'm sure someone will have it on before New Year's Day, but I was a bit bummed out that it wasn't on last night.
As far as knitting goes, I'm itching to start another hat - even though I have a sock still on the needles. You see, I have this skein of Red Heart Collage that I want to knit into a slouchy hat, but be damned if I can find a pattern that isn't overly lacy. (The yarn is 100% acrylic, so I can't use a lacy hat pattern unless it's very small lace.) The colour is also a bit of a problem, because it kind of looks like marble, so I need a stitch pattern that will pop well. I'll probably look through books and magazines, or do a swatch of a hat pattern I've been thinking might work with the yarn. It might be a trial-and-error process, but it'll be worth it.
I'm also thinking of digging out my Clapotis and trying to figure out if I can finish it or if I have to rip it back a little first. I started making it for my grandmother after she had a stroke, but when she told my mom and I that she "had enough shawls" (*twitch*) I got a bit discouraged from getting it finished. I've decided that if I'm going to finish it, I'll make it for myself - I love the colour that I'm using for it, anyway.
That's all for now. Hopefully my next post will be more interesting :)
I watched Arthur Christmas last night - another DVD borrowed from the library - and really enjoyed it. I think it'll be one Christmas movie I might have to own, because there are so many little things that I might have missed, or barely saw. (You know, like how you miss some of the more subtle jokes in Shrek the first time you see it.) Also, Ashley Jensen voices a very enthusiastic gift-wrapping elf, which makes the movie even awesomer.
What annoyed me yesterday, though, was that I couldn't find Eight Crazy Nights on for the first night of Hanukkah. Usually someone has it on fairly late in the evening (because the subject matter isn't really child-friendly), but nobody had it on. I'm sure someone will have it on before New Year's Day, but I was a bit bummed out that it wasn't on last night.
As far as knitting goes, I'm itching to start another hat - even though I have a sock still on the needles. You see, I have this skein of Red Heart Collage that I want to knit into a slouchy hat, but be damned if I can find a pattern that isn't overly lacy. (The yarn is 100% acrylic, so I can't use a lacy hat pattern unless it's very small lace.) The colour is also a bit of a problem, because it kind of looks like marble, so I need a stitch pattern that will pop well. I'll probably look through books and magazines, or do a swatch of a hat pattern I've been thinking might work with the yarn. It might be a trial-and-error process, but it'll be worth it.
I'm also thinking of digging out my Clapotis and trying to figure out if I can finish it or if I have to rip it back a little first. I started making it for my grandmother after she had a stroke, but when she told my mom and I that she "had enough shawls" (*twitch*) I got a bit discouraged from getting it finished. I've decided that if I'm going to finish it, I'll make it for myself - I love the colour that I'm using for it, anyway.
That's all for now. Hopefully my next post will be more interesting :)
Friday, December 7, 2012
The Post-Plague and Post-NaNo Post
I survived both the Nasty Cold of Nastiness and National Novel Writing Month!
With a beaming smile, I can proudly say that I cracked 60,000 words on the last day of NaNoWriMo (something that I have NEVER done before), and that I can breath out of both nostrils. Life is good.
I'm also getting better at crocheting. I started a dishcloth in half-double crochet while Sons of Anarchy was on, and while I had to fuss with the foundation chain a little to even it out, it's looking pretty good. (Also, I found out that Kim Coats' character on SoA is an animal lover. Be still my heart. Even though he is, from what I've heard, a "sick !@#$" - insert your own cuss word there, folks, I'm trying to cut down on unnecessary swearing. It's a bit of an awful habit of mine.)
Now I'm wondering if I should dub this cloth my SoA cloth. As I've said, I don't really follow the series - it's very gory, and has a lot of sex in it - but the storyline interests me. (Also - I watched almost all of the third season, probably because I was bored with the books I was reading and the story pulled me in. Since then, I've watched a few episodes casually.)
Something else that's going on with me is a feeling of anxiety mixed with a good night's sleep. It's quite peculiar. I think the anxiety has to do with my extended family piling stress on us, combined with the usual Christmas ill feeling and something else that I'm not really comfortable discussing here. But I slept well last night - I even had a strange dream that made me go, "Huh, that's odd" - which almost contradicts the whole anxiety thing. I mention the sleep because I've been up early for the past few mornings - one time was because I had to set my alarm for 6, and the other two times were cat-related.
Even though I'm in a bad mood today (I burnt my toast and was compared to a bitchy cat - don't ask), I want to have a better day today. Maybe I'll catch up on reading, or gaming. Both of those would make me quite happy.
With a beaming smile, I can proudly say that I cracked 60,000 words on the last day of NaNoWriMo (something that I have NEVER done before), and that I can breath out of both nostrils. Life is good.
I'm also getting better at crocheting. I started a dishcloth in half-double crochet while Sons of Anarchy was on, and while I had to fuss with the foundation chain a little to even it out, it's looking pretty good. (Also, I found out that Kim Coats' character on SoA is an animal lover. Be still my heart. Even though he is, from what I've heard, a "sick !@#$" - insert your own cuss word there, folks, I'm trying to cut down on unnecessary swearing. It's a bit of an awful habit of mine.)
Now I'm wondering if I should dub this cloth my SoA cloth. As I've said, I don't really follow the series - it's very gory, and has a lot of sex in it - but the storyline interests me. (Also - I watched almost all of the third season, probably because I was bored with the books I was reading and the story pulled me in. Since then, I've watched a few episodes casually.)
Something else that's going on with me is a feeling of anxiety mixed with a good night's sleep. It's quite peculiar. I think the anxiety has to do with my extended family piling stress on us, combined with the usual Christmas ill feeling and something else that I'm not really comfortable discussing here. But I slept well last night - I even had a strange dream that made me go, "Huh, that's odd" - which almost contradicts the whole anxiety thing. I mention the sleep because I've been up early for the past few mornings - one time was because I had to set my alarm for 6, and the other two times were cat-related.
Even though I'm in a bad mood today (I burnt my toast and was compared to a bitchy cat - don't ask), I want to have a better day today. Maybe I'll catch up on reading, or gaming. Both of those would make me quite happy.
Friday, November 9, 2012
On the ninth day of NaNo...
Hello there :) It's been a while, hasn't it? In fact, it's been... 10 days. Actually, that's not that huge of a gap. I've done worse.
So I am nine days into National Novel Writing Month (affectionately referred to as NaNoWriMo, for the uninitiated), and have faced - and still am facing - what I think has been the worst kind of unexpected roadblock: a cold. It's a little thing, the common cold, but it can seriously mess with your routine sometimes. Luckily, I wrote a lot in the pre-sickness days, so if I'd missed my quota while sick, I would've probably been able to get to 50k in time.
Fortunately, I managed to write my quota or more each day, even when I had a really awful sore throat. Go me! /shameless self-promotion
Warning: TMI ahead. I will talk about sinuses and stuff.
