WEBTOONS FOR EVERYONE!

 Remember WAYYYY back when, when this blog was called "Welcome to Nerdvana, Population: Me"? Probably not, but initially, I created this blog to share my nerdy interests. But then you get married and have an adorable baby and crippling loneliness and yada yada, your blog morphs into "Look at my cute baby, plus some occasionally funny quips!". Anyway, this post is a throwback to those Good Old Nerdy Days--With Lists!

 I do love a good list.

 I did a post three years back, coming out about suddenly being obsessed with anime (it has another list, which you can read here). I didn't anticipate at the time how this interest would . . . kind of spiral out of control. Like my #10 on the list mentioned before, most anime endings are pretty sudden, and if you want to know the rest, you need to read the manga it's more-than-likely based on. So then I got reaaaallly into manga. I'll probably make a list one day about that. But then I STARTED RUNNING OUT OF MANGA, GUYS. And then I found. . . (*harp music playing*) . . . webtoons.

  So, for the uninitiated (like me, six months ago), webtoons are online comics that are updated regularly, usually weekly. Many are actually manhwa (manhwa = Korean comics, like manga = Japanese comics), but it's very easy to find sites that translate them into english. My favorite of these sites is LINE Webtoons, as it's the most user-friendly and doesn't charge a fee for the latest comics (great app, too). So, if you're looking for something to read, I'm going to compile one GIANT, NERDY LIST, sorted by genre, just for you! IT'S JUST LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS, GUYS. Or the old days, anyway. And this is by no means a comprehensive list of all great webtoons. It's just the ones I've read and enjoyed. If you have any suggestions, lay 'em on me. Pictures are included (mostly from the webtoons' banners) just to give you an idea of the art style.

*Ahem*

SHORT AND FUNNY-- You missing the days when Sunday funnies were funny? HERE YOU GO, short and sweet, and very random! Just how I like 'em.

--dustinteractive. Updated every 2-3 days, and very funny. There's no real "theme" to this one, just rando-ness. Has cursing with strategically places *s, as a heads up.

Source: Webtoon

--My Giant Nerd Boyfriend. Exactly what it sounds like. Tiny girl, giant boyfriend. Cute. Updates three times a week. I love when he wears the Pikachu shirt. Like in this magical one.

--Library Ghost. VERY random, and very much my sense of humor. About a ghost. In a library. And very little of either of those things seem to matter much. Others may not appreciate it as much as I do. BECAUSE THEY CRAY-CRAY. Author said he's taking a break, but it's been two years, so . . . But there's 75 of 'em to blow through and enjoy.

--Sarah's Scribbles. By Sarah Anderson, you've probably seen her stuff around if you on da interwebs. She only recently started putting them out in this format, however.

IF YOU WANT A SCARE/THRILL--
--The Cliff. Survival story. Pretty frickin' amazing read, and only 9 chapters (issues? Comics? Whatever) long. Highly recommend, don't want to spoil it by giving a description beyond "two men trapped on a cliff". Read it. Now.

--DEEP. Dead loved ones are returning from the sea. How do people react? Why are they coming? Are they who they seem? Good read, though slow at times. I tend to enjoy the "how do people react" more than the mystery part of these kinds of things. Completed series, so you can binge.

--Duty After School. For the war/sci fi lover. What if giant purple blobs invaded earth? And they killed people? Like, a good deal of the military was wiped out pretty quick? South Korea's solution--give high schoolers extra credit to enlist! VERY confusing initially, as it's shown as a documentary of one class' experiences, so there are a lot of characters with very foreign names that are hard to keep track of. But you know how I said I like the "how people react" part of these premises more than the mystery? That's ALL this series. You never know much of anything about the blobs. It's all about the characters, the adjustment, the growing up. Right up my alley. Completed series.

--Distant Sky. Survival story. Supposedly on hiatus, but again, it's been a while. I hope it gets revisited because it ends in THE MOST RIDICULOUS WAY POSSIBLE. But even so, it's a good read. The stakes are always high, and always try to top themselves. Which gets hard to do without being kind of, well, redonkulous after a while. Anyway, PREMISE: Man wakes up in complete darkness. He's apparently on a crashed train, and he's surrounded by the bodies of his fellow travelers. It's a heck of a journey, and it makes the most of the format. WARNING: Very spooky, and lots of gore.

--DEAD DAYS. I'm not a zombie lover, but I liked this. Starts with boy trapped in his room--his mother, like a good portion of the population, has turned into something like a zombie, and keeps banging on his door . . . Completed series. Some gore.

HONORABLE SPOOKY MENTIONS:
These are a few more I'm enjoying, but I'm not very far in because the website makes you pay for most of the episodes and cycles through which ones are free. But so far I'm liking The Watching (like Rear Window, but add a creepy man in a poncho), 0.0MHZ (group of paranormal-interested teens enter a haunted shack. It does not go well),  Leon Soul's Exo Club (group of teens summon a revenge-demon thing. What could possibly go wrong?), and Melvina's Therapy (all free, but this series just started so there's not much there yet. Anyway, creepy therapist gets to the root of your issues, and messes you up good in the process).

IF YOU'RE MISSING ROMANTIC COMEDIES-- (this list could go on forever)

--Super Secret. I was very reluctant to start this, because I (like many, I believe) am pretty sick of werewolves. And vampires. And all those other teen fantasy things that have been overused of late. But this is pretty adorable and fresh. How can you not love the overly-protective, mothering Ryan? Ongoing.

--Cheese in the Trap. This series, man. It's hard to categorize, actually, and putting it here is kind of . . . wrong. And let me say, I read ahead, and the ending INFURIATED me. But it made some people very happy. I dunno. I won't say any more, but if you read it, we need to talk. I have feelings. So many feelings. The best way I can sum this one up is, what if you made a modern Pride and Prejudice set in Korea? Oh, and what if Mr. Darcy might be a sociopath? And what if everyone around you was kind of messed up? I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS ON THIS, GUYS. You should read it. It starts slow, but then YOU ARE ADDICTED AND CONFLICTED AND UGHHHHH. READ IT NOW SO I CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

--Something About Us. Pretty simple premise--friends since middle school (now in college), will they be more? Very cute, and told well. Ongoing.

--Kind of Confidential. I was reluctant on this one as well. Not only is the name and art style pretty similar to Super Secret, but it has SUPER HEROES instead of werewolves. I was resolved not to like it. But. . . it drew me in, guys. Who should fall on the balcony of reformed super villain Rena but the city's golden boy hero? To be honest, I'm rooting more for Daze (the one with white hair in the back) than hero boy at this point, though. Currently on a hiatus.

