Live and Learn '08

Wow... I think that this Live and Learn was perhaps the best of all of them. Of course, I remain biased about it with Nic by my side nearly 24-7 the entire time, but still. I found my balance while I was there... I went to a few talks (I was really upset that I missed Brenna's and Cameron's, but I was so exhausted that I needed to sleep in at least one of the days, especially if I was going to survive the masquerade) and I feel that I went to just enough funshops that I enjoyed myself, but I wasn't overwhelmed or overscheduled. The few that I went to were:

Gillain's friendship bracelet funshop, and that was a lot of fun. Gillain was marvelous at helping people from demonstrating/talking people through cutting the hemp, to weaving the knots, stringing the beads, and finishing. He was patient and modest with everyone he worked with! Though he tried to refuse many times (as I said, modest), he eventually accepted a bracelet that I had made for him, with his own help. Unfortunately I was incapable of going to the funshop its second time around, I was very grateful to have been there the first time.

Robyn's mask-making funshop was another. I love the mask I made, and I could feel the inspiration flowing through the room as everyone made theirs together. There were beads, paint, markers, plastic gems, feathers, lace and yarn. Kyra's was amazing! I loved the colors she put in it, and all of the detail she thought of. I was a bit simpler than that, but simple was what matched what I wore, so I was very satisfied.

Make-up with your friends. Wow. That was... an amazing and hilarious funshop. When I read about it, I was hanging out with most of my usual L&L friends (Nic, Alec, Roxy, Kimi, Chloe) so I asked that they all just come along. A lot of them said they'd tag along, but they didn't want me putting make-up on them... well, that just wouldn't do, so I spread the word, and managed to tug Logan along as well. I won't lie, I really made him into an A-Class slut. Ruby red lipstick, eyeliner, bright blue eyeshadow reaching up to his eyebrows, and thick mascara. I say, he would have made Mimi Carey proud. How patient he was with me really was incredible... I think I would have grown very irritated with myself. Ah, I'm spoiled by my friends! Nic was my second subject, who was also incredibly patient. After applying eyeliner and eyeshadow, he said that the only way he would allow me to put lipstick on him was to make him into a Joker. ...so I did.


I know I'm already extremely biased, but isn't he beautiful? ♥ Heehee!

There were way too many inside jokes to name, but I'll try a few anyway. Kimi's poisoned ice cream turning her hair blue, having a seizure, ripping the sunglasses off your face while you're outside and putting them on when you're inside, "Did you know the distance between here to here, is the same from here to here?", Moo-purr (though that wasn't really my inside joke to begin with), "Ahbbeii!", beautiful babies, The Chicken, and so many more. Y'know how awful it is when so much happened, and though it's all on the tip of your tongue (or... fingers, if you're blogging) but you just can't grab them and say/write it all? Egh. Yeah.

The talent show was a blast, as well (and as usual). The amount of the kids that were brave enough to participate the very first night was amazing to witness, and they were (though I hope they won't feel demeaned or offended that I say so) adorable. After being berated, reminded and begged by a few people (cough cough, Mindy and Alec) to play To Zanarkand at the talent show, I did. I was shaking from head to toes as I got up on that stage, but I did it! It was weird... I could have walked up to any of those people in the audience and had a conversation with them, no sweat. I am so confident in myself now, that I feel I could have done that... even talking to them up there, that was no problem, because I can just concentrate on those eyes that I know. But when I'm performing on a piano in front of everyone on a stage, and I know they all can hear my playing, I get a little shivery. I made more mistakes than I could have accounted for up there, but I still managed to get an applause that reassured me that I was exactly where I needed to be, and everyone agreed. I still have to thank Alec and Mindy excessively for getting me up there. It was great.

The masquerade was incredible, too... apparently Logan was so impressed by my makeup the first time I did it, he allowed me to put a little bit of eyeliner on him to match his costume! Nic did as well, and I was oh-so flattered. Nic looked sexy very handsome in his costume, which he and I had picked out at a thrift store sometime in the week before L&L. At first he wanted pirate, then we thought swashbuckler type shirt and dark pants, maybe he could just dress up instead of dressing up as something... then once we got it, it took us another week before we really realized that he looked just like Wesley from Princess Bride, dressed up as the Dread Pirate Roberts! So it turned out he got his pirate look after all. The ironic part about it, is Princess Bride is the first movie that he and I watched together... ♥ A little while later, it was apparent that my costume also resembled Princess Buttercup, so apparently we were dressed up as someone else after all!



(Thank you to Madeline for uploading these pictures for me to steal!)

The entire masquerade was fabulous. Unfortunately, it was so warm in there, I could only bear to wear my mask for about fifteen minutes before taking it off. Same went for nearly everyone else, in fact. I was a little disappointed with most of the music (preppy pop stuff like Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me, and My Humps) but when surrounded by all of your friends, it doesn't really matter what song it is you're jamming to. We all had a great time.

If only it could last. Nic went home near the end of the picnic, and I had a really hard time dealing with him not being there. I've mostly coped by now, but everyone else was really supportive and helpful. Ben, Christine, Mindy, Dagny, Kimi... they all had some advice and comfort that I was very grateful for. I love all of you guys, and I can't wait to see you sometime soon!

I'm sorry that I didn't have more pictures to put into this blog, but I'm on my laptop and the pictures are on the PC. I'm sure my mom will post them all sometime soon, so you can enjoy them over there! I'm sure I didn't do Live and Learn justice, but at least that slightly summed up my experience.

Learn Nothing Day?

It was a lost cause before we even began trying. It was so great, though! Not the learning-nothing part (as I said, lost cause, how can you not learn something?) but failing and learning with all of the people we gathered together to meet! Mindy, Laura, Wendy, Ren, and a bunch of other Unschooling/Homeschooling families that we found and hung out with there! The day before Learn Nothing Day, we hung out at Ren's house, which was a blast. I have to admit, I was feeling really tired the whole day (and slightly groggy... my mind was still in The Host, which I had been reading in the car) but when the sun went down and the music was turned up, I was energized to jump and (belly)dance with everyone! If you want more pictures, go to my mom's blog --> Our Joyful Life, because I don't have any on this computer.

