Last in Line - Dio

We are coming…. “home”

It’s hard to believe I have less than a week left.
A lot has happened since I’ve been back.

Cooking, cleaning, sewing, organizing, re-organizing, unpacking, packing, repacking.
Christmas, New Year, brother’s birthday, sister’s baptism.
Family time, game time, father/daughter time, mother/daughter time, sister time, brother time, pet time.

Busy.

The time to leave again is fast approaching, whether I’m ready for it or not. Another semester full of it’s own trials, tests, successes, failures, and joys shall soon be here.

It’s like being a part of two different worlds. Both worlds continue on within their own bubble. It’s like going between two different loops in programming, but that’s most likely not the most comprehensive comparison.

Ah well, either way, my time is running out.

My current estimate for how long I’ll be awake for the trip from here to the states: 38 hours

Renegade – Styx

About time for a little action, isn’t it?

The past few days have been fairly intriguing.

Staying up till 8am the first day of the New Year sent my sleep schedule even more out of whack than it already is. After taking jetlag into account, that will either be a very good thing or a very bad thing when I get back for the first few days of school. In any case, I’m not worried too much about that now.

I was sitting on my bed working on my laptop one night and what did I happen to see when I glanced up? A mouse. It took me a second to recognize it, I was probably thinking of my sister’s hamster. I saw it run to a corner of the room then under my bed. I sat there thinking, “Mama’s not going to like this…” Because I’m more afraid of the mousetrap snapping back onto my finger than I am the actual mouse, my father set the trap and I gently placed it next to my dresser before going into the other room to watch a movie. The next day, the mousetrap sat untouched until the puppy came in and set off the trap to get the bait. It’s been several days and there’s still no sign of ‘im.


My video hasn’t really been getting anywhere due to some… *ahem* technical difficulties. And yes, despite my computer savvy self, I am just as prone as anyone else to technical difficulties. :P
As of now, WMM isn’t letting me work on anything. I’m thinking of working with another program, but we’ll see how that goes.

For a bit of good news, ISC is moving again! ^_^

Wind of Change – Scorpions

Happy New Year everyone.

According to my siblings, I was “trying to be epic” last night when I walked through the dark, snow-covered streets with a pan of pizza in each hand and my open coat fluttering in the wind. I told them I don’t have to try, it comes naturally. :P

We celebrated the New Year with pizza, games, and fireworks. It is now about 8 hours and 40 minutes into the year and it’s been great so far. I’m not entirely sure much sleep I’ll get this year, but I certainly hope it’s more than last year.

Oddly enough, so far I’ve listened to a few older tracks this year. I like the older songs; they bring back many memories. I remember rocking out to “It’s my life” by Bon Jovi with my father and baking cookies with my mother to “How will I know” by Whitney Houston. After watching Doctor Who, those of us who were still awake went over pictures from our trip to London… the one we took eleven years ago.

The end of the year seems to be the best place to stop and reflect. The continuance of time seems to keep us from being lost in the past, for the most part. The ushering of the new year keeps things in perspective. Yet another year is gone, yes, but just as swiftly a new year is upon us. No matter what the last year was like, we look on to the new year with hope.

As the sun rises on the first day of 2011, there is much to be hopeful for. We have been granted another year, let’s make the best of it.

~ Always Hope ~

Shake Up Christmas - Train

Ah, another Christmas has come and gone, leaving behind heartwarming gifts, happy faces, full bellies, and wrecked living rooms. On this side of the world, at least.

We had Christmas on Tuesday and it was awesome. Our internet was down for the past few days though. *shrugs*

After brunch and the ever so lengthy picture taking process, we opened presents. Watching the family open their gifts is always a unique experience because you know you’re only interested in their reaction to YOUR gifts. Seeing the surprise and joy on their faces should be an exhilarating encounter, no matter who gave them their favorite presents.

Moving on, my family got me a bunch of Ukrainian things to remind me of home when I’m back in the States. I also got a few of games. Board games, outdoor games, and video games, my favorite of which is an ultimate collection of Command and Conquer games. Stress relief for next semester? Sounds like it.

There were even a few ISC items thrown in.



Speaking of ISC, I started making another video a few days ago. It’s been far too long since I’ve made a vid, so I’m happy to be working on one again. Here comes the twist, this video is focused on Shard, Hanna’s evil self. I’ve wanted to make one for her probably ever since I made one for Hanna. Now if only someone would turn ISC into an actual movie so I’d have something to work with. I dislike having to scrounge around for parts of video clips that make so sense. Then again, if ISC gets turned into the atrocity Eragon was, I’d rather not have anything at all. Ah well, I work with what I’ve got.

