my time in philly
12/24
Eragon is such a wonderful book! The movie was, you know, a fun movie for kids, that sort of think, but the book is just outstanding. I think so, at least. I went out and bought the sequel the same day that I started reading the first book, although I had to buy the hardback and it meant I couldn't get The Ladies of Grace Adieu... ah, Susanna Clarke, you lovely woman you. Anyway, yes! Eragon! The poor book was totally butchered to make the movie. And what is up with making all the elves blonde? In the book, Arya's a brunette. Anyway.
Apparently, my nerves cannot take my grandmother's boyfriend. I actually can't be near him without feeling skittish and nervous. I've basically decided that I will be nice to him because he makes my grandmother happy, but I'm not required to accept him or like him at all. I know he's not trying to replace my grandfather (who died years ago from lung cancer) or whatever, but I don't give a damn. At least I have an excuse to not be near him now, since my anxiety builds up when I'm near him.
Mom and Dad are in Atlantic City for Christmas Eve. It's pretty freaking deserted on the 24th, and then a bunch of people come on the 25th, so they just get there a day ahead of the rush and leave early the next morning. My cousin was talking about her experience gambling (she's 18 and was mildly annoyed that they didn't card her - she had the id of a 23 year-old friend who looks similar to her and had the full name, address, and birthdate memorized,) and apparently she started out with forty dollars, made it all the way up to eight hundred, then ended up drinking too much and losing it all. Sad, isn't it?
12/30
My anti-depressants wore off again! For the third or fourth time! :D Ugh. I can understand now why some people overdose or get addicted to drugs. I'm tempted to plead with the psychiatrist for a bit more than I need just so it'll last longer. Well, at least it was in time for my grandmother's dinner. Her boyfriend came over, but my apathy won over my anxiety and I was just really mellow. Oh! And I won yesterday when I felt like crying but couldn't think of anything to cry over, so I didn't. I guess they haven't completely worn off yet.
I had an idea for a game! I think I really like it, so I've been fleshing it out a bit. It came from an idea I had while talking to Charlie about the Megaten series. (I just bought Kuzenoha Raidou, it's really fun. I wouldn't quite call it excellent, but mostly because it's one of the ones with slightly less real plot than some of the others. Persona 3 should kick ass, at least.) I might end up running it after the Avatar game, or even at the same time, if I can manage it. I'm sort of excited about the idea.
There's this character in Kuzenoha Raidou named Kaya who I was chasing after for the first, like, third or half of the game. I found her diary at one point and it really amused me. It was so succinct! Thank you for the easy reading, Kaya! Here's what it sounded like, paraphrased:
Entry 1: So, my dad's dying. Life really sucks. At least my sixteenth birthday is coming up in a month or so.
Entry 2: My uncle came into my room today to talk to me about my inheritance, and I got a little annoyed because my dad's not dead yet. Impatient much!?
Entry 3: My uncle has informed me that the women of this family turn into demons on their sixteenth birthday. The fuck.
Entry 4: The last thing I remember is my uncle coming into my room, then I blacked out and woke up in some creepy cell. Life really sucks.
12/31
Since the beginning of me, I have tried to grow my hair at several times. The first two times, as soon as it got to mid-back, something happened that required its cutting. First, my parents decided I wasn't taking very good care of it and forced me to cut it short. The second time, I got lice and had to cut it. Now, the third time that it has reached mid-back, I find myself unsure of what to do. I don't really want it any longer, and I need a trim, so it's going to get cut regardless of what happens. The question is, how much should I cut off? Just a trim, and I have to go to get my hair cut regularly. Somewhat more, and it will be longer before I have to get it cut. Barely able to pull it back into a ponytail, and it'll be ages before I have to have it cut again.
Very short, and I can donate it to Locks of Love.
For anyone who doesn't know, Locks of Love is an organization that takes hair donations, at least ten inches in length and clean, colored but not bleached, and uses the hair to create wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy.
I'm talking really damn short hair here, like, the kind you can run your hair through with a little gel and it'll be nice and spiky, and your hair's done for the day. An inch or two. The idea kind of scares me, because my hair hasn't been that short since I was a baby. But I'm very tempted, because I like the idea that my hair, which I love totally and will likely cry to see it get cut any kind of short regardless of what's being done with it afterwards, will go to some child who is having enough strife from cancer and the chemo and doesn't need to worry about what they look like with everything else already on their shoulders. I could help someone.
The question is - am I selfish in the direction of wanting to keep enough hair that I'll be unable to donate, or am I selfish in the direction that I want to feel good about myself for helping someone who need it?
