Day 09 → A photo you took

This is my ceiling at home. Those lights are purple, not pink.



Sorry for the blur; I took it with my cell phone.

( hi! )

Day 08 → A photo that makes you angry/sad

This is John Keats on his death bed. He had so much more to give to life, and he had hardly begun by this time.

( picture and month )

Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy

MSN posts "The month in pictures" -- fantastic or bizzare photos from the past month. Yes, it is a Darth Vader hot air balloon. ^.^


The caption said this was somewhere in Mexico.

( teh month )

Day 06 → Whatever tickles your fancy

Um... I'll advertise Modcloth. I want everything from that website, even if a particular item is not my style. So help me, even those hellish vintage Christmas sweaters.

( month! )

Day 05 → Your favourite quote

I'm not sure. This is the one I use the most: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." -Groucho Marx

And this, the close second, is one I've been dying to put into a conversation: "I'd buy graham crackers with it." -Conan O'Brien, Late Night. He was talking about winning money, and apparently this is what he'd buy with it. This is an example of coming up with jokes off the top of his head. Why graham crackers? Well, why not?

( the month )

Day 04/30 → Your favourite book

The best books are the ones that are carried inside you and spring up during random life moments. Lydia, Queen of Palestine by Uri Orlev is one such book. I can remember Mom reading it to me over breakfast (being read to was the only thing keeping me awake in the elementary mornings) and remembering the novel's anecdotes as if they were my own.

Most books about Judaism in WWII, especially juvenile lit, seem to take place in Germany or Poland. This book has always felt different because it has a different geographical setting and the protagonist seems to be imaginatively unfazed by the war. I have always been intrigued historical literature, WWII fiction, and Judaism; this book may be the reason why.

I can't say much about current impressions of the book as I haven't touched it in a long time, but considering I've only read this once or twice and it still sticks to me is saying a lot. ...On second thought, quite a few books stick to me. But THIS ONE has always been part of my life.

( the month )

Day 3 of 30 → Your favourite television program

Looking back at what has been in my Hulu queue most often, I'd have to say Late Night with Conan O'Brien, from 2003-2009(end). I began watching snippets in high school, by 2005 was staying up every night regardless of who was on that day, put my loyalty on hold when at college, and watched every episode of the last month when I discovered (much too late) that Hulu was a Godsend. Click here to see the icons I made commemorating the last month of Late Night!

I didn't understand the humour at first, figuring one had to be tired in order to understand it. When becoming a fan, I certainly was tired enough to find it humourous. Eventually, I was awake enough every night to really appreciate his character distinctions, class, and lack of class rolled into one. Judging solely on the good people at conan_obrien, this may be the one fanbase where I completely understand my fellow fans. As I grew up watching Simpsons reruns, how could I not appreciate Conan?

Conan changed my life, especially the last month of Late Night. That's not an exaggeration. I watch a lot of comedy, and try to find things (especially TV shows) to make me laugh as much as possible, so I mean it when I say I laugh differently with him. It's a good thing.

Close Firsts:
Mystic Knights of Tir na Nog. Don't get me started. Please, please, don't. counterfeitcoin knows. Boy, does she ever. (I'm sorry, btw. =D =P)
Scrubs. This humour is up my alley. John C McGinley inspired a character of mine.
Beast Wars, Bease Machines (they have to come as a pair). I'm appalled when people love cartoons but have never heard of these shows. Mainframe, the makers of Reboot. Scott McNeil is everywhere!

Close Seconds:
Anything with Hugh Laurie. =P
Lie To Me. Currently in its second season. Tim Roth is my new sexy. IMDB here.
Psych. It's just...so silly. IMDB here
The Colbert Report.
I grew up watching Frasier, so I have to include it. Well written.

...See? I grew up with so much. I left out a lists of Thirds. I also left out a list of Seconds for movies. Everything you love makes such a big impression on you.

( leftover days )

I want to use a British accent for any customer who asks for my help, but I'm scared that one of them will turn out to be English or a Brit-expert. A Britspert. Even though I'll know how their voice sounds when they ask, I'm afraid I will sound faulty. (Or should I say Fawlty? *wiggles eyebrows*) PBS makes me think in a British accent. Why not be who I want to be?

Day 02 → Your favourite movie

Hook. Besides knowing the basic story and possibly seeing Disney's Peter Pan, this was my main Pan source of knowledge growing up. I've always loved Robin Williams. Had I watched Disney instead, Jas Hook would not have been a sexy beast to me. (But he IS a sexy beast. Hoffman should have won an award for the beastiness.) Maggie Smith makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Bob Hoskins alone has made me a Smee supporter.

Tied second: Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Spaceballs.

ETA
How could I forget?! Third place: The Scarlet Pimpernel. Any version.

( the rest of the month )

I usually find all the cool memes fromcounterfeitcoin. Because I miss writing every day since Nano, this one is perfect.

Day 01/30 → Your favourite song

Oh, great. Of all the songs in all the genres I love...

Perhaps Skillet's "Locked in a Cage." That has been a fav since middle school. It has an enraged chorus, has a singer I like, and an uncommon violent Christian theme I typically hear from hard rock bands on Radio U. It's also related to some favorite characters. Always a plus. Skillet takes me back. They've been a favorite since I began exploring alternative music in middle school.