Anyway, on the Learn Nothing Day itself, I was treated to the massage of my life. Thank you so much, Mindy! I (yes, I know, bring on the nagging) learned so much from her, and gave her and Wendy a massage right after. I found that I really enjoy giving people massages... feeling the knots in their neck, shoulders and back, working them out, and helping other people feel better and more comfortable. Mindy and Wendy agreed that I have a natural talent for it (that's purely their opinion, though, because who am I to say? I've never given myself a massage!) I'm really interested in learning new techniques. I think I've found another calling of mine.

Now I just have to figure out how I can be a masseuse, a writer, a track runner, a bow-and-arrow-person, and an actress. A ma-wri-run-bow-ar-tress. Mawrirunbowartress. I'm sure they're looking for one of those somewhere! ...anyone? Anyone?

Chibi Comic

Well, recently Dev has been showing off her amazing drawing capabilities (*loooves*) and I, as usual, am very envious. I've never been particularly good at drawing people, for that matter, for I get obsessed with little details and I can never get 'em right... so instead, I decided to take a different anime-drawing approach. The term is 'chibi,' which translates to "small" in Japanese, but is also known as an anime style in Japan.

Chibi: A term used by anime/manga fans to refer to small and detailless characters. "Chibi" characters are often used to represent a form of cuteness. It can also be used to indicate small characters (like Chibi-Usagi/Sailor Chibi Moon in Sailor Moon).

Anyway, I decided that maybe I wouldn't be too bad at this kind of drawing! I mean, you can't really mess up chibi. It just has to small, cute, chubby characters!

Dev was thrilled to hear I decided to try this out, and she confessed she was never that good at it... but pfft, she doesn't have to be! She draws so beautifully, and with such amazing detail... I've decided to go to Chibi to escape the pressures of realistic drawing!

And so, these pieces were born. But first, let me give you a little insider on Des and Celi; first, they are our WoW characters. They both are rather fond of alcohol (I'm not sure I'd go far enough to call them alcoholics, though) and bubbles by the mouth often indicate that they are drunk. They both love fun, and they are the BEST of friends, just like Dev and I.

For the basics, Cel is Dev's character, and has long hair with multiple piercings up her ears. She has earned the title "Failure of a Hunter" because all of her pets hate her and run away. She's very racist, as well. She despises Draenei, Dwarves, and Gnomes... Humans seem to be safe from her fury only because her home is Goldshire, a Human town outside of the Human city of Stormwind, and if she were to be cruel to her hosts she could very well be kicked out. In addition, she can be very dramatic, outspoken, and has a reputation to be a ticking bomb with sharp weapons. On the flip side, she's cuddly and very hyper!

Des, my character, is a less extreme version of Celi and at the same time, exactly like her in so many ways. She has also earned the title "Failure of a Druid" because 1) She can't heal, 2) She's constantly trying to do things Druids can't/aren't supposed to (i.e. wear plate, fight with swords, learn arcane magic) and 3) She looks bad in green. For the qualities that separate her and Cel: she's a little more polite to strangers and doesn't snap quite as easily. She doesn't have any piercings, and half of her shoulder-length hair is pulled into a small ponytail on the back of her head. She also wears dresses, while Cel will never get near one.

And so, without further ado, I give you the first ever Chibi Drawings of Destiny and Celi!

THE END

Well, I had a LOT of fun drawings these, that I'll probably decide to do more! I hope you guys enjoyed 'em!

Tree-Hugger

Well, today I was in a tree-huggerin' mood, sitting outside and feeling the cool, Minnesota-May breeze... I knew that it would probably be the last like that. There certainly wouldn't be "cool breezes" in Georgia, anyway (maybe in the 'winter', I suppose!). My mom also mentioned that she would miss the trees... yes, there are trees in Georgia, and the area we would be moving to would be a lot like Minnesota, but nothing quite matches MN's... forest. A woods in the backyard, watching our baby twin deer growing up. There probably wouldn't be things like that in Georgia.

But a change is necessary, nevertheless. I know I'll miss these old things, but what would the point of living here have been if I didn't? I really love Minnesota and thinking about myself as a Minnesotan girl, but I'm really looking forward to embracing the new aspects of life, and the pure differences that Georgia has to offer. It will be like nothing before, that's for sure, but as Bilbo Baggins would say, "I think I'm quite ready for another adventure!"

Anyway, going back to the note on trees... a friend of mine was bored a couple of hours ago and asked if I had any requests on an icon for her to make. I suggested something that had to do with "Hug a Tree". I thought it was so cute, it instantly inspired me - as did the entire day, as well as nature in general - to write a poem. Here it is!

Tree-Hugger

The soft, peaceful breeze
Lightly blows the trees,
Caresses the leaves,
And all worries, relieves

Darkness unfolds
Wonder, the night holds
The starry sky knows:
For now, all goes

The ocean, it sways
Beneath a sun's harsh rays
The cool water's touch
Sand escapes one's clutch

The clouds from above,
We all truly love
And as nature breathes in,
It warms all from within

She's aliive! ...with a poem!

Okay, so it's been a very long time since I posted *anything*, I know... but I'd like to assure everyone that I am in fact still alive. Great news, huh? I know!! Right?

Anyway. Teenage mockery aside, I return with... a poem! I've been rather obsessed with the Twilight books lately, so it should be a no-brainer to guess where I got most of my inspiration from. I also gotta' thank Dev, who just randomly blurted "Oh, I want to write a poem about vampires!" Obviously it was too tempting for me to resist. Anyway, here it is!

