Thrown from the 'Coaster for the lack of a Belt

I've been thinking that I should post something here. And then the ridiculous work days they ask me to work will catch up to me, and I'll go to sleep instead. Today you are lucky, and I have some reserve left. So you get something of an update I think.

I decided that I hadn't read enough fluff titles recently (aka. Oscar Wilde and middle-esque english King Authur and His Knights) so I have a quick fluff book from a friend. It's helped, I acutally still can go through a book in a day and a half! They just can't be accedemically acceptable books. Like you couldn't reference this on a biblography sort of thing. By the way, Sir Lancelot is NO longer my favorite knight. He's well... not excatly who I'd thought he'd be. Sir Galahad (Sir Lancelot's illegitmate son, cause you know he was only trying to sleep with the Queen and got tricked with this other girl) has definately taken the position of favorite Knight of the round table.

The reason for wanting to read this paticular book through? (Once you get used to the writing style {and the fact that most of it is borrowed from French fables... that were, um weirder if the introduction is to be believed} it's really quite engaging) It would be 'A Perfect Gentle Knight' by Kit Pearson. Now anyone who knows Pearson will regconize her as the one to write 'Awake and Dreaming' which is set in downtown Victoria. Sweet, I know. She mostly writes young adult/preteen stuff. That said, it's high quality writing, the plot and such are the things mostly um, held back? How would you say it? Gah.

Anyway, the book in question borrows it's title from Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' from the introduction when the knight is introduced. You can easily find it. The copy I have reads it as, "He was a verray, parfit, gentil knight." Commonly now known as, "He was a very, perfect, gentil knight." Anyways, they make reference to King Auther and the assorted tales. This does include 'Le Morte Darthur'. I haven't quiet gotten there yet though.

The whole thing is incredably interesting to me. That's all.

On an unrelated note (sortof), here is the first chapter of the cleaned up copy of the book I am writing. Well, attempting to write.

Attempting.

It got put off to the side once I started working more, while I was striving to find balance in life again. I'm getting there so I'm thinking about it again. I have up to Chapter Three roughly outlined, and know generally what will happen, unless the characters decided that they know better than I do what should be done, up to Chapter 5 or 6. The girl is interesting. I'm having trouble getting into her head later. So, we'll see.

Let me know what you think! I haven't written in years, but I've gotten good responses so far. Grammer errors or any questions are more than welcome. The story is going to be named "Capla Shurin". For no other reason than I liked what it sounded like at the time, and named the story thus.

Chapter One (Unnamed Title, RE: Up for grabs if you think of a good title before I do.)

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Fingers Tremble. An outstrectched hand struggles to rise. Trembles work their way up and down the arm. Muscles seize. The body wavers. A fight ensues agaisnt gravity. The hand struggles to continue. The hand drops an inch. Sheer will holds the hand up despite the trembling. The trembling becomes limited. The hand has reached it's apppointed height. Posture is streaightened. the other arm moves quickly mirroring the first. The sleeve is still intact on this arm. It is dry; it had not been dyed.

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There had once been a clearing. It was a lovely place to go to in the late spring and during the summer. Too early in the spring and ground was so soft that you could sink your lower leg half way into the mud. Before that the ground was cold, hard and harsh from the throes of winter. In the late spring the ground lost enough of its moister that it could be crossed without sinking into the mud, but retained enough moister that unlike the ground in winter it would cushion walking.

This clearing was surrounded by trees. In a hollow on the edge of the clearing an ancient weeping willow could be found. It was now dying, as it was losing the competition with the tall trees for rescources. The trees surrounding the clearing were tall and straight. Various kinds of evergreens with branches full of needles so thick that harldy any underbush could survive for lack of sunlight. The lack of underbush made it very easy to walk, even though there was not much light.

On the other side of the clearing it was not the trees that dominated, but the underbush that held sway over the ground. This was not for lack of effort on the trees part. Saplings struggled in fierce competition with the bush. Prehaps in the years to come the trees would reclaim the area.

The clearing itself was shaped very much like a figure eight, or a slightly melted, half built snowman. Neither outer circle of the clearing could be completed without overlapping the other to a great degree. The larger circle approximently held a fifty meter radius. The smaller circle was only a third of that size. The odd shape and composition of the clearing looked as if it was not what nature intended.

The evergreens surrounded most of the larger part of the clearing, while the overgrown underbush threatened to claim parts of the smaller circle. On one side. where the evergreens and underbush met, the taller trees blocked the sun for most of the day, slowly killing the bush. At eht other meeting place the thorny bushs and creepers beat back the trees. The trees grew thinner on this side and the bush thicker, turning the odds in the bush's favor. Almost all theought the underbush the growth was impassible. Those that passed the clearing infact found it quicker to detour around the bush than to attempt to force their way through.

