Wrap-up

Well, here I am to wrap a couple of things up. I forgot to post the movie quote answers (nobody guessed on them anyhow...), I forgot to answer that last question in the literary character quiz, and I promised to tell you what I did with my book vase. 

First up: The movie quotes

1. "Why can't they just say, 'go to this place, and here is the treasure; spend it wisely'?"

Riley Poole in National Treasure

2. "She batted them pretty little eyes at you, and you fell for it like an egg from a tall chicken!"

Tex in Charade

3. "I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, can read 20,000 words per minute.

[beat]

Yes, I am a genius."

Dr. Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds

4. "Just stop calling it a mushroom."

Victor in Letters to Juliet

5. Character one: "Look at that demure little head. And all of us wondering what's inside it."
 Character two: We'll find out soon enough. 

Duchess of Sutherland and Lord Melbourne in Young Victoria

~*~*~

Next: I forgot about number twenty-one in the quiz I did the other day. Oops!

21. Margaret Hale and Beth March reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by Inigo Montoya's sinister secret organization. Lady Catherine volunteers to help them,but it is later discovered that she is actually a spy for Inigo. Meanwhile, Inigo has kidnapped Edmond Dantes in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of Molly Gibson, they seek out Jane Eyre, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fiction?

The Wayward Spaniard 

~*~*~

Last: I found something to put in my vase! A collection of feathers that I found at Michaels. There were so many great things that were small enough to fit in the vase, but this is what felt right to me. =)

Road Trippin' Again!

In three weeks I'll be in Wisconsin again! [insert *much* happiness here] I'm so excited to go and see little Jubilee (who finally graced us with her presence on Sunday) and, of course, her mommy and daddy!!! I leave on the greyhound bus on Monday and get into Wausau on Tuesday.

My first trip with greyhound was this September, and boy oh boy was it an adventure! I saw people from nearly every walk of life and spent time in the company of the amish, crass and flirtatious women, a weak and diabetic woman whom I was able to assist with different things, an old man who smelled horrible and had no teeth, some really friendly and outgoing people who shared (sometimes maybe too much of ;)) their life stories with me, a really quiet computer-geeky type of guy, a couple who were making out for most of the trip, etc etc etc

Okay... when I first got off of my final bus, I didn't know if I wanted to go on a bus trip again. But I had a lot of great experiences mixed in with the not-so-great parts. And as a writer, I LOVED it! Getting to know people or even being forced to listen in on loud conversations is a great way to get character ideas or even plots. Broken hearts, sea monster sightings, mystic religions, and every other topic under the sun... it's all available on the bus or in the terminal. 

So... I'm taking off again! And I'm excited about it! If I can figure a way to update twitter from my phone, I'll be doing that throughout my trip. =) Otherwise, I'll just try to get a post up here soon after!

Playing with Fire

"If you play with fire, you're gonna get burned." I don't even know where all I've heard that, but I know that I've heard it many times. Aaaaaand I am here today to tell you that it's true. 

The fire that I recently got burned by is swagbucks. I love swagbucks! The more the better, right? That's why I have been trying out more and more special offers. Especially the free trial offers. I had a few scares... the time that freeshipping.com charged me before they were supposed to (they gave me a refund)... the time that I spent money on bigfishgames.com and my swagbucks didn't come through (the swagbucks were eventually credited)... and few others. 

Through these issues I kept reminding myself to be careful and pay attention to what I was doing so that I'd never get charged actual money in my pursuit of online money. Enter stamps.com. I think that their offer was for 450 swagbucks for signing up. What could I lose, right? 

Try THIRTY-TWO UNITED STATES DOLLARS.

Yup. It's like the new version of The Biggest Loser. When I first created my stamps.com account everything seemed well and good. But when I went back later to log in, nothing would work. I tried the old, "Forgot your username/password?" thing. They tried verifying my identity by asking security questions that I had never answered! I tried customer support. They told me that they needed my full name email address before they could help me. I sent that information and they sent me on a roundabout with all of their rigamarole on how they were saving me money and blahblahblah. 

All of this was taking precious time and before I knew it, I was charged the monthly fee of $16. Based on what I have learned from different customer support members, I knew that I had never actually signed up for a "free trial" and had reconciled myself to the fact that the $16 was gone. 

This afternoon I contacted customer support yet again (this round by phone) and barely managed to keep my cool while on the phone. After telling the woman on the other end of the line seven times that I wanted to close my account, she finally agreed to do it. But she said that at this point I have to keep the account at least until February 9th and receive another $16 charge. 