To start with, I got a sore throat from my dad, which went away and then came back as a full-on sore throat and post-nasal drip thing. I would start talking to my mom, and then after a few seconds I would have to gulp back this painful grossness in my throat. It felt a bit like acid reflux, which I don't get very often, but when I do it's a pain in the ass. After lots of disgusting but relatively effective cough syrup - which didn't do much for me during the day, but at night it helped me sleep well - the sore throat went away, to be replaced with a stuffy nose that runs out of one nostril (a very weird sensation, I must say), and some coughing and sneezing. Right now, my ears feel like they're plugged up, but that might be an air pressure thing because it's getting warmer where I am, and later in the week it will drop back down to single-digit temperatures (in Celsius, that is, because single-digit temps in Fahrenheit would be freaking COLD). I'm still stuffy, still coughing and sneezing, and my left nostril is still dripping like a faucet. I guess I won't be going to the library tomorrow.
Okay, TMI over.
While I've been battling my cold and doing NaNo, I've also been reading a book from the library - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. (Because I'm writing dystopian, I feel I need to take a break from The Hunger Games for a little bit.) I'm not sure if I can finish it by the 23rd, which is when it's due back, but I finished the third chapter yesterday so maybe I can do it after all. Of course, I could also keep it out late to finish it if I want to, and then pay the fine. I'd like to avoid fines if I can, though. I still have Dogsbody and A Wizard of Earthsea out of the library, too, but I can probably renew Dogsbody again, and I think I can renew Earthsea. If not, I'll add them to a wishlist - or, if I get another Chapters Indigo gift card from my grandparents, I could buy them.
That's all for now - I should go eat something, seeing as all I've had to eat and drink today is coffee, hot chocolate, and a popover.
So I am nine days into National Novel Writing Month (affectionately referred to as NaNoWriMo, for the uninitiated), and have faced - and still am facing - what I think has been the worst kind of unexpected roadblock: a cold. It's a little thing, the common cold, but it can seriously mess with your routine sometimes. Luckily, I wrote a lot in the pre-sickness days, so if I'd missed my quota while sick, I would've probably been able to get to 50k in time.
Fortunately, I managed to write my quota or more each day, even when I had a really awful sore throat. Go me! /shameless self-promotion
Warning: TMI ahead. I will talk about sinuses and stuff.
To start with, I got a sore throat from my dad, which went away and then came back as a full-on sore throat and post-nasal drip thing. I would start talking to my mom, and then after a few seconds I would have to gulp back this painful grossness in my throat. It felt a bit like acid reflux, which I don't get very often, but when I do it's a pain in the ass. After lots of disgusting but relatively effective cough syrup - which didn't do much for me during the day, but at night it helped me sleep well - the sore throat went away, to be replaced with a stuffy nose that runs out of one nostril (a very weird sensation, I must say), and some coughing and sneezing. Right now, my ears feel like they're plugged up, but that might be an air pressure thing because it's getting warmer where I am, and later in the week it will drop back down to single-digit temperatures (in Celsius, that is, because single-digit temps in Fahrenheit would be freaking COLD). I'm still stuffy, still coughing and sneezing, and my left nostril is still dripping like a faucet. I guess I won't be going to the library tomorrow.
Okay, TMI over.
While I've been battling my cold and doing NaNo, I've also been reading a book from the library - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. (Because I'm writing dystopian, I feel I need to take a break from The Hunger Games for a little bit.) I'm not sure if I can finish it by the 23rd, which is when it's due back, but I finished the third chapter yesterday so maybe I can do it after all. Of course, I could also keep it out late to finish it if I want to, and then pay the fine. I'd like to avoid fines if I can, though. I still have Dogsbody and A Wizard of Earthsea out of the library, too, but I can probably renew Dogsbody again, and I think I can renew Earthsea. If not, I'll add them to a wishlist - or, if I get another Chapters Indigo gift card from my grandparents, I could buy them.
That's all for now - I should go eat something, seeing as all I've had to eat and drink today is coffee, hot chocolate, and a popover.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Frankenstorm and Diana Wynne Jones
So, I'm sure you all have heard about this Frankenstorm that's been going on. I'm okay - we got hit with rain and winds, but my neighbourhood appears to only have a few garbage cans knocked over and some small branches on lawns. Other areas had trees uprooted, and a woman died in Toronto after she was hit by a store sign, which is terrible. My thoughts go out to those effected by Hurricane Sandy and/or the Frankenstorm.
Last night was the first night of the fall that I decided to break out my duvet. I might have been warm enough without it, but I figured it would best to be safe and put in on my bed. I was quite toasty under all those blankets, so much so that I kicked off my slipper socks and pushed the sleeves of my sweatshirt up on my upper arms. If the dogs hadn't needed letting out when they did, I probably could've slept longer.
It was a little windy this morning, but right now the trees outside seem to be fairly still. It's still quite damp and cold, of course, so I may spend the evening curled up under my duvet with a book. Actually, I may be in the living room, where it's warmer, crocheting another swatch while my parents and my brother watch Sons of Anarchy (I don't really watch the show - it's a bit gory for my taste, even though the storyline is interesting), or reading either The Hunger Games or my library book, Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones.
Speaking of library books - it's happened again. Too many books are coming in for me to pick up. I have The Fault in Our Stars by John Green waiting for me, and A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin in transit. I probably won't be able to renew The Fault in Our Stars, though, because it's too new of a book and a lot of people have placed holds on it (I think it's fifty-odd holds for twenty-odd copies), and I may not be able to renew A Wizard of Earthsea either, so I'll focus on Dogsbody. I'll probably read a chapter or two of TFIOS, to see if I like it, and maybe do the same with Earthsea.
I think I'm going to love Dogsbody, just from the synopsis and the fact that Neil Gaiman wrote an introduction for the edition I'm reading. Though I haven't read any of his works yet (I picked up Interworld, which he co-wrote, at a book sale at Indigo, so I'll probably read that soonish), I saw the movie adaptation of Coraline and the episode of Doctor Who that he wrote, and thought they were both fabulous. I definitely trust his opinion of literature.
Since picking up Dogsbody from the library, I've felt the itch to try reading Howl's Moving Castle again. I got about halfway through it, but then I got side-tracked, then I started it over again, and got side-tracked again... I start too many books, that's the problem. But when I finish a book or two, and I feel less guilty about my reading habits, I'll start it over again.
Last night was the first night of the fall that I decided to break out my duvet. I might have been warm enough without it, but I figured it would best to be safe and put in on my bed. I was quite toasty under all those blankets, so much so that I kicked off my slipper socks and pushed the sleeves of my sweatshirt up on my upper arms. If the dogs hadn't needed letting out when they did, I probably could've slept longer.
It was a little windy this morning, but right now the trees outside seem to be fairly still. It's still quite damp and cold, of course, so I may spend the evening curled up under my duvet with a book. Actually, I may be in the living room, where it's warmer, crocheting another swatch while my parents and my brother watch Sons of Anarchy (I don't really watch the show - it's a bit gory for my taste, even though the storyline is interesting), or reading either The Hunger Games or my library book, Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones.
Speaking of library books - it's happened again. Too many books are coming in for me to pick up. I have The Fault in Our Stars by John Green waiting for me, and A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin in transit. I probably won't be able to renew The Fault in Our Stars, though, because it's too new of a book and a lot of people have placed holds on it (I think it's fifty-odd holds for twenty-odd copies), and I may not be able to renew A Wizard of Earthsea either, so I'll focus on Dogsbody. I'll probably read a chapter or two of TFIOS, to see if I like it, and maybe do the same with Earthsea.