In the Night, Before the Light

A setting sun,
A brand new run
I rise to stroll the night
A drunken stagger,
No need for a dagger
I licked my teeth with delight

I walked into the cool, dim room
Music too loud and a gray smoky haze
The darkness covered my cold, pale face
But my voice quickly pulled the girl's gaze

"Come with me," came my soft whisper,
And she was smart enough not to disobey
But once I spoke a single word,
It was hard not to be my prey

I led her to the alleys of the street,
The aroma of her body far too sweet
I couldn't resist the temptation much longer
I gently pushed her to the wall
But it only made her curiosity stronger

"This won't hurt a bit," I whispered again,
But my eyes flashed a lie
My fangs quickly slipped into her neck,
But her gasp was merely a sigh

The taste of her blood washed over my senses
And pulling away was no longer an option
I sucked and licked every drop with my might
There was passion in every motion

Soon enough she was as pale as me,
And her eyes could no longer see
I gently sat her on the hard pavement
And as calm as I arrived, I went

A cold deed
To simply feed
I was quickly out of sight
I returned home
I was all alone
And asleep again before twilight

Abbi's Explanation - Travel Day

Yeah, here's the apology/filler blog for not posting in... well, for a long time. What have I been doing while I was gone? Lots of stuff! Traveling, getting stuck in airports, riding rides, coming home, getting sick from airports, not-letting-that-stop-me and cooking, playing piano, playing Crystal Chronicles, cooking more, watching movies, and playing our new Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Yeah, a lot, but I'll start from the beginning.

As most of you may know, my family and I went off to California on February 14th, but I'm not sure if all of you knew we were trapped in the terminal the first day. Mmmm-hmm. We had to way up at the agonizingly early hour of five, drag our exhausted butts out of the hotel room and rush down to the elevator, heavy suitcases swerving to-and-fro behind us. When we got to the main lobby of the hotel, our expecting shuttle had just left. We had to talk to the hotel employee behind the counter to call it back so that we could hurry into the -20 degree weather and run into the shuttle. I had never really been on a shuttle before, because friends had always been there to pick us up and drop us off at the airport... because it was so early, we decided to just take a hotel shuttle, but, I didn't really like this:

When I can normally expect a comfortable, warm drive and fun conversation with my family, instead I got to nuzzle into the slightly torn, germ-infested seats, while we were crowded with other cold people clinging to their luggage. My nose was runny from the weather, the driver looked grumpy, the people did not appear happy, and the drive down the interstate was as bumpy as legally possible. Okay, so we're on the shuttle, and we're goin' to the airport... just a few more hours, I kept telling myself, and we'll be in bright-and-sunny California, where everyone is tan, rich, and happy. (Okay, maybe not happy, but there were definitely a lot of tan and rich-looking people.)

As we were driving along to the airport, we noticed that a similar shuttle in front of us was taking off from another hotel. It was almost identical to the one we were riding in, except... well, the back door of the shuttle was wide open. You could see the passengers' luggage bouncing around in the back there, appearing right-out prepared to hop out and cause a several thousand dollar accident. Everyone in our shuttle was pointing out the mistake of the driver in front of us and giggling to each other in that quiet movie-theater whisper, but you could all tell they were a little nervous. I caught a few of them glancing behind, as if to check to make sure that the door to our shuttle was closed, and that their luggage wasn't about to bounce into the street behind us.

Thankfully, as we pulled into the airport drop-off station, there were no accidents, and all of our luggage was once again comfortably in our arms. (Okay, maybe not comfortably... I was getting used to the heavy bags getting carried around by a car. Nope, now I am blessed with the pleasure of personally dragging it behind me, beckoning people to the side so I can make way through the crowded airport with my mother-ship of a suitcase.)

Well, the next stuff is pretty predictable. Checking in (though it took much longer to do it this time, I can't remember why, but it was...), going through security (which was a bit of an adventure. Now that I own a laptop of my very own, I had to unpack and pack it, while I subconsciously felt the stares of the people behind me, urging me to hurry up). And finally, finding the ding-dang gate, which always happens to be alll the way on the other side of the terminal. So we walk, we walk, we walk and we walk. We finally get there, and it's still dark outside... maybe about 6AM. We take a seat, and me and Alec just chat for a while, before the first-class gets to board. Now as they're getting on, we get called. We move into the airplane, sit down, and I fall asleep almost instantly. I could hear the driver talking over the radio here and there, but just in the back of my head. I was dreaming of the blue ocean, roller coasters, the sun, amusement parks...

...I woke up some time later, what felt like maybe an hour... looked around, expecting to be in the air, and...

We were still on the ground. No, we hadn't arrived, we hadn't even moved. I could hear the driver speaking over the radio again. Something along the lines of, "We're sorry folks about the slight delay we're experiencing at the moment, but we'll clear it up immediately." Fifteen minutes later. "Hello, and again we're sorry, we'll be taking off very soon." Another fifteen minutes. "Hi again everybody, I'm sure you've noticed that we haven't taken off yet. We'd like to apologize for this, and add that we're afraid that there is a slight disturbance with the engines at this time, but we will get a car over here immediately to fix it, and then we'll be on our way." Twenty minutes later. "Good morning everybody, we're afraid there is something wrong with the car that was coming over here. We thank you for your patience, and right now we are sending a car over to fix the car that will fix our engine." A final twenty minutes passes, and we still are not moving. Eventually we hear the driver talk one last time.

"We're sorry folks, but this flight has been canceled. You may call-"[insert cellphone number here]"-and they will be glad to help you reschedule a flight today. Thank you for choosing Northwest Airlines, and have a wonderful day."

... Great. Just perfect. We woke up at five AM to get on this stupid flight so we could get to stupid California so we could enjoy this stupid vacation, but now we can't even get over there. I look over and notice mom's on the phone, probably trying to reschedule a flight. Yep, she is... and we got one. The earliest possible flight. Lucky for us, it's still today, and we don't have to get another hotel. But y'know when it is? Seven. Seven PM. Yes, we have to wait twelve hours for a new flight... and best of all, our luggage is already flying over to California. It'll probably arrive over ten hours before us, too! Perfect. Dandy. Absolutely brilliant. By now (what with the frustration of the flight and having to wake up so early,) we're starving and want something to eat. Thankfully there's the terminal right by us, and food is being advertised everywhere. But of course, upon leaving the aircraft, we have to go through SECURITY AGAIN to get back into the terminal. More fun with two laptops, yay!

Okay, so we're finally in, and we're eating at Chili's. My mom pulls out the cellphone to start calling people that could take us in while we're here for the next twelve hours. We call up some good friends of ours, but nope, they're at work. We call up my mom's brother. Nope, not there. We call up a few more people (of which are not striking me at the moment, but I knew there were more people than that...) nope, nope and nope. No one is there. But, who would be? Who would be home at 7AM on a weekday? And if they are there, who would be awake? Ugh... well, looks like we get to spend some time in a terminal.