High up in the branches of one of the dying trees where the bush had begun to take over the trees, was a squirrel. The squirrel huffs, while it's tails twitches agitatedly. the squirrel is trying to calculate a jump of about one foot.

A little girl runs beneath the squirrel, forcing it's choice in a moment of panick. The girl looks no older than two. She is dressed in light brown fiberous pants and shirt. Her iris' are so pale blue that they almost meld and are forgotten nto the whites of her eyes. Her pupils are not quiet black, but seem more of a very dark brown. she had just run out from the thickest part of the bush.

On a hidden path her mother follows, calling a name now lost in memory. The girl turns and her black hair whips her face before settling on her shoulders. The women's image is now blurry at the edges, the more detailed features lost in time. She is slightly shorter than adverage height. She had given her daughter her black hair and her own was pulled into a bun at the back and base of her head. She has brown eyes; her figure is slender, and at one time may have been called fine, but now it appears fragile. The clothes she wore were a loose fitting pants and shirt, colored to fit into their current surroundings. They were much more worn now, as they had been taken out of all circumstance that they had been intended for. The girl laughs distracted, and continues playing a game of her own making.

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Arms stretched. Held far away as possible. Palms splayed forward. The body sways. Energy focused. Pushed toward the palm. Centered in palm. The arm swings. Energy shoots forward. Mile ahead, yells. A sigh. A groan. A hum. All covered in white. Job done, hand drops. Energy collected down arm. Dances down the red. Arm shoots forward. Covers all white with black. Screams. Shouts.

Death echoes.

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The girl is called again. She continues to ingnore this and runs out into the clearing. The women sighes. Then it is the girls trun to sigh as her name is called again, sharply, with the threat of punishment, so she can not ignore it. Little puffs of dirt rise as the girl turns toward her mother. the women gestures for her to come closer and kneel. The girl moves forward and inch and lowers herself without moving her feet.

A lesson begins. The details are lost in the frequency and multitude of others so similar. This lesson is about herbs. With the end of the lesson the women and girl fade back into the bush. The once impercebtible paths have become overgrown and impassible. Following the paths you would come to the unmemorable shelter in which they took refuge.

Pieces of the little girl's lessons can still be recalled with startling clarity. Most of the lessons were only theory, but most of the lessons were looked upon as a diverson by the girl. They were something for her to truly focus on. However some lessons, like how to pour tea, were given by rote and quickly forgotten for the girl gave little attention to them.

The lessons continue and time passes. The women visibly becomes less vigilent. The strong heat of summer stole the energy with which the women used to maintain her suspicions. The warm long days were luring with their sense of security. The women's face could be sometimes seen cast into a state of wistful hope. during the summer days the girl was allowed to entertain herself in the clearing between her lessons.

The days could be counted by the length of time the sun had been in the sky. The days were long for nearly fifteen hours the sun would be unobstructed in the sky. The presence of light in the sky could be said to start and finish before and after this time, as the sun rose and fell for dawn and dusk. After the dusk had completely come, the nights were a repreive from the heat and mostly cool due to a breeze that would sweep up from under the trees. Few of the nights however the breeze did not blow and the night would retain the heat and mugginess of the day. If one stood in the clearing at the hieght of the day, which occured between one and four int he afternoon, the hear would be so intesnse that within minutes the person's skin would dry out and become cracked.

As the spring turned into summer the wildlife increased as the animals returned from the south and woke up from their long slumber. An additional increase came from the young ones that had been born. Over protective species remained on high alert, snarlling or growlling in the face of danger. This aditional noise relaxed the women fuher, for once she learne to read the animal's sounds she could tell if something was in the forest that was a vistior or a threat.

Water may have been a concern given the intense heat. The women ha found a pit that had been dug, that once was a well. It was now half hidden in the mass of under bush, hidden deeper under a wildly growing throne bush. The stones scatered around the pit implied that it had been a well once rimmed with stones, and prehaps a wooden canopy. The women had immeiately started searching for a source of water when they first arrived at the clearing, and had been flooded with an overwhelming relif that she would be able to provie for the girl. After finding the water source, the women's next task was to create a cover for the pit. This needed to be designed to keep out most bugs and insects, and other debri from falling in. The wooden woven cover would also act as a barrier to prevent the girl from falling in.

If spring was their chance for new life than that summer they lived it.

Maddness and Mayhem and Oh! Isn't he a well behav... He bit me!

Hi. I did have something deep and meaningful to write. But I lean the book that it was about out. It's a really good book. I like it alot. Alot is coming up underlined in red. This means it is incorrect. Oh. Well. What did they want me to do about it?