I think I'm going to love Dogsbody, just from the synopsis and the fact that Neil Gaiman wrote an introduction for the edition I'm reading. Though I haven't read any of his works yet (I picked up Interworld, which he co-wrote, at a book sale at Indigo, so I'll probably read that soonish), I saw the movie adaptation of Coraline and the episode of Doctor Who that he wrote, and thought they were both fabulous. I definitely trust his opinion of literature.
Since picking up Dogsbody from the library, I've felt the itch to try reading Howl's Moving Castle again. I got about halfway through it, but then I got side-tracked, then I started it over again, and got side-tracked again... I start too many books, that's the problem. But when I finish a book or two, and I feel less guilty about my reading habits, I'll start it over again.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
New adventures
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I've decided to try learning to crochet again. I got books out of the library that explain things considerably better than the booklet I own, and now I've done two swatches in leftover bits of grey-green Red Heart - one in single crochet, the other in double. I might make a scarf next, using oddballs of Patons Astra in poppy red and canary yellow.
Because of my new-found crafty addiction, I have put a number of crochet books on my Christmas list, and I'm looking at yarn scraps with a different perspective. For instance, when I finished my dc swatch last night, I had a long scrap of yarn leftover and said to my mom, "I think I'll keep this, because there's just enough here for using in a granny square." I usually hold onto long scraps like that, but before I'd keep them for working into knitting projects, like keeping bits of cotton for working into dishcloths. I actually got rid of a bunch of shorter scraps, because they were too short for knitting with. I probably could have kept them for crocheting, but then again, they weren't the most appealing scraps.
I think I might use crochet to use up yarn that I don't feel like knitting with. For example, I have three big skeins of dark green Red Heart Super Saver that's a bit too scratchy for a cardigan, but it would probably make a good, airy shawl. One of my favourite things in the world is the afghan that my mom crocheted for me when I was younger, and if I had a more portable version of this, I think I'd be in crafty heaven.
This isn't the only artistic passion I've had lately, either. Just this morning I was making a warm drink when I suddenly came up with lines of a potential song or poem. I had this feeling a few weeks ago, too, when I was listening to a lot of Evanescence - I thought about how their songs are usually written from personal experience (i.e. "Call Me When You're Sober", about Amy Lee's breakup with the guy from Seether), and I wrote down a couple of lines about one of my personal experiences. The same thing happened this morning, but it's less about a single experience and more about... well, an ongoing experience. I won't say more than that. Like novel-writing, I don't like to talk about my verse-writing too much.
Speaking of novel-writing... National Novel Writing Month is only two weeks away now. I'm excited. And also nervous. I'm worried that I'm drawing on too many influences, and I want my work to be original. I think I'll do okay, though. And anyway, it's only a basic, rough draft, intended to get the creative juices flowing. Even so... I think this year's draft will be my favourite.
And then there's another craft I want to learn: sewing. I've gotten many sewing books out of the library, and I don't know if it's because of my plans to write dystopian fiction, or because of my artistic passion, but I really want to start making my own clothes. I've been flipping through the sewing books I own, and saw a bunch of tops and dresses that I want to make. All this time I've been bitching and complaining (pardon my French) about store-bought clothes not always fitting me, when I could be making blouses to my measurements. It's the perfect solution, really. But first, I have to make my own pajama pants - I've had the flannel fabric for a long time, and it really should be stitched up into something that's wearable.
If that wasn't enough crafty-ness, I also want to get into scrapbooking. I've clipped pictures out of magazines for a while now, and after selling my Klutz scrapbook at the yard sale, I've felt guilty about not utilizing my clippings. I still have my mini-scrapbook kit, though, so all is not lost. I just wish I hadn't thrown out the pictures of Evanescence. They would've been to big for the mini-scrapbook, but I'm still disappointed in myself. At least I didn't get rid of the CDs, though. I'm glad I kept them.
I should probably close now, and do something constructive. Or eat. All I've had to eat and drink is biscuits, a cup of tea, and a cup of hot chocolate. And I should try to read more of The Hunger Games. It's getting exciting now that the build-up is done. I should probably study some Japanese as well.
Until the future...
Because of my new-found crafty addiction, I have put a number of crochet books on my Christmas list, and I'm looking at yarn scraps with a different perspective. For instance, when I finished my dc swatch last night, I had a long scrap of yarn leftover and said to my mom, "I think I'll keep this, because there's just enough here for using in a granny square." I usually hold onto long scraps like that, but before I'd keep them for working into knitting projects, like keeping bits of cotton for working into dishcloths. I actually got rid of a bunch of shorter scraps, because they were too short for knitting with. I probably could have kept them for crocheting, but then again, they weren't the most appealing scraps.
I think I might use crochet to use up yarn that I don't feel like knitting with. For example, I have three big skeins of dark green Red Heart Super Saver that's a bit too scratchy for a cardigan, but it would probably make a good, airy shawl. One of my favourite things in the world is the afghan that my mom crocheted for me when I was younger, and if I had a more portable version of this, I think I'd be in crafty heaven.
This isn't the only artistic passion I've had lately, either. Just this morning I was making a warm drink when I suddenly came up with lines of a potential song or poem. I had this feeling a few weeks ago, too, when I was listening to a lot of Evanescence - I thought about how their songs are usually written from personal experience (i.e. "Call Me When You're Sober", about Amy Lee's breakup with the guy from Seether), and I wrote down a couple of lines about one of my personal experiences. The same thing happened this morning, but it's less about a single experience and more about... well, an ongoing experience. I won't say more than that. Like novel-writing, I don't like to talk about my verse-writing too much.
Speaking of novel-writing... National Novel Writing Month is only two weeks away now. I'm excited. And also nervous. I'm worried that I'm drawing on too many influences, and I want my work to be original. I think I'll do okay, though. And anyway, it's only a basic, rough draft, intended to get the creative juices flowing. Even so... I think this year's draft will be my favourite.
And then there's another craft I want to learn: sewing. I've gotten many sewing books out of the library, and I don't know if it's because of my plans to write dystopian fiction, or because of my artistic passion, but I really want to start making my own clothes. I've been flipping through the sewing books I own, and saw a bunch of tops and dresses that I want to make. All this time I've been bitching and complaining (pardon my French) about store-bought clothes not always fitting me, when I could be making blouses to my measurements. It's the perfect solution, really. But first, I have to make my own pajama pants - I've had the flannel fabric for a long time, and it really should be stitched up into something that's wearable.
If that wasn't enough crafty-ness, I also want to get into scrapbooking. I've clipped pictures out of magazines for a while now, and after selling my Klutz scrapbook at the yard sale, I've felt guilty about not utilizing my clippings. I still have my mini-scrapbook kit, though, so all is not lost. I just wish I hadn't thrown out the pictures of Evanescence. They would've been to big for the mini-scrapbook, but I'm still disappointed in myself. At least I didn't get rid of the CDs, though. I'm glad I kept them.
I should probably close now, and do something constructive. Or eat. All I've had to eat and drink is biscuits, a cup of tea, and a cup of hot chocolate. And I should try to read more of The Hunger Games. It's getting exciting now that the build-up is done. I should probably study some Japanese as well.
Until the future...
Monday, October 8, 2012
Seasonal weather is kind of great
I'm very, very happy, because it's October and I'm not wearing shorts.
For the past few Octobers, it's been so warm that I've worn shorts until Halloween. I wish I were kidding, but I'm not. One time when we had my uncle and cousins up for Thanksgiving dinner, we had to put the AC on. No word of a lie.