In a nutshell: My desire for free money finally caught up to me and cost me big time. I will never again use stamps.com and do not recommend it to anybody unless they are looking for a long-time account with no need to contact customer support. 

As for the playing with fire? Getting burned again is as likely as getting struck by lightning..... riiiiiiiight? ;) I'll keep doing what I can to rack up those swagbucks and continue getting free stuff. =)

Three Things Monday

Three things I absolutely love:

The smell of fresh rain - especially out in the country!

Toothless. He's so cute and loyal and just wonderful! I love the top picture where he's making puppy eyes at Hiccup. I loved Gift of the Night Fury!

The stories and illustrations of Kim Lewis. I LOVE them!!! 

Especially Harry the Elephant. =)

Kim Lewis' books

One Month...

Not so long ago, I felt like I was waaaaay too mature to be only 12 years old. (I was wrong) In any case, thirteen seemed like a good point to reach. There was something old (in a good way) about those numbers that ended in "teen".

Now I am faced with quite the opposite problem. Here I am, one month before my 20th birthday, and I feel much too immature to be leaving the teen years. The young years.

At the same time, though, I'm excited! I don't know what all my 20th year will hold for me, but I know that it will be amazing! I hope to reach a higher level of that elusive maturity, but regardless of where I am, I know that God will be with me and that He has a perfect plan for me. I just have to remember to ask for directions instead of heading off on my own all of the time!

Keep Swimming

Dory isn't always the smartest fish. Actually, she would drive me insane if I had to spend too much time with her. But I have to admit that she does have one good piece of advice: "Keep swimming!" I find myself singing her little ditty every once in awhile... sometimes just for fun and other times because it's a good way to lighten up a little when there's a crisis.

I think that another way of saying this is: "Be flexible!" Life has a way of taking unexpected turns, so it's best just to go with the flow. People will appreciate it and you'll feel a lot less beat up when everything is said and done! Sometimes flexibility is *very* easy for me. I don't get it when people are ticked off in slow traffic. I'm cool with last-minute plan changes. Annoying people do still annoy me, but usually I can shrug it off and not lose my temper. And if someone doesn't get what I'm saying? Hey... no need to get hot under the collar! I can explain it again a little differently!

Some things are harder to swim through, though. Worry for other people. Loss of any variety. Getting weighed down by the future. I think it's okay to take a moment to just sit still for a bit, but the important thing is that you pick up and get swimming again.

Sometimes we have to have help. Praying and/or talking to friends are good ways to get back in the right current. Knowing that you're not alone is SUCH a help when you're trying to swim through difficult circumstances.

Don't just sink to the bottom of the ocean and get bogged down in the sand. Keep swimming!

You know what you gotta do when life gets you down? 
Just keep swimming 
Just keep swimming
 Just keep swimming swimming swimming 
What do we do? We swim, swim, swim

Literary Mix-up

As I have been going through oodles of my blog subscriptions this week, I found this on three or four of the blogs that I follow. I thought it just might be fun to give it a go myself!


First, pick 12 literary characters before you look at the questions.


1. Margaret Hale from North and South
2. George Wickham from Pride and Prejudice
3. Jane Eyre from *gasp!* Jane Eyre
4. Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride
5. Molly Gibson from Wives and Daughters
6. Harvey Cheyne from Captain's Courageous
7. Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility
8. John Chivery from Little Dorrit
9. Beth March from Little Women
10. Tom Sawyer from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
11. Lady Catherine from Pride and Prejudice
12. Edmond Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo


Now, answer the questions by putting the correct characters instead of the numbers.


1. Who would make a better college professor, Harvey Cheyne or Lady Catherine de Bourgh?
Oh, my soul! Harvey would once he's grown up a bit! Though it would be very interesting to see what Lady Catherine would teach. How to properly pack trunks?


2. Edmond Dantes sends John Chivery out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
The mission is something to distract John and to teach him to wait and hope. It does not succeed.


3. What is, or what would be, Beth March's favorite book?
She likes Pilgrim's Progress. For some reason Dana's Valley comes to mind, too... But that might be too sad for her. =P


4. Would it make more sense for George Wickham to swear fealty to Harvey Cheyne or the other way around?
Neither would make any sense at all! No one (except Lydia and other silly people) would ever swear fealty to Wickham and I don't see Wickham swearing fealty to anybody unless it was for show.


5. Molly Gibson is looking for a roommate. Should she room with Beth March or Tom Sawyer?
Beth March. For obvious reasons.


