Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

I've always loved these posts about other people's lives, and how they've grown and changed over a year.  So, here goes.

I tried, and completed my second NaNoWriMo.

I lost my grandfather.

I finished seventh grade, and started eighth.

I found new friends in Veronica Mars, the Doctor, Sherlock, and Robin hood.

I became a Nerdfighter.

I met one of my dear friends, and now my neighbor and locker partner.  Love ya, girlie.  :)

I started blogging.

I went to France without parents-- just me and my sister, for two weeks, staying at our friend's house.

I got a Nook-- her name is Isabelle-- and learned that e-readers aren't all that bad.

I learned that my dog Milo has a liver shunt, that probably cannot be corrected, so now he's vegan which has mostly corrected the problem.

I sat in a dark theater, on the night of July 14th, and held hands with one of my lovely friends, J, while we waited for the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, and cried shamelessly at the end.

I grew in my writing, by going to a two week long writing camp.

I left, and then reconnected with The Purple Elephants on the NaNoWriMo forums.

I met Tamora Pierce and Terry Pratchett.

I turned thirteen.

I became a proud Whovian.

I became friends with several lovely people through blogging-- Mirriam, and the Golden Eagle, to name two.  

That was my 2011.  I grew in my nerdiness, I grieved, and I learned to live life to the fullest and not care what other people think.  I'm proud of who I am now, and I think I'm a much better person than I was in 2010-- I'm happier, I'm more open in the person I am, and I know more of who I am.  I hope you guys all had a good 2011.  Mine had it's ups and downs, that's for sure, but you know what?  All in all, it was pretty darn good.

I hope you all had a great 2011, and will have a wonderful 2012.  

The Dandy Lioness

Random Ramblings and a Dash of Tea

Hello!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday.  Christmas for me was lovely this year, as I got nerdy t-shirts, Gilmore Girls, Doctor Who, and many books.  Speaking of books, I got Beauty Queens.  Oh my goodness.  I had forgotten how hilarious Libba Bray's books can be.

Christmas Eve was just as fun as usual, and was filled with Playmobil trains, pinball, and playing with my young cousins.  Christmas day was spent at my aunt and uncle's house, with their four children, and many members of my extended family.

This is just a short little catching-up post, and I'll give you a real, actually exciting post sometime soon.  As it is, I hope your holidays were lovely, and I wish you a happy new year.  My family is hosting a New Year's party this year, which should be... interesting.  Especially since I'm not a huge fan of throwing parties.  :P

Also, chai tea is delicious.  That's probably shown in my blog title but just... yum.  :)

Hunger Games Song, and The King's Speech

Fourth attempt at this post.  Have any of you seen this video?

I really like it.  I've listened to it several times already today, and it fits the books perfectly, I think.  I know that it's gotten a lot of people saying they don't like it, but I really do.  Now, because I've just about given up on writing a post today, I'm just going to post this video.

Oh, also, I watched The King's Speech the other day.  It was really good, though he did swear a lot.  Not that I'm not used to it, considering my school.  :P

The Dandy Lioness

Letters

My sister and I traveled to France over the summer, and our very lovely friends that we stayed with, sent us a lovely book filled with pictures from our trip.  They were of everything from the airplane trip there, to us fishing at a lake, to wandering around a gorgeous, really old chateau that was only 15km from their house.  It was absolutely lovely, and very sweet of them.

Dear Luna Lovegood/my lovely neighbor/locker partner,
I'm eating your fudge right now.  It's delicious, and yummy.  <3

{Via}

Dear my lovely school friends,
Thank you for all the wonderful gifts.  They made me smile.

{Via}

Dear Milo,
Thank you for sitting last night with me, when I was reading Christmas books.  You're so cuddly and sweet.

Dear sister-of-mine,
I can't wait until you get home.  I'm going to make you make peppermint bark with me.

{Via}

Dear wonderful friend of mine who tried, and completed NaNoWriMo with me,
Please contact me back, so we can make a NaNoWriMo cake.

{Via}

Dear teachers,
Thank you for giving little to no homework over the break.

{Via}

Dear YouTube,
Thank you for entertaining me last night.  It was much appreciated.

{Via}

Dear friends and followers,

I love you all.  

{Via}

The Dandy Lioness

Jelly Beans, Hello, and Too Much Schoolwork

Hello, lovelies.  Miss me?

Though I have been frolicking about the internet quite a bit in the last week, I haven't taken the time to sit down and write a post.  I should, I know, but it's time consuming, and I'm lazy, and the last few days haven't been easy in my social life, due to the difficult times one of my friends is going through..  Anyways, here I am.

I haven't been around much-- I apologize!  My TV Production showed us this very cool music video in class today.  They didn't use a green screen once, if you're wondering.  That background is make of jelly beans.  Oh, and the music video is called In Your Arms and is sung by Kina Grannis.

I think this is super cool.  Now, I would write more, but I must study for my math test tomorrow.  Square root flashcards, here I come!  The test shouldn't be that difficult, luckily, just the Pythagorean theorem.  However, I will quite possibly get a not-so-amazing grade if I don't study.

If you don't hear from me much in the next two weeks or so, don't fret.  I've got several large projects-- I'm building a submarine for science, and have a middle eastern project to work on.  Le sigh.  Anyways, hopefully I'll be back in full swing over winter break.

Also, is anyone else terribly excited for the holidays?  All our wonderful family traditions will be coming up soon, and I'm so excited!

The Dandy Lioness

Winning NaNoWriMo 2011

You are now looking at the owner of a shiny purple bar and  50k words for NaNoWriMo.  Yup.  That is correct.  I JUST WON NANOWRIMO!

Of course, I doubt this novel will ever see the light of day.  It's... not very good.  It happens to be lacking plot, compelling characters, and I still am not quite sure how to end it.  So... it's not very good.  But it's there, and that's what matters.  I wrote it, and sure, it's horrible, and I don't love the story, and it's full of plot holes, but you know what?  That doesn't matter.  What matters is that I won, that I put my mind to it, and I won, for the second year in a row.  And, I'm only thirteen.  So guess what?  I can write-- maybe not very well, but I can do it.  I can put words to paper, and get those stories that are constantly bouncing around my head out.  And I like to do it.  So I'm pretty psyched.  I did it-- I won NaNoWriMo.  Now I'm going to order my winner's shirt.  And act super excited and bounce around my house, and then collapse and watch TV for the rest of the night.  

To all you doing NaNoWriMo:  If you're still working toward 50k, keep going!  You can do it!  If you're there, congrats!  Feels good, doesn't it?  And if you don't think you're going to make it, that's okay too.  You tried, and that's awesome.  

