Round Two

This is it.  My last week of freedom.  Before I have to go back to school. 
Don't get me wrong.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to further my education and take so many interesting classes.  I had some classes I absolutely adored in my last semester, especially my World Religions class.  I'm learning so many interesting new things.
The problem is, I'm used to learning at a fairly moderate pace, seeing as I only recently graduated from high school.  At college, it feels like they're trying to cram everything down your throat at once, because classes that took a full year before get a semester now.  And, I'm still not getting the point of homework.  I mean, there have always been classes that need extra practice, particularly math.  I personally have never been as good as I'd like when it comes to math, and I've found that the best way for me to learn it is to practice it.  That being said, there are other classes that don't make sense as far as handing out homework on a regular basis.  Classes like history or science.  I mean, seriously, some of us prefer to keep experiments out of our regular lives.  If those who enjoy science want extra credit or something, sure, go for it, but leave the rest of us be, please!  Another thing I hate is when teachers assume their class is your top priority.  I think this is something every school has a problem with, actually.  Believe it or not, I actually have a life outside of school and homework.  I'm looking for a job this semester, and then I would kind of like to start dating.  Unfortunately, during the school year I have to set all of this on the back-burner so I can make sure I have all of my homework done.  And then the teachers look at us and go, "Now remember, life is about more than good grades.  Do more than study."  Um, yeah, sorry, with the bajillion page paper you assigned us, when do you expect us to have time to do anyone else's homework, let alone do more than study?
'Kay, sorry, there's my rant for the day.  I think I'm still trying to deal with post-finals stress.  This does not bode well for this semester. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

That Awkward Moment...

When you go to church and walk into a high school reunion.
Don't get me wrong, I love missionary farewells as much as the next person.  They're full of spirit and hope and new beginnings!  However, it does get awkward when everyone from high school shows up because the missionary in question happens to be very popular.  There I am, surrounded by all the popular crowd from high school, and only two of them acknowledged me.  There's a reason I hated my senior year of high school.
Oh well, thanks to those who did think I was important enough to say hi to, and for those reading this, please remember those who may be feeling left out in your life.  Even a wave is enough to brighten their day.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Hot Chocolate

When I make hot chocolate at home, I put a bit of water in a pot and heat it up on the stove until it's the perfect temperature: not hot enough to burn, but still hot enough to warm me up! :)  Love my hot chocolate!  I also mix a bit of cinnamon in if it isn't flavored.  Yummy stuff.  I drink it immediately so it doesn't lose the heat.
But there is a slight problem with this.  That being, when I get hot chocolate somewhere else when I'm out and about, I tend to want to drink it immediately.  Except, those selling it have to make it EXTRA hot, so it's still hot when the customers get it.  I have no problem with this.  Ees marvelous!  Except, it tends to make it too hot to drink.  Mom and Mia will stir ice in theirs when it's too hot, and drink it through a straw.
Unfortunately, I'm too proud to do this.  Which means that when we got hot chocolate last night, being the impatient person I am, I drank it too soon.  I knew I had burned my tongue, but I've done that plenty of times.  I figured it would all be good in the morning, like usual.
Eheheh.
I woke up and could barely taste my breakfast.  Also, feeling slightly sick, because I kinda burned the back of my throat, too.  I'm putting ice in my hot chocolate from now on.  :)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

I'm a... Fairy?

So, I had another weird dream last night.  I'm thinking I should stop trying to come up with story plots before bed. 
I dreamed that I was fighting someone, and then I got turned into a smurf.  Yes.  A smurf.  Except then they turned me back into a human, but I wasn't completely human, because I was still little.  Then I had wings to go along with my small stature, and I was one of the blue/green fairies (I think we kept changing colors), and we were fighting against the black fairies, and they were supposed to be evil, but some of my friends were with them for personal reasons, and I knew my friends weren't evil, and I wanted to know why they had joined the opposite army, and then I was being chased by a bunch of black fairies through a courtyard, and a kitchen, and I was terrified because they couldn't catch me, but I finally escaped!  Victory!
Despite its oddity, it was one of the funnest dreams I've ever had!  Who knows, maybe it'll spawn a new book idea!  Haven't worked with fairies much, though.  It'll be an interesting experience.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Merry Christmas!

I know I'm a day late, and I apologize, but I just wanted to tell my readers, "Merry Christmas!"  So glad we had a White Christmas this year, as opposed to last year when we had absolutely no snow.  I will admit, I dumped some snow down Dad's back today, just because we actually had enough snow for a snowball fight.  We didn't actually have a snowball fight, since I ran back inside before he could do anything.  Who says I have to play fair? ;)
In any case, I hope all of you have had a marvelous Christmas, and remembered the reason we celebrate this beautiful holiday!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Combined Wards

It was strange.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
We were combining wards today in my singles' building, since so many people had gone home for Christmas.  It was packed!  There were so many new people there!  Obviously not enough for us to separate times again, but still enough to need to open the overflow.
But that wasn't the strange thing.  The strange thing was that, during Sunday School, even though the room was packed, I sat... alone.
I have two or three friends I usually sit with during Sunday School, but by now they've all gone somewhere else for Christmas.  I thought that surely other people would sit with me, but the thing was, this particular class was big enough that we had to have it in the chapel... so everyone was sitting with their own friends without a problem...
And I was left to sit alone.
I didn't necessarily mind.  But it did make me wonder why it is I can't seem to get anyone to sit next to me.  Oh well.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Playing Pool

So, apparently I've been playing pool wrong my entire life.  Not that I really play it all that often, but it seems that when I have played it, I've been mixing up rules.  I now officially know how to play 9 ball and 10 ball.  I also know that I am awful, and that Kay's little brother can beat the socks off of me any day of the year.  Oh, and apparently we're missing a ball.  Oh dear.
So, I wish I could explain the rules to you here, but I just know I would botch it up, so I won't bother.  You can probably look it up online or something.
Oh, and just so I can vent my feelings on this subject: ONCE UPON A TIME SPOILER ALERT!
I think Archie's gonna die.  And I don't want Archie to die!  He's one of my favorite characters!  Seriously, though, the description for the next episode involves Regina being blamed for murdering a beloved fairy tale character... and the title is "The Cricket Game."  PLEASE DON'T KILL OFF ARCHIE!  I LIKE HIM TOO MUCH!
Okay.  There's my vent.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Blood...

So, I had to get some blood drawn today, and I rediscovered something.
I hate blood.  Like seriously, I get queasy and chills run up my spine.
Not fun.
Sadly, I think I'll have to do it more often, because I was having blood drawn so my doctor could make sure the medicine I'm on is working.  If this becomes a regular thing... :P
I mean, first they sit you down in a chair... then they put this bar down and make you hold out your arms... like they're about to torture you...  then they stick a needle in your veins...
'Kay, I'm gonna stop before I make anyone else sick.  Point being, I really hate blood, and now my arm feels like it should be weak or something... even though they didn't really take that much blood.
Sorry.  Hopefully the next post will be more cheeful!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Hippity Hobbity...

