Limitless Ramblings

AGE: 21
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown

BIOGRAPHY: Jordan Williams was born on December 1, 1988 in San Francisco, California. She and her brother Aaron are some of San Francisco's "meteor children" (children born 9 months after the meteor shower in '88).

Even as a child, Jordan displayed a love for the outdoors. Even on rainy days, she could be found outside. As she grew older, she began to frequent Golden Gate Park, falling in love with the trees and wildlife. She began to yearn for a house somewhere, surrounded with wilderness. Unfortunately, no one in her family felt the same, and she was stuck in San Francisco.

Still, she made the best of it. Slightly more intelligent than her brother, Jordan excelled in school and by the time she reached high school had a high enough GPA to get into the Drew College Preparatory School, where she met and befriended Vivian Ballard. Vivian and Jordan found they had a few things in common, and that knowledge helped to soften the urge to move away.

After graduating Drew and getting accepted to USF, Jordan found a job at the Pacific Primary School, where she worked with the kids as an aid. She quickly found that she loved working with children; their innocent knowledge of the world around them fascinated her, and she found in them an escape from the lack of wilderness in the city.

Her freshman year at USF, Jordan met Stephanie Miller - an 18 year old Philosophy major - and the two quickly became friends. By their Sophomore year, Jordan was old enough to live on campus and thus the two became roomates. Their senior year, when Vivian was old enough to live on campus, she joined their crew as well.



NAME: Aaron Williams
AGE: 21
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown

BIOGRAPHY: Aaron was born on December 1, 1988 in San Francisco, CA. He and his sister Jordan are some of San Francisco's "meteor children" (children born 9 months after the meteor shower in '88).

Aaron was the very definition of the perfect child. Though his sister surpassed him in intellect, he was far more well behaved. His temper was even, he never disappeared and worried his mother, and never received anything lower than an A. He showed an interest in music early in his life, and took to it with the same devotion he applied to everything else. By the time he hit junior high, he was composing symphonies, writing songs, and could play any instrument he picked up. What really defined Aaron, however, was his voice. Anyone who heard him sing was almost hypnotized by the sound.

Though his GPA was high enough to get him into Drew, Aaron opted to instead attend a public school, and ended up at Urban... a choice that paid off in his senior year when he met Eric Baker.

It had been Aaron's dream for a while to start a band, but the design had to be perfect. He was inspired by bands like Queen and Muse, and wanted to put together something mainstream and modern, but something that could utilize symphonies and orchestral arrangements. Because of this, he was unable to find anyone that seemed to fit what he needed.

And then he heard of Eric. Word around Urban was that the Australian-born freshman posessed almost savant-like skills when it came to music, and that he composed and wrote his own music. This intrigued Aaron, so he met up with him and was thrilled when he agreed to audition. His audition was almost unnecessary; Aaron liked the kid, and upon hearing him play, was sold. The two worked well together, as well, and wrote a good number of songs and symphonies.

Still, he needed to complete his band. His freshman year at USF, he met 18 year old Travis Gill and 19 year old Julian Andersen. Both had interest in music, and both had what he was looking for talent wise. With a new bassist and drummer, the band was complete. The audience at their first gig ate them up, and by their second gig, they had gained more momentum than they had hoped to gain in a year.

Aaron's one and only flaw was women. As the lead singer/keyboardist of an ever more popular band, women were bursting at the seams to be with him, and he was more than happy to oblige them. His sister and he often got into fights about his promiscuity, but there was no stopping him (there was even a rumor his junior year of college that his interest in Eric was based on more than his musical talent, a rumor Aaron neither confirmed nor denied). It didn't help that Eric loathed the attention of the groupies, and directed them all to him and Travis.

Despite this, Aaron was still an exceptional student, thus was still viewed as the more perfect of the two twins, a fact that never ceased to irritate Jordan.

This is it. At midnight tonight, I will officially be allowed to write my story.

IT STARTS.

To keep up to par, I either need to write 400 words an hour for 5 hours a day (to finish on the 25th), or 2,000 words a day.

OR

1,667 words a day to finish on the 30th.

It really doesn't seem bad, once it's broken down like that. It's just being disciplined enough to do it.

And I'd like to think I'm disciplined enough. I've done so much research, too.

However, there is still a ton more to do. That's what I'll be doing tonight, most likely. If I finish early, I'll probably watch a movie or something, but for the most part I am doing research.

And I'll be writing. I have a few more character profiles that need to be done (they won't be quite as detailed as Eric and Vivian's, but they do need to be done), as well as figuring out a few more key plot elements and then finally, figuring out how the story will start.

