siriusly rad

    I have felt incredibly weird since reading and finishing Deathly Hallows.  At first, I was excited, ecstatic, in love, and just wanting to get drunk.  I did, thanks to the help of a couple of Cranberry Vodkas and a bonfire. I wanted to talk to people, anyone about the book and analyze it, discover things I missed out on and just exclaim continuously how "omg, it is over! over! over!" and it being over didn't seem bad, it felt like a relief, it felt amazing, like I had just finished an epic journey. I had no one to talk to though, because no one else around me had finished and those reading the book or wanting to read the book, I could not spoil it for them. So, I drank, randomly brought up things and went in and out of this world and into the Potter world, remembering, smiling.
    Today though, I've felt kind of off. A sadness is lingering over me and yet I still feel happy.  Eight years of my life has been dedicated to this book series and people may think it is weird how much it has effected me, how much I am talking about it but it has been an amazing journey.  And I feel that it ended on a good note, I enjoyed the book.  I understand why some will hate it, but for me... it ended perfectly. I still don't want to discuss the plot, analyze it because I don't want to be a spoiler.  I just wanted to talk about how it made me feel to finish it, after all these years, of the time and energy spent.  I feel that none of it was wasted, I feel happier knowing that I partook in it, but I also feel sad because it is all over and nothing knew can be learned, no more books will be waiting for me.  The questions have been answered.  It is bizarre to me, I think I never really realized that it would one day come to an end, that it had to.
    I feel like crying.  I feel like screaming.  I keep smiling though... All in all, this has been a very positive experience. I just wish my emotions were more in check.  I didn't think I'd react this strongly to finishing a book, that the idea of the series being over, of having finished it is highly emotional for me.  I think I like it though, I feel as if this is the most emotion I've expressed/felt in a long while.  So, kudos to J.K. Rowling for that and to the Harry Potter world at large.  Never have I wished so strongly that it was all real, because that would mean it wouldn't have to necessarily end.
     I hope other Potter fans are feeling the same way I am.

When was the last time you felt butterflies in your stomach?

When I was standing in line at 10pm on Friday, July 20th 2007 to get my hands on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by midnight-oh-one. I was jittery, I was geeked, I was fourth in line! Midnight-oh-one rolled around and I got the book and hurried to the registers where I paid and was out the door by 12:07. Reading commenced by 12:30 and after a short sleep around 5am, a brief morning read and then a party attended from 2-7pm I finished the book at 10:40pm.

I am glad I rushed through the book, the risk of a spoiler was great.  After Andrew reads it I'll reread it, slower and savor the book more.  It is a bizarre feeling that something I've dedicated eight years of my life to has come to an end.  I loved the book but will discuss all of that and more later.

Why do you live where you live?
Submitted by memtony.

    It certainly beats where we were living before, cheaper and nicer.  Quieter, a better school district for my little brother, and just relatively quaint.  Generally though, I stay at Andrew's house, which has its convenience of being closer to school and ample amounts of Andrew time, hrm. But, mostly, it is the DS and Wii :P
    Anyway. Life is good.  I am eagerly awaiting 11:00 because then I am heading up to Cinema 16 and getting decent seats for the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  Tyler, Andrew, and I all got tickets and we will probably meet up with Josh, Tricia, someone's little brother, and maybe a few others.  It shall be nice, nifty, grand. I am excited because this movie looks particularly good and it is something to tide me over until the release of Deathly Hallows, in just ten days! I am super excited.
    I need to write a better, more in depth entry on my life, in a day or two, I promise.  I just wanted to share excitement abound about Harry Potter

    Wow. It was been quite awhile since I last wrote anything.

    Well, nothing much has been going on.  Oh, the typicals of summer, really. Lounging about, read, swimming, and playing video games.  The greenhouse is closed for the season and I really need to be looking for a new job, sigh. Been eagerly anticipating July and all the Potterness that it will bring. Nothing really stands out, my life has become a blur of nothingness, kind of. Hmm... Oh! Suppose, an interesting thing that did occur is I went camping with Aimee and Elliott, completely spur of the moment, we ended up cooking veggie burgers, sitting up and chatting, tenting it up, and then returning back home the next day, it was a nice break from things.

    Andrew's birthday was also amazing, I purchased him Trauma Center: Second Opinion for the Wii, and he seems to be loving it.  He also ended up getting a kitten from his parents, we went to the Humane Society to pick one out and settled on a black, long-haired kitten. He is named Simon Belmont, he is roughly 8 - 9 weeks old, we had to get him fixed before we brought him home and then he was fighting off a virus of some sort-- but he seems to be doing fine, he is friendly, a trouble maker and insists on sleeping with us every night, haha. Oh! And he loves video games, in particular Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, which I've fallen obsessed with.  Simon is truly an Andrew cat :D

    Tonight is orientation for OU, how exciting.  I am nervous.  Andrew and Garrett signed up for the same day, so we are all journeying there around 4:30 today. I am eager to register for classes, find out what OU is apparently all about and hopefully, work towards my degree that will hopefully land me a "real job".
 
    This weekend is also Angel's wedding, am very excited.  Carpooling with Aimee, hopefully we don't get lost. I think it'll be an amazing wedding and I'm sure, Angel will look beautiful. But, I feel antsy and thus, must be off.
 

In 5 words or less, who are you? 
Submitted by dejablu503.

1. Awkward
2. Redhead
3. Introverted
4. Optimistic-ish
5. Reader

    Yep, those are the five words and I shan't go into detail about them at all. Just moving on along.  Life has been going on, working long days and then randomly drinking bottles of champagne on my nights off to sleep well and awake slightly queasy. Realizing that most of the television shows I got into a habit of watching are done with, which means more time  dedicated to books and movies as I want to see a few.  The other day I saw Pans Labyrinth, and I loved it.  I think Andrew wants to see Apocolypto and John Rambo, haha. Still, looking forward to some movie viewing fun.
    Bought a new dress yesterday and I absolutely love it. 
    Today is orientation at OU and I am nervous, but I get to find out whether or not I want to go for an English degree or what have you and I get to register for classes, which is exciting.  Finally got Andrew to agree to go with me, as he will use the time to possibly explore the campus and study his calculus, the class that reaffirms my distrust of math.  I am excited about OU in the fall, it is always nice to  begin a new chapter in ones life, something about progress I am sure.  Nervous, anxious, but generally speaking excited and eager. 
    This summer will call for: Angel's wedding, Harry Potter, and well... those are the main events I am looking forward to. June 23rd, wowza for Angel's wedding, another event that I am strangely anxious but mostly eager for.  Harry Potter should be self explanatory, book 7 and movie 5, am rereading OoTP followed by HBP. And then rereading The World According to Garp, because I love that book and finally got it back.
      Well.... I am off to do something.

Where do you go to get away from it all? 
Submitted by Hops.  

I usually end up going to my Dad's or Mom's house, sometimes I will just sit outside and read. I do not really have a place of my own to escape too, often times than not it is just inside my head with the help of books.  I really need to find a place of my own, once more... because, it is important to have a place to be completely alone either in reflection or just to be alone. 
    Decided to reread Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince.  It will be nice, Potter books make me happy. Work is going well, life is going well, things are well.  I just don't have much to say, so peace.

What is the most creative gift you have ever given or received? 
Submitted by Nacwolin.

I like this question. Last August for mine and Andrew's two year, we wrote each other stories because we were both broke but still wanted to give each other something.  Mine was a collection of very short stories based on different time eras of a typewriters life, and focused on the owners of it from when it was brand new to old, I liked the idea of everyone being connected by that typewriter, and I really love delving into the lives of characters, he seemed to like it and I may expand on that story idea sometime this summer.  The story he wrote me was surreal, based on a pig's head, it was freaky but I really liked it. These were nice gifts, a nice change of pace from purchasing each other something.
    Just experienced two lovely days off from work, its a relief but tomorrow will be an 8am-5pm shift, which is nice and shorter than 9am-7pm, but still long.  Sunday is the short shift, 1-5pm and then a complete mystery as to what next week will hold in store for me.  It is nice though, being outside all day at work and working with my hands, feeling the fresh air and looking at some very pretty flowers.  I have no clue what I'll do with myself once June rolls around, aside from looking for new employment.
    Need to purchase my Mom a gift, hmm.....
    Oh, also hungout with Aimee briefly on Wednesday night and hope to go the bar with her sometime next week, get our drink on and enjoy time in each others company. 
    Grandma's birthday was yesterday and the family is celebrating it this weekend, going to Ohio, and I have to decline because I can't take the time off of work which makes me sad, but hopefully I get to see her soon, maybe my Mom and I will take her out to breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
 

What websites do you visit every day?
Submitted by Chez Michelle.

mugglenet - Um, what can I say? The closer the release date to book 7, the more frequently I check the site out.  Once book 7 comes out, I swear off the internet all together until I finish the book :o]
Detroit Tigers - I seem to always miss watching the games, due to work or conflicting schedualing and people openly complaining about a baseball game being on, so I like to check out what happened, what I missed, and so forth.
Myspace - Hm... I like to see who commented and when.
gmail - I can't help but look
Vox - I like reading stranger's lives :o]

    Things are going swimmingly right now.  Andrew finally got his brother's car switched to his name, the plate and insurance.  My car seems to be in the process of having issues with the brakes, best to have it looked at.  Hours are picking up at work as our group opted for ten hour shifts, so we could get days off. The weekend shifts will be shorter, glee.

    All A's in my classes, woo-hoo.

What's some good advice you've given to a friend, but not followed yourself? 
Submitted by robbbiedobbbie.

It usually involves telling people to just go out and do something, as I never have the guts to do such myself.  I end up paralyzing myself with fear and "what ifs".  It is so much easier to tell someone to get out and do something, versus actually doing it yourself... in my opinion.

Moving on though, I have taken my last class at OCC.  I am very much excited and looking forward to attending OU and being a grizzly. I will feel the first day of school jitters at a new school once more this fall and it is exciting.  Speaking of OCC, again, I think I succeeded in getting all A's and I am proud of that, the term paper I did in my history class was well received and I did magnificently in my logic class, so cheers to me, I apparently can be a good student.

Tonight calls for Heroes and then a bonfire, in which we burn our old school work, its fun and therapeutic.  Tomorrow is a day off from everything, visiting my Dad and seeing the new kittens he bought. Wednesday is the first ten hour shift of many at the Greenhouse this month, and I can barely hide my excitement. Hopefully the weather is fine tomorrow and Wednesday and the rest of May we we get loads of costumers, eagerly purchasing their plants and veggies.

Ahh... loveliness.

What are the positive and negative associations that you and those around you have with blogging?  Have attitudes changed over time?

Well, as I am stalling from working on my take home final, I figured Vox would be a helpful tool in that.  It has been awhile since I blogged, oh wells. Let us just say I have been busy,  with work and school and a little dash of life, but mostly a dash of the Nintendo DS.  It's pink. Andrew and I went halfsies on it and I think I'll name it Adah (If anyone knows which book she is from, I'll give you a high-five). I've been playing lots of the Princess Peach game, Izuna, and Final Fantasy 3.  I plan on purchasing Final Fantasy 6 in a few days, but shh... don't tell anyone its my favorite over 7 because I think Andrew and his friends will slaughter me.

Moving on though... I like this QoTD.  What do I think about blogging? Positives, negatives? What do my fraggles and family think? First things first.

1. I find blogging to be a very positive thing for me, personally. I get in moods where I want to share with people and this allows me to do such.  Admittedly, I am guarded somewhat in what I do share but that is because this is public, and I know I can easily remedy it by making entries private--which I will and do in certain cases.  All of this just makes blogging seem very positive to me.  I also like the fact that people read my blog and can comment on it, perhaps it makes me feel less alone or something along those lines.  Or maybe I just like the attention. It doesn't matter, what matters is this is my blog, I find it positive and I can ramble away in it.
2. Of course there are negatives to blogging, especially in the public arena. You could hurt peoples' feelings if you write something hurtful, the wrong people could read it, or what you write could be taken out of context or taken in the correct context and drama abound.  There seems to be negatives to virtually everything that anyone does or wants to do.  I am choosing to embrace the positive on this matter.
3. I am unsure what my family thinks, honestly it hasn't been brought up. I know most of my friends think it is lame and stupid, they'd tease me nonstop if/when they find this blog.  Whatever. On the same token some of them do blog and love it, others I think would enjoy it if they gave it a chance. 
   

Those are my thoughts on blogging.  It's a strange, strange, normal thing. But, I likes it. I better actually work on my exam, toodles.