The Dandy Lioness

i'm a city chick

For once in my life, the city is silent.  It's early-- 8:00.  It's Saturday morning, and no one has anywhere they have to be.  The familiar wail of sirens and rumble of cars has been replaced by just the faintest, whispering breeze, gray clouds, and sleeping people, and the soft clicking of my dryer downstairs.  It's funny.  There is no snow, which is usually when it is silent like this. Even in the morning, at 7:15, when I walk to school, I can hear the ever-present rumblings of cars and sirens.  But not today.  Today, the city is silent.  Shoppers are exhausted, after Black Friday shopping sprees.  Families are sleeping off Thanksgiving day food, still deep in their food comas.  But me?  No.  I'm awake.  Eagerly awaiting my weekend at the cabin, I sit here, in the half-light, below a window, writing.  I'm not sure why no one else is awake-- we are attempting to leave in an hour and forty-five minutes.  I'm waiting for the dryer to finish up with my clothes.  So, I sit here.  Not quite sure what to do with myself.

{Via}

I'm a city chick.  It's true.  Over the summer, when I spent two weeks in the French countryside with friends, while it was fantastic, and amazing, I liked the times we spent in the city, around people, exploring the city, the most.  I've never moved, so I've never known anything but the city.  The wailing of sirens is a normal sound-- in fact, I have a fire station down the road from my school.  The constant rumble of cars rarely ceases.  I have  at least five grocery stores within walking distance from my house.  I walk to school every day, past two of those grocery stores, and a bank, and several pubs (among other... things...) and another bank, and auto-body car shops.  I live in a residential area-- in a house, with houses surrounding us on all sides.  All my friends live in houses, and all my friends live in the city.  In fact, the only time I've ever been in an apartment, was when I was in France, with our French friends who live there, and we visited their uncle's apartment.  But I also live near a small shopping area, and that busy street that I walk down every day, and another small shopping area, and I love it all.  I'm a city chick.

{Via}

 I love where I live-- sure, it's gray, and rainy, and wet, and rarely snows in the winter (causing us all great sadness).  And in the summer it will hover in the sixties and seventies.  But you know what?  I love all of that. I love that it's not too hot to go outside.  I love that pitter-patter sound of rain on the windows, or the vent in the kitchen.  I love the special, special feeling you get when it snows, as though it's never happened before, and you have to run out, and treasure it, because it'll all be gone in a few days.  I love where I live.  Sure, it has it's faults.  But you know what?  It's my home.  It always has been.  And I love it for what it is.

The Dandy Lioness

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello lovelies!  I wish you all a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it.  To those who don't, I hope your Thursday is fabulous.

Eagle, I'm going with your Snoopy theme.

What am I thankful for?

Blogging, of course, which, though I only recently started, I love.  Also, all my blogging friends.  You guys rock.

NaNoWriMo, for which I would have never actually written a novel.  Also, I have hit 40k.

A special thread on the NaNoWriMo forums, The Purple Elephants.  You guys rock, and I am so glad to have you as my friends.

Family, who I am going to see today.  Also, my sister, who, while I won't see her today, will be coming back for a month in December.  

Friends, who invite me and my family to their cabin for Thanksgiving weekend every year.  It's really fun, and we get our Christmas tree!

Teachers, who gave me no homework (except for a French project, but I just have to outline and color that).  

What are you guys thankful for?

The Dandy Lioness

Snow, and Holiday Traditions

All week, the weather forecast has been saying "Snow tomorrow!" and the next day, people will wake up, excited for snow.  And all week, there has been no snow.  The weather forecast changes from "Snow today!" to "Snow tomorrow!".  It's rather ridiculous.

But we're all waiting for snow.  It hasn't happened yet.  Generally of course, it doesn't snow before Thanksgiving here.  But last year it did... then again, that was bizzare and never-before-heard of.  At least, not here.  In fact, there have been years where all we've gotten is a centimeter or two-- a dusting, at best.  Or, no snow at all.  It's sad really.  The only time I ever remember there having been snow that was higher than three inches, was in fifth grade, when we had a freak, two-week long snowstorm.  We had snow higher than a foot.

{Via}

Snow is something that I've always loved, especially the first few hours of it.  Standing out the window, staring at it coming down, blanketing the city in silence, turning gray and brown to white-- startlingly white.  

And of course, I love snow because snow means the holiday season.  Red and green, white and sparkly, advent calenders and the scent of pine.  Snow globes and ornaments, hot chocolate and cookies.  They all mean the holiday season.  I remember one year when we went on our annual downtown trip with our friends-- we go every year (except last year, because scheduling didn't quite work, due to my sister being in college). This one year I'm thinking of-- it could have been fifth grade.  In fact, I think it was.  Anyways, we went downtown, and as we were walking around, it started to snow.  It was just so magical and fantastic.  

Years and years ago-- I was maybe four, my grandmother on my father's side made me and my sister an advent calender.  And every year since then, we hang it by the door, and as soon as we both get home, we rush to the calender and flip over the newest number (we alternate-- one of us does the odd numbers, the other even, and we do Christmas day together).  This year, and last year, for the first eighteen days of Christmas, I'll be doing it alone.  I'll be getting home, and flipping over the little number, all by myself.  But then, as soon as she gets home, I'm going to let her do it,  and let her do it for the rest of the days-- until Christmas, of course.

I love my family's Christmas traditions.  We go down to our friend's cabin and cut down our Christmas tree at a tree farm near the cabin, the weekend after Thanksgiving-- so I'll be gone next weekend.  We go to a nursery near my school, with our friends (the same ones we go downtown with), and drink cider and they get their Christmas tree, and we (the kids) get ornaments-- though every year their selection seems to get less and less.  Oh, and we see the reindeer they have as well.  Last year, they also had a camel and a donkey, which was very cool.  We go downtown, and eat Thai food, and see these really cool gingerbread houses, and go on a carriage ride and feed the horse carrots.  On Christmas Eve, we go to 5:00 mass, and then come home and have dinner with a few of my aunts and uncles and my grandmother, and we have these delicious chocolate lava cakes that my mom and sister always make, and then we all open one or two presents marked "Christmas Eve", and my sister and I leave out a chocolate lava cake for Santa and milk, with our Christmas lists and some carrots for the reindeer-- those reindeer don't get enough appreciation.  And Christmas morning I have to wait until 8:30 to wake everyone up (this is my sister's rule, though my parents probably quite appreciate it) and then we all brush our teeth and go downstairs, and open our stockings, then presents from Santa, and finally presents from our parents.  Then we hang around the house for several hours, before jumping in the car and going to a relative's house.  And of course, throughout it all, we are playing our extensive collection of holiday music.  

