Weekend Trip

My mother, sister, and I just got back from a little mini-vacation. It was a lot of fun, a bit confusing as plans changed, but overall it was a blast.

We started out driving to the library, that's how I knew the trip was going to be awesome. We picked up a book that I have been waiting for and gushing about and in general freaking out. It was the Island of Shipwrecks, and I read it in like, an hour. So I now have to wait another five or six months for the next one. Hey, I've waited longer for things.

Anyway, we picked up that book and then hit the freeway. Bethany and I watched a movie together, it was called 13 going on 30. It was a chick flick, so not my usual genre of films, but it was a cute and funny movie. I thought that it had a good message woven in among the chick-flick-ness. I'm glad I saw it.

After that we were about an hour away from our destination, and I decided to crank out some tunes. I plugged in my iPod to the car's port thingie and played some music. We were all singing and having a good time. We arrived to at the friend's house and unpacked our stuff. That evening was spent hanging out, watching Big Hero 6 again (which I loved), and playing some games. Then we all got ready for bed and settled down for the night. It was weird, we went to bed at 11:00-ish, but ended up actually going to sleep at 3:00. I haven't done that in ages. It was really nice to be able to talk about anything and everything. I had a lot of fun.

The next morning we ate breakfast, finished Big Hero 6, and hung out a bit more. I was sad to leave, especially since we don't get to see them that often, but distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? 

We were back on the road, blasting tunes once again. We made a stop at Ikea for lunch and to browse. I had never been to an Ikea before and it was magical. Bethany and I actually hid in one of the showers that they had and waited until someone opened 'em. We imagined it being a lot more funny, but it was still hilarious and awkward. The victims were a good sport about it, so that was good.

I am tired, hungry, and ready to get some writing done.

Toodlepip

2015 Goals

I am so excited, I am going to get a book that I've been waiting for tomorrow. It's been ages since I placed a hold request on it, and it finally came in. It's called Island of Shipwrecks. I may have mentioned here before, but nonetheless, I am ecstatic.

It was odd, The Flash didn't air. Or at least, I couldn't find it in all the usual places. I'm glad that Arrow aired though. I have yet to watch it, but from what a friend told me, I am nervous/excited. It should be interesting? Yeah.

I have discovered Coconut Chai tea, and it is very good. I'm also sipping on some Strawberry Lemonade Kombucha. Google is telling me that Kombucha is spelled wrong, but you can't fool me Google. It's funny, Google and/or spell-check will make all these normal words like Kombucha or Tallahassee underlined in the squiggly red stuff. That was a bit random.

It's taken me a while to get to this, but my 2015 goals are something that I want to set and go over. What better way to it than write it out here?
Okay, for 2015, I want to finish my third book, start revising, and possibly begin to publish. That would be ideal, but besides that, I want to try to...wow, I actually don't have a lot of goals. I want to start going on more hikes, deepening my relationship with God, and getting out with my family more. I think those are my main goals. I really don't have a complicated life; I'm pretty simple.

Lately my exercise regimen has been getting better. I'm still weak, but I'm getting better. :) I realized that a lot of people start out their morning with bread, cereal, or something that has a lot of carbs. That's so foreign to me. My mom always made our breakfast healthy, two fruits, three vegetables, and one grain. That was it. And then one morning a year ago or so, it stopped. No more breakfasts waiting on the table for us when we got up. It was really weird at first, but we soon got used to making our own breakfasts. Because of our usually healthy breakfasts when mother made them, we wanted healthy breakfasts even after she stopped. So we would cut our own fruits and veggies, and stick to a balanced meal. It's odd how many families only eat cereal, at least weird to me.\

Anyway, I have books to read, stories to write, and food to eat.
Toodlepip

Big Hero 6!!

I just watched Big Hero 6. Uhhuh, you heard what I said. I finally watched the movie that has been on the top of my list since the trailer came out. It was awesome. My favorite characters were Gogo and Tadashi. They were awesome. Anyway, I thought that the villain had good motivation and was overall pretty formidable. The 'Nerd Lab' was awesome, and Fred was hilarious, though quite unhygienic. :)

Remember that new shelf that I got? Well, we put it up in our room, and it was the perfect fit. Seriously, if it had been any bigger, it wouldn't have worked. I am so glad with the way it worked out. I have more room for my books now. I am very satisfied with how it looks, how much space there is, and how I will be getting more books soon. One day I hope to graduate from shelves to a giant underground library. That is my hope.

I'm still super excited that I saw Big Hero 6. It was so good.