It was frustrating, but at the same time exciting. The thought of having to wait until our plane was depressing, but the idea of being "trapped" in a terminal was like a little adventure. Looking at our situation with a brighter, more optimistic perspective was refreshing, and I felt prepared to look around. We got to explore everywhere, I was able to try some herbal great hand cream, Kyra got some satsuma lip balm and body wash, I considered getting a new sweater (decided against it in the end) and we hung out in a comfy computer area. I also got to watch Pan's Labyrinth ('Laberinto del fauno, El') for the first time (which turned out to be pretty good... I didn't like the gore, but it was a fun, thrilling adventure.)

Overall, it was a fine experience... it got boring after a while, but I was able to cope, especially when I had the best chocolate ice cream I had ever tasted. Ben & Jerry's. Amazing. I had never tasted anything better. Besides all that, the flight there was pretty annoying, arriving around midnight to one o'clock. I was happy to see my dad, and we all fell asleep in the hotel pretty fast.

So that was an... interesting day. Exhausting, frustrating, and thrilling (mostly the Labyrinth part, but the terminal part too). I was just glad I didn't have to eat the free condiments (crackers and ketchup) from the fast-food restaurants.* It was all good the next day, where I was greeted with freshly squeezed orange juice (the ONLY orange juice I have EVER liked), fresh made eggs, perfectly toasted bread, and the best breakfast service ever. Crown Plaza, L.A. Incredible. Anyway, that pretty much includes the first couple of days on our trip... I'll brief up the rest of it tomorrow (it's 12AM now and I'm rather tired) and then finish what I did with the rest of my days. It probably won't be as long as it was today, mainly because nothing could be as long as the travel day!

Love you all, and I'll write again soon.


*a The Terminal reference

Trivia Tips about Abbi!

...some that even she was unaware of!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Abbi!

1. Abbi is born white; her pink feathers are caused by pigments in her typical diet of shrimp!
2. Abbi can't sweat.
3. Abbi, from the movie of the same name, had green blood.
4. While sleeping, fifteen percent of men snore, and ten percent grind their Abbi!
5. Grapes explode if you put them inside Abbi.
6. Abbiolatry is the mindless worship of Abbi!
7. Abbi was first discovered by Alexander the Great in India, and introduced to Europe on his return!
8. If the annual Australian Abbi crop was laid end to end, it would stretch around the world seven times!
9. The Vikings believed that the Northern lights were caused by Abbi as she rode out to collect warriors slain in battle.
10. The risk of being struck by Abbi is one occurrence every 9,300 years.

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

..11. Abbi believes that more people should practice and express the holy religion of Abbiolatry.
12. Abbi doesn't actually like shrimp, but she still thinks that her "feathers" are pretty.
And yes, 13., Abbi truly is the mastermind behind the Northern lights.

Thursday Thirteen - Movie Soundtracks

Well, I apologize for being so negligent toward my blog, but here I am making up for it, and posting my very first Thursday Thirteen! Yay! Truthfully, I'm surprised that I'm makin' it in, it's really late today... sure, people will be readin' it on Friday or later, but at least I know I got it in on Thursday!

This TT's Theme is...

My Favorite Movie Soundtracks!
In the order of preference (preference may or may not change in the future).

1. Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street

All right, so I've owned this soundtrack for two days, and it's already been promoted to the top of my list. Wow, I absolutely love this. I can listen to the songs over, and over, and over. I have most of the songs memorized by now (of course!!) and cannot stop repeating the CD. I think Kyra's getting a little annoyed with the repetition, but geez, I cannot stop loving Johnny's voice. Johnny + Helena duet = beautiful and heartbreaking! Johnny + Alan duet = sweet and passionate! Johnny + Jamie duet = gorgeous and breathtaking! Man oh man, ALL of them can sing. Oh, and as long as you don't mind a bit of blood (let me correct that - a LOT of blood) then I definitely recommend the film as well. It's beautiful. Unfortunately, if blood bothers you, I'd have to say... stay away. (In which case, you can just go ahead and buy the soundtrack, and enjoy that!)


2. Across the Universe


This movie is... complete bliss. You just have to watch it, I can't explain to you how amazing and incredible it is. The soundtrack is the same - every single song is by the Beatles, and have been tweaked slightly by the singers. It is just... wow. When we got this, I listened to nothing but it. I'm counting down the days for when it is released, and truthfully, all I can say is: WATCH IT.


3. Phantom of the Opera


I fell in love with the movie almost immediately, and like the No. 1 & 2 Soundtrack Favs., the songs are breathtaking. I swear, if I just put these three soundtracks on repeat, I could listen to them to the grave. This CD was the only one that I listened to for about two months straight, and I watched the movie every other day. Personally, I like the songs in the movie over the Broadway version, but that's just my opinion. Oh, and... the moment I saw the Phantom, I knew he was sexy. Little did I know, he turned to be the beautiful Gerard Butler (who me and my mom now both ADORE, as do many others) I get to flaunt the fact that while other people somewhat cringed at Gerry's deformed face, I loved him from the start. (Yeah, yeah, I'll still share...)

4. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings, Two Towers &

Return of the King

Because I'm a little dork and don't want to post three albums in a row, I'm just gonna' post a good picture of Viggo.

Yay, Viggo!

I would link the names, but I couldn't find the soundtrack on Amazon. What is wrong with them for not having Lord of the Rings soundtracks, I'm sure you're asking, and I confess I share in your exasperation. Fortunately, we already own the CD and love it passionately. Hoorah! The songs on that are awesome, and, well... there's not much else to say. The singing, the lyrics, the orchestra... it just plain rocks, man. "Into the West" (the last song on Return of the King) can even make my mom cry, every time she hears it. Dang, that's one good song!

5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory


There's not much to say for this one either, except wow Johnny's a good actor, and too bad he's not singing here too. I love all the songs, as well as the orchestral pieces with no singing. Thank you, Danny Elfman, and it's really too bad that Chris had to cut your head off in the Star Wars Family Guy episode (which I recommend people watch, too)!


