Sneaky

Y'know how a little while ago I mentioned that my characters tend to do things without permission?
It happened again.
Although, this time I can't tell, if it was me having an unexpected idea, or my character saying, "Hey, I wanna do this!"
All I know is that I finally figured out how to hint at a romance between a couple side characters, and suddenly my protagonist is deciding she wants to investigate to see if it's real.  Like I said, I can't quite figure out if that was me, or her.  Maybe we both just got the idea at the same time and were grinning conspiratorially at each other without realizing it. ;)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

White

There are many problems as far as winter goes.  It's cold; it's wet; you can't drive; it gets slippery.  Still, there are certain advantages to winter.  There are few things more enjoyable than walking and just having the snowflakes land in you mouth. :)  Or enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate.  Mmmm!  Love my hot chocolate.
I have to say, though, one of my favorite parts of winter is coming home from the bus stop and seeing the perfectly untouched, seemingly unending white.  Also, I love having the privilege of being the first to slog my way through all that beautiful snow.
And then coming home to have hot chocolate. ;)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

New Shakespeare

Well, I started my new Shakespeare class today, and I have to say I think I'll enjoy it.  I'm definitely sad to say good-bye to my old class, and my professor, but I do have one of my old classmates in this new class, and the new professor seems very passionate about the subject, so I think I'll get along well in this class. 
So, pros of the new class: Large class, so I actually feel more comfortable commenting.  I think in a smaller class it's a bit intimidating, since participating regularly allows people to make judgements about you and reinforce those judgements.  In a large class, people can and will forget about you seconds after your comment was made.
Cons of the new class: Late in the day.  I hate classes that start late.  I feel like I have none of my day left afterward.
So, here's hoping I will enjoy this class, as well as hoping my old professor will recover quickly!  I look forward to spending time in England with her next year, since, if all goes well, she'll be one of the professors heading the study abroad!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Spontuneous

So, my family has recently discovered an amazing new game called "Spontuneous."  It's actually really quite simple.  What happens is each player writes down a few words, each from a different song, and tries to see if anyone can sing a five-word portion of a song containing that word.  If they guess it, they roll the dice and move.  If they don't, you roll.  The catch is, if you don't actually have a song to back that word up, you have to move back six spaces.  It's a lot of fun, especially in a family that is obsessed with music (mine all the way). 
Is it bad that I feel proud I won the first two games?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Gold

 So, have you ever heard a song that reminded you of someone, and it made you laugh because it really didn't fit with that person, but in a highly ironic way it really did? 
Yeah, a little confusing.  My point being, I recently bought an Owl City song called "Gold," and for some reason it reminds me to no end of Rumplestiltskin from Once Upon a Time.  I mean, I know why it reminds me of him, ("Gold," Mr. Gold), but it just doesn't fit all that well, unless it was an encouragement video for our favorite magical dealer. 
'Kay, I'm doing an awful job explaining, so I'll just post a couple videos that would hopefully get the point across. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Fog

So, we've been having kinda crazy weather over here.  First we got freezing rain, which we NEVER get.  I was ice-skating across campus!  Then, thanks to the ice melting, last night we had the worst fog I have seen in a long time.  It was so bad that when we drove home from fencing last night, we could barely see in front of us (us including myself, Kay, and Mia).  We ended up having Mia stick her head out the window so she could see a bit better and tell us where we were going.  We also turned up the music and rolled down the windows so those we may be coming up on could hear us, since it was kinda hard to see us. ;)
When we finally got home, we ended up going outside and getting pics of the fog, since Kay is in a photo class and wanted to work with her amazing new camera!  It was intense, all the lamp posts looked like the will 'o the wisps from Brave.  It was the perfect weather for some wizard to come walking out of the mist!  Didn't happen, but it still would have been cool.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