I'm a bit stuck on my writing. It's just one problem that I'm having to work out, and it's hard, but hey, it all comes with the territory, right?

Well, I can finally say that I have watched a movie in French (obviously I had to have subtitles). It was called the Intouchables. I think I mentioned it a couple blog posts ago, but I finally got around to watching it. It was good. I liked it because it was a true story. It was about an ex-con who got stuck helping a paralyzed man with everyday tasks as his caretaker. They form an unlikely friendship and experience life together. I liked it very much. Unfortunately it was R for language, so I wouldn't recommend it as a family movie, but it was extremely touching.

Anywho, I have to get back to school work. I'm writing an essay on Hitler.
Toodlepip

The Book Thief Review

Disclaimer: If you have not seen - or are planning to see - The Book Thief any time soon, then do not read this. This post is not for you! If you can't resist reading it, then it's your fault. You have been warned.....

Oki-dokie, let's get started. I don't usually give book or movie reviews, but I just thought it would be fun.

The Book Thief was really good, to state it plainly. I actually think it might be in my Top Five movies. Everyone had said how sad it was, and yes, it was sad, but I don't think that sad begins to cover what is real. The movie didn't have a happy ending; it had a real ending. Nothing warm and fuzzy, but indifferent, abrupt. It really was a fabulous movie. It showed you what really happened to children, to people. It made you think. It was the kind of movie that made a lasting impression on you, or at least in my case. 

My favorite characters were (not in order) Max, Rudy, Hans, and Ilsa 

I liked Max because he kept a good attitude even after everything he had been through, and he also thought about what was best for the family and not him. He was very selfless that way.

I liked Rudy because he was what a real friend should be, giving, loving, and quick to forgive. He helped Liesel adjust and settle in the beginning, and then he kept his friendship with her until the very end.

I liked Hans because he was kind to Liesel, right off he made her feel loved and valued. His accordion quirk was terribly endearing in my opinion. 

I liked Ilsa because she gave Liesel a safe haven of sorts. She encouraged her love of reading and gave her a home after everything went wrong. 

Overall, this movie was terribly depressing, but wonderfully done. I'm glad that I watched it. 

I think that these kinds of movies are so important these days. We forget the true horrors of the past, looking at them through dismissive eyes. 

Anyway, those were my thoughts on the movie. If you haven't seen it, go watch it. Right now. I don't care if it's midnight, go.

Toodlepip

Awesome Bookshelf is Awesome

Yes! Today was a great day. You want to know why? Of course you do. :) I got a new bookshelf. It's at least twice the size of my current one. It does have to be painted, stickers scratched off (we got it for free), and scrubbed, but overall, it's perfect. I am excited beyond words because the lack of space has really been limiting my ability to buy books (well, that and the money). It was such a blessing to be able to get it, let alone for free. I am very happy with it.

Tonight we're going to watch The Book Thief. I read the book, and it was very good, but I've wanted to see the movie since it came out. I'll probably be pointing out inaccuracies throughout the entire movie. I tend to do that. Here's hoping that it's really close to the book.

I'm still just super excited about the book shelf. I can't stop thinking about it. :)

Camp NaNo is getting closer, and I'm super excited. I will hopefully be done with my third book by then and will do either a finished revision goal or a new novel word goal. We'll see. I am definitely excited for NaNoWriMo this year. It was so much fun for me to see how much I could write and how much tea I could drink in one month. I know that I feel more confident with the deadlines that I place on myself now that I have been through NaNoWriMo. I am very glad that I partook in it.
I've also realized that I say 'definitely' a lot in emailing, my journal, and talking in real life. Weird.

Oh my gosh! I just hit 50,000 words on my novel. I can't believe it! I am so excited with the way my book is going. I feel like it might just be a success. Might.

Well, I want to get back to writing (I'm writing a lot today).
Toodlepip

85,000 Is A Lot

This morning was a bit odd. My brother stayed home from school, and it took me a while to remember that it was President's Day and that's why he wasn't gone. Then, on top of him being home all day, we had a sit-down breakfast (which we never seem to do anymore) with pancakes, eggs, and sausages. Don't get me wrong, it was an awesome morning, but it was odd.

I got a new computer. Well, it's new to me. My dad got a new computer because the software he needed for his business didn't support the computer that he had, so I got his old one! It's really different. The computer that I used only had Notepad for writing, and it wasn't even able to connect to the internet anymore. It was really nerve-racking to use it because it could literally crash at any moment. I had to constantly save my work to a USB stick to ensure that I didn't lose it. It was a weird computer, but the one I now have has internet, Microsoft, and so many other things that I needed. I am very excited to have it.

