Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Once again, I am a horrible blogger. I am so sorry!

I am going to amuse you with random bits of information for lack of anything better to write about.

1. The dangly thing on the turkey's beak is called a snood. It's length is apparently tied directly to the turkey's health.

2. The game of golf was invented when a hobbit named Bullroarer knocked the head off the Goblin king, Golfimbul, and it went down a rabbithole.

At least, that's the story according to Professor J.R.R Tolkien... ;)

3. People used to have wooden bed frames, with ropes tied across to support the mattress. Every once in a while, you would have to tighten them up. Thus, “Sleep tight.”

4. John Dillinger (Public Enemy Number One) wasn't actually the leader of his gang. The actual leader was Harry 'Pete' Pierpont. The papers leaked that Dillinger was the leader to try and create dissent among the bank robbers, but it never did.

5. The Second Battalion of the 506^th Parachute Infantry had to take a standard physical fitness test in 1943. They scored a 97 percent. A colonel from Washington thought they had rigged the test, since it was the highest ever scored. “They had us run it a second time, officers, men, service personnel, cooks, everybody-- and we scored 98 percent.”-- Richard Winters.

(If you would like to verify this, it's page 37 of Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers, near the very end of chapter 2)

6. Billy the Kid wasn't really left-handed. The tintype reflects the image, and it just made it look like he was left handed.

7. General Ethan Allen, who fought in the American Revolutionary War, was on his death bed when informed by the doctor treating him, “I fear the angels are waiting for you.”

His response? “Waiting are they? Waiting are they? Well, let 'em wait!”

8. As most Americans know, our National Anthem, 'The Star Spangled Banner', was originally a poem by Francis Scott Key. What a lot of people don't know is that the tune is that of a British drinking song.

9. Thomas Jefferson had 6 children, but only 2 lived to adulthood.

10. General Robert E. Lee had a pet chicken named Nellie. ( http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2011/11/the-civil-war-8-strange-and-obscure-facts-you-didnt-know/ )

Farewell and adieu, my friends!

NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth

I AM SO SORRY FOR BEING A HORRIBLE BLOGGER!

I have no excuse for the summer months or September or October.

I have a REALLY good excuse for not blogging in November, though!

Wanna know what it is?

….

...I'm going to tell you...

National Novel Writing Month (Usually shortened to NaNoWriMo)

Everybody always asks me what it is. So When they do next time, instead of explaining myself, I can just give them the web address and they can read this.

NaNoWriMo is the month in which you attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

Sound easy?

It's REALLY not.

Days 1-5 are usually spent in writer's-block-free bliss. Tra-la-la, everything's going well and then-

SMACK

Days 6-12: Pound your head on the keyboard because whatever comes up on the screen has GOT to be better than anything that may pop into your head. You feel like maybe getting your little brothers or a monkey to type because YOU ARE STUCK. Your story is dead, you're writing Mary Sues and you HAVE to get in your 1,667 word count in for the day so you can go and deal with pre-holiday food shopping with your mother/aunt/grandmother/ etc.

13-21: Your story line is ending, you cannot drag this on without compromising the integrity of your story. But wait? What was that? A laundromat run by ghosts? I think I'll use that! (Purely fictional, I chose a homeless shelter run by a cantankerous old Irish witch and her two mischievous sons instead of the laundromat, but whatever works)

HALLELUJAH! It works! You'll live on to write the rest!

And by day 23, I was done. (Thank God!)

*Sidenote* My final days on the previous years were usually spent writing obscenely long epilogues and prologues. I just got to that a bit quicker this year...

This is my third year doing this program. I am by no means a seasoned veteran (Nano has been going on since the nineties), and usually, I STILL have no clue what I'm doing.

But it's simple. You write. And believe me, it's probably gonna be crappy, but it's ok. It's a first draft, and you did it. You got your story out onto paper. Go you! Now you have pride and bragging rights (And some pretty awesome web badges)

Whoever is reading this and has ever done NaNoWriMo, BOOYAH! I'll see you next year!

And if anybody is reading this who has a story stuck in their noggin, get it down! You won't regret it. Even if it's not NaNoWrimo, go write a page a day. DO IT NOW *in a poor Arnold Schwarzenegger voice*

Yes, I just quoted Predator. Nerd girl, over here! *waves hands maniacally*

So yeah, now I have to stop typing and go back to nursing my poor carpal nerves.