--My Secret Brother. So . . . okay. Apparently there's a thing in Asian countries where people fall in love with their cousins, and it's slightly okay and slightly not? It's a thing in manga and manhwa, anyway. They seem into the sort-of taboo aspect of it. If you can get past that, this one's a really fun read. The premise is a bit convoluted, but here's the gyst: lead girl pretends her cousin (who has been living in her house since they were kids and is practically a sibling) is her boyfriend to make her crush jealous. Things get complicated. Ongoing.

--The Stories of Those Around Me. Follows three adult women friends and their relationships. Completed.

IF YOU WANT TO READ SOMETHING THAT WILL HIT YOU RIGHT IN THE FEELS/SOUL--

--Annarasumanara. Basically translates to "Abracadabra", a pain in the butt to spell, but an amazing read. It was my first webtoon, and it's still my favorite. By the same author as "Duty After School", but very different story. Hard to describe, but basically, a high school girl in desperate need of magic meets a magician living in an abandoned amusement park. It hits all the feels, guys. ALL OF THEM. This isn't just a webtoon, it's art. Completed.

--About Death. Every episode is accompanied by music, and heightens the impact of what is already incredible writing. I teared up multiple times, and there wasn't one that didn't feel like a punch right in the soul. I put off reading it for a while because the art style isn't my thing, but I promise that you should read this. Completed.

--Family Man. Ughhhh, so much feels. Hard to describe premise, but basically it's about a man willing to do anything for his family, except face the truth. That's a horrible description. But you should read it. Completed.

  There are more I could cover, but this seems like a good start. I recommend downloading the apps to read on the go, webtoons are short enough to read in a few minutes, but they're very addictive! Tell me what you think.

It's Your (My) Funeral

  So, I kind of phased out during Relief Society on Sunday and started planning my funeral in my head. Here's what I have so far, it's a little rough, I just banged it out after church:

1.) DO NOT BURY ME IN SOME FANCY EXPENSIVE BOX. Cremate me. Do whatever you want with the ashes, just don't come visit my rotting corpse in an expensive plot. That's weird. Also, if there are billions of people on this earth, they can't all be buried! There's not enough room! You should do that thing where you turn me into a tree. That's cool. I saw this thing online where they talked about how if a bunch of people did that, then cemeteries would be forests. Seriously, isn't that a good idea? If you do that, though, don't freak out if the tree dies. It's not symbolic of anything, trees just die sometimes. Plant another one if you want and pretend it's the same one.

2.) NO VIEWING. I'm super serious on this, guys. I'm still traumatized from the one viewing I went to as a kid, and I don't want that to be the last way everyone remembers me, with my eyes all sunken in and crap. Why would you want to see that, anyway? I don't care if you find it comforting in some weird way, I am not cool with you all staring at my corpse. Remember me as I was ALIVE.

3. ) No hymns at the funeral. I don't feel as strongly about this as the first two, but really, I'm just not into hymns. If you play "Til We Meet Again" I'm going to be a mad ghost. You don't want a mad ghost, trust me. Don't torture yourselves with that hymn, please. Have James or Andrew make a compilation of instrumental songs from some of my favorite video games (I know you're rolling your eyes, Mom, but I don't care. There's some good music in video games!). Y'know, some Final Fantasy X or VII, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Age. Not like the Chocobo Song or anything, the classy-sounding ones, guys. If James and Andrew are dead, then . . . Well, hopefully I'll update this before then.

4.) As for who gets what, Fay gets all my jewelry. She doesn't have to keep it if she doesn't want, no guilt, she can just choose her favorite pieces. Mom's going to give me the pink tourmaline ring Dad made when she dies, and that's actually a nice piece with some meaning, so Fay can have that. Lincoln . . . I dunno, I don't have any special trains stashed away. He can choose whatever he wants of mine. Kellie gets my beanie babies (or just one representational one if she wants. Or none. I don't care, I'm just trying to honor my promise to her from when I was 8). Everyone else can take what they want, give the rest to Goodwill. You don't need to hang on to my stuff or anything. What I hung on to due to sentimentality won't be sentimental to you, feel free to give it to Goodwill. OH, but keep the baby blessing dresses for the kids' kids someday. Don't throw those out, please.

5.) Burn my journals. Really, they're very boring, just a day-to-day account, they're not creative or funny or even that interesting, I promise. And a lot of people would be hurt because of stupid stuff I wrote when upset. I loved you all, I promise, I just vented a lot and you don't want to read it. If you can't bring yourself to burn them (though, really, you should), lock them away for my great-grandkids or something, people who didn't know me personally or would be offended by them. But, seriously, they're boring, I don't think even my descendents would want to read them.

6.) Something you COULD do at my funeral that I think would be fun would be to read excerpts from my blog, or facebook posts, or bits from my books or something. That's more personal to me than some talk we've all heard at every funeral ever about resurrection and stuff. You can throw it in at some point, like, "Hey, Julia believes in resurrection and so do 99% of people at this funeral, so that's cool, we'll see each other again someday, blah blah, now let's talk about something more interesting." OOH, also, if I'm not published, maybe print up some copies of the books I've worked really hard on so whoever wants to can read it. Not "Super", it sucks, but the Shadow book and How We Came to Quest are decent-ish. It would be nice if someone got to enjoy them. But, you know, remind people they are fantasy, so if they're not into that, don't read it just because they feel obligated.

7.) Sorry to keep harping about the funeral (wait, why am I apologizing? I should not have to keep apologizing beyond the grave!), but I want it small. Like, people who actually really knew me and loved me. Family and close friends. I don't want the big, impersonal kind with a bunch of people who barely knew me. Keep it intimate, the kind of thing I would like to go to in real life, with people I'm comfortable with. If there's someone that it would be awkward not to invite, I guess you can. But seriously, try to keep it small.

  That's what I got so far. Am I forgetting anything?

All Hail Me, Winner of Failing at Life!

  So, first The Bloggess wrote THIS amazing post about failing at being human, which made me laugh-cry (I had to read it in doses because it hurt my throat and stomach too much to laugh so much in one sitting). Then my BFF Kellie did THIS, and it was fantastic. And basically it's just bringing back too many painful, horrible, hilarious memories that I have to share. I think many of them have probably been posted on here years ago, but meh.

 These kinds of things seem to happen to me daily, which is probably why I don't talk to people much anymore. I really shouldn't be allowed to, anyway.