{Via}

The holiday season makes me happy.  It's just a really happy time of year.  What's your favorite part of the holiday season?

The Dandy Lioness

Johari Windows and Coffee

Hello!  Look!  Two posts in two days!

I got a Johari window, if you want to check it out.  Here's the link:  The Dandy Lioness's Johari Window

I discovered today and yesterday, that my mc Ria, really shouldn't be given coffee.  Let alone four cups of it.  This is my reaction to it:

I watched Doctor Who today.  It made me happy.  It had Rose, the Doctor, and Mickey.  Also, Madame de Pompadour.  

Hand warmers are one of the best inventions in the world.  I love them.  :)

Sorry for this short, sort of ridiculous post. Also, I hit 30k.

Edit::  What do you guys think of my new template?  I didn't love the old one-- I liked it before, but not really anymore, so I switched it for this one, which I've always liked.  And, I had been wanting a simpler template, because I tend to like simpler ones more than crazy ones, so this one makes me happy.  :)

~The Dandy Lioness

Just Stuff

Hello!

I'm past 28k on NaNoWriMo-- closer to 29, actually. Now I'm on the couch, watching Community with my dad.  Did you hear that they're cancelling Community?  Well, we're all pretty sure they are.  It's not on the mid-season roster.  Which, basically has made Community fans cry.  A lot.  *sniffles*  Anyone else wanting to save Community?

Again, sorry for the lack of posts-- it's hard to find time.

Have any of you read A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah?  It's... tragic.  And graphic.  I'm reading it for class, and it's a memoir about his life as a boy soldier.  It's... just... so sad, and really quite graphic.

On Saturday, my friends and I threw our other friend a surprise party at the mall, where we had a scavenger hunt.  It was really fun.  :)

Anyways, that's about it.  Night!

~The Dandy Lioness

Catching Up, 20k, and The Master

Hello, lovelies.  Sorry for being so spotty these last couple days.  Between NaNoWriMo and school, I haven't had much time to do, well, anything.  In NaNoWriMo news, I reached 20k yesterday, which was very exciting, even if it is just today's word count.  I like getting ahead (no matter how little ahead it actually is) and being home alone for three-four hours last night allowed me to do that.  Of course, I neglected my homework, but you know, I'll find time.

I was writing this post, and just got sidetracked by Doctor Who gifs.  So I'll give you this one of the Master, even though many of you probably don't watch it.

Umm...... yeah.  Gotta love the Master.  (And Mirriam, this is totally for you.  =D ) 

Now, this was a completely random post, that was mostly just trying to make up for the lack of posts I have had recently.  Hehe... yeah.  

I'm going to a coffee shop today with one of my friends, so that we can write, and that should be fun.  Also, I have to go to the library, because The Name of the Star finally came in.  I also have to write my review/journal entry thing for school about Lola and the Boy Next Door, a companion to Anna and the French Kiss (which I loved, by the way.  My friends refused to read it because of it's title, but I read it, and loved it.  I really recommend it.)  Also, I have to do my math homework.  So now I look like the Master, because I don't want to do homework.  *sigh*  Why didn't I do it yesterday?  Oh, yeah, because a) I had friends over to film our movie, and b) I watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and c) got to 20k.  Hehe.  Last night was fun...  

The Dandy Lioness

The Night Circus: A Book Review

Book Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Cover rating: 4.5/5  I think this cover fits the book really well, as well as being interesting and beautiful.  The black and white circus with the red mixed in definitely works well, and I like how the circus is in the hand.

Book rating: 4.5/5  

I originally bought this book as a gift for a friend.  However, it was found in the adult section, and my mom wanted to read it before I gave it to her.  She read it, and decided that I would like it, but wasn't quite sure my friend would like it-- so we ended up getting a gift certificate for my friend.  

I loved this book.  I found it interesting, and just fascinating, and it helped give inspiration to my NaNoWriMo novel.  I loved the characters, and the descriptions.  It was rather dark in places, but it was very difficult to put down.  It took me a week to read, but between school, and NaNoWriMo, I didn't have a ton of time to read.  I ended up reading the last two hundred pages between Friday night and Saturday morning.  

I particularly liked Celia's and Marco's relationship, and how the game progressed throughout the book.  The adding of tents, etc.  I liked Isobel as well, and Thiessen.  I love Poppet and Widget as well.  The characters in this book are just lovely, and full of life.

I most certainly recommend this book.  However, there is at least one sexual part, so be cautioned.  I found this book enchanting and beautiful, and found it definitely worth the read.  4.5/5 stars.

This is the UK cover for the book-- which do you like better?  I really can't decide-- they're both quite lovely.

On another note, I'm 1,000 words ahead for NaNoWriMo.  So... yay for that!

The Dandy Lioness

NaNoWriMo Update

Hello all!  I'm sorry I neglected you for a week.  It's just, NaNoWriMo started.  And I had to switch my blog-writing out for novel-writing.  But today, I am about a thousand words higher than I need to be.  So, I thought I'd give you guys a post-- because I've been neglecting you.

My NaNoWriMo is going pretty well.  I've been combing Pinterest for ideas for clothing, hair, appearances... I hadn't realized two of my characters were redheads until I found a picture of one of them.  I would show it to you, but I just can't find it, and I'm on the other email that I sent it to, so I can't access it.  Sorry.

http://pinterest.com/bjcollins/clothing-dreams/  This pinboard, seriously makes me happy.  It has a bunch of old-fashioned/vintage dresses that would totally work in my NaNo.  YAY.

The internet hates me.  I think it's because my computer is on low battery.  Going to plug it in...  Nevermind.  That plug wasn't a plug.  Grr...

Anyways, I'll leave this short and sweet.  But here's a (very small) novel excerpt for you, since I have been neglectful.


Hugo drew back. “Well, come along then,” he said, and led Ria down a single, twisting path. A small tent would be on the side of the path every once in a while, and between them there were popcorn stands, and caramel apple stands. They were going in a spiral, Ria noted. They reached the largest tent, a huge, red and gold striped ensemble, and Hugo took Ria’s hand and led her inside. He took her all the way across the tent, and then they turned into a series of rooms, that made up the performer’s quarters. But still, they walked on. Finally, they exited the giant tent, and emerged in a small circle of grass. Trailers were placed in an awkward circle. Lights shone in the window of one trailer. Hugo crossed the circle, and headed up the steps of that trailer. “Well, come on, then,” he said to Ria. She followed him up the steps, and into the trailer.

P.S.  Anyone know how to make the white background go away behind things that you copy/paste into Blogger?  I made it lavender because the white bugged me too much and I couldn't figure out how to make the white go away altogether.