Because of the new computer, I put my novels into a Word document. I found out that for my first novel, I have 85,000 words! Holy cow, I was not expecting that many. My jaw hit the floor when I saw that. For the novel that I'm writing right now, I have 46,000, and I'm only 2/3rds of the way done. Needless to say, I am very excited.

My math has been surprisingly easy lately. I'm feeling good about it. I know that doesn't seem very note-worthy, but I usually feel about as confidant in math as a hippo trying to ice-skate.
                                                               ****Next day..****

I'm getting more and more excited to edit my novel. I've done some light editing on my NaNoWriMo novel, but other than that, I haven't done much. I'm super excited to see what the finished product will be. Of course, I do expect to have to edit it more than once.
It's funny, I've been reading over my finished novel, and I am happy to say, it's not rubbish. I mean, bit's of it are, as is expected, but surprisingly, I'm not disgusted with it.

Oops, I'm supposed to be making dinner.
Toodlepip

Valentine Survival

We have survived. It was hard, but the barricade held. We were almost overrun when the army of rose wielding teddy bears started throwing the little heart shaped chocolates. It was intense, but our seam rippers and weed killer worked wonders.
Valentines is over, to state it plainly. My family doesn't really celebrate Valentines day. My parents went out for a date on Fri. but that doesn't really count. It's just a normal day among all the pink, red, and chocolate. The chocolate is the only thing that I strongly support.

Lately I've been listening to a lot of Sam Tsui. Especially his covers of "Wake Me Up", "Counting Stars", and "Uptown Funk". They're a lot of fun, and I can tell he really enjoys what he does. That's so important, to love what you do. It adds so much.

Two out of the three books that I ordered have arrived early! Yeah! I'm excited. I immediately read them (surprise, surprise), and I am super excited for the third to come.
But bad news, I have no room AT ALL on my bookshelf. I need a new, bigger one. Ach, the struggles of being a book lover.

I finally watched the latest episode of The Flash. Warning: Spoilers from The Flash, episode 13.
You have been warned.
I am so excited! The time travel stage is coming. As soon as they said that the blood was Barry's, I knew that they didn't mean little Barry. I am super excited for this week's episode.

Anyway, better get back to writing.
Toodlepip

Second Book First

The Downten Abbey theme song is a hard song to learn, at least for me. I have never been very coordinated, and piano has been challenging that and forcing me to confront it, but I shall press on.

I did something I have never done before today. I skipped the first book. Allow me to explain. Among my large haul from the library was a book series that I have been wanting to try out for a while. I've always seen the third book on the shelves and been intrigued. I was finally able to find the first book and begin to read it. The beginning was good, but the farther I got into the book, the more and more it felt forced and dry. I was halfway through, and it still felt like I was waiting for it to start. So, I put it back in the pile, deciding that I would rather occupy my time with better books. On a whim I picked up the second book. After reading the first chapter, I was hooked. It immediately set you right in the middle of what was going on, and it was like a puzzle that you didn't have all the pieces to yet. You just HAD to continue. So I am now finished with the second book and making my way through the third. To be honest, I'm glad I skipped the first.
Just in case you're wondering, the book series was titled Shield, Sword, and Crown. 

I just remembered that we have Vanilla Chai Tea. For the past two month I've been without my favorite tea, and it has been sad. I am very happy to have found it again. My one and only love, Vanilla Chai tea.

My books that I bought on the 3rd haven't come yet. I checked on amazon, and the estimated time of arrival is somewhere between the fifteenth and the twenty-seventh. What? Why? Well, I know why, but I don't have to be happy about it. I'm really excited for when they come.

Well, I have a lot to do today, better go.
Toodlepip

Island of Shipwrecks

I am typing this from the library. My usual weekday routine has been viciously disrupted. My morning started out with reading a couple chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone to let myself wake up; then I went downstairs and had my breakfast. It was bland at best, a dry fiber muffin that had the consistency - and taste - of sawdust. Lucky me. After that I had my morning devotion and rushed out the door with my mother and brother to drop him off at the bus stop and go on some errands. We blared some music in the car, rocking out and singing completely off tune. Ahh, good times. :) We then dropped off our car at K.C. Martin and walked to the library, where I am now.

All of this information may seem insignificant, but don't worry, I do have a point. I tell you this for one reason. I had a break in routine! I am celebrating that fact tremendously right now. Lately I have been feeling quite cooped up and antsy to get out of the house. Too much routine can be suffocating.
I don't think I've left the house (besides today) in a while. It was refreshing.

