My eyes close and my mind wanders. Slowly, I begin to forget where I am, but soon an announcement comes over the intercom or I turn ever so slightly and catch a whiff of industrial cleaner, then it all comes flooding back. The sounds of the hospital fill my ears. The cries and grunts of expecting mothers and the worrisome shifting of feet by the fathers. The yelling fights at the nurse's station over insurance, and the ragged breathing of the injured. The continuous crying of the people in the waiting room, but whether because they are happy or sad I have no idea. Luckily with my eyes closed I can still ignore the reason I'm here. Yet, I still smell the much to lemony industrial cleaner, the sour disinfectant, and the salty stench of blood. Tears fill my still closed eyes.
****************************
I fight them down, try to think of something else, anything to avoid thinking about what I am doing in a hospital. Someone stumbles into my leg, but I refuse to open my eyes, and let them continue on their way. I know that if I open my eyes now, everything is lost, I will no longer be able to ignore the truth. I focus my mind on the past, on happier times, happier days. My thoughts immediately travel to the day I met Jessie.
I'd been working outside in the hot sun, building a shed for my father, when he walked up to me. He said he'd been walking down the street when he noticed a young girl doing work that was obviously meant for two. He reached over my shoulder and held up a board so I could nail it in. He offered his help, and I accepted. It quickly became clear that he wasn't really of any use as a carpenter, but he was pleasant to talk to, and even more pleasant to look at, especially when he took off his shirt. When I finally finished building the shed I invited Jessie in for a cold drink and a snack. He spoke just as easily to my father as he had to me, and when he finished his drink I invited him to help me paint the shed the next day. I was sixteen then.
"Dr. Matson, please report to OR 7, Dr. Matson, please report to OR 7." A woman's voice fizzles through the intercom. My eyes flash open, only for a second, but that's long enough. The fluorescent light burns my eyes, but the momentary blindness fades quickly, and the waiting room comes into sharp focus. I shut my eyes almost instantly, but the vision of the room is seared onto the back of my eyelids. I can see the nurse behind the counter shaking her head at the man argueing with her. I can see the bloddy bandaged arm of the man sitting next to me. I can see the little girl hugging her mother's legs and crying. I can see the forms in my hands, the ones I've been writing on...no I can't think of them. Think of anything else.
Jessie planned a completely insane eighteenth birthday for me. He said he wanted my initiation into adulthood to be unforgettable. I asked him if he actually wanted me to grow up considered that the celebration consisted of finger painting, play doh, roller skating, and watching lots of children's movies. Still, it was the most fun I'd had in a long time, the most fun I'd had since my mother died. When the night ended in a pillow fight and a not quite so innocent sleep over I knew it would be my best birthday ever. It was also the first time I told Jessie I loved him.
"Ms. Harrison, Melody?" says a voice above me. Reluctantly I open my eyes and look up at the nurse. She gives me a sad smile. "Have you finished the paperwork?" I glance down at the forms, only half finished, and shake my head.
"I'm sorry...it's just...I can't" I stutter to a stop. I'm not sure how to explain what I'm thinking to the nurse, but she simply smiles and lays her hand over mine.
"It's quite alright, there will be time for that later. Right now they are ready for you." She stands and I follow without really thinking about it or paying attention to where I'm going. She leads me down the hall to a small room. There is a doctor there and she offers me the same sad smile. I try not to look around, not to see the bed, but I can't help myself. Jessie lies there, his face barely recognizable, half his body covered in casts. Beeping and pulsing machines surround his body, tubes run into him from every side. When I can't bear the sight of it anymore I turn to the doctor.
"We've done everything we could, but I'm afraid the injuries were too severe. He likely won't make it another hour. I'm surprised he's managed to hang on this long. I'm so sorry." I hear the doctor's words, but I can't accept them, they can't be true.
"But, he's only nineteen, we're supposed to get married next week. We have an entire life to live." I say, feeling the tears start to flow down my cheeks. The nurse squeezes my hand, but I shake her off and go to Jessie. "You can't be dying, I won't allow it. You promised me vanilla cake and a honeymoon I would never forget. You can't leave me now."
I grab Jessie's hand and hold tight, but he doesn't squeeze back. I sit there, crying and begging him not to leave as the heart monitor begins to blip slower and slower. Then I lean down and kiss him until I hear nothing but the long steady beep that tells me my best friend is gone forever.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
June 6th
I feel like I should have something to blog
about, but honestly my life has been nothing but work and sleep with a
little YouTube and Hulu thrown into the mix. I love my new position at
Guest Services, tomorrow is my last day of training, and I'm incredibly
excited to be out on my own. I already adore what I'm doing, and I find
that it's a much better fit than my attractions job. Of course I still
miss the people I used to work with at Mummy, but I'll still visit them,
and I'll make new friends at guest services.
Aside from work, and the wedding which I already discussed at length, I haven't done much with my life. Those two things have taken enough time that I've pretty much just been writing 750 words and sleeping aside from that. I still haven't made my June goals despite the fact that I'm six days into the month. However, I know that I'll get there. In fact let's make a goal right now. My goal is to spend most of Saturday catching up on work that has fallen to the wayside. I need to catch up on Ascendio emails, make June goals, edit my Star Wars weekend video, make a Ravenclaw & Weasley video, and probably tons of other things that I'm just not thinking of right now.
I got to spend some time with Meg and we've been planning a surprise for the newly wedded couple (which I feel like I can discuss here because no one actually reads this blog). We've come up with this idea of a "fantasy honeymoon" that involves traveling around our apartment while actually visiting The Shire, Forks Washington, Hogwarts, Cat in the Hat, and a cliche Honeymoon Suite. We've come up with really simple decorations and some sort of gift or food for each different world. I'm hoping that we can manage to pull it off and that Sara and Chris enjoy it. I think they will appreciate the idea if nothing else. Plus it will be a lot of fun, and Meg is out of school so timing isn't really much of an issue.
