~ * ~ 65 Random Things About Myself ~ * ~

I've seen this done on other blogs and I find them very interesting (it helps me realize I'm not as weird as I sometimes think).  Who knows!  Maybe I'll have something in common with you!

1. I started my first job at the age of 18 and have stayed with the company for the last 8 years.  (Talk about commitment!)
2.  I love to break the register at work (make it display funny error messages) and find out problems with the coding.
3.  I absolutely love the Asian culture (obviously), but I don't know exactly why or what started it.  [See #23]
4. My favorite type of food is sushi.  [See #32]

5.  I'm rather fond of things that are different/unique.
6.  I'm not a huge fan of cooking, but I believe that it's simply a mental obstacle and once I start cooking (or befriend someone who loves to do it) I will enjoy it much more.  [See #18]
7.  My favorite animal is a tiger.
8.  My bedroom could also be classified as a library because of how many books I own (and not having access to a library card doesn't help the decreasing bookshelf space).
9.  Up until recently, I had never flown on a plane.  It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.*

*This picture may not reflect opinion stated above.

10.  I created my own daily planner using Excel and a mini binder.  I absolutely love it.
11.  I haven't listened to English music in over 8 months.
12.  My favorite music group is Super Junior, where my favorite song writer is David Hodges (though they are in no way related).
13.  In high school, I went through a "goth" faze, but never got around to dying my hair black.
14.  Now (ten years later) I can't seem to get enough bright colors in my life!
15.  I absolutely adore my co-workers and the people that I serve.
16.  I can easily spend hours on YouTube watching vloggers.

17.  My favorite holiday is Christmas as the Spirit is amazing, (and I'm not referring to the materialistic spirit).
18.  My mother suffered from a degenerative disease called Rheumatoid Arthritis for most of my life, and doing simple daily tasks were very painful and challenging.  [See #6]
19.  I am the "President" of a creative writing group with nearly a dozen of my friends, and I love being with them!
20.  My favorite thing to do with friends is go out to eat, window shop, or simply watch funny videos/movies with them.
21.  My favorite movie genre would be technically classified as "Family" or "Children" as I LOVE the animated movies such as Rise of the Guardians, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Megamind for their stories and morals that are taught.
22.  I'm definitely a story-kind of girl.  If the plotline doesn't make sense or isn't interesting (mindless action scenes, etc.), I won't enjoy it.
23. When I was a child, my best friend growing up was from Cambodia.  [Possible reason for #3?]
24.  I am normally very suspicious of people due to my trust being broken in the past.  However I am working on improving this.
25.  I am an only child and wish I had siblings.
26.  Some of my favorite vloggers on YouTube to watch are: Dodger Leigh, Random Panser, Marikplier, and Mary Doodles.  [*Not all content on their channels I approve of, however I do love their vlogs when they simply talk about their daily life]
27.  My birthday is in February and lies on the border with the horoscope calendar, so I have mixed qualities of both Aquarius and Pisces (if you believe in horoscopes).
28.  My mother passed away April 22, 2011 and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her.
29.  I love fruit, especially during the wintertime.
30.  I have only experienced two "Snow Days" in my entire life, though I have lived in the state with the "greatest snow on earth" my entire life.
31.  My dad and I are really close and have similar personalities (you've been warned).
32.  I love breakfast meals (pancakes, waffles, eggos, bacon, sausage, hash browns, etc.).  It's probably my second favorite food.  [See #4]
33.  I have over 19 hours of kpop music on my iPod and I love every minute of it.