I edited my brother's essay on Geishas for him. It could have been done better. In the amount of time he got in done in however, I'm *insert* impressed. And the fact he wrote it and it's gonna be ready before it's due? Wows. This is coming from the guy who didn't really do his work if he didn't-really-hafta-teacher thinks it's not that important-not going to affect grades that badly-guy.

I'm tired and wired. I figured it out though. I feel asleep today. I was tired. A friend was over. I blame stress. No, I actually have a legitimate reason to blame stress. Tomorrow, I need to get myself to the gym and CRD pound and back, ready to work before two. The next day I work, do some stupid meeting call, gym and youth. The next day I sprint to the chiropractor and then to grad. The next I have a seminar, in which we pretty much tempt our dogs to go after other dogs while their a good distance away from us. This goes for the next three days. I don't yet have all the money I need to pay it off, and they are applying pressure, but I'm hoping the paycheck on Thursday will be enough. It should be anyway. That night I'm hanging out with people. The last day of the seminar I have a way up to the seminar, but don't have one back home. My parents will be up at Nanoose Bay celebrating their anniversary. So I'll be stuck with a dog in Victoria.

Then my week starts again. It's slower, and I might actually have a chance to breathe. After the break you may get thoughts that don't consist of "move faster, you're late!" or some variation thereof.

Did I mention the stress?

Failure, Mixed Reviews, I Am An Optimist, Failure Reversed, and Anticipation

That is my morning so far. This was going to be a facebook status, but I decided the story was too good to past up.

First question, does anyone else write blogs in their head and then forget to actually write them? Or what they wanted to write? Well today is not that day for me. So you get a lovely blog post.

Failure. So I went away for the weekend. That weekend will get it's own blog post if I do put anything about it up here. As it is something completely different. What you don't know about me is that I have two alarm clocks. One is blue and travels around with me as it is battery powered. The other is black, and needs to be plugged in to work. This one stays home. When I came back from my amazing weekend I set my black alarm to go off early. It has a snooze, so I can set it a little early and get the extra snuggling, do I really have to get up yet time. Then the blue one chimes in, and says up NOW! The next morning the black alarm didn't go off. I still wanted my snuggling time. *frowns* Needless to say I fell back asleep. It didn't go off yesterday either. I finally figured out what my little sister did to it, so now I won't sleep half the day away. Good for some people, bad idea with energetic dog. Not that she is inside most of the time. But that's another story.

Mixed reviews. (I blame being sick so much.) I came back and went to sleep Monday with a slight ear ache. Nothing unusual. I tend to get water build up in my ears frequently. So I slept on that side, and most of the time the water will work it's way out and all is well. Most of the time. Tuesday my ear hurt worse. By Tuesday night I could only open my jaw half way before my ear complained of being squished and that pain was going to be the result of my actions. I ended up going to the walk in clinic instead of hitting the gym and the Moms2Moms group. I spent an hour and a half waiting. Then in fifteen minutes I was out. Apparently I managed to contract an outer ear infection. That's all I was told. And to use polysporn drops to treat it. Not how much, how often, or whether or not I'm contagious. I'm assuming not on the last one, if only for the fact that it hurts like crazy to touch my ear. I got told at least it's not an inner ear infection. I was prone to those as a child. NOT fun.

I seriously am an optimist. Don't believe me ask Will. So. I decided that the last couple of days I was neglecting Milly pretty hard core. And I was. So I decided to do something about that. Right now our yard is half short grass, and half waist high grass. This would be due to the fact that some random people took apart our rotten deck. Thus all the garbage (aka things that we had used to use, but now had been ruined due to exposure or us breaking them, but never getting around to actually getting rid of them) got moved across our yard, dividing the two. Yesterday Dad took a bunch to the dump. It looks alot better. I can actually let my dog off leash again without having to worry about rust or nails or other things that she might consider 'interesting'. So for the first time since the fall I had access to our backyard to play fetch with my dog. And we did. Then the dogs that belong the paper lady came, (she was with them too, she talks too much about nothing to have a good conversation) and I was actually able to call Milly away from the fence! Sure she did end up fence fighting a little while later, but still! She actually walked away with me, without me having to hold her! If that isn't a signal that her trust in me is growing I don't know what is.

Failure reversed. For the first time in two and a half weeks I made it out to the gym. Even though I missed the planned time. It is a major accomplishment for me. Especially since it wasn't going as fast as I wanted it to go before I stopped going. Add to that that I was sick and a certain time of monthly cramps...

It is an accomplishment that I got over that mental barrier. Now I need to do it repeatedly. Uggh.

Postive.

Right.