However, lately a fav has been Delirious's "Follow." Another Christian band of a slightly softer variety, this song unexpectedly got me though half my NaNo novel. It's a poetic worship song with interesting music. This album I have of Delirious always makes me think of a safe Christmas.

( the month )

Note to self: Don't eat pancakes before performing. Lol. Good thing I had some leftover nausea medicine from when I was sick.

Today was the last real day of classes and the last day of performing in this show (still sorry I didn't get to choreograph, also still excited to have been in something). However, I won't be resting very soon (unless you count reading a few books). I'll be on edge until presenting choreography for class, and it's incredibly messy with 2 more days of rehearsal to go. I'll be nervous until my academic test on Wednesday, and I was out sick for almost two weeks and feel as though I learned nothing for this unit. I won't rest when I'm home, either, save reading and watching some DVDs because I want to make the most out of break and that apparently means having a full schedule. I hope to be happy during break and never tired. I also hope this stuff in my throat will go away next week.

...And I think this is it for my Day By Day installments for Fall 2009. I've learned something: Keep writing, and you'll find it easier to express yourself. Find something wonderful or odd about every day, and every day will have been worth something. Laugh at stupid things, and laugh loudly. ...Speak softly and carry a big stick?

Yesterday: I can't wait to go home! I really can't!
Today: I just want to redo this whole semester.

Almost there. >< I promised myself I wouldn't wish ahead this whole week.

I found icons I only posted on a community. Screw the original post: I want these saved in my icons tag.

Original post: Some time ago I made icons featuring Keats quotes. They all have a theme because of the pic behind the text, and I thought I'd share them with everyone on this community. They're special to me, so this is the only place I'm posting them.

Credit, comment, enjoy, love me, love Keats.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Last week of classes. It's not over soon enough.

"You'd be shocked at how little you'd have to pay an actor to lick a pig." -Conan O'Brien

I WON NANOWRIMO TWO DAYS EARLY. THAT'S A RECORD FOR ME! AND I'M NOT TIRED OF MY NOVELS!

Talking To Myself (young adult) at 12,663
The Role Play: Book One (fantasy) at 15,278
Hades (dark action thriller) at 22,626

I'm claiming Hades as this year's novel because I wouldn't have done it if this hadn't been National Novel Writing Month! The other two I needed to make progress on, and this was the perfect month to do it.

For the record, yes, I'm technically cheating by doing 3 novels for a total of 50k words, but it's only because I couldn't decide which I wanted to do more. AND YES, I'm continuing to work on these in December (if I finish my reading challenge beforehand). I plan on showing at least two of these to my co-writer. ^_^

People's minds are shutting down for the Thanksgiving break, as well they should.

Mmmm, going to write that Thanksgiving scene I've been telling the protagonists about. Stan Freberg references galore.

Still trying to figure out ways to inflict this illness on Sharon. I don't believe I'll be over it until the main character has caught it from me. This particular novel is on hold until that happens.

The other novel, however, is going swimmingly. +P

~
By Nov 25th last year, I only had 25k and still finished on the 30th with an hour to spare. (that's 25k in 5 days, people)

This year, if I keep writing every day (currently at 25,295), I won't have to write as much in the last 5 days as I did last year. My goal is to finish several hours before midnight, if not one day earlier!

Being behind pretty much rocks right now. I'm excited to see how this falls together.

All the goodness and the bad that comes with it does not come down to ballet technique being off. It comes down to getting so sick that... I'd rather not talk about it.

My life is on hold. All the things I had going for me. THAT is where all the goodness goes. I understand now.

There's no such thing as being completely happy in life.

ETA: On TV at the clinic (former president!) George W. Bush was giving a speech. ...I figured that must be how sick I am; that I must be hallucinating or the world is hallucinating. They're letting him speak in public?

If I refuse to give up The Tonight Show for Nano, it comes down to this: Newark, NJ, will be will be in my novel and I'm going to refer to it as much as possible. To quote the great Inigo Montoya, "Humiliations galore." Also, I already have a place for the Cactus Chef from Late Night.

ETA: I killed Cactus Chef. D=

My family sent a package and stuffed it with leaves from the neighborhood. I emailed them this:

I smelled the Ohio leaves when they were all collected in my vase. This is what I miss down here; there's no spice in the air. Ohio fall is similar to pumpking pie. No wonder I like to light my cinnamon spice candle in Oct/Nov. SC fall is more similar to plain pumpkins. There are more tiny acorns down here and they're dangerous to walk on.

Fridays are indeed still terrible. Whyyyyyyyyyy? I need to learn how to actually relax beginning on Thursdays. Note to self: I agree.

ETA!:
Surfing the Nano forums for hours, being angry at the 100k people and sad for the 3k people (i'm at 6.5k by now) makes me feel soooo much better. I'm ready to do this. I can over achieve. I can reach the challenge's end long before the month ends.

and this user's signature made my day:

pirate versus ninja's... check
intelligent rocks...check
questes...check
romance...check
adventure...check
all your base are belong to us reference...check
pirate language...check

Nano 2009 is going to be fuuuuuuuuuuun!!!