DFTBA!

Gail

Procrastinating

Hello, my friends!

I am feeling very good about myself, would you like to know why?

I am going to tell you either way.

I HAVE FINISHED SCHOOL!

Well, this school year anyways, and now the entire summer is stretched before me.

Joy.

Again, I am justifying my procrastination of editing NaNoWriMo by blogging. At least I'm being productive...If that's what you'd call it...

This is my plan for the summer (in no particular order):

1. Learn the tin whistle

2. Be able to play numerous Lord of the Rings/ Harry Potter/ Star Wars themes on said tin whistle (And I just confirmed any suspicions you had about me being a nerd)

3. finish my huge pile of half started books

4. start/finish my pile of to-read books

5. Play my guitar more often (And maybe even learn to keep with the beat, but let's not get ahead of ourselves)

6. Audition for a play

7. Do the Warrior Dash with my little brother

8. Contemplate the storyline for the 2012 NaNoWriMo

Oh! Speaking of books, I've been reading the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. IT IS AWESOME.

So, yes, that's about all of the interesting stuff I can put on here. Procrastination is over, now its back to editing.

Fare thee well!

In Case You Were Wondering....

Ok!

I realize I have not posted in a long time.

(Hello, how are you?)

So, I am going to sum up what I have been up to.

Went to a Jars of Clay concert with my most awesome Antwerp and my Uncle Argyle. Antwerp pretty much chased down the opening acts to get their autographs, it was pretty freaking awesome/hilarious

Made baklava. It was so easy (and delicious!)

Went to see the Avengers movie. It was hands down my favorite Marvel movie of all time.

I started playing MineCraft on the X-box. My brothers have successfully addicted my mother and I to it.

I have been reading books; Band of Brothers, Lord of the Flies, Quo Vadis (which is surprisingly gripping for a school book)

I have been plucking away at school work. (Two weeks left! And its mostly fluff, for which I am ecstatic)

I am editing my NaNoWriMo. (Actually, right now I am procrastinating and justifying it by blogging)

I am planning on cleaning/rearranging my room, but who knows if that is going to happen...

Yep, that is pretty much an update on my not-so-exciting life.

Heart Attacks

Well, Hi!

How are you?

I nearly had a heart attack this morning, but it pretty much set a good tone for my day.

I'm going to start this story by stating that I am a very jumpy and paranoid person.

Keep that in mind.

The reason I got out of bed this morning was because my phone beeped, saying I had a text message. It was from my Aunt Antwerp.

Two simple words.

'U awake?'

after texting back a 'yes' I go to put my retainer back in the bedroom. As I come out, the front door opens. I figured it was my little brother (I wasn't paying much attention and I didn't have my glasses on) because what kind of people just walk into the house? Murderers, robbers, and Antwerp.

A millisecond later, I stopped, realizing it wasn't my brother.

I will own up to it. I screamed, jumping back, looking for a sharp object. Then, I recognize Antwerp's laugh. (keep in mind, this happened over a span of five seconds)

She had come, bearing Dunkin Donuts and hot chocolate.

I'll take a heart attack for that.

Didn't See That One Coming

I have a deaf mother.

It is not bad at all.

For one, I can have a conversation with her in a crowded room (Make note: She reads lips, she doesn't sign)

Two: I can listen to music really loud when we're in the car.

I like loud music.

Not so loud that its really obnoxious to other drivers or pedestrians, but loud enough that you can feel the beat.

Imagine my surprise, though, when we were at a stoplight and my Mom says, “What is this?”

And I know she can't mean the music because, well, she's deaf.

So I reply very eloquently with: “huh?”

“The music, I like the beat. What is it?”

Feeling mildly perplexed, I answer, “Uh, You Give Love a Bad Name”

“Who sings it?”

“Bon Jovi...?”

“Ah! That explains it. I knew it didn't feel like country”

Yep, my Momma has super powers. She can distinguish genres by their beat.

...Jealous?

"The Fault In Our Stars"

I read “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green.

It has left me with a feeling of depression and emptiness, but also the feeling of insurmountable happiness; the kind that makes me want to cry.

I hate those books.

I hate them, damn it, because you can't decide on which emotion to feel first.

There are too many emotions too feel.

Do I laugh?

Do I cry?

I can't decide.

For now, I'm contenting myself with a sober smile because I got to read a story that made me feel very hollow, but hopeful all the same.