6. George Wickham, Elinor Dashwood, and Edmond Dantes are going out to dinner. Where are they going, and what do they discuss?
They are going to a very nice place, but one that isn't too over-the-top. (Thus accommodating Elinor's good sense as well as Edmond's money and Wickham's tastes) The discussion between Elinor and Edmond is intelligent and they are sharing life lessons with one another. Wickham won't listen and keeps butting in with inconsequential or repetitive topics.


7. Jane Eyre challenges Tom Sawyer to a duel. Who wins?
Not happening! Ever! But Tom would most likely win unless it was a duel of minds or words.


8. If Margaret Hale stole John Chivery's most precious possession, how would he get it back?
He would plead and cry. Not that she'd ever steal anything!


9. Suggest a story title in which Elinor Dashwood and Edmond Dantes both attain what they want.
Well... They both had a lot of struggle before they finally found love. Silent Hope and Vengeful Discoveries. lol That's the best I can do spur-of-the-moment.


10. What kind of plot device would you have to use to get Margaret Hale and Inigo Montoya to work together?
That would be one crazy plot! Perhaps just compassion from Margaret would induce her to help Inigo.


11. If Elinor Dashwood visited you for the weekend, how would it go?
It would be great! We could drink tea and read novels. =)


12. If you could command Jane Eyre to perform any service or task for you, what would it be?
I would ask her to teach me to draw.


13. If George Wickham had to choose sides between Inigo Montoya or Molly Gibson, what side would he choose?
Inigo. No doubts there.


14. What might Tom Sawyer shout out while charging into battle?
He'd give an Indian war cry.


15. If you had to choose a song to best describe Jane Eyre, what would it be?
Nothing comes to mind... Maybe "Perfect Day"? lol I can't think of anything that actually really works.


16. Margaret Hale, Harvey Cheyne, and Edmond Dantes are having a dim sum at a Chinese Restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left , and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets it?
Harvey. He's younger and faster. And less mature. ;)


17. What would Molly Gibson most likely be arrested for?
Maybe for inappropriate conduct due to clandestine meetings with a man... But anything that she would get arrested for would be a misunderstanding.


18. What is Harvey Cheyne's secret?
He has always wanted to be good, but he didn't know how 'til life taught him. (Wow.. unimaginative answer on my part!)


19. If Lady Catherine and Beth March were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
I can't picture the two of them racing, but Beth would probably get there first. Lady Catherine would be far too concerned about decorum.


20. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, who would you be more comfortable walking with, Elinor Dashwood or John Chivery?
Wow. This is a tough one. I guess I'd say John just because he's a guy, even if he's definitely not my type of man!


21. Margaret Hale and Beth March reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by Inigo Montoya's sinister secret organization. Lady Catherine volunteers to help them,but it is later discovered that she is actually a spy for Inigo. Meanwhile, Inigo has kidnapped Edmond Dantes in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of Molly Gibson, they seek out Jane Eyre, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fiction?

Projects for a Bookworm

Every once in awhile you may end up with a book that you don't want or already have. You may even end up with a book that's in bad condition. There are many ways to deal with these situations: eBay, paperback swap, the recycle bin, donating to the thrift store, etc. Today I'm going to share three projects that I have done with books that I didn't need.


Project One: The Hideaway 
You need: A book, a 3x5 card, an X-acto knife

This is probably the simplest of the three projects. Simply find a book that you don't want and open it up several pages in (I used an old beat up copy of The Count of Monte Cristo and started at page 100). Grab a 3x5 card and trace it on the page, then take an X-acto knife and cut through the pages until you reach your desired depth (I did 250-300 pages).

Project Two: The Invisible Shelf
You need: A book (I prefer hardcover), an 'L' bracket, a carpet knife (or other tough knife), small flat head screws, large screws, tape measure or ruler, glue

This is a more detailed project. Here are the instructions that I used! My shelf won't hold as many books as one of the pictures shown because I bought a cheaper/less sturdy 'L' bracket. That's okay with me, though... it's still pretty cool!

Project Three: A Novel Vase
You need: A novel-length book (preferably paperback) , glue, X-acto knife, vase template (I used this for my template)

First: Remove the cover of the book.
Second: Cut your vase template in half and line the flat side up with the binding side of the book. Trace.
Third: Using the X-acto knife, cut along the traced line a few pages at a time.
Fourth: When you have cut through the entire book, use the glue to affix the back and front to each other to round out your vase.