Last night, we had Christmas music playing and the song “The Night Santa Went Crazy” came on. My sister started putting Hanna’s name in place of Santa. So of course, I got my laptop, looked up the lyrics, and we started rewriting. The final product? An ISC song with as many references as there are scene switches.

Dedicated to the many random moments we coauthors have had, the song itself being the product of two sleep-deprived coauthors. Couldn’t have done it without you, Tang.

Introducing:

The Night Hanna Went Crazy

Down in the clocktow’r the CS fulfilled their plans
They had Hanna and DJ within their evil hands
Then the boss busted in, nearly scared ‘em half to death
He leaned closest to Hanna and said in whispered breath,
“Killed your boyfriend named Lui. You’d be proud how he died.
He begged me for mercy,” the boss said as he lied.
And Hanna just stood there with blood in her eyes
Said, “I just turned into Shard - now you’re all gonna die.”

The night Hanna went crazy
The night the world felt her pain
Realized she'd been given the raw deal
Somethin' finally must've snapped in her brain

Well, the clocktow’r is gone now, she decided to ditch it
Everywhere you'll find pieces of Brady and Cryptic
And she tied up poor Isaac, held the Legoman hostage
And she ground up poor Shiva into dragon sausage
She got Ace and Naomi with an old German Luger
And she slashed up Jester just like Freddy Krueger
And she picked up a flamethrower and she barbecued Talon
And she took a big bite and said "It tastes just like falcon."

The night Hanna went crazy
The night coauthors went nuts
Now, ya can't hardly walk around Thorae
Without steppin' in character guts

There’s the chance that Christina could make Hanna cry
But then Hanna, she started to scream,
“I don’t want no frozen pizza or pie!”
And her darkness was flying, kept goodness from rising
And everyone’s dying to know - "Oh Hanna, why?
Why, why, why, why, why, why – why’d you date such a wimpy guy?”

Antarctica, now Hanna’s doing time
In a subzero prison for her infamous crime
Hey little Abby, don't you cry no more tears
She'll be out on good behavior in seven hundred more years.

But now Misty’s in therapy, and DJ’s still nervous
And the Others got jobs working for the postal service
And they say EDJ’s on the phone every night
With a lawyer negotiating the movie rights.
ISC

The night Hanna went crazy
The night the coauthors flipped
April Fool’s had them killing the weirdos
Sounds to me like sides were tired of getting switched

Wo, The night Hanna went crazy
The night the world felt her pain
Realized she'd been given the raw deal
Somethin' finally must've snapped in her brain
Wo, Somethin' finally must've snapped in her brain
Tell ya, somethin' finally must've snapped in her brain.

My Grown Up Christmas List - Kelly Clarkson

Did I worry you? No? Not even a little? Thought not.
It’s been nice being home again. Feels like I never left. My mother told me to “make myself at home.” Though she was probably kidding, that was the only part of the whole homecoming that made me feel foreign in my own home. Some things have changed, some things have not. The apartment is still standing, pretty much the same way I left it 7 months ago. There were new faces as well as old ones to welcome me home. Most of the customs are the same. A few new ones were put in place to make up for my absence. I no longer have a dish day. I suppose I should be happy about that, but I still manage to sneak in and do the dishes when I can. Washing the dishes is probably the only chore I have grown to love through sheer persistence. My siblings are just as annoying as always and I love them for it. A month is too short a time to be home.
There are certainly a few things I’ll have to adjust to, or at the very least put up with until I head back.

For instance, we now have a dog. I’m not really a dog person. It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s that I’ve never really been around them. I’ve had a cat for 12 years, what can I say? I’m still learning how to react to the cute little ball of fur.
Several times Joey, the dog, has hopped into my lap and started licking me. My reaction? “ACK! Save me! Get him off me! Help!”
As long as he quits licking me, I think we’ll be fine. I'm still not used to calling him Joey either. I'll usually call him puppy. There have been a few times where he'll walk into the room and I'll say, " 'ello, poppet." He's cute, just a little more energetic than I'm used to.

Due to all the events going on, we’ve postponed Christmas for a few days. No one here really minds, primarily because we just put the tree up yesterday. The house is still being decorated, but we have the Christmas music playing. Nonetheless, it’s still Christmas to many people. So Merry Christmas! Happy gift-giving, gift-getting, fruitcake-eating, caroling, and all the other traditional things people do on such and such a holiday. My favorite holiday was always Christmas. As I got older, it became more about the family time and snow than it was about actually getting the gifts. I enjoy making other people happy.

Heh, all I wanted for Christmas was to be with my family again. I’ve missed them. I've missed the random debates and crazy adventures. Just last night, I had a 30 minute conversation/friendly argument with my youngest sibling about which brother is better: Luigi or Mario. Today, Christy and I witnessed a creepy red light hovering over the ground in the distance when we took Joey out at night. Then I saved my sisters from a spider. Good times, good times.