The Dandy Lioness

Halloween Hop!

Hello all!  Here is my post for Jeremy's Halloween bloghop.


1) Add your blog to the list below.
2) Over the Halloween weekend (October 28-31) visit as many of the other blogs listed below as you wish.
3) Be sure to mention your favorite monster movie or book and your Halloween costume this year.
4) If you like the blog, follow it!
5) Grab the badge here and stick it on your blog for a few weeks to spread the word! (If you scratch it, it smells like pumpkin).


Hmm... my favorite Halloween/monster book or movie?  
The Nightmare Before Christmas... That counts, right?

And my costume this year?

I'm going as a Who from Whoville.  

I'm going to the Halloween carnival for my elementary school in a few hours.  I'm excited-- it should be really fun, as four of my friends are coming with me, and I'll see other friends I haven't seen for a while as they go to different schools.


The Dandy Lioness

Tamora Pierce, Movies, and NaNoWriMo Lost It's Pants?

Hello all!

Thank you to all the lovely commenters and followers on my Casting Call Bloghop post (follow the link, or it's below, if you're looking for it!).  I appreciate all of you.

My friend E and I filmed our TV Production movie today.  The basis for this project is "sad story... if you bring a tear to my eye, you get an A".  Four of my friends came over after school today, as it was an early dismissal, and E and I used them in our movie.  We had a blast filming it, and Luna Lovegood, I wish you could have come-- you mom called me back when we were in the grocery store on the way home.

Now, I have to leave for gymnastics in half an hour, and I'm squeezing a blog post into this limited time.

Did anyone else freak our when NaNoWriMo lost its pants (style sheet for all you techies) last night?  I freaked out, and thought my internet had gone haywire.  But then I hopped back onto the forums and found the post in the bugs forum and posted my complaints there.  And as for more complaints-- Blogger, why are you killing the internet today/last night????  I've used ctrl. alt. delete more times in the last 24 hours than I have in the last month.  Grrrr.

In book news, is anyone else totally psyched that Masiff by Tamora Pierce came out yesterday?  And seriously-- look at what a beautiful cover it has.  I cannot wait to get my copy from the library.  And yes, I am a shameless Tamora Pierce fan.  They are some of my favorite books-- ever.

Sorry for the rambling post-- I don't have anything specific to post about today.  Eagle, I applaud you for participating in NaBloWriMo-- I don't think I could win.  Now, I'm off to get ready for gymnastics and read my book.

The Dandy Lioness


P.S.  Does anyone else ever accidentally post their post without giving it a title?  Because I do that like, 50% of the time.  /Fail.

Casting Call Bloghop

Hello!  Here is my Casting Call bloghop post!  It's hosted by Carrie, Melodie, and Lisa, and you have to represent your story or characters in some sort of visual way.  So, here I go.

Meet Princess Ryeland, or Ria as she is known in the circus.

{Via}

I chose this picture for Ria because she is leading a masquerade.  Though in truth she's a princess, she is pretending to be someone she's not.  So here's a photo of her with a mask.

Name:  Princess Ryeland/Ria

Age:  Fifteen

Height:  5'4"

Profession:  Princess/Circus worker (I don't know what she will actually be in the circus yet.  Acrobat, maybe?)

Project she's a part of:  NaNoWriMo '11

The Dandy Lioness

NaNoWriMo, Sevenly, and Ramblings

Eep!  I got my Let Kenya Rise t-shirt from Sevenly yesterday!  It is sooo beautiful, and they did a great job on it.  It's kind of big-- but I got the smallest size, so what can you do.  And if I wear it with a tank-top it'll be fine.  The charcoal color (that's the one I ordered) is grayer in real life than on the computer-- it looked more brown-- but it's fine, and was probably just my monitor   In fact, I think I like the charcoal better than I liked the brownish color I saw on screen.  All in all, a great shirt.

My parents are going to clean out my grandfather's townhouse today.  I don't know if I'm going to go or not.  My mom said they wouldn't make me go-- probably because she took me with her on the day my grandfather died to get all the paperwork figured out.  So I don't know what I'm going to do today.  I should probably start by taking a shower and working on my map for geography...

And I convinced my friend to do NaNo with me!  I'm super excited.  T, we'll have to get together and have some sort of writing-day in November.  And eeek, I need to figure out the rest of my plot.  And characters.  The Reference Desk forum at NaNo is being sooo helpful with the types of people in the circus/etc.  And if any of you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments.

So, this is where I leave you.  (YAY for Firenze!)

The Dandy Lioness

Beautiful People: NaNoWriMo Edition

{Beautiful People is hosted by Sky and Georgie}

This is my first Beautiful People post, but I am ready to give it a try.  So, let us begin.

1.  Sum up your novel in five words or less
Circus.  Runaway princess.  Crazy people.

2.  Novel title?
Dr. Blank's Traveling Circus for Talented Misfits (working title...)

3.  Sum up your main character(s) in one word.
Ryeland/Ria-
Independent
Hugo-
Loving?  I don't know...  I don't know much about Hugo yet.
I would talk about Dr. Blank, but I don't know enough about him yet.

4.  Advice for newbies in three words.
Write.  Don't procrastinate.

5.  Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story?
I'd say they're pretty important.  They're all circus people, and Hugo's adopted family.  Ryeland/Ria fits right in with them, and they become her adopted family too.

6.  Do you plan on staying up until midnight on the 31st?
I would, but I have school the next day.  So I'll probably take my notebook to school and start it in there.

7.  How many years have you done NaNo?
I did it last year, so this will be my second year.

8.  What came first, characters or plot-idea?
Plot idea, definitely.  Well... title.  Which gave me the plot-idea.  My characters just kind of appeared out of that.

9.  How much prep do you do before NaNo?
Just a basic sketch of a plot (a.k.a. run away princess, circus people, boy abandoned at circus) and characters.  Really detailed plot-sketches don't work for me.

10.  Now be honest, how do you feel about NaNo?
I think it's a great opportunity to really get dedicated and take time out of our busy schedules to write, and get a chance to get those stories down on paper that we might not otherwise.  I can't wait for NaNo-- I have circus people clamoring in my head, determined to be heard, and I don't want to deny them that opportunity.

The Dandy Lioness

The Promised Rain Is Coming

Hello!  I've been rather MIA in the last few days-- sorry about that.

I came up with a NaNo idea however, and I'm hoping I'll be able to do lots of fun stuff with it.  I've spent lots of time on Pinterest, trying to come up with character ideas etc.

Yesterday I got my dance jacket (it has my dance school logo on the back, and it's name) and it's black and white and has my name on it (and it's not a pullover, which is nice, as I prefer zipped jackets.)  I don't really know what to talk about.  It's just kind of... bleh.

