The Spinning Wheel of Death

Blog 5: Seriously Lagging

I find that I procrastinate way too much recently.

I genuinely suffer from it in every aspect of my life. I haven't been drawing in my sketchbook, I haven't been blogging as much as these dedicated bloggers even though I sparked the whole thing, and now I've been seriously lagging on my studies. The results of this is both good and bad.

For Chemistry, I periodically turn in my lab reports late. This is not news. I do the work, just a little later than expected. The simple reason is that I'm not motivated in this class. The Weissbart is somewhat aware of this and I got a mixed response from him. Seeing as Susan Surrandon and I are both lumped together in that class, we'd periodically be late on assignments together. However, I don't think that The Weissbart doesn't really mind. We still show up to class every now and then and we always show up for lab. I guess he just tolerates us as we are, which is a good thing because most of the time it feels like we're the peanut gallery in the class.

This feeling of laziness after Chemistry usually spools over to my Piano class. I was worried of coming back to Piano earlier last week, seeing as I missed a week and a half of it. Heidi is not the stern type, but she is the kind of person you would hate to disappoint, not in the sense that she has a back handed scheme brewing in the works but more like the relative that went into so much trouble preparing a dinner that you never bothered showing up for.

For Statistics, I haven't been going. I guess I missed a few quizzes. Thing is, Truong is an easy grader and the grades are based on the tests, which are multiple choice. Plus, learning math is one of my strong points. So really, for not going to class all the time, I'm really ahead in the class seeing as I find myself trying to explain to the other students around me what Truong is trying to teach. I'm technically at a "C" right now without even trying...

Concert Band is still Concert Band to me; Just a class to play off some emotions, make sure I know my music, and to hang around other awesome musicians. Because I'm still not enrolled in that class, I have the freedom of going or not going to class as I please. I still do, only out of respect for Ellen DeGeneres. There's nothing really to procrastinate on.

The only class I'm not procrastinating with any work on is Italian. I always liked this class because it's where I feel I'm actually learning. Thing is, I'm also starting to lag a little more in learning the vocabulary in that class. I would sometimes space on a word that we had already learned and whenever Martinelli asks me a question in class, I would find myself stalling and just space out on what I was going to respond. I think what it is about this class is that, because I signed up for Choir, my days at school are longer and I simply end up exausted by the end of the day, which is when I'm attending Italian. What I've done to try and counteract this is go to Professoressa Martinelli's office hour before class and I would just try and talk to her. She so far asked how I was doing in Choir, how my "girlfriend" in Santa Cruz was doing, and whether or not I was attending Italian 411 next semester. She also showed me some Italian operas that are opening in San Francisco and what their storylines were. She's fun to talk to... Or at least try to talk to. XD

The only class I haven't really missed yet was Choir, and I haven't done much rehearsing for that class. Apparently, Dr. Hughes thinks I prepare for his class because I got an email Saturday morning, saying that I, along with a few other people in Choir, showed that I came prepared for class with notes learned and offered us to sing a soloist section part of the song. The sad thing was that I hadn't looked at any of the new music at all and never bothered to touch my music that entire week. So apparently I rule at sight reading... I guess that's going to have to change now. XD

And yeah... Assuming I wouldn't procrastinate on this blog, I'll keep you updated on other things as they pop up.

Some Face Time and Binary Code

Blog Start: 01011000 01000100

So yeah. Thursday, 11/13, was a pretty good day.

After choir, Piper was complaining to one of the Jennifers from Chamber Singers, Mama Compton, about how she didn't get invited to come along to JT's one night when everyone was there.

Mama Compton is one of those hey I'm cool with everyone and like to be hyper all the time, but I need my personal space kind of people, which was very odd to me. I hear stories of these misadventures with Mama Compton and how random she can be, but whenever I saw her around some people she didn't know she closes up. It took me all of 2 weeks to try and get a hug out of her. XD

As to Piper's complaining, apparently some of JT's friends, along with Mama Compton and one of the gay Justins, decided to hang out. They ended up going to Molly's to watch Up,which Piper hasn't even seen yet.

Okay, just as a side note: Piper has been hanging out with JT and different variations of Chamber folk/JT's 'friends' at least 3 times a week. We both had hung out with JT for like 2 weeks straight during the summer and we both have grown attached to this style of life. Now, Piper gets the chance to hang out with him more than I do, which gets kind of annoying and sad when you hear about something going on that you were not a part of every night during a phone call, the phone call which usually happens to occupy time until another hang out session is going on.