As it turns out, I was probably on one of the last planes that made it out of Paris before they had to cancel all their flights. I'm glad I got home when I did. I'm thankful for my family.

~ Never Alone ~

Lights - Journey

Wow, what a trip. Incredible. I wouldn’t have believed it if it didn’t just happen.

So Saturday I get to the airport only to find out that my flight to Amsterdam is cancelled. Thankfully, I was immediately rerouted through Atlanta and Paris, due to arrive home at around 11:45 Sunday morning. I found the situation rather ironically typical. A two-hour drive to get to the airport three hours in advance after hours of meticulous packing to be sure the baggage was underweight and two nights of restless sleep. And did I panic? I think not. I was unusually calm about it all. In fact, I found it rather humorous. It was almost a typical “I’ll be home for Christmas…not” kind of story. Freshman year of college, first time flying alone, parents are in another country, and I’m rerouted through Paris (which only my family will know the horrors behind). Oh yeah, I was smiling. I’m telling you, I was far more worried about my luggage being over the weight restrictions and my parents’ reaction to the news than I was about the flight being cancelled.

The interesting thing is, major events don’t faze me in the least. It’s all the teensy, tiny issues that cause me to stress out and eventually break. For example, I’ll tell people I’m afraid of heights, but to be more specific, it’s the falling part that I’m afraid of... Along with the kersplat at the end, but that’s beside the point. The dark has no hold on me, I can be enveloped in it and not be afraid. It’s the things IN the dark that get to me. With roller coasters, it’s more the “my world just got yanked out from under me” feeling than it is the speed. While we’re on the topic of fears, excruciatingly loud and very sudden noises terrify me. I only fear balloons because of their potential for evil. Give me a horror movie like Evil Dead or some zombie movie over The Ring any day. Wow, severely off topic. Back on track.

Airplanes. Take off kills me every time. Touchdown is probably my favorite part of the whole flight, besides the flying itself. The part that really gets to me is the ear popping business. I’m ok with my ears popping in the plane as long as they pop back once the flight’s over. I got really, really stressed out last time we came to the states together and the main issue that irked me to my breaking point was that my ears hadn’t popped. There was just this ringing and I couldn’t hear what anyone said to me and I couldn’t feel my ears. See? Details. With major events such as moving from home, going to a whole new environment, and airline troubles, I’m more worried about how my parents will react. Off topic again.

Where was I? Ah yes, flight got cancelled and I was almost laughing while trying to convince the people who brought me to the airport that I was going to be just fine. I ended up staying the night at an elder’s house with a friend of mine. Did I know these people? Nope. Never met them before in my life. Did things work out? They most certainly did. The people were especially nice and I was able to get a good night’s rest.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28

Do you believe it? I do.

Had it not been the Lord who was on our side... ~ Psalms 124

So, I get up at about 6:30 Sunday morning and head over to the airport about an hour later. I get checked in and past security without any difficulty. I grab a sandwich, find my gate, and chill for a good 2 hours (DS came in handy). Guess what! My flight was delayed. Not to worry though, it was only delayed about 20 minutes. I make it to Atlanta a little late, but still manage to navigate between terminals and get to my Paris flight on time. In fact, it was the last call for the flight. Here’s the fun part. Because they rerouted my cancelled flight, I’m placed in business class on this flight. Having never flown anything higher than economy, I think, “Ok, I’ve always wanted to sit up here.” My seat is in the very second row. I sit down and go, “Whoa … this is actually pretty comfy.” I then discover business class has a full 3 course meal with more than two options. My first thought? “They have MENUS?!?! :O ” I place my bag on the floor and still have plenty of room to stretch my legs. In fact, I can’t even reach the seat in front of me without leaning over and reaching for it. I’m not used to so much space. They had mini water bottles, hot towels, assorted nuts (pecans and cashews), actual glass drinking glasses, and they had real silverware with two forks and three different knives. When dinner came along, I had tomato and basil soup, salad, steak, and ice cream for dessert. Now that I think about it, I feel more like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Anyway, if you thought it couldn’t get any better, guess what one of the movie options on the individual TV screen was.

*allows a moment for suspense*

Inception. ^_^

*continues reciting the adventure*

They served a breakfast that consisted of cereal, yogurt, fruit, croissants, and orange juice. The cereal left much to be desired, but the croissants were actually pretty good. Just as we were starting to descend, the man who sat beside me the entire flight decided to start a conversation. Turns out, he was on his way to Germany. He had a flight to Amsterdam that was cancelled the day before and they rerouted him through Paris.
Intrigued yet? He certainly was with my end of the conversation.

