Awesome movie

For my very first post here after being home, I just have to share this completely awesome short film with everyone.

mission call video

I'm still geeking out about it.

You guys.

I got to meet Megan Whalen Turner.

She Glowed, and floated three inches off the ground.

Really.

I have
absolutely no words
that can fully express
how totally
and completely
AWESOME
my mother is.

No really.

You all wish you had a mom as cool as mine.


When I called yesterday morning, all excited over the possibility of flying to California and meeting my favorite author, Megan Whalen Turner, in the company of (and with some help from) my other Book Friends (who are awesome, just by the way), I was informed that the exact dates of our family trip to Florida had JUST BARELY been definitely set... for the EXACT SAME DAYS as this trip to CA would be.

Now, I've really been looking forward to the family trip. I have. But MWT's series has been my favorite since 2007, and my roommies can attest to the extent of my obsession with these books. (As I read KoA just before officially moving down to BYU, my family has only had a watered-down version of this obsession, but knowing me, I think they get an idea of what my roommates go through in dealing with it.)

So hearing that I couldn't go meet my FAVORITE AUTHOR before she moves out of the country (and thence to the other end of the country) and I go on my mission and who-knows-what-else happens was kind of... disappointing. Except without the 'kind of'. Actually, maybe we should replace that 'kind of' with 'EXTREMELY'.

I'll just swallow my pride, own up to my absolute spoild-ness and admit that a few tears were shed over this. I blame Annie for being so understanding and sympathetic. Aren't you supposed to cry when someone is being understanding and sympathetic? I think that is some kind of rule.

Anyway, when I asked mom desperately if there was any way to change it, or maybe I could go to FL from CA, I would even make the phone calls (AND I ABHOR PHONE CALLS WITH A DEEP, DARK LOATHING... well, maybe not that extreme) or, or SOMETHING... she kind of got the idea that this author event, which would seem silly and unimportant to most people, was actually important to me. More important than a family trip to Disney World which I had seemed reasonably excited for. (Yeah, my priorities are completely wacko. Most people would take Disney World over Favorite Author and book Friends any day.)

So yesterday I was making stupid suggestions and making phone calls and... well, basically I felt like I was being an absolute pest and being the worst, whiniest, botheringest daughter ever. ("Oh boo-hoo, I have to go to Disney World. Everyone should waste time and energy and money over me. Boo-hoo." Gosh, I sound disgustingly spoiled. Yuk.) I HATE asking people to make changes for me, I'm an "ok, whatever works for you works for me, it doesn't really matter" kind of person. (At least, I think so. Maybe this is only an illusion I have of myself, and I'm actually an absolute pest. Urgh. I hope not.)

So by yesterday evening (it somehow seemed a longer time than just from morning-to-evening, but thats as long as it was) I had resigned myself to the fact that require too much bothering-of-other-people and being a self-centered pest, and that I would just content myself with sending my books to be signed and seeing the pictures of everyone else being there. And really, I would have alot of fun with my family, and it was probably for the best. I was still really disappointed though, and went to bed with a headache because I'd worked myself up over the whole thing. I mean, really, what did I have to be disappointed about? I would get over it. Really. It would just... be awhile.

But I ascended from the depths of the HFAC after class today and my phone buzzed to deliver me this glorious text message:

After all day on the phone and computer, I CHANGED ORLANDO TO MAY 2-6 SO YOU CAN GO TO CALIFORNIA!!!!!!

I called my mom. The conversation was short, but, well... you know.



Oh
my
goodness.

You guys.

I've been walking on air ever since. Not even finals stress can bring me down.


NOTHING, EVER, CAN TOP THE AWESOMENESS OF MY MOM.



Nothing at all.

Footloose and Fancy Free

Finals are over and I'm home for the holidays! Well, temporarily at least. I'll be heading back down to Provo to work (gotta pay tuition!) but I'm home this weekend, with no homework to do, no finals to study for, and new books to read--what more could I want? When finals ended I splurged somewhat and bought myself a hardback copy of The Christmas Carol illustrated by P.J. Lynch, because I could...and it was on sale, so really, it wasn't that big a splurge :-}. I'm really looking forward to reading it--Charles Dickens was a funny guy, and of course the illustrations will be awesome.