I'm looking out the window at a little boy and his parents playing in my neighbor's leaves.  It's very cute.  The little boy is just so happy to be playing with those leaves.  But looking out my window is awkward, because I have to crane my neck and look down and over the couch, and it's sort of like it's taking extra effort, and if the person outside saw you, they would know you were watching them.  Oh.  They're gone now.

The promised rain is coming.  You can tell.  As I was walking home from school today, a light, misting drizzle came and settled over the neighbor hood like a blanket.  And I knew.  The promised rain is coming.  Maybe even arrived.  Fall here is wet, and cold.  But I love it.  The leaves are falling, the coats are coming out, and jeans and boots are back in style.  I know in a few weeks I'll be complaining about the cold, and by winter, I'll be reminiscing about spring, and wondering how I could possibly be happy about fall.  But for now, I'm happy.  NaNoWriMo's just around the corner, and so is Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The holiday season is descending upon us, and it makes me smile.  The weekend after Thanksgiving (as in, two days/one day, whatever, after Thanksgiving) I'll be heading to my friend's cabin for the weekend, and I'm hoping to get a chance to work on my NaNo there...  And we're getting our Christmas tree, and just hanging out.  I think this will be the fifth year we've done this.  Give or take a couple years.

Oh!  What are you guys being for Halloween?  I'm being a Who.  From Whoville.  And Luna Lovegood/PurpleWolf, you can't answer this.  I know you're being Wendy.  I'm totally going to stick out when I'm trick-or-treating with our friends.  I'll be the only non-Peter-Pan themed person.  Go Dr. Seuss!  But to anyone else-- what are you being?

Writer's Block

Recently I haven't been feeling very "write-y".  Or creative.  Just sort of... blah.  My mind isn't racing.  It's weird.  I think I have Writer's Block.  It makes me sad.  And NaNoWriMo is just around the corner... WHAT SHALL I DO?????  Ah hem.  Mini freak out.

I just haven't been feeling very inspired.  I have several airship books checked out for my possible Steampunk NaNo idea, but I don't know if that's what I want to do.  I haven't written more than a thousand words on my current WIP in over a week-- though yesterday I wrote about 600 words, which is the most I've written recently.  Basically, I'm freaking out.

Also, what do I do if I don't have an idea for NaNo?  I mean, I have several-- but none seem quite interesting enough.  Then again, mine last year didn't either.  Still.  Bleh.  Okay.  This is short, but I'm posting it.

Writer's block makes me unhapppy!  Anyone got any good tips on making it go away?

The Dandy Lioness

Blog Action Day 2011

Today, I'm posting about Blog Action Day 2011.

Kind of tying this post together with my Sevenly post yesterday, Blog Action Day 2011 is about food.  Yesterday, in my Sevenly post, I talked about how I had bought a Let Kenya Rise tee from Sevenly. The Let Kenya Rise t-shirts, donate $7 of your purchase to people in Kenya so they can eat, and have farming seed.  I am glad to have, even with just $7, have contributed ever so slightly.  But right now, I'm going to talk about my strangest food experiences.

Funnily enough, most of them happened in France.  There was the escargot dare-- yes, I did eat escargot.  Then there was the rabbit, and pigeon.  When I first tried those, I didn't know what they were, I promise you.  They only told me later.  But when I went back to France, over the summer, I did end up eating both rabbit, and pigeon, voluntarily.  Also, lots of sausage, due to the fact that Polish relatives were staying with our friends the last week we were.

I've grown up to be a bit of a food snob.  My sister and parents all enjoy cooking, and interesting food-- so I grew up with all sorts of different cultures of food.  Thai, Indian, Mexican, French, Italian, seafood of well... most types, we can have all of these in a month.  I especially like pad Thai.  I always have.  For Indian food, I like naan.  Mexican (what we had last night) varies on my mood-- I like most everything.  French and Italian I will eat most everything (though there are certain things that I absolutely refuse to touch).  Seafood... I  like crab and shrimp, but not most types of fish.

Pad Thai  

{Via}

Naan

{Via}

I have been lucky.  I hope all of you have been as lucky as I have, to have had many food experiences and have never felt the power of famine for yourself.  But think about those people who have, maybe find a charity and donate a little money, maybe buy a Let Kenya Rise tee from Sevenly.  

Now, go up and click on the Blog Action Day 2011 link I have at the top of the post, and go to the participants page, and read what other people have to say about Blog Action Day.  

The Dandy Lioness

Sevenly

Have you ever heard of http://sevenly.org/?  It's a t-shirt company that creates a special t-shirt for a different charity each week, and that t-shirt is only available for one week.  I haven't bought anything from them, but they have a great cause, and I do expect I will buy something in the near future.  In fact, I'm considering this week's Let Kenya Rise t-shirt.

Want to know more?

Here's a video on Sevenly's mission.

I hope this video works, as I haven't tried to put one in a post before.  I really hope you guys all come check this out-- and if you want to help spread the word about Sevenly, just write a post about it.

Also, when you move your mouse over something on their website to copy it (you know, the big blue box you get on a PC or a white one on a Mac?)  Here it's pink.  That's pretty cool too.

So please hop on over to Sevenly and check it out.  And $7 out of every purchase goes to the charity that week.  It's a totally great cause.

Edit::  Just ordered my Let Kenya Rise t-shirt in charcoal!  Whoohoo!  Superduper excited!

The Dandy Lioness

Apple Store Lines

What did I do this morning?

I woke up at 7:10.

I left the house at 7:20.

We reached the mall at 7:45.

We stood in line until 8:45.

We entered the Apple store at 8:45 to get iPhone 4S for my mother and sister.

We left the Apple store at 11:10.  Because the AT&T servers crashed minutes before we finished the transaction.

We went to our favorite sandwich shop (Caribbean sandwiches... YUM.) then to a cookbook shop down the street.  My mom ordered me a peacoat from Delia's that she promised me two weeks ago.

And now, I am sitting on the couch, after having finished Goliath by Scott Westerfeld.

But despite the fact that we hung out in the Apple store for 2 1/2 hours, I had a good day.  And tonight we're going to see Moneyball, which should be fun.

(And if you're wondering, I did go to my friend E's house last night, and it was crazy and we baked cookies and played Sardines, and it was all very fun.  And apparently I make wimpy sized cookies :P )

A Word Used High and Low

There's a word in every language

A word that you should know

A word that means you're friendly

A word used high and low.

Though the way to say it varies.

Most everywhere you go.

Its meaning never changes

And that word is...

...Hello!

Hello!  Sorry I've been MIA-- life's been a bit crazy around here.