Anticipation. I saw a good friend that I haven't seen in a long time (twice in the spring of '08 and before that in '04). He likes Lord of the Rings as much as I do.

Three guesses about what we talked about last time.

This time apparently Battle Star Galatica and Firefly have much of the same in common. As in if you like on you'll like the other. We shall see about this.

See. I did forget parts of the blog that I had written in my head. Something about a book...

By the power invested in me,
I pronounce you MONGOOSE!

Hi.

I'm bored.

I'm very, very bored.

I blame the sugar.

It's really not my fault.

So I was reading the book that I got out from the library. It's a dog book. It's about training. In the book she explains how to apply the theories to manipulate people. It should be interesting to see how that pans out.

So I decided to use some of the stuff (I was already aware of this, it's just a really well laid out book that makes you *want* to experiment) out on my dog. Her basic stuff is slipping, as all dogs will, and she needs a brush up. So I started that today. It was fun. She got faster and better quickly. Now two more weeks to make it stick after I put the cue word on and take it out to the world!....

So I'm going to be volunteering with Darcie again this summer. That'll be fun. Jada is a silly dog. I can not focus. I want to play Zelda. I should finish typing up my story. I don't know if I will.

What would the world be like if two plus two equaled seven?

I got pretty shirts. I am wearing one. Laura picked it out. Yay Laura. I have fans too. Pretty fans. Very pretty fans.

I need to learn how to juggle.

For the randomly (criminally or otherwise) insane.

Hello again.

I was told to update my blog.

So this is an update.





























I was so tempted to leave it right there. But then certain people I know might come and do certain things to other certain things that would make other certain people unhappy. Mainly me.

Don't you love the vague? Nope, I don't really either. If you agree good. We're in the same boat.

I don't know if you that I am currently trying to write a story. It needs a title. A good one. A good solid title that is not silly like I like naming my blog posts or journal enteries. (No - not online ones goofs). So, if you have a good idea for a story title nows your chance to name it, I think. I'll probably come up with something better and disregard everything posted here in regards to an actual story title. But I do have some names I need to be filled. The story has two towns, one used to be prosperous and lively, a small rural town catering to farms and trappers and the occasional hermit. Along comes a new town. Current, very modern, lively, big city-esque. Steals most of the customers away from the old town. There's more, and a back story to all this, but for that you'll have to wait to read it, ne? Anyways I need names for these cities/towns-like things. I can't just blatantly call the new town Sodom either. I think I have more tact than that. Oh! I forgot, everyone in the area was opposed to having the new town built as it uprooted many families and the suchlike. And no, it's not written like speaking as this is.

Personally I think I like the old town better. But that's just me.

So.

Anyone know a certain crazy artist who had been taking random words and making pictures from them? Well I said that was easy. Except I can't draw. So I said I'd modify it to a sentance and write a short story about it. I've done it before, they just didn't exactly get put down on paper. Like I think folks will want if they give me sentances. Yes. I think I did want I just did...

*sigh*

Anyways, I was thinking of taking German 10 through SIDES before going to UVic and wasting a bunch of money there. Opinions? Is this good, bad or why in the world would you want to learn that language for?

Other things. I am currently sick. Like coughing from chest sick. I don't get sick like that. EVER. I get sick like head cold, here, then gone sick. Not deep and lingering. Go Away! Gah! For those that care, my Miss Milly is doing much better, her allergies still need medication though. But it's been brought down from three to one pill. Which is good as the pills interfer with her Kidneys screening things properly. So the pills can't be used heavy duty for long periods of time. We've also been walking with other dogs more, next week there's three different dogs! We're also working on new and improved (oxi-moron time) tricks! Fun things. Do *you* know what the doggie version of the moonwalk is? Give us a few more weeks and we'll show you!

Oh gosh, proof the I need to get out more. Yup. Right there.

Wednesday morning I go and help watch a bunch of little kids while there mom's go off and talk. There's this one little kid, his names Elijah. Sweetest thing that you could ever see. I think he's my favorite. I know, *slaps wrist* I really shouldn't pick favorites, but, but, but... do you see him? Gah.

Anyways, I'm off to lurk on your posts now if I can find them.

Puddles on Desks

I'm really tired. Sorry for not updating alot. I got told tonight that it was ok though. I have nothing really good to say, merely a shout out saying that I am alive, though work may be trying to kill me.

Seriously.

I'm quiting my job in January. End of story. I can't take trying to do another forty hour week there. The employees are nice (except for the jerks that are every where), some of the customers make me laugh- actually some a quiet funny, but these memories are lost in a sea of repetiveness and brain killing boredom as the result of doing meanial tasks over and over and over again, till your quiet good at it while your brain vacates the premiss.