Well, Thanksgiving has come around again, and this year I am wearing track pants and a fleecy cardigan. We even had to put on the furnace. It's kind of awesome.
If it's this cool outside in the fall, winter might actually be wintery. We didn't get a lot of snow last winter, until around January when we got dumped on for a day or so. (I remember this well, because I had to shovel snow off the sidewalks and driveway.) But after that, we didn't get much snow. I'm hoping, as always, for a white Christmas. Sounds like a cliche, but it's true. One year I wore a hoodie on Christmas Eve to go buy our traditional breakfast of cannoli for Christmas Day with Dad. Granted, the hoodie I wore is very warm, but it's a hoodie nonetheless. (I believe I also wore the same hoodie about a week before Christmas, when I walked with my mom to go shopping for Dad's stocking-stuffers.)
I love cold weather. I love bundling up in blankets and cardigans with a cup of cocoa, watching movies or reading a good book. When I was little, I'd make snow forts with my brother and sister, and we'd have snowball fights and look for icicles. I'd really like to have snow for Christmas, so that I can curl up with a fluffy blanket or throw a snowball at my brother. I'd like to see icicles before Christmas, provided they aren't the huge kind that can hurt somebody. That would suck.
I think this colder weather is a good reason to get my Ravenclaw scarf finished. It's really big - I was worried it would be too big, but after having to sleep in a sweatshirt last night, I think it'll come in handy when the snow starts falling. Plus, it's good TV knitting, because it's just a striped Stockinette tube. I only have about half a stripe left to knit, and then all I have to do is weave in the ends and make the fringe.
My dog, Teddy, was just sitting in my lap as I typed that last paragraph. It seems that she wouldn't make a very good novel-writing buddy, because she kept nudging my hands :p Anyhow, I think I'll close now. I hope to write again soon :)
For the past few Octobers, it's been so warm that I've worn shorts until Halloween. I wish I were kidding, but I'm not. One time when we had my uncle and cousins up for Thanksgiving dinner, we had to put the AC on. No word of a lie.
Well, Thanksgiving has come around again, and this year I am wearing track pants and a fleecy cardigan. We even had to put on the furnace. It's kind of awesome.
If it's this cool outside in the fall, winter might actually be wintery. We didn't get a lot of snow last winter, until around January when we got dumped on for a day or so. (I remember this well, because I had to shovel snow off the sidewalks and driveway.) But after that, we didn't get much snow. I'm hoping, as always, for a white Christmas. Sounds like a cliche, but it's true. One year I wore a hoodie on Christmas Eve to go buy our traditional breakfast of cannoli for Christmas Day with Dad. Granted, the hoodie I wore is very warm, but it's a hoodie nonetheless. (I believe I also wore the same hoodie about a week before Christmas, when I walked with my mom to go shopping for Dad's stocking-stuffers.)
I love cold weather. I love bundling up in blankets and cardigans with a cup of cocoa, watching movies or reading a good book. When I was little, I'd make snow forts with my brother and sister, and we'd have snowball fights and look for icicles. I'd really like to have snow for Christmas, so that I can curl up with a fluffy blanket or throw a snowball at my brother. I'd like to see icicles before Christmas, provided they aren't the huge kind that can hurt somebody. That would suck.
I think this colder weather is a good reason to get my Ravenclaw scarf finished. It's really big - I was worried it would be too big, but after having to sleep in a sweatshirt last night, I think it'll come in handy when the snow starts falling. Plus, it's good TV knitting, because it's just a striped Stockinette tube. I only have about half a stripe left to knit, and then all I have to do is weave in the ends and make the fringe.
My dog, Teddy, was just sitting in my lap as I typed that last paragraph. It seems that she wouldn't make a very good novel-writing buddy, because she kept nudging my hands :p Anyhow, I think I'll close now. I hope to write again soon :)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
New things, good things
I have some new, good things in my life right now.
First off, I now have new computer speakers! My brother gave me a pair that he didn't need anymore, and helped me fix a problem with setting them up. (I had tried to put them in the Green Socket, but had wound up in the Blue. Thus, the power cord was operating, but the cord to the speakers didn't.) Now I have proper speakers that don't sound like headphones. This will be perfect for listening to music during NaNoWriMo.
Speaking of NaNoWriMo, that brings me to another good thing: I dug out my Evanescence CDs again. I had put them in a shoebox to take a break from listening to them, and also to make room in my drawer for CDs I'd received for Christmas one year. (Other CDs in the shoebox were the Black-Eyed Peas, Linkin Park, and *shudder* Avril Lavigne. I later gave those CDs to Value Village having not sold them at the yard sale we put on.) I feel bad for boxing them up now, but I really shouldn't - after all, I didn't give them away or sell them, I just put them someplace else to give myself a break from them. Much like the Clapotis that I started a long time ago, and lost my place in. I still have to restart that particular project.
...I'm getting off-topic. I'm not sure when I rescued the CDs exactly, but it was either after seeing Underworld: Awakening and hearing a remix of their newer song "Made of Stone" in the end credits, or when I was planning for this year's NaNoWriMo and thought, "Hey, 'Good Enough' would be the perfect song to listen to when I write this scene!"
When I was sorting my old karate certificates (from gradings and in-house tournaments - the first dojo I had attended didn't like the idea of open tournaments, but that's a story for another day) before we had our yard sale, I decided to put on Fallen and listen on my headphones while I sorted, and... well, let's just say that Fallen is an album that's made for headphones. Honestly, if you get the chance to listen to it on headphones, do it. You may love it as much as I do.
Around that time, I also listened to The Open Door while sorting through knitting magazines (which, by the way, I got rid of a lot of), and that too is a good headphones CD. Actually, it may have been the first time I'd listened to it on headphones, I'm not really sure.
Anyhow, I need to back up my Evanescence CDs on my computer. I haven't gotten around to setting up Media Player yet, though - a lot of my music was on my old hard drive and was transferred over, so I just dragged and dropped it into Winamp. I do want to get it set up relatively soon, though - at least before NaNoWriMo, so I can build a novel-writing playlist.
I also have Evanescence's self-titled third album out of the library. I've only listened to about half of it, but so far I love it.
First off, I now have new computer speakers! My brother gave me a pair that he didn't need anymore, and helped me fix a problem with setting them up. (I had tried to put them in the Green Socket, but had wound up in the Blue. Thus, the power cord was operating, but the cord to the speakers didn't.) Now I have proper speakers that don't sound like headphones. This will be perfect for listening to music during NaNoWriMo.
Speaking of NaNoWriMo, that brings me to another good thing: I dug out my Evanescence CDs again. I had put them in a shoebox to take a break from listening to them, and also to make room in my drawer for CDs I'd received for Christmas one year. (Other CDs in the shoebox were the Black-Eyed Peas, Linkin Park, and *shudder* Avril Lavigne. I later gave those CDs to Value Village having not sold them at the yard sale we put on.) I feel bad for boxing them up now, but I really shouldn't - after all, I didn't give them away or sell them, I just put them someplace else to give myself a break from them. Much like the Clapotis that I started a long time ago, and lost my place in. I still have to restart that particular project.