So, I finally have time to blog about seeing the Hobbit!  I hope you're okay with nerdy rants and fond memories.
So, I had been looking forward to this for weeks.  Mostly because it's The Hobbit, who wouldn't be excited? but also because the midnight showing was the last day I had finals, and I was going to see it at midnight to celebrate!  There's nothing like celebrating the end of exams by staying up until three in the morning geeking out about John Watson playing Bilbo Baggins. ;)  Anyways, I was also excited because, while I'd been to midnight showings before, I had never dressed up.  This time around, Mia and I had the cloaks that Heather had made us, and we figured, "Hey, why not?"  So we dressed up in long, flowy cloaks, and Kay put my hair in a medieval hairpiece for me.  (I could have put it in myself, but it's a nightmare to deal with it on my own, and Kay did a much better job than I would have!).
By the way, if at this point you're wondering why I am such an absolute geek, you obviously haven't read my other posts. 
We went to the theatre all toasty and warm, because cloaks are really just like blankets that you don't have to hold.  In any case, we were a little lost going in, I guess the theatre wasn't opening the regular doors and we had to sneak around through the back.  By this point I was feeling foolish, because no one else had apparently decided to dress up, but I brushed it off.  I figured, if I dress up, at least it gives other people "permission" to dress up later if they were so inclined.  There were a few other people later that dressed up as hobbits, and someone wearing chainmail, but most people in the audience were fairly normal.
So, we had shown up an hour early to make sure we got good seats, but we really shouldn't have worried.  There was no one there.  Apparently everyone went to the theatre by the mall.  Oh well, I was happy enough, because when we walked in, Mia noticed someone already in the theatre!  It was Jam!!
Jam is an old friend from my young years, and I was so excited to see her!  We laughed and joked, and she introduced us to one of her other friends, and she kept trying to get him to catch popcorn in his mouth, except he kept missing, so by the time they were done there was a bit of a mess for the janitors to clean up later... oh well.
Now for the actual movie.  Ahem.
SO EPIC!  Seriously, so very well done!  I loved it to pieces!  Even the stuff they've added in was great!  I love Radagast, he's like the Fluttershy of wizards, so fun!  And the characterization was brilliant!  I loved it!  The interaction between Thorin and Bilbo was amazing, so heartwarming by the end!  Bilbo is such a wonderful character, congratulations to Martin Freeman on his amazing performance!  He was so relatable, I knew how he was feeling so often!  And I especially loved the bit with Gollum!  Such a well-done character, and the interaction between Gollum and Smeagol (yes, they've still got that) was hilarious!  And as far as the music goes, I loved it!  I got chills every time the dwarves went to fight and the "Misty Mountains" theme started playing.  Such a marvelous movie!
My opinion on the new material is that I like it.  It makes the storyline more connected to the rest of Middle Earth at the time.  We get a look at how Sauron actually came back, why the elves and dwarves hate each other so much, stuff like that.  And honestly, I think the movie would have needed three parts anyway, because even though it's only one book compared to the "Rings Trilogy," it had more action.  The Lord of the Rings had more description than The Hobbit, which is why it had three books.  The Hobbit, on the other hand, had a bit more adventure to it.
So, in conclusion, if you haven't seen The Hobbit, go online and get tickets.  Ees amazing!  If you have seen The Hobbit, when are you going again, and can I come with you?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Meeeerliiiin...

So, I saw Merlin for the first time last night.  As in, the BBC version where Merlin is younger and dark-haired and attractive and has such amazing moral courage...
Can you tell I like him? 
Seriously, though, why is it BBC has all the amazing actors?  And TV shows?  I think the only popular American shows I really enjoy are Once Upon a Time and Psych.  Oh well.  At least we get to enjoy BBC, even if it is later than usual.  That's the nice thing about the internet, though.  Get the right site, and you don't have to wait!
Yes, I am an obsessive nerd.  But then, I've already mentioned this, so I suppose it should no longer be a surprise to you. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Lonely World

Some who don't know me may think me quiet.  It's true that I don't tend to make much noise.  But it's not necessarily because I'm quiet.  It's a combination of things.  On one hand, I tend to prefer listening to speaking, because I feel like everyone tends to have more important things to say than I do.  On the other hand, I also tend to zone out, because I'm thinking up story ideas.
Why do I prefer to live in my own mind rather than the real world?  Because in many instances, the real world is a cold, dark, heartless place.  A place where a choir girl can be ignored because she doesn't cause problems and therefore doesn't need as much attention as the other students.  A place where elementary kids can be slaughtered for no reason.  A place I don't want to be, because who would live in a place like that?
But then I take another look.  A look at people who reach out, who support mourners and grievers and those who are lonely.  These people are the reasons I live in the world, the reason I still continue to fight.  In the wise words of Samwise Gamgee, there is some good, somewhere out there in this world, and it's worth fighting for. 

Fare thee well, friend.
Mira

Nearly there...

Hey friends!  Sorry it's been so long.  Finals week and all that.  But I'm almost there!  Just one more final that's more like a big party.  After that, I'm off for Christmas!  Almost there, almost there...
Finals week was actually a lot easier than people were making it out to be.  Of course, I'm fairly good at taking tests, so that may have something to do with it.  The only real problem I had was with my Comparative Literature final.  The teacher decided to add a few random questions we'd never talked about "just to see if we knew them."  They kind of gave me fits.  I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so having a few questions I couldn't answer drove me up the wall.  Oh well.  I just hope he doesn't grade those particular questions.  That would be a nightmare, since I'm pretty sure I got next-to-none right.
But, in any case, it's over now, I passed my classes, and I get to party tonight!  Best of luck to those of you still in finals, remember to relax and have fun!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Heavy...

So, most nights Merida will sleep on Mia's bed.  Generally because Mia enforces the bedtime rule for the cat and doesn't like her wandering around the room when we're sleeping.  However, there will occasionally be times when Merida decided to sleep on my bed.  Sometimes she'll curl up in the crook of my arm, or against my back, or right next to my face.
Last night involved none of that. 
For some reason, Merida decided that she wanted to sleep on top of me.  Now, I'm used to her walking on top of me.  She does it all the time.  I expected last night to be the same, but instead she just stopped... then settled down.
I have no idea how long she was there, because while she is rather heavy and I wanted her off, I just didn't have the energy to turn around.  When I finally did, she got miffed and went back to Mia.
Oh well.  I got my bed back.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Guardians

Oh.  My.  Badness.
Finally saw Rise of the Guardians last night.  Completely epic!!  I loves it!  Jack is soooo cute, and the little tooth-fairy army is sooooo cute, and the villain is sooooo not cute!  ;) 
Seriously, that was one of the most intense villains I have seen in a long, long time!  Just enough angst to be pitied, but just enough evil to feel pleased when defeated.  Very well done.  I give Dreamworks two huge thumbs up!
Can't wait to see it again!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Stress Habits

Thanks to finals, I have recently discovered my "stress habits."  You know, those things you do when you're stressed out and don't really want to deal with anything.  For me, when I'm stressed for long periods of time, I tend to rub the side of my nose... as evidenced by the two zits I am currently sporting there.  Luckily, I have creams.  ;)
The other thing I do when stressed, even more than when I rub my nose, is twist my hair.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I twist my hair all the time when I need something to do with my hands.  But when I'm stressed, I tend to make really thick twists, and keep twisting them over and over again. 
So, thanks finals, for revealing these habits to me.  I look forward to the day we can part. ;)
Good news is, I finally got my paper long enough!  Now I just need to go revise. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Finals Stress...

So, I think the stress from finals is finally starting to get to me.  Actually, it's been getting to me for a while, it's just starting to catch up with me. See, last night I had a dream that I was marrying my cousin, who is older than me but somehow ended up being my nephew's age, and then I called it off at the last minute because I realized I wasn't in love, and he was too young anyway, and then I found out one of my friends was taking prescription medicine, and I snapped at my niece because she was accusing me of being selfish with my iPad (which I don't own in any case)... and then I woke up and was still cranky over my "broken heart."
Yeah.  Crazy.  I wonder if professors have any idea what happens to their students during finals?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

One Done

There's something so very satisfying about finally getting a big project off of your chest.  It doesn't matter how many other big projects you have to work on, or what else is on your to-do list for the day.  You get one major paper done, proof-read, and submitted, and there's such a feeling of relief.  Your teacher may hate it, you may get an awful grade on it, but for now, you don't have to worry about it.  It's done and out of your life.
Now I get to work on the next paper!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

The Deep Breath

This is it.
The deep breath before the plunge. 
In other words, the week before finals.
I have one week to get everything done. 
One week to study before the tests.
Just two weeks to Christmas break freedom, and yet the obstacles seem insurmountable.
If you're wondering, yes, I have a paper to write.
In happier news, the anthology came out today!  