I'm also planning to return to Star Wars weekends this Friday, and I think I'll probably film more video while I'm there. Then I'll have WAY too much footage that I can pare down to a thoughts from places. I have this crazy idea of doing a song to the Star Wars main theme about everything I saw. It has potential to be either funny and awesome or completely out of tune and cringe inducing. I suppose I'll have to let the viewers make that decision. Not that I have many more viewers than I do readers of this vlog, but I like to pretend. Sometimes I wonder if I would like to have a blog that people actually read and commented on. Then I remember that having an audience means that I would have to produce content that was actually worthy of a readership, and I just have no interest in that. I would much rather continue to write filler words and grammatically incorrect sentences about completely uninteresting topics. It makes me happy.
I still have about 200 words to write, and they aren't flowing like they do when I write my Dungeons and Dragons journals. I love getting into Riley's head, she's different than the characters I usually play. Plus there's the fact that the campaign itself is proving to be interesting enough to provide plenty of subject matter for my 750 words a day. It's funny because the people I play D&D with are fascinated and a little amazed that I write 750 words a day, while I simply enjoy it and think it's not that difficult. I read a blog today on Nerd Fitness that talked about building habits. They were mostly concerned with fitness habits, but I realized it works the same for anything. The reason I find my 750 words so easy is because I made it a habit, and something I enjoy instead of a chore. I know that I could (and likely should) do the same with exercise and eating better, but I don't have the same motivation.
Which reminds me of something I heard on the radio today. They were discussing lies that people tell themselves, things like "I'm going to start exercising". We tell ourselves these things even though we know they aren't true. They wanted to know what everyone's biggest (or most common) lie is. I thought about it for awhile, and I do tell myself a lot of lies about eating healthy or not spending money or exercising, but I realized that none of those were my biggest/most common lie. The lie I tell myself most often is "I'm going to go to bed early tonight." Every morning when I struggle to get out of bed I tell myself that I'm going to go to sleep earlier to make up for it. I told myself that lie this morning, and here it is 11pm and I'm decidedly not in my bed asleep.
Until tomorrow.
Aside from work, and the wedding which I already discussed at length, I haven't done much with my life. Those two things have taken enough time that I've pretty much just been writing 750 words and sleeping aside from that. I still haven't made my June goals despite the fact that I'm six days into the month. However, I know that I'll get there. In fact let's make a goal right now. My goal is to spend most of Saturday catching up on work that has fallen to the wayside. I need to catch up on Ascendio emails, make June goals, edit my Star Wars weekend video, make a Ravenclaw & Weasley video, and probably tons of other things that I'm just not thinking of right now.
I got to spend some time with Meg and we've been planning a surprise for the newly wedded couple (which I feel like I can discuss here because no one actually reads this blog). We've come up with this idea of a "fantasy honeymoon" that involves traveling around our apartment while actually visiting The Shire, Forks Washington, Hogwarts, Cat in the Hat, and a cliche Honeymoon Suite. We've come up with really simple decorations and some sort of gift or food for each different world. I'm hoping that we can manage to pull it off and that Sara and Chris enjoy it. I think they will appreciate the idea if nothing else. Plus it will be a lot of fun, and Meg is out of school so timing isn't really much of an issue.
I'm also planning to return to Star Wars weekends this Friday, and I think I'll probably film more video while I'm there. Then I'll have WAY too much footage that I can pare down to a thoughts from places. I have this crazy idea of doing a song to the Star Wars main theme about everything I saw. It has potential to be either funny and awesome or completely out of tune and cringe inducing. I suppose I'll have to let the viewers make that decision. Not that I have many more viewers than I do readers of this vlog, but I like to pretend. Sometimes I wonder if I would like to have a blog that people actually read and commented on. Then I remember that having an audience means that I would have to produce content that was actually worthy of a readership, and I just have no interest in that. I would much rather continue to write filler words and grammatically incorrect sentences about completely uninteresting topics. It makes me happy.
I still have about 200 words to write, and they aren't flowing like they do when I write my Dungeons and Dragons journals. I love getting into Riley's head, she's different than the characters I usually play. Plus there's the fact that the campaign itself is proving to be interesting enough to provide plenty of subject matter for my 750 words a day. It's funny because the people I play D&D with are fascinated and a little amazed that I write 750 words a day, while I simply enjoy it and think it's not that difficult. I read a blog today on Nerd Fitness that talked about building habits. They were mostly concerned with fitness habits, but I realized it works the same for anything. The reason I find my 750 words so easy is because I made it a habit, and something I enjoy instead of a chore. I know that I could (and likely should) do the same with exercise and eating better, but I don't have the same motivation.
Which reminds me of something I heard on the radio today. They were discussing lies that people tell themselves, things like "I'm going to start exercising". We tell ourselves these things even though we know they aren't true. They wanted to know what everyone's biggest (or most common) lie is. I thought about it for awhile, and I do tell myself a lot of lies about eating healthy or not spending money or exercising, but I realized that none of those were my biggest/most common lie. The lie I tell myself most often is "I'm going to go to bed early tonight." Every morning when I struggle to get out of bed I tell myself that I'm going to go to sleep earlier to make up for it. I told myself that lie this morning, and here it is 11pm and I'm decidedly not in my bed asleep.
Until tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
June 5th
The door to the fourth floor creaks open and I step into the large
round room. The others pile in, but they are suddenly stopped short by a
wall of lightening that springs up in our path. Zog, or at least the
Orc wizard that Ariella identifies as Zog, is seated on his throne and
wrapped around him is an incredibly sexy elf. I hate her immediately and
the sickly sweet spell that I associate with my fiery bursts of anger
fills my nostrils. I instantly recognize her as a demon succubus, but
I'm not sure where that knowledge comes from. She leans over to whisper
in Zog's ear and like a puppet he casts a spell upon us. Suddenly I feel
sluggish and slow and I notice Pixie, Dread Pirate Roberts, and Foxface
also seem to be feeling slow. Rouge outright drops to the floor in a
dead sleep. The succubus simply smiles and continues to coyly whisper in
Zog's ear.