1. At EFY, Cute British Boy sat next to me at a John Bytheway talk. He introduced himself to me and I blanked, thinking, "My brother James would know JUST what to say to make this guy his best friend!" Held out my hand, said, "Hi, I'm James! . . . I MEAN JULIA." He later tried to whisper something to me three times, but it turns out I can't understand whispered British accents, so I gave up trying to understand and fake-laughed, assuming he was telling me a joke. "It wasn't funny," he said.

2. Used to exchange babysitting for use of washer/dryer in Oregon, so I lugged two heavy bags of laundry into my friend's house and chatted with her for about ten minutes before she finally said, "Um, it's Thursday." It took her several more hints before I realized I'd come on the wrong day.

3. Had a crush on 18 year old boy at church when I was fourteen. After sacrament meeting I was walking to class with BFF and swooning (loudly) over how much I loved him. "Haha, what if he was behind me?" I said. BFF turned around, "Um, he is." "Yeah, right, not gonna fall for that." He was.

4. Asked a man at Foot Locker if he could get me my size. He said something, but I couldn't hear well, so I laughed, assuming he told me a joke (I do this a lot, apparently) while handing him the shoe. He repeated, louder, "I don't work here."

5. At drama club, loudly complained about my assigned dance partner for musical number. Friends pointed out his father, standing feet away from us. "Dorian [name changed] isn't SO bad," I tried to course correct. "Julia, just stop," they begged. I did. Finally.

6. Went out with a group of friends to eat at Chipotle. One friend got a phone call and turned his head slightly for "privacy". I thought this was hilarious and mimicked him, slamming my head into the booth.

7. My very first trip to an OB was when I was pregnant with Lincoln. The nurse told me to take everything off and left a sheet on the table. Did not tell me robe was beneath sheet, nor that I could put it on. I hate being naked, but tried to seem nonchalant as OB walked in on me, casually standing there naked. She told me I could put on the robe. After giving me once-over.

8. Got a phone call from an insurance company with a very automated-sounding female on the other line. Halfway through something she was saying I blurted out, "Are you a robot?" I fully expected her to say, "I'm sorry, I don't understand," like most automated services do when you say something weird. Instead the woman said, "No, I'm a human being. Do I sound that bad?" I apologized, but her voice still sounded super robotic, so I laughed every time she spoke. Couldn't find a way to hang up for another five minutes.

9.  Called my male, ex-military fourth grade teacher "mom". I don't know which of us was more embarrassed.

10.  On a date at the movies. Used the cover of darkness to pick a scab off my arm. Accidentally flicked it onto date's leg (who was wearing shorts). Kept eyes glued to the screen as he brushed it off while glaring at me.

11. While we were dating, McKay took me to a fancy dinner at his professor's house, where I promptly dropped a plate of red sauced pasta on their pristine white carpet. Also, on one of our first dates he took me to a friend's house. After them joking about trusting me to not spill soup on their couch, I did just that.


  This is seriously just the tip of the iceburg. More like a speck on the iceburg. I've done so many humiliating things that I've managed to even forget some of them. What are your best worst memories?

[Also, hi. I know it's been forever. And I'm pregnant and living across the country since my last post. Maybe we'll cover that stuff later. Maybe not.]

How to Survive Moving

  I had a request to write about moving, but you know what? Moving is boring. It's boring to write about, boring to read about, and boring to do.  If you aren't in the know, we're moving to Virginia. McKay got a job there. Something to do with chemistry, researching something or another. Unless he's analyzing something or another. I don't know. I try to listen when he talks about it, but it's, you know, chemistry-related.

  Anyway, the only way I can think of to spice up a moving post (and give me the will to finish it) is to make it into a list. I love lists.

  "After all this time?"

  "Always."

  My patronus would probably be a list. Also, it bugs me when people go on about how amazing Snape is because he was in love with Lilly. That doesn't change the fact that he was a huge jerkwad through the whole series, and blah blah blah rant rant. Anyway. How to survive moving: Geared for me and people like me.

1. Make a thousand lists. I know, I know. But seriously, there are a thousand things you're going to need to do and remember. Also, if you're like me, making a list has a soothing effect. I find I don't have to worry so much about something as long as it's written down for me to do.

2. Start as soon as you can, because packing takes FOREVER. At least, it takes ME forever because I spend a lot of time wandering around the house trying to find things that will fit into the current box I'm using that I won't need in the next two weeks. It's like the most painful game of Tetris ever. It can take me over an hour for one box.

3. In my opinion, if you have a box that's JUST towels, blankets, etc, you're doing it wrong. Especially if you're wasting time collecting newspapers or buying bubble wrap. I wrap up all the breakables (frames, glass dishes, etc) in all the linen I'm planning to take. The downside of this is that I'm sure I'll hate myself when I'm in the midst of unpacking and need to figure out where my towels are so I can shower.

4.  If you're going to have to change insurances (like us), do yourself a favor and make a thousand doctor appointments right away. Like, as soon as you know you're moving. For us, McKay's work isn't going to provide any kind of insurance, so we wanted to make sure we got all our check-ups and such out of the way in case the plan we buy sucks. I made appointments mid-January, thinking that would give us plenty of time. Instead I got to talk to snippy receptionists whining about fitting me in "last second" (we're moving in March).

5. Do lots of research on different ways to move. This took me DAYS. McKay's work is comping us a grand in moving costs, but you'll quickly realize that a grand to move across the country is peanuts. Renting a U-haul truck (even one of the smaller ones) can easily cost $2500 or more (plus they'll charge by the mile after the first 500 or something like that), and shipping options like PODS cost twice that much for even the smallest options. Most moving companies refuse to give you a quote online unless you give them your number and email. DON'T DO IT. I gave in to ONE website and got at least a dozen phone calls and emails from different moving companies.

  Also, because we're moving so far away, we had to think about our cars as well. We wanted to drive together for trade-off purposes, so we had to make a fairly easy Sophie's Choice when it came to our cars. Anyway, we finally realized that the only way to stay on budget was to get a hitch attached to my car, rent a small Uhaul trailer, and sell everything that didn't fit. Cost of hitch: $288. Cost of trailer for 10 days: about $150. Much, much cheaper than any other option I've found, even including gas. This works well for people like us, whose furniture largely consists of garage sale finds, anyway. It's more cost effective to buy more garage sale furniture/make a whirlwind trip to IKEA when we get to Virginia than it would be to move it. Our stuff just isn't worth it.