[Image Source]

34.  I wish I had a great sense of style and accessorizing like other girls with short hair, but I don't. [See #54]
35.  I don't even have my ears pierced!
36.  Thanks to my first boyfriend, I'm no longer afraid to be my true self.
37.  Overall I am a generally happy person.  I will act happy even when I'm not, but once you get to know me, you'll be able to tell when I'm having a hard time.
38.  My favorite New Testament story is the story of a man named Legion and how Christ heals him.  For some reason that story has stood out to me for years.
39.  My favorite Book of Mormon story is Alma the Younger's life story.
40.  I love looking for symbolism in life.
41.  I can't wait to go through the temple [See #40].  But I don't have plans to receive my endowment as I would really like to go through the temple my first time with my future husband.  I am temple worthy and hold a baptismal recommend however.
42.  My dream is to someday do an Asian tour and visit all the countries.
43.  I plan to meet someone "famous" in my life.
44.  My guilty pleasure is YouTube, Netflix, and DramaFever.  They will be my downfall.
45.  I love to set weekly goals and strive to accomplish them.
46.  I love video editing (mainly making movie trailers) but after killing my third computer, I stopped.
47.   I miss the days when life was simpler and my greatest concern was whether it was going to be sunny enough to play Power Rangers outside or not.
48.  I am not a big video game person, but I do have friends who are (and I obviously follow YouTubers who are HUGE gamers, but I myself am not one).  [See #26]
49.  I haven't had a serious boyfriend in years (mainly because I told the Lord what I wanted and He was kind enough to bless me with it... though now I'm not so sure I can wait for the blessing).
50.  I am on an adventure called Life and I love every moment.

51.  I would not change anything in my past, for by doing so, I would change the person I am today and I don't want that.
52.  I'm far from perfect, and I hope my future husband has some flaws or I'm going to feel extremely inferior.
53.  As a child, I was never into "girly" things.  In fact, when McDonald's would have the different toys for girls and boys (barbies for girls, Hotwheel's cars for boys) I would cry if I ended up with a barbie because I wanted the car.  Yeah, I was THAT child.  But look at how well rounded I turned out! :)
54.  My entire wardrobe could do with a makeover [See #34].
55.  I can't speak another language, but if I could, it would be Korean.  But I am trying!
56.  I do not have a single scar and I have never broken a bone.  (as of yet)
57.  I graduated with a degree in Family, Consumer, and Human Development, with an emphasis on Community Services.  Basically, I want to work with helping families have a better life.
58.  I originally wanted to major in Psychology, but I hated the medical diagnosis side and loved the application side.  [Hence #57]
59.  I took art all 4 years in high school, but I don't consider myself an artist in the least.
60.  I enjoy writing and coming up with stories.  It's the organizing different scenes into a coherent storyline that I struggle with.
61.  When I was little, I used to eat chapstick; specifically the strawberry flavored kind (Smackers brand).
62.  I didn't like raspberries until after high school because of the "little hairs" but yet I love to each peaches with the skin on (fuzz and all!).  (Side note: I did wash the peach first.)
63.  I'm a total geek at heart. <3
64.  I enjoy playing European table top games ("Euro Games").  My favorites include Dominion, Carcassonne, and Tsuro.  I even wanted to start a weekly game night with friends!
65.  I would LOVE to adopt Asian children once I'm married.  They're ADORABLE!!

I'm going to stop it here.  If you want to get to know me better, feel free to contact me. :)

Motivional Monday

Because I am so busy this semester (and it's not always a good day), I find having motivational quotes in my daily planner has helped, especially when they are quotes by people I love or look up to.  Here is a sampling:

"There are no bad days, just good stories."  

~ Dodger Leigh {YouTuber}

"Believe in yourself... 
There will always be people who'll say... you should just forget your dreams because they're unrealistic.  But dreams are supposed to be unrealistic!  You're supposed to be able to reach for the stars.  You're supposed to be able to reach as high as you can and push yourself as far as you can go, because you never know what your limits are until you reach them." 

~ Markiplier {YouTuber}

"FIGHTING!"

~ Super Junior
[Translation: "Keep on fighting!" or "You can do it!"]

"Sometimes the bad things in life put us directly on the path to the best things we will ever experience." 