I got asked if I wanted to move out. At this point in time I don't really think that I want to. I mean, I kinda do, but mostly don't. I have reasons. Good reasons in fact.

I'm tired, today was day five of forty hours and third closing in a row. How's that for messing with your sleeping schedual?

Peace to everyone going back to school. Don't forget your anti-stress pills.

T'was a DARK and STORMY night...

Hey. So I just had this crazy random thought. What if the reason that people went around naming inanimate objects was because they were practicing for a time when they would possibly name someone else? So they go around and name all these things different names- just to see if they like the name. I mean it's not a big deal if your car or your guitar is named something that after a month you can't stand, but it would be huge if it was a child. So in order to not hate the child's name by misnaming it something that becomes annoying people try out names on other things first. Just think about it.

Sunshine, Lolipops, Rainbows

So last week I had just gotten off work. Silly people made me come in very early and I was tired. Mom was late picking me up and I was wearing nearly full black. This makes for a very hot, tired worker, who goes in front of Subway and sits on the chairs waiting for her ride, as they're the only chairs near. Head down, eyes closed, maybe catch fives minutes of sleep. Maybe. Could try anyway.

Almost there. Startlement. Head up. Boy near. "Here's some water". Heh, not dehydrated, has water in bag. Nice of boy though. Drinks some. Feels bit better.

Boy was kinda cute. Looks very embarrassed. Hmm, Dad waves and winks as they leave store. Dad's idea. Made boy do it. Hate it when parents do things like that. Why can't they do it themselves?

Welcome back

So sorry it's been a while. Honestly, lately I've been thinking really good blogs while working, or walking my dog, or in the middle of having some good conversations.

This post is not going to include talking about any of those from here on out. *GASP* No the dog doesn't get the spotlight right now. Maybe next time.

So I was thinking. I know alot of people who are good at writting. All after there own fashion of course. Like VCshorty would be very good at stream of consciousness (that's a hard word to spell... can't do it on first or second or third... tries again), and my boat loving friend has an extreme talent in poetry. Another who works more than is good for her, and is in the arts show this weekend... need to remember to try and go to that... is an avid reader who reflects what she reads in the way she writes. None to say she is definately not reading small children books. Another could gets his stuff published.

I got off point. I missed people. One's a cudely bear... and like I said most of my friends can write well. This idea came into my head from a conversation on the bus, and was more fully developed while during too much repetative labour at work. I have a writing challenge. There shall be two catagories, and anyone that is known well to the group may enter. I put that limitation on because if someone in the group writes in then as they are known, we would know what direction they are trying to take their writing, and how much is personality being reflected, and ya, anything else... I did have more to back that up... but I wrote this mentally at work and forgot parts. Right two catagories. One shall be 500 to 1000 words. Don't like it? Think it's too many words? Trying to convey more with less? Second catagory is Drabbles. Exactly 100 words. Not one more, not one less. Once you go over 100 you are no longer eligable for this catagory.

Right I knew I had something else to say. The reason for this all? I wanna try writing again. I haven't written a story since grade 12 english. I think it's time to get old skills out, non?

Anyway, you didn't think that that was all? Nope. Now that we have our catagories established, we shall have subjects. Well yes challenges shall come after, remind me about that please. Colors shall be our subjects. Here it goes.

Yellow- depression
Black- Hope, new life
White- Flith
Red- *chanllenge* may not be about anger, passion (love), or blood
Pink- serious

I had more... I had green and blue, but can no longer remember them. So the story or writing must be about whatever color you chose. The color must be mentioned and can be contected to the topic -Ah! Green's- death- Now to the challenge. Not to use the word that is your topic. So for yellow you can not use the word 'depressed','depression', or such like.

Still can't remember blue. Anyways, I thought it would be a good idea. Maybe make a face book group? Then everyone could see the stories and give feedback, which really is what all this is about.

It was just an idea, and it's been bugging me, haunting me throughtout work if you will.

Shine

While cutting down trees

Today's moral of the story. Don't let coffee come up your nose.

See it all started with mere minutes to go on my shift today that someone called Rachel in produce. Problem: there are two Rachel's in produce. Both working today. I thought that it was the other Rachel and apparently she thought that it was for her too, but it was my little brother calling saying that once I got off to go to Smitty's.

So I did. Idiot was eating more barbacue sauce than chicken wings so I made a few bets with him, he went through with the first one, but not the second. Eh, then eventually we started taking about sanity, and how he did have some. He was impressed with how many syllabes it had, I told him how many letters and that he was sane. Then he pronouced sanity somewhat like sa-a-ni-nit-ty-ee. Apparently it was really funny, I don't think that's exactly how he said it, but close enough.