6.  Try to appreciate the things that are important to your spouse, and don't give them too much grief for the stupid things they just can't part with. For McKay, this is his sword collection. For me, it's my books. It took four large (very heavy) boxes to pack them all up. The good thing about books, though, is that you can mail them through USPS by "media post", which is much, much cheaper than normal post. Just make sure the boxes weigh less than 70 pounds. One of my boxes was 62 pounds and cost about $25 to ship. The man at the counter told me that ordinarily that would cost $80. And considering our towing limit is 600 pounds after you subtract the weight of the trailer, 200 pounds of books is not so good. Seriously, media mail. Do it.

7.  That said, sell everything you CAN part with. A good rule of thumb I've heard is to sell everything you'd likely be replacing in the next five years, anyway. Some things will be harder than others to let go of, even if you're not sure why. Like my rice maker. I love my rice maker, and even though I plan on buying a new one of the exact same kind when I get to Virginia (it's only $20), it feels like a betrayal to it to get rid of it. It's served me so loyally all these years! (I think I may have a little bit of a hoarder mentality). That being said, getting rid of things is also a bit cathartic. It also can line your pockets for the things you'll need to replace. We made over $300 at our first garage sale, and we're having another one this Saturday. You WILL feel a little self conscious paying for things with a huge stack of singles, though. Anyway, possessions to bring with you should include those that will be too expensive to replace or that have too much sentimental value to part with.

8. Trade in things you're not crazy about for things you are. Albany has LOTS of second hand stores that give you store credit for things you bring in, so I've been able to lighten my load of books, video games, and clothes that I don't care much for for a few things I love. You'll come out with less than you started with, which means less packing, and you'll get to satisfy minor shopping cravings for free-ish.

8.  Make it as fun as possible. Listen to your favorite music and sing along loudly while you pack. Do a box or two a day so you're not overwhelmed. Re-watch your favorite TV show while you sort through your drawers. If you're like me, obsessively look at houses on Zillow and ooh and aah over the places you pray don't get snatched up before you move. Treat yo'self.


 I'm forgetting a million things. I should start another list, Things to Write About in Regards to Moving.

What I've Learned About Anime

  I'm pretty open about being a nerd for the most part, but if there's one thing I keep hidden away in my closet of nerd shame, it's anime. I associate anime with the kids who wore black trench coats with way, way too many buckles in high school, even though it was the desert and over a hundred degrees. So I don't often talk about anime. I watched a few series with my brother when I was in high school, and that was about it. I never really sought it out again.

  The other thing you should know about me is that I don't like things. I'm obsessed with them. That is to say, a few weeks ago I decided to try another anime series on Netflix. And I finished it within two days. So I watched another. And another. And another. I think in the last few weeks I've watched about ten anime series. To be fair, most anime series only last one season, and many of those are only 13 episodes, so it's not like I've watched ten series of, like, Frasier length. But still. It's pretty bad.

  So, if you were ever curious, here's my list of things I've learned from exhaustive anime watching:

1. Anime is really, really weird and also really, really addictive. One of my favorite things about them is the character development. Seriously, how many shows in the US have character development, let alone the cartoons? It's pretty rare. Most shows here are about status quo--meaning by the end of the episode, nothing has changed since the beginning of it. People might go in and out of relationships, but the characters themselves are stagnant. In anime, these characters evolve, and you care about them. You root for them. And I'm always a sucker for good characters.

2. Watching romance in anime is INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING. I mean, unless you're watching, like, porn anime. I don't do that. But in most anime I cannot tell for the LIFE of me if any of these characters like each other! Here's how the formula generally goes:

GIRL A: (says something that can be construed as flirtatious to BOY)

GIRL B: Whooooaaa, GIRL A, I didn't know you felt that way!

GIRL A: (blushes) NOOO, I didn't mean it like that!

  DID YOU MEAN IT LIKE THAT, GIRL A?! Because I'm sorry, I want to see some smooching. All these hit-and-misses are driving me crazy. And that's all most of them are. GAHHH.

3. The school-girl fascination is alive and well. Do all high school girls in Japan seriously wear those outfits? With the pleated mini skirt? And speaking of romance, WHAT IS UP WITH THE SUPER-OLD-YOUNG-LOOKING GUY AND HIGH SCHOOL GIRL TROPE?! It's like every romance is Twilight. Noragami (which translates to "Stray God") was a series I watched and greatly enjoyed. The ending even almost-sort-of-implied that the two leads liked each other! It was a definite maybe, anyway. I thought, "Aww, that's so sweet." and then I remembered, "WAIT, isn't she, like, fourteen? And he's a god that's at least a thousand years old?  . . . Well, that ruined it a bit." And that isn't uncommon, either. There are absolutely zero college aged girls in the world of anime. They're strictly seventeen and younger. Probably because most of these shows are aimed at high schoolers . . . Don't look at me that way! I can watch anime if I want to! (this is a slight exaggeration. I did watch one show that did not have a teenage girl lead)

4. All leading men look alike. Super-humanly skinny, pale skin, shaggy black hair, and usually wearing black. That's the formula. Seriously, here are the lead men from the anime shows I watched with two exceptions:

  And don't try to be all, "Well, most Japanese people have dark hair!" on me. The rest of the characters in these shows have every kind of color hair, including pink and green. Black hair is for leading men. If there are other black haired men on the show, the distinguish by giving them glasses. For serious.

5. Enemies becoming friends. This is another thing that isn't very common in American entertainment. Enemies are there to be vanquished, right? But in many of these shows (not all, but a pretty high average) the lead will learn that the Big Baddie they've been at war with since episode one is actually just lonely. So they make them their friend. Which is pretty dang awesome, actually. 

6. If you can't stand the voices, switch languages. Seriously. I had a boyfriend I used to watch "Naruto" with, but I spent most of the time making fun of it, primarily because Naruto's voice is THE WORST THING EVER in English. I've come across this many times. It's usually a female voice actor trying to do a young boy, and it sounds TERRIBLE. Not always. I mean, c'mon, Bart Simpson (not anime obviously, but there are some very, very talented women who voice boys). Anyway, if you find that you can't stand someone's voice, switch. And it goes both ways. There were many shows that I thought the voice acting was better in English (ugh, squeaky teenage girl voices). Ignore the purists that say it's always better in the original Japanese. They can suck it.

7. Yes, boob jokes are bread-and-butter. Not always, but very, very, very often. Strangely, the younger the intended audience is, the bigger the bust. Again, unless you're talking porn. I'm guessing there's big boobs there, too.