~ Unknown

A Million Miles Apart {iPod Shuffle Game}

I came across this game on tumblr and thought it sounded fun. What you do is you shuffle all the songs on your iPod and the first lyric line of each song is that line in your poem. Here's mine:

1. A perfect day is spending my life with you
2. Everytime I see your face
3. Stay with me
4. I know you want to talk
5. Never knew I could feel like this
6. Hey, time won't wait
7. This is my December
8. I look away
9. [I] Never win first place
10. I know your dreams
11. Ecstasy is all you need
12. Dear angel of mine
13. Another day is going by
14. I walked through the door with you
15. Creator of the universe
16. I get lost in you
17. Drinking wine and thinking bliss
18. I was tired of my lady
19. She was watching the taxi driver as he pulled away
20. I was betrayed
21. Too many broken hearts fallen in the river
22. I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
23. Well, I know just what it is you want
24. Here it comes
25. Never had an ordinary day
26. When darkness is no less
27. Like a man on a wire
28. Bravo! Bravo!
29. Baby, baby, baby, you're my voodoo child
30. We're standing face to face but a million miles apart

Songs:
1. "Nothing But Love" - David Hodges
2. "Falling In" - Lifehouse
3. "Kiss Me Slowly" - Parachute
4. "Shame On Me" - Ryan Cabrera
5. "Come What May" - Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
6. "Simple Things" - Jim Brickman
7. "My8. "Fall to Pieces" - Avril Lavigne
9. "Don't Let Me Get Me" - P!nk
10. "More Than Love" - Sweetbox
11. "Big Machine" - Goo Goo Dolls
12. "Dear Angel" - April Sixth
13. "I'd Do Anything" - Simple Plan
14. "All Too Well" - Taylor Swift
15. "Make Us Whole" - David Hodges
16. "Guessing" - Against the Current
17. "Crystal Ball" - P!nk
18. "Escape" - Rupert Holmes
19. "Waiting For Superman" - Daughtry
20. "Angel In Disguise" - Cinema Bizarre
21. "The Things We Do For Love" - Spectacular! Soundtrack
22. "Attack" - 30 Seconds to Mars
23. "Halfway" - Parachute
24. "Space Cowboy" - Nsync
25. "Emma" - Katherine Nelson
26. "Dawn" - Poets of the Fall
27. "Saving Grace" - The Afters
28. "Bravo" - Kessler
29. "Voodoo Child" - Rogue Traders
30. "Falling Out of Love" - Age of Information

Random Panser

For a while I have kept my "obsession" with this vlogger to a minimum... but I figure it's finally time to let the cat out of the bag so others might enjoy in her epic randomness!

Meet Panser.

She's my age.

And she has pink hair.

(Though she has been known to change it quite often)

She's also a complete gamer.

(Her favorite games being World of Warcraft and League of Legends)

Who even has a YouTube channel
dedicated to gaming news (Tradechat)

 

Not to mention,
she's a huge Pikachu fan.

Even competing in the TBS series, "King of the Nerds."

So why do I like this girl so much?  She's hilariously funny.  Panser has such an addicting personality.  I can't help it that time seems to slip into another dimension when I watch her videos.  She has brought more smiles to my face than any other YouTuber.

Speaking of smiling, she also promotes making the choice to be happy.  You have to make a conscious choice to have a good day.  I firmly believe in this because I try to do it everyday and it works.  Seriously.  To quote Panser, "You just have to be like, 'Oh wow, that happened and that sucked.  Now I'm going to go eat a cupcake.'"[Source] ^-^

Panser is also a source of inspiration when it comes to doing crafty things.  She makes a TON of things, especially these amazing SpiritHood feather accessories:

The feather accessory I purchased yesterday.
I can't wait for it to come!!!! ^-^

Her creativity has stirred within me a desire to try new things.  I'm quickly becoming a fan of DIY (do-it-yourself) projects.  In fact, I have an entire playlist on YouTube dedicated to creations I want to do sometime.  I thank my own mother for the crafty hobby she had, but I also blame Panser for igniting that spark within me.  I wish it would have ignited sooner, because I could have done so much more with Mom while she was here...

But "No regrets!"

Anyway, even though I don't understand most of what Panser says when she talks "gamer," (aka: mentioning specifics of games I have never played, leveling up a certain character, or why it is difficult, etc.) I do understand enough--and I'm entertained enough--to keep watching.

Aside from gaming, much of what she talks about is complete and utter...
  

 

...but I still enjoy it.