Piper realized this and decided to orchestrate some hang out time that night and including me. So she calls JT to ask if the four of us can hang out tonight after his Chalice rehearsal.

First, Piper, Taka, and I took a trip to Piper's house to get her laptop and cell phone charger. Then, I went to Statistics where there had been a quiz planned, but it turned out that the teacher decided to postpone the quiz until next week. Notes were clear enough to understand, but the review was a little hard to get a grip on so I'm going to need to study some of that this weekend...

After class, I went back to the cafeteria to wait with Piper. The both of us ended up watching some of Howl's Moving Castle in the secluded cafeteria hallway that echoes toilet flushes from the adjacent bathrooms. The movie seems really good so far I can't wait until we finish it! I did some research online and found out that, not only was I right that the voice of Calcifer was Billy Crystal, but also that Christian Bale, the guy who plays the new Batman, is the voice of Howl. XD

At 7, Mama Compton got out of class. I, begrudgingly, called JT to tell him we were on our way. We walked through the stadium parking and continued off on the road behind the school where it was completely dark for most of the walk. Piper had out my handy dandy flashlight/glowstick/ravestick/rape whistle to lead the way. We talked about random stuff like yoga class as choir sectionals, played the ABC game using random cool words, and even took pictures of a cute little raccoon.

When we got to the edge of JT's street, Piper told us to hush down so that we can all be stealthy ninjas. I commented that we needed our own theme music, and that was when Mama Compton started to go "Wa wa wa wa wa wa waaaa!" in hushed tones. We sneaked into the back yard, in the dirty ditch, and quietly walked through the living room and into JT's room, not distracting the few people singing around an upright piano.

So there we were in JT's room, swish swashing on the water bed and listening to choral music. I sat on the computer, checking JT's then Mama Compton's facebook. On Mama Compton's facebook, I had to play Scrabble for her with a couple of her other friends. She apparently rules at that game. XD

We all went up on the water bed, where Mama Compton and I started making waves and Piper ended up being swooshed back and forth between us. It was an amusing hour in the dark. Mama Compton and I ended up cuddling on Piper when JT walked in and turned on his light. XD

The four of us laid on the water bed for a while, just talking and mulling over what we wanted to do. Piper has been mentioning that JT had made some milkshakes so I definitely wanted to try one of those this time. Mama Compton also mentioned Soul Calibur on the walk over.

So that's what we did. The four of us just pretty much sat on the couch, playing Soul Calibur and drank JT's milkshake. I had made a character on JT's XBox, based off of the nun chuck guy, and we spent the greater part of the night trying to work my character up to a higher level. I'm usually a button masher when it comes to these games. During the night, I started to use some more defensive moves, as well as tried to learn some super cool ones. However, it took me like a half hour trying to do this one move where my character basically windmills his weapon around a few times and comes in to do a vertical attack and sky rocketing the opponent. I kept on going back and forth between getting it almost there and not being able to start the combo at all. XD

JT's character, Fro, had so fit with his personality. Both of them fence, both of them like showing off, and both of them bite other people on the neck. It got kind of annoying when JT kept on poking me to death, but I'm pretty sure he was annoyed with my constant kicking attacks. XD