8. If you think you don't like anime, you're probably wrong. I feel this way about reading, too; if you think you don't like reading, it's because you haven't found the right book yet. There are a wide variety of anime shows. Even though I've watched a good number of them these last few weeks, I don't at all feel like I've been watching the same thing over and over (even if the leading men DO all look alike). Do you like sci-fi suspense, a la GATTACA or Minority Report? Give Psycho-Pass a try, it's got a very similar vibe. You an RPG junky like me? Sword Art Online, despite the stupid name, is a fantastic show, involving 10,000 people trapped in a virtual reality RPG. Win the game or die. Ghost stories your thing? Ghost Hunt will give you goosebumps. I have to recommend the Japanese, though, the leading man's voice in English drove me nuts in English. Do you like demon-fighting shows, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer? No end to anime shows there, but I recommend Soul Eater. Comedies more your thing? The Devil is a Part-Timer (again, stupid title) made me laugh out loud ("Don't you 'sheesh' me! Sheesh you, King Satan!"). If you have any nerdy tendencies at all, I promise you can find something you like.

9. Pretend there's a number nine here so this list can reach ten. It'll bug me otherwise.

10. Don't expect the endings to be tied up with a bow. Seriously. Like I said, most series are one season only, so you'll go, "Alright next epis--holy crap, that's the end?!". Did the characters end up together? Will so-and-so ever make peace with that one awful thing in their past? Were the overlords overthrown? WHO FRIGGIN' KNOWS. Well, manga readers, maybe. Many of them continue their story via manga, but if you're like me and broke with no manga selection at their library, then tough patooties. 

  I wrote this list mostly for myself, and I apologize if I made little sense. I'm sick, so you know, free pass on weird post. But are any of you closet anime watchers? Any recommendations for me? Because I'm running out of ones that look interesting to me on Netflix.

I Took the Road That Took Far Less Energy. Hopefully it Won't Make All the Difference.

  I get it. You're pregnant! You're excited! There's no way you're going to screw this baby up. Your kiddo will be the best dressed, well-groomed child that would never, in its wildest dreams, throw a temper tantrum in a grocery store.

  And then you have the sucker. And holy crap.

  Maybe it's just me. Especially since I live in Oregon, where the other moms I meet all have their kids on special organic, no-sugar, homemade, gluten-free, sans red dye diets.

  I don't cut that. I'm proud if Lincoln watches less than an hour of TV every day. Yeah. LESS.

  Anyway, here's my list of things I TOTALLY thought I'd be able to do with my baby that did not end up happening:

1. Shoes. I smile sadly at all those cute pregnancy pictures with the teensy baby Chucks next to the adult sized ones. Because, if those parents are anything like me, those shoes will stay that pristine forever. I have yet to meet the new parent who makes the effort to put teensy tiny shoes on their newborn. You think you will. You won't. Especially if they require laces. Trust me, not worth the $30. Buy the socks that look like shoes, much better investment.

  On a side tangent, older folks, please stop asking newborn babies, "Where are your shoes?!" We know that it's veiled criticism on the parent's behalf. Knock it off, we want to punch you. You're lucky we came to the grocery store wearing shirts. And when I say 'we', I mean both of us, baby and me.

 (P.S. This is really directed more toward pre-walkers. Lincoln usually wears shoes now. Except when we walk into church. I'm never able to pull that off for some reason.)

2. No TV before age 2! EVER EVER EVER, NOT EVEN IN THE SAME HOUSE OR PLANET.

  Some parents are able to do this. I am not. Maybe Lincoln's IQ will be 100 points less for it. Maybe it won't make much of a difference at all in the long run. It's a gamble I'm taking on behalf of my sanity.

3.  My nursery will have color-coordinated furniture, always be clean, and never smell like poop!

  Nope. Remember way back when, when I had all those posts on what would be my 'nursery of awesomeness'? Remember how I never finished those posts? It's because, when you're on a budget and perpetually exhausted, your nursery looks less like awesomeness and more like the thrift store cheapness that it is. Also, I think I clean in there maybe once every two months.

4.  No sugar cereal/processed foods/insert other food crusade!

  Like I said before, many moms in Oregon seem to have it together in this category. When one mom told me she felt guilty giving her son Cheerios, I faked a sympathetic, "Yeah, we're terrible face" while thinking, "Cheerios are in the bad column? Crap."

5. My baby will look like a mini model at all times.

  This one, along with the nursery one, depends on your budget. Me, I was shocked when I actually looked at the price tags on baby clothes. Initially, it doesn't seem so bad. $10 for an unbelievably cute sweater? SOLD! Then you realize that your infant will only fit in that sweater for about three months. And then you add the $10 for the unbelievable cute onesie to match, and the pants, and socks, and OH, you have to get that adorable matching hat they'll pull off their head every three seconds! Altogether, an outfit can easily cost $50 or more. ONE OUTFIT.

  So, Lincoln's wardrobe consists primarily of hand-me-downs, second-hand store finds, and gifts, so my own taste enters into it almost not at all. But, eh, Lincoln can make anything look good anyway. (Also, thank you for the hand-me-downs and gifts. They are very much appreciated.)

 6. I was very adamant that I did not want Lincoln to see me naked, or going to the bathroom, ever. This is primarily because, whilst pregnant, I read this really weird article where Shia LaBeouf talked about how sexy his mom is (the link goes to a very jerky column about it, but I'm too lazy to find a less biased one) and how his mother used to walk around the house naked with her friends. Something to that effect, anyway. In any case, I was very creeped.

  BUT . . . yeah. It's very hard to get dressed in the morning, fighting feelings of guilt as your child screams and pounds on the door from the outside, missing you. Also, our bathroom has a sliding door, no lock. *sigh*

  What was on your list of things you were definitely going to do with your child that did not end up going the way you thought? Or were you able to be practically perfect in every way, a la Mary Poppins? Tell me about it, mamas.

Birthday List

  Hey, my birthday is in a week and a half! It's a bit shocking to me, actually. I've forgotten to count down from, like, a month ahead, which is my usual gig. Is this what being an adult does to you? Lame. Anyway, I know I'm turning 23 and nobody likes you when you're 23, but in case you readers wanted to get me a little somethin' somethin', here's my birthday list this year! (Note: I don't really expect you to get me anything. I was always one of those little girls who had a grand old time circling the items I wanted in the toy magazines, and I've never quite grown out of that.)

1. Nerdy clothes and gear

"Calvinball" is sold here at REDBUBBLE.

  Really, I have a shocking lack of Doctor Who merchandise that I've been meaning to remedy.

Time Machines shirt from BustedTees, which you can buy here

"Part of Every World" at REDBUBBLE, buy it here. Or you could get it as an iphone case. I have the iphone 5 model . . . . just sayin'.

  Some shirts I love, but the design seems to have the male body in mind rather than the female. So, for those of you who love me a $2.50 amount, I also love stickers! (no judgment there. I'd probably love me a $2.50 dollar amount, too.)

This adorableness is sold here at REDBUBBLE.

2. Books. I frequent the library semi-regularly, and these are the ones that I love enough to add to my growing collection (I re-read a lot).

-The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy by Clare B. Dunkle. The covers look really stupid, but they're so good. Like Twilight, but with goblins and elves instead of vampires. And better written. (Sorry, Stephanie Meyer.) I think I've mentioned this before, sorry for the repeat.
-Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. It's one of those fluffy, happy Victorian-era books that makes you squeal with delight as you read. Literally, if you're me. She's got a new book out, Blackmoore, that I would be happy to receive as well, if you're so inclined.
-Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale. It's the sequel to Austenland, and I'm dying to re-read it, especially after recently watching the movie of the first book.

3. Jewelry.

I really want an anatomically correct heart necklace. I'm not sure why. I just think they're awesome.

Sold on Etsy by billyblue22. Find it here.

  This one is awesome, because it's HARRY POTTER and steampunk. Love.

Buy this awesomeness on Etsy from ifcool here.

Get this piece of rad on Etsy, sold by pier7craft here.

  Also, I'm craving an ear cuff. I've been wanting one since this dinner we had for the cast and crew of 39 Steps, and one of the guy's girlfriend had one. I think I creeped her out because the whole dinner I kept staring at her ear and thinking how awesome it was. I love earrings, but my ears are so sensitive I can't wear them for long periods of time. These babies wouldn't give me the same problem, since they require no piercing!

Just somethin' simple. I don't need no elaborate dragons on my ears. This one hardly costs more than the sticker, too. Buy it on Etsy from MySisterShop here. 

Slightly fancier one. Also on Etsy, this one from ravenevejewelry. Buy it here. 

 I'm also slightly obsessed with cameos right now. I like the traditional ones, but isn't this thing freaking adorable?

On Etsy from OneFortyFive, buy it here.

   What's on your wish list right now?

Random Things I Like Today

1. Eight more pages in my book! Five written, three copied and pasted from my last draft.

2. This video:

  This guy is incredibly hilarious. Watch all of his "Confessions of an ex Disney employee" videos. They're all great, I want there to be 100,000,000 more.

3. Die, Sexy Merida, die! Disney backs off, and little girls get to keep their tomboy Princess. See here for details.

4. Whoa, this list is looking very anti-Disney. But, as you guys know, I'm a huge Dizgeek, don't read too much into this. And this isn't a real point, just wanted to clarify that.

5. Have you guys heard of the whole Coverflip thing that happened a few days ago? An author I've enjoyed in the past, Maureen Johnson, made an offhand comment on twitter about how men tell her they'd like to read her stuff, but the covers are too girly. She then challenged people to take popular covers and switch them as if they'd been written by the opposite gender. Pretty awesome stuff, and eye opening as to how books women write are often immediately labelled as "fluff". Check it out.

Day 27: What is My Favorite Part of my Body and Why

  Uh.

 This post kind of threw me through a loop.

  I think, like most women, I'm too busy caught up in thinking about the things I absolutely hate about my body. The things I immediately look at in a mirror. The things that I doubt few others care nearly so much as I do about.

  But [WARNING: I feel a rant coming on] isn't that what most media teaches us to do? Here are a million products you don't need to fix problems that shouldn't really be defined as problems! Here are a thousand women with zero body fat because they don't eat! Here are celebrities four weeks after giving birth, looking trimmer than ever, and here are their four secrets! (except for the one real one: tummy tucks. You're not supposed to work out the first four weeks after you give birth. So suck it, celebrities, I know you're full of it). All of us are killing ourselves trying to achieve this "beautiful" shape that only 1% of the population naturally has, and very few can achieve with even great, boring effort.

  So, forget the prompt. I'm going to give you a whole LIST of things I think are beautiful about myself. Because I need the reminder.

1. My waist. I've always had a small waist. The following photo is very out of date (okay, it's another wedding picture), and doesn't give the full effect, but LOOK HOW CUTE THE DETAILS ON MY DRESS WERE!

2. My hair. Wait, does that count as a body part? Whatever. Anyway, it isn't always beautiful, of course, but here are a few photos from my last haircut of it looking amazeballs:

3. My lips. They's cool.

   Haha, remember when I was nine months pregnant and fell out of bed and hit my mouth on my laptop? Good times. Excuse the duck face, some things just need to be immortalized.

4. My eyes. Actually, see last photo. That's a surprisingly good one of my eyes.

5. And, of course, the boobies. I'm not going to put another photo up for that, though, because that's weird that I'm directing you to look at my chest. I probably shouldn't have included this one. Oh, well.

  You know something funny? As soon as I was looking through my photos LOOKING for traits I liked, the easier it was to ignore the things I didn't. I was like, "Whoa, I have awesome teeth!" and "That was a good haircut" and "Man, my smile is gorgeous!". 

  

There's probably a lesson in there. Learn it.

Day 20: Three Significant Childhood Memories

   Hey, I'm a trend starter! Who would've thought? If you want to see the other people doing the Thirty Day Challenge, click here for my sister's blog, here for my brother's, and here for my cousin's. They're all much funnier than me, too. Darn it. If any of you other bloggers out there were wanting to do this as well, by all means, please do! I meant to say that from the beginning, I'd love to read your answers.

   Anyway, back to today's question. I'm going to skip the "significant", and just stick with the "childhood memories" bit. You can decide if they're significant or not. And, really, thinking about it, most of my childhood memories are snippets, not really complete thoughts, and not that interesting when told in detail. But here's some tastes of my childhood:

  My brother James and I were playing in the bar area of the huge house we lived in for two years. Since we're, you know, all Mormon-y and whatnot, the bar was an area of the house that was hardly touched. James and I were playing Bartender or something, though, and James kept ordering half-and-halfs of lemonade and chocolate milk. After the third one, I asked, fascinated and disgusted, if it actually tasted good. "No. It tastes terrible." He said, and vomited shortly after.

  Acting out the "This Isn't My Idea of Fun" song from "Swan Princess" with my brothers.

  Singing and talking to myself in the backyard.

  Playing Alligator and Colors in the pool with my siblings.

  The time I laughed so hard I fell off the kitchen counter where I was perched and hit my head. Mom was crying because I got wrong how many fingers she held up and I just felt so, so sleepy.