I recently re-watched nearly all of her Vlog videos... (Multiple sittings, of course).  But it has made me appreciate vlogging and the uniqueness of her style in particular.  Maybe I just haven't seen very many good vloggers, but I enjoy hers because unlike the normal vlog, hers are always in one take... so we see everything, even the bloopers.  That's one of the reasons her vlogs are so funny.

So as I was re-watching her videos, I decided it would be fun to create a sort of collage of my favorite parts in some of the videos.  These are the moments where I laughed the hardest; the events that make me appreciate Panser for her unique, spunky personality.  If she lived near me, we would be friends.  Anyway, enjoy!
  

Disclaimer:  She does swear occasionally in her videos (not in the one above, however).  But she's normally pretty good about not swearing too often (unlike some other YouTubers I have seen).

"I love you all.  

I hope you are having a wonderful day.

You're in my ♥ ♥ ♥ (hearts)

And I'll see you so soon!"

~ Panser

Just Because...

[**Disclaimer: This is a fangirl moment.  Thank you.]

TA DA!

Came across this image last night and it made me laugh. XD

Now... imagine that image with the following song:

Video by: FlameyLovesFrank on YouTube

In a way, I can't wait for the DVD release on March 15th (yes, I do know the exact day) because the videos on YouTube will simply explode with good RotG videos.  Currently, most are using bootlegged footage which has horrible quality.  Besides, in the video above, there are shots where Pitch's head is cut off... Sad day!  But the dance he does on the globe is pretty epic... just saying.

Pitch Black is an amazing character and I simply LOVE all the small movements the animators did with him (like a little shake of his head there, the body language and posture here, etc).  Oh yes, Pitch is amazing.

The end.

♥ ♥ ♥

PS:  This video is also pretty cool.  This editor did an amazing job telling a different kind of story.

(**SPOILERS!!** View at your own discretion.)

Video by: AmberSpirit11 on YouTube

And I have to admit, after seeing RotG for a third time this holiday season, it has officially passed Megamind in my top favorite movies.  Rise of the Guardians is my 2nd favorite movie, with Tangled being the first.
 Though that gap is quickly drawing to a close.

Geek Wall

My bedroom walls are completely bare... and I'm tired of it.

A few weeks ago I saw the following video.  It is by my favorite vlogger (yes, I have started watching them), and her screen name is RandomPanser (Tradechat).  She's hilarious, geeky, and of course random.  Anyway, this video is showing the decorating of the wall in her video room (it's now the background for all her videos now).  What I specifically like about this video (and haven't seen in other design videos) is how she overlapped so many images and placed them at angles, like a collage.

I concluded a few nights ago that I wanted to attempt this on my bare walls.  So, I decided I wanted...

A geek wall!!

All my geekiness will be revealed with pictures and posters of favorite TV shows, movies, bands, lyrics, etc. Call me crazy, but I'm tired of bare walls and I really want to do something fun for a change.  I used to have posters hung up years ago, but when I took them down, I never replaced them.  Part of me has been hesitant because I'm not quite sure what to use to stick the posters up.  I've used the blue (or white) sticky-tack that comes in small squares which you can shape like silly putty and didn't like the result.  When I finally took my posters down, the walls were not marked, but the back of my posters had a greasy spot on them (and they were even the high quality laminated posters!).  So, I'm thinking of trying the command poster strips.  I don't think they would leave a greasy mark on the poster, would they?

Let me know if you have any ideas!  Thanks!

PS:  Some of the posters on my wall will include the following, not to mention lyrics will be spread throughout:

Didn't know I was a MLP fan, did you? =P  It's amazing, by the way...

This is just a sampling, of course!  YAY for geekiness!  ^-^

So Many Things To Do

The semester is now over and this is what I was expecting the break to feel like:

[Image Source]

But this is reality:

[Image Source]

I have so much I want to get done before school starts up again in January,
and I'm worried I will blink and the break will be over and I will have
accomplished none of my goals to kick back and relax!
(Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?)

I want to read several books, watch all 5 seasons of Big Bang Theory,

and simply enjoy spending time with friends and family!  

So I thought I would start off by reading some good books...

[Image Source]

[Image Source]

Not to mention the gift wrapping for Christmas still needs to be done...

Oh, how I wish my To-Do list looked like the following:

[Image Source]

Wouldn't that be great?  Talk about a wonderful vacation!

But I also realize that if I were to do absolutely nothing, I would be bored out of my mind and not functional.  I need to be doing things in order to save what little sanity I have left.  Take yesterday, for example.  I read all morning and became restless, so I went out and started watching Season 2 of Big Bang Theory.  After a while, the restlessness set in again.  In response, the crazy side of my brain proposed, "Why don't you start cleaning the office!  You could sort through papers while watching the show!"  Of course any normal person wouldn't go in and tackle an office of paper stacks and litter them around the living room floor right before Christmas.  We don't even have our tree up yet!  (And we may just pull a Grandma move and go for the tiny tree on a table with presents underneath.)  The reason for this is because since we had a leak in our roof, we had to move furniture.  In the process, we decided to simply replace all the old furniture with new (this being our family Christmas present), but we also want our carpets cleaned prior to the delivery of the new furniture.  And we don't want to put the tree up if the carpets need cleaning...

Therefore, our living room is completely empty...

Aside from the mess I made yesterday... which I will finish with tomorrow!

You see, even on vacation I still have to find something to do to occupy my time.  I can't simply lay around and leisurely read the piles of books that have stacked up.  Oh goodness no!  I must spend my precious free-time cleaning... Why?  Because I might just go insane if I don't.

And let's face it, when school starts up again, who has time for big cleaning projects? =P

**I do apologize for the immense amount of criticism and sarcasm in this post.  I blame it on the book I am currently reading and my creativity breaking out of the closet...

It's A Magical World

As I sit here, waiting for my caffeine to take effect so I stop procrastinating chores, I thought it would be fun to create a blog dedicated to something that is very near and dear to my heart.

The night before last, I finished a great comic.  Some of you might even know it.

January 2, 1986

That's right, Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson.

I received the Complete Collection for Christmas (or rather, I saw it on the Amazon "Lightning Deal" and purchased it, at which point my father paid me back so I would wrap it and put it under the Christmas tree).  I finally finished reading all 3 books in the collection... a total of 1,454 beautifully colored pages of the highest quality.  Simply gorgeous...

Since I have now finished reading this amazing collection, I yearn for more.  I do plan to purchase all the Calvin and Hobbes books at some point, and I happened to find another one yesterday!  I went on a treasure hunt, and found the first Calvin and Hobbes book for cheaper in the store than on Amazon.  Of course I immediately purchased it.  And the best part?

August 16, 2012

It's dedicated to me!!!

Apparently it was meant to be. ^-^

[Okay, it's really not really dedicated to me... But she has the same name!!]

Well, since I've been on somewhat of a Calvin and Hobbes high because I read it every night before bed (it makes the perfect bedtime story) I would occasionally mention something to my father.  He would look at me and ask, "Why do you find Calvin and Hobbes to appealing?"

That's a very good question.  To anyone it appears to be a hilarious comic about the adventures of a six-year-old boy and his stuffed tiger that only comes alive for him (see comic above).

But there is so much more to Calvin and Hobbes than what meets the eye.  Take the following strip for example:

October 26, 1988

One of the greatest things I loved about Bill Watterson's writing, is how he is able to teach life principles through metaphors.  This one is a bit more obvious, but in other strips it's more subtle.  Watterson believed that by analyzing nature, we can then resolve issues in our own life.  He sought to inform us readers about his perceptions of the world in which we live by using these lovable characters.

I also absolutely love Calvin's humor.  He's the little, selfish, opinionated voice that exists somewhere inside us all, no matter how dormant it may be.

Not to mention the awesomeness of his snow sculptures!  I plan to make one of these someday!

January 21, 1995

 So, in the end, why have I enjoyed reading this amazing adventure?

Calvin and Hobbes is a comic about asking the bigger questions in life.  It's about presenting simple solutions that help us survive in this crazy world.  It's about realizing there are bigger things in the world than just you or me.  It's about releasing our inner child and giving in to our dreams as we strive to make them a reality.

But most of all...

It made me laugh.

Calvin and Hobbes makes me feel happy, safe, and warm.  No matter how my day is going, Calvin and Hobbes will always be there to increase my mood.  There are many instances where I was having a bad day and I would read Calvin and Hobbes before going to bed, only to have it make my whole world bright again.  It helps me feel at peace with the world.

Am I sad that Bill Watterson stopped the strip in 1995?  Yes.  But I understand why he did.  I also understand why he didn't want his characters exploited to the marketing world (hence the reason there's hardly any Calvin and Hobbes merchandise).  Watterson had a great opinion about materialism (hence the reason Calvin only focused on the material aspect of Christmas) and Watterson didn't want to add to the merchandising message his characters would send to the world if he allowed "product" to be made.

However, I do wish I could find a legitimate stuffed Hobbes... ^-^

This journey has been an amazing adventure.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.  As Calvin himself said in the very last strip ever written:

"It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy... Let's go exploring!"

And so it is.

"Your Heart Will Lead You Home"

A Calvin and Hobbes Tribute

By Swing456 on YouTube

"Dr. Seuss Quotes I Live By"

There's a picture that's been circling around FaceBook and I thought it was great!  I plan to print this out and put it on my wall so I see it everyday, that is how much I love this.  Dr. Seuss is such a genius!  The last one is my favorite. <3

5 Dr. Seuss Quotes I Live By

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

"Today you are you and that's truer than true,
there is no one alive that is youer than you."

"You have brains in your head.  You have feet in
your shoes.  You can steer yourself in any
direction you choose!"

"And will you succeed?  Yes!  You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)."

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird,
and when we find someone whose weirdness is
compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall
in mutual weirdness and call it love."

Recipe For Life This Month

Here is what a recipe for my life would look like for the month of May:

Directions for 'Life This Month'

Layer evenly:

1/5 cup work
1/5 cup school
1/5 cup homework
1/6 cup spice of life

Allow to sleep for 6 - 10 hours.  Warning: Less than 6 hours or more than 10 hours will result in a lack of product function.  Do not shake or stir ingredients!  May cause undue stress to occur on final product.  Place in 400° oven and bake for 4 weeks or until sufficiently burnt.  Pull out of oven and enjoy your summer!  *Caution!  Product will be very spent!  Handle with care!

Yes, I did indeed come up with the previous recipe for my life.  And yes, I did do the math to make those fractions as accurate as possible.  Sad that I'm spending approximately the same amount of time at work, in class, and doing homework.  I never thought I would see the day when I would spend nearly 3-4 hours every night doing homework... It's been rather intense.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking summer classes.  (I know!  Who wants to kill themselves in a month, right?)  I am taking 6 credits in 4 weeks.  They are basically taking a normal 3½-month course and cramming it into 1.  It was GREAT once I finally got the hang of managing my time (I quickly realized I wasn't going to have a life except on the weekends--which were normally spent sleeping or doing chores and running errands; in other words, doing the things which I failed to do during the week).  But knowing I only have 5 days left... SUCH a relief!  Yet now I look back and say, "Where did the time go?"

I know it has been a while since I have blogged.  It's been crazy with the end of the Spring semester wrapping up and now this summer semester starting, and it's been a dead run ever since.  I'm feel "spent" as the recipe says.  Speaking of which, it's important to remember to layer the ingredients... do not mix them!!  I think at the beginning of the month I was attempting to "mix" the ingredients and it just wasn't working.  Once I found my perfect layering technique, life went a whole lot smoother.  (In other words, once I realized to stop trying to do "everything" during the week and simply start focusing on school, life went smoother.)

Perhaps, now that the craziness has almost ended, I can start blogging more!  I thoroughly enjoy it, yet run out of time way too often.

How is it I have time to blog right now, you may ask?

Well, I'm giving up precious sleep time in order to update you.  Just wanted to let you know that I have not died and I continue to function.  Not normal functioning, mind you, but function I do none-the-less! =D

Hope you all are enjoying your summer and that it's going smoother than mine!

Crazy Day

So, today has been one of those days... You know, the kind of days where everything seems to be going by in a blur, and you feel like things are falling down around you (especially at work).

BUT, the good news is I have made it through the day (in fact, it's now actually "tomorrow" seeing as it's midnight right now).

And tonight, I am reading in one of my "new" books (purchased several weeks ago, but haven't read yet) and I'm thoroughly enjoying the humor. The author has done a much better writing job with this book than her last (this book being Book 2 in a trilogy). Anyway, I read the following quote and burst out laughing. Just goes to show, even on crazy days like today, it can always, ALWAYS, be worse:

"I didn't know where my girlfriend was, my phone battery had died, I was living in a house with a possibly insane new werewolf who I sort of suspected was suicidal or homicidal, and I was miles away from all of it, counting the spines of books. Somewhere out there, my world was slowly spinning out of orbit, and here I was in a beautifully ordinary splash of sunlight, writing The Secret Life of Bees (3/PB) on a yellow legal pad labeled INVENTORY."

It goes without saying what type of day I had to experience in order to find this quote so incredibly amusing to write an entire blog post--and laugh hysterically--about it.

Oh yes, life can always be worse... =D

[Quote is by Sam from Maggie Stiefvater's "Linger" p.137]

Astrology, Zodiac, Horoscope?

Astrology signs... Zodiac signs...  Horoscope signs...

Is there really any point to all the madness?  Is there any truth behind it?

In the past, I have often brushed this sort of thing aside.  I like the concept of the fact that I am in control of my own life and its destiny, which is not controlled by the skies or what time of year I was born.

However...

(You were just waiting for that "however" weren't you?)

However, while having fun doing a bit of research, I found it very interesting that the signs of friends I looked up--and especially our compatibility--were almost dead on.  No joke.

This is a very fun site that I found where you select two Astrological signs (Scorpio, Aquarius, etc.) and the site compares the two of them with regards to a romantic relationship.

http://shine.yahoo.com/astrology/compatibility/love/

Because I fall right on the border of two signs, I actually have traits from both.  I took several of my current and not-so-current friends (some not necessarily romantic, but with the concept of us "working together") and I would compare them with BOTH of my signs.  I tested at least 10 different signs and each result spoke volumes of truth about our relationship/friendship/etc.

If you are not sure of your sign, visit this amazing site known as Wikipedia; for there is a wonderful table about two-thirds of the way down the page that lists all the signs and dates.  I went off the "Tropical" Zodiac dates, because those are the ones I am familiar with and have seen as the "standard" in books, newspapers, and other articles over the years.  (Granted, there was/is a big "blow-up" about the Earth spinning differently on its axis and so the dates have now (or will soon) change.  I don't think that applies to anyone born before the year 2000, or something like that.  I honestly don't buy into the whole the-dates-are-wrong concept.  But feel free to Google it if you want to know more.)

Anyway, I am not a hard-core believer in this sort of thing, but I simply found it interesting that it would be so very accurate about so many people and relationships in my life.  It's almost a little freaky...

Then you mix in the Chinese Zodiac signs (aka: Animals).

Wow.  Talk about an overload!

I found this site that gives more than just your Rat, Ox, and Dog profiles.  (Use only the left-hand column regarding the Zodiacs.  This site has ads that appear to be part of the site, but will take you away from the site, just so you know!)  There are actually elements within the profiles!  Did you know that there is a difference between an Earth Dragon and a Water Dragon?  I didn't even know there were elements!  However, I found the main characteristics of the Zodiac are the same with some slight fluctuations in the different elements.  The only downside to this site is that there isn't a nice clean table with all the years.  I knew which Zodiac I was, so I just counted backwards or forwards down the list to find friends' Zodiacs.  The years are listed, but only within the Zodiac profile itself, and under each element.  So some scanning is needed.

One thing I liked about this site is it provides possible career choices, health lifestyle, etc., and also briefly mentions compatibility (not like the Astrology Yahoo! site).  All this site simply states is what you're compatible with and which of the Zodiac's to avoid.

Now, I am sure there are better sites out there that talk about Zodiac signs and Horoscopes.  If you happen to know of any really good ones, please feel free to comment with the link and I would love to check them out!

I may not be fully converted, but I'm certainly starting to believe... ^-^