...I'm getting off-topic. I'm not sure when I rescued the CDs exactly, but it was either after seeing Underworld: Awakening and hearing a remix of their newer song "Made of Stone" in the end credits, or when I was planning for this year's NaNoWriMo and thought, "Hey, 'Good Enough' would be the perfect song to listen to when I write this scene!"
When I was sorting my old karate certificates (from gradings and in-house tournaments - the first dojo I had attended didn't like the idea of open tournaments, but that's a story for another day) before we had our yard sale, I decided to put on Fallen and listen on my headphones while I sorted, and... well, let's just say that Fallen is an album that's made for headphones. Honestly, if you get the chance to listen to it on headphones, do it. You may love it as much as I do.
Around that time, I also listened to The Open Door while sorting through knitting magazines (which, by the way, I got rid of a lot of), and that too is a good headphones CD. Actually, it may have been the first time I'd listened to it on headphones, I'm not really sure.
Anyhow, I need to back up my Evanescence CDs on my computer. I haven't gotten around to setting up Media Player yet, though - a lot of my music was on my old hard drive and was transferred over, so I just dragged and dropped it into Winamp. I do want to get it set up relatively soon, though - at least before NaNoWriMo, so I can build a novel-writing playlist.
I also have Evanescence's self-titled third album out of the library. I've only listened to about half of it, but so far I love it.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
In which my stomach grumbles and I begin to hate my computer speakers
I'm having a bit of a set-to with my speakers.
From what my brother said, they were hooked up to my computer without a certain cord, so instead of sounding like decent speakers (which they are), they sound like crappy headphones. I may disconnect them and use my headphones when writing this year's novel draft for National Novel Writing Month, because while I was listening to a variety of music (from rock, to alternative rock, to opera, to video game music, to j-pop, to Edith Piaf. Yes, I'm very serious.), my speakers sounded like static-y crap.
Also, I haven't eaten lunch, so my stomach is a grumbly, painful mess at the moment.
I forgot to mention in my last post that I now have a new PS2 controller. My parents ordered me a wireless one for me for my birthday, and IT GLOWS. I'm serious, people, it has lights and a weird liquid thing that glows bright-ass blue. I can turn the lights off if I want, which is good because it conserves battery life that way (and the lights may be distracting for me depending on which game I'm playing), but it's quite awesome. And the wireless-ness is very helpful with our pets, as they aren't tripping over the cord - or sitting on the cord, as Smiles the Jack Russell likes to do sometimes. She's a strange thing.
Well, I should close now, because I really need to eat something.
From what my brother said, they were hooked up to my computer without a certain cord, so instead of sounding like decent speakers (which they are), they sound like crappy headphones. I may disconnect them and use my headphones when writing this year's novel draft for National Novel Writing Month, because while I was listening to a variety of music (from rock, to alternative rock, to opera, to video game music, to j-pop, to Edith Piaf. Yes, I'm very serious.), my speakers sounded like static-y crap.
Also, I haven't eaten lunch, so my stomach is a grumbly, painful mess at the moment.
I forgot to mention in my last post that I now have a new PS2 controller. My parents ordered me a wireless one for me for my birthday, and IT GLOWS. I'm serious, people, it has lights and a weird liquid thing that glows bright-ass blue. I can turn the lights off if I want, which is good because it conserves battery life that way (and the lights may be distracting for me depending on which game I'm playing), but it's quite awesome. And the wireless-ness is very helpful with our pets, as they aren't tripping over the cord - or sitting on the cord, as Smiles the Jack Russell likes to do sometimes. She's a strange thing.
Well, I should close now, because I really need to eat something.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Back in the swing of things
Things are finally getting back to normal, sort of. I'm back on my own computer (it needed to be moved to my room - long story, not gonna get into it on here), so I can work on writing again. That, and I can back up my music on my computer without having to cart CDs up and down the stairs, which is handy.
I've decided that I ought to learn to crochet past the chain stitch. There's so many crochet patterns that I adore, and it would probably be a good TV-watching craft. And you can craft zombie-catching nets. (Little inside joke from Ravelry, but I think anyone can "get" it ;D) I also need to de-stash, so I think that crochet would give me more options for using up yarn - especially variegated yarn, because there's so many crochet patterns that look great in variegated yarns.
Another reason to learn crochet, for me, is that it's less strain on your wrists. Not to say that you can't get a sore wrist from crochet, because I imagine you can, but it's a different kind of stress on your wrists and fingers. I'm thinking that it would make crafting with acrylic yarns a little easier, because of the different motions and crafting tools.
Now I just need to figure out a way to prevent my forearms from getting sore at the keyboard... this may be an issue when National Novel Writing Month comes around. I may have to steal my mom's computer chair, because this one really sucks: it's short (which is why I have this forearm-ache issue, I think), it always gets full of cat hair (because Mouse thinks the chair is hers), and it's itchy. I could solve the itch problem by putting a blanket or a towel on the seat, but the forearm problem is driving me batty.
Until next time...
I've decided that I ought to learn to crochet past the chain stitch. There's so many crochet patterns that I adore, and it would probably be a good TV-watching craft. And you can craft zombie-catching nets. (Little inside joke from Ravelry, but I think anyone can "get" it ;D) I also need to de-stash, so I think that crochet would give me more options for using up yarn - especially variegated yarn, because there's so many crochet patterns that look great in variegated yarns.
Another reason to learn crochet, for me, is that it's less strain on your wrists. Not to say that you can't get a sore wrist from crochet, because I imagine you can, but it's a different kind of stress on your wrists and fingers. I'm thinking that it would make crafting with acrylic yarns a little easier, because of the different motions and crafting tools.
Now I just need to figure out a way to prevent my forearms from getting sore at the keyboard... this may be an issue when National Novel Writing Month comes around. I may have to steal my mom's computer chair, because this one really sucks: it's short (which is why I have this forearm-ache issue, I think), it always gets full of cat hair (because Mouse thinks the chair is hers), and it's itchy. I could solve the itch problem by putting a blanket or a towel on the seat, but the forearm problem is driving me batty.
Until next time...
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
She meoweth quietly
Not sure if I've used proper Elizabethan verbs in the title, but hey - it makes sense in my head. That's all that matters, right?
Sometime around 5:20 or 5:30 this morning, I woke to the sound of a puking cat. Mouse decided to vomit on the carpet, so I grumpily got out of bed and cleaned it up.
Then, at six, the dogs wanted to be let out, and as I was putting them outside Mouse proceeded to meow quietly, yet still projecting her voice (who knew that seven-ish pounds of grey-and-cream fluff could meow that loudly?), as she demanded to be fed. I had to turn on the kitchen light because she kept shoving her face in the way as I was trying to feed her, and it was too dark in the kitchen to see what I was doing.
After the dogs were in their beds and the cat was fed, I tried to get back to sleep when the unexpected - and the unbelievable - happened: a silver fish fell off the ceiling and landed on me.
After some screaming and flailing, I got rid of the nasty thing, and decided to give up on sleep and make coffee instead.
I've gotten a lot of sorting done this week for the yard sale, but I don't know how much more sorting I can get done today as I'm so tired. I may just go through my trunk and then sit on my behind and play Katamari. I should watch my library DVD, though, and go to the library to take overdue and due stuff back, and pick up my holds.
Wow, a lot of my sentences are run-on. I must be tired.
Sometime around 5:20 or 5:30 this morning, I woke to the sound of a puking cat. Mouse decided to vomit on the carpet, so I grumpily got out of bed and cleaned it up.
