Beach Bumming It

Yesterday, we all went to the beach, my fiance and I, the in-laws, and some friends of the family. One of my SO's brothers who is visiting from Utah has been seriously beach deprived, so the family has been going more than usual.

They packed up everything: food, soda, s'mores, chairs, roasting sticks, towels - while I was at work. And then we all hopped in two cars and high-tailed it out there. It was already evening, so there was no brutal sun. The wind, however, whipped my hair all over the place and blew sand into my eyes. I don't like the ocean water, considering I can't see what's coming at me, so I sat in a chair and watched the other kiddos swim out almost farther than I could see. Every once in a while, I caught sight of a patch of dark hair bobbing up from the waves, or a pale head, but that was it.

Eventually, my SO and I went climbing about on the dunes, hopping and skipping over grasses and sticks and left over detritus. I fell down one dune, getting sand in my eyes anytime I moved afterward. I actually love the dunes, though. We had a lot of fun. When we came back from our excursion, a small fire was just beginning. Eventually, it was large enough to roast hot dogs over. Unfortunately, someone left all condiments but mayonnaise behind, so I tried my best to eat one with mayo. It was so gross to me, I lost most of my appetite.

There was also watermelon, a great beach/summer-time snack. This watermelon was weirdly orange. I called it radioactive, but it was pretty yummy. There were s'mores to be roasted, but as I am not a big fan of marshmallows, especially on a windy beach wear gooey stuff flies into your hair, I merely ate a graham cracker with chocolate. Still delicious. We had to suddenly pack up and leave when the night tide came in, soaking our feet, seeping into our little fire, and pooling beneath the cars.

It was definitely a good time: I was, however, exhausted, considering my early and long hours at work, so I went home a little earlier than usual to get some sleep. Sadly, the sun was not up when I awoke this morning. In my opinion, if the sun isn't up, I shouldn't be either. Work would have been a little angry if I went back to sleep, though.

Long. Day.

I had work bright and early this morning, unfortunately. Too bad I wasn't as sunny as the morning was at even that early hour. At least, not until I had a few hours of work under my belt, a Coke well on its way to infusing its caffeine goodness into me, and some good reading (after performing my work duties, of course. Phone message check and e-mails to look at. Calls to answer. An in work test to take and get certified in). Afterward, I headed to my soon-to-be in-laws house to do some much needed shopping with my sister-in-law (future, that is).

We went to J C Penny's first. Of course, I hadn't thought to go there for what I was looking for, but I was happy to find what I wanted, for a much more reasonable price and a buy 1 get 1 free sale, to boot! After searching for shoes and a dress for my other sister-in-law-to-be, we headed out of the mall. I was done with trying things on and shopping in general. Until we made it back, and it was mentioned that I needed long sleeves for my wedding dress. Also, her bride's maids dress had come in, and we had to rush to the seamstress to get it altered ASAP. I am getting married in less than a week, and we needed stuff fixed pronto. Of course, S, my sister-in-law-to-be, looked gorgeous in her dress. The color was amazing and her blue eyes just popped.

After that quick run to the seamstress, S, who had earlier endured many tryings-on, told me that I could merely buy a white, long-sleeved leotard to wear for my marriage (the reception will not require long sleeves). We stopped by one place, which had only one size of the leotard I looked for, which was not my size. The next place we found in the nick of time. They had my size, and although I payed a bit for the thing, I left reassured that I had found what I needed.

The last thing was, of course, shoes. I am not a high-heel kind of gal. I plan on wearing white, beaded ballet slippers. After a trip to Jo-Ann's Fabrics, where they were out of my size, we headed to Michael's, where I found a suitable pair, with pearls and beads and a bow, perfect for my gorgeous yet simple dress. By this time, I was so ready to collapse from hunger that I was glad when we headed back to the house for the second time.

Now I am at home, listening to music and looking forward to my bed and much wanted sleep. I did take a super long nap at the in-laws house, considering I was so exhausted, and my appetite had been satiated. I wish I could sleep in mornings, but my body wakes up a little after 8 and won't let me rest after. However, wake me up before then and I will gladly bite your head off. I am NOT a morning person.