It was time we had gone home, so, after I failed at descending on the 5th floor, JT drove each of us home. JT had a blister, so I shifted gears for him as he drove me home. We almost got lost. I recognized that, when Mama Compton got dropped off, I recognized some of the streets that connected Natomas to Rio Linda, so I suggested we follow those. We finally ended up by Kaylah's dad's house when I figured out how to get home.

~~~

Updates:

It feels like I'm getting a handle on things in my life, some friendships, some classes, and it has started to become routine. However, it also feels like there's something looming on the horizon. Right now, my biggest worry is our financial situation. No we are not going bankrupt or anything. What it is, basically, is that we need some cash flow at some point to feel more secure and it doesn't help that my move to UCSC is coming pretty quick.

All that aside, it feels I've gotten closer to some of my friends. Ever since I've gotten back from Santa Cruz, I've certainly noticed the increase in texts and phone calls from Kaylah from every once in awhile to once everyday. XD

I'm also glad I've had Taka and Abril the past few weeks, what with the support and insight as to some situations I've been having. They've given me some advice and provided me some good distraction. Right now, I'm having a conversation with Taka in binary code.

It's real easy to do by hand.

01010011 01100101 01100101 00111111

It's like a mathematical formula. You read right to left in each set of 8 numbers. Then, where ever there's a one, you take the corresponding placement number and add them together to get a total.

Take: 01010011

Placement numbers: (126)(64)(32)(16)(8)(4)(2)(1)

Add: 64+16+2+1=83

You take that sum and open up Microsoft Word or any word processor available. Click "Alt+(Your Number)" and the corresponding character will show up.

Result: S

This is how you translate binary.

This was how I translated binary in Taka's note on facebook. Then... I realized about after 25 characters that I didn't know for sure that Taka knew all the fancy number codes to this trick, so I looked up a website that translated text into binary and vice versa. XD

Blog End.

Swimming in Open Waters

Blog Redux: My Views On Love Pt. 2

Refer to Previous: My Views On Love

What is this feeling?

So sudden and new?

I felt the moment

I laid eyes on you...

[That's from the song, "Loathing", but believe me it's not about loathing here.]

I've been having these strange dreams lately, dreams of a rather intriguing nature. I'm trying to describe it here, but the words in my head doesn't fit for how... unsettling?... exhilarating?... how strange it feels.

... I've had this dream for 2 weeks straight, so I think I can write it down as concise as I can.

Basically, I'm having dreams about someone who I'll call Hedwig, (origins of that name is basically the creepy owl snow globe staring at me, plus she is my favorite character from Harry Potter, even if she's an owl!). I stare off at my checkerboard, (always a sign of a vivid dream to come), then a hand comes across it and pulls a chess piece from out of my POV into the center of the board.

A voice calls out, "Checkmate."

I look up to find the hand's host, Hedwig, smiling in my direction. Her head is haloed by a glistening sunlight from the conveniently placed sunset. I could feel a familiar tension in my chest I have yet recognized.

"So what do we do now?" I felt the words climbing out of my throat.

I remembered Hedwig's voice oh to well. "Well, how do dates normally pan out for you?"

I can feel an increasing tension in my chest and something stretch across my face. I look to the side as I felt my face heat up. I could see grass and trees all around us. Apparently we were at a park in New York because I could also see some sky scrapers. A breeze picked up and my eyes followed the leaves as they were swirling around in dizzying circles, losing my head in the trance.

"What do you think of the wine?"

When I looked back at Hedwig, everything changed from a breezy day at the park to a rosy and cozy deep red restaurant. Hedwig and I were in our paisley red booth, staring into each others eyes. I can sense that we were both in a conversation, but it was muffled as I only heard strumming of a mandolin and a harp.

It felt like I recognized the place. Maybe that was where the conversation was at that moment. I beckoned over to the crystal chandelier at the center of the restaurant. That's where Kaylah walked in in a chef's outfit. As soon as I saw her, I immediately recognized the place. It was what my mind identified as to what Kaylah's dream restaurant looked like.

Kaylah bowed slightly at us, then I waved her off. She didn't need to bow like a servant, I thought. That's when I noticed that I waved her off with my left hand because my right hand was in Hedwig's hands. I immediately joined my hands together in hers as she fiddled with them sensually and looked up at Kaylah to see her half smile and slight nod.

Hedwig and I got up, and a few steps later I was on a stoop to where Hedwig had supposedly lived. This is where the cliched part kicks in... Hedwig fiddled with her keys. I looked at her as the lamp glowed on her face. I come in a few inches. She comes in the rest of the way. Kiss. [The next part is censored]. I 'wake up' right next to her on her large, four post bed. I smiled, she smiled. The morning glow on her face somehow thralled up the tension in my chest, which I recognized as my heart racing, the kind of heart racing I felt before... when there was love in the picture.

