Limitless Ramblings

I miss those days. I miss being able to be completely and wholly consumed by a work of literature. I miss being able to immerse myself in different worlds or eras. I miss being able to construct sentences with a far larger vocabulary than the one I presently have.

I feel like I saw the world in a brighter light then, like it was easier to be optimistic. And the more I write this, the more desperate I get to dive back into that world. I always say the biggest mistake made by a victim of any type of apocalypse or totalitarian regime is the inability to sit down and read, the inability to educate oneself. I've become that type of person. In my rabid rush of a life; amidst my jobs, my volunteer work, my obligations, and the day to day drama, I've become that which I warn about the most.

I hate that books have taken the back seat out of everything. I'd be alright with pushing exercise, television, and even gaming into the background, but books? When did I become that person? When did I decide it was okay to sacrifice the one inanimate thing I love more than any other inanimate thing... and for what? Added stress in my life? A greater sleep deficiency than that which I started with? A dose of drama that slowly but surely drains my energy and - more importantly - my creativity? I gave up books for this?

I can't wait for the summer. I cannot wait till I can sit back and let my mind worry about writing and reading, maybe the occasional movie.

I used to look at insanely attractive celebrities and think, "oooo, he/she would be really great for the character of this book I'm reading/story I'm writing!" Presently, I just look at attractive celebs and see them as just that: attractive celebs.

However, the other day I saw a picture of Rami Malek and my brain literally screamed at me that he'd be the perfect archetype for a character I'm slowly constructing. I placed an attractive celeb as a character I was constructing. My mind used the word "archetype" without batting an eye. This excites me to no end.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am on my way back. :)

I was wrong. Right now I'm spending my time running around and counting down the days till the 18th... I'm supposed to be working on a slideshow but I can't focus... at all... which is why I'm here. I've been thinking a lot about why things seem so crazy, and I think it has something to do with my lack of creative outlets. I work, I clean, I organize, I plan, I put together, I make calls, I practice stuff... and then it's 2:35 am, and I was supposed to be in bed by 10. Facebook and Tumblr have provided enough distraction between projects that I don't go insane, but it's been months since I've read a book. It's been months since I've written anything. Even watching movies is hard to do without double tasking and trying to get something else done. And when I make plans, I stick to a schedule.

I've boxed myself into this thing called adulthood and I have no more room to fly, and that's not okay. I need to start dumping into a creative outlet again... I honestly think everyone needs one to survive, and I think mine is writing. I'm pretty sure it is, because when I go for long periods of time with out fanfic-ing, drabbling, or blogging, I get stressed. My hands don't stay as still as they should and I can't sit still. I'm unable to focus, I'm irritable, and I don't sleep. I used to think it was because I just had a lot going on and, that's partially the case, but it really is because of how my brain works.

I overanalyze, it's what I do. I'm over-analytical. I look at something and it reminds me of something else which reminds me of this thing I saw which makes me think of something funny which could be a good line in a story if I ever write one again. I see something else and wonder what kind of history it's had, what it could mean between the lines, what's going on that we can't see and hey that'd be an interesting idea for a story if I ever write one again. I hear a song and it reminds me of someone which reminds me of a moment which makes me think of a storyline that would be interesting for a story if I ever write one again.

Pretty soon my head is filled with all these ideas and possible plots and quirky one liners and I can't sit still, I can't focus, I can hardly form a sentence without effort because there's no room for anything else and that was why I blogged so hard core a year ago, that was why I joined up for NaNoWriMo and that was why life wasn't as stressful when I made a vow to write a short story every day for a month.

I need my creative outlet so I can get rid of the stuff bouncing around in my head, so I can manage my life better.

It's like my friend Jordan says: Ideas are nothing if they aren't birthed into the world as something real, something tangible.

I can't keep letting these ideas float around in there to dissipate into nothing but stress and anxiety. I need to get creative again which means I need to start writing again.

So that's what I'm going to do. I dub this summer the first annual Limitless Ramblings Summer of Writing and Other Stuff. Summer festivities kick off on May 29, 2010.

Make it so, Number One.

I'll admit I'm rather saddened by the news as well. Heroes was a favorite of mine, and is one of the few television programs I watched rather religiously. I was a member of the Sarmy, have stayed up late for live blogs and interviews, and have even been spoken to by Cristine Rose and Jack Coleman. I have made countless videos, wrote Heroes based fanfics, and tuned in every single Monday night to catch the show. I was, to put it lightly, a fan.

But I have to say, the hatred is uncalled for. Yes, it really sucks that NBC cancelled Heroes, but I can't say I blame them. The show has been going downhill since the writers' strike cut S2 short. The writers tried, but in the end they had too many characters and didn't have the cajones to get rid of them. They were onto something good when they stripped Peter of his powers, but all in all, they just couldn't recover.

Time that could have been spent improving the storyline was instead spent focusing on 25 different characters, giving them each facetime and forcing the plot to inch along at a crippled snail's pace. A person could go 4 episodes without having anything actually happen. Beyond that, any conflict that arose could easily have been avoided had the characters - who were once extremely smart and crafty - used even the smallest parts of their brains.

In the end, the show needed to be shut down. It was given two whole seasons to get something done and it just didn't do it. Am I sad it's finished? Yes. Do I think it's unjustified? No. If we all sat down and really looked at the situation, we'd realize it's just a television program. It didn't usher in the era of television, and its demise certainly doesn't mean the end of primetime viewing, by any means. I raise my proverbial drink to Heroes, and will miss it dearly. But life goes on... and I've still got good ole Doctor Who to keep me company.

I prefer tap water to anything... iced is best. It just has a cleaner, more refreshing taste. Bottled waters, especially Dasani and Fiji, all taste really... dirty. I can't put my finger on it... I know bottled waters are supposed to taste/are supposedly cleaner than tap water, but I just cannot get past the taste. It's gross. And anything that boast to be "natural spring water" (i.e. Ethos, FIJI, etc.) is the worst.

I have a problem believing something so gross - something fish swim and POOP in - can be healthier for you than the stuff you get at home.

Last summer I was able to deal with filtered water, though. That stuff does taste cleaner, and when it's iced, it's the best. But that was as far as I thought I was willing to go... until my friend Tiffany told me about Smart Water.

Smart Water is vapor distilled water, which basically means they filter it using a similar process as the clouds do and, as the bottle states, "it's a difference you can taste." About a month ago, I went to Mexico on a missions trip and as most people know, you can't drink the water in Mexico. That meant I was going to have to spend the week sipping bottled water, so I figured what the hey? I'll give Smart Water a try.

I'm really glad I did. I love the stuff! It is seriously the cleanest most refreshing water I have ever had! It doesn't even have to be cold!!! I could (and have) guzzle liters of the stuff in a single sitting. It's not only the cleanest water I've ever had, I'd go as far as to say it's delicious. It's seriously in a league of its own as far as bottled water... no, as far as water period goes. They also throw in some electrolytes*, just in case you "decide to hit the beach".

And it's not just the taste I love... it caters to a lot of my interests. I love the bottle design... it's not flashy or shaped funny like 90% of the other water brands out there. There are no ridges, no nifty shapes etched into the side. It isn't square, it isn't pear shaped. The bottle - like the water in it - is sleek and clean. Nothing flashy... but the logo is really nifty. It too is fairly sleek and clean. A large blue raindrop encompasses the word "smart" and "water" follows it in a skinnier blue font. On the other side of the bottle, the roles are reversed, with "water" (still in a skinnier font) is encompassed by the raindrop, and "smart" is in blue font. If you look on the inside, as well, you'll find some sea life. The two I've come across are the small fish (stating "spring water is for swimming, smart water is for drinking!") and the crab (stating "let's drink responsibly and recycle... don't be shellfish!"). It's nothing huge, but I find it insanely adorable and pleasing to the eye**.

The description of the water is also awesome! It is short, informative, and mildly sarcastic. Everything you want in a description! In fact, the sarcastic descriptions on Vitamin Water is part of what made me love that so much, too!*** All in all, I'm fairly addicted to the stuff. If you've never tried it, I suggest you do! It is well, WELL worth it!