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Shameless Advertising

Hey, so for those of you who don't know yet, I have a short story being published in an anthology called Open Doors: Fractured Fairy Tales.  It will be available this Saturday, and for the first three days, you can download an ebook of it for free.  It will be available on Amazon starting December 1st, and in Barnes and Noble and various other bookstores within the next six weeks.
Just so you know, proceeds will be donated to Primary Children's Hospital, and there will be copies of the book given to the kids that are there long-term.  And I get an author discount, so if you want me to get you a book, let me know!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Short Sword

So, I ended up doing something odd last night.  Not that I don't do odd things frequently...
Anyways, I fenced with a short sword last night.  For those of you who may not know, when it comes to fencing, there are a couple sword lengths.  You have fives, which are the standard long ones, and then you have twos for the little people.  Well, last night we had run out of fives by the time I went back to get a sword, and I wanted to see if I could win with a two anyway.  Plus, it was kinda the last sword in the back.
To my surprise, I actually did pretty well!  Won all but two bouts with my short sword!  I think part if it was that I knew I had to focus more because I had a disadvantage.
The one bad part about it?  I would have to go in closer to get my hit, which means that when my opponent would hit me, it would be with more force than usual.  Still pretty sore.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

The Anthology

So, just to let you all know, I have officially gone public on this blog.  Just thought I should say.
Anyway, on to today's post!
Sorry about yesterday's post, I just needed to vent.  Thanks for bearing with me there!  Today is going much, much better!  I actually slept comfortably last night! 
So, a lot of people have been asking me about the anthology I'm getting a story published in, where to get it, when it comes out.  I thought I'd just throw all that out.  The anthology is called "Fractured Fairy Tales," and it comes out December 1st.  You can download a free ebook from the 1st to the 3rd, and I think it's on Amazon.  Not 100% sure, though, so don't quote me on that.  The paperback will be out the same day, and I'm not sure which bookstores will be carrying it.  Keep an eye out!  I wrote under a pen name, see if you can figure out who I was!
Know what I'm most excited about, though?  They're gonna have illustrations for each story!  I'm gonna have pictures!
I'm kinda geeking out.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Baaaad daaay....

I knew there was a reason I didn't want to get out of bed this morning.
You know you're going to have a bad day when you dream that it's four in the morning, and your sister has turned on the light to get ready for school, and then you look at your clock and realize that you're awake, and it's seven and you wanted to be up an hour earlier to do homework you were too lazy to do during the break.  Then when you actually try to do said homework, you realize that it's proofs, and you absolutely hate proofs, and then you realize the teacher never actually taught half of your assignment, and you don't have time to look in the book for it because you leave for school soon and you're still in your pajamas.
So you try the assignment but just don't get any of it, but you decide you're going to give life a chance anyway.
Bad idea.
So you get to school and turn in your half-done assignment, attend class, then head downstairs to hop on Facebook to calm yourself down, then download an assignment for another class and check your reading for yet another class.
And then your worst nightmare comes true.  The school internet is malfunctioning.  Again.  So you try and try and try to get connected.  Finally you're on, and you breathe a sigh of relief.  You decide to skip Facebook, because you lost so much time trying to get online.  You've also decided you're done taking chances and download all remaining assignments for your class instead of just the one you were planning on.  You do not want to do this again.  After finishing your various assignments, you go to the library to watch a video for a class, and sadly it is checked out.  All right, no big deal.  There are three other videos you can watch.  So you go to look them up on your iTouch.
Your iTouch that won't connect to the school internet.
So after five minutes of trying to get on and failing miserably, you slouch your way over to one of the tables to check on your laptop, and you groan because you know it will have to connect again.  It takes three tries, connecting and disconnecting over and over again, to get online, and even then, the internet is ridiculously slow.  You want to give a loud moan, but you can't because you're in the library, and there's someone sitting across from you who will look at you funny, and you don't want to have to explain. 
You finally get onto the right site and take half a minute to get the titles of the other videos you can watch.  You get the video.  You put the video on one of the library monitors.  You put on the headphones so you don't disturb other library patrons.  Then you realize your volume is off, so you turn it up so you actually get something out of the documentary.
Then.
You realize the volume is off.  You decide to pull off your headphones to check, and sure enough, the noise isn't going through the headphones.  It is projecting through the media center, and has probably been doing so for five minutes without you getting it.  You hastily pause it and investigate the problem.  Someone has plugged these headphones into the wrong hole!
You watch the stupid video.  Finally.  You go to your next class.  You were even able to get on Facebook before!  Except then the teacher is giving you information about the class final, and you pull up your notes to make sure you remember the information, and you see a note you've forgotten about.  You have a grammar test.  To take online!  Due tomorrow!!  You make a mental note of it, but there's nothing you can do now.  You finish class.  You head to the building where your next class is held and plan on doing homework before it starts, because you have an hour-long wait.  You joyfully turn on your computer and hope that the connection will be better here.  And it is!
For about ten minutes.  Then it kicks you off again, and you want to bang your head on something in frustration, but the only thing to bang your head on is the brick wall behind you, and the laptop in front of you.  The brick wall will hurt too much and grab at your hair, and as frustrated as you are with the internet connection, you can't blame your poor computer for that.  So you sulkily settle with listening to depressing music until class starts. 
On the plus side, I did get my homework and the grammar test done, when it was due, I got home early thanks to the buses, and some friends gave me a ride home from the bus stop.  Thank you, my lovely friends!
By the way, for those who were wondering, the cloak is black velveteen with silver lining.
Hope your day was better than mine!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

I'm A Nerd...

So, just to show my complete and utter nerd side, I recently requested that a friend make me a cloak... since she had offered the same thing to Mia... as long as we bought the material...
It's epic!  And ridiculously comfortable.  I'm starting to wonder why on earth people stopped wearing them.  So lovely!
To continue on my nerdy post, I suppose I should mention that I recently finished the second series of BBC's "Sherlock."  Oh.  My.  Badness.  I mean, I knew what would happen, since A) I'd seen Robert Downey Jr.'s version, and B) I'd actually known before that, I'd read it somewhere other than the actual books, but still!  If I hadn't known what would happen, I would have been bawling my eyes out!  I actually felt awful for not crying anyway, because I should have been feeling bad for John.  Oh well.  Now I don't want to wait for Maaaay!
On a completely unrelated note, I'm thinking about going public on this blog.  Thoughts?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Cruella De Vil

Watching "101 Dalmatians", I realized just how creepy Cruella De Vil is.  I mean, seriously, who devotes their life to the skinning of animals to wear their fur?  Seriously creepy!  Besides, no one with a heart would want to skin all those adorable little puppies! 
Roger is really sweet, too.  He's so cute with Anita!  Why on earth do the princes get all the attention when there's such a goofy, sweet guy in London?
And I love the scene where the puppies are born.  Pongo's expressions are the best! 
Yeah.  I'm a Disney nerd.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Unconscious

One of the strangest things I have ever experienced, I experienced this morning, probably some time around three or four in the morning.  What could you possibly experience at three in the morning? you may ask.  Shouldn't you be asleep? 
Yeah.
Yes, I was asleep.  But strange things happen in dreams.  See, I think I have been watching too much Sherlock (as if that is possible!).  I had a dream that I was watching someone be attacked, and they were going to be drugged, so I knocked the needle away, except it stuck my finger.  I was trying to figure out if any of the drug had ended up in my finger, and then they actually did stick me.
Do you have any idea how weird it is to "fall unconscious" when you're already asleep?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

My Favorite Kind of Weather

Aaaaand...
Welcome to my favorite time of year!  When the snow comes in fluffy white flakes from a white winter sky!  When we get to wear scarfs and coats and boots, and pretend that our hoods really belong to cloaks, and we're walking through a winter wilderness.  When the snow is fresh white, unmarked, coating the world in a pure, blissful beauty!
Welcome to winter!  Enjoy!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

l Have Time!