Yes! I have been struggling with this one phrase in Gaelic, getting the pronunciation correct, getting all the words in the right order, etc. and last night I was able to recall the correct order and have the right pronunciations and voice inflections at the proper points. I was quite excited since I've been a bit stuck there for a week. Last night mum and I played Zumba. It's like Just Dance, but a bit more work-out oriented. I like it. We also found that we had a game called...uh, I think it's Adventurer? It looks like fun, I haven't played it yet though. I hope to tonight.

As some of you may already know (my whopping two readers), I have in the past few months finished with a series that took five years to finish. It was sad to say the least, but a little bit of a relief to not be waiting on edge for a year to pass so I could get to the next book. In Dec. I re-read one of my favorite books The Unwanteds, and I realized that it had a second and third book to it. I quickly checked those out and read them, happy to continue the series. They were just as good as the first, and I actually bought them, but then, just as I finished the third book, I noticed some small print on the last page. It read, You can find the next installment Island of Shipwrecks on shelves February 3, 2015. My first reaction was that of disbelief. I had to wait two months! My second reaction was, I just got out of waiting for a book only to find myself waiting for another book. It was brutal. Then this month the book came out (seven days ago to be exact) and needless to say, I am very excited. :) Unfortunately, there is a hold list for it, so I haven't read it yet, but I will get it eventually.


Well, I have to go, there's so many books calling my name,
Toodlepip

Caramel Ice cream and Maze Runner

Okay, so after a friend mentioned on her blog Life's a Journey that she was listening to Let it Go in French, I got really curios as to what it would sound like. I searched around the Youtube and found a good quality one. I think I have listened to it five times. I have found that Disney sound so sophisticated in French. I also listened to I See the Light in French and it sounds like some beautiful, ancient serenade when it is in fact a Disney song. I wouldn't mind memorizing a couple.

Last night my brother and I went to Starbucks and hung out. I had a lot of fun with him. We then went to Walmart to get a Redbox, but he had forgotten his credit card, and the machine only takes cards. We walked around for a bit, observing people and talking. We went over to the gun section, gazing at all the beautiful guns that could one day be ours, when we noticed something odd. All of the mags on the guns were correctly in, except for one. It was upside down. That really bugged me. I think I'm half OCD because things like that really do bug me.

We're watching The Maze Runner right now. This is my first time seeing the movie, but I have read the book. I liked it. It wasn't like OHMYGOSHILOVETHISBOOK!!! I thought it was interesting enough, and it had it's really good bits, but I wouldn't buy it to be honest.

Anyways, we got Caramel Ice Cream today for FREE! I'm very excited to have some tomorrow (we're saving it because everyone had a cold). We're going to crumble chocolate cookies on it and watch The Intouchables. It's looks really good, but it is in French so I won't be able to understand a thing. Luckily sub-titles were invented for such a purpose as that, and we will watch it. :)

Well, since I'm not a good multi-tasker, I'm going to go back to watching the movie.
Toodlepip

The Eighth Season

It is quite frustrating. I can't quite seem to find the eighth season of Doctor Who anywhere. Well, that's not true. I can find it at the library, but there are 120 requests for it. I already put my name in a week ago and I'm number 119. Why??!!! I've heard a lot of good things and bad things about Capaldi and I would like to determine which way I side for myself. I did like Clara as a companion (then again I've liked almost all the others too) with Eleven, but I have heard that she is better with Twelve. I am interested to see if that is true.

I just watched the first two episodes of Agent Carter. I really like it. Peggy is just as awesome as she was in Captain America. Even more so even. Her character is a nice break from some of the other ladies that fill our television screens. They tell everyone that they are independent and strong, but then need a man to save them or feel complete. Peggy Carter is far from needing any of that. I love how she isn't afraid to pull the "lady things" card. I thought that was hilarious. The action is spot on and not gravity defying like some stunts in others shows I watch. *Cough Arrow cough*. Don't get me wrong, I am obsessed with Arrow, but sometimes the stunts are a bit...ridiculous.

My essay is going awesomely. I got to pick a book and write a report on it. I decided to take the why-it's-so-good angle instead of the what-it's-about angle. So far I'm really liking analyzing it. I might have to post the paper sometime.

I ordered three books yesterday and they should be here between the 15th and 27th. I'm really excited to get them. For Christmas I got a visa gift-card from my grandparents and I am just now sung t. I've been waiting to make sure that what I'm buying is really what I want.