Yesterday I hung out with one of my friends (E.  Well.  One of the Es.  I have... three?  Four?  I think three.  So,  yes, one of the Es.) yesterday, and L, and we filmed our TV Production movie.  It was kind of crazy.  Especially the random clip of the three of us singing Mamma Mia songs...

My sister and I made delicious apple cider cookies stuffed with caramel, and she made an apple pie, and so we've had lots of delicious deserts around here.  I love it when my sister is home, because we have real food, and homemade baked goods.

I've been researching airships for my (hopeful) NaNoWriMo.  Sadly, out of our twenty-seven public libraries, only one of them has any books about airships, and you can only actually check out two, out of about fifteen. But I got both of those on hold, and hopefully they'll get here soon.  Actually, I just checked my account, and they're there now.  Which makes me happy.  I'll probably end up copying a bunch of pages out of them and pinning them up around my room and frantically checking them for airship anatomy (anatomy?  Is that the right word?)  I'm super excited about this (hopeful) project-- anything with airships makes me super excited.  Props to Evergreena (Rachel) for introducing me to Airborn by Kenneth Oppel, who wrote the first airship book I ever read.

It was a four-day week this week, so I'm done for the week.  Now all I have is dance in 45 minutes, and possibly going to E's house with a bunch of friends, and I'm done for the day.  Oh, and the Thursday Night Lineup.  (Which is Community and the Office.  We used to watch the other shows, but really that's all I like now.)

So, yes.  Hello.  I have returned.  I'm going to go watch Vlogbrothers videos now.  And yes.  I'm a Nerdfighter.  DFTBA.

Lyrics at the top are from the Hello song.

Happy Girls are the Prettiest

I'm the kind of person who notices things.  I can be sitting at the dining room table, or the coffee table doing my homework, with the news on one channel and the radio going in another room, and my mom on her computer, and I'll look up and ask her a question about one thing or another I just heard.

I remember dates and number sequences.  I remember homework problems and I pick up words like clothes do dog hair.  But I'm also referred to as one of the most forgetful people my friends know.  I'll be in the middle of a sentence then trail off, and go, "Wait, what was I saying?".  I'm happy and bubbly, though I gripe a lot, probably more than I should.  But when I'm happy about something, or excited, I bounce around for days at a time, talking about it.

So that's who I am.  Happy and forgetful, a noticer and a lover of words.  And now, I leave you with this.

(Made by me, please don't steal, if you would like to use it, drop me a comment, and I'll probably say yes.)

Meet Eilidh

{Via}

What's your name?

Eilidh Tormulous.  *E-lid Tor-mu-lus*

Age?

I'm in my twenties.  Young for an elf.

Any family?

Just Alek, my younger brother.

Race?

I am elvish.

Favorite weapon?

Tequi sticks, javelin, sword, bow and arrow...

That's more than one.  So, pick one.

Tequi, I suppose.

What are tequi sticks?

Small, needle like swords, with a very secret training practice.  You can only learn from the master swordsmen at the Caves of Elder.

(I don't have the laptop with me, so I'm not positive about the spelling of tequi...)

{Via}

Best friends-- have you got any?

Princess Margaux, probably.

Eilidh, call me 'princess' one more time, and you'll find snakes in your bed.

I apologize, Margaux.  My best friend would be Margaux.

Quests?

Sometimes.  When I'm sent somewhere, I go.

Recent traveling companions?

Margaux, my brother Alek, Margaux's cousin Oliver, my cousin Charlotte (who can be downright snobby sometimes, even if she is a good fighter.) and the sisters Tess and Arianna, who aren't actually from Eristora.  They just appeared and tagged along.  They're from someplace called "America".

Do you believe in love at first sight?

No.  Love is something that can't just "appear" when you see someone.  You have to know them.

What do other characters say about you?

That I'm smart, fast, and a bit hard on everyone.  They tell me I'm too sarcastic, and that I need to lighten up on everyone.

Righty or lefty?
I'm ambidextrous, meaning I can write with both hands.  But originally a lefty.

Organized or disorganized?
Organized.  Generally.  Sometimes I'm disorganized.

Favorite season?
Autumn.

Favorite animal?
I generally leave the animal-ing to Margaux (who can speak to them, through a connection that many of the women in her family have) but I like horses.

What does your handwriting look like?  And do others think it is readable?
I have slanted, skinny handwriting.  Some find it easy to read, others find it slightly messy and hard to read.  It all depends on the person.

Favorite weather?
A clear, cool autumn morning with the leaves still on the trees.

Do you have a favorite color of clothing?
I generally stick to blues, greens and browns, but when I'm being extravagant, I love to wear a silver dress.  So, silver, probably.

{Via}

Do others find you simple and elegant or flashy and glamorous?  
Simple and elegant, I would presume.  I tend to stay away from jewels, if I can.  I will wear perhaps a pendant around my neck now and then, but generally I do not.

Do you have any dreams or goals for the future?
I hope to restore Margaux and Nikolas to their rightful places of royalty in Eristora.  At the moment, that is all I am concentrating on.

What's your biggest secret?
Do you really think I would tell you that?

Well, I was hoping...
No.

Enemies?
More than I care to elaborate on.

Where were you born?
Like my mother, father and brother, I was born into a small elvish community about two days ride from the Caves of Elder.  However, when I was about six my family moved to the Caves of Elder to be closer to our extended family there.

Are you humorous?  If so, how?
Well, I'm rather sarcastic...

Are you naturally curious?
Yes.

How do you battle?  (As in, stay to the sides, get into the middle of things, help anyone who needs it, etc.)
I definitely get right into the thick of things, but if I can I help anyone nearby.


Alright, that's the end of this.  Did you enjoy this questionare?
Ahem.  Need I remind you that you just told me I was done?  And Sofia, you said this would be short.

The Simple Joys of Life

{Via}

I'm reading my SIGNED copy of Goliath at the moment.  Don't know what Goliath is?  It's the third and final book in the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld.  I got to go to an author reading by him.  If he's in your area, and you've read his books (which you should either go buy or order from the library) you should most definitely go and see him.  He's hilarious, and awesome.  He also apologized to me for killing me on page one of Leviathan,  (Alek's mother is named Sophie,) which was cool.  But he's a great public speaker, and I definitely encourage you to go see him if he's in your area.

I spent much of today either in the car, or at my grandmother's house.  We're getting ready for the memorial service tomorrow, and though I didn't actually do anything, I played with my baby cousins (ages 6, 4 and 8 months) and acted as baby sitter for my aunt-- who actually had productive stuff to do.