Trine, the Game

Last night, my fiance and I went to a friends house to have a little fun, play some games. After watching the Celtics beat Magic (I cheered on the Celtics, just because I liked their uniforms better), we put a video game on that my friend had recently acquired online through his PS3. When I first saw Trine, I thought it would be lame, but my friend went ahead and bought it, possibly because we'd researched it a bit online and heard some good stuff about it.

This retro, side-scrolling fantasy/action/physics-based game is addicting and fun. It can be played with three players, as ti has three characters. One, a Magician, has the powers to conjure boxes and planks that help jumping onto high ledges and walking across spike-infested pits. Another character, the Knight (or Fat Kid, as I dubbed him last night), has strength on his side. He's really the combat-ready character of the team. The protector. Finally, the Thief, which I claim as my character, has a bow and arrows as weapons, which can be upgraded to shoot fire arrows, or even just more arrows in one shot. She also has a whip-like tool which can fasten onto wooden objects and be used to swing about. I use this tool heavily, considering I don't have to wait for the magician to conjure a box when I want to swing to the next ledge, or I just want to easily avoid treacherous pits of acid or spikes.
While this game can be played with just one player, you need all the characters in order to get through the levels. When playing one person style, you can switch characters depending on your needs.

This game was very addicting, and we whiled away a few hours without even realizing it. We laughed so hard at some of the goofy things that occurred, for example my penchant for swinging myself onto spikes, or failing to swing to the appointed ledge; my friend's inability to swim because he was so big and heavy a character; my fiance's drawing skills when conjuring a plank or box; our overall general lack of staying alive for longer than a few seconds after being regenerated due to our gung-ho approach to the mission. At one point, instead of running quickly back to the check point to retrieve my dead character, my fiance and my friend left the check point behind. They figured they had the Knight, a combat-ready character, and so did not especially need my abilities, and would make it to the next check point first. My friend, the Knight, promptly died in a pit of acid, and my fiance, the Magician, being defenseless, tried his best to kill five undead skeletons by drawing boxes above them and squishing them. He died as well, and we all ended up back where we began.

There was a lot of laughter, a lot of teasing, and a great time in all. I highly recommend this game for a bit of fun with a couple of friends. Make sure they can draw, first, though.

The Endless Series'

As a fantasy book lover, I am well-acquainted with the "endless series." The stories wrapped in books sometimes as thick as 1,000 pages, novels that continue the stories into the 20th and 30th book. If you find the right ones, you can easily become addicted, waiting anxiously for the next, which sometimes won't come for years. Such is the way of it with the Mercedes Thompson series. I've blogged about a couple of her books, and just completed the next in line: Silver Borne.

Of course, she's back to being in trouble, after having borrowed a book from a half-fae in the last novel. The fae want it back, and they aren't stopping at much to get it, considering that it can be found easily in one of two ways: by fire or by death. The fae have never been known for their great appreciation of those so lowly as the non-fae, even a shape-shifter like Mercy, so Mercy's fighting for her life. To top off all of her troubles, her old friend Samuel is not himself-literally. After trying to commit suicide, this werewolf's wolf side decides to take over in order to insure survival, but as everyone knows, wolves are not cute little puppies, and werewolves are wolves' more dangerous cousins.

I loved this book, and read it every chance I got. Because it's the semester's end at my university, I couldn't read it as often as I wanted, so it took me nearly three days to finish, but I enjoyed every moment of it. Mercy is back to her awesome self, investigating her way through the complicated maze of fae and werewolf worlds. The way in which Briggs has built up such a rich other-world right beside our very own makes for some fascinating reading, as you view her intricate take on the whole werewolf/vampire/fae/Other storyline. It's not just spitting out the same old, same old. And as for the characters, they're changing in the way any true human would; showing their true colors, hiding others, and always shifting your viewpoint of who they really are and what part they play in the grand scheme of things in the series.

Once again, I will probably have to wait to read yet another installment. Cross your fingers I'll get to see it before next year!

Book Covers

I know, two blogs in one day. But I forgot to mention my absolute love of these nifty little book covers by Vera Bradley (who also makes prints, bags, and other cute stuff). It all started when I visited my mother and saw an adorable quilt-like printed "notebook" only to find that it was a book cover, not a notebook! I got so excited over it *blush* that my mom actually gave it to me. She said she thought it was pretty, but she was nowhere near as ecstatic over it as I was.

Basically, it works as a book cover should. It lets you slip the front and back cover of a paperback book into little pockets , and it even has a ribbon bookmark. The cover protects your book from getting bent whilst traveling in your bag, or keeps crumbs from attaching to the unprotected soft shell, or - in my case- takes away the need to dog-ear pages. I love it, and use it on all my smaller paperback books. My only problem with it is that it only fits one size, small. A lot of my paperbacks and none of my hard-backs could possibly fit. But, it is tres adorable!

Coordination

Sometimes, I find myself trying to be organized for the morning by choosing something to wear before I go to bed. Usually, this means grabbing the first shirt I like and deciding if I want to wear flip-flops or flats in the morning (I have a bunch of jeans, I just choose the most comfy of the available pairs). After choosing an outfit, which takes all of 30 seconds, I like to curl up under my comforter and read until I become drowsy enough to drift off to sleep. Currently, I am reading Mademoiselle Boleyn, by Robin Maxwell, a historical novel of Anne Boleyn. It begins telling her story at the age of 9, when she was sent with her sister to accompany to France the soon-to-be French queen Mary. This novel is amazingly eye-opening as to how very uncensored they were of things back in the time period, and how very corrupt, as well. It's a rather interesting, amusing, and dare I say shocking read.

But that is all beside the point. My point is, this morning I wanted to wear a particular pair of flip-flops, one's that I adore. Silver flip-flops made from duct tape, thanks to my very craft-y SO. :) So I chose a shirt specifically because it had silver lettering on it, to match the sandals. But I needed to wear a sweater of some type, considering I would be stuck at work, freezing, so I picked out my newest one, which is green and argyle. Um. . . not so coordinated? I tried to pull it all together by wearing a green barrette in my hair, however the green barrette has clovers on it, so maybe not so matchy-matchy? I think I may have failed at coordinating an outfit, a la Ugly Betty. I should stick to my tried and true method of "Does this fit? Will I be comfortable in it?" And ok, yeah, sometimes "Will I look cute?" does come into play. But it's worked, mostly, so far.

Falling DownTo you Sweet Ground

I haven't fallen down in a while, but as a child I did so often. Often enough, in fact, that I learned how to fall in order to prevent any serious injury to myself. I learned to roll, and tuck my head toward my chest, as well as keep my arms close to my sides.

Today while having a grand ol' time walking my dog, Sophie, dancing a bit to some Irish punk music, my dog caught me off guard by surging forward in the hopes of chasing a bird. I stumbled a step, and the next thing I knew, I tripped over some uneven sidewalk. I hit my knees and began to fall forward, but my old instincts kicked in. The next thing I knew, without a thought, I'd thrown my weight to the side, bent my head forward a bit, and tucked my arms to my sides (I realized all of this later, after I analyzed the fall). I landed with considerably less momentum on my back. My knees took the worst of the beating. One is turning purple-black, and the other is missing a nice little swatch of skin. If I hadn't rolled the way I'd done, however, I would have smacked my head on the pavement, considering that I have a hard time catching myself with my arms. Thank goodness for past experiences and some pretty good ninja/ survival skills!

On the downside, I don't know how I managed as a kid! My knees are killing me. It hurts to bend them. Stairs are painful. Then again, as a kid, I'd probably be screaming my head off, so I figure I'm handling it pretty well.

Gamer Grub

I was at my local university when I got hungry yesterday, but I wasn't in the mood for savory, and I needed to grab something on the fly. I walked into the little convenience store we have on campus and came across a promising snack choice - "Gamer Grub".

I've heard of this new-ish snack food through PC Gamer magazine, wherein they wrote a review (way back when) of the two available flavors: pizza and PB&J. I remembered that their reviews weren't exactly scathing, but they didn't sing the highest praises either. I debated between the two before deciding to go for the PB&J.

The "Gamer Grub" marketing ploy is pretty simple: directed straight at computer gamers, to "boost your game" with vitamins and neurotransmitters. . . Hang on - what? Neurotransmitters? As a psych student, I was a bit confused. Maybe I haven't taken the class in which they explain how they get the neurotransmitter adrenaline or endorphins into food, so I'm extremely skeptical over that whole idea. The most I can come up with is that maybe they have managed to mimic certain neurotransmitters, much in the way caffeine mimics the neurotransmitter that brings about an alert state. Of course, that would look dumb on the bag "Vitamins and stuff that mimics neurotransmitters!!" Oh, and just reading the bag, it says that it contains "Proprietary Cognitive Blend Choline" which is another way of saying caffeine, basically, and at 101 mg per serving, and 5 servings per bag, well that's about the equivalent of 5 cups of coffee. Woo! Go game boost!

Anywho, another gimmick is the no greasy fingers and no keyboard crumbs promise on the container. With the PB&J, there really IS no greasy fingers, but no keyboard crumbs? MY SO and I both agreed that was complete bull-hockey. They're there, they're just not visible. Which, in my humble opinion, makes it all the more worse, because once you forget to clean your 'board, how long will those settle in and accumulate?

All in all, "Gamer Grub" delivers a yummy snack, but leaves some promises quite un-kept. Also, I don't feel a particular "boost" in my game, even though at the moment I'm studying and not fiddling with say, Modern Warfare 2 (which I totally played last night, and to add to this side note, I also played a newer version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which was the fun in a nostalgic kind of way! "It's pizza time!")

Of Ice and Men

I hate puns, but I had to get back to my nerdy roots somehow!

Recently, I went to a hockey game with my Significant Other and a few other couples. I've gone to numerous hockey games with my SO lately, but this one put them all to shame.

We were RIGHT on the front row. (You can see the view from the two pictures I've added.) Anytime someone would check another player into the glass near us, I would startle and jump. Details (including missing teeth) were so very clear. We also splurged since we hadn't had dinner and ate a chili cheese dog (me) and a cut beef sandwich with onions, jalapeños, and amazing bar-b-q sauce (him). After the first period, we went back for more, ordering supreme nachos and cotton candy. The couple we sat next to had two adorable children: one a little older than a year and the other 3. I offered the little year-old girl some cotton candy, which she promptly ate, but what really got her begging were the nacho chips (sans spicy chili and cheese). That kid could really put it away!

It was so much fun watching the kids see the game so close. The little girl learned how to pound on the glass when we got a goal, and seemed to be getting really into the game.

Definitely an evening well spent - a great date night!

If You Ever Feel Guilty . . .

I must admit, as a long time book lover, I feel it's sort of my duty to give a book a chance, even if the cover art and title are completely and utterly boring or just too bizarre or out-dated. It's my duty to give the book a chance, yes, but do I do it? Nope. I go completely against the old adage and judge a book by it's cover. A well-produced cover means a more interested me. And of course, a title that gets me a'wondering.

Of course, I feel guilty about this. What kind of book lover am I? So shallow, I know! I can't possibly truly enjoy real books if all I do is pass up the ugly brown and orange covered monstrosities entitled, "The Cat" or "Tea Time for Betsy". And yet, I do! I judge a book by it's cover. And for all of you out there who do the same, you don't have to feel guilty anymore (assuming, of course, that you did in the first place). There's an actual website dedicated to just this kind of thing. They find ridiculous cover art and make fun of it. And then you can look at that cover art and make up your own goofy, snarky interpretation, if you aren't fully satisfied by theirs. I giggle, I scratch my head, sometimes there is some actual ::face::palm:: action going on.

One of my favorite posts is done by Rex Parker, a man with an endless supply of old books with weird and strange cover art and even stranger synopses. He gives his favorite points about the front and the back of the book, and even includes a sentence from inside (I think it's from page 123.) I'm always entertained.

Go check it out if you haven't already: Judge a Book By Its Cover.

When It Rains, It Pours

I might have mentioned in a far earlier post that I am a tiny bit superstitious. So it is with my belief that things come in threes. Good or bad, if it's notable, it's going to occur 3 times. Lately, it seems that that has applied to the not-quite-so-fantastic for me.

You see, I had to register for classes at the university here in little city, USA, but they couldn't seem to figure out what to do with me. I submitted a transcript from a prior college, and then called them back a few days later. I was told to call again in another couple of days. This happened the next time I called, and then the third or fourth time I called (this was over a period of two weeks, by the way, what with the holiday), they said they were missing my high school transcript. . . . Say what? I've gone to the university before; they had no problem with my transcript then. No one would actually come out and say it, but I had the distinct feeling it had been lost. So, since I no longer live in the city that I graduated high school, I had to wait until the weekend to obtain the transcript. I submitted it finally, and the lady I physically handed it to asked me, after looking up my account, "Who told you we needed this?" Yes, they did not need it at all. The hold was taken off, but I was terribly late with registering. That's 1.

Of course, with late registration comes "good luck getting THAT class". I signed up for all of my classes, but then I had to speak with my boss, because the classes I was able to sign up for didn't exactly jibe with the schedule I was supposed to be working. (No worries, they're usually pretty flexible about working around school schedules. So, that's 1 in the blessings department, too). Come class time, I discover to my dismay, that I am enrolled in a class that requires a different class before it, a class I have not yet taken. I practically ran across campus to drop it and sign up for another class, since the day after was the last day to register, which means it's the day with no available classes. Of course, that meant another talk with my boss about how I need to change my hours. . . again. That's 2. (On the plus side, my new class seems great, so 2 for the blessings.)

Today, after class, I got into my car, ready to haul butt to work, when I realized the front end felt wrong. I found a new parking space, got out and discovered that my front tire was flatter than flat. After calling a myriad of friends, I finally got a hold of my mechanic friend, who agreed to help me change it. Now, I know how to change a tire, thankyouverymuch. The problem is I weigh 90 pounds soaking wet, and at 5' 2", well - you can guess it'd be a bit difficult on my own. My friend made it over, and we discovered the tire was unsalvagable, having been worn down over a long period of time because my car needs re-aligning. That's 3. (Again, 3 on the other side of the spectrum because thank goodness it didn't blow while I was driving the country roads to my hometown this past weekend, or even on the highway on the way to classes!)

Moral of the story: Murphy's Law is real, and so is the Law of 3s. Let's hope it just doesn't decide to spontaneously change to the Law of 4s or 6s.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Born and raised in South Texas, I'm very much a wimp when it comes to being cold. I'm also always cold. I wear jackets anywhere I go, because Texan's love their AC. But winter is upon us, and while that usually means the weather doesn't get bad until early in the new year, it does mean that January and February are absolutely miserable. At the moment, there is a "freeze advisory" in effect until (I've heard) Sunday, and while those Northern freaks are probably laughing at the way I'm reacting while they walk through the snow to work, uphill both ways, in temperatures that make Antarctica feel like Hawaii, I just have to say this makes me NOT HAPPY. For one thing, I don't actually own warm clothes. Maybe a long sleeved shirt here and there, but they are all about as thin as tissue paper, as are most of my jackets. Right now, I'm wearing a great brown cardigan that makes me feel like a hip and sexy librarian, and I am sitting in my office, freezing my tail off. Why can't they at least shut off the air conditioning when the weather turns frigid outside? Why must it stay at a constant, shiver-inducing temperature?

On another note, I finished a new book entitled Death's Daughter, by Amber Benson. For total dorks like me, Amber Benson is most well-known for her role as Tara, Willow's girlfriend in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have to say that I was not overly impressed with the book. The main character, Calliope, is whiny and selfish and generally annoying, and remains mostly one-dimensional throughout the book. Another of my pet peeves was the portrayal of the Indian goddess, Kali, who was not believable as an actual goddess - instead she seemed more like a New York, latte-sipping, trash talking socialite. There were several men that snubbed her in her past, if I read the hints right (and I did, because there was no way you could miss the unsubtle there), and knowing what little I do of the goddess Kali, they would probably have been disemboweled and their heads hung about her neck as trophies for such betrayal. Instead, she just huffed a lot and made snide comments like a crazy, jealous ex. Although her idea of Death and Hell were most interesting, her writing style was not to my liking. Overall, I give it a meh.

Oversimplifimacation

I've noticed a couple of things being marketed as "simpler" than their predecessors, and I'm beginning to wonder if it is a foreshadowing of things to be in 2010. I speak mainly of two things: the new Google Chrome browser and Windows 7.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for an easier interface, something that will make technology available for all, but for me personally, in the case of tech, simplified is BORING. Take Google Chrome. I have several friends that enjoy it, because it's "like Firefox, only simpler." I like Firefox; the features are great, the add-ons are fun, and it gets the job done. Sure, simpler might sound appealing, but when something is done away with because it makes something more complicated, it's harder to do what you need or want. Sometimes, I've even noticed, a specific feature is changed to make it "simpler," and yet I'm pounding the keyboard in frustration because it *isn't* simple. I'm not exactly a computer hacker genius, but I am not computer illiterate, either, so when I say it's not simple, I feel like other people might agree.
And what's the deal with Windows 7? I haven't heard much yet, except glowing reviews from people that haven't had it for long, or from the product promoters themselves. Any word on whether or not it really does put Vista to shame? I checked it out at a local Best Buy, and really, all the pluses they were promoting didn't seem to make it worth my while. I may just wait it out and see if there isn't something else coming along that doesn't just make things "simple" but usable as well.

Uh-Oh, Here We Go

Although I love Texas, I'm getting a bit perturbed with the weather here. We have cold spells, mixed with high winds and misting rains, and then we have days like today, in which it is a good idea to leave your jacket at home, although jeans are not so very optional. Yesterday, it was so cold, I shivered as anytime I had to be outside for any length of time, not to mention the rain leaving puddles to soak my feet and jeans, which did not exactly help with the chills and shivers. And yet today, it's sunny and cool, without being cold. In fact, it feels downright nice outside. I get tired of this state's bipolar weather patterns, and even more tired of the weatherman predicting things that will not happen. They *said* it "felt like" 58 not too long ago, and yet I was sweating. Do you need a degree for weather-forecasting?

Anyway, I haven't written lately so I thought an update on our weird weather fluxes might be something to write home about. . .

[And just for my sister; the title refers to a song called "The Sound of Madness" by Shinedown. The completion of that first sentence is "Uh-oh, here we go/another loose canon gone bipolar.] :) Cheers!

When Work Goes Awry

It started out as a normal day.

If by normal, I meant waking up in order to get to work by 7:30 in the morning. I can already hear some of you whining: But I have to get up at 2:30 in the morning to get to work, because it takes hours to look this dang good, and then I have to stop off for a super whipped cream mocha latte with cinnamon, and if they get it wrong I have to make them do it all over again because you cannot have too much cinnamon, and then traffic is so bad it makes me want to cry!

Yes, life is so very hard. But back to me.

I arrive at work while the sun is still in the midst of rising, and things are pretty normal.

If by normal, I meant 7 computers were down, 4 more failed within the first few moments of testing, and we had 11 finals, two other tests, and yet one more large test occurring within my lab. I actually had to pass out numbers and call people when a computer was free. I think I used the word "SNAFU" at one point. My boss found it amusing that I was feeling so very frustrated.

It didn't help that my coworker decided not to come into work with not so much as a by-your-leave.

I also forgot to mention that it is freezing outside, with a driving rain and ice. This may sound normal to some, but I live in South Texas. This is rare. You would think global warming would take care of these little problems, but I guess it's not all it's cracked up to be.

On the plus side, my boss picked up delicious soup from my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Rice noodles, cilantro, chicken broth, some sort of sprout. Divine. Seriously. Perfect for a day like today.

So, I was cranky, but then I got soup out of the deal, and then really, who can stay cranky after soup? All I know is, I want to share the soup with my significant other and spend time doing cold day stuff with him. Soon, work will be done, and life will be good.