I just finished chapter 16 and I am so excited. I'll be done soon! :)

Toodlepip

Moroccan Waterfalls

Lately I have had an obsession with peas. I've had them for lunch every day for a week. I don't know why, but I have come to appreciate them very much. But something happened yesterday that chilled me down to my core. We ran out. As in zilch, nada, zero peas. What am I going to do?

Last night was The Flash. I haven't seen it yet, but I will tonight. I'm excited for Arrow, too.

Peter Hollens did The Last Goodbye! Yes! I was so excited when the video pulled up on my screen. The Last Goodbye by Billy Boyd (aka good ol' Pippen) has slowly inched it's way up into my top five favorite songs. There's something about it that seems so...mournful, but at the same time it's hopeful. I don't know how to describe it. There's just something about it...

I have Lindsey Stirling's song Beyond the Veil playing on repeat. It's so good!

Yesterday I got a thousand words done. It's definitely not the most I've ever done, but if I do a thousand a day, it won't take me long to finish my novel. I thank that'll be my goal. Also, as I've been writing, my plot has changed so drastically. I had this novel idea for a year and never changed it once, but now the last half of the plot flipped around and twisted upside down and now it seems so much less...formulaic. I'm glad for that.

I have also begun to long for Ireland. I long for almost any country that is new and exciting, but Ireland has been the second highest on my list lately. The first has been Morocco. I've been drawn to Morocco for as long as I can remember. It is a beautiful land, not to mention an opposite of what I'm used to. I mean, look at that! It's amazing.
It has the sand, camels, and markets, but it also has the waterfalls and foliage.



It's all amazing.  I want to go so badly.  

Well, unfortunately my math is calling my name. I've never been good at math. It's always been an object pf stress in my life, but you would think that if I wasn't good at math and my brother wasn't good at math, then my sister would be, right? I mean, one out of three? Those odds are pretty good. Nope. All of us kids dislike math and struggle with it. And my dad's an accountant! He uses math for a living! But in school he also struggled with math and disliked it. Huh.

Toodlepip

Kombucha Tea

Okay, that was a blow. I'm not going to lie. I had it set in my mind that the Seahawks were going to win. But...they didn't. I think my dad is still upset. It's a bummer that we didn't.
My brother decided that when he went to his college, he would pretend that he was a Patriots fan (because everyone there is a Seahawks fan). We'll see what happens.

After the Superbowl was the Blacklist. And it started off with a bang. Redd and his shotgun was an awesome scene. He is so protective of Lizzy. It's awesome. I am very excited for this next episode because supposedly we find out more about Lizzy's past.

Today has been a wonderful day. I treated my mom and sister to Menchies frozen yogurt. We got the flavors Pumpkin Chai latte and Chocolate Mudslide. We had a lot of fun.

A month ago my mother got into the making of Kombucha tea. Kombucha tea is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, healthy bacteria, and yeast. Lately we have been trying different flavors. Right now I am sipping on Lemon Lime. I just finished a glass of Ginger. They taste almost like pop. Or at least what I remember pop tasting like. I haven't had any in a while.

Well then, dinner is ready. I must go.
Toodlepip

Just Dance-a-thon

Well, today is the Superbowl. I'm not a sports person, but when the Superbowl comes around. I'm all about football. I remember last year's Superbowl (it seems like it was just yesterday). That was an awesome game. I hope the Seahawks crush the Patriots.

Yesterday was such a fun day. It started out really well with a great breakfast. I had a grapefruit and sausage with some carrots, and we also got orange juice as a special treat. It was awesome.
I was super productive even though it was a Sat. I try to always be productive, even on the weekends. I got a lot of brainstorming done for my novel. I've been kind of stuck with a couple details, but I got that cleared up yesterday. Go me!
My piano playing is going well. And I begun to really move along with Gaelic.

After my academics were finished, Bethany and I went on a bike ride. Let me just say, it was cold. Our hands were so cold that for a couple minutes after our bike ride, we couldn't feel them. It was an amazing bike ride. I wrote until dinner time. We had a great dinner of chicken salad, but it's not an orthodox chicken salad. It's an oriental chicken salad with crunched up Ramen noodles and sesame dressing. Then, for no reason, we got ice cream. And not only did we get ice cream, but we got Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. My favorite. We played Monopoly Deal, which is a card game my family is obsessed with. Then I suggested a couple rounds of Just Dance. Everyone was down for it, so we rocked that dance floor (aka carpet). I won three out of five rounds. It was great.

Well, I should go, I think we're about to play Just Dance again. It's like a Just Dance-a-thon. Aww Yisss.
Toodlepip