{Via}

And now, I'm sitting here on my couch, staring out my darkened window, waiting for my mother to tell me it's time to go.  Go where?  To pick up my sister for her fall break.  Which, sadly, will start off with my grandfather's memorial service.  In fact, her flight is supposed to come in in exactly one hour.

The trees here are changing, for real now.  Their beautiful red and orange leaves haven't yet begun to wither and die, and fall from the trees, and I'm grateful.  I'm grateful that the frost hasn't yet begun to collect in the mornings, and that I don't have to wear my North Face to school.  I'm grateful that Halloween decorations have begun to grace the doors of homes, and that talk of Halloween costumes fills my lunch table every day.  I'm grateful we still have beautifully sunny days inserted between the gray and the rain.  I'm grateful for the chance to meet several of my favorite authors, as their fall tours begin.

{Via}

So I'm marveling in the simple beauty of early autumn.  I'm rejoicing in the fact that I can wear boots and jeans, and long sleeved shirts, without needing my warm jacket.  I'm smiling at the fact fact that authors are visiting my city.  And I have to notice, I have to be grateful, I have to take these things in, because I'm sad.  I'm sad my grandfather died, and his memorial service is tomorrow.  So I'm rejoicing in the beauty of life, and taking it all in.  Because life is short, and the teenage years are even shorter, and now the sky has darkened to remind me that the days are getting shorter.  So take life one step at a time, and as you go, take notice in the little things.  

The Dandy Lioness

Thank Goodness It's Friday

TGIF

Thank Goodness It's Friday.  That's my saying of the day.  

So, the geography test was WAY easier than I thought it would be.  The vocab test wasn't hard at all.  We had "Freaky Friday" in science, where we didn't actually do anything but play with optical illusions.  Math was math-y, but you know, that's to be expected.  French was fun-- we ran around the school.  TV Production was okay too.  

Also, DFTBA.  Don't Forget to be Awesome.  That's all for today.  :)

The Dandy Lioness

Homework Ranting-- You Probably Don't Want to Read This

That tiredness you get at the end of the day has descended upon me-- make that the almost-end of the week.  Since I got home from school today I haven't done much but homework and dance.  I think the tiredness descended about 7:00.  I was just so exhausted from everything.  Difficult math homework (symmetry and translations... bleh.  As Purplewolf knows all too well, I am not the best at understanding math concepts.) an hour and a half of dance, studying for a huge geography test tomorrow, and a vocab test-- for the same teacher.

I just want the week to be over.  I want it to be Friday afternoon.  I want to be the weekend.  This has been a long-- and by long, I mean long-- week for me.  My grandfather died last Saturday, and this whole week has been exhausting.  I'm ready for it to be Saturday night, when my sister comes home for Fall break from college.  I'm ready for tomorrow morning, when I find a new book to read at school (I finished City of Bones-- it was quite good.)  I'm ready for it to be tomorrow afternoon, when there will be a new Vlogbrothers video up on YouTube.  I'm ready to not spend every waking second at school, or doing homework.

Why do teachers always seem to give their tests on the same week?  Last week was my big test week-- a math standardized, a math regular test, vocab (we have them weekly... blah.), science.  I know I had another as well-- geography, perhaps?  This week I've had another standardized (language arts, this time) test, a big French monument test, I retook the science test (because I made stupid mistakes and wanted my grade to go up), and then tomorrow the geography and vocab test.  I look forward to the days of less tests... will those days ever come???  Will I be able to do NaNo next month????  Ah!  I hope so!  I love NaNoWriMo, and I really want to do it again.

I apologize.  This has been mostly ranting, and complaining.  But I was at that point where I just wanted to throw my pencil down and walk away-- and I can't do that.  I have to study for my geography test tomorrow.  I have to study for my vocab test tomorrow.  I just had to let out steam.  So now, I feel a bit more relaxed.  Maybe I can actually work now.  But maybe not.  So... sorry about this.  Sorry if you read it.  You probably just wasted three minutes, or however long it took you to read this.  Mostly, it's just a way for me to rant.

The (Not-So) Dandy Lioness

Writing

This is my Writer's Block

{Via}

It is what I throw at the wall when I can't think of anything.  And by that, I mean the imaginary wall in my head blocking me from getting at all my good ideas.  It only sometimes works.

So, let's talk about writing.

Last summer (as in, not this summer that just passed, but the summer before that,) I started writing something.  It wasn't serious-- it was just for fun.  It was about talking wolves, who lived in packs and who were trying to get around all their serious issues with each other.  You know, basic talking animal story.  I got to fifteen thousand words that summer.  I was amazed, and thought that was like, a million words, or something.  I began to seriously consider the idea of me becoming an author.

Over the last... seven? years, my friend Olivia (who I love dearly and have known forever) and I started this story.  It all started because we thought there weren't enough girls in Harry Potter.  Now, don't get me wrong.  We both love Harry Potter.  However, were ages six (me) and eight (her) and we thought there just weren't enough girls.  Sure, there was Hermione, and Ginny, and Luna who were all pretty cool.  But really, who else was there?  So we set out to write our own version-- with girls.  Now, since that day at her grandmother's house, seven years ago, our story-- GP-- has blossomed into our little world.  We work on it every time we're together.  Now, it may be true that we're only a few chapters into book one (I would check, but it's on my personal email, not here, so I'm too lazy to save, go check, log back on, and continue writing this post.  So let's say around six chapters?  Five?  Seven?) but we've been working on it for seven years.  Sure, the first five or so, mostly included us playing GP games... but we loved it.  It is our baby.  And that was my first big writing project (though, technically, she's doing most of the writing.  I mostly pitch ideas, and she writes them out.)

Then, in October 2010, I learned she was doing NaNoWriMo.  I checked it out, and thought it sounded pretty cool.  So, I tried it out, and, despite the fact that I was aiming for 30,000, hit the goal of 50,000.  That's my story China Roses, which is currently in the phase where I'm supposed to start heavy editing, but find the idea terrifying, so I'm putting it off.

This summer, I finished my wolf story.  It is not a novel-- it's only about 20,000 words-- so I dubbed it "The Un-named Wolf Novella".  It's currently in "editing".  (Which, for me, is mostly just fixing small errors until I can give it to someone who can read it and tell me all the things I have to fix.  Also, figuring out all the characters-- I have about fifty characters that I keep forgetting about-- I have a long list that is currently keeping my place in the manuscript.  Also, huge plot holes I have to fix.  Hehe.  Rafi, I promise I'll figure out your family issues.  I just have to, you know, not forget about you... again.)  I'm avoiding that too.  I really hate re-reading my work.  