Anyway, the plane landed and I made my way to the last connecting flight on my list. The Paris airport was a little harder to navigate, only because the gate on my ticket said 2E and the gate they were directing me to was E28. Either way, I ended up at the right gate, but not before having to pass anther security check. The lady nailed me for having a water bottle from the last flight, but not for having a sandwich. Logically, there shouldn’t be that much of a difference between deadliness, or lack thereof. *shrugs* Then again, I tend to question a lot of people’s logic. I could just be really tired… I mean, have you noticed how many times I’ve gotten sidetracked from the tale? Yeah. Go figure.

Security check, there we are. I was happy to hear Russian again, even if it was only the people in line in front of me going on the same flight. It’s only at the gate does Paris start looking familiar. Truth be told, the only thing I can remember about Paris from previous trips is a lot of running and watching our plane take off without us… after they held it for us. Good times.

Back to the story. I got on the plane, but there didn’t seem to be very many people on it. They eventually filtered in, but there were still plenty of open seats. This was the roughest flight I had, solely because it was a never-ending cycle of drifting off to sleep and waking up a few seconds later. I kind of regretted then that I didn’t even try to get any rest on the flight before. Probably not the smartest move I made that day.

Rough flight, but I only remember bits and pieces of it. I think we sat in the airplane for over an hour waiting for the snow to let up before we could take off. I just remember being interrupted by the flight attendant and the guy in the window seat: washcloth, bathroom, breakfast, and luggage. I couldn’t really relax either cause the guy who sat behind me had long legs. As anyone knows, economy class and long legs don’t mix well for anyone. I think the main issue was that my mind pretty much just turned off for the rest of the flight. I’m fairly good at being able to be fully awake and alert when the time calls for it, after that my mind goes numb. Take the Acts final, for example. I almost fell asleep before the test, but during the test I was wide-awake. Course… maybe the candy and cookies had a little help in that. After the test though, I was totally out of it...

Back on track. I was out of it for that flight. I guess my mind thought its job was done, considering this was the last flight I had to worry about. By the time we landed, I had enough energy back to make it past the last stretch. -5 Celsius cold and snow galore greeted me as I got off the plane and rode the bus to the terminal. The very last obstacle was the agent behind the passport/visa counter. That was a little weird, but I made it through. You think the adventure’s over? Not hardly. I get out and look around for any sign of my mother. Not there. I wait. Then I get the brilliant idea to go over to another terminal. What I was not aware of were the various changes made to the airport while I’ve been gone. Apparently, all the arrivals are located in the terminal directly opposite from the main terminal. Thinking my mother would go to the main terminal first, I brave the snow and tote my luggage through the vast parking lot to I know what you’re thinking: “Brave the snow? But you’re from there. You ‘re used to snow and ice.” Technically, yes, I am. But I’m used to facing the snow wearing a lot more than jeans, tennis shoes, a jersey over a long sleeved shirt, and a jacket made more for looks than practicality.

So yes, I was cold. And tired. And sore by the time I got to the other side. What should I find but that departures now flood the area where arrivals once stood. Realizing that was probably the worst move to make, I turned around and went back. No working phone to call my parents, no national currency, no free internet access, and no way I’m going out in the cold again without a decent plan. What did I do while I waited for my parents to come find me? Read the Bible and wrote this post.
If you’re reading this: A. my parents found me and brought me home, B. I somehow managed to hack into the airport wifi, or C. someone stole my computer yet was nice enough to post this for me. Options A and B are looking pretty good right now.


“You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger.” ;)

Journey to the Past – Anastasia Soundtrack

Ah, so close, and yet so far away.

Tis still a long, long, way from home.

Yesterday, I woke up early, 6 or 7ish, and said goodbye to my future roomie. Then I fell back asleep, woke up late, sold the rest of my books, and had lunch.
I got to drive around with epic nerds and just as epic music. I thoroughly enjoyed that trip. ^_^
After I got back, I spent most of my time packing.
I had the beautiful opportunity to help two friends in need, one with finding a ride and the other with moving heavy/awkwardly shaped objects from one dorm to another.
I then got to see parts of 3 different movies from 3 different dorms, Scott – Up, Bradfield – Despicable Me, Dixon – Ponyo. And we had cake. ^_^

I can think of no other way to spend the last full day here.
Well, I probably could, but why spoil blessing with wishful thinking?

This morning I got up early and finished packing before I went to breakfast.
Ugh, breakfast… it shall be the death of me one of these days. It doesn’t matter what it is, how much of it I eat (or how little), or what time I eat it. I detest breakfast. Call it the most important meal of the day if you will, I’ll hold out for lunch.

After calling my parents, I finished organizing, cleaning, and packing. That last part was only a hassle because of the evil flight restrictions. Pack, weigh, repack, weigh, repack, weigh, repack, weigh. Now to head off to the airport. It’ll be just like old times… only with less family… a lot less family…

I believe it’s time for me to fly.