Of Mabinogi and Plying Yarn

Mabinogi is having an event where you post this somewhere and tell 'em then hope you win.  So here's my random plug:

I've thought about posting what I'm doing in mabi, but I either forget, don't feel like posting, or think 'no one wants to read about that'.  Am I right or would that actually be interesting?  Probably not, running ciar beginner over and over is rather boring.

I finally finished spinning all but two ounces of my white wool.  I decided to ply it yesterday.  Plying is where after you spin it into a string (it doesn't like this at all) you take multiple spun strings or each end of the one you spun (I did the later) and spin them the opposite direction so they wrap around each other and don't keep trying to undo them selves.  To get at the beginning of it I wound it onto something else, part of a cardboard tube, then slid it off. (I almost couldn't)  I was told that it'd be bad if I let implode, so I used my thumb to stop it. It tried to take off my thumb by cutting off my circulation in return.  ._.  Kinda scary, I tried using something else (a sharpie) to stop it, but that fell out.  ><  It turned out not to mean total -doom- but I did end up with a lot of knots to figure out, with it trying to twist on itself the whole time.  I was refering to it with various phrases that tended to include 'gordian knot' (I heard this somewhere and it stuck with me) and 'snarled mass'.

Hmm... anything else... School is actually going well this semester.  I still need to come up with two topics for the web site project for Intro to Web Systems.  I already have an idea of what I could/probably will use, but I kinda wanted to come up with something I haven't done before, but that would still be possible.  Oh well, whatever.

Woo!  I get to go to a fiber store tomorrow! (Today)   I need to go to sleep... Maybe after an episode of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann...  (Squee~ <3)

Of Eeks and Languages

Bonjour!
I've discovered podcasts. Oh noes. I've already downloaded over three and a half gigs. ;.; Most of them are about learning a language. I don't want to get too far ahead in Japanese again because then I'll be bored and my mom will bug me about how bored I look. I'm listening to other languages instead. As I type this, it's 'Coffee Break French', obviously teaching French. I've subscribed to 24 language podcasts, not counting the two English ones, which covers 14 languages. O.o Eeks, I didn't realize it was that much until I went and counted. I don't really get what lesson three is talking about. O.O I just gained another gig. O.M.G. no wai. I think I'm gonna need a bigger hard drive...  (I had a little over 3.5 gigs when I got on the computer today, when I was typing this I had 4.5 or so)
On another note, I got to go to a fair with my friends, one of whom is currently about too many miles away. It was fun. I didn't ride many rides, but still. I guess that's what happens when you see a bunch of people you actually like after seeing no one for weeks. The picture I posted to my blog was from the top of the Ferris wheel, which cost four bucks. Luckily one of my friends somehow ended up with an extra ticket and gave it to me. (I only bought six tickets and rode the 'scrambler' which used up the last three of everyone else's tickets) I didn't know that it was going to take so long. o.o; I spent the whole time clinging to the bar in front of me with my left hand (and going Eeep!!! every time it moved to let the next people on XD ) and taking pictures with my phone in my right hand. :p I may have taken a bit of a hiatus with taking photos, but I'm not done being a photographer yet it seems. ^^
Hmm... what else... I hate my CIS 1100 class. I'm not even that sure what it is I hate. I just do. Though the teacher doesn't explain things that well, so what she expects us to do is kind of vague. There are some people who know what manga is in the class, the guy next to me reads Naruto, and the guy in the row in front of me reads Bleach. Yay. I'm doing pretty well in my other classes, which is good. (Eeks, I need to do my Japanese homework, it's due tomorrow)
Au revoir!

College, forgetting things, and (Other People) With Asperger's Syndrome, oh yeah, did I mention forgetting things?

