Have you heard of formspring.me? Of course you have, you good little social networker, you. It's the new Twitter, the grandchild of the 200-question MySpace bulletin survey. ANYONE CAN ASK YOU ANYTHING, AND YOU'LL LOVE IT.
EVERYONE will ask you bazillions of questions, because EVERYONE wants to know the deep dark secrets of quirky, fabulous YOU, and you will get social networker's high telling them all the TMI they never wanted to know about quirky fabulous you. To the umpteenth degree. Am I right or am I right?
Problem. As much as quirky fabulous narcissistic you loves telling un-quirky un-fabulous everyone-else about YOU, well, everyone else would much rather be telling YOU how quirky and fabulous THEY are. It's all one big cry for attention. And look, I get it; we all love the feeling of eyes on us, we all want to be loved, we all want to feel like others find us interesting and unique. I want that, too. But frankly they don't give a damn about your deep dark secrets.
At least this is the theory behind why I don't have a formspring. It seems like people are always using their Facebook statuses to beg their friends to ask them questions on formspring.me, and that is just sad. Sorry if you do this, but when I see that on my news feed, I think, "This is stupid." I always want to ask a question because I feel bad that they have been so unsuccessful in their ventures of narcissism that they need to go on Facebook to ask people to ask them questions, but I can never think of anything interesting or creative to say.
I was never too good at truth or dare, either.
But I was always good at those 200-question MySpace surveys (probably because they were all about quirky fabulous ME), which makes formspring sound like it COULD be fun. I just... can't be okay with further fueling said narcissism. I mean, I guess it's narcissistic to blog, too, as if anyone should care what I have to say, but at least a blog is a legitimate way to get your name out there en route to authordom.
I also have a problem with the anonymity factor. Some small interactive feature might redeem this Me machine, but you don't even know who's asking you these (sometimes highly personal/inappropriate) questions. Yeah, sometimes that affects the answer; but it should, shouldn't it? In a normal, healthy, face-to-face conversation it would.
I guess it also comes down to the fact that I don't expect anyone would be very interested in asking me anything anyway, and I think that would just be depressing.
Shameless plug for my buddy Adam Ezra
I posted this on my other blog, The Amandangle, and it's also on the Gordon College News Service blog. But I think it's an important story that needs to be seen by as many eyes as possible (especially Boston-area eyes, because you folks are within driving distance of this thing and therefore had better be there!)
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When local folk rock band Adam Ezra Group sold out the Paradise Rock Club for their CD-release-turned-Haiti-benefit show in January, it was not the first or the last time the band would use their music for the good of others. On Sunday, May 2, AEG will play a concert to benefit Haiti through Partners in Health.
PIH is a Boston nonprofit organization that strives to establish working hospitals in Haiti and around the world, thus providing health care and job opportunities for indigenous people. It is the same organization AEG partnered with in January.
“They’re setting a standard worldwide for what you can do with a grassroots organization,” said Adam Ezra, singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the band.
Through his work with other nonprofits, Ezra has seen how difficult it can be to ensure the money goes where it’s needed, but he’s found that isn’t a problem with PIH. The band looks forward to sending all proceeds from their May 2nd show, the Ramble, directly to Haiti for relief efforts.
AEG isn’t the first band to play a benefit show, but the Ramble promises to be an utterly unique experience. In fact, it already is one. The band has been working with fans since winter to rally groups of 20 or more concertgoers. These groups will be shuttled to the venue, Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, MA, free of charge from all across New England.
“We’re empowering students and fans who care about not just the music but about doing good things,” said Ezra. “The show is less about the money we’re raising and more about the community we’re building.”
In the spirit of community, a pre-amble will take place on the beach outside of the venue starting at 4:00 PM. The Hall will serve inexpensive meals and the bar will be open for drinks to those who are over 21. Ezra hopes other local nonprofits will set up camp on the beach so fans can get informed and get involved.
There is even rumor of a fan-run cookie contest. Anyone can enter and anyone can try the cookies for free, but they must make donations to vote for the winner. Whoever raises the most money for Haiti will be declared the winner.
650 people packed out the Paradise Rock Club for the January benefit show, but Ezra’s hopes for the Ramble are still modest. “It’s an experiment,” he said. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen. But it will be a success no matter what.”
Charlene Bemis, Ramble coordinator, said that more than a dozen buses are already lined up. She estimated there would be about fifteen the day of the concert.
More information is available at GetRambled.com and on the Ramble’s Facebook page. Ezra hopes everybody will think about joining the party, and only marginally out of self-interest. It seems his real goal is to make friends with everybody in the greater Boston area while fighting together for a cause.
“If you love music and you love the beach and you love people and you love doing good things for other people, then you should check it out,” said Ezra. “And I can’t think of too many people who don’t fit one of those categories.”
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And that's the scoop! If you're at or near Go-Co, we've got a bus stopping here, so let me know and I can make sure you get a seat.
On a tangential note, I bought fresh blueberries from a farm stand and they are delicious. This is really weird but I eat them in milk. No cereal, just blueberries in milk. Try it sometime (it's even good with soy milk!)