In other things, I made the very rough outline of a character sheet for tri-stat in Microsoft Excel, so that I can keep track of things and not worry about the math when I'm figuring out a character. I always go over the point totals about five times, just to be sure of everything, but with Excel, I can just stick formulae in various cells and it'll do the math for me. Kind of relieving, actually. The only time I had trouble was with a command thingie I wasn't familiar with, because the last time I did very much with Excel was a class in seventh grade, but Daddy helped me straighten it out.
1/1
I had such a nice time with the Aminals. It was wonderful, being with so many people I love again. I forgot how much I just love all of them.
Joanne: *gives me a cookie* Here.
Mom: Can I have a bite?
Joanne: No! *points to the stairs* Don't you give her any. Go upstairs.
Erica: Kay.
Sarah, Hannah, Becca, Benji, and I played Taboo, which was lots of fun. Sarah and I make a ridiculously good team. We were so far ahead that it was just silly to keep track of points after a little while.
Sarah: Kids play on this in the park...
Erica: See-saw!
Benji: Time!
Sarah: How did you get that?
Erica: I am just that awesome.
Erica: Visit! We have a hammock! *said many times over the course of the night*
Sarah: Doesn't Rick use it?
Erica: Yeah, but he has a room. Visit!
Sarah said she might try to come once her semester ends, which is the end of January. She said it was basically a toss-up between the fact that her grades don't matter much at that point, (she's a senior in high school,) but she'd already missed a bunch of days during the current semester. Oh, and then David came to the brunch, so I got to sit down with him and Jon and talk a lot! David is always missing Aminal gatherings and hadn't been there for the New Year's party, but he came back for the brunch, which was nifty. I miss them already.
Benji and I spent half an hour messaging each other on her Nintendo DSs and insisted that even if it seemed like we were speaking to each other out loud, we were just speaking to the wall behind the other person, because we were refusing to speak to one another without wasting technology by sending messages when we were only two or three feet away from each other. We played hangman and he used a latin word, which I got back at him for by using a Japanese word, ようかい. It was impossible for him to get any letters right! Bwahaha! ...We kind of stopped after that.
1/2
WINTEREENMAS SEASON, WHOO! Video games all around! Prepare to schedule doing your classwork so there is maximum game-playing time during the holiday!
Also, I'm home. ^^
Eragon is such a wonderful book! The movie was, you know, a fun movie for kids, that sort of think, but the book is just outstanding. I think so, at least. I went out and bought the sequel the same day that I started reading the first book, although I had to buy the hardback and it meant I couldn't get The Ladies of Grace Adieu... ah, Susanna Clarke, you lovely woman you. Anyway, yes! Eragon! The poor book was totally butchered to make the movie. And what is up with making all the elves blonde? In the book, Arya's a brunette. Anyway.
Apparently, my nerves cannot take my grandmother's boyfriend. I actually can't be near him without feeling skittish and nervous. I've basically decided that I will be nice to him because he makes my grandmother happy, but I'm not required to accept him or like him at all. I know he's not trying to replace my grandfather (who died years ago from lung cancer) or whatever, but I don't give a damn. At least I have an excuse to not be near him now, since my anxiety builds up when I'm near him.
Mom and Dad are in Atlantic City for Christmas Eve. It's pretty freaking deserted on the 24th, and then a bunch of people come on the 25th, so they just get there a day ahead of the rush and leave early the next morning. My cousin was talking about her experience gambling (she's 18 and was mildly annoyed that they didn't card her - she had the id of a 23 year-old friend who looks similar to her and had the full name, address, and birthdate memorized,) and apparently she started out with forty dollars, made it all the way up to eight hundred, then ended up drinking too much and losing it all. Sad, isn't it?
12/30
My anti-depressants wore off again! For the third or fourth time! :D Ugh. I can understand now why some people overdose or get addicted to drugs. I'm tempted to plead with the psychiatrist for a bit more than I need just so it'll last longer. Well, at least it was in time for my grandmother's dinner. Her boyfriend came over, but my apathy won over my anxiety and I was just really mellow. Oh! And I won yesterday when I felt like crying but couldn't think of anything to cry over, so I didn't. I guess they haven't completely worn off yet.
I had an idea for a game! I think I really like it, so I've been fleshing it out a bit. It came from an idea I had while talking to Charlie about the Megaten series. (I just bought Kuzenoha Raidou, it's really fun. I wouldn't quite call it excellent, but mostly because it's one of the ones with slightly less real plot than some of the others. Persona 3 should kick ass, at least.) I might end up running it after the Avatar game, or even at the same time, if I can manage it. I'm sort of excited about the idea.