At midnight, a teaser summary of my story will be posted. Keep an eye out. :)

Tomorrow, I start writing.

But first... NaNoWriMo suggest you stock pile some prizes for when you finish the challenge and want to celebrate. Since part of my lifestyle change was to not use food as a reward for anything, that's out of the picture. But I've finally found out what my reward will be: Left4Dead2 and Star Trek 2009.

That's right, people, I'm going to try and hold off on viewing/playing these until I've reached my 50K mark... yeah, we'll see how long that lasts. The good news is, it'll last at LEAST 17 days, starting Nov. 1. lol.

NOW... I've been meaning to flesh these kiddos out for a while, so for the next couple of days I'm going to spotlight a few characters from my story. Come November 1st, I will provide a synopsis of the story, excerpts from the story as they are written, and little things like what songs inspired my writing on certain days and blah blah blah... but for now, consider this a "sneak-peek" into what's to come!!! So, without further ado, I present:

NAME: Vivian Ballard.
AGE: 18
GRADE: Senior in College
EYES: Blue
HAIR: Black, medium length
FAVORITE BOOK: The Odyssey by Homer
MOVIE: O, Brother Where Art Thou?, A Beautiful Mind
MUSIC: The Hush Sound, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin
ACTOR: Holly Hunter
LOOKS UP TO: John Nash
BASED ON: Kate Beckinsale


BIOGRAPHY: Vivian Ballard was born on October 22, 1990 to Grace and Alex Ballard. With the exception of her first two years - which were lived out in her birthplace of Christchurch, New Zealand - Vivian grew up in San Francisco, California.

As a child, Vivian was quiet and kept to herself. However, once enrolled in kindergarten, she proved to be extremely intellectually gifted, reading at an 8th grade level by the end of her kindergarten year. Noticing this gift, her parents pulled her from Jean Parker Elementary School, in favor of the Hamlin School for Girls, where she tested into the third grade, skipping first and second completely.

Vivian thrived at Hamlin academically, but socially she continued to keep to herself. Even around her parents, Vivian said very little. She carried books around with her, and was often found reading, studying, or both. She partook in no extracurricular activities, and appeared to have no friends. This seemed to bother her parents more than it bothered her. By the time she reached 8th grade, she was utilizing Hamlin's extended day program to her benefit, even though she didn't need it (at least one parent was at home at all times).

When she made the move from Hamlin to the Drew College Preparatory School, Vivian tested in at the Junior level. By this point, Grace was actively making sure she not only stayed out of extracurricular activities, but that she refrained from staying after school as well, fearing that a 13 year old would be easy prey. If this irritated Vivian in anyway, she didn't show it. She still said very little around her parents, or anyone else for that matter, but had finally managed to make a friend in 16 year old Jordan Williams. Williams was a year ahead of her grade and thus the two had something in common. Around Jordan, and her twin brother Aaron, Vivian finally began to come out of her shell, displaying a personality not unlike that of most High School Juniors.

As graduation drew near, Vivian received word that she had been accepted to the University of California in San Francisco Medical School, and was set to start in the fall semester after graduating from Drew. However, as the day grew closer, she began to feel unsure about med school and - without warning or letting her parents know - she turned UCSF down in favor of the University of San Francisco, and a Chaos Theory major. Half way into her first semester, she added an English Literature minor to her plate after falling in love with Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar and Homer's The Odyssey.

Her senior year of college, she was finally old enough to live on campus, and promptly moved away from home in favor of rooming with Jordan and her roomate, Stephanie Miller. Indifferent to the "college scene", Vivian was simply glad to be allowed to live on her own, spread her wings, and officially be considered an adult.

Then the dreams started. A few weeks into her first semester as a senior, Vivian began having strange dreams. She ignored them for a while, but they grew steadily worse, until she awoke constantly through out the night, screaming. At first, she couldn't remember what they were, just that they felt more like memories than dreams. As time persisted, she began to remember more and more in the following mornings, and began writing them all down. For some reason, the writing of the dreams calmed her and it became a type of ritual. She kept the dreams to herself, for fear people would think she was insane (the dreams were so vivid that she feared she was suffering from Schizophrenia, a disease from which her role model John Nash suffered).

INTERESTS: Vivian discovered early in life that she could disappear in literature and numbers. She almost never watched TV or movies, claiming the worlds her own mind could paint while reading were far more interesting than anything someone could show her.

She found a sort of poetic truth within Chaos Theory that allowed her to accept the world around her... something she had been unable to do until first reading Mr. Nash's theory when she was 10.