"French Toast?" Hedwig had said.

I just simply nodded, and watched her get out of bed to put on a blue robe. I somehow had a white one next to the bed beside me. So I put that on and followed her downstairs.

Hedwig was standing in front of the stove as I embraced her from behind, lips near her ear. Hedwig returned the sentiment as she turned around and kissed me back on the lips. We ended up at the bar side table, both of us sitting across from each other. I stared intently into Hedwig's eyes and tried to sum up the words that has been in the back of my throat. I could feel my heart race faster and faster as I said them:

"So where does this leave us?"

That's where the dream stops. I can feel my heart race right now...

...

So where does that leave us?

Obviously, I'm harboring some feelings. Thing is, of all the people it could be, I never thought it would be Hedwig. No matter how hard I try to imagine it, I'm not seeing a clear picture as to what I want, what I would like to see, and whether or not it can work with Hedwig.

Maybe the point of the dream wasn't about Hedwig. Maybe my mind manifested Hedwig's face as an example of what I want, of what I need. Maybe it means that I need some sort of human to human contact, something I bond I can share with one and only one person. Just a relationship. Just to get myself out there and not be... alone.

But why Hedwig? And how did Kaylah fit into this dream? ... Maybe it's some sort of subconscious confirmation... Maybe my mind is telling me to go for Hedwig, using Kaylah as a way of saying that the people important to me will approve? Maybe, what with all the theatrical lighting in this dream, that the universe approves? Nah... I'm getting ahead of myself.

Don't get me wrong, I like Hedwig. She's an awesome person! But... I'm not sure if I'm ready to put myself out there, to feel vulnerable, and I'm not sure if Hedwig is the person I want to be vulnerable to... There's really nothing else, other than my fear, that's keeping me from asking Hedwig out... Maybe I'm also afraid of how people will react to... But I'm mostly afraid of how Hedwig will react...

So what should I do?

I could do nothing. I can interpret it as feelings for Hedwig, but lie in wait, observe for awhile and see if I get any hints from her. Maybe find an opportune moment until I know for sure that she shows some interest too... It sounded okay in my head, but it sounded even more ridiculous as I typed it...

Well, I can see that the dream wasn't necessarily pointed in the direction of Hedwig... But it did point in a direction. I have been feeling as if there's a void somewhere in my life and maybe I do need to put myself out there... But something tells me that I should do something soon.

...

So I woke up today, considering these possibilities, and decided to blog them to you. Maybe you have a suggestion? I'll probably spend another week or two sorting things out...

It feels like I should take the plunge... But... I can't swim.

So What's Been Going On?

Blog No. 1: So What's Been Going On?

So what has been going on during the hiatus? Well...

Santa Cruz Part V: The Blonde Strikes Back

Surprise, surprise. I went to Santa Cruz to visit Kaylah once again.

This time around, it felt like it was more independent. Since I last saw Kaylah in Santa Cruz, she was still in a single room in a dorm with about 8 other dormmates. Now, she lives in an apartment adjacent to UCSC with Terry, Beth, and Dan. She took Grace, her car which I so expertly named, with her so that she could drive us around instead of taking the buses. Hallelujah! We could go anywhere we want at any time! We went to a doughnut shop at midnight just because we could! XD

Kaylah, unfortunately, got a little under the weather. I was worried so I didn't push her to do too much. I believe she wanted to go to the beach at one point, but I knew that wouldn't happen. A lot of the time we just relaxed and slept on her bed. I didn't mind. I would never mind it at all so long as I spent my time with her! C:

It was the first time I went to visit Kaylah at her work at her new sous chef job at Gigi's! Both times I went to the restaurant, she served me these AMAZING ribs. I never really had ribs before, hence the few times I chewed on some cartilage... But still, she makes it with this super sauce that just turned the meat into a 5 star cuisine! Bellisimo! XD

Other than the new, we did a lot of the old. Lunch at Erik's, Coffee at Lulu's, souvenir shopping, ragging on Kaylah off and on. The usual! C:

Bonfires and Ninja.

The last few weeks of summer consisted of bonfires at JT's. There's something about fire that just soothes the soul... Up until it is 3 in the morning in the cold with no jacket. XD

Ninja... is a turn-based game in which the goal is to eliminate everyone around you by striking their hand with yours in fluid movements... It's easy to explain in demonstration. JT always ends up putting me in awkward positions, like putting his foot on my back as I was bent over. XD