Now that I finally have TIME to tell all you blog readers (like, all three of you ^.^) what's been going on I can't really think what to say. Hmmm... well, some big news of the last couple weeks (heh) was that I got and ARC (Thats an Advance Readers Copy, to you non-book-nerds) of A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (the sequel to my absolute favoritest book EVER, The King of Attolia) which will be coming out in March or April and is MADE OF AWESOME (in case anyone was wondering). After I finished reading it I promptly passed it onto another obsessed fan, then to the next, then the next, who passed it on to several more, and I just got it back this morning and will be handing it off to the wonderful Shanelle tonight. (I really should try and count up everyone who has read this ARC, just to know, you know?) EVERYONE SHARE THE BOOK-LOVE. Book friends: I'm glad that you all understand me, and the awesomeness that is these books. And I'm glad that there is such a lovely concentration of us in Provo/Orem/SLC area.

We also had our roommate gift exchange and I got--wait for it--a Borders Gift card. Surprise! I also got a rather entertaining bookmark, with a pony on it--and it neighs when you press it. :-) I got Annie Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome... maybe as much for myself as for her, I'll admit, because I'll expect her to allow me to read it to her now. And she will enjoy it. Becasue Jerome K. Jerome was a funny guy.

I really don't have much else to say, so I shall now close :-D

Life is good.

Life is good. It is also very busy, kind of crazy, full of work and classes and drawing and homework with reading and sleep and suchlike filling in the cracks--but life is fundamentally, firstly, and generally... good.

I have noticed over the last few weeks that I smile alot more than I used to. A gentle smile, as opposed to a slight frown, has become my neutral I'm-just-walking-from-here-to-there-and-thinking-of-nothing-in-particular expression. I had come to accept that a slight frown is just my regular neutral expression, that I'm not a smiley person. I still don't think I'm a smiley person, but that does not mean that I can't or won't be "neutrally happy", if that makes any sense to anyone but me. Devins favorite joke on me is, "Stop looking so happy, Sarah." Of course he means it sarcastically, but seriously--I don't want to stop, now I've learned how. :D

Life couldn't possibly, not even probably, life couldn't possibly better be!

The Last Week-or-so--in bullet points!

-The trip to California was great and relaxing. I got to read The Scarlet Pimpernel to my mom and siblings (see book blog) on the drive and they enjoyed it. (Of course. Sir Percy is Made Of Awesome.)
-visiting cousins is fun. Its great to be back with my roommates though. We have Good Times.
-When I did laundry after getting home from CA I made a discovery. My Art Nerd tee-shirt officially has a big smudge of Thalo Blue on the back. I figure, it was only a matter of time. It was going to happen sooner or later. I'm just not quite sure how it did happen.
-The Book Slump continues, but thank goodness for Librivox.org, Karen Savage and the Awesomest Job Ever.
-I think that Conspiracy of Kings should come out sooner. Or that I should get an ARC. I should probably work on that...
-A cleaning check on FRIDAY? Fortunately it was a light one and I woke up early enough that I got all my cleaning done, and they didn't look too closely.
-I think this is the first year in several that I will NOT be participating in any parades. Have fun with that, guys!
-I love the Court Jester. It is an awesome movie.
-little babies are fun to sketch.
-ANNILYN CAME TO VISIT. AFTER SHE SAID WE WOULDN'T SEE HER UNTIL AUGUST. WE SCARED HER FAMILY WITH OUR DELIGHTED SCREAMS. ANNILYN, DON'T STAY AWAY SO LONG EVER AGAIN.
-made Rolo cookies for the first time today. Yum.
-a weekend to do whatever I want. I've done some baking, watched a movie with the roomies.... reading, painting, and more of the same will follow I'm sure.
-I still need to take reference photos for Noah's Ark.... mom, if you could upload the ones that we manages to get that would be MARVELLOUS.
-I love Tonks and Sunny. One day, I will have my own house. In it, there will be birds, books, a studio, a kitchen, and a dance floor. And maybe somewhere to sleep.