One movie she ended up watching was "O, Brother Where Art Thou", because of its connection to Homer's Odyssey, as well as the tv show Xena: Warrior Princess, after seeing an episode that depicted Ceasar's death better than anything she had yet to see. Once in college, she began to get into cinema, allowing her to gain respect for actress Holly Hunter, whom she admired for reasons that were mysterious even to her. It wasn't long before she was turned on to the Lord of the Rings movies and books, and ultimately, fell in love with fantasy. This led to Sci-Fi, which eventually led to mythology. In no time at all, Vivian found she could be best described by one word: Nerd. Regardless, she managed to maintain her mature and shy reputation.

FUN FACT: Vivian has never been attracted to anyone. She has had many male friends, and been on many blind dates, but she has never been attracted to any of them. She is convinced that she is incapable of attraction, and thus tries to be stand offish with men who seem interested. This, however, made her seem stuck up, so she stopped in favor of chatting up the interested party and leaving them without so much as a number when the evening is out.


NAME: Eric Baker
AGE: 18
GRADE: Senior in High School
EYES: Green
HAIR: Black
FAVORITE BOOK: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
MOVIE: Smokin' Aces
MUSIC: Flight of the Conchords, Jimmy Hendrix, The Beatles, Shinedown
ACTOR: DeForest Kelley
LOOKS UP TO: Stephen E. Ambrose
BASED ON: Karl Urban


BIOGRAPHY: Eric Baker was born on October 22, 1990 in Adelaide, South Australia. His parents, unable to take care of him, left him on the nearest doorstep. That was where Michael and Suzanne Baker found him. When he was 3, Michael Baker's job moved them to San Francisco, CA, where Eric would spend the majority of his years. Eric pushed through Jean Parker Elementary school without any incidents: he was an exceptional student, and well behaved.

By junior high, he had begun to catch the attention of a number of young girls. This, however, did not change his performance as a student. He kept his grades high and remained well behaved... for the most part. By 8th grade, Eric discovered the joys of getting into trouble. Still, he never crossed too many lines and, besides his looks, pretty much flew under the radar.

Over the summer after his 8th grade year, he picked up guitar. At first, it was just a hobby, something for him to do to keep him out of trouble. But, as time went on, he found he loved it. He took to it with an almost savant-like quickness, learning the basics in no time. By the end of the summer, he was composing his own songs.

He had also become a bit of a "celebrity" amongst the local girls. At first, the constant attention was flattering. However, he quickly grew tired of all the empty "I love you's" and shallow, superficial attempts to "hook up" with him. He began to long for something real, and it seemed he was cursed to never find it. For this reason, he let himself fall in love with music.

By the time school started up, Eric had become the most talked about student at Urban. To his disbelief, he had somehow become "the popular kid". This only brought on more shallow attempts at hooking up, as well as unwarranted and misdirected hate from the lesser popular kids. This bothered Eric because it meant the friends he wanted hated him, and the friends he had, he didn't want.

Everything turned around, however, when he was approached by Aaron Williams about a band he was trying to start up. He had heard Eric was talented when it came to acoustic guitar and wanted to see how he sounded with electric. Aaron seemed like an okay guy - as a senior, he had managed to do what Eric wanted to do: fly under the radar - so he agreed, and to his surprise, electric guitar came to him easier than acoustic had. He and Aaron got along well enough, and were a fairly good team when it came to writing music. He found himself growing more and more content with his life, and began to wonder how it could get any better.

Once Aaron found a bass player and drummer, he found out. The band had it's first gig over the freshman-sophmore summer, and played to a packed house. Audience response was amazing, and by their next gig, word had spread quite quickly about them. Eric loved the response, ate up the screams and loved the reactions people had to his music. The fact that he could create something that brought a form of happiness to other people delighted him to no end. And what was more, he could usually leave the "groupies" to the other band mates.

By his senior year, it seemed like Eric had the world eating out of his hand. He had been accepted to USF, was going to graduate high school with honors, and was part of a very popular band. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. At first, he thought it was just him, wanting to find that one person, but as the feeling grew stronger, it seemed to him that he was searching for a specific thing... a specific someone. Problem was, he had no idea who he was looking for, thus had no idea where to start.

INTERESTS: Eric approaches life with a very fun-loving attitude. While he can and does appreciate the great literary kings of the past, he finds himself more drawn to things that make him laugh. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies set him off on a zombie kick. Something about them being mindless and yet wanting to eat brains made him laugh uncontrollably, and the fact that they seemed to be invading every form of media greatly intrigued him. He loves reading, but will often pick movies over them, finding it more social to watch a movie with a group. Like books, he appreciates all different kinds, but prefers ones that make him laugh, or that he just enjoys watching. The same can be applied to all forms of media.

FUN FACT: Eric believes in true love more than he believes one needs air to breathe. However, he also believes he is doomed to never find it for himself, based on the women that seem to be drawn to him. Nothing is more attractive to him than a woman indifferent to his charm.

FUN FACT #2: Though Eric is from Australia, he doesn't have a permanent accent... his parents, however, do. And whenever he spends large amounts of time with them, he acquires a slight one, as well.

I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach - no doubt it contributes to the mild level of continuous irritation I've been feeling lately - that I may have signed up for more than I can handle.

I mean, when I signed up for NaNoWriMo, I was like... you know, if I don't finish, I don't finish. It'll be fun, I have an idea, blah blah blah. I was nervous, but excited.

Now, after spending some time around some of the other competitors, I feel like I've not only bitten off more than I can chew, but I've bitten off more than can even fit in my mouth.

Most everyone competing... are you kidding me? They're all real writers! So many questions are asked, and I'll step in and say something like "Well this is what I do," only to be followed by a comment that's like "DO NOT DO WHAT SHE DOES SHE'S DUMB." I'm just like... meep...

I'm just like... I don't really want to even try to add something to this... cuz it'll look like bigger crap next to the literary awesome these people are probably capable of.

I want to back out so hard core... but I signed up! And as many times as I tell myself it's okay to just walk away, I can't do it! So that's where I am right now. Sitting back, wishing I had writing talent, and stock in Starbuck's. XD

Speaking of which, I'm compiling a list of things I need to do to complete this goal... even though I know I'm going to fail. How's that for reverse cynicism? XD

SO... THINGS I NEED TO DO:

• Get stock in Starbuck's. No joke, I'm going to be pulling a TON of all-nighter's while doing this. It's not even funny.
  
• Organize my ideas. I have an outline, but it's not... it's like... beginning of story... middle... beginning... end... beginning... change something... it's a mess, really.
• Pick a point of view. This is the hardest thing, next to picking a title!!! I can't decide if I want to do third person of first person in my novel... both have their advantages... but both have their problems. GRRR.
• PICK A WORKING TITLE. I feel like everything will flow a little easier if I have a working title. The only thing I have right now is "Discord in the Garden" and I HATE it... and I'd really like to not have to rush around and try and figure out a title AND try to write the thing in November...
• Work out the kinks in Eric and Vivian's initial meeting. I know how I want their relationship to end up, and I know how I want them to meet... I just don't know how I want them to react upon meeting. Everything I come up with is SO cliche or Mary Sue...
  
• Think up last names. Seriously... if everyone in my book is named "XXXXXX Ineedalastname", it's going to create a lot of confusion.
  
• Pace myself. If I write for 5 hours a day, cranking out 400 words an hour, I can reach the word count by the 25th. That being said, I can feel it right now, I'm going to have to have non-writing days and catch up days. I just can't have 14 catch up days in a row... I'm thinking about planning out my non-writing days and catch up days... it might go smoother if I have a plan. I also don't think it would be a problem to do an extra hour or so if I'm on a roll, or do more than 400 words an hour... obviously. I'll be playing it by ear, but if I can get a good enough feel for the 400/5, I should be fine.
  
• HAVE FUN WITH THIS!!! That's the one thing I need to keep telling myself. I've decided whatever I turn out will be crap, but I know for a fact I won't like anything if I don't enjoy writing it to begin with.
  
• Build a playlist to write to. This will be difficult, too. I already know The Hush Sound will be on loop on my computer, but there will be times when I just need instrumental music, no words, so I can think clearly and let the scenes flow.
  

So yeah, that's my check list. Have any ideas? Send them on over!!! But I really am only willing to accept last names/writing playlist ideas. Everything else I need to work out on my own... XD

Before I delve too deeply into these topics, I want to introduce the WTH to you. Basically, it's one of those "new" things I wanted to add to my blog... however, it was originally drafted for Beyond the Entwash as an audio podcast type thing. So Limitless Ramblings will merely hold onto the text version... and be the only version of WTH until I figure out how exactly I want to run the audio version.

WTH means "What the H?" Which is basically a harmless phrase (more ideal than WTF) applied to things that kind of just make me go... WHY? Some of it will be funny, some of it will be serious, and some of it will probably make you go "WHY?" as well.

Also, a heads up - I'm going to do NaBloPoMo for November, as well... but don't expect any epic posts then. Basically, I'll be posting my word count and, if I write something I like enough, excerpts from the novel I'll be attempting to write. ~Lauren

So... Disney bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion this past August.

Why am I just now commenting on it? Well... because my annoyance has finally hit critical mass on the topic.

Don't get me wrong... I love Disney, and I love Marvel. But do I love Marvney? Not at all. I mean, I can see the potential in such a partnership, sure.

Marvel could bring a lot to Disney. Their gritty approach to art could create a lot of really epic things for Disney - on a Curse of the Black Pearl level - as made evident by Jeffrey Thomas' Dark Disney Princesses sketches. Not to mention the ability to expand the Kingdom Hearts roster for any future games (Sora with an Iron Man drive form? An Incredible Hulk summon? You know the gamer in you is drooling right now), because we all know there will be future games. Looking at some of the pros, it would seem difficult to find something - anything - wrong with the partnership... but the one thing that I do have a problem with is a big thing in my mind... and it finally boiled over today when I got the new issue of Game Informer.

The cover sports a dark and dreary landscape. A menacing castle rests atop a rickety mountain in the background, lightning and the iconic, forboding cloud vortex floats above. Closer to the foreground there is a very evil looking something, with clawed hands, green eyes and mouth... it looks a lot like a black, gooey, Oogie Boogie. And at the very front of it all stand our hero, complete with iconic yellow shoes, red trousers, white gloves, and rounded ears. The caption reads: EPIC MICKEY. Disney's iconic mouse as you've never seen him.

That's right, folks. The hero of this dark and menacing new game is Mickey Mouse. Now, you only see him from behind, and there is some dark paint or something flying off of him, and he is - rather epicly - gripping his weapon of choice (a paint brush), but it's still MICKEY MOUSE.

I immediately thought of the Disney/Marvel marriage, and everything just exploded. Disney always has been, and always will be my fri-- I mean, it will always make me think of Mickey Mouse. Which is fine. I have nothing against Mickey Mouse... in Disney. Adding him to the Avengers roster, however? Yeah, not so excited about that. That high-speaking, shirtless mouse will be in every superhero movie from now on until eternity.

Now, will that really happen? I hope not... but I know they'll throw something in... I just know it. And it's just... wrong! Mickey Mouse and Iron Man should never be associated with each other! Even on a Kingdom Hearts playing field! Squall and Cloud never should have had to endure that, much less IRON MAN! I can see it now...

"Come on, Iron Man, let's go stop Pete from being mean to Maribel! Oh, and Hulk... haha, maybe you could watch your temper?"

*shudders* I can only hope that Disney will ask Marvel for input***, rather than the other way around... *sigh*... just when comic book movies were getting good, too. I blame Wolverine, the POISON OF THE WORLD.

Thankfully, NaNoWriMo is write around the corner, and will provide a nice distraction from the horrors of The Incredible Mickey. November brings a lot of distractions: Thanksgiving, NaNoWriMo, anniversaries and birthdays, and new video games. Which brings me to my next point.

As if it isn't bad enough that it shares its release date with Assassin's Creed 2, Left4Dead2 also shares its release date with the Star Trek 2009 DVD. When I first read about these epic video game sequels, they were rumoured to be released on November 11, while Paramount was announcing the Star Trek 2009 (2 Disc Special Edition) release as November 17. I'm not sure when the change was made (probably a while ago), but now all 3 titles are set to release November 17.

Which is great, except... now I have to choose. Assassin's Creed 2 vs. Star Trek and Assassin's Creed 2 vs. Left4Dead 2 are both no brainers. I LOVE Assassin's Creed. It's one of the few games where you can KILL PEOPLE FOR THE GOOD OF MAN KIND. Not aliens. Not monsters. Not bad guys. PEOPLE. JUST... KILL... PEOPLE. Sure, you CAN kill bad guys but anyone who finished the first game can attest to the fact that everyone you kill is not as they seem... but you also get to assassinate the annoying beggers and crazy people that punch you in the face. As dark as all that sounds, the game actually requires a ton of skill, too. You have to have fairly good control of Altair as you complete certain tasks, and your actions can unlock any number of achievements. Play the game through over and over again and it's never the same... it's a great game, and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.

HOWEVER - as fun as that is - I wasn't planning on buying that game on opening day. The ending of AC drove me up a wall. It was too abrupt, it was too unsatisfying... after everything you do in the game, THAT'S the ending you get? A Heroes style "BECAUSE WE CAN" to be continued ending? No thanks... I was lucky I played the first one so late, so I didn't have to wait very long for the 2nd... I planned on waiting till AC 3 was in talks (because it's signed on for 3 games) before I picked up AC 2.

And there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to buy the Star Trek 2009 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. I loved that movie so much and, more than that, I adore Star Trek. There are actually very few things I love in this world as much as Star Trek. And as amazing as that movie was, there was nothing - ALMOST NOTHING - that would make me consider waiting to get it.

UNFORTUNATELY - games that put you smack dab in the middle of the zombiepocalypse qualify as one of those "very few things"... and the Left 4 Dead franchise has my complete and undivided attention. As proven by my L4D Review/L4D2 Sneak Peek, I ADORE this game. In fact, the only video game I love more than it is Halo... so that's saying something.

And now... now I'm being asked to choose between a space set, 23rd century socialist world and a post zombipocalyptic melee? There isn't even a way to pro and con it out... seriously.

CATEGORY//STAR TREK //LEFT4DEAD2
Director// JJ Abrams //An AI that makes your life a living hell.
Conflict// Earth is in Danger //Zombieapocalypse: SURVIVE!
Setting// The Final Frontier //Post Zombiepocalyptic New Orleans
Music// Michael Giaccino //Mike Morasky
Cast //Cast of TOS //4 New southern Characters, as well as new zombies
Highlights// ZQ as Spock// Melee Weapons
//CP as Kirk //Melee Weapons
//BG as Pike // Melee Weapons
//LN as Spock Prime // Melee Weapons
//KU as Bones // Incendiary Ammo and PIPE BOMBS


So, as you can see, there's really no way to justify one over the other... I have no idea what I'm going to do.

SO - WTH, VALVE? WHY'D YOU PUSH IT BACK? Didn't want to go up against Borderlands?? YOU'RE THE ZOMBIEPOCALYPSE!! TAKE SOME RISKS!

It's frustrating to be a geek...

***The cover of Game Informer was not boasting a Marvel Mickey... the game is called EPIC MICKEY, and to it's credit, it looks absolutely epic. Too bad it's for the Wii... XD Still, I'll end up trying it somehow... looks fun.

I hate changing my password to anything... ever.

No, seriously. Like, I changed my password for my blog account because I don't trust Steph and Jolls with it...er... I mean... because I just felt like a change. Problem is, every time I log in, I immediately type the old one. I fear one day I will forget the new password and will NEVER be able to access my blog EVER AGAIN.

*dramatic fill music*

BUT I DIGRESS. That is NOT why I started writing this post. I started writing this post because, in my desperate attempt to acquire caffeine, I downed a Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte in no time at all. Downed it.

And now I'm as hyper as as an ADHD kid in a candy store... that forgot to take their meds... AND National Novel Writing Month is write around the corner.

Anyone who doesn't know, National Novel Writing Month is like National Blog Posting Month... except, instead of writing a blog every day for a month, that participator is challenged to write a 100 page (50,000 words) novel in 30 days.

Take a moment and read that again... I had to read it a few times before it sunk in.

Here's the kicker, though... I signed up. I know, right? I figure, if I'm going to do this, November would be my one chance to give it a fair shot. And, if I put it off till next year, it'll never happen. No excuses... it worked for my "diet", it'll work here too.

So, starting November 1, I will be spending my free time at home or in the library, feverishly trying to put together a novel. I mean, it's not like I'll get in trouble if I don't complete it - the website congratulates you for even trying - but... how cool would it be to walk away and at least SAY I wrote a novel? It's allowed to be crap... heck, it's EXPECTED. You're advised not to edit, not to draft, not to proof read... just to write. You have to rely on your raw talent - if you have any... which is questionable in my case, haha - to produce something of interest. And once it's finished, once you've completed your novel, there's nothing to stop you from going back and sprucing it up... if you really care that much.

And who knows? I could walk away from this the next Stephanie Meyer! XD

A few ideas have come to mind, but the one that really seems to interest me involves Greek and Roman mythology... I'm fairly versed on the topic but not as much as I'd like to be, so I've got to do a bit of research. I haven't decided if doing research ahead of time is fair or not, so I've been holding off... I think I'll be okay as long as I don't start writing till the first... not to mention, I don't want to do like, hard core research, just a few things.

Grammar Girl is going to be the one thing I'll be hitting hard. First Drafts of anything for me are wicked rough and the amount of grammar mistakes would KILL me. Literally. They would jump off the screen and murder me like the literary delinquents they are. And they wouldn't care. I think that's what's hardest to accept here... they just wouldn't care.

So that will be my goal for November. If I'm really lucky, I'll blow straight through November 17th without even NOTICING! And I should have a few days off for Thanksgiving and what not... it'll be a good chance for me to just write write WRITE!

I seriously just want to get it done... the good news is, I have a device that will help me... I can record ideas that I get and what not. YEAH! GO TECHNOLOGY!

My brain is doing this thing where it thinks of like, 18 different things... and my eyes are bouncing around my room... so I need to end this. BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW - that's what I'll be doing in November. Writing. MAYBE it'll be worth reading. Probably not. BUT I'M DOING IT. Not like that push up challenge that I NEVER. EVEN. STARTED.

"Oh my gosh it'll be so cool and I'm gonna get so strong and it's like this really easy program and I can't wait to get started!"

Yeah... I still can't wait to get started... XD I will do that, though... eventually... 100 push ups isn't so... bad... yeah... YEAH! I'm gonna do it!

Right after National Novel Writing Month. XD

Um... Rohirrim... for the King? *gulp*

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SONG OF THE DAY: "The Boys are Too Refined" by The Hush Sound

Honestly, picking today's SotD was difficult... mostly because it's only the 3rd one I've done, and the first 2 were unofficial anyway (both Alexander Rybak songs, "13 Horses" and "Fairytale"), but also because I had so many songs that wanted the honor.

Seriously, within the past two days, I've been listening to a lot of good music, and the polls were basically open until like, 5 minutes ago. Toby Mac's "City on our Knees", Mika's "Blue Eyes", and Jason DeRulo's "Whatcha Say" were all pretty high ranking contenders, but The Hush Sound just brought something more to the table.

What did they bring, you may ask? Well, for starters, they brought this song. Honestly, there isn't a lot out there that sounds like it. The composition is absolutely exquisite, and the lead singer's voice gives the rocky sound a bit of a jazzy quality. The male vocal drives me crazy, I can't tell if it's multiple guys or just one, but it has this haunting, melodic quality that I can't get enough of.

And then there are the lyrics. Some of my Tumblr readers may recognize the second half of the chorus from a post I made about a day ago, and that's because I love that line ("And if I'm given the chance to be a doll in his hands, I will be sure we shake the mountains while we dance") because it just says SO much while saying so little. The whole song is like that. I've had this obsession with really beautiful, poetic lyrics, and this song has them in spades.

This song has been stuck in my head for awhile and I honestly don't know why. I first heard The Hush Sound on the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack ("Wine Red" was the song on there), but even though I loved them, I had never really gotten into them. However, I found this song SOMEHOW about two weeks ago and it's been stuck in my head all that time. And not annoyingly so... every time I replay it in my head, I just want to dance.

All three of their albums are very good, but my favorite so far is "Goodbye Blues", the album on which is "The Boys Are Too Refined." I'm hoping they put more stuff out, but seeing as they're on hiatus, I don't know when they will. Still, their old stuff is worth listening to to hold me over until they come out with something new. :)

LYRICS:

The boys who kiss and bite,
They are the brilliant ones who speak and write with silver luck...
They sing in clever tongues,
Oh how my knees go weak to be the one --
she kicks and bucks.
Always quick to follow
The boys are too refined
Won't matter tomorrow
Oh, to be in his mind
And if the timing is right to sneak off into the night,
I'll let myself be taken just for the thrill.
And if I'm given the chance to be a doll in his hands,
I will be sure we shake the mountains while we dance
To daddy singing sweet, a lullaby to all his credit speak, his golden light
to the edge with a car, he sent it off a cliff just for the spark
to hell with why
Always quick to follow
The boys are too refined
Won't matter tomorrow
Oh, to be in his mind
And if the timing is right to sneak off into the night,
I'll let myself be taken just for the thrill.
And if I'm given the chance to be a doll in his hands,
I will be sure we shake the mountains while we dance

I'm presently fairly excited. I'm in actual blogging mode... iTunes is on shuffle, I'm trying to lose myself in what I'm writing... I haven't been like this in a while. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that today I RECLAIM MY BLOG. ROHIRRIM! TO THE KI--whoa... got a little too excited.

That's right, folks. The 6 weeks are over. Did I lose a bajillion pounds? No. BUT, I did manage to flip around my eating habits. I feel better about myself, I feel healthier, I know I eat better, and exercising is easy. I've already accepted that I probably won't lose 100 pounds, but my main goal was achieving a better lifestyle - a HEALTHIER lifestyle - and I've achieved that.

It's easier to get back on track when I get discouraged. I've cut out a lot of things that are unhealthy for me. I don't crave sweets as much because really, all sweets offer is a taste that doesn't last long, and calories that do. I've been able to adjust my diet without giving up things that I love, and Protein is now my best friend... as are Omega3s.

My jeans are super baggy, and I genuinely feel better about myself. I guess that's all that really matters.

So, from this day forward, my blog is no longer going to solely focus on my weight/health... stuff. It's been fun, and it's helped me to kind of log my process, but the 6 weeks are done and it worked. Now, I won't completely get rid of the updates, they'll be sprinkled through out, but I honestly miss the old Limitless Ramblings... the one where I went all geekfest over a new video game or reviewed (in painstaking detail) a new movie or just ranted or raved about something.

It's time to resuscitate LR, especially since 1. I'm writing again and 2. 2009 is coming to a close... and I think that's the biggest thing. Now that 2009 is over and I've seen how much I've changed... how much I've further defined who I am... I just feel like I need to keep this puppy up.

It's funny, really, how one year can make you feel so grown up and at the same time make you feel like such a kid. One year. I guess it's true when they say a lot can happen in a year... I just didn't realize how much "a lot" was until just now. :)

So expect more of the old school Limitless Ramblings in the days to come, with a few new twists. :)

And, every once and a while, when I'm feeling lazy, I'll be posting over at Tumblr... because it makes me laugh oh so very much. :) When I deem it necessary, I will shuttle all of you over to Beyond the Entwash... but only when something is really worth your time and the Tumblr layout better suits it. :)

So, I'm gonna draw this entry to a close but first, I want to say a few things to a few people who really helped me through the 6 weeks.

Amy, Mary, and Kim: I am so super blessed to have you in my life, and that you trust me with your children... I am even more blessed to be able to call you friends! You all have been so encouraging and helpful, I don't know what I'd do without you! Thank you so much for everything!!

Nancy: I don't know if I ever told you, but it was very encouraging to hear that you were praying for me. I love talking with you, it's nice to know that there are still real people out there. :) Thank you for praying for me and being so open with me. It made me feel like I wasn't alone in this. :)

Melissa: Thank you for all your tips and encouragement! I'm really blessed to have such an awesome extended family, and I'm so glad I get to see you more regularly now. :D

Cassidy: You always seem to pop online when I'm feeling the most discouraged. :) Thank you for being so encouraging and doing this along side me!! We're gonna look awesome at your wedding! :) Can't wait to be able to "officially" call you my sister! Love ya, girl! Keep up the blogging!

Jordan: OMG... words do not describe how much of a savior you've been for me!!! Thank you for letting me rant about everything, and laughing with me about things that most people would think were absolutely ridiculous. When John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and I go on our best friend adventures (which will be so much more epic than anything Harold and Kumar have ever done), you are most certainly allowed to come along! You don't even have to ask, because no adventure would be nearly as epic if Jolls didn't come along... cuz you're a GQMF!!! COMIC CON 2010, BABY!! BE THERE! :D

Really, I am so thankful and blessed to have all of you! Thank you so much for everything!

So, I'm closing in on my 6th and final week of the abs diet, and I must say, I'm impressed.

Impressed with what, you may ask.

Well, with a lot of things. I'm impressed that I stuck with it, impressed that it's so easy, impressed that it worked.

I'm not perfect, by any means, but... it's super easy. I've gotten to the point where everything I eat has protein in it... at least 2 grams per serving. I've practically cut Trans fat completely out of my diet, except for when I eat out, and I've gotten Saturated Fats down to .5 grams per serving.

I still have pasta and white rice, but very rarely, and I don't miss it when I don't eat it. I also don't crave things as much as I used to. I've basically cut soda out of my diet. I still drink raspberry tea, and every once in a while I'll have a slushie from Sonic, but no more carbonation... and I only have those drinks when I got out to eat. I drink lots of water and milk at home.

The eating part is VERY easy. :)

Exercise wise, it's a little more difficult, but I've been pretty good about it. Getting back to the gym was horrible... it's the hardest thing in the world to go back once you've been away, but the more you go back, the easier it gets. The first day, I had to force myself 10 minutes on the Elliptical. I walked up to it, and it seemed to be laughing at me.

Has anyone seen "Look Who's Talking Now?" Or the sequel, I don't remember which one, but the baby is trying to potty train, and the toilet taunts him, tells him it's going to eat him or something.

That's how I felt walking back up to the Elliptical. It was laughing at me, telling me I was going to FAIL.

BUT... I cranked out 10 minutes and upon my return I was able to crank out 15 no problem. (15 = almost 2 miles, btw. w00t)

I can feel the difference... and my pants and clothes are fitting differently. I've had a bad week... but I'm excited that my definition of "a bad week" now means I've been eating dinner late, and I maybe had a piece of candy. :D And it's MUCH easier to get back on track.

So, that's where I'm at. I'm also partaking in a Biggest Loser competition with a friend and her boyfriend. 12 weeks, ALL that jazz. :D I'm excited. Hopefully I'll sart seeing a few more results.

Thank you to everyone who's been helping in this endeavor!!! It's been so much easier with all of your help!!!