I've got no intern3ts again, because I'm at my mom's work right now. As of yesterday [Sept. 4th, '08] I finished my first week of college. Japanese looks like it's going to be fun. My mom is taking it with me. The first lesson was boring me out of my skull, though, I think at least half of the class probably was. It looks like a lot of people already knew a bit before. Someone who works at OCC said that everyone who takes it is already interested in it. Funny thing is, there was this guy my mom and I recognized and I was about to ask when my mom asks if he looks familiar and we both can't remember. Then the teacher calls on him and I thought I had an idea of who he was, but I didn't want to talk or pass notes to my mom because I thought she'd go 'don't do that' >o or something. A few minutes later she writes on her notebook who she thinks he is. (same person I was thinking of) XD At the end of class he came over and talked to my mom (I was busy talking to the high schooler that's even younger than eponymous cowherd [My solitary commenter]) and gave her his contact info. I wrote about this guy once before: it can be found over at my old livejournal. And I thought I'd never see him again. :p
My Office '07 class doesn't look too hard. We don't meet in a room with computers, which is strange. The one who designed the book for this class was an idiot. It's spiral bound, soft cover, and about an inch and a half thick. The thing is really flimsy and heavy which makes it feel like it's going to collapse in on it self and make a black hole. \o/ Oh noes.
Information systems looks... bothersome. I have to make a blog and blab about some computery thing or something and there's a final paper and case studies and grar. I dun wanna write a paper. They always fall apart about a quarter of the way in. Even when I think I know what I'm going to be talking about. The teacher said something about trying to figure out an alternative project, but I have no idea what I could do yet.
I've forgotten what the other thing I was going to type about was. :/ Now I've got another hour and a quarter to kill before my mom can even hope to get off. She never gets off at four when they close. Always after four. Usually after five or six. No wonder she's only memorized the first few hiragana. I'm practicing katakana and hiragana with a game and listening to The Beatles. You can get the game at lrnj.com. [Darn. I just lost the game. You has a hour? half hour? whatever. anyways- you have some time to forget about it before you can lose the game. No clue what I'm talking about? Google it. Darn it. Read this later and lost again.]
I've come back to this post on the eighth and have forgotten the numerous things I was going to originally put in here and kept putting off. Oh yeah, if you notice some sort of grammar/spelling/whatever mistake in this would you please point it out? My English has been going down hill for awhile now without any corrections being made by anyone but myself and my computer.
I recently came across an article (I lost the link, sorry) about how ADHD and sleep deprivation have similar symptoms and that doctors don't take that into account often enough. It makes me wonder if I really have ADD or if I just couldn't focus because I stayed up late all the time. I still do [stay up], obviously. I read some things about Asperger's Syndrome too, and the people whose kids were supposedly diagnosed with it sounded like they were obsessive compulsive to me. [I really wish I could find my hard copy of the DSV-IV criteria for it.] I was under the impression that it has more to do with social interaction than routines and memory. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't common for people with AS to have other things going on and I've heard about how ADD/ADHD and Asperger's patients can be really smart or remember certain things well. I think I read some one saying they couldn't believe their kid had it because he was so smart or something. It's Attention Deficit Disorder (or one of the others I mentioned), Not stupidity disease. Anyways... I didn't look very hard, but I only heard about people who had little kids (2-3 year olds) diagnosed with AS, not teenagers or adults. One lady did submit a comment to one of the articles about her husband who was diagnosed in his twenties. She talks about how they 'lived hour by hour' not 'day by day' and how he had a fear of finding the milk in a different place. She also mentions how "And other times, he just forgets to look up, probably because whatever he is doing is mere ritual and makes no sense to him at all." Like does things without knowing the reason At All. I find it hard to believe he's managed to be school teacher and can't figure out why he does certain things. Another thing is that she thinks (Note: this is her ex-husband, I'm kinda hard pressed to take her word on it) he feels all superior to everyone around him and I get the impression that she attributes this to the AS. I could be interpreting what she's saying wrong though. Wait, no, she actually is. (I'm reading it as I type.) "People with AP have a superiority complex. It was almost as if he knew something that the rest of us didn’t and he was tormented by the secret." I'm pretty sure she means AS when she says AP, btw.
The story about the lady whose kid I think sounded like he had ocd to me is at http://www.epinions.com/content_3082133636 and the comment I'm talking about is by owtnursnarown on this page: http://www.epinions.com/content_3082133636/show_~allcom
My impression of Asperger's is more like what's described on aspergers.com. [http://www.aspergers.com/aspclin.htm] It talks about social isolation, peculiar speech patterns and inflection, and a small area of interest. I felt that the article partly glossed over the isolation. It talks about how he acts around the parents and strangers, but doesn't say a word about his friends or lack thereof. This is something I think has a lot to do with it, social interaction that isn't forced, like family, relatives, and the people he works with and who have to work with him in return. The comment talked about this quite a bit. [At first I didn't really see it until I was saying it didn't] There's a definite lack of eye contact and an inability to read other's emotions (according to the writer, I find it very possible he does understand, but might not know how to react or show that he does). She only makes mention of herself and his family, so no input into the subject of friends there either. The two pieces do cover the last one well. The boy has his movies and the man has numbers.
Also, the mother talks about how delayed her son's speech was when, the DSM-IV (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it's used to diagnose AS) it specifically states "D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years)" [http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/aswhatisit.html] I wonder if the doctor even read the criteria, I doubt it's common enough for them to remember it off the top of their head.
Oops. Y'know how I said that the routine thing sounded like OCD? The DSV-IM (same link, udel.edu) part B: "2. apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals".
I think that wasn't what I wanted to say, but it's so long that I'm gonna just post this monster.

Blarg.

I’m going to college and am taking Beginning Japanese I, Information Systems, and MS-Office '07. Tomorrow is my first day. I'm going to be going Tuesday through Thursday 6-10 PM. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. My mom thinks I'm going to get sick of it, but my tendency to stay up all night leads me to think I wont mind much. I'm more worried about the homework. Awhile back I did lesson one of my Japanese workbook and it took me three hours. ._. Eeks. I have no idea what my computer classes are going to be like.
Over the summer I've done absolutely nothing. None of my friends, but one, have contacted me. One has gone off to college already and I've no clue about the rest of them. Most never even showed an interest in talking to me outside of school and its kind of depressing. I have some of their phone numbers from the school trips, but to call would be so full of awkward it's not even funny. I've found some of them on those social networking sites, but I feel awkward about talking to them on that too. I don't know what I'd say. When I start IM conversations they usually go down hill fast.
Been putting off any blog stuffs since the beginning of August. I totally forgot that I had a dream at three AM on the tenth that was really long and vivid, so I got up, hopped on my laptop, and started typing it up. I was originally going to make that it's own post, but I think I'm going to just shove it into this one. When I write in the middle of the night I have this weird thing about putting what time it is. You can ignore those if you want, 'cause I'm not removing them.
[] - My little time notations.
() - My comments and clarifications. Added as I was typing it up.
{} - Stuff added now. Well after the fact.

[3:00AM approx.]I just woke up from one of the longest, strangest dreams I’ve had in a while. It starts off with some axe- and cable-wielding murderer, who attempts to murder Cammy(dwah!?), who seems to alternate between human and cat. The earliest event I remember is two girls in a forest or someplace dark. They’re definitely outside at night somewhere. I have no clues to where this part takes place. Ones sitting down, on some unknown object, totally benign and I think probably just- I think I’m making assumptions about my dream that may or may not be what actually happened. {I wish I could remember what I was originally thinking here, I think I stopped and went back to sleep after awhile.}
Then it jumps to Mexico. I’m with my dad and he’s driving to some country that (in my dream) Britain hates and he ends up driving through an abandoned house (on the Mexico side) that’s really amazing on the side of the hated country and backwards along this really tall cliff. Then he makes some sort of transaction, I think. [3:11AM] After that he drives forward along that same path, back to Mexico. The dream makes a random jump at this point to my house, which is the same as the one I’m in now, but I think it must have been moved, because the guys my dad was talking to were there. One was near the door and Bob, the cat, was hovering near by. I made a stupid comment about him wanting out when the guy asked if he was ok, so the guy opens the door and he [Bob] runs out. Somehow Bob And Tabitha get out, she just kinda appeared. I was able to grab Tab easily- she was just on the first step of the porch. When I picked her up though it was like on a computer when you go to move the window, but while the original moves it also leaves an after image there. Bob was under the grills farther away, My Dad was telling me to say something about challenging him (was that it? It’s fuzzy.) and to “hurry up.” That was the end as far as I can remember. I woke up to find Bob, Tab, and Whitey sleeping at my feet. :-) [3:19, end. Making edits.]

Note: cross posted to my many blogs across the 'net.

Of Space and Books

Yesterday I posted a space pic to DeviantArt. (Its at the end of the post.) The planet is the one I was making in my programming class and the rest I did last night at home. I love the way gimp'd stars turn out. Photoshopped stars look icky. >.< Apparently the guys in my class last year at OTC like it. :) Oh, and it has three faves! W00t. Not bad considering it's my first space deviation.


The girl I mentioned before as being in my OTC class dropped out. wuss.


On to my second subject:

I have decided to start reading some of those books that I should have read, but haven't yet. Stuff deemed 'classic'. I've started off with Alice in Wonderland. I never really thought the smoking caterpillar was that weird until a girl from Blue Lack commented on how it was 'totally smoking a hookah', then I was like 'whoa, you're right'. I don't remember any large amounts of pepper or a baby turning into a pig at all, or fishy/froggy messengers being in the movie. There were no beautiful girls in this like there were in Miyuki-chan in Wonderland either. The book I checked out from the library has both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass combined into one. Because I finished Wonderland today I've started on Looking Glass.
After I finish that one I plan to begin Death on the Nile and 2001: A Space Odyssey. According to my mom, she read every Agatha Christie book she could get her hands on, so depending on how much I like it I'll probably do that too. If you're wondering how I chose these books in this order it's because I read Miyuki-chan in wonderland and wanted to see where that was coming from. Then in the back of the Case Closed manga there are reading suggestions, DotN is included. Then 2001: A Space Odyssey is referenced a lot and sounds like it could be good. They're in the order received as holds at the library.