Also this summer, I started work on a story about "super-natural" people.  Mostly witches and warlocks, but they're all teenagers and living in this big house.  That got abandoned however, when I got bored of the plot (it started going really wonky... maybe I'll pick it up again someday.)  It was maybe 8,000 words when I got bored.  Possibly more.

Now, at the moment, I'm about 19,000 words into a new WIP.  It is title-less, and mostly plot-less, but I like it-- though I haven't worked on it in several days.  I have to get around to doing that.  I started it this summer and have been writing in fits and spurts.  I might do some "Meet the Character" posts for it, or maybe one of the others.  But probably this WIP, since I have pictures of many of the characters.

I consider myself to be a writer.  I will always think of myself as a writer, even if I'm an accountant, or a teacher (which I would never be.  I just couldn't deal with it all.  Especially middle school students.  HOW do those teachers survive??????) or a photographer or a web designer.  I will be a writer.  It's part of who I am.  And, if I tried to stop ideas would start leaking out of my ears or something equally drastic.  So... I write.

The Dandy Lioness

Randomosity

First of all, I have to say happy birthday to my lovely dog, Milo.  We got him as a sort-of Christmas present two and a half years ago.  (We a) didn't get him on Christmas and b) picked him out ).  However, we won't be celebrating that until my sister gets back next week for her fall break.

(This is Milo, I apologize for the low-quality-ness of the picture, but it was taken on my phone.  Also, it might be blurry.  Sorry.)

I like the word "autumn" so much more than "fall".  It's just more... graceful.  Here, the sky is beginning to turn gray, the drizzle is starting to come, and the trees have started to change.  (Except for the many pine trees, which don't lose their needles.)  It's all very beautiful.  Halloween decorations are appearing on front porches and doors, and the grocery stores have large pumpkin displays out front.  I've always loved this time of year.  My friends and I are making our Halloween plans (We're heading over to my Elementary school for their carnival in late October.  Excited!) and people are settling into the routine of school.

Did anyone else watch the season premiere of House last night?  House (the doctor, not the show... well, the show too,) can be so... infuriating sometimes.  But I love the show anyways.  Can't wait for next week's episode.

Does anyone else spend way too much time on Pinterest?  I don't even have an account (No Facebook or Twitter... I wish they would make it so you just had to have an email... *sigh*) but I spend more of my free time than I should on there.  It's just so addicting!

I'm reading a good book right now.  It's called City of Bones and it's by Cassandra Clare.  Anyone heard of it?  (And Purplewolf, you can't answer this, because I know you've heard of it, as I'm still reading it and I've been carrying it around with me for the last couple days.)  It's quite good.  However, I'm sure many of you (not that there are more than maybe three people reading this...) have heard of it as it's been on best sellers lists.  I think.  Eh.  Too lazy to check.

Today my friend E and I got (almost) finished with our silent movie in TV Production class.  (Which, is quite fun-- third year in a row taking it!)  We used James Bond music for the background.  It fits perfectly, and we're totally psyched.  But I really don't want to show it to the class.  (I did a rather awful job of acting in it.  But the amount of laughs we got while looking at all of my strange expressions totally made up for it.)

Looking back on what I've written, I realized I used (parentheses) in every paragraph.  Hehe.  And now, I leave you with some pictures of quotes from TV shows and books.

(Via)  

"Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia..." 

(Also from Looking for Alaska by John Green.  Love that book <3)

"Why is there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard's..."

"Howard keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

"He gets hungry..."

Doctor Who!  This is from the first episode that David Tenant was the Doctor in.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsJ1iPl4as4

And a clip from Doctor Who season 3, Utopia.  

And now, I leave you.

The Dandy Lioness

A-Z Getting to Know Me tag

So, I'm stealing this from Sally who stole it from Hayley from the blog Fish Flakes (I apologize, I do not have Hayley's link.)  Note:  I changed one or two of the questions.

A.  Age--  Thirteen.  Well, thirteen and a half-- my birthday is in April.

B.  Bed size--  Twin.  My room couldn't hold a bigger bed if I wanted to keep all the stuff I currently have in there.  

C.  Chore that you hate--  I don't like the dishes, especially when you're loading them.  It just is gross.  Blech.

D.  Dogs--  One, formerly two.  My current dog is named Milo.  He's a white havanese and he will be three years old... tomorrow, actually.  we named him after the main character in the book, The Phantom Tollbooth.

E.  Essential start to your day--  Shower.  If I don't take a shower in the morning (unless I had a sport the night before, when I would have taken a shower) I feel gross until I do.

F.  Favorite color-- Probably purple, but maybe silver or a light gray.

G.  Gold or silver?--  Silver, definitely.

H.  Height-- 5'0.  I'm short.

I.  Instruments you play--  I used to play violin, but I haven't since fourth grade.

J.  Job title--  Aspiring author?  Middle school student?  Eh.  Both.

K.  Kids?-- Maybe.  

L.  Live-- USA.

M.  Mother's Name--  Let's call her T.

N.  Nicknames--  Hmmm... Sofie.  Ofie.  Ofiasay (yes, I am called this.)  A few others I can't think of.  Oh, and Purplewolf reminded me (I know IRL) of a friend who calls me Couch.

O.  Overnight hospital stays--  More than I can count, due to being in the ICU for six weeks at age two.  So let's just say-- a lot.  (However, I think the last time I had an overnight hospital stay was when I was four and almost cracked my chin open...)

P.  Pet peeve--  I have several, but at the moment, I can't think of any.  However, I will probably have several posts full of ranting about pet peeves, knowing me.

Q.   Quotes from a movie/TV show--  Anything from Doctor Who.  But especially-- "The angels have the phone box.  That's my favorite!  I've got that on a t-shirt!"

R.  Righty or lefty?-- Righty.  :)

S.  Siblings--  One.  She's nineteen and in college, and despite our age difference, we're pretty close.

T.  Time you wake up--  School days, 6:15.  Weekends, generally between 7:30 and 8:00.

U.  Umbrellas?--  Where I live, despite the fact that it rains (quite often, actually), no one ever really uses umbrellas.  Which is strange.

V.  Vegetables you hate-- Peppers.  I can't stand them.

W.  What makes you run late?--  Forgetting stuff.  

X.  X-Ray's you've had--  Uhh... none since I was a baby, I don't think.  However, I do have yearly Echocardiograms (sp?) on my heart.  

Y.  Yummy food you like to make--  Umm....  cookies?  I dunno, I don't really cook very much...

Z.  Zoo animal--  Elephants.  As stated in the first post, I will often randomly say, "Anything unrelated to elephants is irrelephant."

If you read all that, I congratulate you.  Feel free to take it-- I'd love to see your answers.  

The Dandy Lioness