Yay, l actually have time to post today!  Sorry, it's been a bit, busy with school and all that, but in my defense, l've had much longer waits before now.
So, you know that feeling where you just ate, and you're still hungry, and it annoys you because you don't have time to go look for something else?  Yeah, that's lunch every Monday and Wednesday.  l have got to find something to bring other than a sandwich to school. 
Then there's that feeling where you're stressing out over a homework assignment, and then you do it, and it's a million times easier than you thought it was going to be, and you're soooo relieved!  Lovely feeling that usually accompanies my power-point assignments.
Then there's that feeling where you're laughing at all your blog readers because you just went through and changed all your capital l's to lowercase l's. 
And then you laugh harder because you imagine your readers going through the post to check all of l's when to see if they're really all l's.

l promised this to Kay, by the way.  Lindsey Stirling: hip-hop violinist.  She dances while she plays the violin.  lf you don't think that's hard, take a look at what she actually does:

lntense, right?
By the way, l'm still using lowercase l's. ;)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Alarm Clock

So, in all the excitement of yesterday, there was one story I forgot to mention.
Since I was in the sixth grade, I have had a constant companion, a friend who was there for me even when I was ungrateful.  I took him for granted many times, but he always provided his services.
He was my alarm clock.
Well, yesterday, around 7:20, said alarm clock, for the first time I can remember, stopped.  I thought, "Okay, no problem, first time it's stopped, I'll put in a new battery."  Well, I put in the battery, and then...
It still wasn't working.
My faithful alarm clock had really, truly stopped. 
So here's thanks to a good friend, and a fond farewell.  Enjoy your mechanical heaven.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Jumping Up and Down for Joy!

'Kay, so, not really, cause I'm at school and that might not go over well.  No, I'm not doing this during class, but there are other people present.
Back to my joyous news.  Ahem.
I JUST HAD A STORY ACCEPTED TO BE PUBLISHED IN AN ANTHOLOGY!!!!!
GAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!
So, what happened was, my friend Kay found this contest for fairy tales that ended on Halloween, and she thought it would be fun if we both entered.  So we both sent submissions in, but she sent hers in earlier, which means she got a response sooner.  I was thinking I wouldn't make it in, but I just checked my email, and it was there!!  They want it!!!
I'M GONNA BE PUBLISHED!!!!

Fare thee well, friend.
Mira

Sherlock

So, I have recently discovered the joys and wonders of the amazing (attractive) Sherlock Holmes, as portrayed in BBC's "Sherlock."  All Sherlock Holmes movies I've seen are funny, but this one is actually relatable!  It's a contemporary version, Sherlock is cute, and, while watching, I've discovered something:  I have more in common with Sherlock Holmes than I realized.
For one thing, I was doing homework yesterday involving proofs (you remember those, right, those freakin' annoying problems where you have to prove why this is this, when everyone and their dog knows that it's right?).  I hate proofs, with a passion. I realized that both Sherlock and I hate having to prove our logic. 
Another thing is that bad things tend to happen when we get bored.  Granted, Sherlock shoots holes in the wall, and I just write a really bad rough draft for my homework, but still.  Oh, and we both wear scarves! ;)
In any case, Sherlock is amazing.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Snow!

Fluffy white flakes, floating gently from the sky...
I love snow!  Don't necessarily love driving in it, but I do love snow!  Something about the cold in the air reminds me that I'm alive!  Plus I love winter fashions, the scarves and boots and things...
It's funny to watch a class full of college students go berserk over snow, though.  Not that we saw much of it, but still.
Sorry, I'm a bit random today.  Lack of sleep, cold weather, you know the drill.  In any case, I love this weather!  Welcome to winter, my friends!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

It's Done!

There are two things I hate when it comes to writing classes.  One is research.  I hate looking things up for school.  If it's for one of my books, I'm all for it!  If it's for an assignment, it is beyond boring.
The other thing I hate is group work.  Growing up, I was in that awkward category where you're willing to work, and not all that popular, which meant that when it came time for group work, either a) the teacher would assign me to work with a group that wouldn't do anything just so they could turn something in, or b) the teacher let us pick our own groups, I would get picked last, and the teacher would assign me to a group that wouldn't do anything anyway.
Yeah.  I really hate group work.
Can you guess what I just had to do in my writing class?
Now, this time I wasn't actually stuck with a group that wouldn't do anything.  It was actually mostly a great group.  The problem was that I couldn't find any good research, and then I misunderstood certain deadlines, and one girl was so freaking antagonistic and was making me feel stupid even though I didn't need much help with that because I already felt like I was ruining everything and...
Needless to say, I'm glad we finally turned that stupid paper in today.  There's a reason my preferred sport is an individual sport.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Written for Someone Else

So, a few weeks ago I had something really special happen, and I thought I would share it.
See, for those of you who don't know, my absolute favorite author is Shannon Hale.  She wrote The Goose Girl, Princess Academy, and most importantly for me, Forest Born.  A few years ago, I was struggling with a bit of depression.  I don't know how really serious it was.  I was never diagnosed with anything.  The point was I firmly believed that if I were to die, no one would ever care.
There were several things that helped me get through this period.  One of them was Shannon Hales Forest Born.  Everything about her character, Rin, was exactly the way I was feeling: invisible, unimportant, overlooked, and overshadowed by those more outgoing than myself.  Reading about Rin's journey and her learning about her own uniqueness and importance really helped me.  I think that book inspired me more than anything else I've read.
Well, a few weeks ago, I had the chance to meet Mrs. Hale.  She was doing book-signing at the local Barnes and Nobles.  I was so excited to finally have the chance to meet this woman who had changed my life!
I admit I was nervous at first.  How was I supposed to tell her how she'd helped me?  Was it even worth it?  Would she care?
I started simple.  I just had to know.  I asked her where her inspiration for Rin had come from.  Her answer stopped my heart.
She told me that all her other characters had been really easy, because she was writing them for herself.  Rin was difficult because, somehow, she felt like she was writing Rin for someone else.
There could be many girls Shannon Hale wrote Rin's story for.  But I know that if it was only written for one person in the world, that person was me.  Heavenly Father uses our abilities to strengthen others.  May we always remember the love that God has for us, and be willing to put out talents to His purposes, because He can make more of us than we could ever make of ourselves.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Stupid Break

I officially hate my school's policy on breaks.  Mainly because we don't get them.
Oh sure, we get the MAJOR holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we get out earlier than most other schools, but that doesn't really make you feel better when you wake up two or three hours before you really want to, and everyone else is sleeping in because they're on break, and you're going crazy because you have a million and one projects you need to get done, and if you had ONE break day you know you could do it without going crazy...
Yeah. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Owl City

I officially love Owl City's Midsummer Station album.  Actually, I officially love Owl City, but lately I've been listening to this particular album, and the music is so beautiful!  My two favorites at the moment are "Paper Tigers" and "Silhouette."  I find them very soothing.  Look them up!  They're lovely!  Though I also enjoy "Embers" and "Dreams and Disasters."
Such a talented man.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Long time no see...