A New Friend

So, today was interesting... Kay invited me to be in a writers' group with her, and I we were gonna meet at the city library.  Problem was, I didn't know where the library was.  Before you get on my case, this isn't the city I grew up in, this is the city right next to it, and I had absolutely no idea where the library was. 
That was okay, though, because Mom had grown up in this city, and she knew where it was.  So she and a family friend helped me figure out which bus to take to get to the library, since my car is currently uninsured.
But then I got off at the wrong stop.  Downtown.  Little scary there...  Luckily, I was next to the high school, and a couple students gave me directions.  They said I should just keep going straight. 
Except, I was, and then I didn't see a library, and I was starting to freak out.  So when I spotted another student, I asked directions again.  Then she said she was going to the library too!  What a relief!
So I finally got to the writers' group.  At first it was silent, since we were all reading each others stories.  But then when we finished, we were giving critiques and things, and it was great!  And then we decided to get lunch, since we were all starving.
And I decided I really like Kay's friend Ash.  She's a Whovian!  And a Potterhead!  She's a Slytherin on Pottermore! (I'm a Ravenclaw, btw.)  And she's a Merlin fan!  And a Sherlock fan!  And a Once fan!
We had a lot to talk about.
So here's to kind students and new friends!

Fare thee well, friend, be you old or new!
Mira

Options

I should have known how this morning would go when I saw the freezing rain.
See, we never, EVER getting freezing rain.  It just doesn't happen.  So when I went to catch the bus, it was late, which means I was late to my Shakespeare class, which is my favorite, by the way. 
Turns out it didn't matter much, though.  Yesterday my professor found out she has a tumor in her kidney, so she had to cancel the class to be treated. 
:'(
So I have a few options.  The first option is that I just switch to a different Shakespeare class.  Trouble is, the only one I can switch to is from three to four.  I HATE being on campus that long!  I feel like I have none of my day left!  Then again, I would at least be able to finish the course.
See, the problem is, the second option is looking much more appealing to me.  See, this same professor will be heading a study abroad in London next winter semester, and she really wants me to join.
Study abroad.  In.  London!  LONDON!!!! 
My one problem is payment, but if I can manage to find a job, I'll have an entire year to save up!  We'll be visiting Wales, Scotland, and Ireland as well, and I've always wanted to visit!  Seriously, life-long dream here, just plopped into my lap!
I guess you know what my answer will be. :)  My one other thought is that I need to either find a new class to take this semester, which the department is willing to help with, or I can drop it this time around and spend that time looking for a job.  Thoughts?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

One thing I despise about my American Heritage class is that they have required movies.  I really hate when classes do that.  It's like, "Hey, guess what, I don't think I control your life quite enough yet, so I want you to devote two more hours of your life to this class!"  I mean, if I'm going to waste my time with a video, I at least want to waste it doing something I picked.  I can't complain too much, though.  They showed it for us, and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
The video was called "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."  I would tell you the plot, but that would be really complicated.  Dumbed down, a ranger becomes a senator and goes to Washington, and is very rudely introduced to the way politics work.  The first half was exactly the way I expected it to go, meaning he embarrassed himself a lot.  I hate when characters embarrass themselves.  I think I empathize too much.  It's the reason I couldn't watch The Little Mermaid for years.  Fortunately, the second half of this video totally made up for it.
See, the guy goes filibuster, which means he gets the floor in the senate and refuses to let it go.  He gets to keep talking for as long as he needs... which ends up being about 23 hours!  The reasons for him going filibuster are long and complicated, so I won't discuss them here, because I don't think I could do them justice.  However, I can tell you that it was freaking hilarious.  Everyone's reactions to him were great, especially the guy in charge.  He had this constant smirk on his face, like, "This is democracy, folks!  This is the way it works, so deal with it!"  Definitely my favorite character.  It was a bit exhausting, there at the end, though.  I was feeling about as tired as the poor guy looked! 
So, if you've got two hours to waste, and you feel so inclined, enjoy! 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Um... Actually, I Think I'll Keep That...