There was a time of Epic Win that I'll never forget. After a few rounds of JT trying to get me out, I figure it was time to get on the offensive. I saw my only opening when I was behind him, when his hands were relaxed and his legs were open. So I scooped in between his legs and landed my hand on his crotch region where his hands were. He had moved out of the way in time, only to try and strike at my hand and miss. Then I bent my arm back to his crotch, again, only this time I finally eliminated him! XD

Rindy.

She is a friend from high school that tragically died in a car accident during the start of the semester.

Am I still grieving? Probably. I'm not fully over her loss, nor am I yet comfortable with talking about it too much. I think I have a process when I actually grieve.

I tend to withdraw myself. I couldn't go to Rindy's funeral service or Rindyfest at all because I felt like I couldn't deal with other people in a setting where we were grieving for the same person. I only went to one funeral in my life, for a distant baby cousin that had died drowning in a pool, but I didn't feel any real emotion until I was surrounded by people crying all around me.

It wasn't until the day after the accident that I actually felt like crying. What I ended up doing was I tried to distract myself on the internet. A part of my grieving process usually involves soft serve ice cream. It was usually what my mom gave me because the McDonald's by my house had a 24-hour drive thru. Taka was online and asked what was up. I told her that I was down and wanted some soft serve ice cream. I will always be grateful to her because she had sneaked out of her house to drive to my house with some McD's sundaes. She spent at least an hour with me as I looked through some of the old Youtube videos of her audition pieces. She did see some tears, but she comforted me. C:

Meeting New People/Seeing Old People.

With the new semester, I come across new people.

I finally met Susan Surrandon's "Boyfriend." After hearing about him for a semester from Susan Surrandon, I thought of what he was going to look like. Somehow, whenever I think of the name "Taylor," I always think of Taylor Lautner, (Jacob Black from the Twilight movie), turning into a wolf... Well, Susan Surrandon's Taylor is most definitely NOT a wolf. C:

I'm also continuing my Italian studies here at ARC. Professoressa Martinelli, my Italian teacher from last semester, teaches my class. It pretty much feels like last semester but more open. She either feels more loose around us, reminiscing about Italy or sharing music with us, or she feels tired of us, which only happens around test time. She's a really cool teacher and person to talk to. Her only fault in my opinion is that she always tries to get me to speak in Italian. She sometimes asks about Kaylah, only because I mention her on my temas. XD

The Italian class pretty much divides somewhat evenly into a seating arrangement. We have the old people near the door, the Sierra college people in the middle, and continuing ARC people by the window. Kaity, my Italian partner from last semester, sits next to me in this class now, the girls with the black hair sit in front of us, and Terri, the girl who always spaces out and asks stupid questions sits off to the side of us. I get the feeling that the four of them think of us as some sort of superhero club or something. It feels like I need some decoder ring or something with these folk. They always talk about meeting out of class but plans always fall through because I was unable to go to help them see if they were on the right track. Am I some sort of leader or something? XD

In my Statistics class, it always feels like a golf game, only less interesting. Always quiet, always staring intently on the one thing that's moving... There's this girl, Jenna, who does a lot of sports at AR apparently. I only talked to her that one time, "Can I see your calculator for a moment?" And it somehow turns into a weird friendship... She calls me her "Stats Buddy"... I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm trying not to think about it too much because she helps me with whatever I missed for class. However, it always feels like only Jenna and I that talk during class so I sometimes feel twenty or so eyes look in our direction, eavesdropping...

That's it for now. Until next time!

I Haven't Forgotten About You

Blog No. ???: I Haven't Forgotten About You

To the readers: I haven't forgotten about you.

A cycle of events, time still passing, and general laziness has hindered me in things blog wise. I apologize for taking this unannounced hiatus for so long and giving no clue as to when and if I would return.

The truth of the matter is, I came at a crossroads where I had to choose between having a life and writing about one everyday and, when it came down to it, I'm more of both an adventurer and a responsible human being than I thought.

Then I get a text from Kaylah. She has been sick for quite awhile and remembered I had a blog, so she decided to catch up on my writing escapades when I was actively blogging. She basically scrolled down the side and saw that she was labeled a good number of times. So she read through all 35 blogs that mention her, (as well as the 5 blogs that mention her boobs), and texted me back, "I haven't laughed so hard in a long time."

With that, I tear through the countless blogs I've written, some meaningful, some funny, some pointless, and realized that I wrote the blogs for a few good reasons: to remember the random times I've had on my journey and to never forget those little moments I have with good friends.