Note: I used an old 735 page copy of Daniel Deronda. It was the thickest book I had that I was willing to cut up. Even so, the vase barely fits my index finger... so if you want a vase that will hold a bouquet of flowers, you're going to need a GINORMOUS novel or several novels of the same size. =)

I just made my vase this week, so I don't have anything to put in it yet. I'll let you know when I do find something! I'll also see if I can come up with a few extra ideas on what to put in a vase that's no bigger than a finger. =) Do you have any ideas?

Three Things Monday: Tuesday Edition

I meant to post this yesterday, but life just got in the way and I never finished it. So here's my post a day late!

Thing 1:

OLD BOOKS - The look, the smell, the feel, the thoughts of yesteryear... Love 'em!

Thing 2:

CLOCKS - Old antique-y clocks, totally unique modern clocks, big clocks, little clocks... clocks clocks clocks!

Thing 3:

BAY WINDOWS - I have always wanted to sit in one and read a book! <3

There you have it! Three things that make me happy. =D

Hello, 2012!

One of my resolutions this year was to both journal and blog more. So here I am, practically a week into the new year, finally sitting down to type up a blog post. I'm *still* lost as to what to blog since I'm so far behind in everything I was blogging. So I'm just going to start fresh! Here are my blog goals for this coming week:

• Post at least three times
• Reply to comments that have been waiting here... forever
• Comment on all of my favorite blogs at least once this week

Not a lot, but something to look forward to, I suppose! =) And just for kicks, here's a few movie quotes for ya'll to guess. I'll post the answers on Saturday. 

1. "Why can't they just say, 'go to this place, and here is the treasure; spend it wisely'?"

2. "She batted them pretty little eyes at you, and you fell for it like an egg from a tall chicken!"

3. "I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, can read 20,000 words per minute...

[pause]

Yes, I am a genius."
4. "Just stop calling it a mushroom."
5. Character one: "Look at that demure little head. And all of us wondering what's inside it."
 Character two: We'll find out soon enough.

That's all for now, folks! 

Three Things Monday

One of my very dear friends does these fun blog posts called "Three Things Monday" in which she shares three things that she loves. I've decided that I'm going to join her! So here's three random things that I happen to love:

Chicks! They are so adorable and fluffy and tiny and fragile-ish. Awwww! I really miss holding these little guys. 

Chili!!!! Chili salad! Chili dog! Baked potato and chili! Chili burritos! Yum!

Raspberries and chocolate. *happy sigh* Best ever! 

It's a Good Life

I am SO blessed! Sometimes I forget... but I get reminded a lot, so hopefully things balance out somewhere along the way. =P

Anyhow, my wonderful friend Sarah came over for awhile to keep me company while Erica is visiting our grandparents in Florida. It was a blast!

After AWANA on Wednesday night, Sarah came home with me. That actually almost didn't happen because (thanks to me) we missed our exit and were headed towards Kansas for awhile before we could turn around! Yipes! We finally made it to my house, though... and the fun really began!

Brownies and ice cream and a movie. Great trio, if you ask me! We watched The Inheritance and then Enchanted.

When the movies were over, we talked for awhile and watched some youtube videos. A silly llama song, David After Dentist, etc etc etc. Around 4:45 we finally crawled into bed, planning to sleep in for  (quite) awhile in the morning.

BUUUUUUUUUUUUT... My mom woke me up at 8 and told me that she had free tickets to the Colorado Symphony. If Sarah and I wanted to go, we had to leave in 45 minutes. So we scrambled to get dressed and get some breakfast before going to the symphony. It was great! I love music!!!!! It was SO worth getting up in spite of lack of sleep. Sarah and I went back to bed as soon as we got home, though. =)

We woke up in time for supper (chicken chili... one of my favorites!!!!!) and after supper we left to go downtown to pass out tracts to people along the 16th Street Mall. It was great! I've never done something like that - just handing tracts out along the sidewalk. I have gone door-to-door, though. It was quite a bit different. Sarah said she thinks that doing it on the street is nicer, but I think (from my limited experience) that I like door-to-door better. Maybe that will change after going to the mall a few more times. =D 

Once we got home we watched the first episode of Sherlock. Sarah hadn't seen it before, so she was slightly (or should I say enormously?) creeped out at various points. In the end, she fell every bit as much in love with this show as I am. [NOT that I condone everything in Sherlock!!! The gay stuff makes me sick.] 

Anyhow... I've had a great couple of days! Thanks, Sarah!