  Car trips, watching old "Simpsons" episodes on the mini TV Mom and Dad set up for us. Also, always, always spilling the Fun Dip Mom bought for me for said car trip. Every time I would promise I wouldn't spill and she would cave, and I would inevitably spill that sticky powder everywhere. I love Mom even more thinking about how she always bought it for me anyway, even though she probably knew in her heart of hearts it would happen again. You can't trust me with not spilling, even today.

  Telling Kellie she could have my Beanie Baby collection when I died and she yelled, "I can't wait!".

  My sister Nicole practicing cheers with me in the pool. She would launch me in the air and I felt like I was flying.


  What are some of your childhood memories that've stuck with you?

Four Reasons Zombies Are Lame

Source

I don't really get the zombie craze. I tried half-heartedly to like it, but . . .

I just don't  think zombies are all that scary.

And here's some reasons why:

1. Zombies are SO SLOW. For some reason, their infection-thingy seems to affect their legs, so they're all lame. Or maybe it's the whole my-body-is-rotting thing, beats me. Either way, in a foot race, regular ol' humanity is going to win. No contest. And even if you're like me and not a great runner, even one of those electronic wheelchairs could leave them in the dust, so don't sweat it.

2. They're unintelligent. From what I've seen of zombies, they make no plans. Lay no traps. They just wander around and try to eat people. It would not be hard to outsmart a zombie. In fact, I'm pretty sure if you just dug a big ditch and stood on the other side of it, zombies would fall in it continually until it was full and the other zombies would walk over the other zombie bodies. And then you just run a hundred yards away, dig another ditch, wait an hour for them to catch up with that limp and repeat. Easy peasy. In fact, from what I've seen, they seem easily fooled by people who just ACT like zombies. They crave the flesh of the living, but don't seem able to sniff out the difference, so just join the club and they'll be none the wiser.

3. They make no friggin' sense. From what I've heard, their greatest desire is brains. Correct? So they want to attack people to eat their brains. I'm assuming zombies still have THEIR brains, otherwise what little motor skills they have would go kaput. So, why aren't they eating each others' brains? And another question, how are more zombies made? I'm pretty sure it's a transferred-through-bite thing like werewolves, but aren't they eating their victims' brains? So the victims are brain-less, and thus unable to become even a low brain functioning zombie. The only way I can see more zombies being made through zombie bites is if they get interrupted during their meal constantly. Though, now I think about it, zombies don't seem to remember anatomy so well, because they always seem to bite arms, shoulders, legs, etc. They don't go for the head right off, WHICH IS WHERE THE BRAINS ARE, STUPID.

4. The undead thing. So . . . they're dead, but not? Is it just that their old selves are dead? Or are they truly 100% dead? If so, wouldn't they just rot into nothingness after a few months or so? In that case, just find a good hiding spot (again, they're stupid) and wait for them to rot away. Problem solved.


  People make fun of my fascination with ghosts, but come on. Pound for pound, ghosts are WAY scarier than zombies.

1. They're intelligent.
2. They can pop out AT ANY TIME and scare the crap out of you.
3. They are definitely dead, none of this "undead" crap, so you can't kill them. Exercise them, I guess.
4. You can't even really FIGHT them. No blowtorches, axes, whatever else you're gonna use against zombies. If there was a World War G, we'd be pretty screwed.
5. They can possess you, throw pots at you, slam doors, all kinds of crazy high jinx that are way scarier than slowly meandering towards you while grunting and biting the wrong body parts.

  If you're a zombie fan, please explain it to me. What is the dealio and why do they seem like any kind of threat to you? Like I said, they don't interest me, so I don't know much about them; I may be way off base here. Educate me.

  Otherwise, GHOSTS RULE, ZOMBIES DROOL.

  Seriously, they do. What with all the grunting.

Day 16: My Five Greatest Accomplishments

  This one is hard for me. Partly because my sense of humor leans more toward the self-deprecating, and partly because I honestly can't think of much. As McKay said when I asked for ideas, most things that you're proud of don't have a seal of completion like a boy scout's badge.  But I'll try to give it a whirl anyhows.

  1. I'm over a hundred pages in my book. They're not great pages, and they're going to get gutted because I've finally gotten around to nailing down the plot (which is possibly an even bigger accomplishment for me), but I'm still proud of those hundred pages. I've never made it that far before. Baby steps.

  2. Being a stay at home mom. It's hard. It's repetitive to a point where I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round that's slowly making me queasy. I'm lonely a lot of the time. But it IS rewarding, and I'm proud of myself, not for being the best mom in the world, but for being a good enough mom.

  3. My blog. It's not incredibly popular, but I'm glad it appears to bring a few people smiles and giggles.

  4. Learning to cook. This sounds kind of lame, but before being married to McKay, I was incredibly clueless as to how to cook. Seriously, the idea of boiling rice terrified me. Heck, LOOKING at pots terrified me. Like, "What is this magic vessel and what does it signify?". Which is weird, because I knew how to make brownies from scratch when I was seven, but I somehow forgot any basic training I ever had once I was in college. I was freaked out I would be a bad cook, so I didn't want to try and prove myself right. That's a bad habit of mine. But, as it turned out, once I got started it wasn't so bad. I should probably do it more often (I only cook probably 3-4 nights a week), but babies zap energy like nobody's business. Plus, dishes, you know?

  5. Still continuing my education. I haven't graduated yet, and I'll be getting my Associates rather than Bachelors, but I'm still proud of the one class I take a term, and the fact that I do well in those classes. Again, baby steps.

  I guess what you can take away from my list is that you can be proud of the process rather than the completed project. Not that finishing isn't awesome, but isn't just continuing the journey something to be admired?

   I have to feel that way, anyway.

  What are your accomplishments, completed or no?

Day 13: Five Weaknesses I Have

1. Self control. Especially when it comes to food. You may have seen my latest facebook post, in which I discussed the current sociopolitical climate. Haha! Just kidding. I talked about how I thought I burned my tongue, but it turned out I ate too many sweet tarts from Easter. But not only did I eat vast amounts of sweet tarts; I couldn't even begin to tell you how many fun-sized Hersheys, Kit-Kats, Whoppers, Reese's Eggs (they're better in egg shape), and Cadburry Mini Eggs I've eaten over the past four days. I actually feel sick at the idea of eating more chocolate. IT FINALLY HAPPENED. Anyway, yeah, self control. Need it.

2. Science. I think McKay secretly thinks I'm stupid because every time he starts talking about his work my mouth gapes open and a little drool comes out as the chemistry jargon does a jig over my head. But I'm truly not stupid. Math isn't my best, but I got an "A" in the online College Algebra course I took a few terms ago. If you don't know what an achievement that is, you've never taken an online math class. I also got straight A's through most of high school, ending with over a 4.0 GPA when I graduated. Anyway, I'M NOT STUPID. I'm just bad at science. I can memorize all the terms, but what they really mean makes no sense to me. Does not compute.