Wow.  Sorry I haven't updated in so long, guys.  School and all that.  Hey, did you all see the newest episode of "Once Upon a Time?"  If not, SHAME!  Watch it.  Now.
Unless, of course, you haven't seen the first season.  In which case: Watch it.  Now.
Just saying, Mulan and Aurora are going to be an intensely epic friendship... once they learn to put their differences aside.
So yeah... about school... Can you believe I'm already taking midterms?  The semester is already a third of the way over!  I want to rejoice!  I cannot wait to start a new semester and be done with these classes!  Not that I dislike them, I just want to do different classes... that don't involve three-hour breaks... so I can actually get a job... :)
On the plus side, I got my license!  I can finally drive!  It feels both wonderful, and terrifying!  Hopefully I don't kill anyone! ;)  Still plan on taking the bus for the rest of the semester, though.  I don't want to deal with all the traffic around campus.  What a nightmare!
In any case, I promise to try to update more often!  Hopefully I'll see you soon!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Diet Water

So, you know that feeling you get when you're told halfway through the day that you've got something going on in the evening, and you're surprised and a little disappointed because you had plans?
Yeah.  Yesterday I unexpectedly participated in an elementary school carnival for my fencing group.  They had requested we come because their theme was the Olympics.  I wasn't all that disappointed, actually, because I had just been planning on doing homework later that night, and it was fun.... ish.
In any case, afterward Mom, Mia, and I, decided we wanted to go out to eat at Mimi's Cafe (all the boys were gone).  If you've never been, I highly suggest it.  Not only is the atmosphere relaxing and calming, but the food is to die for!
Anyway.
It's our favorite place to eat, so we go there a lot.  Consequently, we recognize some of the waiters.  However, I didn't think any of the waiters would recognize us.
Until last night.
See, a little while ago, there was a forward Mia got that was absolutely hilarious.  It was a list of ways to "maintain a healthy level of insanity."  My personal favorite was to run out of a zoo screaming at the top of your lungs, "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!! THEY'RE LOOSE!!"  Sadly, I've never been able to try it, since I'm pretty sure it's illegal.
However, there was one item on the list we try on a regular basis.  It instructs to you request, with a completely straight face, that the waiter bring you diet water.  If you've got the right kind of waiter, it's hilarious! 
Well, at Mimi's last night, we ended up having one of the waiters I recognized.  He looked at us and said, "You look familiar."
Says Mom, "We're the ones that asked for diet water."
"Oh!  Now I remember!"
Kinda pathetic, right?
It gets better.
A few minutes later, one of his fellow waiters, I guess he was helping him out, came and brought our appetizer.  He looked at us and asked, "I think I've seen you ladies before... you're the ones that ordered the diet water!"
We have a reputation!
I'm not sure whether or not this is a good thing.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Hey! I know him!

So Mia and I were showing Mom the pilot episode of "Once Upon a Time" yesterday.  For those of you who don't know, I have gone a bit obsessive over it and have been looking up information on the next season like crazy.  So far the new fairy tales they're dealing with involve Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Arthurian Legends, and Mulan (technically not a fairy tale, but I think it's funded by Disney, so it works.  Hey, Jiminy Cricket isn't a fairy tale either!). 
Anywho.
Showing Mom pilot episode, which involves Prince Charming's war council.  You always notice more things the second time around, and this time around...  I spotted a character that isn't supposed to show up until the second season!
I spotted Sir Lancelot!
Personally, I want to know how he got on the war council, because according to my sources, he's having honor issues when you meet him.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Stupid ID card...

So, one of the most annoying parts of school is having to watch videos you have no interest in.  It also doesn't help when you have to check it out from the school library.  And it especially doesn't help when you can only check DVDs out of the library with your ID card. 
I bet you can guess what happened yesterday. 
I go to check out a DVD for my World Religions class.  Now, I had had some issues with this before.  See, since everyone in the class is supposed to watch it, the first time I went to check it out all the copies were gone.  Well, the guy at the desk said that was fine, he would just show it on the school channel, but I had to get on one of the computers in the library in order to watch it.  Well, the first computer I tried wasn't working, so I switched.  The next one wouldn't let me log on.  I actually got one that did work, and it didn't have the right plug-in.  It was ridiculous!!!! 
Well, I go the next day, hoping that I can get in early enough that there will actually be a copy.  Joy!  I do!  Except, when I go to check it out, I don't have the ID!!!!!!!!
Bah.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Apple Turnovers

Hey guys, sorry I took so long, just finished up my first week of college.  I'm thinking this semester I'll only be able to update weekly. 
So, we just finished watching "Once Upon a Time" with my fencing buddies, and there was a bit of an interesting story to go with it.  See, our friend Heather is the one of the few that has seen the entire show.  She's the one who was showing us.  Well, the night we finished, she brought us apple turnovers.  She likes to bake, so I didn't think anything of it, other than, "Heather, you're so great, these are amazing!"
Little did we know that in one of the episodes, a certain evil queen tries to knock off the main character by giving her part of Snow White's poison apple.  Except, she can't just hand it to her, mostly because it already had a big bite taken out of it.  So what does she do? 
She bakes it... into an apple turnover.
The minute we saw it going in the oven, we all turned around, crying, "Heather!"  She just laughed.  There were blackberries in it as well, and they counter-acted the poison.  So we're all living and had a good laugh.  I'm officially addicted to apple turnovers. :)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Stupid Beeping Alarm Clock.

Now that Mia and Little Brother are going back to school, I have remembered the one thing I hate about the school year more than anything else combined.  Every night I go to sleep, having interesting, intriguing dreams, feeling so rested, when all of it is shattered by the constant, merciless, inane sound of, "Beep!  Beep!  Beep!  Beep!"
At which point I hit the snooze button, only to be woken again five minutes later.  "Beep!  Beep!" 
It gets so bad that about halfway through the school year, I don't even wait for the alarm clock anymore.  I'll wake up half an hour earlier than I wanted to, startled out of sleep by a terror that stirs within me of being late for school, and then I'll groan because I have a whole half an hour, but I will never ever get to sleep in that amount of time, and it would be pointless anyway because then the alarm clock really will go off, but I'm still too tired (and stubborn) to get out of bed early.  It's really annoying when it happens on weekends.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Blisters

One of the greatest things about fencing is the "battle scars" you acquire.  Kay once had a bruise that completely covered her right upper arm!  Well, the other day I was fencing.  It should have only been a ten-to-fifteen minute bout, but since both me and my opponent rely heavily on parries, we ended up having a thirty-five minute bout.  (Little Brother claims it was forty.)  All was well and good, we were a little bit tired is all, but then in my next bout, I noticed my forefinger was hurting a bit.  And then a bit more.  And so on and so forth.  I pushed through it until the end of that bout, and when I pulled off my glove, I not only had gotten a blister, I had already popped said blister AND pushed some of the skin back.
Nasty.
Luckily, Coach had a box of band-aids to help ease the pain during that night.  Not so luckily, I also had a tournament coming up that Saturday.  I was a bit worried, but it didn't give me too much trouble.  I even got third place in foil!  But then it split today, and has been giving me grief.  Oh well, I suppose I can just deal with it.  One of the sisters in the stake makes this amazing salve that heals things in a jiffy!  Guess I'll work with that for a while.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Crazy kitty

Hey, so sorry it's taken so long to update.  Been a bit busy over here, stressing about a new school year at a new school with new expectations... and dealing with a crazy new kitty.
See, Merida is a bit more like her namesake than we had realized.  She is constantly jumping on things, especially her carrier.  I personally think she has deep-set hate for that thing and is currently trying to find the slowest, most painful way to kill it.  Good thing it's not alive.
She also doesn't seem to grasp the concept of sleeping at night.  She's always up and moving, and she prefers to sleep on poor Mia's bed, so Mia doesn't sleep well at night.  I feel a little gypped.  Apparently she waited up for Mia last night, and as soon as she got back, slept with her instead of me.  Lame.  Oh well, she's a cat. 
Needless to say, I'm a little frazzled right now.  Hopefully things will get better once school starts. (Yeah right!)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Stories Come From Anywhere

One of the great things about being a writer is that you can get ideas from everything.  Including puzzles!  Yesterday we took our nieces and nephew to a museum, and while at the gift shop, I spotted a puzzle.  I'd actually seen the puzzle once before, but I couldn't justify buying it.  The thing was, this puzzle is just so rich!  It's a picture of three girls talking with a group of dragons.  I had to buy it, and within half an hour, Mia, Kay and I had pieced together a great idea for a story from it!  Most of the plot, all from one little picture!  I'm excited!  Can't wait to write it, can't wait to put the puzzle together!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Merida Rose...

So, my mom doesn't really like cats.  She banished our old cats to living outside when they started marking the house.  So you can imagine my surprise when my nephew, whom we have been babysitting for the past couple days, said something about a cat in the car.
O.o  Cat?
See, he was asking if the cat had gotten out, and I had assumed it was his cat he was talking about since we were feeding his Siamese and had a bit of a scare, but then Mia started shushing him, and I was starting to get a sneaking suspicion...
So Mia went into Mom's bedroom and came out with a black-and-white zebra-striped carrier holding a six-month old bundle of sheer adorableness!  A tortiseshell (the only kind of cat my Mom has ever liked) with green eyes becoming yellow near the edge.  She had already been named:  Merida Rose.  The "Rose" bit is because said nephew had been at the store and wanted to name her "Rose Tyler," from Dr. Who.  We have discovered she likes to be pet, doesn't like to be held, (she still has stitches from a neutering), will play with anything dangling from a string, and doesn't like to be lonely.  I think that has something to do with the fact that they got her from PetSmart, in one of those tiny kennels.  On a related note, she doesn't like to sleep cooped up.  She also really likes my Tweedie pillow, but I think that's because it has little "hairs" that stand up on the top of its head.  What can I say?  They're fun for a cat to play with.
In any case, I joyfully welcome the new beauty into our home.  Hope she enjoys it!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Welcome back...Dr?

For those of you who don't know, I am a complete movie junkie, especially when it comes to the Marvel universe.  I have to admit, I've been looking for new information on their movies ever since The Avengers came out, and especially for Thor.  I've been excited to find out who the villain in the sequel will be.  Originally they wanted to get Mads Mikkelsen, and supposedly had actually cast him at some point, but he had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.  I admit I was getting a bit fed up, until today, when, looking online, I found out just who they had cast.
(Pause for dramatic effect...)
THEY CAST CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON!  They doctor is playing the villain in Thor 2!  I am soooooo excited!
Man, the wait for that movie is going to be forever!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Apricots

You know, a lot of people, when they can fruits, will have days at a time where they can't stand to even look at that fruit again.  I will admit that canning is a messy, long, tedious job, but personally, I enjoy it.  Particularly canning apricots.  I like using the little knives, don't ask me why.  I like trying to get the cut so it follows the line on the fruit exactly.  I don't, however, enjoy having to deal with the squishy stuff.  It also gets annoying when the bowl you're using gets filled up and you have to stop everything to go and get something new.  In any case, it doesn't look like I'll be stopping anytime soon, because there are still a million apricots out on that tree out front.  Oh well.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Polar Bears

When most people think of a polar bear, they think of a great beast, rearing up in the arctic, roaring and swiping its paws.  After my trip to the zoo the other day, from now on when I think of a polar bear, I will forever think of...
A great white bear and a little boy, playing together. 
It was sooooo cute!  The zoo has a new polar bear exhibit, where you can watch the polar bear swimming underwater and above the water.  There was a little boy watching the bear, and the bear would go under the water, make eye contact with the boy, and they would both pop up at the same time!
And some people say animals have no feelings.  Psh!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Cough cough hack...

Y'know, I hate colds.  I think I hate colds worse than nausea.  Nausea is generally only around for only a little bit, and it usually goes away when you throw up.  Not colds.  A cold can last for weeks, and it's constantly in your face, like it's screaming for your attention.  It floods your face like an over-fed river.  It lodges in your throat and sticks there for days, so you can't talk, can't sing, and in extreme cases, have a hard time breathing.  You're constantly sniffing, and it's hard to sleep.
Yep.  I hate colds.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Defy Gravity!

Hey, so, sorry about the wait.  Girls' camp and all that.  This was definitely one of the best years I've ever had at camp.  It was amazing!  Everyone went out of their way to make everyone else feel happy and loved.  And Karu got me a Captain America pez dispenser. >:)
Coming home was fun, too, though.  Getting a shower, changing into clothes that weren't a T-shirt and jeans, and, of course, going to see Wicked in Salt Lake!
See, we got the tickets for Christmas, and we've been waiting for this forever!  My Gramma even flew out to see it with us!  Saturday it was finally here!
I'll admit, after having grown up on the CD, I was worried I would be disappointed.  Y'know, not what I expected to hear.
Oh no.  It was amazing!  Best moment was "Defying Gravity," and the second was "As Long as You're Mine."  It was so well done!  If you ever get the chance to see it, don't delay!  See the Emerald City, meet the Wicked Witches of the East and the West, and laugh at Glinda's attempts to make poor Elpheba "Popular."

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Dancing in the Rain

First off, apologies for not posting sooner, it's been a crazy couple of weeks.  Second, another apology for this week, I won't be posting for a little while.  I've got girls' camp.
In any case...
Have you ever danced in the rain?  I've always loved rain, but I've never actually danced in it until last Friday.  I discovered something then: it's fun!  You've got to try it sometime!  All the fencing girls grabbed hands and skipped in a circle, heads tilted to the beauty of the cloudy rain!  It was complete magic!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

The Chamber of Secrets has been opened...

For those of you who don't know, I am a huge Potter freak.  Recently J.K. Rowling set up a new website called Pottermore that allows you to search the "chapters" for new information she's putting out about the wizarding world. (It's a bit confusing to explain if you haven't been on.)  I finished the first book months ago and have been waiting for ages for "The Chamber of Secrets" to be set up. 
Finally.
After months and months of waiting.
IT'S HERE! 
Is it weird that I keep celebrating the fact that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened?
They have a bunch of neat new games, like degnoming the Weasely's garden and things like that, but I think the best part is that they have random Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans lying all around.  It's amusing to see this little round shape, pick it up, and discover just what flavor you have.  The weirdest one so far has been lavender-flavored.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

It stinks when...

When you do everything you're supposed to, and it all comes to naught.  Or worse, you do what you're supposed to and somehow make everything worse.  Do me a favor, and when you can see that people are only trying to do the right thing, be kind to them.  Don't tear them apart because things didn't go the way you want and you somehow think they're to blame.

Fare thee well, friend.
Mira

AP Test Scores!!

The scores are in, and the winner is...
Haha, just joking, I got my AP test scores today (finally!  They take FOREVER!)!  Just FYI, I took the literature test, which involves reading comprehension and writing essays on books you've read over the years.  The scores range from 1-5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the very best.
Anyone wanna guess what I got?
I GOT A FIVE!!!!  I was happy. :)  Life is good.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

A big, threatening BUTTON!

It's official.  I love David Tenant.  I liked Christopher Ecclestone playing Dr. Who, but David Tenant takes the win.  Not only do I find him more attractive, but he's also definitely funnier and happier and soo freaking EPIC! 
I like it.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Rain and Groban

There are some things that just go together.  Chocolate and peanut butter, Kay and velvet, and rain and Josh Groban.  That voice of his, so rich and powerful, with the rain pattering behind you and the smell of it so soothing and sweet, the clouds a gentle, calming grey...  Ah!  It's so perfect!  Rain and Josh Groban most definitely belong together.  I always listen to his music when it rains.   Y'know Julie Andrews' song, "Favorite Things?"  Well, this is definitely on my list.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Happy Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!  Here's a thanks for all those amazing people who sacrificed so much to give us the freedoms we have today!  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the countless soldiers who have given their lives for us!
Just as a fun-fact, did you know we have our very own Mulan story?  I think her name was Sybill, and she had a bullet-wound in her leg, and that's how she was found out.  She was given an honorable discharge. :)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Fires

Y'know how some disasters aren't as important to you because they don't directly affect you?  That's how I've been feeling about the fires all over the valley.  Not that I'm not worried about them, but I didn't think I personally had anything to fear from them.
Now I do.  The mountain closest to my home, the one I can see from the window, the one we would tell stories about in elementary school, has caught fire.  If it's another idiot with fireworks or something, I'm going to vote they get banned this year.  It's freaking me out a little bit.  I've got all the emergency stuff I'll need for my books just in case.  ;)
Hoping the fires are put out quickly.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Too... hot...

This is ridiculous.  This weather.  It's too much.  And on top of it all, our AC isn't working right.  No wonder I've been feeling sluggish all summer.  I can tell you, it makes sleeping a pain.  I go to bed with one cover because it's too hot, and wake up too cold at night. 
All I can say is, I hope we have a cold winter.  I enjoy cold winters.  I like cuddling under a blanket with hot chocolate and a good book after playing out in the snow.  Or a big thunderstorm.  I love thunderstorms.
Here's hoping for cooler, wetter weather!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

A Week of Injuries

This has been a really bad week for me.  One of the reasons I haven't been posting, sorry about that.  See, first off, I ended up getting this scab on my neck.  Apparently, when you pull off a scab that's not ready to come off, and it's on your neck, you bleed a lot more than normal.  And I seem to have this strange compulsion to pick at it, so I ended up finally putting a band-aid on it today.
Then Tuesday, we were in the garden, cleaning up a bit, and Mia and I ended up in charge of moving rocks so we could put down a new tarp.  I ended up doing something to my back.  Luckily, a good night's sleep did wonders. 
Except, then yesterday, things got a little more crazy.  I ended up rolling my ankle while we were getting ready to give the dogs a bath.  It was all right yesterday, but, I don't know what I did, I've kind of been limping around all day today.  I also ended up getting sunburned and not realizing it until later in the evening.  So yeah.  Not really my week.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Stupid lousy...

There are some days I really hate the internet.  Generally those days involve me having to do something extremely important on the internet... something like... oh, I don't know... REGISTERING FOR CLASSES!!!  It seems every time I try to do something important, IT WON'T WORK!!  It adds to my stress load, and it usually turns out to be completely my fault... like it was today... when I realized that the whole time I was thinking there was something wrong with the server I WAS TRYING TO SIGN INTO THE WRONG PAGE!!!!!!  WHY ARE THERE NO LINKS TO THE PAGE THEY WANT YOU ON FROM THEY PAGE THEY HAVE YOU ON?!?!
Okay.  I'm good now.
In any case, I can now sign up, but I have no idea what classes to take.  What does a freshman take the first year of college?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Brave

A few days ago I got to see the new Disney/Pixar movie, Brave.  My opinion?  Excellent!  It would have been cute to see a love story inserted somewhere in there, like in Mulan, but it was fine without it.  I officially love Merida!  Go Scottish princesses! 
Just saying, if I had to choose one of the three suitors presented, I would have chosen the one with the long hair.  He was a little full of himself, but you could tell his heart was in the right place, and at least he would have a good sense of humor.  The other two looked like they would have a hard time stringing two intelligent words together.  In fact, one of them found it impossible!  I like intelligent men. ;)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Singles' Ward!

So, last Sunday I had my first trip to... the Singles' Ward!  I will admit, at first I was a bit nervous.  I mean, this is where people are supposed to go to find someone to marry, right?  So I was nervous.  But then, one of my school friends saved made room for me on her bench, and the talks were super spiritual, and everyone was really friendly.  Especially the guys.  ;) 
So I'll be looking forward to another week of Singles' ward, and the opportunity to make new friends!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Starting again

One of the hardest parts of being an author is having getting through those stupid rough drafts!  You have so  much you want to put in, but you want to get the basis of your story down first, but you still try to put everything in, but then you look back on it, and realize all that effort was pointless because you have to go back and do it all over again.
Except, it wasn't pointless.  You learn something new every time.  So here's to starting books over to make it even better than before!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Korra!

It finally came!  The finale to The Legend of Korra!  And it was epic!  One hour, jerking you every which way!  You had no idea what was coming next!  It was amazing!  So intense!  By the end of it, Sister and I were jumping up and down on the seat, hugging each other in excitement!  Get into Korra for the last episode alone!  So amazing!  I will be freaking out about it all day!

Fare thee well, friend, and watch Korra!
Mira

Squeaks

I realized something somewhat annoying about myself today.  I guess it had registered a bit before, but today was when I realized, "Hey, I do this on a regular basis!"  What is it?  I make noises when I'm startled.
Ordinarily, that wouldn't be a problem for most people, right?  Except, I'm not most people.  Everyone makes noises when they're startled, right?  I'm not everyone.  I startle easily.  Very easily.  It's the reason little brother is able to scare me every time I walk down the stairs, even though I know he's going to do it again.  So, solution to the problem?  Either be more wary, or stop making noises.
It is unclear whether these solutions are possible.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Rings

Sorry I haven't written in a while, the dishwasher broke, so any spare time I have I use to wash dishes.  If you're wondering, I did get that story to my friend just fine.
So, yesterday fencing, I ended up giving myself a blister with the ring I was wearing.  Now, there's a bit of a story behind this ring.  See, a few years ago, my gramma got me a ctr ring, and I loved it!  Wore it everywhere.  Well, then it ended up getting lost, and I was heart-broken, because gramma had died before I lost it.  Last Christmas, Mia gave me a replacement!  I was so excited!  I lost it a few weeks later in Capitol, and I was horrified!  Well, Mom bought me one more replacement, and I almost never take it off.  I'm terrified that I'll lose it again.  I always wear it fencing, and most days it's absolutely fine.  But for some reason, last night it didn't get along with the sword.  So I've got an unusual blister on my finger, but that's all right, because I gave my own hits on my turn. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Where is it?!

So, back right after my seventeenth birthday, when I first got my laptop (named Percival, if anyone's interested), I wrote a story that is never ever ever going to be published, but it was still a story I really liked, and one of my friends really liked it too.  She asked if she could get a copy of it, and I said, "Yeah, sure, of course, if you liked it that much!"  To my frustration, however, Percy doesn't really get along with our printer.  It wouldn't print.
I kinda forgot about it.  Y'know, life happens.  School takes over.  However, for school, I had to get a hard drive for my photo class.  Didn't occur to me until halfway through the school-year, "Hey, I can use this drive with my story!"  Actually, it didn't even occur to me.  It occurred to Kay, who then asked me.  Except, I kind of forget things easily, and with school and everything, I never really got around to it.  Then... SUMMER!  The joyous time when you can throw school-work into the trash and relax.  Now I could finally take the time to put story on drive, which I named Cap. 
Except, there was a new problem.  Cap had gone missing.  In this past year, I have learned something about naming things.  You shouldn't name them after something whose characteristics you don't want it to take.  Kay's phone, Loki, committed suicide after being named after a trickster.  Cap disappeared after being named after a guy who was stuck in ice for seventy years.  Be careful what you name things.
In any case, Cap had gone missing, and we kept forgetting to put it on Kay's drive.  Then, two days ago, I was grabbing a bracelet I hadn't worn in a while, and there, underneath, was Cap!  I was so happy!  I had my Captain back!  So last night, before going to bed, I got on Percy to put the story on Cap.
Except.
It had been so long since I'd looked at the story, I couldn't seem to find it.  RAGE!!!  Why?!  I was furious!  I had spent a good deal of time on that story, and I was rather proud of it.  Not only that, I knew it was on this computer.  Where the freak had it gone?!
After looking around FOREVER, I decided there was only one thing left to do.  I prayed.
After that, I found the sequel to the story (which I had never finished, by the way), and using the sequel as a springboard, I was able to use the search button until, oh joy of joys, the story came up!  Guess it hadn't saved where I thought it had saved.  I was so happy!  Tender mercy!  I quickly saved it where it was SUPPOSED to be saved, as well as on Cap.  Hopefully printing it out today will go smoothly.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Farewell, Dr. Hello, Dr.!

Dr. Who is an amazing show.  I love how completely goofy the Dr. is.  We usually watch it with our fencing group.  Last night, I had the privilege of watching the last episode involving Christopher Eccleston, who will always be the first doctor in my mind.  He brought such a flare and sense of fun to the show that will be greatly missed.
Farewell, Christopher Eccleston.  Now bring on David Tenant!

Unbridled Cuteness!