There's this character in Kuzenoha Raidou named Kaya who I was chasing after for the first, like, third or half of the game. I found her diary at one point and it really amused me. It was so succinct! Thank you for the easy reading, Kaya! Here's what it sounded like, paraphrased:
Entry 1: So, my dad's dying. Life really sucks. At least my sixteenth birthday is coming up in a month or so.
Entry 2: My uncle came into my room today to talk to me about my inheritance, and I got a little annoyed because my dad's not dead yet. Impatient much!?
Entry 3: My uncle has informed me that the women of this family turn into demons on their sixteenth birthday. The fuck.
Entry 4: The last thing I remember is my uncle coming into my room, then I blacked out and woke up in some creepy cell. Life really sucks.
12/31
Since the beginning of me, I have tried to grow my hair at several times. The first two times, as soon as it got to mid-back, something happened that required its cutting. First, my parents decided I wasn't taking very good care of it and forced me to cut it short. The second time, I got lice and had to cut it. Now, the third time that it has reached mid-back, I find myself unsure of what to do. I don't really want it any longer, and I need a trim, so it's going to get cut regardless of what happens. The question is, how much should I cut off? Just a trim, and I have to go to get my hair cut regularly. Somewhat more, and it will be longer before I have to get it cut. Barely able to pull it back into a ponytail, and it'll be ages before I have to have it cut again.
Very short, and I can donate it to Locks of Love.
For anyone who doesn't know, Locks of Love is an organization that takes hair donations, at least ten inches in length and clean, colored but not bleached, and uses the hair to create wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy.
I'm talking really damn short hair here, like, the kind you can run your hair through with a little gel and it'll be nice and spiky, and your hair's done for the day. An inch or two. The idea kind of scares me, because my hair hasn't been that short since I was a baby. But I'm very tempted, because I like the idea that my hair, which I love totally and will likely cry to see it get cut any kind of short regardless of what's being done with it afterwards, will go to some child who is having enough strife from cancer and the chemo and doesn't need to worry about what they look like with everything else already on their shoulders. I could help someone.
The question is - am I selfish in the direction of wanting to keep enough hair that I'll be unable to donate, or am I selfish in the direction that I want to feel good about myself for helping someone who need it?
In other things, I made the very rough outline of a character sheet for tri-stat in Microsoft Excel, so that I can keep track of things and not worry about the math when I'm figuring out a character. I always go over the point totals about five times, just to be sure of everything, but with Excel, I can just stick formulae in various cells and it'll do the math for me. Kind of relieving, actually. The only time I had trouble was with a command thingie I wasn't familiar with, because the last time I did very much with Excel was a class in seventh grade, but Daddy helped me straighten it out.
1/1
I had such a nice time with the Aminals. It was wonderful, being with so many people I love again. I forgot how much I just love all of them.
Joanne: *gives me a cookie* Here.
Mom: Can I have a bite?
Joanne: No! *points to the stairs* Don't you give her any. Go upstairs.
Erica: Kay.
Sarah, Hannah, Becca, Benji, and I played Taboo, which was lots of fun. Sarah and I make a ridiculously good team. We were so far ahead that it was just silly to keep track of points after a little while.
Sarah: Kids play on this in the park...
Erica: See-saw!
Benji: Time!
Sarah: How did you get that?
Erica: I am just that awesome.
Erica: Visit! We have a hammock! *said many times over the course of the night*
Sarah: Doesn't Rick use it?
Erica: Yeah, but he has a room. Visit!
Sarah said she might try to come once her semester ends, which is the end of January. She said it was basically a toss-up between the fact that her grades don't matter much at that point, (she's a senior in high school,) but she'd already missed a bunch of days during the current semester. Oh, and then David came to the brunch, so I got to sit down with him and Jon and talk a lot! David is always missing Aminal gatherings and hadn't been there for the New Year's party, but he came back for the brunch, which was nifty. I miss them already.
Benji and I spent half an hour messaging each other on her Nintendo DSs and insisted that even if it seemed like we were speaking to each other out loud, we were just speaking to the wall behind the other person, because we were refusing to speak to one another without wasting technology by sending messages when we were only two or three feet away from each other. We played hangman and he used a latin word, which I got back at him for by using a Japanese word, ようかい. It was impossible for him to get any letters right! Bwahaha! ...We kind of stopped after that.
1/2
WINTEREENMAS SEASON, WHOO! Video games all around! Prepare to schedule doing your classwork so there is maximum game-playing time during the holiday!
Also, I'm home. ^^