The reason that apparently it was really funny is that my mom, the one who we gang up on to see if we can make her spit out her drink so that it doesn't go up her nose, let coffee go up her nose. Now you see, we'd been trying for years, at least a decade, for that to happen. And it finally did happen. With warm coffee, while taking about sanity.

Bead of water

So I was in the process of realizing something recently. I'm really bad at holding conversations. Especially with new people. Reminds me of someone; namely a fictional character, but meh. So I decided that I wanted to do something about. Problem is I really don't fully know how.

Realized something else as well. I hate feeling vunerable. Stupid little things like the admission above make me feel like that. Which I believes contributes to a lack of conversation. I'm *this* close to taking that down. Gah...

Anyway, today was part one of two of a dog aggression seminar that me and Milly (I know it should be Milly and I, but really? it's a blog) are signed up for.

Today we did nothing that I didn't already know. Mostly we did alot of work with sideholds. A sidehold, is very much like it sounds like, you get your dog to lie down, flip them on their side and pin them there. Do not try that at home, without someone to show you how it's properly done, or fully explain the reasons why you might choose to do this. I'll tell you right now, never, EVER do that as a punishment. Sideholds require a great deal of trust, and using that as a punishment is like emotionally whipping your dog. Not something done in a productive relationship.

It took Milly a full 45 minutes to an hour to settle down. While in a sidehold. That kills legs I might add. When I was first teaching her to trust me while being pinned she headbutted me so hard she made me bite through my lip. That hurt. Alot.

Anyways, after the instructor did her speel (which is similar to Darcie's, just said different, with more emphasis on different things really) I came to a conclusion. I'm probably going to be amazing with dogs if I keep working at it. I don't think I'll ever be able to apply what I've learned with dogs to children. They're actually quiet similar.

I'm going to eat supper now. Drop me a line, and after exams we should get together.

In the Everyday

So tonight my Dad spent it proving he loved me. Nothing big or flashy, in fact we definately were in his dirty, dusty work van, the blue one that used to be my Mom's.

Maybe I should start at the beginning. Sound like a good idea? So my Dad was driving me to my biweekly apprenticship in Brentwood. Half way there he realizes that he forgot his cellphone, so he asks if he can borrow my watch. Of course I say yes. So before I get out I hand over my watch and go to apprenticing. Lotsa fun tonight, there was a black lab named Mischief that didn't like the sounds from upstairs. Which is understandable, considering that during classes there is Karote going on upstairs. Lotsa banging.

To put this more in perspective, normally on the way back from Brentwood, my Dad takes the only time that it's just the two of us to tease me the whole way back. You know, about silly things that really have no importance. I'm pretty sure that's were Matthew learnt to be so annoying.

Anyway, back to the point. So I was sweeping the floor after class, and my Dad walks in, apparently we've gone late again, but I wouldn't know 'cause I didn't have my watch. So I get in the van and the first thing he does is apologize for loosing my watch. First thought through my head *it's just a watch* closely followed by *how am I supposed to get to class on time now?* which is countered by *I'll just half to sit in the cafeteria and watch the other people in my program.*

So I've concluded that it's just a watch, a good watch, but just a watch. And thus not a big deal. Not at all what my Dad thinks if how he kept going on about being sorry, and how it wasn't alright that he'd lost it.

So he had a job in Brentwood that he had to go and look at, and that took a while. When he got back he asked how much the watch had been worth, and were I got it. I had happened to get it out in Langford on a fluke of a day. Then he promised to go out and get me a new one from where I'd gotten it. He also explained that he'd gone out for supper while waiting for me, and that's when he thinks that the watch had fallen out of his pocket. So I thought, no big deal, I'll phone the resturtaunt tomorrow, and see if they have it. Dad countered saying,"No, I'll go there myself." He then proceeded to say about how we'd get up early tomorrow before I needed to go to school, and go to that resturtaunt for breakfast.

It was all incredably sweet. I mean, I had decided that it was just a watch and that I could get a cheap one somewhere in Sidney till I had time to get a better one. The sweetest thing? He promised to charge the people whose place we were at more, that way they'd pay for the watch. He really didn't need to do that.

Moral of the story? Don't make salad before taking off fur covered clothing.

The concrete flower

So I was waiting until something epic happened to update this. Nothing that epic has really happened. I managed to finally give two people their Christmas presents though. I got to read a book in return. I've finished said book during the time that I should have been studying for a midterm.

Meh.

Right before my midterm in another class the teacher was all "we have to get through a whole class time of slides in half the time so we can have a disscussion!" Needless to say nobody really talked much, and many people were massaging hands. Made my brain overload so that I had trouble concentrating. I hate it when teachers do that.