For those of you who don't like "My Little Pony," you are missing out on one of the world's most adorable shows ever!  For those of you who do like it, you may also be interested in the world's most adorable comic blog!  It's called Moonstuck, and it's about the years Princess Luna spent on the moon while waiting for the stars to aid in her escape. (Seriously, if you haven't watched ponies, just look up the first episode!  It's amazing!)  Except, Luna isn't in her Nightmare Moon form, so she's unbelievably adorable!  You meet Sea Ponies, and Bat Ponies, and Changelings, and a Moonitaur and her baby the Minitaur.  You also meet Science Woona, who uses amazing sciencey kinds of formulas and facts to explain certain things about the moon, such as the adorableness factor, which allows Woona, as she is called on the blog, to breathe on the moon.
If you're interested, here's the link: http://woonastuck.tumblr.com/  Immediately hit the first button so you don't hit spoilers! 
If you're not interested, enjoy a life without the unbridled cuteness of adorable ponies.  (Yes, that pun was completely intentional.)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Spiders... ugh.

Y'know how yesterday I was talking about that "House on a Hill" game?  Well, we played it again yesterday.  One of the most intense games of my life.... especially considering mine was the life in danger.
See, I've decided it's a really bad idea to be the one to start the haunt in the game.  That usually means you're either the traitor, or you're in big trouble.  Yesterday it was the latter.  (Actually, it was both, since we played twice, but that's not the game I'm talking about).  What happened was I got bit in the catacombs and started the haunt, which involved me getting stuck in a giant spiderweb and having a Shelob-sized spider inject eggs into my abdomen.  She wouldn't kill me until they hatched, but that was about the only bright side.
Let's see.  Stuck in a spiderweb, said spider's babies waiting inside of me to hatch and eat me, unable to help as my friends feverishly try to fight the spider off.
Ironically, I was the only one to survive that game.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

House on a Hill

So, there are many things you shouldn't do before you go to bed.  For example, it's a really bad idea to drink a lot of water before you go to bed, because then you'll be up in the middle of the night having to use the bathroom.  Another is eating a lot of sugar, because you just won't be able to sleep.  What I discovered last night was that you shouldn't play creepy board games before bed.  It makes the house freaky.
See, Kay just got this new board game called "Betrayal in the House on the Hill."  Whoever came up with it must have been a brilliant monster book novelist, because when you play, there are a million different scenarios all involving monsters or ghosts or, most recently, cannibals.  It's a fun, brilliant game, like candy for writers like myself and Kay, but it tends to play with the imagination a little bit.  It can get really scary at night, especially when you ask another friend whose text-tone is an evil laugh to keep texting you throughout the game so you can get freaky noises.  >:)
Anyway, fun, fun game.  Just don't let me play it at midnight.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Waiting for Episodes

So, for those of you out there who don't enjoy watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender," I am so sorry.  It's one of the most intense stories I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying.  However, you do have one advantage over those of us who do enjoy it.  You don't have to wait for episodes for "The Legend of Korra."
Waiting for a new episode is like waiting for a new book in a super-good series, except that you get it in chapter increments instead of volumes.  Nothing is more infuriating than having to wait a whole week to see what the heck is going to happen after a ridiculously intense cliff-hanger!  What makes it even worse is knowing that if I want to watch it on my computer, I have to wait two whole days more than when it originally comes out!  Gah!
So, next week will find me anxiously devouring the season finale to season one of "The Legend of Korra."

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Scottishness!

So today we went to the Scottish Festival at Thanksgiving Point!  It was fun!  Everything was horribly overpriced, but it was still fun.  I think the best part was watching the big, buff men in kilts trying to prove their manliness by chucking a big weight over a bar.  One of them would consistently throw his weight so that it landed withing inches of his face, and he never even flinched, even though the audience was terrified.  I think he was doing it on purpose.  We stopped watching after one of them accidentally threw his weight and knocked the bar down. 
Y'know the most depressing part?  I finally found somewhere I could actually get a cloak with a hood.  Except, they were sixty bucks!  So I wasn't going to buy them, only then I decided I really, really wanted one, so I decided I would get one.  Then when I looked at them again, I realized there were no really cute ones that I would consider being worth sixty bucks, so I ended up not getting one anyway.  Oh well.  I'll just get my own material and ask a friend to make me one.  That way I can have more choices, and it will be somewhat custom-designed!  Sort of. :)
So while I'm on a Scottish kick, I figured I would explain about my oh-so-interesting family background!  See, my family comes from Scotland, and at last year's Scottish Festival, we decided to see just which clan we would belong to.  Except, what we found out is that we don't have any clan at all!  See, what happened was that my family did come from Scotland, but we're originally from Ireland, so we don't belong to a clan.  We're what's known as "dirty Scotts."  Hm.  It makes me wonder what life was like for my Irish ancestors living in Scotland.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Happy Movies

I've discovered that when life gets you down, a marvelous way to deal with it is to put on a Disney princess movie.  A really, super-sweet romantic one like Sleeping Beauty or Beauty and the Beast.  Of course, The Lion King is always a good choice too.  I love Disney.  It's a marvelous thing. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Sweet Stories

So I just finished critiquing  a story for a friend, and it amazes me how amazing some writers are.  In just one or two drafts, they have such a tender, touching tale that I just can't put down!  I, on the other hand, struggle hopelessly trying to get through a rough draft because I want it to be perfect, then go over it again and realize I have a million problems that need to be fixed in a second draft, and then a third, and so on.  I've discovered it's easier for me to write revisions.  Then I have the general plot-line down, and I can just make the various changes I need then. 
In any case, congratulations to my lovely friend on her amazing accomplishment!  Well done!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Dusty Days

Y'know, most days I really enjoy working in the garden.  It's a pleasant way to just take some time to think and enjoy the day.  However, I really prefer working in the kitchen.  The reason for this is that, while gardening most days can be beautiful, there are some days when being outside is a really bad idea.  Days like yesterday.
I hate allergy season.  I hate having my nose itch, and I hate sneezing.  Guess what happened yesterday?
We had that crazy windstorm.  Bleh.  And I was gardening in that windstorm.  Bleh.  And there was a lot of dust in that crazy windstorm that made my nose itch and sneeze.  BLEH! 
I think today I'll just hide out inside. :)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Lily's Eyes

For those of you who haven't seen the musical version of The Secret Garden, it introduces a new character, Dr. Neville Craven, and you find out he was in love with Collin's mother as well.  I adore this song!  I have a problem where emotionally wrenching music is just amazing to me.  I kept looking this up yesterday, so I finally decided I would just post it and see what everyone else thought.

Remind you of Snape, anyone?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Medallions :)

So yesterday something very momentous happened.
Also something very unusual, though not at all bad.
See, yesterday I got my Personal Progress award, which also includes a beautiful golden necklace.  With a little ruby in the center of the rose. :)  Beautiful.
Well, I got the award.  That was the momentous part.  The unusual part was that sister and mother got theirs at the same time!  See, sister and I have been in Young Women's together for many years, and she happens to work faster than me.  There's also the stubborn part of me that won't do something if people keep saying I need to do it.  So, though she is younger, she got hers at the same time as me.  And in the Personal Progress program, mothers get to work alongside their daughters, so mother got hers as well.
But mine was the only one with the ruby.  *smug smile*  The other two wanted plainer medallions.

Fare thee well, friends!
Mira

Who's singing?

So, we got back from fencing tonight, and my brother decided he wanted a snack.  While he was spending time in the kitchen, eating whatever he was eating, he mentioned that he was hearing music.  Myself being on my computer, I was asked if I was listening to something.  They also checked my mother's bedroom, the iTunes on the computer outside, and I even wondered if the high school might be having another party where the music is being blasted as loud as possible. 
It was none of these.
Eventually, we realized it was coming from the kitchen.  Then mother realized it was coming...
From the trash can.
Yes.  The trash can.
Guess we threw away an iPod that wasn't completely dead.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

First post!

Hello my friends!  Welcome to my first post!  I told myself that a blog would be my graduation present to myself, so here it is.  Weird to think I'm finally out of high school and going on to bigger, better things.  Like college, serious dating, marriage... have I freaked out any of my older siblings yet?  In any case, it's nice to be moving on.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira