In Which I know I'm a bad blogger.

I always have the best intentions for blogging. I always have posts that I start and never finish. I visit blogger about three times a week and somehow I still have huge gaps between posts.

Why is this a thing? I don't know.

*shrug*

What is new in my little life? Not much, except that my sister and brother-in-law are coming!!!!! *SHRIEKS*

Gina and Dan are coming up for Joey's wedding, and since they will be up here anyway, they decided to stay the week so they could visit. I'm really excited! They have a brand new baby and I get to hold him! He'll only be three weeks old! It's' been too long since I held a baby that small!!

It will be such fun. Fun will be had by all. We'll have lots of yummy dinners and deserts, and maybe we'll make a giant special breakfast.

So much of my life revolves around food. What do I do to have fun? I plan for Good Food and a movie. Good Food foremost.

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My best friend came over for the weekend, which was a blast! Unfortunately I always forget to take pictures unless someone prompts me. This means that Jim and I were having too much fun to stop and capture moments.

We basically spent three days relaxing and sleeping in. Jim had never seen Alice in Wonderland so I figured we ought to start our movie marathon off with that one. We had six movies to get through in three nights. This meant that sleep was for the weak and if we had to welcome the morning in while the moon was still up that was just fine. 

Since movies were a must and late nights were very late, we lazed about in bed until about nine o'clock before rousing ourselves for breakfast. See? Apparently my definition of having a The best time ever is eating, having tea, and curling up on the couch doing absolutely nothing. Oh, and a nice movie or show after. It doesn't sound boring until I write it out; but I promise that having tea with me is an event. You get Reese's!!!

It was great because a lot of the cartoons we watched I haven't seen in a long time, and some I'd never seen. Like, I have always wanted to see American Tail but our VHS is so old that it wasn't watchable. It jumped and fizzled and turned black and white and sometimes the whole thing would just go black and buzz because the thing was so old. This was tragic for me. I wanted to see a cartoon with adorable little mice! On a whim I took American Tale  to Jessie's house... AND IT PLAYED. I guess her VHS players was newer or something, because it played my 30+ year old tape with no glitch. Obviously those things have high integrity... they are so much better than DVD's. #BringBackVHS

I have a thing for Peter Pan. Both the cartoon and the movie are special to me in their own way. I just love the character of Peter. He is so sad and adorable! And he had swords and magic!! I wanted him to teach me to fight. I actually remember the cartoon being a bit sadder.... not that it still isn't a little sad. I think when you are little, Tinkerbell flying off with a bomb is a wee bit scarring. (The movie is brutal with that bit. In fact, that whole ending is brutal because Peter is so broken.) I honestly think they should bring back drawn animation. They don't have to make everything with it. They can still use the fancy new animation, there is a lot of good in that too, but I think at least 1/3 of all cartoons made should be drawn. It is fascinating and intricate and beautiful, and we shouldn't just let that raw amazing talent and art work go to waste. It is something that needs to be salvaged! Help me out with this guys. #bringbackdrawnanimation

#bringbackdrawnanimation

What else has been going on? Let's see. I'm a little bit in love with Hawaii Five-O right now. When I first heard it was a cop show that takes place on Hawaii I naturally thought, "Oh. Yay. Another NCIS, but with a beach." Whohoooooa I was so wrong!! It's is so fabulous. Cops and crime-fighting ad guns, amazing characters and best of all, Friendships Stories! *happy dancing* H50 does a really good job balancing comedy and tension. It is a show with a lighter mood and theme, but when it wants to get dark and serious it can and I love that. It has the same feel as Leverage or Psych. It is mostly just fun and happy but it isn't afraid to do stressful, intense/emotional stuff either, and it has AMAZING character development and all that jazz. The best part of the show is of course, the friendship between the two main guys. Danny and Steve are hilarious. They constantly bicker and poke fun at each other, but it is obvious that they love each other. They have a "I can knock my best friend over, but don't you dare try it," relationship. Its brilliant!

"I love you."

"Okay, I think we've gotten close."

"You have got to start doing a better job picking your friends."

Ah yas, I love the smell of Vidding inspiration in the morning.

Platonic friendship is my passion. GIVE ME MORE!!!

I have lots of story ideas rattling about in my brain so I should probably sign off. I have words to scribble down. Characters to love. A family story to think about. Do you ever have so many stories that you are literally overwhelmed with the thrill of writing them and you get stuck in a whirlpool of inspiration that spins you around and around without getting you anywhere, because you can't focus on one thing since everything is so cool and has to be worked on  right freaking now??? THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME.

TOO MUCH AWESOME

Oh yeah, I watched the first Lilo and Stitch last week for the first time. I was like, 'Why have I never seen this??' It's a sweet movie! Sure it's a bit annoying at first, but by the time we reached the middle I liked it. It also got unexpectedly sad! Lil' Stitch alone in the forest - you don't realize how much you like him until suddenly he is sad and alone and.... UGLY DUCKLING. *dies* (Plus, a good sister story guys! Better than Ana and Elsa. So much better.)

Okay, I'm actually signing off now. Stuff to do! Peace out y'all!!!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella

MARATHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON

Guys!!!!!! GUYS!!!!! GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!

HI!!!!!!!!

It is January the 28th. It is early afternoon and the sky is in a horrifically foul mood. I think it is sulking over the lack of snow its been able to scrape up after all these months. It is acting a bit immature I think. I'm sulking for the same reasons but I'm not wearing grey and thundering about, doing nothing. Besides its cold. It needs to let the sun out. I'M COLD.


IT'S NOT EVEN SNOWING! IT'S STUPID RAINING!


Whatever.

GUESS WHAT IMMA GONNA DO! IMMA GONNA DO AN LOTR BLOG PARTY!!

YOU HEARD ME LOSERS!



Shawn and Gus

It will start next week and will last five days. It is open to anyone and everyone, unless you are one of the Uruk-hi or a servant of the Dark Tower. This shouldn't be a problem... unless some of you have some very interesting secrets. *squints*

What brings this on??? I'll tell you. It's because we are doing an LOTR Marathon this week.




Celebration

It's been about.... four years since we last watched these movies. I was thirteen the last time we watched it. I know right?? Four years is way too long to wait! No one should wait that long. I nagged my sisters relentlessly until the finally released how obscene a four year wait really is, and agreed to do a marathon.

I love marathons!! Especially Lord of the Rings Marathon. We take three whole nights to stay up until midnight and drink coffee and eat brownies and basically make merry. 

Lord of the Rings is a big deal in my family. The Blog Party is gonna be fun. You should join 8-)

ONWARDS!

I've been trying to take time to read again. (hahahhahha) This means I haven't been doing as much writing as I'd like. But I did open Splintered Courage and I am now editing it. I didn't realize how much I missed those boys until I started working on them again.

I've also started actually writing on The Baxters.

I LOVE THE BAXTERS. THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Okay guys, I am still looking for Beta readers. I think I have two. If anyone else wants to read A Conspiracy of Thrones, I am still open to sending it out to people. Just leave a lovely little comment.

Okay guys. I have fabulous things to do and fabulous music to listen to, so I will have to bid you all a fond farewell.

PEACE OUT LOSERS!

*sides off car*

 

 

Bella

 

 

I missed a Day

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This is supposed to be Day Eight of the Character Challenge, but I couldn't blog yesterday so still on Day Seven. I am also blogging from my tablet which is a real pain so this is going to be short. I know, I know. But it can't be helped. Sorry :(

Okay, Day Seven:  A Character You want to be Like.

For Books

I'd like to be like Imogen from the Ascendants Trilogy. Or like Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle. they're both very brave and sure of themselves and I'd like to be like them someday.

For Movies

Hmmmm. Let me think.... I want to be someone like Lucy Pevensie. Or .... I have no idea you guys. My brain is dead tonight. I know there is a character I really love that I want to be like but I can't think of her right now.

For TV Shows

This one is easy!! I want to be like Sarah from Prison Break. She is so freaking AWESOME! She is brave. She is strong and defiant. She isn't scared away easily. She is sweet and funny but she isn't annoying. She's independent and knows her mind but she isn't bratty or in your face about it. She's just strong and brilliant and wonderful and I LOVE her. I want to be like her.

 PEACE OUT Y'ALL!!!! TIME FOR COFFEE AND COOKIES AND PSYCH!!!

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*slides off car*

Bella

HELLLLLLLOOO WORLD!!!



Amy Pond

I am finally ready to sneak out of my Sulking Corner and do a blog post. Yes, I said Sulking Corner. I have been sulking and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm having Post-vacation depression. Serious Post-vacation depression. So its been hard for me to blog about Jack's visit without moping. But now I am ready. *Snaps neck*

Here's the thing. In the weeks before Jack came out my whole family was really, really nervous. As in, "WHAT IF SHE HATES US???" Ridiculously nervous. This was a friend coming to see us. What was there to be nervous about?? Me, I was fine. I was just super excited. I would randomly burst into song, or jump and down and giggle, or rush about crying "TEN DAYS TILL JACK GETS HERE!" and altogether freaking out, but in a good way. We had bunches of stuff planned and, surprisingly, we got 90% of it done. (We never did watch Final Season....)

What is the best way to describe Jack's visit?


Jeremy Renner

It was one of the best two weeks I can remember. There was absolutely NOTHING to be nervous about. Cause, Jack, she fit right in. She was NORMAL!!! We could seriously talk about anything, from our favorite TV shows, to how hard it is riding a bicycle with a skirt (It can be a real pain. Trust me) It was so much fun to talk to someone who was like us! The first day we tried not to be too weird: we wouldn't want to freak anyone out - but by the second or third day we were comfortable enough to be as weird and eccentric as always. and it was awesome. Cause SHE JOINED RIGHT IN!!! It was like finding a long lost sister. I'm not kidding.

 

There was so much we wanted to get done while Jack was here, watching all of five seasons of Leverage, at the top of the list. That's 72 episodes over .... fifteen days?

We watched lots of Leverage.

 

We also managed to watch Kate & Leopold, Fourth-Two, Three Amigos, Italian Job and two Tim Hawkins concerts. It was awesome.

meme

We also did a bunch of simple little things, like go out to Coffee or Jamba Juice (LOTS OF THIS!) walk on the pier, going off the hill to look at bookstores and window-shopping at some of the shops around town. There was also a good deal of hiking and walking, and shoving-in-a-playful-way -and-running-off--before-getting-shoved-back.

 

HIKING!!

 

MORE HIKING!!!

AND PICNICKING!

 

Window shopping was loads of fun. There was this really cool shop full of all sorts of .... Everything, from wooden treasure chests to some of the most amazing Kaleidoscope in the world. At first I just thought it was a type of pendant - it looked like a necklace, but it wasn't. It was a teeny-tiny Kaleidoscope!!! These things were smaller on than my pinkie finger. AND THEN I LOOKED THROUGH THEM AND THEY STILL WORKED! My nerd came out. I've always thought of myself as more of a geek, but there is a touch of nerd in there. And kaleidoscopes the size of a baby's pinkie, that you can actually look through and see fireworks - those bring out all the nerd in me. I was squealing and getting all excited, and the lady was so nice, cause she let you touch and hold everything, and it was just so much fun.

 

THE SHOP!!!

 

 

We also spent a good deal of time lounging in the sun with books. And lounging on couches with books. And sitting at the table with books. And curling up in blankets with books. Because nothing says time well spent like reading in company.

 

AMY!

 

ME AND JACK!!

 

ALL OF US!!

One of the days we out to the meadow and spent the day laying the grass, talking and reading and singing and randomly remarking on fandom-related trivia. We discussed our favorite books and our annoyance with popular reading material. We drew and wrote. And we all took turns petting and admiring the famous Jawn. He was so adorable! I love him so much more now. I hope he enjoyed himself while he was here - even though we couldn't have too many cookies.

 

JAWWWWWWN!

Isn't he the most adorable thing ever??

 

AMY!

 

JACK!

I think the day in the meadow was one of my favorites. It was just so fun and relaxing to lay about doing nothing. Well... if nothing is the proper term. We exchanged embarrassing stories about the stupid things we did as kids, the dangerous games we would make up, and how playing Red-Rover was about life and death when we did it. Then I finally worked up the courage to boop Jack's nose. And she booped me back.

And I swear that was the best part of the visit. 

BOOP!

In honor of our geekiness we decided to order our Jamba Juice and coffee under a false name. Luckily, wherever we went, different people were serving us, so we could do it more than once. I did it THREE TIMES! I ordered under Gwen for coffee and then the first time we did Jamba Juice I ordered as Amy Pond. The second time I did Jess. 

Gwen

Amy Pond



Jessica

Its ridiculous how much fun it is, giving a false name. It made me feel so excited and fangirly beause (In case you didn't notice) we had all agreed to use fandom names. Just to make it more interesting.You could tell my sister and I were on the same wave length, though, because the day I ordered as Jess she ordered as Jo. I was like "Great. We're both dead. Our ghosts are haunting Jamba Juice."  After Jamba Juice we went out to the park and had a semi-picnic and listened to music.

We wanted to make sure Jack got a look at Mahri and Amy's cabin, so the day we had coffee we crashed over at their house and stayed a few hours to munch on muffins and scones.  We even got Sammi to come along that time. That made me very happy.

 

ME AND JACK!

 

TINY!

 

KAT! AND MAHRI! AND AMY!

 

SAMMI!

 

COFFEE!

Then we went home, listened to Psych the Musical (And sang along) and talked. And had quote-offs. And obsessed over fandoms. And shared the hate we have for one exceptionally annoying fictional character. Then we started preparing dinner; Now you know how accepted Jack had become. She was helping clean potatoes and chop onions and sprinkle spices. We had a festive dinner with loud conversation and hand waving. We scrubbed dishes and sang.  And we booped  noses. and we punched each others shoulders. And we shouted out movies quotes. And we PARTIED LIKE ITS EIGHTEEEENNN-EIGHTY-EIGHT!!!

 

 

 

SAMMI! And Chloe! And Toink!

 

 

THE WEEPING ANGLES!

 

And We watched more Leverage!!!!

 See a pattern here? *Grin*

 

All in all it was an AMAZING sixteen days. Jack fit right into the family and having her around was like meeting a sister you never knew you had. Seriously. I mean, in those last few days even little Sammi Toink was calling Jack her big sister. How cute is that?!!

 

JACK AND SAMMI-TOINK! 

 

"This is Jackie.  My Jackie. She's my big sister."

 

The last evening Jack was here were getting the End-of-vacation mood swings, and we were all a bit melancholy. We tried to keep the mood light - we went down to the beach with coffees and talked and had tons of fun.... but it was still bitter-sweet. We kept trying to think up ways to keep her. "You don't HAVE to go. We could kidnap you. Or you could sleep in too late on accident." Jack was warming to the ideas, adding a few of her own. "I could pretend to be sick. I could say you wouldn't let me go and I was forced to stay against my will." It was a feeble attempt to soften the oncoming end, but we did our best.
 

 

Basically no one wanted Jack to go. We didn't want that last day to end. We stayed up past midnight trying to keep Jack's time from running out on us, savoring our last evening with her and trying not to remember that we'd have to get up before the sun and say goodbye.

But as long as we stayed up the sun wouldn't be held back, and all too soon we'd have drop her off at the airport. and it was super depressing and sad. And I think I might have cried a bit on the way home.

So..... Yeah. Jack's visit was the best thing that's happened since our family reunion. And it was hard when it was over. But all good things come to an end and.... well.... No. No, I'm just very sad.

And I don't know how to end this post.

So I'll end it with a hug. Jack? This one is just for you.
 

Hugs

 

God Bless!

Bella 

"I will not forget one line of this, not one day, I swear."

 

Sometimes I feel like Shawn when I talk about my acting. Then I wonder how crazy my friends must think I am. And then I wonder how crazy I am.

Crazy.

I'm a bit depressed because tonight there were auditions for The Man of La Mancha and .... I didn't go. I missed it.

There were a few reasons. One, I was sick for most of January and was unable to sing till about last week. I had little, to no preparation leading up to auditions. And then I just.... didn't. I kind of freaked myself out, because I got this terrifying image of myself auditioning without preparation.

Gus

And I was like, Nope! that's not happening! I swear next time I'll prepare and be brave and audition, but auditioning in the Spur-of-the-moment seemed like a really bad idea.

And now I've run out of excuses and I feel even sadder. I SHOULD HAVE AUDITIONED!!!!!

Oh well, its too late now.

On the upside we have snow in our backyard again. I will admit I missed the snow. We've only had two storms all year. Its been cold and windy and cloudy, but we haven't had much snow at all. And aside from the fact that our town need the snow for business, I like looking out and seeing white tipped trees and snowy houses, not just mud and dead trees. I hate that.

I knew the warm-spell would never last. Its funny how the people in Tahoe react if we go more than a few months without snow. We're in sever DROUGHT! It will never snow AGAIN!!! They never seem to remember this happens regularly; we'll have a few hard winters in a row and few easy winters in a row. And there are always warm spells. As in 65 degrees in February. I'm pretty sure we're okay. and sure enough we've gotten our snowflakes back. The Ski Slopes are very pleased.

psych

 

Something else pretty nifty happened. I know this family that owns a paddle shop in town, and just a couple days ago their father asked me how I'd feel having a summer job working the Paddle shop. I was taken a bit by surprise, so I didn't answer straight away. He interrupted my stunned silence and told me to think about it, I had months. So I did. And I plan to take him up on his offer. Its a good paying job, it would help me save up for acting and it would make me feel good about myself.

 

You know what? Thinking about this makes me feel jittery. Now I need tea to settle my nerves. Speaking of tea, have any of you have seen The Time of The Doctor? If not, careful as you read, I may have a few spoilers here..... -

 

 I have very mixed feeling about it. I want to watch it again and see if its better the second time around when you know what to expect and are prepared for it.  Honestly, I was expecting a lot worse. I sort of thought the Doctor was going to get trapped on Trenzalore and forced to finally battle the Silence. I was expecting this huge, epic, traumatizing and brutal episode with sobbing and screaming and moments of insane denial. What I got wasn't that. The Doctor and Clara were both brilliant and I loved it whenever they were together, they were amazing. But the episode it self left me feeling rather let down and disappointed. The Disclaimer here is that while we were watching it did keep glitching and freezing and there were a lot of people watching it, so there was a bit of shuffling going on, making it distracting to watch. But that aside, I went through that episode not sure what was going on or why. It felt like nothing happened for Fifty minutes, The Doctor changed and you were done.

 

I'm not saying it was all bad or anything. There were a bunch of small, sweet moments and the episode carried a lot of potential, but it wasn't built on enough. The 'villains' of the story were almost non-existent. There was altogether too little of the Doctor, and Silence NEVER FELL! That was upsetting because we've been having the climax of the Silence since his first episode. But the Silence were barely there. It was anit-climatic. The episode felt weak and without much of a point or plot, at least to me. Matt deserved a better than that. He was a fantastic Doctor and he deserved a proper, fantastic send off. His last scene on the TARDIS was very sad, though, I will give the episode that. His last moments were brilliant and emotional and I cried. Of course I cried. The Doctor was changing, he was leaving and I had to watch it happen, and it was upsetting. I found myself hysterical and giddy upon finishing the episode, which means it hurt me more than I thought it was while watching it. So that was all good. But.... Matt deserved better!

 

And that's all. I'm tired now. Its late, and getting late means I'll start to ramble and that is no good. So its better for all of us if I just go now. Cheerio Mates!!

 

 

 

Geronimo!!!