So

I haven't posted anything in awhile. This is mostly because I haven't really got much to say.

The job is awesome (as I've said) and I'm still getting used to, but rather enjoying, my free time (see book blog/list). Except for the fact that the hours of the MAC lab in the summer are cut short. Which means its only open for an hour after I leave work. Which is barely enough time to do anything. And I was going to develop my Drawing On The Computer Skillz this summer (*sigh*). I've been doing ALOT in Illustrator for Work (speaking of, I want to check with my supervisor to make sure its fine to post it in my art blog--it probably is, but just precaution, you know) but nothing in Photoshop. So me and the Pen Tool are good friends, but me and the Brush Tool & tablet.... eh, not so much. I guess I could draw here, but that would require borrowing Annie's computer and Jocelyn's tablet at the same time. Which is just... kind of alot of Simultaneous Borrowing From Roomies for Quite Awhile? Which I might do if I start to get desprate.

One day (*waving prophetic finger*) one day I will own my own MAC (complete with adobe suite) and tablet! And nice camera (that shoots raw but isn't too coplicated)! ONE DAY THEY WILL ALL BE MINE.

Anyway.

Shanelle is coming over tomorrow and I'm excited!

Shannon Hale is going to be at the Provo Library this Saturday and I'm excited!

Life is good and mostly stress free and I love it!

On a Star Lit Night

On a star lit night
Was a girl in white
Sitting right in the middle of the moon

And that girl in white
From that splendid height
Took flight down the path between the stars

Over cobweb cloud
Over forest proud
She bowed, looking ‘neath the star-strewn sky

For a flower white
Blooming in the night
She had dropped from her perch up on the moon

Over barn and spring
Over folded wing
Searched the girl, for her flower made of stars

Toward its shim’ring light
Gladdened by the sight
Did she soar, dropping down from purple sky

Taking up the bloom
Rising through the gloom
Of the dawn, toward the slowly sinking moon

From her lofty perch
Tired from her search
Watched the girl as the fading of the stars

Took away the night
And the dawns first light
Sang its song of brightness in the sky
And the girl laid down to wait for night.





Most of this poem was written in the last hour and fifteen minutes or so. Beacause the rhythm planted itself in my head out of nowhere while I was work. (Nowhere! I was shelving books and dusting and helping customers like a good little bookstore personage! I wasn't reading poetry or anything!)

Edits entirely possible, I'm not entirely happy with it... suggestions?

Complimentary, my dear.

Today was a day full of wonder and excellence.

Until I look back on it and realize that, while it was somewhat above average, the only real difference was feeling so happy. Maybe it was getting so many worries off my chest this weekend (Symposium speech, job interview, first swing team performance--all of which went quite well, yes, thanks for asking).

I slept in over an our later than I usually do this morning. This has a very simple explanation. I use my phone for an alarm clock--on vibrate under my pillow, so hopefully Caitlin isn't any more disturbed by my waking up than she needs to be. Well, I lost my phone yesterday. And Inkheart is a more gripping book than I was planning on, which I read before bed last night.

So I was about 40 minutes late to Intermediate Life Drawing this morning.

How is this good? My teacher lectures the first 30-40 minutes of class. It is all valuable information, etc., but he could really work on the animation in his voice, so I usually end up zoning out anyway. I arrived just as they were breaking up after the lecture and were starting the actual drawing... awesome.

My figure drawing looked decent, I thought. This is a good thing.

It was a beatuiful, blue-sky fluffy-cloud smile-at-the-sun day.

I had two hours before work. I had the leftover half of my ceasar wrap from the day before (delicious), checked e-mail and such, and did a couple quick run-throughs of the speech I'd be giving in my 4:00 class, public speaking. Today was the informative speech, so I would just be delivering a very summarized version of my Friday morning speech.