So, my lovely friend Kay is kind enough to keep me updated on writing contests and the like that she thinks I would be interested in, since I'm too lazy to look for them myself. ;)  She's the reason I knew about the fairy tale anthology.  So she told me I should write a story up for a super hero anthology she found, and I was rather excited about it.  I'd had this idea that was a bit out of my usual writing comfort zone, and I was eager to give it a shot. 
Yesterday, thanks to my break from school, I was able to take the time I needed to write up the story.  I was so excited!  I loved my protagonist, and I really loved the supporting characters, and the villains...
And then I realized I'd run into a problem.  I didn't want to submit it.  I love the story so much I wanted to keep working with it, and make it into a novel. 
So, here's me, getting ready to write up a new story, so I can keep the one I've got.  Even though it didn't work out, I would like to say thanks to the prompt that gave me the "oomph" to get this story going!  I just know I'll love it!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Writers

I've noticed something about being a writer: we're a cruel bunch.  There's something about having complete and utter control over someone's life that kinda makes us go crazy.  Which is odd, because many of the authors I know in real life are some of the kindest people I've met.
I suppose I can find two explanations.  One is that authors realize that in order to grow, people have to experience pain, and that's why their characters have to deal with so many issues.  So that people can experience pain through the characters instead of in their own lives.  I know I've learned lessons through books before.
The other explanation is that kind authors are really just repressing their angry emotions, and unleash them on their characters when they write. >:)  Probably a combination of both. 
If you're wondering why I'm writing this, last night's Once Upon a Time episode left another Rumbelle wrench. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Anonymous Package

So, I was helping my brother move on Friday, and me being the slowpoke that I am, I got back home a bit later than Mia and Little Brother.  When I walked in the door, I was surprised when they started calling, "Mira, you've got a package!"
A package?  Why didn't you mention it earlier if it came in the mail? 
Apparently, it didn't come in the mail.  They said they found  it on the porch.  ???
I eagerly opened it, and found something that warmed my heart.
There were two notes, one about angels on earth, and one a poem about giving people angel wings.  The last item in the package was a little blue box with a white lid with blue polka dots.  Resting inside the box, under a smaller printing of the poem, was a beautiful brooch of a heart with wings.
:)
Thanks to my anonymous gift-giver.  You made my day then, and many days after that. 

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

A Pink Rose

So, I wasn't able to do the movie night, things came up, but we'll be there soon!  In any case, that's not what I wanted to talk about.
I observed today a most wonderful act of friendship (and possible romance ;)).  I was in the basement of one of my college buildings, waiting for class to start, and suddenly I heard harp music.  I was thoroughly confused, but decided it was probably a recording that a teacher had put on for their class. 
Nope, a few minutes later a woman who works in the museum they host in this particular building came down and let people know that there was a harpist performing in the gallery for half an hour, if we were interested.  I had an hour before my next class, so I was happy to go up and listen. 
It was amazing!  There's something about music that just leaves me feeling so completely relaxed.  I could feel all the stress from school just melting away. 
Well, a few minutes after I came up, a young man sat down a little ways away from me.  I noticed as he was walking over that he had a pink rose.  At first I was wondering if he was meeting someone afterwards, but I quickly put it out of my mind and just listened to the music.
Sadly, the music had to end eventually.  As the harpist was putting her instrument away, the young man stood up and made as if to leave.  I thought he might have a class he was heading for, but to my surprise, he didn't go to the exit.  He picked up his pink rose and took it to the harpist.
NAW!
It looked like they were, if not a couple, at least very good friends, and he had come to support her.  Her face was just shining with happiness!  Seriously, I just thought it was so sweet.  I think that young woman is so lucky to have someone so thoughtful in her life.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Facebook Spam

Dear Facebook,
As much as I love the site, and as much as I love knowing that people are commenting, I kinda get that information when I get on my account.  So please, please stop spamming my email inbox.  Sincerely, Mira.

Seriously, though.  It is ridiculously annoying to go and try to check your email, and then groan because you see a million things all from Facebook.  I get that people see my account.  In fact, most of the time I'm actually on Facebook when I check my mail.  I don't understand why they have to tell me twice!  I thought that was what the notifications were for!
Okay, I'm done.  Thanks for listening, hopefully the next post will be a bit more cheerful!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

World Building

So, being an author is sometimes a bit more intense than people may assume.  You've got to do more than just make up a story and put it on paper.  You have to make sure everything is logical, even in fantasy stories, and you need to make sure the characters are unique enough that they don't blend together, and they have to be consistent, and you have to build your world.
Now, let's halt right there and explain world-building.  This is not specific to fantasy worlds, believe it or not.  Every writer has to build their stories' worlds, whether it's a country, an entire world, or just a home.  Any of these could be considered a "world."  Each has their own unique history and rules.  You need to know these rules in order to really understand your stories. 
When I first heard of this idea, I admit I thought it was stupid.  I knew my world!  What were they talking about!  This sounded so boring!  But then I was having trouble with one of my stories, and I realized that it was because I didn't know anything about the world I was working in.
Sigh.
So I dragged my feet to my little black book, where I keep all the secret information about my books, and found a fresh page to sketch out a map.  And I discovered something.
World-building is ridiculously fun!  It just adds to the author's already bloated ego, because they get to decide what kind of wars this country has been through, and what kind of government that country has... the power is intoxicating!  >:)
So, here's to trying new things!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

SPOILER RANT!!

'Kay, fair warning for those of you who read this blog and haven't seen the most recent episode of "Once Upon a Time."  This post is going to be my rant.  So, if you don't want to know what's happening, don't read on.  If you have seen it, or don't care, go for it!
Getting ready.  Ahem.

WAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!  How DARE you, Killian Jones!  You stupid, rotten PIRATE!!  RAAAAAHHHHH!!!!  Rule of Storybrooke #2:  YOU.  DO.  NOT.  SHOOT.  BELLE!!!  IT'S NOT LEGAL!!!!  (If you're wondering what #1 is, it's "Don't mess with Henry.")  BAHAHAHA!!  Poor Rumplestiltskin!  Now Belle has lost her memory, and she won't remember Rumple, and it's heartbreaking, and I want Belle back, and the Canadian promo looks sooooo sad!  Why, ABC, whyyyyyy???!!!

Okay.  Not necessarily better, but hopefully things will clear up next week.  Though I doubt it.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Movie Night!

So, I had the strangest urge today.  I wanted to go out on a weekend.
For those of you going, "Um, Mira, that's actually pretty normal," I have to explain something to you.  See, I'm one of those hermity kind of people who are happiest hiding in their room with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.  I don't go out unless it's someone else's idea.
Except, today I wanted to.  See, I have a friend that I haven't been able to spend much time with, and today we ran into each other at school, and I was mourning the fact that we never get together any more... and suddenly I wanted to go see a movie with her.
O.o?
I'm thinking that maybe having my license might have something to do with that... ;)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Humanity Rant

So, last night I was finally able to visit a friend I haven't seen in a loong time, Kamari.  It was fun, we talked and ate caramel popcorn and watched movies... and had angry rants about humanity.
I think it all started when we got on the subject of endangered animals.  We ended up talking about wolves, and how we're miffed because people don't seem to understand the idea of "balance" as far as wolves are concerned.  By which I mean, I have heard people talk about completely eradicating wolves.  Um, hello?  Is anyone remembering that there is a reason the wolves were on the endangered species list?  Does anyone get that they just got off the endangered species list?  Does anyone remember that we do actually need predators and prey in the world, or that humanity includes caring about all life?
Sorry, sore subject with me.  In any case, that led us to people not caring about other people, and humanitarian things, and the fact that my biology professor made me buy an unbound "book" that cost more than my collected works of Shakespeare...
At that point we decided to talk about something else because we were getting angry.  My point being, why is it people have such a hard time caring for other people?  Is it really so hard to say, "Hey, do you need a hand?  I have the resources, let me help."  Is it really so hard to say, "Look, I don't believe what you believe, but I'm going to respect your beliefs."  Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with trying to share your own beliefs.  My issue comes when people do it with a lack of respect towards others.
Why can't we all just get along?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Much Ado About Lockhart

So, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but some of the fencers, myself included, will get together on Friday nights after saber to watch a movie.  I think it started when we wanted to get caught up on all the Marvel movies before The Avengers came out, and then we wanted to watch movies that involved sword-fighting so we could laugh at the staging, and it kind of just went from there. 
Well, I was describing my Shakespeare class to Coach, and then Little Brother (I seriously need to come up with more creative names) begged Coach to never take a Shakespeare class, at which point we all got highly offended, as he was insulting the greatest playwright of all time!  Well, we told Heather about it, and she determined to make a believer out of him.  So for movie night last night, Heather brought Much Ado About Nothing.  The version with Kenneth Branaugh(?).  I have no idea how to spell his last name.  Anyway, we enjoyed the movie, I don't remember ever laughing at Shakespeare so much, which is saying something, because Shakespearean comedies are amazing!  I think it was the facial expressions.  That and watching the guy that played Lockhart in The Chamber of Secrets skipping through a fountain because he thought the woman that played Trelawny might be in love with him.
Yeah.  It was great.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Life-Sucking

Sorry there was no post yesterday, I have recently discovered two things that just might suck my life away.
The first is my American Heritage class.  I'm all for learning about our American legacy.  My problem comes when a single class requires at least three essays, 10 service hours, three hours of lecture/lab time a week, two textbooks that must be read, as well as a whole list of online readings, and... AAAHHH!!!
The second is a bit more... fun.  See, Heather yesterday told me and Mia about this "vlog" on YouTube based off of Pride and Prejudice called the Lizzie Bennett Diaries.  You definitely want to skip the seventh episode, but other than that it is hilarious!  Kitty is Lydia's cat, and Mary is their goth cousin... It's funny.  It's kind of... well, life-sucking. 
Here's hoping I can keep control of my life. :)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

In Your Face

So, we have this dog.  A rather irritating dog.  Don't get me wrong, he's probably the sweetest, friendliest animal I have ever met.  That being said, friendly gets a bit overboard when you have dog breath jumping at your face while you're trying to protect the yarn you're using for a baby blanket.
I really don't like having dogs in my face.
Well, a few days ago, I had a dream said dog was getting in my face.  Like, leaping at my face.  And I was so surprised I jerked my head back.  And hit the corner of the dresser. 
That hurts!
Turns out it was just the cat, who is currently on my bad side, since she ripped my picture of Loki and Thor.  Seriously, what do cats have against paper?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

A Hat

Y'know, it's kind of funny what will make you happy.  Some days it's a beautiful sunrise.  Some days all you need is a big pile of chocolate.  Some days... it's a new hat.
I know I probably shouldn't have.  But Mia wanted to go to the mall, and when we dropped by Icings, I just had to try the hats.  And there was one that was just screaming, "Mira, take me home!"  I tried to resist.  I put it back and went to look at jewelry for Mia's date.  But I kept looking back. 
Finally I sighed, checked how much cash I had, and plucked it back off the shelf.
Who knew the lovely thing would be half off?  Hooray for sales!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Dead Dog

So, I heard this story a few days ago, and I'm still laughing about it.  I thought I may as well share it.  This is something Mia's English teacher shared with her, and then she shared it with us fencers. ;)
Apparently, someone related to the teacher's fiance lives in Texas, and they knew a Chinese exchange student whose host family was going out of town for a few days and asked her to house-sit for them.  She thought, yeah, sure, how hard could that be.
Two days into it the family dog died.
Unfortunately, the family lived in an apartment building, so this poor student couldn't bury the dog.  She finally decided to take it to the vet and ask them to take care of the body.  Except then she realized the vet office was on the other side of town, and she didn't have a car.  She would have to take the bus.  But did she want to be lugging a dead dog onto a public bus?!
She ended up stuffing the dog in a suitcase and taking it onto the bus like that.  It was obviously rather heavy, and one man on the bus asked her what she had in it.  She didn't want to tell the world she was carrying a dead dog around in a suitcase, so she just told him the first thing that came to mind.  "It's DJ equipment."
Well, they finally got to her bus stop, and she was still trying to lug the stupid thing around.  The man who had commented on its weight offered to carry it for her, since it was so heavy.  He took it from her... and ran off, thinking he had just stolen expensive DJ equipment.
>:)
I wish I could have seen his face when he opened that suitcase.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Swirl of Goodness

