Sunday, November 20, 2011

Where Are the Candy Bars?

Obligatory NaNoWriMo status update: I'm about 31k words in, and still chugging along.  Just ~19k words to go!

"I got this."


Anyway, on to the reason for this post.  The event for which this post is named actually happened quite a while ago, but it's still worth mentioning, as I think it gets across the magic of college rather well.

First, let's set the scene.  Myself and several of my friends are hanging out near the main dining hall at around two in the morning, just talking and having a nice time.  In order to protect the innocent, I'll refer to my friends by code names: "Generic Ramen", "Vladimir" and "J.B."  

First picture that came up when I Google searched "creative nicknames."  WTF, internet?

So we're sitting around and chatting, and all of a sudden, a wild herd of drunk college girls appears!

Charizard, I choose you!

Now, they're not really bothering anyone.  Two of them are somewhat tipsy, one seems relatively sober, but the fourth is gone.  Absolutely gone.  And she staggers up to us and compliments Vladimir's hat.  Then all hats in general.  This girl really likes hats, apparently.  (To be fair, his hat was pretty ballin'. :P)

Then things get weird...

Drunk Girl #4 proceeds to ask us where the candy bars are.  She really, really wants candy bars, and she can't find them anywhere.  

CHOCOLAAAAAATE!
This would be odd enough, but that's not quite the end of it.  Because it's not until the girl walks (more like staggers in a rather zig-zagging fashion) away that we realize what she's wearing: a flag.  With a belt.  

I don't think I'll ever get the answers to several of the questions that were raised that night.  Who was that girl?  Where were her clothes?  And what had she been drinking so that I can make sure to never, ever touch it?  The world may never know...

College.










Friday, November 4, 2011

More NaNoWriMo and Soul Eater

So NaNoWriMo is going well so far.  I was a bit unsure of myself at first because I wasn't liking what my plot was doing, but I had a stern talk with it and it's behaving better now.  1,600 words a day has turned out to be a much more difficult feat to accomplish than I'd originally thought, but I'm managing, and at the moment I'm up to about 6k.  That's about on schedule, only about 200 words or so behind if you're being very specific.  But considering the fact that I didn't write at all yesterday and am up from about 3k, I'll take it as a victory.

SOUL EATER!  SOUL EATER SOUL EATER SOUL EATER!  I am officially enamored with the awesomeness that is Soul Eater!

If you've never seen it, watch this intro and tell me it's not epic.  I dare you.


What other anime features a comedy relief grim reaper and his OCD, symmetry-obsessed son?  A scrawny, black-blooded character or questionable gender who wields a bossy, screaming sword?  A dissection-obsessed scientist with a penchant for rolling chairs and screw in his head?  A loud-mouthed, yet lovable ninja who probably wouldn't know stealth if it hit him over the head with a tire iron?

Bitch please.
Anyway...

The show's characters really are what give it life, as with any show.  So here are a list of my favorite Soul Eater characters.

1. Lord Death


Oh, yes.  I'm talking about the ever-lovable, always comical, completely badass founder of the DWMA, Shinigami-sama, Lord Death himself.  If you've ever seen Soul Eater, you know what I'm talking about.  Easily one of the funniest characters in the series, but also surrounded by mystery.  (What IS under that mask anyway???)  And not to mention, he's DEATH.  Ergo, you don't mess with him.

BAMF

2. Death the Kid


The ever-lovable, ever-OCD, ever-(almost)-symmetrical son of Lord Death, Death the Kid.  Inherited a good portion of badass-ness from his dad.  

That is...when he's not throwing a fit about the fact that he's not number 8 on this list.  

"2 isn't symmetrical at all!  Scum!  Filth!  Unsightly, mangy excuse for a number!"

3. Franken Stein

If he's not busy dissecting something, talking about dissecting something, thinking about dissecting something or dreaming about dissecting something, Stein can be pretty hardcore.  

Until you put him in a rolling chair.



...still pretty hardcore.

4. Black*Star (yes, the asterisk is necessary)

Ah, Black*Star.  How does one describe the always-annoying, yet somehow-lovable Black*Star?  He's loud, obnoxious, cocky.  But still entertaining to be around (in small doses) and unlike most people that may be similar to him, he actually has the power to back up his loud mouth.  Did I mention he's loud?  Like really loud?  Also, he's a ninja.  A loud ninja.

Black*Star is the caps lock of Soul Eater.

BELIEVE IT!
5. Spirit/Death Scythe


This guy.

This. Guy.  

This is one dedicated father right here.  Maybe even bordering on obsessive.  But obsessive is Kid's territory, so for this case, let's just call it "aggressive loyalty."

Little baby bloomers!  (I couldn't NOT use this picture...)

6. ...I really can't describe this character in words...so I'll have to use a song.



And now it's in your head.

U mad?
Soul Eater.

Awesome.

*exit stage right*








-for Erin ^_^

Monday, October 31, 2011

NaNoWriMo

I admire those who are heading into the long-awaited event of National Novel Writing Month with a plan.  I know several who have been outlining and scheduling and awaiting November first since August.  However I, being the great procrastinator that I am, am not one of those people.  In fact, as the first of November has approached, I've found my self-confidence dwindling.

Sure, I'm excited to put my writing skills to the test, but as I am all-too-familiar with the evils of writers' block, I know how difficult it will be.

So for the next month, I'll be dedicating this blog to my NaNo experience.  Late nights spent pounding out rough paragraphs and piling papers and homework and maybe the occasional meal on top of my needed ~1600 words a day will all be chronicled (sporadically) here.  And if anyone wants to offer some uplifting remarks or advice or just a pat on the back, that's perfectly welcome.

Hello, NaNoWriMo.  Goodbye social life.

Now let's do this!

I F***ING LOVE NANOWRIMO

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

40 Confessions/Facts

1. I still sleep with a teddy bear.
2. I'm proud to call myself a Whovian (translation: Doctor Who fan), but I have yet to see any of the classic series.  I want to.  If anyone has the DVD's, we should be friends.
3. On that note, I have a tendency to rant and rave about things related to Doctor Who.  You were forewarned.
4. I own a fez.
5. I have a massive - and I mean massive - crush on David Tennant.


Seriously.
6. I doodle in class.  Often.  In fact, I'm pretty sure my music theory notebook has more doodles than notes.  (Maybe I should call it a doodlebook?)
7. I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.  A lot.  
This is my childhood!  *blubbers*
8. I first got into writing through fanfiction.  My earliest work has long since been burned.  The crime?  Being suckish.  (Also alleged witchcraft.)
9. I fear pool drains.  Don't ask me why, because I can't tell you.
Haunts my nightmares...









Quick pallet cleanser!

Ahh...that's better. ^_^

9. My video game of choice is Pokemon.  Any generation will do.
10. I still watch House, if only out of sheer habit.
11. I do listen to Lady Gaga.  Even if her sense of fashion eludes me.
12. I've read 4/4 Twilight books.  Seen 0/4 (5???) movies.
13. Despite my mega-crush on Mr. David Ten-inch Tennant, Matt Smith is my favorite Doctor so far.

















14. I someday plan on getting a tattoo.
...or not...

15. I also cried at the end of Marley and Me.  The first...and second...and third time I saw it.  Dammit, my heart is not made of stone!  *sobs*
16. I'm an...(cue scary voice) AAAAATHEIIIIST!  Scared?  No?  Good.  I don't bite.  :)
17. My top three favorite famous gay guys are...
Neil Patrick Harris
Stephen Fry

...and John Barrowman.  

18. I have a Twitter account.  And a facebook account.  And a fanfiction account.  And no life outside of the internet.  
19. I know more memes than any one person should know. 
Image, Y U NO fit on page?!??

20. I sleep best when it's freezing.  Whether this will cause roommate tension has yet to be seen.
21. If my life had theme music, I think it would be this...



22. I have a sort of obsession with dragons.  
What can I say? I have a thing for awesomeness.
23. Thunderstorms turn me on. >_>
(so does this)

24. About 90% of the pictures I have saved on my computer are random funny images I find while browsing the internet.  

25. While I like many others, my favorite Doctor Who companion is DONNA NOBLE!  
One! One word! Shake, milk-shake, milk! Milk! No? Not milk! Um, shake, shake, shake! Cocktail shake! What, d'you want a Harvey Wallbanger? 
26. College has caused me to develop an addiction to Twizzlers.  Thanks, college.  Thanks.
27. I'm serious.  I really do own a fez.
28. I overuse emoticons.  :D :P O_o ^_^ (>^^)> <(^^<) <^.=.^>
29. I like watching other people do stupid things.  
30. My nerd halloween costume this year?  Lord Death from Soul Eater.
It was either this or a T-shirt that said "Error 404: Costume not found."
31. I LOVE nerdy pick-up lines.  I wish I were DNA Helicase so I could unzip your genes...
32. I don't wear make-up.  Not because I'm trying to make a statement or embrace nature or anything like that.  I'm just too lazy to have another thing to do in the morning.  
33. I've personified my Muse.  She lives under my bed and tends to wake me up at all sorts of ungodly hours of the morning to badger me with ideas I could have used days earlier.  
"You can sleep when you're dead!"
34. I make "That's-what-she-said" jokes WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too often.
35. I have a "Sad Music" playlist on my i-Pod for those times when I just need to sulk for a bit.
36. I also have a Disney playlist.  
And that's the gospel truuuuuth!
37. I sometimes wonder how many hours I've wasted on stumbleupon when I could have been doing something productive with my life.
Stumbleupon: destroying your work ethic since 2001.
38. I have honestly considered naming my firstborn child STORMAGGEDON, DARK LORD OF ALL.
Demons run when Stormaggedon smiles.
39. I have a penchant for taping random stuff to my wall.  By the end of the year my "wall of random crap" could easily take over most of my dorm room.  (Items so far include: a concert ticket, a monopoly dollar, a Tardis, Pac-Man and breast cancer awareness ribbon.)
40. 
And you thought I was kidding...

The Doctor approves!









Saturday, October 22, 2011

I've Lost All Respect for Fire Alarms

Dorm life has been good to me.  My roommate isn't insane, my desk is still visible beneath my clutter, and the mini-fridge is stocked with bottled water and Halloween chocolate.  Sure, maybe I haven't made my bed in three weeks, and maybe I have to exercise caution whenever I open my closet to avoid an avalanche, but that's nothing new to me.

One that that is new to me is being forced out of bed, out of the dorm and into the cold, unforgiving night air at one in the morning by a shrieking fire alarm.  Call me strange, but that's not exactly what I wanted to be doing on a Saturday night.

I was hoping we could have gotten the fire alarm shenanigans out of our systems at seven yesterday morning.  The first time this happened.

Saturday morning, we stood shivering outside our dorm, wondering if our bleary-eyed, half-asleep (and in some cases, obviously hungover) suffering was the result of a prank, a malfunction or a wildfire raging through our cluttered dorm rooms.  As it turned out, it happened to be the second option: a misfiring fire alarm in one of the ground-floor dorm rooms.  Nothing the residents of said room could do about it.

Anyway, back to the narrative.

One in the morning.

One. In. The. Morning.

For the second time, that damn fire alarm went off, and we scurried outside, wrapped in blankets and jackets and Snuggies, shepherded into the courtyard by our equally perturbed RA's.  The police were called to investigate the errant alarm system, and we were told the problem had been fixed, so we went back inside.  Back to our warm beds to sleep, study or (in my case) read the latest chapter of Soul Eater.  


If there is a God of Fire Alarms, he is a vengeful god indeed.

For the next forty or so minutes, the fire alarm continued to blare at five-minute intervals, shrieking in short bursts and then being subdued into sweet silence.  Thus far, it's been cooperative since its last outburst, but how long that will last, it's hard to say.

Unless someone finally did the world a service and yanked the offending piece of tech out of the ceiling.

If my roommate's hair straightener catches fire, I swear I will sleep through it.