The spaciness:

Untitled Spacescape - 1 by ~sisakat on deviantART

woo. We started the Computer Donation Project at OTC last week. Today I wandered off towards a strip mall near me. I got two $5 donations from individuals and one lady didn't have anything on her (which means maybe latter), but was also willing to donate a computer. (cool) Benitos (a pizza place at the strip mall) donated $60! This means I have to make them a sign to carry at the walkathon, but that's okay. Curves donated $10; my mom $5. Bringing me to a total of $85! Woo Hoo!

I'm half watching/listening to Chuck. The ballet scene was really cute. ^^ The whole ninja lady thing was kinda lame though, and if she really is part of some organization they'd so be able to get something off the computer that fell off the shelf. It takes a heck of a lot more than that to erase data. It just means you have do a bunch of pain in the neck stuff that would be easy for an organization with a ninja lady of her caliber.
(Edit on chuck: eeks! Will he get there in time? It's the first episode. What d'you think?)

I can't wait to see heroes! squee~
I wonder who they'll be fighting this time? In TV guide they mentioned a villain worse than Sylar. Uhh, is it just me or do the villains always get worse or stay exactly the same as ever? It isn't like they'd make the villain more boring than before, right? That isn't anything new at all. Hiro better be as awesome as ever and I hope to see more of the kid (Micah?) He seemed like he could be interesting. I didn't like his mom though, the split personality thing has been done too many times on One Life to Live for me to find it interesting.

On the other hand, house with, like, forty job applicants ought to be interesting. I guess by episode four he narrows it down to less than ten or so. I was really mad with the getting rid of House's team, but TV guide (I bought it because it had a Hugh Laurie interview; Hugh: "I am not pregnant!" An eye catching line for the cover of the mag.) ...but TV guide said that the ducklings have just taken different possitions in the hospital. How much you wanna bet that Cameron is working with Wilson?

I'm gonna start a new post for my Heroes commentary and more stuff. Why? 'cause I want them to be separate from my 'I hope blah blah blahs'.

It's been over a year since I last posted anything.
I am completely unsurprised by this fact. Since then a ton of stuff has happened. I wonder how much I can cram in here between homework, cooking macaroni (and eating it), and goofing off with what ever other random things I find to do.

My mom and I went to Alpena for the fourth of July again. Unfortunately the fireworks were canceled because of the start switch. >.< (*typing with one hand and holding the mac'n'cheese pan with the other*) We were sitting there for hours... and of course I promised a friend that I'd take pics with the camera she's loaning me. You'd think they could get them right considering they have a whole year to prepare and it isn't like they haven't done it before. They were going to do them the next night, but there were storms. I tried to get some lightning pics, but I don't think it worked. I wouldn't know though, seeing as they still haven't been developed.
We stopped by that same antique mall, but didn't find anything neat this time. And you know how I mentioned that little plate from last year? I hung it up above my light switch in my room. It fit perfectly between my poster and the door frame. I ended up bumping it and it broke. T.T and to make it worse I had to stupidly run my hand across the carpet looking for pieces. Well, I did find one. >.< anyways...

Okay... other stuff...

OTC - Oakland Technical Center - where a bunch of high schoolers from different schools go to get vocational training. There's floral, and culinary, and automotive... I go there for 'Computer Maintenance and Networking Technology.' For the 06/07 school year I went during the 'pm' afternoon class and only saw the 'am' guys (because I was the only girl the entire day in the CMNT class) at LAN parties or the walkathon. This year (07/08, my senior year) I'm in the AM class because my school decided to change the scheduling from 6 to 7 class hours and OTC is now AM only.
From the beginning of June til the 29th I kept going to OTC to get my A+ OS (I already got my A+ Core/Hardware) because the test was going to expire on the 30th. If I didn't get it I would have had to start from the beginning to get my A+ essentials this year. I ended up passing like most of the of the pm class and unlike most of the am class)
I'm currently trying to get my Network+ cert. blah blah blah... It's boring. Though there was a girl in the first years, but I think she dropped out. She did mention disliking the fact that we were the only two girls. Today we played a jeopardy game and I pwned. I would have won if I had bid more, but I was in a rush [to catch the bus, of course I had to wait for the bus driver like always].

I'm finishing up the post I started on the 19th. Today's the 20th. There used to be more. I forgot what I was going to type. So I'm just gonna post already. Lest this rot as a draft and never be posted.

Woo! I finally got around to bugging bravehost about the fact I couldn't log in! I'm going to start working on my website again. If only my school had TextPad.
One program they do have that I never will is CS3/Photoshop/whateveryouwanttocallit. Last year I discovered from cKy-sound's test planet a tutorial on making planets and thus began to work on one in Desktop Publishing last year. I'm starting from scratch this time around. Last time I made it the size of the entire picture so the fuzzy atmosphere was cut off. >.< I'm thinking I'll try to find a different texture too. The one I'm using at the moment is really boring.