That special swish of creamy goodness... the crunch beneath my teeth... the wonder that is a Symphony Bar with toffee.  There is something about that beautiful culinary creation that is able to soothe the worst of bad moods, put a smile on the crankiest of faces.  Many thanks to my fencing coach for his generous gift of chocolate this Christmas.  I have missed my Symphony.  I fully plan on making the last little bit I have last as long as I possibly can when I finally pop it in my mouth.
Such good, yummy stuff.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Dresses

So many beautiful colors... so many gorgeous designs...  It makes me wish I had participated in more high school dances.  I was helping Mia pick out a dress for her formal dance, and found myself not helping so much as wishing I could try on the dresses myself.  If any of you were wondering, she chose a beautiful pale pink one with gold embroidery.  She looks stunning, her poor date won't know what hit him!  Or should I say that lucky kid...?
Seeing all these dresses gave me pause.  Why don't adult women get the chance to wear these kinds of dresses more often?  I mean, they have their wedding, but then they have to wear all white, and it's way too expensive to get bridesmaids all matching dresses that are that gorgeous.  But every woman likes to dress up and look elegant.  Why aren't normal, every day women given that chance more often?
Hmm, maybe I'll look into something like that... after this semester... ;)

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Growing

I think there comes a time in every writer's life when they realize their characters are more real than they seem.  For example, I have a book that I had the entire timeline for.  I knew which events had to happen when, and life was good.  Until I made the mistake of getting a very outspoken character involved.  She waltzed right in and said, "You know, I think I'm going to move things around a little."  We had a bit of an argument, which she won, and she proceeded to change things around while I sat in the background going, "But I though I was the author!!"  I've been very careful with her since then. :)
There are other ways for a character to become more real, however.  Recently I've been dealing with a character who has a lot of emotional baggage to deal with.  Suddenly, all by herself, with no push from me, she decided to grow up a bit.  I hadn't planned it, but as I wrote, I definitely felt her learning her lesson and saying, "Okay, yeah, I can do this."  These are the moments that make it worth being a writer.
Or they may be the moments that tell you I'm crazy!  Your choice!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Dry Hands

For those of you living in humid climates... I am jealous.  Extremely jealous.  Don't get me wrong, I love where I live.  It's just that I run into a somewhat distressing problem during the winter where I live.  You see, when winter rolls in, things get even more dry than usual.  It sucks moisture out of everything, including my hands.
I have really dry hands, especially in the winter.  They get so bad that when I was little and refused to wear lotion because it made everything smelly and I couldn't turn door handles, my hands would split and bleed.  Now I'm sure to put lotion on every night before bed during the winter (because no matter what anyone says, it still makes door handles impossible to open.  And before you tell me that I can just put it on the back of my hands, I will tell you that my hands crack most on my knuckles, and I can't get those with just the backs of my hands.) 
Unfortunately, I think this winter is going to be a bit harsher on my hands than usual.  Mostly because I have been putting lotion on, every night, like I always have, and they're still cracking.  It's painful!  Not a pleasant thing.  Sadly, not sure what else to do about it.  Oh well.
I'm a really negative person, aren't I?

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all!  Finally 2012 is over!  What a crazy, wild year.  I'm hoping 2013 will end up being a bit kinder to me, but seeing as we're talking about an entire year, that's not all that likely. 
So, highlights from this year:
-I graduated high school.
-I started college.
-I survived my first semester of college.
-I began attending the singles' ward.
-I got my first short story published.
-Oh, and I went to Tucano's for the first time...
-I survived the apocalypse.
-HOBBIT!!
-SHERLOCK!
-MERLIN!
Yeah, I'm an absolute nerd.  Enjoying it!

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira