DISCLAIMER: If you don't know me, then you probably won't know who or what I'm talking about here, so, I'd strongly suggest you read something else. Also, even if you are mentioned in this post, some of the references I'll make will only make sense to the people they're intended for. Still with me? Then, here we go.
I think most people who truly know me that most of my at least somewhat good friends are female. It isn't surprising, when you consider that I was raised in a house full of women. So, in this post, I'm going to address each of my good friends of the female persuasion. This is in no order; remember that.
First and foremost, I have to thank my very best friend. Emily, you are amazing. I honestly can say that I have never had a friend even remotely like you. I know that we don't get to talk much anymore, with you being busy with wedding planning and all, but know that I'm still on your side. Also, and I absolutely mean this, I really do wish you and Alan all the best. Thanks for being an amazing friend.
Brittany, or, should I say, Brii, I can honestly say that I'm very glad we've become friends. We've had some awesome conversations, and I hope we can continue to chat, although I know you've been busy with starting your singing career and all. You are a wonderful person, and I hope we do meet again at some point; after all, it's been three years since we last saw each other! Thanks for being an awesome friend.
Lydia, or, as I say at the library, Ms. Lydia, I know things have been hard for you recently. Still, the strength you have shown in the face of all that adversity is quite admirable. You're always looking out for me, even when I'm not even at the library. I'm very glad to know someone like you. Thanks for everything, especially for being a top-notch friend!
Ashley G., aka Asland, I know we haven't seen each other in a long time, but I'm very glad that you have become my friend, because you are an amazing person. I have enjoyed chatting with you and getting to know you better. Thanks for being a wonderful friend!
Christina K., I realize we didn't talk that much in high school, but I'm very glad for the friendship we've had over the past few years. I hope that our friendship continues for many years to come! It's nice having a fellow nerd as a friend; we can talk about technology, books, sci-fi/fantasy, etc., for a long time. Thanks for being a first-rate friend!
Cari, you have been my friend on Facebook almost from the time I joined! I am so glad that you have stuck around; quite a few of my original Facebook friends are long gone from my friends list. I really enjoy chatting with you, especially the way you tell me things exactly as they are. Some people would call that blunt, but you're truly my friend, so you know that's the only way to talk to me. I hope to see you again at some point, although we've both been talking about it for a while, so it might not happen. I'll still keep up hope that it does, though. Thanks for being a splendid friend!
Kristen, I know we haven't seen each other in four years, but, thanks to modern technology, we have continued to stay in touch, and it has been great. You are a great person, and I am very glad to know you. Thanks for being a terrific friend!
Lorie, we've only known each other for about a year, but you have been such a good friend to me during that time. Every time I see you, you get a big smile on your face and give me an even bigger hug, and it always makes me feel great inside. Thanks for being a first-class friend, and enjoy that book!
Krystal A., it just seems like you've been hit with one thing after another lately. Despite that, you always have a big smile on your face when you see me, and that makes me happy. I realize we've only been friends a matter of months, but it's been great, and I hope it continues for a very long time. Thanks for being a fabulous friend!
Stacey, every time we interact, whether it's when I see you at the shoe store, or just chatting on Facebook, you always lift me up. It's great knowing I have a friend like you, and I hope you and I will continue to be friends for many years to come. Thanks for being a divine friend.
Crystal J., I know things haven't been good for you lately, and I know you've been quite anxious. I probably would be, too, if I were in your situation. Still, you're a wonderful person, and I know that, with God's help, you'll get through it. Thanks for being a stellar friend!
Last but not least, Tanya, it made me sad when I saw you were no longer my job coach. Nevertheless, I'm very glad that you still want to keep in touch with me. Although we haven't had one in a while, I look forward to the next time you and I have a chat on Facebook. Thanks for everything!
Any comments?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Me -- The History
I've referred to my love for science fiction and fantasy several times on this blog. Some people love that kind of stuff; other people hate it. Well, I wouldn't say that I have always been a fan of fantasy and sci-fi. In fact, there were some sci-fi/fantasy things that I really like now but was hesitant about getting into. I will explain all that and more in this post.
From as far back as I can remember until I was in middle school, I didn't have much exposure to fantasy and sci-fi. I did have at least one Star Wars and one Star Trek themed game on my Commodore 64, but I didn't really understand them, because I'd never seen any of the movies. Although I read a lot, most of what I read was technical manuals and realistic juvenile fiction. I do remember a family member turning on Star Wars back in 1996-97, but I was too involved in a Garfield book to pay any attention to the movie.
In sixth grade, I made two big steps into the sci-fi/fantasy realm. One was enjoying the book A Wrinkle in Time. We were assigned to read it, and I didn't think I'd like it, because I had tried reading it in second grade and just couldn't get into it. (Part of that was because my jerk second grade teacher called it "one of [her] favorite books when [she] was younger," which made me dislike it right away.) After reading it, though, I ended up enjoying it so much, I read the sequel A Wind in the Door, even though it wasn't required. The other big step was watching (and paying attention to) a Star Wars film for the first time. The same family member I referred to earlier turned on The Phantom Menace for him and I to watch, and I loved it!
Over the next few years, I read and watched even more sci-fi/fantasy. In seventh grade, I read A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which is the sequel to A Wind in the Door and wasn't required either. We were assigned to read Anne McCaffrey's short story "The Smallest Dragonboy" that year, and I enjoyed it. I still remember that laser disc (or was it DVD?) clip our teacher showed us, where McCaffrey insisted that she wrote science fiction, and proceeded to name the chemical elements the dragons in her stories breathed in and out, and said, "I don't have any Cinderella characters in my story because Cinderella was a wimp!" (For those who don't know, I have read quite a few of McCaffrey's works over the past year or so.) I eventually saw the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as Attack of the Clones. Spider-Man got me into comic-book movies, and I absolutely hated The Fellowship of the Ring because of how long, drawn-out and boring it was.
Now, you may be wondering where the Star Wars books came into the picture, as well as when I got into Star Trek. Well, I'll start with the SW books: Back in 2005, around the time of the theatrical release of Revenge of the Sith, a guy at a yard sale in my neighborhood was selling some SW novels. I bought a couple, because I wasn't sure if I'd like them. Well, when I read the first one, I was blown away! It was amazing! I went on to read dozens of other SW books and enjoyed (most of) them! Now, for Star Trek: I was even slower getting into ST than SW. The first Trek movie I attempted to watch was The Final Frontier, and it bored me so much, I gave up on it well before it was over. About three years later, though, I watched Nemesis, and thought it was superb. I went on to at least attempt to watch all the films, and while most of them were at least somewhat good, I couldn't get through Wrath of Khan nor The Motion Picture. The first Trek book I read was Federation by the incredibly talented Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and it was quite good, too.
In closing, let me say this: I love all kinds of sci-fi and fantasy, including series not even previously mentioned, like X-Men, Batman, Narnia, and Harry Potter. However, there might come a day when I am no longer a fan of any of that stuff. I'm still in my twenties, and people say that your tastes change a lot when you're that age. So, who knows? I might find some other genre(s) to latch onto. In fact, I have read some historical fiction and mysteries lately, as well as watched a romantic comedy, and really enjoyed all of them. Maybe one of those will be my new favorite genre. We will see.
Any comments?
From as far back as I can remember until I was in middle school, I didn't have much exposure to fantasy and sci-fi. I did have at least one Star Wars and one Star Trek themed game on my Commodore 64, but I didn't really understand them, because I'd never seen any of the movies. Although I read a lot, most of what I read was technical manuals and realistic juvenile fiction. I do remember a family member turning on Star Wars back in 1996-97, but I was too involved in a Garfield book to pay any attention to the movie.
In sixth grade, I made two big steps into the sci-fi/fantasy realm. One was enjoying the book A Wrinkle in Time. We were assigned to read it, and I didn't think I'd like it, because I had tried reading it in second grade and just couldn't get into it. (Part of that was because my jerk second grade teacher called it "one of [her] favorite books when [she] was younger," which made me dislike it right away.) After reading it, though, I ended up enjoying it so much, I read the sequel A Wind in the Door, even though it wasn't required. The other big step was watching (and paying attention to) a Star Wars film for the first time. The same family member I referred to earlier turned on The Phantom Menace for him and I to watch, and I loved it!
Over the next few years, I read and watched even more sci-fi/fantasy. In seventh grade, I read A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which is the sequel to A Wind in the Door and wasn't required either. We were assigned to read Anne McCaffrey's short story "The Smallest Dragonboy" that year, and I enjoyed it. I still remember that laser disc (or was it DVD?) clip our teacher showed us, where McCaffrey insisted that she wrote science fiction, and proceeded to name the chemical elements the dragons in her stories breathed in and out, and said, "I don't have any Cinderella characters in my story because Cinderella was a wimp!" (For those who don't know, I have read quite a few of McCaffrey's works over the past year or so.) I eventually saw the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as Attack of the Clones. Spider-Man got me into comic-book movies, and I absolutely hated The Fellowship of the Ring because of how long, drawn-out and boring it was.
Now, you may be wondering where the Star Wars books came into the picture, as well as when I got into Star Trek. Well, I'll start with the SW books: Back in 2005, around the time of the theatrical release of Revenge of the Sith, a guy at a yard sale in my neighborhood was selling some SW novels. I bought a couple, because I wasn't sure if I'd like them. Well, when I read the first one, I was blown away! It was amazing! I went on to read dozens of other SW books and enjoyed (most of) them! Now, for Star Trek: I was even slower getting into ST than SW. The first Trek movie I attempted to watch was The Final Frontier, and it bored me so much, I gave up on it well before it was over. About three years later, though, I watched Nemesis, and thought it was superb. I went on to at least attempt to watch all the films, and while most of them were at least somewhat good, I couldn't get through Wrath of Khan nor The Motion Picture. The first Trek book I read was Federation by the incredibly talented Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and it was quite good, too.
In closing, let me say this: I love all kinds of sci-fi and fantasy, including series not even previously mentioned, like X-Men, Batman, Narnia, and Harry Potter. However, there might come a day when I am no longer a fan of any of that stuff. I'm still in my twenties, and people say that your tastes change a lot when you're that age. So, who knows? I might find some other genre(s) to latch onto. In fact, I have read some historical fiction and mysteries lately, as well as watched a romantic comedy, and really enjoyed all of them. Maybe one of those will be my new favorite genre. We will see.
Any comments?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
On Reading and Selling Books
As everyone who knows me probably knows, I read a lot. I've loved reading pretty much my entire life. When I was little, my favorite things to read were technical manuals. I've outgrown that, but I still do like to read for fun. Most of what I read is fiction; however, I read a lot more than just sci-fi and fantasy. Over the past year, I have read plenty of Christian fiction, historical fiction, juvenile fiction, mysteries, and even some non-fiction.
You might think that I have a large collection of books, and you'd be right; however, it's not as large as it could be. I'm not saying that I absolutely have to have as many books as I possibly can; what I am saying is that I would have a lot more books if I weren't willing to get rid of some of them. I go to the used bookstore in my area at least a few times a year, and I have donated some books to local libraries in the past. Right now, though, I have a huge pile of books in my room that I'm going to put in my family's yard sale this August.
I've put some books of mine in yard sales I've had before, but, this time, I think I've outdone myself. At last count, I have over 60 books that are going to be in that yard sale, and the number is only going to increase as I keep reading them over the next two months or so.
Some of my Facebook friends have noticed me posting a lot of book reviews on the site. In part, that's been because I'm trying to get them read so I can sell them. I also have been reading more because I am trying to not spend too much time on the computer. I realize that, like a lot of people, I am addicted to Facebook. I don't want to leave the site completely, though, because I'd feel like I was alienating my friends, especially those who have no other way to talk to me.
Everyone says I read fast, and it's probably true when it only takes me a day to finish an adult novel. However, if I had a job, I wouldn't be able to read so fast, because I wouldn't have as much time. In fact, I'd rather be earning some money than sitting around reading all day every day. We'll see what the future holds when it comes to that.
Some of you may be asking what books I have in my stockpile. Well, I don't want to give a whole laundry list of every single one, but I will tell you some series/authors: Anne McCaffrey, Star Wars, Star Trek, Diagnosis Murder, Agatha Christie, Bodie and Brock Thoene, Wishbone, etc. That's only part of what I currently have; when the yard sale actually happens, I probably will have even more. Only time will tell.
Any comments?