So where does that leave us, Blogosphere?

Well, there is no way in hell I will be able to blog everyday what with the amount of responsibilities I have now. So the 365MMIX thing is over with as a project, sadly. However, it doesn't mean there can't be a 365MMX in the works...

I can, however, start blogging thematically instead of daily. Basically, I would be writing to you about some connected events in the span of a week as opposed to every event as it takes place, so expect a blog at least twice a week.

I also want to start making video blogs when I can. When I get a webcam, I will be able to update you through a more visual account to make up for the lack of a daily blog. As soon as I start these up, I should be expecting them to be uploaded to my Youtube account, which I'll give at a later date.

I might start out fresh, get a new page on the blogs to separate them, but I might be too lazy to do that...

So yeah. Expect a blog later on this week. All I can say now is I'm glad to be back! XD

The Key to Immortality

Blog No. 203: Kinda Backwards

Wednesday was my last required quiz and an optional class at that. All King and I really had to do was walk in, take the quiz, and walk out. This allowed the possibility of an all out awesome-fest, for a lack of a better word. :P

So King picked me up after he picked up Jacob and we went back to the asian's house. We pretty much sat around, watching an episode of Bones and Whose Line is it Anyway? and looking at their camp photos. The camp photos were mainly of people, the majority of whom were asian, from Alaska to California. XD

The King and I had our quiz. It took us all of 10-ish minutes to finish. King took his notes for the next class, while I packed my stuff, and we left! Taka and Jacob barely had any time to do much else.

Then we were wondering what to do from there. We could've gone to my place and played more Brawl, but I think we were getting tired of that game. In the end, we ended up going to our motto, "When in doubt, default to Sizzler!" XD

So that's what we did. I pretty much get what Taka gets, which this time was a 6 oz steak with mashed potatoes and a Dr. Pepper, along with our endless salad bar. I remember back in my childhood that I usually confused the word "endless" witht the word "bottomless" and questioned how the "endless" salad bar worked. Are the plates acually bottomless or does the salad magically regenerate on its own? XP

During our entree, Piper called me from camping, wondering why I didn't call. I usually called during my break during the Western Civilizations class, but this time we didn't fully attend. I was surprised that she was expecting a call, partly because it seemed I was distracting her recently. I told her where I was and she told me where she was. I told her to call Kaylah for when she and Difuentez are at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. However, she didn't want to call her, but instead she wanted me to call because she didn't feel like she wasn't in the loop enough, I guess. I did influence her to call Kaylah after I said, "Well imagine all of the embarassing, prepubescent David stories she could tell! I can't control the conversation in any way, seeing as I"m not there, so you could ask Kaylah anything about me!" Piper was immediately set on calling Kaylah. She amuses me so. XP

After our food, we just started piling stuff into an empty cup until it just overflowed into a concoction no one in their right minds would drink. We were joking around, saying that we might've stumbled onto the potion for immortality. XD

Then, after roaming around Natomas, we stopped at the Barnes and Noble. We played yet another rendition of the Barnes and Noble Game, which we taught Jacob who suggested we mainly used whatever was closest to the manga section. XD

Ragnarok Online Still Hates Me

Blog No. 202: Ragnarok Online Still Hates Me

Tuesday, my free day between two school days of quizzes. So I wake up early and try and log on to Ragnarok Online so that I could level up a ton before Piper and Difuentez got back from camping. However, when I tried to log on, I get an error message back, "Failed to connect to server!"

Great... The world is out to get me.

So I looked online. Apparently, an answer was that I had a faulty connection. So I unplugged and replugged everything involving internet cables, and I even tried to diagnose the problem through McAfee to try and see if they banned Ragnarok for security issues. After all of that work, what do I get?

"Failed to connect to server!"

So I thought maybe, just maybe, they have way too many people online for me to sign in, so I shall try back in an hour! When I returned at 9, I still got that error message. I returned at 10, 11, noon, 1, 1:30, 3, 5, 5:45, 6:15, 7, 7:30, 9, 10:30, 11:15, and midnight, during which time I occupied myself with guitar strumming, Brawlin, chores, cheese quesadillas, and Gilmore Girl episodes. Each time I'd logged on, I still got the same error message.

"Failed to connect to server!" as if mocking me for this constant persistence.

I told Piper of the hoops and hurdles I went through, voicing very clearly that RO is an internet demon. Piper replied, "Well they close down the game to do maitenance for a few hours."