Then, at six, the dogs wanted to be let out, and as I was putting them outside Mouse proceeded to meow quietly, yet still projecting her voice (who knew that seven-ish pounds of grey-and-cream fluff could meow that loudly?), as she demanded to be fed. I had to turn on the kitchen light because she kept shoving her face in the way as I was trying to feed her, and it was too dark in the kitchen to see what I was doing.
After the dogs were in their beds and the cat was fed, I tried to get back to sleep when the unexpected - and the unbelievable - happened: a silver fish fell off the ceiling and landed on me.
After some screaming and flailing, I got rid of the nasty thing, and decided to give up on sleep and make coffee instead.
I've gotten a lot of sorting done this week for the yard sale, but I don't know how much more sorting I can get done today as I'm so tired. I may just go through my trunk and then sit on my behind and play Katamari. I should watch my library DVD, though, and go to the library to take overdue and due stuff back, and pick up my holds.
Wow, a lot of my sentences are run-on. I must be tired.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
My cat is an alarm clock
I woke up this morning to hear two things - somebody in the shower, and a dog whining to be let out - followed by a third: my cat, Mouse, meowing pathetically to be fed her wet food.
At around 5:52 AM.
Because my cat doesn't understand the concept of time.
So, I let the dogs outside, gave the incessantly meowing cat her food (she tried to follow the dogs outside twice; I had to shoo her away), put the dogs back in their beds, and tried to get back to sleep. Then the person in the shower let the dogs out again, and Smiles (our Jack Russell) came downstairs and jumped on my bed. We had a bit of a snuggle until I decided to finally get up.
So, in short, I'm a bit tired. I have to sort out things to sell for when we do a yard sale, so that'll be fun to accomplish when I'm slightly sleep deprived. I think I might sell the Klutz scrapbook I have, because it's a bit young for me now. It'll break my heart to do it, but I think I have to. And anyway, I can always use the mini scrapbooking kit I have, as well as buy a nicer one from Michaels.
I also have to cull some magazines. So far I've set aside a bunch of knitting magazines to sell, and I'll probably sell all of my Cricket magazines as well as my other magazines from the same publishing company. Again, my heart breaks to do it, but they're young for me, and they're taking up a lot of space.
As far as knitting goes, I haven't picked up my sock in some time. I don't want to start the heel unless I feel I'm awake enough, and I always seem to want to knit in the late evenings. I should probably work on finishing my Ravenclaw scarf, too - I think I'm on the last, or maybe the second-to-last stripe, then it's just weaving in ends and doing the fringe. The scarf is huge (I'm not sure if it'll fit under my winter jackets), but if nothing else I can wear it around the house. I think the pattern is supposed to be huge, though, because I remember reading some comments on Ravelry that were mentioning how big their scarves turned out to be. I suppose too big is better than too small, though.
My reading is going slowly, but I'm making headway in The Hunger Games. My goal is to finish it before the DVD comes in at the library for Mom to pick up. The only trouble is that I may not get to read my library books before they have to go back, because I want to put my focus mainly on The Hunger Games. I can always check the library books out again, though: the newer catalogue has a "recently returned" list, so it's easier to find stuff you just had out.
At around 5:52 AM.
Because my cat doesn't understand the concept of time.
So, I let the dogs outside, gave the incessantly meowing cat her food (she tried to follow the dogs outside twice; I had to shoo her away), put the dogs back in their beds, and tried to get back to sleep. Then the person in the shower let the dogs out again, and Smiles (our Jack Russell) came downstairs and jumped on my bed. We had a bit of a snuggle until I decided to finally get up.
So, in short, I'm a bit tired. I have to sort out things to sell for when we do a yard sale, so that'll be fun to accomplish when I'm slightly sleep deprived. I think I might sell the Klutz scrapbook I have, because it's a bit young for me now. It'll break my heart to do it, but I think I have to. And anyway, I can always use the mini scrapbooking kit I have, as well as buy a nicer one from Michaels.
I also have to cull some magazines. So far I've set aside a bunch of knitting magazines to sell, and I'll probably sell all of my Cricket magazines as well as my other magazines from the same publishing company. Again, my heart breaks to do it, but they're young for me, and they're taking up a lot of space.
As far as knitting goes, I haven't picked up my sock in some time. I don't want to start the heel unless I feel I'm awake enough, and I always seem to want to knit in the late evenings. I should probably work on finishing my Ravenclaw scarf, too - I think I'm on the last, or maybe the second-to-last stripe, then it's just weaving in ends and doing the fringe. The scarf is huge (I'm not sure if it'll fit under my winter jackets), but if nothing else I can wear it around the house. I think the pattern is supposed to be huge, though, because I remember reading some comments on Ravelry that were mentioning how big their scarves turned out to be. I suppose too big is better than too small, though.
My reading is going slowly, but I'm making headway in The Hunger Games. My goal is to finish it before the DVD comes in at the library for Mom to pick up. The only trouble is that I may not get to read my library books before they have to go back, because I want to put my focus mainly on The Hunger Games. I can always check the library books out again, though: the newer catalogue has a "recently returned" list, so it's easier to find stuff you just had out.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Not a fail, but a win in progress
So this summer, for the Ravellenic Games, I started my first sock. I haven't done the heel yet, so there's no way I'm getting to the finish line, but that's okay - I'm still happy that I had the guts to start a sock. I'll get them finished eventually; I don't want to rush and make a mistake and have to rip out inches of sock and arrrggghh. I've already had to rip out eight rows of 1x1 ribbing for the top of the cuff because it was too loose. But since redoing the cuff, it's looking good.
In other news, I think I'm finally becoming a gamer again. I'm reading walkthroughs, I'm looking up game titles on Wikipedia, and I'm making lists of games to buy "someday". I might go shopping for used PS2 games soon, because I have none of my own. It's exciting to think about that, because before I could only buy games for the PSone, because I didn't have a PS2 at the time. I'm also thinking of digging out my PSone games and picking up where I left off.
It's a great feeling.
I especially want to start playing Final Fantasy VIII again, because I got stuck trying to find the lunar gate when I last played it. But with the help of a good walkthrough (which I may have bookmarked; I've taken to bookmarking my favourites), I think I know where I need to go. I also want to dig out Final Fantasy Tactics, because I never did unlock everything. That, and it's a fun game.
Well, that's about it. If you know of any good PlayStation 2 games, feel free to comment! ;)
In other news, I think I'm finally becoming a gamer again. I'm reading walkthroughs, I'm looking up game titles on Wikipedia, and I'm making lists of games to buy "someday". I might go shopping for used PS2 games soon, because I have none of my own. It's exciting to think about that, because before I could only buy games for the PSone, because I didn't have a PS2 at the time. I'm also thinking of digging out my PSone games and picking up where I left off.
It's a great feeling.
I especially want to start playing Final Fantasy VIII again, because I got stuck trying to find the lunar gate when I last played it. But with the help of a good walkthrough (which I may have bookmarked; I've taken to bookmarking my favourites), I think I know where I need to go. I also want to dig out Final Fantasy Tactics, because I never did unlock everything. That, and it's a fun game.
Well, that's about it. If you know of any good PlayStation 2 games, feel free to comment! ;)
Friday, July 20, 2012
This is why I'll never be a secret agent
I'm not gonna lie: I suck at being stealthy.
I was playing Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (a sequel to the original FF VII), and I was at the part where you have to control Cait Sith, a cat with a Scottish accent and a happy-go-lucky demeanor, through a mako reactor without being noticed by guards. I think I lost count of how many times Cait Sith was KO'd because of my lack of sneaky-ness.
I've never been good at stealth missions in games. I think it's because I get so caught up in the game that I squeak loudly in alarm when I have to edge past a guard. In fact, while watching my brother play Metal Gear Solid I can recall recoiling slightly when he had to sneak around guards. I would make a terrible secret agent.
Speaking of Metal Gear Solid, when I loaded my saved game today I noticed that the Cait Sith segment of the game was titled "Solid Cait". And yes, I giggled :)
Dirge of Cerberus is one of those games that makes me jumpy, because of the enemies popping up out of nowhere. (I punched open a cargo crate today, and a lizard creature was inside it. I kid you not.) Right from the start of the game you have to be on your toes, which is a lot for someone who's used to playing turn-based role-playing games. I think the last game I played where you had to move both yourself and a camera was Spyro the Dragon, many moons ago.
I think I'm finally getting the hang of the gameplay, though. When I checked my status, my accuracy rate was considerably better than when I started. Now, if only I could be stealthier...
I was playing Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (a sequel to the original FF VII), and I was at the part where you have to control Cait Sith, a cat with a Scottish accent and a happy-go-lucky demeanor, through a mako reactor without being noticed by guards. I think I lost count of how many times Cait Sith was KO'd because of my lack of sneaky-ness.
I've never been good at stealth missions in games. I think it's because I get so caught up in the game that I squeak loudly in alarm when I have to edge past a guard. In fact, while watching my brother play Metal Gear Solid I can recall recoiling slightly when he had to sneak around guards. I would make a terrible secret agent.
Speaking of Metal Gear Solid, when I loaded my saved game today I noticed that the Cait Sith segment of the game was titled "Solid Cait". And yes, I giggled :)
Dirge of Cerberus is one of those games that makes me jumpy, because of the enemies popping up out of nowhere. (I punched open a cargo crate today, and a lizard creature was inside it. I kid you not.) Right from the start of the game you have to be on your toes, which is a lot for someone who's used to playing turn-based role-playing games. I think the last game I played where you had to move both yourself and a camera was Spyro the Dragon, many moons ago.
I think I'm finally getting the hang of the gameplay, though. When I checked my status, my accuracy rate was considerably better than when I started. Now, if only I could be stealthier...
Friday, July 13, 2012
An update, and some shameless squeeing about Dirge of Cerberus
Hello there :)
So I haven't posted in a while, again. But I may have more time for blogging, as my course is finished (and I passed!), and I may not do the August Camp NaNoWriMo after all. Recently, I've been getting stuck and un-stuck in video games - right now, I'm stuck on Star 7 in Katamari Damacy, I need to find some pearls to buy something in Beyond Good & Evil, and I'm stuck on the boss fight in Edge in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.
Phew.
First off, Katamari is awesome, but I can't seem to get past the seventh "make a star" level, and I don't have any more constellations to do. Until I can get the hang of "Make a star 7", I may just work on making my constellations bigger. Having to deal with the King of the Cosmos doesn't help - every time you fail a level, he yells at you. It can get on one's nerves.
Beyond Good & Evil is excellent fun. I keep having to consult a walk-through, though, which makes me feel lazy. I'm glad it's making me think a fair bit, though. A game that's too easy is no fun at all.
I've already said a lot about Dirge of Cerberus, but I'm going to blog some more about it, because it's just too awesome. A lot of people hated this game because of the gameplay, but I'm enjoying it, even though it can frustrate me. Even so, when I finally got past a part of Edge (a town in the game) that I had been stuck at, instead of thinking, "Thank god that's over!" I was thinking, "YES! I did it! *happy dance*"
I still haven't started played Sly Cooper. I'm kind of saving that until I finish a game, because I don't want too many on the go at once. I'm also itching to pick up Final Fantasy VIII again, because I got stuck in it trying to find the Lunar Gate and never did try it again.
Anyways, that's what I've been doing lately. I'll try to blog more this month :)
So I haven't posted in a while, again. But I may have more time for blogging, as my course is finished (and I passed!), and I may not do the August Camp NaNoWriMo after all. Recently, I've been getting stuck and un-stuck in video games - right now, I'm stuck on Star 7 in Katamari Damacy, I need to find some pearls to buy something in Beyond Good & Evil, and I'm stuck on the boss fight in Edge in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.
Phew.
First off, Katamari is awesome, but I can't seem to get past the seventh "make a star" level, and I don't have any more constellations to do. Until I can get the hang of "Make a star 7", I may just work on making my constellations bigger. Having to deal with the King of the Cosmos doesn't help - every time you fail a level, he yells at you. It can get on one's nerves.
Beyond Good & Evil is excellent fun. I keep having to consult a walk-through, though, which makes me feel lazy. I'm glad it's making me think a fair bit, though. A game that's too easy is no fun at all.
I've already said a lot about Dirge of Cerberus, but I'm going to blog some more about it, because it's just too awesome. A lot of people hated this game because of the gameplay, but I'm enjoying it, even though it can frustrate me. Even so, when I finally got past a part of Edge (a town in the game) that I had been stuck at, instead of thinking, "Thank god that's over!" I was thinking, "YES! I did it! *happy dance*"
I still haven't started played Sly Cooper. I'm kind of saving that until I finish a game, because I don't want too many on the go at once. I'm also itching to pick up Final Fantasy VIII again, because I got stuck in it trying to find the Lunar Gate and never did try it again.
Anyways, that's what I've been doing lately. I'll try to blog more this month :)
Sunday, June 17, 2012
I have a zit on my chin
Yes, it's a bit of a weird title, but it's true. There's a zit on my chin and it's driving me nuts.
The bulk of my course homework is done, so now I have more time for blogging and other various things. I'm still way behind on my Camp NaNoWriMo, but I don't mind too much - I can always finish it in July, I suppose.
Also, we had my siblings and their significant others over for a barbeque. It was nice. We have some burgers in the freezer now. I'd have one for dinner if I hadn't had one for lunch... what am I going to have for dinner?
This post is getting boring. I shall post again, hopefully soon, and hopefully with more interesting things to say.
The bulk of my course homework is done, so now I have more time for blogging and other various things. I'm still way behind on my Camp NaNoWriMo, but I don't mind too much - I can always finish it in July, I suppose.
Also, we had my siblings and their significant others over for a barbeque. It was nice. We have some burgers in the freezer now. I'd have one for dinner if I hadn't had one for lunch... what am I going to have for dinner?
This post is getting boring. I shall post again, hopefully soon, and hopefully with more interesting things to say.
Monday, June 4, 2012
So... I'm kind of a bad shot.
I recently started playing Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, the spin-off game from that little game with the spiky-headed blonde guy ;) I had been reading the game's manual for ages to get a feel for the controls, then went through the game's tutorial (never again!!!), and then began the actual game. I have come to some realizations about me and Dirge of Cerberus:
1. I can't shoot. No, seriously, I can't. Granted, I'm getting better, but I'm still pretty crappy at the gameplay. Final Fantasy VII was a turn-based RPG, so going into a game where you're shooting and melee-ing your enemies instead of the 'my turn, your turn' system is a bit daunting.
2. Manuals are not always complete. I had to find a walk-through to figure out that you can break open boxes with melee. Why wasn't this in the manual? (For the record, if anyone needs a good site for walk-throughs and hints, I highly recommend GameFAQs . The walk-throughs on that site have saved my skin umpteen times, and they have just about every platform listed there. I can't guarantee that they'll have pages for every game, but it's a good starting point.)
3. Vincent looks damn good in a suit. Seriously, play through the tutorial and check out his suit. It's lovely. Although, I'm not so sure I like his haircut in that get-up.
4. Configuration changes everything. If you're a bad shot like me, tinker with the weapon settings. I changed the sight to 'automatic' and slowed down the camera speed, and I'm happy with the results.
Okay, I need to be doing something more constructive. Later!
edited to add link for easier-ness.
1. I can't shoot. No, seriously, I can't. Granted, I'm getting better, but I'm still pretty crappy at the gameplay. Final Fantasy VII was a turn-based RPG, so going into a game where you're shooting and melee-ing your enemies instead of the 'my turn, your turn' system is a bit daunting.
2. Manuals are not always complete. I had to find a walk-through to figure out that you can break open boxes with melee. Why wasn't this in the manual? (For the record, if anyone needs a good site for walk-throughs and hints, I highly recommend GameFAQs . The walk-throughs on that site have saved my skin umpteen times, and they have just about every platform listed there. I can't guarantee that they'll have pages for every game, but it's a good starting point.)
3. Vincent looks damn good in a suit. Seriously, play through the tutorial and check out his suit. It's lovely. Although, I'm not so sure I like his haircut in that get-up.
4. Configuration changes everything. If you're a bad shot like me, tinker with the weapon settings. I changed the sight to 'automatic' and slowed down the camera speed, and I'm happy with the results.
Okay, I need to be doing something more constructive. Later!
edited to add link for easier-ness.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday
Saturday was not only the season finale of Saturday Night Live, but also the finale of Kristen Wiig - it was her last episode of SNL. Before watching SNL the next morning (we PVR'd it), I had no idea it was going to be her last show. I think I teared up a little during the ending, when they did the musical send-off.
I loved Kristen's skits on SNL, and I loved her in the movie Whip It! in which she played a roller derby girl named Maggie Mayhem. I loved her in Paul as well. And then there's Bridesmaids: while there were some scenes I wasn't entirely keen on, it was still hilarious (especially her scenes with Jon Hamm ;D Note to under-eighteen readers, the movie is R-rated). I loved her characters, like Gilly, Kat (of Garth and Kat fame), the Target lady, among others. If they put out a 'best of Kristen Wiig' SNL DVD (and they had better do that, or fans might be pissed off), I would probably buy it.
I heard on the news that she has six movies in the works right now. Even so, I didn't want her to leave SNL. I had this childlike feeling during the cast's tribute to her, this feeling of "But I don't want you to go! I love you! Why can't you stay?" I guess she's been my hero all along, but I just didn't realize it. Watching that tribute, though, I think she had a hard time saying goodbye, especially to the cast member that had started around the same time she did. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Thanks to the musical send-off they gave Kristen, I don't think I'll be able to listen to the songs "She's a Rainbow" and "Ruby Tuesday" without crying.
I loved Kristen's skits on SNL, and I loved her in the movie Whip It! in which she played a roller derby girl named Maggie Mayhem. I loved her in Paul as well. And then there's Bridesmaids: while there were some scenes I wasn't entirely keen on, it was still hilarious (especially her scenes with Jon Hamm ;D Note to under-eighteen readers, the movie is R-rated). I loved her characters, like Gilly, Kat (of Garth and Kat fame), the Target lady, among others. If they put out a 'best of Kristen Wiig' SNL DVD (and they had better do that, or fans might be pissed off), I would probably buy it.
I heard on the news that she has six movies in the works right now. Even so, I didn't want her to leave SNL. I had this childlike feeling during the cast's tribute to her, this feeling of "But I don't want you to go! I love you! Why can't you stay?" I guess she's been my hero all along, but I just didn't realize it. Watching that tribute, though, I think she had a hard time saying goodbye, especially to the cast member that had started around the same time she did. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Thanks to the musical send-off they gave Kristen, I don't think I'll be able to listen to the songs "She's a Rainbow" and "Ruby Tuesday" without crying.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Blue Screen of Death
Remember the old days, when every computer error resulted in your screen turning a glaring shade of blue, and you wanted to rip your hair out? Nowadays, most errors just flash up an annoying box that yells at you to fix something, but today my computer actually crashed temporarily. Thanks, games that use Flash...
I was having difficulty getting some Facebook games to work, and when I tried playing Angry Birds my computer put up a Blue Screen of Death and rebooted itself. I screamed. No, really, I screamed. This is why I hate computers sometimes, but alas, we rely on them too much.
Now that everything's working again, I think I'll avoid the Flash games for now. They seem to bring nothing but trouble - and procrastination, of course.
I was having difficulty getting some Facebook games to work, and when I tried playing Angry Birds my computer put up a Blue Screen of Death and rebooted itself. I screamed. No, really, I screamed. This is why I hate computers sometimes, but alas, we rely on them too much.
Now that everything's working again, I think I'll avoid the Flash games for now. They seem to bring nothing but trouble - and procrastination, of course.
Monday, May 14, 2012
"I'm not dead yet!"
Hello! Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been crazy busy.
Allow me to explain: I'm taking a night-school course, so my week is occupied by assignments. I haven't posted for so long that I got freaked out by Blogger's new look - it took me a minute to find the 'new post' button. Clearly I need to post a little more often.
I haven't gotten much knitting done, but I hope to start something for the Ravelympics in July. I'm thinking of making a pair of socks, since I've never made socks before (and thus it would be a good challenge), and they're easy to store in a bag. Also, I could use an extra pair. My feet eat socks. I wish I were kidding.
On the reading front, I started reading The Hunger Games a month or two ago after much insistence from my friend. However, I'm not adding it to my Goodreads reading list, because I don't want to get caught up in keeping track of my page number and getting bogged down because I haven't been reading it very quickly. I think I read faster if I'm keeping track of my page number. As of today, I've read the first two chapters (yes, I read slowly :p), and I'm loving it so far.
That's all for now. Hope to be able to post again soon :)
edited to fix an error
Allow me to explain: I'm taking a night-school course, so my week is occupied by assignments. I haven't posted for so long that I got freaked out by Blogger's new look - it took me a minute to find the 'new post' button. Clearly I need to post a little more often.
I haven't gotten much knitting done, but I hope to start something for the Ravelympics in July. I'm thinking of making a pair of socks, since I've never made socks before (and thus it would be a good challenge), and they're easy to store in a bag. Also, I could use an extra pair. My feet eat socks. I wish I were kidding.
On the reading front, I started reading The Hunger Games a month or two ago after much insistence from my friend. However, I'm not adding it to my Goodreads reading list, because I don't want to get caught up in keeping track of my page number and getting bogged down because I haven't been reading it very quickly. I think I read faster if I'm keeping track of my page number. As of today, I've read the first two chapters (yes, I read slowly :p), and I'm loving it so far.
That's all for now. Hope to be able to post again soon :)
edited to fix an error
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