You might think that I have a large collection of books, and you'd be right; however, it's not as large as it could be. I'm not saying that I absolutely have to have as many books as I possibly can; what I am saying is that I would have a lot more books if I weren't willing to get rid of some of them. I go to the used bookstore in my area at least a few times a year, and I have donated some books to local libraries in the past. Right now, though, I have a huge pile of books in my room that I'm going to put in my family's yard sale this August.
I've put some books of mine in yard sales I've had before, but, this time, I think I've outdone myself. At last count, I have over 60 books that are going to be in that yard sale, and the number is only going to increase as I keep reading them over the next two months or so.
Some of my Facebook friends have noticed me posting a lot of book reviews on the site. In part, that's been because I'm trying to get them read so I can sell them. I also have been reading more because I am trying to not spend too much time on the computer. I realize that, like a lot of people, I am addicted to Facebook. I don't want to leave the site completely, though, because I'd feel like I was alienating my friends, especially those who have no other way to talk to me.
Everyone says I read fast, and it's probably true when it only takes me a day to finish an adult novel. However, if I had a job, I wouldn't be able to read so fast, because I wouldn't have as much time. In fact, I'd rather be earning some money than sitting around reading all day every day. We'll see what the future holds when it comes to that.
Some of you may be asking what books I have in my stockpile. Well, I don't want to give a whole laundry list of every single one, but I will tell you some series/authors: Anne McCaffrey, Star Wars, Star Trek, Diagnosis Murder, Agatha Christie, Bodie and Brock Thoene, Wishbone, etc. That's only part of what I currently have; when the yard sale actually happens, I probably will have even more. Only time will tell.
Any comments?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
(I'm Glad I Knew) A Person Like You
DISCLAIMER: Please do not read anything suggestive into this rewrite, because it has no such meaning. I am talking about something that I promise you is completely innocent! Also, if you know me and want to know who/what I'm talking about, ask. Anyway, here we go:
(I'M GLAD I KNEW) A PERSON LIKE YOU
To the tune of "Tattoo" by Jordin Sparks
Oh oh oh...
You walked right into my life
On that day last September
Your name made me wonder
You said I reminded you of your autistic nephew
You heard all about my strife
Calmed me when I was angry
You're my friend on Facebook
At my notes you looked
I didn't expect to ever meet
Someone who knew my songs and got my mind
But, when I met you, that's exactly what I did find
CHORUS:
I hope we will continue to be friends
And, no, I'm not joking
Can't thank you enough for what you've done
Wish I'd known that meeting was our last one
I know that this is not the end
I would say it's a new beginning
I'll always remember what I discussed with you
You're one person that I'm glad I knew
Yes, I'm glad I knew
A person like you (A person like you)
You heard about those of fame
Like Anne, Amy and Siobhan
You even were a consumer of my yard sale goods
I wish that we did not have to stop
But, I must move on, though I wanted to cry
When that e-mail in my inbox I did find
REPEAT CHORUS
I still want to be good friends
I hope it does not end
Even though I will not see you
I will never forget you
I hope that I make you
Proud in whatever I do, oh
REPEAT CHORUS 2x
I won't forget you
There's no one like you
[For that one person. You know who you are.]
(I'M GLAD I KNEW) A PERSON LIKE YOU
To the tune of "Tattoo" by Jordin Sparks
Oh oh oh...
You walked right into my life
On that day last September
Your name made me wonder
You said I reminded you of your autistic nephew
You heard all about my strife
Calmed me when I was angry
You're my friend on Facebook
At my notes you looked
I didn't expect to ever meet
Someone who knew my songs and got my mind
But, when I met you, that's exactly what I did find
CHORUS:
I hope we will continue to be friends
And, no, I'm not joking
Can't thank you enough for what you've done
Wish I'd known that meeting was our last one
I know that this is not the end
I would say it's a new beginning
I'll always remember what I discussed with you
You're one person that I'm glad I knew
Yes, I'm glad I knew
A person like you (A person like you)
You heard about those of fame
Like Anne, Amy and Siobhan
You even were a consumer of my yard sale goods
I wish that we did not have to stop
But, I must move on, though I wanted to cry
When that e-mail in my inbox I did find
REPEAT CHORUS
I still want to be good friends
I hope it does not end
Even though I will not see you
I will never forget you
I hope that I make you
Proud in whatever I do, oh
REPEAT CHORUS 2x
I won't forget you
There's no one like you
[For that one person. You know who you are.]
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