3. Getting the last word. I need to let things go.

4. Being "in the moment". I get really distracted by all the electronic thingies that I like so much, so it's hard for me sometimes to be in the here-and-now. I really enjoy Waterton (a small Canadian town we go to every summer if you're new here) because there's not really another option but being present.

5. Walking. Or basically anything to do with my feet, I am very uncoordinated. In high school people took my uncoordinatedness as a "saunter", and would judge me accordingly. One boy in PE told me that from my walk he thought I either must be a total B, or that I just didn't care about anything. Really, I just don't know how to walk correctly.


  What are your weaknesses?

Day 11: A Few of My Pet Peeves

  Burping. Hate it. It's right at face-level, so you can smell it right off. Ugh.

  When McKay leaves all the cupboard doors open after looking for something. Or when he fails to clean up the hair that inevitably covers our bathroom after he cuts his own hair.

  Waking up in the morning to the house being a mess. Especially if there's a huge pile of dirty dishes. Especially if it's a Monday.

  Line cutters. I feel my blood pressure rising just thinking of line cutters. It's so friggin' rude!

  When my creativity well runs dry. Usually seems to happen when I'm in the mood to do something creative. When all I want to do is play video games or watch Netflix, I have creativity leaking out of every orifice. I'm just too lazy to do anything with it.

  Empty water bottles in the fridge. If they're empty, FILL THEM UP.


  Um. . . yeah. A lot of things bug me. I could continue, but I'll spare you.

  What are your pet peeves?

  P.S. HAPPY EASTER! McKay bought me a new battery for my laptop, which was at the point where if it wasn't plugged in, it would automatically turn off. Yayyyyy, new battery! I was in charge of the egg hunt, and thought three-four bags of candy seemed completely reasonable for two adults and one baby.

  I was wrong. So. Much. Candy.

  I'll post some video and pics another day. Because I like being weeks behind for some reason.

Day 10: My Most Embarrassing Moment

  My entire life is pretty much a giant embarrassing moment, let's be honest.

  I actually already answered this in the last 30 Day Challenge I did, although that one was the Most Awkward First Impression I've Ever Had. It covers both of them, though, and I remember thinking I was quite funny when I wrote it at the time, so you should click on the link and read it.

  Other than that, there was the time I fell down some stairs, which opened up to the main quad at school. All my friends would regularly hang out right at that particular area, too, and they found it highly amusing. I found their amusement amusing, and also a bit disconcerting. I mean, they are supposed to like me, right?

  OOH, I thought of a good one I haven't told you yet, though! It's slightly disgusting too, which I think gives it a bonus.

  I was on a date with a guy I'd thought was cute for a very long time. We were at the movies.

   I had a scab on my arm that had been driving me nuts for a few days, so I did what I secretly hope everyone does with scabs when they're bored: I picked at it.

  I finally got it off and flicked it at the floor (yes, I was contributing to the grossness of movie theater floors. Sorry).

   Unfortunately, my aim was off, and I flicked it on my date's leg.

  Did I mention he was wearing shorts?

  He totally felt it.

  He gave me his best WEIRDED OUT face while rubbing his leg. And yeah, he was looking at me.

  He totally knew.

  For my part, I stared resolutely at the screen, pretending to be oblivious and hoping he'd think the scab I flung on his leg was in his imagination.

  We never went out again.


  Tell me your embarrassing stories! Especially if they're date-oriented, I love a bad date story.

Day 9: What Defines Me

  What? What does that mean, exactly? This feels like one of those job interview questions where you pull something out of your butt and hope it doesn't sound too hogwashy. But sure, I'll try to go along with it, and answer it how I would if I were actually in an interview. Only more honest.

  I think what defines me, in a way, is my lack of definition. Which makes me sound exciting, but I'm not. What I mean is that my personality tends to change depending on who I'm with. For example, at Cara's wedding (which I will have a post on when I get back to Oregon, but I don't want to deal with uploading pictures and all that jazz while I'm still in California) I got to hang out with one of my best friends, Kellie. Every time I'm with Kellie, I suddenly start acting like I'm sixteen again. Which is fun for me, but probably weirds everyone else out. But if I'm with someone really outgoing, my personality suddenly becomes much more quiet to make room for them. Conversely, if I'm with someone shy, I find my personality puffing up like a marshmallow in a microwave to even things out.

  I think what also defines me is how hard I try to get along with everyone. I don't do this well all the time, but I do try.

  But the main thing I would say that defines me is laughter. I love to laugh and to make people laugh. I think you can get through just about anything if you have the ability to laugh.

  What defines you, whatever that means?


  Also, I'm trying to reply to your guys' comments, but it's not letting me. It's very frustrating, I've tried about four times and it's not working. Any ideas? Or do you think it's just a glitch that will fix itself with time?

 

Day 8: Three Passions I Have

  Like I said before, I like anything with a good story, so most of my "passions" lie there.

  For example, I love reading. I re-read my books constantly (which seems like a rare practice for some reason) because reading is like soaking in a hot tub for my brain. But the first time I read a book it's more of a whirlwind, devouring the story to know what happens next. When I re-read I can pay more attention to the little things and just relax into the words. I'll admit I read a lot of fluff, because let's be honest, writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson just aren't a good brain soak.

  I also really enjoy acting. I'm hesitant to say I'm "passionate" about it because that makes it seem like I think I'm really good at it or something. I audition well because I'm able to act like I'm at ease on stage, even though my heart is in my throat and I feel like I need to pee/vomit. I think this is due to the fact that many social interactions are anxiety-inducing for me, so I've gotten pretty good at pretending that I'm not inwardly freaking out.

  Obviously I'm passionate about writing as well. You don't blog for three years with little-to-no audience without truly enjoying writing. (Although many kind people at Cara's wedding told me they're regular readers, which made me very happy indeed)

  I'm not sure if "passionate" is the right word to describe my gaming habits, either. "Obsessed" might be a better fit. Again, I'm in it for the story. I re-play my RPGs (Role Playing Games) an embarrassing amount because I like trying out different personalities and seeing how that changes the story. It feels more intimate than reading because you're in the steering wheel, affecting the story. Unless you're reading choose-your-own-adventure books. Those were pretty cool. Except I kept dying.

  That's more than three, sorry. They're all pretty much the same category, though.

  What are your passions?