Why thank you for telling me! I feel so in the loop! You know, out of all the FAQ articles I've torn through, there was no mention of shutting down due to maitenance. >_<

To which I verbally replied, "They do maitenance from 8 AM to midnight?"

Silence...

At least I'm not crazy! XD

Then I texted JT my dilemma, to which he replies, also, "Silly boy, they do maitenance on Tuesdays!"

"The entire day? I've tried logging on every hour on the hour I've been up today!"

"Hmmm... Maybe Ragnarok does hate you!"

So much for that ounce of hope. DX

My Civic Duties

Blog No. 201: "Jury Duty"

I woke up to a cute little baby knocking at my door! XP

Audrey knocked on the door while holding little Lennox to say that they're going to IHOP with my mom, grandfather, and some relatives from Maine. Johnny is my grandfather's son, which is how my mom and sister say it. I don't really get family trees... I was also supposed to be on stand by for Jury Duty, so I also had to pack a nice buttoned shirt and some pants in my over-the-shoulder bag.

Anyways, John, Audrey, Lennox, and I met up with mom, my grandfather, Johnny, and Terri, (Johnny's wife), at IHOP. It was the first time I met Johnny and Terri, I mean I've heard about them through my grandfather but that was about it. They were pretty cool though. They did a lot of things just by whim. Apparently, on Sunday, they had went to Yosemite National Park and did some hiking. They also talked about how they were going to go to Niagra Falls once they leave here. Johnny, too, had been part of the marines, which is why they seemed traveled and what not.

After our conversations at IHOP and a stuffed french toast plate with strawberries, all of us, minus John, Audrey, and the baby, went to Target to get some stuff. Johnny and Terri needed luggage for their souvenirs and junk, while mom and I needed around the house things, like laundry baskets and fans. Once we sat down at the Starbucks inside Target, I made a call to the Superior Court of California to see if my group number was called in. After going through the pushing of buttons, the automated system told me, "Groups [numbers I can't remember] have finished their civic duty. No call backs are necessary. Your jury duty has been fulfilled."

Cool! Didn't have to wait in line! XP

Mom took me home, seeing as my option was either to wait with her at the nail shop and get a ride to school or ask King to come over for a bit and ride with him to class. I feel as though I made the right choice. XP

So Taka, King, and I made our usual phone charade:

• I call King, ask what they were doing, to which I get an unsure answer and hang up.
• Taka calls me, asks what am I doing, to which I replied "I'm up for anything."
• Taka passes the phone to King without any notice, which leaves me to ask, again, to come over, to which I get a more definite "we'll be there in fifteen minutes."

I love how we have a system now. XP

So Taka and King came over and we played Brawl for the greater part of the day. Then, King drove Taka home, then drove us to school for a quiz! XP

FAP

Blog No. 200: Freakin Awesome Podcast

Get your minds out of the gutter!... Would you guys get that reference?...

... Well, acronym the title, (FAP), then think about what noise masturbation makes...

Yeah... Well that describes the somewhat vulgarity of the "Freakin Awesome Podcast"... What this podcast is about is the original 365MMIX crew, John and his friends and relatives on Peksquared.com, basically giving their views on new movies, music, trailers, news, and graphic novels. It's usually 3-5 people sitting around our dining room table talking into an audio recorder. In my opinion, the first one is basically an experimental one, so you'll hear loads of giggling and edited cuts.

John asked me to be part of their 6th podcast mainly because I both read and saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, whereas the other podcasters have not.

So there we were, John, Sear, John's twin, Anthony, and I surrounding the microphone. To be honest, I've never been quite this nervous around my grandmother's old breakfast nook since the olden holiday parties. It explains why you never really hear my voice other than me being prompted to speak. But the guys were pretty cool. I think the nerves were really just the first time podcast jitters. They really do give an informative look on some movies and what not. They not only look at the mainstream, but at the independent scene as well. You'll also hear some publicity about goings on in Sacramento, which is pretty cool. XP

So yeah... I'll give you some information about that as soon as I figure it out! XD

EDIT: It should be available, FREE, on iTunes. Go to Podcasts in the Power Search option on the right hand side. Type in "Freakin Awesome Podcast" in the title. There you'll find the 6 or 7 podcasts already up. Of course, John's art design for the podcast really illustrates the point I was trying to make in the beginning...

On number 6, it even has my name on it! WOOT! I'm on iTunes! XP

I would be more excited, but I listened to my voice and I thought, THAT is not what I thought my voice sounded like... Does my voice in real life sound pixie-ish to you? 0 _0

Draw With Me

Blog No. 199: Saturday, 7/18

Another bored day on the computer, so I went onto DeviantArt and found this:

Totally sad yet totally creepy at the same time... XP