I shoot a bust of flame at the succubus, but she seems mostly unaffected by the blast. The Dread Pirate Roberts walks through the lightening wall, taking a serious hit but managing to dispel the lightening for everyone else. Ariella screws up her face, but near as I can tell whatever spell she tried to cast was ineffective. The Dread Pirate Roberts waves his hands as well, I wasn't even aware that he had magic, but again nothing happens. Suddenly Zog tells us that he will help us as long as we move on. It seems that Ariella got through to him after all. He whispers to the succubus and she pouts and puffs out of existence. The sickly sweet smell fades, but I can't stop thinking about the familiarity of the succubus' smell. Ariella informs us that if we can keep her from Zog for a day her hold over him will break. They seem intent on hatching a plan to keep Zog away from the succubus. I know that he's important to the mission, but my eyes keep getting drawn to the brand on my arm, and I can't concentrate. I sneak away to find the succubus.
As I creep down the stairs I notice that Foxface is following me. Try as I might I can't get him to turn back. I'm hesitant to find the succubus with him, because I'm sure that he expects me to kill her, and that's not my plan. Still, I don't have much of an option, so I let him believe what he wants. We find the succubus taking out her frustration on the body of the apprentice. Foxface transforms into a fox and stays outside the room. I lounge comfortably at the door, unruffled by her anger or the carnage. I talk my way around the information I truly want, what does the mark on my arm mean, and also try and strike a deal with her. I remind her that she's wasting potential by killing apprentices and servants, not to mention that she's drawing unnecessary attention to herself. She insists that Zog is special and powerful, but I remind her that if she continues on as she has been we won't be the only ones who come looking.
I finally get her to agree to let us gain all the information, knowledge, and assistance we need from Zog WITHOUT her interference, at which point we will leave her to her lover. She agrees to the terms and proceeds to agree to clean up the home and try not to kill and maim all the apprentices. I also manage to get from her that my father must have been a demon prince, for they are the only ones who can sew their seed among mortals. His name is branded upon my body but she'd have to flay me in order to reveal it. As it is my identity should be hidden from all but other demons. Satisfied I leave, and manage to avoid Foxface's questions when The Dread Pirate Roberts appears. I fill him in on the agreement and we return to Zog.
Ariella is still telling the story of our journey of Kough when we return. After a short while the succubus pops back in and demands a kiss as Zog hadn't actually began to help us yet. Ariella tries to prevent the kiss and that gives enough time for Zog to sip the wine he is holding, and he immediately banishes the succubus. Apparently Milk had laced the wine with friendship potion while we were off talking to the succubus. Foxface is looking at me with curiosity, but I'm able to avoid his eyes and his questions while we deal with Zog.
Zog shares with us the knowledge he has of the artifact, which is apparently a large marble tub, not a cup as we believed. It was last held by dwarves in the Fen mountains about a hundred miles from town. We are able to acquire horses and Zog enchants them to move much faster. He also offers us a companion, and orc named Oog, who appears to be some sort of strange wizard. Oog is covered in arcane tattoos, and I find myself intrigued by his abilities. We gather supplies and prepare for our journey to the mountains. Zog wishes he could journey with us, but he can't leave his tower with all that happened.
When we head out to the inns for the night I find Foxface blocking my path, I knew that this moment would come. He demands to know what leverage, what camaraderie, I had with the succubus. I tell him that I had never seen her until that day, but her smell was familiar to me, and she knew me by smell as well. I tell him something that I have NEVER told another soul, that I never knew my father, but that apparently he is from the other side. I don't bother to explain that this means my father is a demon prince, and a powerful one at that, but I get the feeling that Foxface understood the subtext. I make sure that Foxface understands that if others gain this knowledge, he will lose his life. He leaves me to my room, but I find my mind filled with spinning thoughts and worries. I know the journey in the morning will be long, but other things plague my mind at the moment, and I can't seem to find the sleep I know I need.
I shoot a bust of flame at the succubus, but she seems mostly unaffected by the blast. The Dread Pirate Roberts walks through the lightening wall, taking a serious hit but managing to dispel the lightening for everyone else. Ariella screws up her face, but near as I can tell whatever spell she tried to cast was ineffective. The Dread Pirate Roberts waves his hands as well, I wasn't even aware that he had magic, but again nothing happens. Suddenly Zog tells us that he will help us as long as we move on. It seems that Ariella got through to him after all. He whispers to the succubus and she pouts and puffs out of existence. The sickly sweet smell fades, but I can't stop thinking about the familiarity of the succubus' smell. Ariella informs us that if we can keep her from Zog for a day her hold over him will break. They seem intent on hatching a plan to keep Zog away from the succubus. I know that he's important to the mission, but my eyes keep getting drawn to the brand on my arm, and I can't concentrate. I sneak away to find the succubus.
As I creep down the stairs I notice that Foxface is following me. Try as I might I can't get him to turn back. I'm hesitant to find the succubus with him, because I'm sure that he expects me to kill her, and that's not my plan. Still, I don't have much of an option, so I let him believe what he wants. We find the succubus taking out her frustration on the body of the apprentice. Foxface transforms into a fox and stays outside the room. I lounge comfortably at the door, unruffled by her anger or the carnage. I talk my way around the information I truly want, what does the mark on my arm mean, and also try and strike a deal with her. I remind her that she's wasting potential by killing apprentices and servants, not to mention that she's drawing unnecessary attention to herself. She insists that Zog is special and powerful, but I remind her that if she continues on as she has been we won't be the only ones who come looking.
I finally get her to agree to let us gain all the information, knowledge, and assistance we need from Zog WITHOUT her interference, at which point we will leave her to her lover. She agrees to the terms and proceeds to agree to clean up the home and try not to kill and maim all the apprentices. I also manage to get from her that my father must have been a demon prince, for they are the only ones who can sew their seed among mortals. His name is branded upon my body but she'd have to flay me in order to reveal it. As it is my identity should be hidden from all but other demons. Satisfied I leave, and manage to avoid Foxface's questions when The Dread Pirate Roberts appears. I fill him in on the agreement and we return to Zog.