Actually something epic did happen! Well, it might not seem epic to you, but that's ok. I was outside with my dog in the backyard this morning, and she was fetching the ball. Then she saw a dog. What normally happens at this juncture is that she goes running up and down the fence growling and sometimes barking. This is the epic part. She didn't. Well she did for all of ten seconds, until she saw her ball and picked it up from where she had dropped it. Then she came when I called her. Even though there was a dog there. And she knew I had no chance of catching her. Put me on top of the world that she finally thinks I'm more important than trying to run off another dog.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

"Reality is just a big, ugly monster, and I don't believe in monsters."

So I was thinking, and that does happen alot for those of you thinking otherwise. Anyway. Maybe I kinda wanna start my spycell up again? What say you? All I need now is a day, a place, and oh all the time needed. I'm mostly worried about time.

In everything. Not just this, have you ever noticed, sometimes you're rushing through your day just to catch up on yesterday? I think I was doing that alot. I've decided that I don't care anymore. Yesterday can deal with it's self, I've got tomorrow to look at now.

So I'm pretty much on top of my school work. It feels great. I haven't been this on top of it in a few... many weeks. Meaning I should go to stay on top of it. I just finished this really big essay is what that means. And I don't wanna go through that stress again. Gah!

By the way, the reason that there is so many quotes on the last post is because I was looking for this one quote in paticular. And I couldn't find it. But looking for quotes for this one? I found it. How annoying. This is the quote that you can blame it all on.

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you can't do." Walter Bagehot

Why this shouldn't be a post

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” -John Wooden

"There is no greater joy in this life than doing what you have been told you can not do."

So I went to my agility trial, and it was great. We never Q'd but that's ok, because it wasn't a real trial. Milly decided that Hoopers wasn't her thing and that horse excrement was that much more interesting. I can kinda see her point, I mean were's the fun of just running through a bunch of hoops? With the other classes there's jumps, or tunnels, or the contact equipement to some variation. But to just run through hoops? And the fact that we don't get to practice that at all...

Any way. I didn't get any pictures. I got two videos though. Out of four runs. Good times.

“The higher up you go, the more gentle you have to reach down to help other people succeed.” -Rick Castro

“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this?” -Abraham Linclon

So there was a new X-man today finally. It's been so busy that until the flashback at the beginning I didn't remember what had just happened. I'm talking about the cartoon just to let you know... some good times. We had sasuages and crackers, and orange juice. I was hungry.

“I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.” Churchill

"There are three sides to every story, yours mine and the truth."

Anyway, hoped you enjoyed the quotes... it's really cold and I have to work on a project due tomorrow.

‘“But the plans were on display…”_“On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.”_“That’s the display department.”_“With a torch.”_“Ah, well the lights had probably gone.”_“So had the stairs.”_“But look, you found the notice didn’t you?”_“Yes…I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sigh on the door saying Beware of the Leopard.”’ - ‘Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy’ by Douglas Adams

“Some men are Baptists…others Catholics…My father was an Oldsmobile man.” -Ralphie, A Christmas Story

“Our fear of death is like our fear that summer will be short. But when we have had our swing of pleasure, our fill of fruit and our swelter of heat, we say we have had our day.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I know... probably too many quotes... but I like them all. And there's more where that came from :)

So I still have my mass amounts of projects to complete, but I've come to a bit of a standstill considering my printer won't work... which means I should be figuring out a way to get it to work, but I don't really want to at the current moment.

This Sunday Milly and I are entered into a Fun Trial. For those who don't know what that is, it's an Agility Trial except when you successfully pass the course you don't get points to a title. To title you must move up through two or three ranks, and at each rank go through three courses successfully. For the type of course you're trying to rank in. Did I mention there's more than one type?...

Anyways, that's what's going on right now, and how I'm spending my Sunday, in a horse barn, surrounded by dogs.

“Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” -Henry Ford

“Do something everyday that you don’t want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.” -Mark Twain

Not that they're gonna have anything to do with the following post. Why would I do that?

Did you know that Mark Twain wasn't the authors real name? I don't know what it was, and I'm too lazy to look it up. Mostly cause I am waiting for other things to load. It's been a while now hasn't it? Sad thing is that I still don't have a spot for a title. Depressing, right? Just nod and smile at the retorical questions. There you go. Wait, you weren't smiling. That's better.

I has nothing better to do... or I have so many things that I am avoiding starting one because that means having to start on another, and then to another...

That means work. Which I have to go and do now. The whole point of this post was to say that I'm back. Did I make my point?

"When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy."

I love that quote. Go see if you can find who originally posted it. If you do know, then don't tell who it is, but you can tell that you know. Very much like bragging, but not. For those of you who are concered of that. Guess what that reminds me of? A few of you should be able to.

