Ugh, I don't know why I always put off posting so much. Probably cause the stuff that happens in my life is either boring or sucky, so I usually don't feel like going into it in great depth.

Ok, first off, I got that job I wanted so I start training there on Monday. Which means I only have THREE more days left at Borders! That's only ONE WHOLE BEAN EFFING FRIDAY, FOLKS! YIPPEE KYE YAY MOTHER...(oh wait, my little sister reads this...hahaha...) GOOSE!

So that should be cool. I can walk to work in about...oh...2 minutes tops. The edge of my apartment complex abuts the playing fields for the Children's Home. So yeah, very close.

My is very unhappy with me at the moment. I busted the water pump so now whenever I go anywhere, I have to pour about half a gallon of water into the engine so it doesn't overheat. I can't drive Zachy's car because the registration expired and he's off doing run around in the woods Army stuff until Monday (he's been gone over a week now...). At least once he gets home, he should be able to fix my car pretty quickly. It's just the labor I don't want to pay for.

So my fan fiction ended up winning a silver medal on the Dobby Awards, which is pretty cool I guess. Still can't believe that I lost out to a V for Vendetta crossover fic, but then again I didn't really think my fic should have been in the AU category to begin with. I mean, it's not fair that your fic should suddenly be shifted into the AU category just because new canon information came out. That seems kind of stupid. That means that probably 90% of the fics out there should be labeled AU. I probably could take that off, but then I'd have scores of teenie-bopper canon-fanatics complaining, "Snape was a HALF-BLOOD! And he WAS IN LOVE WITH LILY!" Geez, I freaking hear you, but that's what happens when you take YEARS to craft a work of fan fiction art. Later books get released on you. Dammit.

Wondering if maybe the Twilight craze has calmed down a little bit. Fortunately I haven't heard too much about it lately and I see less amounts of teenage girls at Borders clasping their SMeyers books to their young, tender hearts as though they could smush Edward inside of themselves by osmosis. *Sigh*

Er, let's see. A-chan is still fat and Nimmy is looking kind of skinny so I need to keep an eye on her. God, my life is so boring. All work and car trouble. Er...um...I entered a couple of graphics challenges on my forum yesterday. I was in a real Photoshop mood for some reason. So here's what I came up with in case anyone cares:

(Challenge #1: Make a banner of your favorite artist using the quote "When all I have to do is dream")



I can't believe this one came out so well because I honestly didn't do that much to it. 99% of the credit should go to whoever directed BUCK-TICK's "Romance" PV because I didn't mess with the colors and the background just mushed together perfectly. Random thought, but I discovered fonts for Japanese today! Yay! Now I can make my kanji look handwritten. However, I found this out after I submitted this, or else I would have made Acchan's name a little prettier...

(Challenge #2: Make a signature set (100x100 and 500x200) using your favorite flower and scenes from nature.)



I also used a quote on that one (cause we could as long as it was relevant) from the song, "Sakura" by BUCK-TICK since I'm sure most of you know that that's Japanese for cherry blossom. I just liked the image of sakura petals falling in the moonlight or something...very poetic and I think Atsushi would like it XD So yeah, that's what I did last night and this afternoon. I still need to make a signature of Avrille, my fic OC, for another challenge.

Inspired by "Romance" I also made the icon that goes with this post. The kaji spell "yuuwaku" which means "temptation," a very fitting word to be placed next to Mr. Sakurai, I think. I was going to use the old kanji for "sakura" that Acchan uses in his last name on the cherry blossom one, but I thought it was nicer with less stuff on it. I don't think I'll win either challenge since there are so many amazing and talented people on my forum, but it was just really fun to participate!

Um, so yeah. That's about it. I'm slowly trying to catch up with my friends' fics, but I get kind of ADD sitting at the computer and reading so I don't do it as often as I would like to. I got "Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness" for the DS, but haven't played it much cause I'm not loving the interface. I don't like games that don't give you the option to use buttons as well as the touch screen. The gameplay and plot looks good enough to make it worth the money, but I'm still sort of putting off playing it.

So that's it for me. Sorry for those hoping for something mad and exciting from me. It's all very boring here in Watertown. I don't normally do this "posting of lyrics" thing, but Acchan's lyrics are just so freaking beautiful I'm feeling the need to. I never really read these lyrics before, but the song always sounded so sad I sometimes would skip it. Now I'm just going to feel even more sad when I listen to it...

Sakura
Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi
Music: Imai Hisashi

Ah, please close your eyes for me, as if you’re sleeping peacefully
You’re probably already tired of acting, of dreaming, of everything
Your lifeless fingers fell, and you kept looking at me
Your voice made no sound, but you gently murmured

“I’m going soon…” without knowing any way to escape this blue room
Before the moon grows full, gently fly down to me
The waves are washing away, always, “it’s forever”

There’s no help for a broken body
The only medicine is sadness

If only you could sleep here one more time
Because this time, I’ll sing beautifully
If only the glittering stars would die out
Because at the end, I'll weep with my love

Ah, please close your eyes for me, as if you’re sleeping peacefully
You’re probably already tired of acting, of dreaming, of everything

In the fluttering of the full moon, gently fly down to me
The waves are washing away, always, “it’s forever”

There are no tears for deceiving pain
Only lies, and anguish

If only we could meet here one more time
Because this time, I’ll smile beautifully
If only the glittering sea would dry up
Because at the end, I’ll smile with my love

(Translation by the lovely, amazing people over at NotGreatestSite.net! I LOVE YOU!!!)

Hoo...ok. SO here I am again. Updating like, what, twice in a week or so? IT'S MADNESS!! So, er, not much going on, you know, like always. Working and working, and when I'm not working I'm usually playing "Persona 3: FES" or sleeping. I've already pumped 85 odd hours into Persona, which is very sad. At least it's something I feel like playing, cause there really isn't anything else. I still haven't even OPENED "Lost in Blue 3" and I got mad at "Silent Hill: Origins" about five minutes into the game so I haven't continued with that since then. I think I'm done with polygamy books for the moment, and I'm slowly making my way back into fantasy. Just finished reading Diana Wynne Jones' new book, "House of Many Ways" which actually is the direct sequel to "Howl's Moving Castle," though I think it definitely helps to read "Castle in the Air" in between the two or else you're like, WTF did this small child come from? Hehehe...I love Howl, but definitely not as much as Chrestomanci. Chrestomanci is definitely probably in the top 3 of all-time hugest literary crushes. Reading that book made me want to re-read "Howl's Moving Castle" so that's what I'm doing right now. I finally read my  "Tail of the Moon" manga #11, which I was rather putting off because I know it's going to be a good month or so until I have the next one. I love that manga, but most of the time I'm yelling at it, "When the &#@% are Usagi and Hanzo going to DO IT already??" I want them to have numerous little ninja babies running around! I'm actually pretty behind on my other mangas. I've been buying all of the "NANA"'s, but I haven't really read since like #6 or something...I'm also behind in "The Wallflower" and am pretty much stagnant in "From Far Away" and "The Queen's Knight," which Sylvana has offered to let me borrow but I keep forgetting about it...I just also finished reading "The Last Hero," by Terry Pratchett, which was nice cause I never really got over finishing the Discworld books. Dammit, I need LOTS MORE LORD VETINARI! Cause he's hot in my mind. And doesn't look like the pictures I've seen of him...He has a ponytail, I swear it!! I think he actually looks like an older Chrestomanci in my head, actually...

I've got most of my fabric for my next Ren dress, now it's just a matter of making myself sit down and MAKE the darn thing. I also need to remember to put in requests for time off at work for next month. Zach has about 20 days of block leave, but I keep forgetting that I DON'T, so I need to actually take time off as well so we can go camping and go to the Faire. I think it's going to be hella awesome...I'm really excited, and I know my dress will look HOT. You know, once it's made. Cause right now it's sitting as yards and yards of fabric in Jo-Ann's Fabrics bags. Dang. I don't want to sew...bleh.

So, since I missed a couple members of BUCK-TICK's birthdays (like Acchan! I don't think I did a REAL tribute to ACCHAN!) I'm going to do a MASSIVE shout out to Hidehiko here:


So, speaking of BUCK-TICK, I think I need to reiterate how FREAKING AWESOME THEY ARE!

I am so super stoked cause I just did my first load of laundry in our new WASHER AND DRYER!!! I never thought I would be so excited over an appliance in my life, but after three months of going to the laundromat we were SO ready for it! We actually ended up being able to afford it because we're getting two months of BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) for free cause we don't have to start paying rent directly until March. Woot woot!! We also ended up getting a brand-new fridge since the door seal on our old one wasn't good and apparently it was easier for the maintenance guys to just replace the whole thing. It's bigger and shinier than ever! (Well, maybe not really shiny...)

So today is shaping up to be a pretty gosh darn good day. I worked 8-1:30 so I got to come home nice and early. I stopped at Target to get some sticky hooks so I FINALLY got my awesome Pier 1 eucalyptus wreath hung on our front door, I cleaned up and vacuumed, and now I'm making some bruschetta with cheese to eat while I watch OotP!! Woot woot woot!! And to make today even more cool:

IT'S U-TA'S BIRTHDAY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, U-TA-CHAN!!! I LOVE YOU AND YOUR LITTLE UT-A CIRCLES!!