Ariella is still telling the story of our journey of Kough when we return. After a short while the succubus pops back in and demands a kiss as Zog hadn't actually began to help us yet. Ariella tries to prevent the kiss and that gives enough time for Zog to sip the wine he is holding, and he immediately banishes the succubus. Apparently Milk had laced the wine with friendship potion while we were off talking to the succubus. Foxface is looking at me with curiosity, but I'm able to avoid his eyes and his questions while we deal with Zog.
Zog shares with us the knowledge he has of the artifact, which is apparently a large marble tub, not a cup as we believed. It was last held by dwarves in the Fen mountains about a hundred miles from town. We are able to acquire horses and Zog enchants them to move much faster. He also offers us a companion, and orc named Oog, who appears to be some sort of strange wizard. Oog is covered in arcane tattoos, and I find myself intrigued by his abilities. We gather supplies and prepare for our journey to the mountains. Zog wishes he could journey with us, but he can't leave his tower with all that happened.
When we head out to the inns for the night I find Foxface blocking my path, I knew that this moment would come. He demands to know what leverage, what camaraderie, I had with the succubus. I tell him that I had never seen her until that day, but her smell was familiar to me, and she knew me by smell as well. I tell him something that I have NEVER told another soul, that I never knew my father, but that apparently he is from the other side. I don't bother to explain that this means my father is a demon prince, and a powerful one at that, but I get the feeling that Foxface understood the subtext. I make sure that Foxface understands that if others gain this knowledge, he will lose his life. He leaves me to my room, but I find my mind filled with spinning thoughts and worries. I know the journey in the morning will be long, but other things plague my mind at the moment, and I can't seem to find the sleep I know I need.
Monday, June 4, 2012
June 4th
There is a list about as long as my arm of stuff
that I need to be doing, but I'm just tired and I want to write my 750
words and go to sleep. The list will just have to sort itself out later.
It will, I have faith in my abilities, but it's not happening right
now.
While I procrastinate on all that I guess I'll try and entertain you with my remaining 600 or so words. Well, perhaps bore you into mindless submission might be be a more accurate description. But you must read this for a reason, so I'll just have to continue to hope that you enjoy my dry wit and my fantastic grasp of the narrative language. That or this blog is so terrible that reading it is similar to watching a car crash, it's bad for you but you just can't help yourself. Leave me a comment and let me know which way you feel.
Now that I've sufficiently padded my word count with an ample amount of content-less fluff, I guess I'll move on to things you might actually want me to talk about, like work and this wedding that I went to yesterday. Or I could continue with nonsense until you quit reading it and then proceed to repeat a single word over and over to reach 750 because I know that no one is actually paying attention anyway...but I would never do that. I value you too much as a reader...I promise...for now.
Yesterday was the wedding of my apartmate Sara to her boyfriend/fiance/crush Chris. The ceremony was outside in a lovely park, and the reception was just across the way in a different, but equally lovely, park. The wedding was very DIY, with Chris and Sara (and Meg and I a bit) doing everything from decorating the venue, to making the cake, to arranging the flowers, to creating all the centerpieces and more. I was Maid of Honor (wearing a dress I got to pick myself, which was wonderful of Sara), so I had quite a list of duties day of. It might have been a little insane, but I wouldn't have changed a minute of it.
Beginning at 8am Sara and I went out to the parks to set up everything. We (with help from Sara's family when they arrived) rearranged the picnic tables in the pavilion, swept the area, decorated the ceiling with hanging paper flowers, curly paper vines, and lots of draping fabric. We also covered the tables with the rented cloths and laid out all the centerpieces and cameras and props. We got the food and gift tables ready to be filled when the time arrived and then headed over to the actual ceremony space. Over there we set up chairs, hung fabric for an aisle, and arranged items on the small stage where the ceremony would take place. Then it was time to vacate the premises so that Chris could come in and do his part of the setup (he of course wasn't allowed to see Sara).
We returned to the apartment where it was time to get hair and makeup done by one of Sara's friends. I was the lucky girl who got to go first because there were some other things that I needed to handle before the wedding began. I got my hair braided and curled, put on my dress, let Meg convince me to wear eye shadow, and then headed out to drive Chris to the hotel where he was supposed to change. After he felt prepared we headed over to the park to make the final preparations (like setting out drinks and ice and food) before Sara and the rest of the wedding guests arrived. Once everything was finally set it was time for the actual ceremony to begin.
The wedding, which began around 4:30, was simple and beautiful. We walked down the aisle and then the wedding party sat in the front row while Chris and Sara exchanged rings and vows and bows. Sara looked absolutely stunning and everyone cried. Once the recessional was finished it was time for everyone to make quick work of cleaning up the ceremony site and loading up the chairs. Then the guests headed over to the reception area (now complete with food and cake) while the wedding party wandered the park and took hundreds of lovely photos. I can't wait to see how they all turn out because I believe they will be quite stunning.
When picture taking was over the newly wedded couple were presented at the reception. There was a lot of cheering, a lot of toasting, a fair bit of kissing, and truly incredible amount of cake. Everyone had a wonderful time and it was truly a place of extreme happiness. After people started to say their goodbyes it was time to clean up the reception area and pack everything away to bring back to the apartment. By the time I arrived home (alone, as the wedded couple had other engagements) and unpacked it was about 10pm. All in all it was a day well spent.
Now I'm not saying that the wedding went flawlessly. Like any event it had it's share of hiccups, but we handled them all. The truth is that when it comes to the nitty gritty of getting things done when it all seems to be falling apart, that's where I excel. I love the rush of running around and doing a hundred different things to make sure that whatever is going on is the best it can be. That's what I want to do with my life, and I wouldn't have changed a thing about the day even if I could. Besides, as I was fond of reminding everyone yesterday, as long as the wedding has a bride, a groom, and an officiator it's a success; everything else is just bonus. Well, except maybe cake, for me cake is as necessary as any other element.
Until tomorrow.
While I procrastinate on all that I guess I'll try and entertain you with my remaining 600 or so words. Well, perhaps bore you into mindless submission might be be a more accurate description. But you must read this for a reason, so I'll just have to continue to hope that you enjoy my dry wit and my fantastic grasp of the narrative language. That or this blog is so terrible that reading it is similar to watching a car crash, it's bad for you but you just can't help yourself. Leave me a comment and let me know which way you feel.
Now that I've sufficiently padded my word count with an ample amount of content-less fluff, I guess I'll move on to things you might actually want me to talk about, like work and this wedding that I went to yesterday. Or I could continue with nonsense until you quit reading it and then proceed to repeat a single word over and over to reach 750 because I know that no one is actually paying attention anyway...but I would never do that. I value you too much as a reader...I promise...for now.
Yesterday was the wedding of my apartmate Sara to her boyfriend/fiance/crush Chris. The ceremony was outside in a lovely park, and the reception was just across the way in a different, but equally lovely, park. The wedding was very DIY, with Chris and Sara (and Meg and I a bit) doing everything from decorating the venue, to making the cake, to arranging the flowers, to creating all the centerpieces and more. I was Maid of Honor (wearing a dress I got to pick myself, which was wonderful of Sara), so I had quite a list of duties day of. It might have been a little insane, but I wouldn't have changed a minute of it.
Beginning at 8am Sara and I went out to the parks to set up everything. We (with help from Sara's family when they arrived) rearranged the picnic tables in the pavilion, swept the area, decorated the ceiling with hanging paper flowers, curly paper vines, and lots of draping fabric. We also covered the tables with the rented cloths and laid out all the centerpieces and cameras and props. We got the food and gift tables ready to be filled when the time arrived and then headed over to the actual ceremony space. Over there we set up chairs, hung fabric for an aisle, and arranged items on the small stage where the ceremony would take place. Then it was time to vacate the premises so that Chris could come in and do his part of the setup (he of course wasn't allowed to see Sara).
We returned to the apartment where it was time to get hair and makeup done by one of Sara's friends. I was the lucky girl who got to go first because there were some other things that I needed to handle before the wedding began. I got my hair braided and curled, put on my dress, let Meg convince me to wear eye shadow, and then headed out to drive Chris to the hotel where he was supposed to change. After he felt prepared we headed over to the park to make the final preparations (like setting out drinks and ice and food) before Sara and the rest of the wedding guests arrived. Once everything was finally set it was time for the actual ceremony to begin.
The wedding, which began around 4:30, was simple and beautiful. We walked down the aisle and then the wedding party sat in the front row while Chris and Sara exchanged rings and vows and bows. Sara looked absolutely stunning and everyone cried. Once the recessional was finished it was time for everyone to make quick work of cleaning up the ceremony site and loading up the chairs. Then the guests headed over to the reception area (now complete with food and cake) while the wedding party wandered the park and took hundreds of lovely photos. I can't wait to see how they all turn out because I believe they will be quite stunning.
When picture taking was over the newly wedded couple were presented at the reception. There was a lot of cheering, a lot of toasting, a fair bit of kissing, and truly incredible amount of cake. Everyone had a wonderful time and it was truly a place of extreme happiness. After people started to say their goodbyes it was time to clean up the reception area and pack everything away to bring back to the apartment. By the time I arrived home (alone, as the wedded couple had other engagements) and unpacked it was about 10pm. All in all it was a day well spent.
Now I'm not saying that the wedding went flawlessly. Like any event it had it's share of hiccups, but we handled them all. The truth is that when it comes to the nitty gritty of getting things done when it all seems to be falling apart, that's where I excel. I love the rush of running around and doing a hundred different things to make sure that whatever is going on is the best it can be. That's what I want to do with my life, and I wouldn't have changed a thing about the day even if I could. Besides, as I was fond of reminding everyone yesterday, as long as the wedding has a bride, a groom, and an officiator it's a success; everything else is just bonus. Well, except maybe cake, for me cake is as necessary as any other element.
Until tomorrow.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
June 3rd
Today Sara & Chris got married. I thought
that I'd want to write about the ceremony and reception, but I've
decided that I'll save that for tomorrow. I feel like writing some
fiction right now. Actually, I sorta feel like writing about Sylvia, my
HP fanfiction character. This won't really be a story, more like
background information on her.
**************
Sylvia grew up in an orphanage after her mother was killed. She met Harry when they started primary school and became fast friends. They never saw each other outside of school (Sylvia tried once but the Dursleys punished Harry and she never asked to visit again), but it didn't seem to dampen their friendship. Sylvia had a strong protective instinct and she stood up for Harry (and others) when no one else would. At the orphanage the older kids made fun of her for spending time with animals. She got picked on a lot and the staff didn't care enough to stop them from mistreating her. Despite the fact that she would defend Harry, or anyone else who got picked on, to the ends of the earth, she never had much to say when it came to defending herself.
Sylvia was always able to talk to animals but she learned at a VERY early age that the ability was a secret best kept to herself. However, it never occurred to her that this talent (and the other things that happened around her) were magic and not just her being a "freak", as she was often called by the other children in the orphanage. Then she received her Hogwarts acceptance letter, and her whole world changed. One visit from Professor Kettleburn later, she had supplies, a wand, and a tiny kitten all packed and ready to head to Platform 9 3/4. Her only misgiving was that she couldn't tell Harry or her few other friends and she was hesitant to leave them without her protection. Her animal friends could follow her, her human friends could not. Imagine her incredible happiness when she arrived on the train to find Harry already seated.
Sylvia actually managed to thrive at Hogwarts, where she was sorted into Gryffindor after the sorting hat debated the positive qualities of Ravenclaw. Although she still didn't tell anyone she could speak to animals, since no one was telling her that they could either. She found that she loved the classes and the students and especially the creatures in the Forbidden Forest. Harry didn't need her protection anymore, it turned out that in this world he was famous. He found some great friends and while Sylvia was still involved in his life and helped him with trials, she also found friends of her own. She met Fred and George Weasley on the train, and found it easy to fall into their world of tricks and pranks, especially since speaking to her animal friends gave her an edge in their prank wars.
When it came to classes Sylvia did decently well for a child raised in the Muggle world. She loved to read and found that despite what everyone said, she rather enjoyed History of Magic. Sylvia found making potions to be very relaxing, but she found facing Professor Snape and fighting down the urge to hex him over the way he treated Harry and the other Gryffindors quite stressful. Charms was fun and she found that she had a natural talent for the protective spells they learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Astronomy wasn't particularly interesting, but it did happen outside, largely at night, and got points in Sylvia's book for that. Transfiguration on the other hand was an entirely different beast. She wanted so much to please the professor, but try as she might Sylvia couldn't bring herself to transfigure any living creature. Often she would sneak the creature away and transfigure something from her bag instead. This only proved to be an issue when McGonagall decided to reverse the transfiguration. Herbology was also a challenge for Sylvia. She had a natural knack when it came to animals, but plants seemed to go out of their way to mystify and annoy her. Sylvia discovered early on that Neville Longbottom was good in the greenhouse and worked her way to sit next to him.
Outside of classes there were many things that Sylvia loved, starting with the fact that mail was delivered by owls. She didn't have anyone to send her packages, but she found out she could order Wizarding newspapers so that the owls would visit daily. Then there were all the creatures that lived on the grounds, the students she met, and all the adventures she could get up to while at school, but more on that lately.
Until tomorrow.
**************
Sylvia grew up in an orphanage after her mother was killed. She met Harry when they started primary school and became fast friends. They never saw each other outside of school (Sylvia tried once but the Dursleys punished Harry and she never asked to visit again), but it didn't seem to dampen their friendship. Sylvia had a strong protective instinct and she stood up for Harry (and others) when no one else would. At the orphanage the older kids made fun of her for spending time with animals. She got picked on a lot and the staff didn't care enough to stop them from mistreating her. Despite the fact that she would defend Harry, or anyone else who got picked on, to the ends of the earth, she never had much to say when it came to defending herself.
Sylvia was always able to talk to animals but she learned at a VERY early age that the ability was a secret best kept to herself. However, it never occurred to her that this talent (and the other things that happened around her) were magic and not just her being a "freak", as she was often called by the other children in the orphanage. Then she received her Hogwarts acceptance letter, and her whole world changed. One visit from Professor Kettleburn later, she had supplies, a wand, and a tiny kitten all packed and ready to head to Platform 9 3/4. Her only misgiving was that she couldn't tell Harry or her few other friends and she was hesitant to leave them without her protection. Her animal friends could follow her, her human friends could not. Imagine her incredible happiness when she arrived on the train to find Harry already seated.
Sylvia actually managed to thrive at Hogwarts, where she was sorted into Gryffindor after the sorting hat debated the positive qualities of Ravenclaw. Although she still didn't tell anyone she could speak to animals, since no one was telling her that they could either. She found that she loved the classes and the students and especially the creatures in the Forbidden Forest. Harry didn't need her protection anymore, it turned out that in this world he was famous. He found some great friends and while Sylvia was still involved in his life and helped him with trials, she also found friends of her own. She met Fred and George Weasley on the train, and found it easy to fall into their world of tricks and pranks, especially since speaking to her animal friends gave her an edge in their prank wars.
When it came to classes Sylvia did decently well for a child raised in the Muggle world. She loved to read and found that despite what everyone said, she rather enjoyed History of Magic. Sylvia found making potions to be very relaxing, but she found facing Professor Snape and fighting down the urge to hex him over the way he treated Harry and the other Gryffindors quite stressful. Charms was fun and she found that she had a natural talent for the protective spells they learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Astronomy wasn't particularly interesting, but it did happen outside, largely at night, and got points in Sylvia's book for that. Transfiguration on the other hand was an entirely different beast. She wanted so much to please the professor, but try as she might Sylvia couldn't bring herself to transfigure any living creature. Often she would sneak the creature away and transfigure something from her bag instead. This only proved to be an issue when McGonagall decided to reverse the transfiguration. Herbology was also a challenge for Sylvia. She had a natural knack when it came to animals, but plants seemed to go out of their way to mystify and annoy her. Sylvia discovered early on that Neville Longbottom was good in the greenhouse and worked her way to sit next to him.
Outside of classes there were many things that Sylvia loved, starting with the fact that mail was delivered by owls. She didn't have anyone to send her packages, but she found out she could order Wizarding newspapers so that the owls would visit daily. Then there were all the creatures that lived on the grounds, the students she met, and all the adventures she could get up to while at school, but more on that lately.
Until tomorrow.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
June 2nd
Gosh June is off to a very hectic start. Between
Meg's birthday and preparing for Sara's wedding it's been nothing but
busy in my world. That doesn't leave much time for raves or rants, but I
still have 750 words to write so I suppose I'll have to buckle down and
spit out something. I think I'll go back to the age old list of things I
love and why I love them. I'll try to change it up from the last time,
but I make no promises.
Nerdfighters- No matter how you meet it's guaranteed that the other person will be awesome. Even if they are a person you've never seen before, but they happen to be wearing a DFTBA records shirt or mention something nerdy, you just flash the gang sign and BOOM instant friends.
Dishwashers- I actually enjoy washing dishes by hand, but with the volume of dishes we've gone through lately in preparation for this wedding, I'm incredibly thankful to have a dishwasher. Life is just so much easier this way.
Artistic Friends- Nothing makes me happier than receiving something that someone else has drawn/painted/sculpted for me. I think it's because art is not a talent I possess and so I feel blessed to receive it from others.
Lizards- Tiny lizards are everywhere in Florida and they provide endless hours of entertainment. I spend a lot of time trying to catch one, but have yet to succeed, they're quick little buggers.
The phrase "Cheers, love"- Nothing, and I really mean nothing flatters me more than a British guy saying that in passing. I'm not sure if it's the phrase or the accent or a mix of the two, but it always makes me feel confident and attractive. This is ridiculous I'm aware, but knowing that doesn't change how I feel.
New friends- Meeting new people is one of my favorite activities, and turning them into friends is even better. It's just great to add to my list of local friends, especially if it adds to the list of people I actually hang out with.
Disney World- I know, I work for Universal, this is close to blasphemy, but it's true. There's just something almost magical about Disney World and no matter how many times I go there I find myself just as excited as the very first time I went.
Harry Potter Fanfiction- When I'm sitting around bored nothing gets my brain pumping like a well written fanfic. I'm a big fan of angsty plots and lots of hurt and comfort from the main characters. They are fun to read and they get my creativity flowing.
Taking Pictures- I'm not great at it, I wouldn't even claim to be adequate, but I do love taking pictures. This pictures aren't of anything in particular, just what I feel like photographing at the time.
Bad ABC Family movies- Technically it doesn't have to be an ABC Family movie, but they have the best bad movies. What makes these movies bad is usually an overly romanticized and predictable storyline filled with WAY too many convenient breaks. All of these things are what make them wonderful to watch and make fun of though.
Walking- Just taking a walk, especially when I don't actually have to go anywhere is very relaxing. It gives me a chance to just think about things or listen to music.
Slippers- Yes, it's regularly 90 degrees outside, yet when I'm inside the air conditioned apartment I always manage to be a little cold. Slippers keep my feet warm and keep me from getting sick.
Cake- Delicious, not at all nutritious, and one of my favorite foods. It seems like you really can't go wrong with cake.
Naps- I really haven't gotten enough sleep lately but naps have saved my sanity. It still blows my mind how a 30 minute nap can somehow leave me feeling more refreshed than a 6 or 7 hour night of sleep.
The Vlogbrothers- Aside from the creation of Nerdfighters I owe Hank and John Green credit for most of what I know about current events. I also owe them for a lot of knowledge I've lately gained about science and history. Plus they write good books, funny songs, and make ever interesting videos.
Dresses/Skirts- I used to hate wearing dresses (and skirts), but I've started to like them, especially shorter ones, as a nice way to stay cool in the summer. I still often struggle with the lack of pockets, but it's mostly just taught me to travel lighter.
Until tomorrow.
Nerdfighters- No matter how you meet it's guaranteed that the other person will be awesome. Even if they are a person you've never seen before, but they happen to be wearing a DFTBA records shirt or mention something nerdy, you just flash the gang sign and BOOM instant friends.
Dishwashers- I actually enjoy washing dishes by hand, but with the volume of dishes we've gone through lately in preparation for this wedding, I'm incredibly thankful to have a dishwasher. Life is just so much easier this way.
Artistic Friends- Nothing makes me happier than receiving something that someone else has drawn/painted/sculpted for me. I think it's because art is not a talent I possess and so I feel blessed to receive it from others.
Lizards- Tiny lizards are everywhere in Florida and they provide endless hours of entertainment. I spend a lot of time trying to catch one, but have yet to succeed, they're quick little buggers.
The phrase "Cheers, love"- Nothing, and I really mean nothing flatters me more than a British guy saying that in passing. I'm not sure if it's the phrase or the accent or a mix of the two, but it always makes me feel confident and attractive. This is ridiculous I'm aware, but knowing that doesn't change how I feel.
New friends- Meeting new people is one of my favorite activities, and turning them into friends is even better. It's just great to add to my list of local friends, especially if it adds to the list of people I actually hang out with.
Disney World- I know, I work for Universal, this is close to blasphemy, but it's true. There's just something almost magical about Disney World and no matter how many times I go there I find myself just as excited as the very first time I went.
Harry Potter Fanfiction- When I'm sitting around bored nothing gets my brain pumping like a well written fanfic. I'm a big fan of angsty plots and lots of hurt and comfort from the main characters. They are fun to read and they get my creativity flowing.
Taking Pictures- I'm not great at it, I wouldn't even claim to be adequate, but I do love taking pictures. This pictures aren't of anything in particular, just what I feel like photographing at the time.
Bad ABC Family movies- Technically it doesn't have to be an ABC Family movie, but they have the best bad movies. What makes these movies bad is usually an overly romanticized and predictable storyline filled with WAY too many convenient breaks. All of these things are what make them wonderful to watch and make fun of though.
Walking- Just taking a walk, especially when I don't actually have to go anywhere is very relaxing. It gives me a chance to just think about things or listen to music.
Slippers- Yes, it's regularly 90 degrees outside, yet when I'm inside the air conditioned apartment I always manage to be a little cold. Slippers keep my feet warm and keep me from getting sick.
Cake- Delicious, not at all nutritious, and one of my favorite foods. It seems like you really can't go wrong with cake.
Naps- I really haven't gotten enough sleep lately but naps have saved my sanity. It still blows my mind how a 30 minute nap can somehow leave me feeling more refreshed than a 6 or 7 hour night of sleep.
The Vlogbrothers- Aside from the creation of Nerdfighters I owe Hank and John Green credit for most of what I know about current events. I also owe them for a lot of knowledge I've lately gained about science and history. Plus they write good books, funny songs, and make ever interesting videos.
Dresses/Skirts- I used to hate wearing dresses (and skirts), but I've started to like them, especially shorter ones, as a nice way to stay cool in the summer. I still often struggle with the lack of pockets, but it's mostly just taught me to travel lighter.
Until tomorrow.
Friday, June 1, 2012
June 1st
It's Friday, which means a review, but first I want to talk a bit about May & June goals.
May Goals
1) Write 750 words a day (check)
2) Make two videos for channel (check)
3) Read a book (I believe a 400 page fanfiction counts)
4) Save $200 (check)
5) Write Wrockbox show (yeah, so maybe this will never happen)
6) Finalize ALL Ascendio scheduling (check)
7) Make shot list for three music videos (nope)
8) Read or cancel all magazines (check)
9) Spend less than $300 on credit card (nope)
10) Clean out my living space (check)
7 out of 10, not bad.
June Goals
1) Write 750 words every day
2) Post one video on each channel
3) Save $200
4) Make shot list for one music video
5) Figure out where I'm living July 7th
6) Read a book (or a novel length fanfiction)
7) Figure out AV for Ascendio
8) Make sure everything is ready for Ascendio
9) Spend less than $400 on credit card
10) Keep up with YouTube/Hulu/Magazines
I've decided to review Snow White and the Huntsman. I got to see a special preview of it last night. The movie is out for everyone now, so I don't feel bad reviewing it here. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the movie is.
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS
For those who don't know Snow White and the Huntsman is a retelling of Snow White starring Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman, and Charlize Theron as Ravenna (the evil Queen). I would say it's a little closer to the original tale than the Disney version most people are familiar with. Naturally, I was super excited to see the film, as I have an incredible love for fairy tales and fairy tale retellings. I'd already seen Mirror, Mirror (the other Snow White adaptation to grace the silver screen this year) which was a comedy, so I was interested to see a more serious take on the tale.
From the instant the screen lit up to the closing credits, I was impressed with what I saw. The visual effects were fascinating and very well done. Ravenna had an army of soldiers that were made of shards of glass, and when they were attacked they shattered into pieces. Watching swords slice through glass soldiers was fascinating. Then there was the mirror that flowed like a liquid, the giant troll, the forest filled with things with eyes, the fairies that burst from squirrels, the butterflies that formed into beings. I was entranced by everything that passed across the screen.
Which is not to say that the movie was only visually stunning and had no other redeeming qualities. I enjoyed the plot quite a lot. As a fairy tale fan I'm familiar with the original versions of the stories as well and I was excited to see some of those elements involved in this story. I liked that Snow White wasn't the innocent child she's often portrayed as, she had heart and a better view of the world. I also loved that she didn't just fall for the handsome prince who thought she was beautiful, who in this story was a boy she'd known as a child. Instead she lost her heart to the huntsman who first set out to kill her and then eventually taught her to fight and helped her defeat the Queen. I felt a little bad for the poor Prince, but honestly the Huntsman was a better choice.
I also thought that the way they treated Ravenna and the lore surrounding her was unique and interesting. She was the villain, but was not a wholly evil being. She was manipulated by her mother and taught that power was the only way to stay happy. She gained youth and beauty by sucking it out of others, it was the power and curse granted to her by the mirror. By the end of the movie you felt sad for her, although you knew she was too far gone to be saved. Charlize did a fantastic job portraying all sides of that character and made every side completely believable.
I liked that Snow started a war (of sorts) rather than the Queen simply dying. It makes both characters stronger. I also liked the way the dwarves were treated, and that they had their own lore and powers. The addition of a prophecy of sorts, and a fairies was a nice touch. If you like fairy tales, then I'd recommend Snow White and the Huntsman.
Until tomorrow.
May Goals
1) Write 750 words a day (check)
2) Make two videos for channel (check)
3) Read a book (I believe a 400 page fanfiction counts)
4) Save $200 (check)
5) Write Wrockbox show (yeah, so maybe this will never happen)
6) Finalize ALL Ascendio scheduling (check)
7) Make shot list for three music videos (nope)
8) Read or cancel all magazines (check)
9) Spend less than $300 on credit card (nope)
10) Clean out my living space (check)
7 out of 10, not bad.
June Goals
1) Write 750 words every day
2) Post one video on each channel
3) Save $200
4) Make shot list for one music video
5) Figure out where I'm living July 7th
6) Read a book (or a novel length fanfiction)
7) Figure out AV for Ascendio
8) Make sure everything is ready for Ascendio
9) Spend less than $400 on credit card
10) Keep up with YouTube/Hulu/Magazines
I've decided to review Snow White and the Huntsman. I got to see a special preview of it last night. The movie is out for everyone now, so I don't feel bad reviewing it here. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the movie is.
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS
For those who don't know Snow White and the Huntsman is a retelling of Snow White starring Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman, and Charlize Theron as Ravenna (the evil Queen). I would say it's a little closer to the original tale than the Disney version most people are familiar with. Naturally, I was super excited to see the film, as I have an incredible love for fairy tales and fairy tale retellings. I'd already seen Mirror, Mirror (the other Snow White adaptation to grace the silver screen this year) which was a comedy, so I was interested to see a more serious take on the tale.
From the instant the screen lit up to the closing credits, I was impressed with what I saw. The visual effects were fascinating and very well done. Ravenna had an army of soldiers that were made of shards of glass, and when they were attacked they shattered into pieces. Watching swords slice through glass soldiers was fascinating. Then there was the mirror that flowed like a liquid, the giant troll, the forest filled with things with eyes, the fairies that burst from squirrels, the butterflies that formed into beings. I was entranced by everything that passed across the screen.
Which is not to say that the movie was only visually stunning and had no other redeeming qualities. I enjoyed the plot quite a lot. As a fairy tale fan I'm familiar with the original versions of the stories as well and I was excited to see some of those elements involved in this story. I liked that Snow White wasn't the innocent child she's often portrayed as, she had heart and a better view of the world. I also loved that she didn't just fall for the handsome prince who thought she was beautiful, who in this story was a boy she'd known as a child. Instead she lost her heart to the huntsman who first set out to kill her and then eventually taught her to fight and helped her defeat the Queen. I felt a little bad for the poor Prince, but honestly the Huntsman was a better choice.
I also thought that the way they treated Ravenna and the lore surrounding her was unique and interesting. She was the villain, but was not a wholly evil being. She was manipulated by her mother and taught that power was the only way to stay happy. She gained youth and beauty by sucking it out of others, it was the power and curse granted to her by the mirror. By the end of the movie you felt sad for her, although you knew she was too far gone to be saved. Charlize did a fantastic job portraying all sides of that character and made every side completely believable.
I liked that Snow started a war (of sorts) rather than the Queen simply dying. It makes both characters stronger. I also liked the way the dwarves were treated, and that they had their own lore and powers. The addition of a prophecy of sorts, and a fairies was a nice touch. If you like fairy tales, then I'd recommend Snow White and the Huntsman.
Until tomorrow.
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