I hate catching stomach bugs, which is something I do all too often.

It's the low-grade nausea that gets me the worst. By the end of the day I'm like, "Look, either throw up or go away, this constantly thinking about it shit has got to go."

Bleh.

Geez, Blogger's being a bitch about letting me in this evening... I went and checked my friend's blogs to make sure it wasn't completely down.

Anyways...

Over 17,000 words, if I'm remembering the count from earlier today. It's been slow since this weekend, mostly because of work rage issues. But I got back into it today, and only stopped because I needed to think more carefully about how to craft an important scene. Two things needs to happen, then a big thing, then all hell breaks lose and doesn't let up, if I've got this right.

Meanwhile, I have a 12-track soundtrack for this thing. ;-) Music helps me write. Hell, it was the lyrics to "Whisper" that started this thing in the first place. It's not finished, I don't think... I'll have to see what grabs me as I'm writing.

I Am A: Chaotic Good Elf Ranger Bard


Alignment:
Chaotic Good characters are independent types with a strong belief in the value of goodness. They have little use for governments and other forces of order, and will generally do their own things, without heed to such groups.


Race:
Elves are the eldest of all races, although they are generally a bit smaller than humans. They are generally well-cultured, artistic, easy-going, and because of their long lives, unconcerned with day-to-day activities that other races frequently concern themselves with. Elves are, effectively, immortal, although they can be killed. After a thousand years or so, they simply pass on to the next plane of existance.


Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.


Secondary Class:
Bards are the entertainers. They sing, dance, and play instruments to make other people happy, and, frequently, make money. They also tend to dabble in magic a bit.


Deity:
Solonor Thelandria is the Chaotic Good elven god of archery and the hunt. He is also known as the Keen Eye, the Great Archer, and the Forest Hunter. His followers respect nature, and only hunt when needed, but are quick to defend the forest from intruders. Their favorite weapon is the bow, and they tend to be extremely talented with it. Solonor Thelandria's symbol is an arrow with green fletchings.


Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)

I must be iron deprived today or something... had beef teriaky in a bag for breakfast, and now I want a big roast beef sub for lunch. I'm also gnawing on my lips, which isn't a good sign.

Oh well, feed it. It's not like I eat more than two meals a day normally anyways.

No football this weekend... Panthers have an off-week, and the Redskins get to whoops up on the SuckBoys Monday.

Need to find gloves and bracelets for the costume.

Dad says we need to go to Lowe's to look at options for making the shoulder armor.

Local festival Saturday, those can be fun to go wander around in. Might do it in the jeans/boots/bodysuit combo I'm using for the costume.

Also must figure a way to strap my chest down without it being too obvious. Duct tape would work, but it might remove them when I take it off. ;-)

"Also, it has been confirmed that Advent Children will be released in Japan some time 2004."
From Advent Children.net

*squeeing* OhmyGod ohmyGod... just slap some subtitles on it and released it here by Christmas, I'll be a very very very happy woman.

Meh. I hate writing fight scenes. I'm either micro-managing to the point of stupidity, or I'm glossing over, "they were getting their asses kicked until Cid did a limit break and my character does a Sephiroth impersonation and the monster falls over dead". There's got to be a happy medium somewhere.

10,090 words. Finally got down one thing straight in my head, to go back and edit earlier stuff later. Still got a long way to go.

8,706 words. That's 2600 more than Friday. About 2000 of them today.

I think I'm going to be ill.

Remember I said that Friday I was busy with viruses and spyware? One of the lawyer's whose computer I cleaned off is now screaming because I uninstalled his screen savers.

Guess what I have to do now?

Go find the goddamn screen savers again.

6,100 + words to get to the end of part 1. Damn.

Been a busy day at work, I've gotten barely 600 words done. But when the server crashes and the spyware/virsuses keep piling up, you have to do that first.

Wanna know how hard the wind is blowing? A direct gust onto my window on the 12th floor FLEXED THE GLASS.

Holy crap, almost 2000 words so far today. Yesterday was slow because I was bridging the gap between two big scenes. Today I've gotten out one big revelation and I'm slowly crafting the other.

And ignoring the internal editor. She'll learn eventually. ;-)

From Slashdot - "Square Enix is finally answering the prayers of thousands of FF7 fans with a side-story PS2 game called "Dirge of Cereberus: Final Fantasy VII." Not much is known yet - the game focuses on the character Vincent, it's set one year after the upcoming movie, Advent Children, and it's early in development as of now - but this is sure to be a hot topic amongst fans and critics of the series alike."

WOOOOO!!! YAY!!!!! *doing manic happy dance*

Little over 900 words today. Slow stretch, because I didn't like the words. They sounded stupid. But I kept writing them anyway.


*cackling like a mad woman*

You wanna know how bad Ivan is?

I seem to write more in the morning. After about 2pm or so, I'm too distracted by work or whatever has happened during the day to keep up.

But still, 6 pages is great.

“Well, do we do now?” Cid asked, eyeballing his ship. “Keep heading north?”

I'll let you know soon.

2,725 words. Which means I've more than doubled what I've written yesterday. And I'm still figuring out what's going on as I'm going along.

1,333 words in a day. Sephiroth doesn't let go easy. :-p

Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drives me into madness
I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away
If I will it all away

chorus:
Don't turn away
Don't give in to the pain
Don't try to hide
Though they're screaming your name
Don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
Don't turn out the light
Never sleep, never die

I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know that there's much more to come
Immobilized by my fear
And soon to be blinded by tears
I can stop the pain if I will it all away
If I will it all away

(chorus)

Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
She beckons me shall I give in
Upon my end shall I begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end

(chorus x3)
"Whisper", Evanescence


Dawn, you asked which was my favorite song? This one. Sephi and Cloud and Jenova are warring in my head to this. I'm writing. :-)

Superman: We should form a group
Flash: You mean like a bunch of Superfriends?
I: almost fall off the couch laughing

Justice League RULES. I need more of this, yesterday.

Trying for the THIRD time to get this posted

Sorry for the delay... with the typhoon-like weather, I've been too busy with other stuff to put this DragonCon report up. :-p

It's been a long time since I've woken up and been out the door before dawn. Seeing Orion hanging over my head made me smile... he's always keeping an eye on me. I drove and Janice slept until Augusta, when we got breakfast. Those Banana/Macadamia nut pancakes at IHOP are AWESOME!! Couple more hours on the road, then downtown Atlanta.

I could easily learn to hate downtown Atlanta.

Finally found someplace to park where we could still see the Hyatte/Mariott where the convention was taking place. Figured out the automatic ticket-giving system wasn't taking money, so I used my debit card. Gave the bum who helped us out with the machine a $5 for his trouble and his rap/poem.

We go to register. By the end of registration, we're convinced we need to do the whole thing next year. We head up to the vendors. First booth I find is for Renderosity, a company that does figures for a fee. They have a drawing for free software. Who can turn down free software?

I go wandering around while Janice goes in search of her current favorite author. I drool over the tons of anime, anime soundtracks, game soundtracks, swords, clothing, etc. I also spend $10 on a Bahumut or Yojimbo T-Shirt (wish I could find pics, sorry) that's 3 sizes too big, but manage to restrain myself. More wandering around. Spend $4 on a poster of Sephiroth from FF VII: Advent's Children. I need it for my Halloween costume, I tell myself.

Janice finds me. "Ray Park is here." Me: "WHERE?!?!?!" We go downstairs. Crazy line, but we meet:

Craig, the guy who played Haldir Very nice guy.
Sala, the guy who played a few orcs and Sauron Very very funny guy. He took one of Craig's promo pics and doodled on it.
The kid who played young Boba Fett My, has he grown up.
AND
Ray Park, God among men. Turns me into a blithering fangirl. Janice is much embarassed.

Wander around some more, pick up about half a dozen business cards and such. Go sit in on what's supposed to be a thing about Star Wars Episode III, but is mostly about everything but. We leave early to get some lunch. Alternately roll our eyes and shake our head at what some are (not) wearing in public. But there are some really good ones, including a dead-on Rikku from FF X-2 that causes second bout of public embarassment for poor Janice (I was a little loud in trying to greet the girl).

I go to meet Jacqueline Carey (OOOH! Imriel books soon!), but it's a panel of talking heads and I don't get to talk to her. Janice tried to get in on a Craig thing, but it was too crowded and they wouldn't let her in. We then try to go watch Tom Savini do a thing about FX in the movies, but that's also crowded with rude people who stand in front of us sitting people.

So we go back to the vendors. I spend $10 on a print by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law called Dragon Knot, and she is sweet enough to sign it. :-) I will get a frame for this and put it above my creating table in my home office, next to the Sephiroth poster that's already hung.

I don't win the software. *sniff* We go home. I quickly regret not having Advil, as my arthritis reminds me that standing and walking for 8 hours is NOT a good thing.

But it was worth it. See you there next year!

The remnents of Frances are giving me fits. Mom called 20 minutes ago because of a Tornado WARNING. We're under a watch until later this afternoon, and it's supposed to get worse before it gets better.

I'm hanging in there. Debating on the merits of going to work.

Heading to DragonCon for the day.

Not going to talk about yesterday. :-p

*shoos Frances away*

From an interview with Carlos Santana, over on CNN.com

A: I don't really feel too good about asking anyone to vote at this time because I basically don't have faith in either one of the two parties. I would like it better if we had a woman president, seven of them, instead of one. ... American Indian, Mexican, Irish, African-American. We need seven women to really represent the United States more from an integrity perspective.

I love this man. ;-)

Pale September
I wore the time like a dress that year
The autumn days swung soft around me
Like cotton on my skin
"Pale September", Fiona Apple

All misty morning as the month gently rolls in. 9 days to my birthday, and so far the weather is right on schedule.

According to my local news station, I have a 50% chance of getting hit by Frances this weekend.

Needless to say, I'll be heading to Wal-Mart after work for stuff: kitty litter, extra cat food, batteries, maybe even a jug or two of water. Maybe powdered tea. I'd rather be safe than sorry.