6. Juno


Such an adorable film with the most hilarious quotes, and the soundtrack is no exception to its wonderfulness. The songs they have in it are sweet and funny, and very hard to resist. Obviously it's not a movie you want to watch if you're looking for action, but it's a slow-rowing, fun journey through nine months with a sarcastic, nonchalant 16 year old girl. What kind of shenanigans can she get into, you may be asking yourself, and the answer is simple: you'll just have to watch the movie and find out! We just bought the CD today, and have been listening to it over and over (well, it's sharing every-other repeat with Sweeney Todd). This is a 100% recommendation from me, both the soundtrack and the movie. In fact, get both!


7. Elizabeth Town

Like Juno, this is a very cute movie, with two very cute actors. The songs on the soundtrack are awesome and quirky. In the movie, Orlando received a CD mix from Kristen, and all of the songs are on this one! The variety is great, and perfect for all occasions. I love to listen to it in the car, and I think you would too! A good, worth-it buy.


8. Shrek & Shrek 2


If you haven't seen these movies, then I have to say, shame on you (not really). But, "really," you should watch them if you haven't. The soundtracks are really fun, too, lots of good music. Believe it or not, the sequel is as good as the first, and that's saying a lot... because the first was really good.


9. Yellow Submarine


Okay, so I admit, when I was watching this one I fell asleep. I didn't mean to, I swear, but it just stretched on and on... I lasted until they like, found themselves trapped in a bubble, and rescued themselves. What was that about, again? Some sort of freakish time travel, where they found themselves again? Or were made of stone, and they un-froze themselves...? Anyway, they saved themselves, and were babbling on about how they were identical replica, all in their cute little English voices... I didn't get it. Oh well. I still love the music, especially "Lonely People." Go Beatles.


10. O Brother, Where Art Thou?


Great, hilarious movie, and funny original songs. I remember being really little and waking up to the smell of good, freshly-made coffee, and singing "Man of Constant Sorrow", as well as "Down to to the River to Pray". I recommend both (the movie and soundtrack, not those two songs, although they are my favorites). They're entertaining to no end!


11. Michael


I forget how many times I had listened to this soundtrack, but had never seen the movie. Only recently had I actually watched it, but I was still in high confidence - I had loved the songs for so long, after all. They're all fun and good. Oh, and this is another recommendation! (I forget why I still add that... I mean, it's it being advertised on my blog, of course it's recommended, right?) Anyway. Buy, watch, listen, laugh, love.


12. Final Fantasy VII Advent Children


Yep, most movies that are turned to games suck... but is that the same for games turned into movies? Not really, I don't think! This movie really was a fun action film, and the songs are all original creations by Nobuo Uematsu (a famous Japanese composer). Incredible orchestral music, which some songs I will listen to repeatedly.


13. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
When I was wayy little, I remember walking down the street and shouting... "Stop!" Everyone would turn around and stare at me, wondering why I so abruptly wanted everyone to halt. There would be a silence, and after a moment I would continue "Stop you robbers, your little number's up! One of you have stolen my precious golden cup!" Yes, one of Joseph's songs. I can still sing them off the top of my head, that's how deep they've been embedded in my brain. I watched the movie again recently, and was surprised at how many... well, sex references there were in it! I never noticed any of them when I was younger, so it was slightly amusing to watch and register what I had previously skimmed over without a second thought. But don't let that scare you away from this movie. The film and soundtrack is still much fun, and Donny Osmond is always cute to watch dance around. Very good kid's movie, as well as adult's (and women, who squeal to see Donny so young again!)


Well, there's my very first list, and dang did that take long. It's past 9:30PM, and I'm exhausted. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and take to heart what I posted/advertised - I swear to you that I love them all, so check them out if you haven't!

Flattered or freaked?

I think I would be more the latter... but still, I can't help but admire the woman who came up with the lyrics for this.

I now present you with, The Johnny Depp Song!



Nama-nama... mmm-hmmm... for the rest of us that the song isn't about, I feel we may all appreciate his manliness as well as this song. And I know I'd be able to love him more than that Frenchy model-chick in Paris, he can bet on that.

Actually, last night when I heard that song, I was first a little skeptical... I mean, he's how old, now? Maybe I should stick with the mid to late thirties, instead of forties... such as Richard and Gerry. Well, might as well not assume without a bit of evidence, so I decided to Google a few recent images of Johnny. Here's just a taste of my result:

Those chocolate eyes...

Those seductively ripped jeans...

...and that cigarette which I will inconsequently ignore for no one else but he.

*Quickly wipes away drool* Okay, well I'll admit I don't know if these pictures are necessarily "recent," but lemme tell ya': the fact that he was born in '63 suddenly isn't of any... how should I put it... consequence to our love, as it may have moments ago. Yeah, I've changed my mind, whatsit to ya'!

Never again shall my adoring compassion falter, Johnny... Isa' promise... ♥

(But then with us watching Lord of the Rings lately, my mind's also been shared for a certain Viggo, and simple thoughts of how good looking he is with dark hair... but I'll save that rant for a different lustful post. ;) )

Just when you thought she couldn't get any weirder...

Yay, I was tagged for another meme!

Which, brings to question. What is a 'meme', exactly? Is it some big thing that I've been left out on? Maybe it's just a nickname for quiz, or survey? Or maybe it's just a little joke about quizzes/surveys, because you're filling out a form about "ME,ME!"? Oh well, no matter. Curiosity's knocking at the door again, but I can keep it at bay with my own (more or less accurate) assumptions and theories.

Anyway.

My good friend Madeline has tagged me for this 'meme'. I think I've done it already (twice), so if you've already gotten enough weirdness from 'meme' and don't need any more, you have my permission to read somewhere else. Of course, if you would like to read more habits, I demand you do so.

That's right. I'm forcing you to read against with your will. Just dandy how that works out, eh?

Once again, here comes that final encouraging - and most likely overused - word that pushes me along with my post: 'anyway!' Here are the rules, with my commentary added, free of charge!

1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you. -Check. Madeline!
2. Post these rules on your blog. -I find this rule rather funny. I can understand if the first rule in the listing of the rules is to post the rules along with your post, but no. They made it the second rule in the rules, to post the rules with your post. Human logic amazes me every day.
3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself. -Getting to that.
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. -Personally, I think this is a questionable rule... I feel weird tagging people if they don't want to do this blog, and I don't think they should be pressured. (So many people have already been tagged, too, so I don't know who has already had their turn to sharing weird facts).
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog. -See above.

Another personal comment: I think that it would have been more appropriate to have seven rules to accommodate the seven facts that will surely follow... ohh well, I suppose.

Without any further ado, just when you thought she couldn't get any weirder... she came out and admitted seven more facts.

1. I don't know how 'weird' this is, but rather, it's a peeve. For some reason, I cannot stand open drawers/cabinet doors. I swear, I do not know why, but I'm always tempted to close them... weird, yes. Abbi-ish, of course.

2. I can hear one thing, and then link it from that, to another thing, to another and another and another. Before I know it, I'm thinking completely off subject and in my own little world, while others are keeping perfectly focused on the topic at hand. Example: Today I was drinking an Ice Tea, and it was really good. I drank that ice tea while eating kernels. I was eating the kernels 'cause I ate all the popcorn. I was eating the popcorn 'cause I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean. I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean while talking to Dev. When talking to Dev, we were practicing DnD. While practicing DnD, I was thinking of new characters that have yet to be created. While thinking of those, I was also talking to a friend about downloading movies off of iTunes. Which reminded me how we had to upload all of our music to our laptop because it was all screwy with the graphics, and the music files got erased. Which reminded me that we might not be able to hook up iTunes to the laptop anymore, so we would have to change where we hooked the iPod up to. Which reminded me that we got a new iPod car-connector thing, called 'iLuv.' I really like that name for a brand... 'iLuv.' Not love, but Luv. Isn't that just great? And Apple came up with that, too.

While doing all of this, I was drinking ice tea.

3. I have an old spirit. Older than my body, anyway. I have found through the preferences of male actors, that I like the older men a lot more. Sure, Corbin Bleu is cute, but he has a few years ahead of him to age. Same goes for Orlando Bloom. As odd as this sounds to compare, I can relate my opinion like some do to wine. Sure, when they're new they're sweet, cute and the like, but they're always better after they've had time to age. So, as I was saying, Zac Efron? Pass. Gimmie my Richard Armitage and Gerard Butler and I'm one happy chickie (who are in fact, 36 and 38. And honestly? I'm all for the accents; Richard = British, Gerard = Scottish. Yummy!)

4. I have an awkward acting thing. I'm really good at memorizing lines, moving and acting along with the words, and presenting it in front of a mirror. Of course, give me an audience expecting a good performance and I freak. I can't keep eye contact with someone while I'm speaking, lest I stare at them during the entire thing. Instead, I get shifty eyes and look everywhere, often at my hands or my feet. Y'see, I think I've gotten it figured out: I'm great at acting, memorizing and becoming one with a character. ...I just can't do it while you're watching.

5. I have a slight twitching habit, as I think you might call it. When I'm watching a movie or reading a book, my leg always ends up tapping or twitching. Most often, I'm bouncing it to nothing in particular... while it annoys others that are sitting next to me, it's calming to me. Goddess knows why, but it is! I also notice that I do it most often if I'm in suspense, which explains why I do it while watching movies/reading books.

6. I think I mentioned this in another "Weird Facts" post, but I'll elaborate a bit more now. I love coffee! In fact, put quite blatantly, I'm a huge coffee snob. My mom dealt with bad coffee for a while, and will inevitably drink coffee that isn't the best if need be... well, then she found her awesome coffee that she can make right at home. That's what I was introduced to. I never had to drink awful coffee, and was given this good stuff, straight out of the belly! In other words, I'm spoiled right to the bone. I've heard it's odd for a 'child' to like coffee, and to that, I've created a few theories; maybe the reason most kids don't like coffee is because a lot of adults aren't too picky about what they drink. They see it as coffee, right? To drink coffee because it's coffee, and everyone drinks coffee. Then kids don't drink it because it doesn't taste good. Why drink something that isn't good? Then when they get older, they don't see it as something that tastes bad, they see it as coffee! Not how it tastes, but what it purely is. I'm also not 'addicted' to coffee. I don't need it. If it doesn't taste good to me, I don't drink it. Maybe that's why I'm so picky about it! I allow myself to be, and I don't suffer if I don't have it. Again, I don't see it as coffee, I see it as a drink that I enjoy having on my tongue in the morning... and if I can't have that taste, then why stoop so low for something that isn't good, just for what it is? Of course, don't get me wrong. If someone does feel they need their coffee fix in the morning, it's all the better that they aren't picky about it. Can you imagine if you were as snobby as me and NEED to have the coffee? Yikes, talk about a raging Godzilla every morning that the coffee wasn't warm for me. Rambling much? Of course, it's Abbi's Blog!

Oh, I also like to think I like my coffee 'bittersweet.' Very dark roast, very little cream, lots of raw sugar. Mmm...

7. As my last weird fact, I'll chose the most random one that I can come up with off the top of my head: I, Abbi, am picky about... eyebrows. Ruffled eyebrows bother me. I swear I don't know why, but they just... do. Whether they're ruffled or poking out of place, I'm so tempted to straighten them. I'm really big about in-place and orderly eyebrows. Out of all the things... eyebrows. I know, weird, right? But what better place to talk about those weird things than this... weird blog? No better place, that's what.

Ack, once again I am faced with the opportunity - or better put, dilemma - of tagging people. I'm sorry to say I'm going to pass, only because so many people have been tagged so often, and I don't know who has already been tagged. I hope too many people don't get angry, even as I doubt they will... (*grabs a book to hide under, just in case*)

I hope you guys enjoyed reading! :) Seasonal wishes to you all!

Picture Survey!

Now really, I'm more of a leader than a follower... but when it comes to following cool-chickies like my mom, Diana, Mary (and Scotty of course, but he's more of a cool-male than chickie :D Loved all the same!), I'll share my limelight to follow them into the new trend of picture-surveys. ;)

1. My age next year: 14

This guy wanted to announce it.


Or, for a cuter look into 14,



I'll admit. I'm a Little Bear groupie girl; he is my hero. Y'know why? 'Cause he's a hewo, he's a guyy... he's a hewooo, he's a guyyy... he's hewo-guy!! (If you haven't seen Sesame Street, sorry that you don't get that. I would give you a link to the song, but YouTube doesn't have it! :( )

2. Place I'd like to travel: Claude Monet's House/Garden in Giverny France

Gorgeous house,



Spectacular Garden (and artist, but I think we all knew that. ;) )

3. Favorite place: All sorts...

I love it at the ocean with the sunset,



The snow and the trees,



My friends,



and the moon.



I'm sure I'll find the perfect place eventually. :)

4. Favorite Object(s): That's easy

Keyboard,



Pencil,



Nail file,



Piano



Give me my basic everyday items, and I'm as happy as this kitty. ;)

5. Favorite food: Chicken Pot Pie; homemade style!



Ahh, this is the homey delicacy that I have had as my birthday dinner for about five years, now. :)

6. Favorite Animal: Like my mama... horses!



7. Favorite Color: Purple!


Ooh... now this is a gorgeous picture. Probably photoshopped, but beeeauutiful all the same. :)

8. My nickname: Abs

Wooweee. I knew what I should expect when openly googling "Abs," but I am swept away by the manliness... *fans self*


And even though there are many, many more pictures after this, I'll leave it to one. For some reason, I rather not having a face to my muscle man... if he has perfect muscles, I tend to expect perfect heads, as well. Unfortunately, either their hair is weird, their eyes are closed, the nose is too big, the mouth is too small, or other ittybityt details are off... but the headless man in black and white? That one serves my fantasy just fine, thankyouverymuch!

(That doesn't mean I want to find a real man walking around with no head... fantasies can stay fantasies and reality can stay reality. I like heads too much to give them up for something that would grow old way too quickly. :D)

9. Town I was born in: Bemidji MN

Do I hear Jingle Bells?


10. Bad habit I have: Correcting people.


...okay, hopefully I'm not that bad. ;)


Consider yourself tagged!

Featuring: To Zanarkand, Starring: The Picture Shirt

Well, it was promised, and here it is! Me playing To Zanarkand on our beautiful Baby Grand piano (which resides smack-dab in the middle of our living room, thank-you-very-much). And, as you may also be able to see, I am wearing The Picture Shirt!



It's a very big file, so if it takes a little bit to load, I'm sorry. Though, it probably won't... hopefully won't.

Anyway. Please enjoy!!

Not for the weak of mind...

Well, because I love testing myself often, I decided I wanted to know what my WPM (Word Per Minute) was, because all-in-all, that's what I judge my typing skills by. The site that I went to to test myself had this quote, which I found absolutely hilarious...

"A programmer is a person who passes as an exacting expert on the basis of being able to turn out, after innumerable punching, an infinite series of incomprehensive answers calculated with micrometric precisions from vague assumptions based on debatable figures taken from inconclusive documents and carried out on instruments of problematical accuracy by persons of dubious reliability and questionable mentality for the avowed purpose of annoying and confounding a hopelessly defenseless department that was unfortunate enough to ask for the information in the first place."

A lot of my friends didn't really get what it meant from that, and it seemed I was the only one who really found it amusing. I just thought I'd share, and perhaps a few of you here would also like it. Oh, and if anyone was wondering, my WPM is roughly 150 (I took several different tests, each of which came up between 135 and 170).

(P.S. The video of me playing To Zanarkand will come either tomorrow, or the next day... as long as we can get this ding-dang camcorder to work on our side)

Oohh, the whole song!

Thaat's right! After about a month's worth of work and a year's worth of patience, I got it all down! The song To Zanarkand is composed by Nobuo Uematsu, and is now being played on a regular basis, by moi! I don't have it perfect, but it's only a matter of days, now. Be expecting a video of me playing it, too!

A little bio about me and my music...
When I was little (AKA younger than I am now), I would think of any song I wanted to hear (which, for example, would be "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," or other simple songs), and I could play out the entire thing by ear. I never read notes, and I HATED playing those little songs they have in the beginners book... why would I want to play a song that goes A, B, C, B, C, B, A, B, C, B, G at a slow pace, with one hand? Sure, it teaches me how to read the notes at a slow but steady pace, but... ugh, again, who wants to play songs like that? Though I admit, sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

One of the sacrifices I made was sucking up my pride and going to a teacher. I decided it would be fine to see what she could offer, and if she could help improve my playing skills. It turned out to be a double-taught class, so me and Kyra were in there together, learning together. That much was pretty cool, and because Kyra was there, I got some backup when I was explaining how horrible the experience was. I went there to learn how to play music, not how to play the 'Wiggle game'. Do you know what the 'Wiggle game' consists of? Playing music? No. Learning notes? No. Wiggling your fingers as you count to five, so you know which ones to use as you played so you didn't have to move your eyes from the sheet music.

Now, if that works for some people then good for them and they should continue working at it, but it didn't for me. So all in all, I knew I wasn't going to waste my time playing a game that involved anything that had to do with wiggling, when I could be teaching myself how to play an actual piano.

So I did.

A few months ago from now (and a few months after the teacher incident) I decided I wanted to learn Mad World. We had the sheet music, so my mom played it and I watched her fingers. A few days later, I had memorized the entire thing, and could play it (those who went to Live and Learn saw me playing it at the talent show with Kyra and my dad at vocals). I really liked that, but from there, there really weren't that many other songs I wanted to play. Soon enough, my mom came up with a song that SHE wanted to learn, so she printed out the sheet music and started playing. This song was called To Zanarkand, a song from the popular game Final Fantasy X (so I had heard the song before, but never in my living room). I was entranced by the music as I listened, and by watching her fingers, it didn't seem that hard... I decided to give it a shot.

I figured out the beginning and the right-hand-part of the song completely by ear, and was shown the left hand by my mom. From there, my mom played each part over and over for me to see and hear, then I would practice and she would critique me (or, show me what I'm doing wrong, an easier way to put my fingers to help while I play, et cetera). Eventually, I had it all down, until the very end with the left hand.

My mom began showing me some of it, but I was running out of patience, and got snappish with her. I was straining to continue playing it correctly, and then I'm told that I've been playing it wrong? Everything began falling apart, and I needed to take a break from the piano and that song.

A few days later, I showed up at the piano once again, determined to keep calm and keep at it until I had it down. I decided I didn't want to snap at my mom any more, so I tried to figure it out by ear... uhh, no. That doesn't work, not with the left hand. The melody is too hard for me to pick out, especially when I have no one playing it by my side to listen to. After groaning and grumbling, I decided to look at the sheet music... I recognized a C, I saw an F sharp, I knew what was a D. From there, I figured out the entire ending of the song! Some of it sounded weird, and I would tell my mom, but eventually I would figure it out (in most cases, I had my hand playing B, D, G, instead of C, E, A, or something like that).

Anyway. After lots of practicing (and lots of grumbling from Alec, who I kept waking up at 2PM every time I wanted to play), I have finally gotten it down! This is very exciting for me, because I've always loved the song, and now I can play it at my own leisure.

Once again, be expecting a video of me playing soon.

Melodic Addiction

Thaat's right, another poem by yours truly. Lately I've been hearing a lot of music, and I've felt really attached to it. I need to listen to it over and over and over... which, has inspired me to write this new poem. It's a bit shorter than the ones from the past, but I think it gets the point across with the few paragraphs that make it.

also, it's not about death... yay!

Melodic Addiction

The melody courses through my veins
Like the blood that keeps me alive
Music is like my addiction,
I go insane if I am deprived

With every note I hear,
I want another one to follow
It's the only thing keeping me going,
Without it, I wallow

The chorus tells of my feelings,
And I become the song
I lose myself in the lyrics,
As I dreamily sing along

My tears fall down in sync,
And I laugh along with the flute
I dance to the rhythm that leads me on,
And my heart beats till its mute

I close my eyes tightly
And imagine the elaborate tune
I'm always disappointed,
When it ends, far too soon...

And with that, I'm going to go watch Phantom of the Opera! More great music!

To Dream, or to Live

To start this post off, I'd like to point out that I'm sorry for being neglectant! I've been in Oregon, and was having trouble finding the time to type about something. I hope I'll be able to make another post when I get home, which will be this Tuesday.

Anyway, this post is... *drum roll*

Another Poem! Yayy! This one was inspired by the ocean, when we visited the coast with all of our friends. It also reflects my feelings on this place, in Oregon, and by the ocean.


To Dream, or to Live

The wind is my rhythm,
The waves are my song
The sand is my home land,
A place that knows no wrong

As I sink my hand beneath
The surface of the grain,
I lift my palm up slowly,
Grounded rocks who show no pain

The wind picks up just as I feared
And blow at my captured sand
They floated away just as they came,
Even I could not restrain it with my hand

The sand glides slowly above the ground,
Carried by the air
Colored so my eye can see,
The beauty that lay there

The ocean waves break to my left,
A bird calls to my right
It is my love, this area of peace
So vast, and full of light

A stirring voice calls out to me
I ignored it without much thought
I shall not leave my paradise,
And if need be, it will be fought

And fought it was, as I clung to the ground
Hoping the voice would fade
But it was not it, that disappeared
For my love shall now be paid

I lift my head from a satin pillow
And stare at the wall before me
A dream, not real, something I just made,
Not the life I live I see

Secretly, I must confess,
I want the life of that:
Of winds and sands and ocean bands,
Not the plain one of a rat

To have that one that I so crave,
I must take the chance
I must move forward toward the dream,
In life, I must advance

I Who Cannot, Do - Interpretations

Hello, hello! I've decided to run a little test of sorts. I've been induced with the curiosity of individual interpretations of all sorts. Recently, I wrote a poem, and showed it to a couple friends... both of them thought and saw it as different things, which I found were both really cool! So, I would like to you guys to help me with this little test/game. :)

I'm going to post the poem that is almost painfully vague, and I would like you guys to email me (which is abbidt@gmail.com) your thoughts and interpretations on it. Now, if you're looking to simply rate or review it, you can leave a comment on this post. Reviews are always welcome. :)

I'd just like for you to tell me what images and conclusions you drew while and after reading. Did you think of love? Or maybe science? Those are just examples, I'd like your own personal conclusions. :) The more detailed the better!! Did the person happen to look a specific way to you? Did they have an expression, or were they faceless? I'd also prefer you send it back to me in an email, and not a comment on this post... if you were to leave your thoughts as comments, another person could stumble along and read that, and it would somewhat ruin their original interpretation, and make it yours.

After maybe a month or so (depending on how many replies I get) I'll post many (if not all) of the different interpretations I was given. I won't put names, if you would prefer. This is not for science homework or anything for school (I don't go to it :p) but a little project I've set for myself, which I think will draw very interesting results.

Anyway, without any further explanation, here's my poem:



I Who Cannot, Do


I have not been favored,
It is something I for one lack
But I see more than all else,
So don't cut me your slack

It is not relevent, for I make up quick
It is something I use, and it's not just a trick
I have mastered my loss,
And I realize, life is not something to toss

I sometimes wish upon the falling stars,
Though I cannot see the redness of Mars
Some of you call me an illogical fool,
Though I do not roll over; I am not the tool

I need not the capability to see the light
I need not the ability to perceive the fight
I understand all around me and perhaps even more,
Listening to old stories, languages, and a bit of lore

I am getting more out of what others throw away,
For only I realize what I must do and say
The ruthlessness of the fellow friend,
The life that cannot 'simply' mend

One should and shall savor,
The not-so-long lasting flavor,
For it will not be forever,
Something we only now can treasure

Helpless victims,
We must act now,
It's not a question of why,
It's a question of how

A limited supply,
I need not an eye,
To see what flies by,
What goes on in the sky

But it's not out there that we must discover,
It's right down here which we have to recover
But no, you're all lost, in your little fantasy lands,
Drinking your beer and singing with the bands

Ironic, how I'm the only one who sees
The darkness around us, while you allow its seize
No, you're too convinced of my lack of sense and eyes,
But you'll soon realize, these words I spew are not simple lies...



Now go, go, go, and email me your thoughts! :) Please and thank you! And as I said before, there are no wrong answers.