Work was good. I didn't have that many books to shelve, so I started dusting. I got a good excuse to stop dusting because there were alot of pulls from the shelf I had done and would be more in the next. (Yes, I know alot is supposed to be two words. This is me, not caring :-p so there.) I didn't want Janice to hate me for burying her desk in pulls she hadn't actually asked for, so I just wandered around asking customers if they needed help finding anything (they didn't, usually) and checking to see if the books were out of order (they weren't, usually).

Then I got to leave work early to go to public speaking. I ran down to the Lost and Found on my way (ish) to check if they had my phone... which they didn't. I'll keep checking, though.

Public speaking went very well. I definitely had much more preparation and practice than the others giving their informative speeches that day because I'd written a hugely long paper on the topic and given a presentation four times longer a few days before. I'd forgotten the visual aids I had wanted, which turned out to be a good thing because I probably would have gone overtime if I'd had them. As I went to sit down after the speech, a girl leaned over and whispered, "Wow, that was really good!" and the boy next to her nodded. During the break a couple people talked to me about my speech and complimented me on my choice of topic.

What can I say? Hero's Journey=awesomeness.

XD. (<= :D with squinty eyes.)


After public speaking I went to the Wilk Ballroom for Swing Club lessons. I had half an hour before they started to actually sit and read... oh joy! I wish I could have relaxed more during this time, but I didn't have my phone to check the time so I was wondering whether it was cancelled this week or....? But then people showed up.

Inkheart is exceeding my expectations, random side note. I am sometimes distracted from the story by reconstructing the prose (why didn't she just take that simile all the way to a metaphor? That sentence would flow better if she reversed those elements.... that is such a cliche.) but overall, very good. Mind you, I'm not even halfway though and my opinion could change.

Anyway, swing lessons. Before lessons actually started we were all standing around and the girl next to me said out of the blue, "I love your nose. Its, like, perfectly shaped and proportioned. And, just, yeah." An odd compliment, but I'll totally take it :-)

Today the intermediate group lesson was on girls working within the lead/letting the girls work within the lead. Like, not highjacking exactly, but just the girl taking control for just a couple counts and then letting the guy take up the lead again. All I've really learned to do with dancing is FOLLOW FOLLOW FOLLOW DON'T ANTICIPATE TONE TONE TONE FOLLOW FOLLOW FOLLOW so this was a great lesson. The lesson ended early ish so we had more time for social dancing afterward than we usually do. This was one of those good times where I was asked to dance alot and only sat out a couple songs. One time the swing coach (of the team I'm not on) asked me to dance and commented, "Wow, you're getting so good! You're really improving!" I, uh, did mess up a few times after this, but there is a no-reurns policy on compliments ;-).

Later another swing regular, Ben (there are like at least three swing regulars named Ben, which is fine because it makes the name thing that much easier, except for confusing them with the Dans...) asked me to dance and it was alot of fun. We didn't do any fancy moves or anything, but it was a really interactive eye-contact dance, with lots of silly grins and O RLY? faces and just playing around with simple steps.

Then we headed up for swing team practice. Before practice started a bunch of swing people were standing around in the hall talking and I joined them. Again out of the blue, Ben told me that I had really pretty rosy cheeks. "Whenever I see you, they're so round and pink and rosy, like that picture in the MOA." I knew what picture he was talking about, a very pretty one. The conversation turned to why my cheeks are rosy ("well, you always see me after I've been dancing,") complimenting my beautiful pronounced cheekbones and the classical beauty of my face. We went to team practice before I could start feeling really awkward.

At swing team practice we took a break from doing our routine. We learned that we're going to start learning another routine for an informal competition in a few weeks. We worked on doing a couple moves to use in later routines--one jump-and-spin one that I need to work on my landing for, and one jive one that I caught onto pretty quickly--and left early.

I had leftover Thai Ruby for dinner, thanks to the beautiful Caitlin. I love my roommates, especially the ones that feed me. :-)

Now I will do my reading for D&C, read Inkheart, and sleep.