Ok. I know I haven't posted in ages, but let me tell you a story. There was a dog we had named Bacchus, a collie/chow mix. He was an awesome dog, had so much personality he seemed human, was extremely intelligent, and we loved that dog. There are far too many stories I could tell on him. Well, I was away at college, he stayed at my parents' house since I couldn't have him in the dorms, and since later on I didn't want to cram him into a tiny, cramped, one-bedroom apartment when he was used to having practically a farm to run around out in the country. Well, he was staying in the garage one day. It was really rainy and he was always terrified of storms for some reason. My mom had to go to work, left the garage door open, and he ran away. We never found him again. We don't know what happened to him. There were some people that had seen a dog fitting his description, but he never came back home, and we had always hoped he found another home that was fitting for a dog of his caliber.

What does that have to do with today? Well, I'm feeling like I've gone insane because I had a dream that I walked out on the porch and Bacchus just ran full-speed up to the side of the porch, then around the porch, and right up to me, tongue lolling, obviously very happy. I was so excited I bent down, hugged him and wouldn't let go, and started yelling "Bacchus! Bacchus! Hey mom, Bacchus is back!" Then I woke up. Then I got the weirdest feeling that he had died today and his spirit was stopping by to say goodbye before going on to wherever dogs go. Then I started crying, and it's weird. I feel so irrational, crying over a dream, but it really does feel like that way, like it was really him saying goodbye. I can't verify that he died today. I can't prove that it was more than a dream. All I have to go on is the stories about some members of my mom's side of the family dreaming about people dying before it happened. Regardless, I feel so stupid getting so worked up over a dream.

Since some of you are on here, but not on myspace, thought I'd post this here as well.

So I was at a store we have here that sells foreign goods...It's a great store if a little pricey, and I love it because it's the only place I know of where I can get Twinnings and Hobnobs, not to mention other tastey stuff like japanese candy. So I turned around and saw this...it's supposedly from the UK. wtf? Lol!




So....why is it named after dangly bits? Or does dick just mean sponge pudding over there? So what does dick taste like? XD

I have a tech support story, and I don't even work tech support. Maybe this will qualify me for a job. XD So at work the other day, the power went out. It came back on about ten minutes later. I had been shelving books from our most recent shipment and came across one without a tag, so I took it up front to look it up in the computer so I could figure out where it was supposed to go.

One of the managers and another employee were standing in front of one of them, so I went to the other one. Since there had been a power outage, I turned it on, waited for it to boot up, and proceeded to look up the book. The manager stared for a minute, then said, "How did you do that? We couldn't get them to work." I replied, "I...turned the power on?"

So I've still been comparing American English and British English. While there are still many differences, I've noticed that a few words and phrases presented as exclusively British by certain websites and books are actually used in the southeastern United States. I still don't know if this is due to the guides using the Northeast as the standard for American English, if these terms have entered American English after the guides and/or books were published, or what.

Just an example...

"Some grammatical constructions you may hear in Scottish English may appear unusual. For example:

I might could go tomorrow."

Which the book then explains means "I might be able to go tomorrow." Which is funny, because it didn't sound awkward at all to me and I knew exactly what it meant. This phrase, which is supposedly "unusual," to American English speakers, is commonly used in the Southeastern US. Or I've noticed it in Georgia at least.

I figured it's been awhile and my journal is due for an update. It's mostly been half-hearted job searching (I've finally decided to go with a staffing agency), and I've developed an unhealthy obsession with England and my distant British heritage (primarily English and Welsh ancestry on my dad's side of the family). As a result, I'm going on holiday there (I know...I'm special. It's my brother's fault, he dropped me on my head as a kid...I have photographic evidence.) as soon as I have the money. Who knows? If I like it, I might even eventually move there. My friends have considered me a blatant un-American for years anyway. :P Apparently, among other things, my obsession with other languages and dialects, distaste for hot dogs and other exclusively "American" foods, fascination with Celtic mythology, international musical tastes, tea drinking habits, and appreciation for REAL football (soccer to all you uneducated heathens) revoke my "American" badge.

On a related note, I've been proudly displaying my nerd badge by boring all my friends with tidbits of British slang and colloquialisms. I'm utterly fascinated. Hopefully my friends' eyes glazing over as I ramble on and on about linguistics means they're interested too...yeah...*coughs* and now for something completely different.

I've been working on my writing. The good news is I've written a total of seven pages on my latest story, which is a record. It's been ages since I've been able to write more than a single page.

The not so good news is I'm also trying to do the story as a screenplay (which is lagging slightly behind what I think will be a book when I'm done), and...well...I know absolutely nothing about writing screenplays. My experience is exclusively in prose and poetry. Well, maybe not exclusively. There was that one journalism class. Journalistic writing is something else altogether. :P Regardless, I got a couple books on screenwriting, but they will be far more helpful once I understand the basic script writing format. I'm looking for what the MLA Handbook does for MLA writing format, except for screenwriting. I don't like having to fish and guess and think, "Oh I want to do that," but not know how to put it on paper.

A friend tipped me off to Celtx (love the name too XD), which has helped a little. Was having a hell of a time trying to type up what little I knew how to do in MS word (insert cartoon of me going "omg, it doesn't indent right"). Still doesn't help with stuff my brain just doesn't comprehend or know how to type in screenwriting style though.

So the con's finally over. I lingered around the hotel with friends from out of town until late last night. I took a lot of good, fun things and memories from it, but it does make me sad to see it end. Also, said friends are still staying in town until early Wednesday morning, so it's a pity I have to work today and can't hang out some more. We were going to see the aquarium, which is awesome, but Flain had a test, so we went to the zoo instead, which was still tons of fun. I also have my Krystal costume, which I wore all over the con on three separate occasions (didn't do more because it was my first time suiting). I love suiting though, so it was money well spent, even if I did just have to get my own suit to try it. I didn't buy anything directly at the con other than food and making the last payment on the suit, but due to my birthday, I did get a couple of commissions courtesy of others. The con was awesome as usual, and everyone should go. There were fishies on the wall (inside joke for those of you who were at red lobster), there was chicken in the pool, soothing hot tub (nuff said), Clawcast (clawcast clawcast, clawcast.com, foootball), mutant deformed chicken dinosaur babies, the game (still gotta find out what that was all about)....Krystal ate her sandwich but it was radioactive...yup, lots of good memories. And it all ended with the zoo and Mellow Mushroom since the Canadia furs wanted some good Atlanta pizza.

Nice to know that in America, men can still whistle and cat-call at women walking into the gas station late at night trying to get something caffeinated to ensure that she does not fall asleep at the wheel. Never underestimate the stupidity of men in groups.

In other news, I saw a funny shirt the other day at goodwill. It was funnier with what I thought it said though...a shirt caught my eye with a unicorn on it, so I took a closer look and nearly died laughing when I thought I saw "Unicorns don't do hugs." I had a laugh, thinking of a pissed off unicorn shoving people down and kicking people and being generally nasty, because they're supposed to be all nice and flowery and hippie power and all that according to prepubescent girls everywhere. So...then I noticed it said "Unicorns don't do drugs." At least I still got a laugh out of it.

Josh broke up with me today. I had to say something, but I won't say anything else because whatever I could come up with to say about it would probably sound emo.

Little update. Gonna be getting a one bedroom place of my own in the Kennesaw area come January. Lease is apparently up on January 13th. The relationship front remains a bit sticky, but I still have hope that things will work out. At this point, I'm teaching myself C++ (any website recommendations to supplement the books I'm using would be appreciated) in the hopes I can teach myself more programming and possibly do something with that. Once I'm living alone again, I may also try to get back into the habit of writing daily. It's been awhile since I've been able to write much in the way of fiction though. It's like when I can even focus at all, the editing part of my brain kicks in before I can even get a paragraph out. Ah well, as much as I dread the idea of living alone again, it may be good for me...less distractions. I also aim to be a bit more social though. I've been a bit of a recluse of late, even as far as online goes. It happens I guess. So much on my mind. ~.=.~ For now, I continue with the bookstore job while I plan for and work towards something better. The pay sucks, but at least I really like the people there. On the plus side, our podcast seems to be doing well. I was also amused the other day by the fact that the same fantasy artist (Paul Youll) did the covers for three of my favorite books (the two books currently out in The Age of Fire series by E.E. Knight and Dragoncharm by Graham Edwards).

Hello. Haven't posted in awhile, but there's a lot happening lately. I got accepted to KSU and am planning on returning to college next semester in pursuit of a second degree. My boyfriend has decided for various reasons that he wants to go back to live with his family for a little while, and that leaves me with need of a place to stay. If anyone in the vicinity of I-75/I-575 area north of Atlanta, GA has room for a roommate, please let me know. I'd prefer Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth, or Woodstock, but I can go a little further north or south if necessary. I will of course pay my share of the rent, I pay the bills on time, and the only complaint I've ever received from roommates previous is that I can be a little messy at times. I'm kind of in a bind here since my family lives way out of the way from here, as stated my boyfriend is no longer rooming with me, and others are either too far away or have no room. I'd also be glad to accept advice on places where I might look up sane, relatively roommates that don't bite. I aim to avoid rabid roommates with sharp, pointy teeth that stink and like to throw dirty underwear on my bed. Hoarding roommates are acceptable as long as my hoard isn't touched. Thank you.

Just a few updates since I haven't posted in forever. Now working at a bookstore, still hoping to go back to college next semester, Clawcast is taking off, I've been fiddling around with Second Life more of late and less with Tapestries, the Falco and Krystal suits Flain and I commissioned are coming along nicely, the job at the bookstore is still pretty enjoyable, and Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight is an awesome book. I stayed up till nearly five a.m. last night reading from it and I'm almost to the end. Very nicely woven together. Go Blackhard and Firelong (book reference)! Also talked a bit to Amy at work. She's a really cool lady. Old enough to be my mom, but cool nonetheless.

I'm way overdue to post something in here, as I've been neglecting LJ recently, so here we go. A lot has changed recently. I finally got rid of that other job I had up in Calhoun, and now have a much more local job at a Books A Million. I've always wanted to work in a bookstore, and my volunteer session on the night of the Harry Potter release and my first day today have both proved to be the most fun I've ever had in anything that qualified as a job. Doesn't pay near as well, but I won't be spending as much on gas, I love the people I work with so far, I love helping people out with books, the benefits are great, and it should allow me to at least go part time at the local college to get some more classes in and work towards a second degree. I have a feeling I'll be here for awhile.

On another note, Anthrocon was lots of fun, and my boy and I had lots of fun at Six Flags with khirmoonclaw, fourthebear, and Durango (not sure what his LJ is). By the end of the day, Flain and I ended up going on Thunder River in spite of an earlier decision to not go on any water rides, and he went only reluctantly when the urge to ride it overtook me. We ended up getting sopping wet from head to toe, and he gave me lots of crap about it, but that was the most fun I'd had on any ride all day. I was giggling and squealing the whole way down, and though it's not as good as the real thing, it sorta reminded me of white water rafting, which I'd love to do again.

Lastly, I must pimp our podcast. Clawcast is up and on the air. Check it out, will ya? It's a furry podcast, and our first episode covers Anthrocon. We've still got a little room for improvement, but overall I was pretty impressed with what we were able to do for our first episode. It's got humor! It's got interviews! And it's furry! Enjoy.

A cute little gray kitten was running around and playing on the stairs to our apartment this morning. I'd like to think of it as a sign of a new beginning. I'm really looking forward to this day being over, as it's my last day here at this job. If everything goes right, I should have a wonderful time at Anthrocon this weekend and I should start my new job grooming dogs next week. A job I enjoy a lot better, and a job that should allow me more time at home based on distance alone. It'll also likely be less stressful. Yes, I'll have to deal with people, but I've had enough jobs where I've had to deal with people, and the presence of animals cuts my stress level in half.

Finally I post something. Basically, I'm changing jobs, everything still looks good so far on going back to college in the spring, and I'm going to Anthrocon! If anyone wants to hang out while there, I'd be more than happy to. On the other side of things, I've been enjoying VTM: Bloodlines. It's been awhile since I've played it. It's a fun game, and I highly recommend it for fans of the original white wolf games or vampires. Well, off to bed. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Ok. So here's what's going on. I get the feeling that immense change is in the process of taking place, but for once I'm feeling more welcoming of it. I've had numerous psychological issues in the past including lack of confidence, anxiety (especially social anxiety), emotional dependence, and questionably possibly avoidant personality disorder. I scored high on it on a test one of my shrinks had me take at any rate. Recently, I've been focusing on attempts to change my tendency to run away from things because I'm scared of what people think of me after real or perceived imperfections. Overall, I think I've been doing really well. Several people have noticed a difference.

( Read more updates on lots of other stuff... )

Saw this on sonjaaa's journal. If only they weren't so expensive...but damn are they cute!!!

Yay! The Golden Compass!



In other news, my boy and I are going to the Renaissance Festival on Sunday. If anyone is in the Atlanta area and plans on going also, feel free to let me know and we'll say hi. ^.=.^

I'm sure everyone and their mother is voicing off on the whole issue of the Virginia Tech shooting. I have two things to say about it myself.

1. People will inevitably be using this to debate gun control. Some already have. In my honest opinion, this serves as an even greater reason to allow guns. If someone else had a gun, the gunman could have been stopped before he killed that many people. Also, if someone is disturbed or incited to violence, they will find a way to commit violence. Guns are merely a tool. It is the wielder who decides how to use it. To stop shootings like this, you have to address the underlying violent or mentally disturbed nature of predisposed individuals. The main argument I've heard against guns is that they make violent crimes easier, that they need to be controlled or even banned to protect people. Using that logic, we should ban driving due to the number of deaths due to automobile accidents. That will never happen because cars have their uses. Guns also have their uses. Some people enjoy them for recreational use, say at a shooting range where they are fairly harmless. Some people like to hunt (though I only morally condone it if it is for food--trophy hunting is disgusting). Some people like to have guns for their own protection, so that if someone tries to commit a violent crime against them, they have a form of defense. Blame the person committing violence, not the object used to enact it.

2. In situations like this, I hate that they release little if any personal material written by the person. When columbine happened, I was intensely curious about the writings. I am equally curious about this man's writings. Consider it psychological. As though it might provide some key to why it happened, some insight into the person's mind, and what could drive human beings to do things like this to one another. If it can be understood, it can perhaps be prevented. So far, they have released that he wrote "Ismail Ax" on his arm. So far, they don't know the meaning, but it seems like a name, or perhaps an anagram. Perhaps it is a reference to something. It's probably going to be on my mind for some time now though, unless they come up with something. Ismail is a first name. I discovered that after a quick search. Perhaps it could be a reference to something. The linguist and english graduate in me can't help but wonder about these things. I'm also interested in abnormal psychology as well, and sociology, which also contribute to this morbid curiosity.

Lastly, for what it's worth, I would like to extend my condolences to anyone affected by the tragedy. Maybe soon there will be a few answers to questions still being asked.

Kurt Vonnegut apparently died yesterday. It's a pity, as I love his stuff, but at least he lived a long life and produced a lot of meaningful work.

At work today, a male coworker asked me for interior decorating advice. The reason he thought I would know is he said I know more than he does because I'm female, and females "have an innate sense of that sort of thing."

I know that my coworker had well-meaning intentions in determining whether a light or dark frame would look better with a certain picture on a dark wall, but I have little to no interest or expertise on anything of the sort. It's just mildly annoying that someone would assume I'm an interior decorating expert just because I'm female. Especially since, if I had to classify myself as a certain gender, I'd probably be a hermaphrodite. If I could with any certainty be classified as female, I would be female animal, wild-woman, Morrigan, valkyrie, or the like, not a pansy little princess who knows how everything in her castle should be arranged just-so.

Moral of the story: Don't ask the nerdy, tom-boyish, gender-fucked individual in the cube next to you for interior decorating advice. Or fashion advice either, for that matter. Please ask someone who would have a clue, such as your local gay male, metrosexual, or effeminate female. Thank you.