Now, one of the reasons that I put off getting a blog is that I was afraid that I would not update it regularly. Now that is coming true. All my fault I know. Except for that small part that is bloggers. I am attributing the lack of updates and lack of comments to the fact that blogger is making it 'you-must-be-a-genius-to-figure-this-out' sort of thing.

So, before you all ask, Christmas around was pretty good. I had some fun. I actually can relax for about the first week or so of this break, before I have the most dreaded thing of all to work on... yes! that would be homework! And this paticular project just happens to be 10% of my grade... ya, I like it even less than anyone out there reading it.

Currently, I just sat around all day and did nothing. Nothing at all. Well, I knitted and watched my sister. But that was it. And it was boring. Really, really boring. Thankfully I think that I have plans for the next few days. I desperately hope so. I would hate for a repeat of today.

I was reading a book, one of the three that I am reading (finally found some good books to read!) which happens to be The diary of Anne Frank. It's intresting. Especially since I don't have to analyze the whole thing bit by bit. I mean it is fun to be all analitical, but sometimes you just need a break.

Basically, that's been all that's gone on for the past little while. So wrapping this up with Happy New Year.

Stress among other things.

I was going around checking out everyone's blog's, and then the thought occured to me. Maybe, just maybe I need to update mine. Without adding a bunch of quotes to make it longer. I think I might have some stuff to talk about too. You know with my spy cell actually up and running. And this is how it goes...

I was thinking today, that, I just don't have enough time. Which really stinks. And by time, I truly mean, time in day light hours. Why would such a thing be important? Because if it is just me walking my dog I prefer to do it in daylight. And I've been busy alot of the time after school. In which case, she doesn't get walked. Bad, I know. I'm working on that. Homework, and making money usually take up my time right after school. I wanted to change that... so, I'm thinking I'll give up one of my paper routes. Which'll be hardish on me, but I'll live. There are better ways of making money. Actually, I'd like to go into resturant business. NOT cooking, as a waitress. See how that turns out. However, as of now, that is not possible. Dreaming I'm told though is a good thing.

Now, I'm sure you all so desperately want to hear about my spycell, nevermind that most of the people who will read this were there. It's somewhat of becoming a tradition to bake everytime before the cell starts. And eat. Laura's mom makes good lasanga. Yup, though the chocolate chip muffins didn't turn out so well... Matt still wants us to make blueberry ones. Can someone help drill it into his head, that THERE NOT IN SEASON. Meaning, I can't get them. On to the actual cell. I could find what I had previously meant to do, so I ran to Laura's computer grabbed and email that sounded good, and read it, then got everyone's opinion. Then told them about the whole option of having a book study thing. They seemed to like the idea. It's going to be very interesting though... depends where I decide to go on it. And which book I could do.

After that we went, and watched Over the Hedge, after missing the first ten minutes. Better than I thought it would be, but still not the greatest movie ever. Not something I'd want to watch again. However, at the end there was a good quote,

"You know we woulda given it all you, it's what families do.
Really, it woulda been nice to know that in the being.
That's bad communication, also runs in families."

Something to that effect any way. After that, while we were waiting for rides, we listened to a song called 'Alice's Resteraunt'. Except that it barely had anything to do with Alice. Apparently it was used as a protest agaisnt the Vietnam war.

On other things, in English today we started Macbeth. Sounds... intresting. Lindoff gave us about a twenty minute lecture on the book, explaining things, making us take notes. And we started to watch the movie. He's not wasting anytime. Another thing, I would hate to have to play a role as one of the witches. I really, really don't like them.

I've run out of things to say, so goodnight.

Churchill

A good while ago Werner said to go and look for quotes from Churchill. Nothing, absoultely nothing was happening. So I did. And this is what I found.

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril.

All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.

Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.

An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.

Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.

Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.

He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.

I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colours. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.

I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents.

I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.

It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.

It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required.

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.

The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.

One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.

Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

The price of greatness is responsibility.

The reserve of modern assertions is sometimes pushed to extremes, in which the fear of being contradicted leads the writer to strip himself of almost all sense and meaning.

There are a terrible lot of lies going around the world, and the worst of it is half of them are true.

To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

When I am abroad, I always make it a rule never to criticize or attack the government of my own country. I make up for lost time when I come home.

When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.

Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations.

I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.

One day President Roosevelt told me that he was asking publicly for suggestions about what the war should be called. I said at once 'The Unnecessary War'.

For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else.

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

We shall show mercy, but we shall not ask for it.

Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

There are quiet a few very good quotes in there, or so I thought. On other things, mircophones are fun to play with and headaches don't like car rides much.