On a furtherly tangential note, some of my friends put a toilet on top of a dorm last night. <3
---------------------------
When local folk rock band Adam Ezra Group sold out the Paradise Rock Club for their CD-release-turned-Haiti-benefit show in January, it was not the first or the last time the band would use their music for the good of others. On Sunday, May 2, AEG will play a concert to benefit Haiti through Partners in Health.
PIH is a Boston nonprofit organization that strives to establish working hospitals in Haiti and around the world, thus providing health care and job opportunities for indigenous people. It is the same organization AEG partnered with in January.
“They’re setting a standard worldwide for what you can do with a grassroots organization,” said Adam Ezra, singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the band.
Through his work with other nonprofits, Ezra has seen how difficult it can be to ensure the money goes where it’s needed, but he’s found that isn’t a problem with PIH. The band looks forward to sending all proceeds from their May 2nd show, the Ramble, directly to Haiti for relief efforts.
AEG isn’t the first band to play a benefit show, but the Ramble promises to be an utterly unique experience. In fact, it already is one. The band has been working with fans since winter to rally groups of 20 or more concertgoers. These groups will be shuttled to the venue, Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, MA, free of charge from all across New England.
“We’re empowering students and fans who care about not just the music but about doing good things,” said Ezra. “The show is less about the money we’re raising and more about the community we’re building.”
In the spirit of community, a pre-amble will take place on the beach outside of the venue starting at 4:00 PM. The Hall will serve inexpensive meals and the bar will be open for drinks to those who are over 21. Ezra hopes other local nonprofits will set up camp on the beach so fans can get informed and get involved.
There is even rumor of a fan-run cookie contest. Anyone can enter and anyone can try the cookies for free, but they must make donations to vote for the winner. Whoever raises the most money for Haiti will be declared the winner.
650 people packed out the Paradise Rock Club for the January benefit show, but Ezra’s hopes for the Ramble are still modest. “It’s an experiment,” he said. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen. But it will be a success no matter what.”
Charlene Bemis, Ramble coordinator, said that more than a dozen buses are already lined up. She estimated there would be about fifteen the day of the concert.
More information is available at GetRambled.com and on the Ramble’s Facebook page. Ezra hopes everybody will think about joining the party, and only marginally out of self-interest. It seems his real goal is to make friends with everybody in the greater Boston area while fighting together for a cause.
“If you love music and you love the beach and you love people and you love doing good things for other people, then you should check it out,” said Ezra. “And I can’t think of too many people who don’t fit one of those categories.”
--------------------------
And that's the scoop! If you're at or near Go-Co, we've got a bus stopping here, so let me know and I can make sure you get a seat.
On a tangential note, I bought fresh blueberries from a farm stand and they are delicious. This is really weird but I eat them in milk. No cereal, just blueberries in milk. Try it sometime (it's even good with soy milk!)
On a furtherly tangential note, some of my friends put a toilet on top of a dorm last night. <3
Excavations of Claymore: Fiona's Wicked Minty Apple Cider
S. Darko. Shrek 2. Saw II. Honey I Blew Up the Kid. Shrek the Third. Step Up 2, Shrek Forever After, Saws 2-6 plus the upcoming 7 and 8... It seems the trend in movies these days is to take a decently well-made movie and spoil it by making a completely unnecessary sequel or string of sequels. Now the sequel doesn't ALWAYS suck, although many of them do, but the real problem is just that having a mediocre sequel takes away from the awesomeness that was the original.
Fiona's Wicked Minty Apple Cider was good, but it was the unnecessary sequel to the beloved Meg's Apple Cider.
You got your apple juice. You got your chai. You got your mint. It's pretty straightforward. Now, we know that apple and chai mix well, but mint really doesn't go with either flavor, even simply as an undertone. I think it's because you have two strong flavors doing battle upon your palate. And they're both tingly flavors: Malfoy mint vs. Cho Chang chai, zinging tickle charms back and forth in a wizard's duel of apple-icious proportions.
I'll give Fiona 3 stars, but I really don't think she's got anything new to offer. However, I'm sure she'll be your friend if you're on a coffee date and want to make sure your breath is minty fresh when you make out after you've had your caffeine fix. Just sayin'.
Fiona's Wicked Minty Apple Cider was good, but it was the unnecessary sequel to the beloved Meg's Apple Cider.
You got your apple juice. You got your chai. You got your mint. It's pretty straightforward. Now, we know that apple and chai mix well, but mint really doesn't go with either flavor, even simply as an undertone. I think it's because you have two strong flavors doing battle upon your palate. And they're both tingly flavors: Malfoy mint vs. Cho Chang chai, zinging tickle charms back and forth in a wizard's duel of apple-icious proportions.
I'll give Fiona 3 stars, but I really don't think she's got anything new to offer. However, I'm sure she'll be your friend if you're on a coffee date and want to make sure your breath is minty fresh when you make out after you've had your caffeine fix. Just sayin'.
The guys who made "Ratatouille" clearly never heard about the Bubonic Plague.
"Watching Disney movies is such a Go-Co thing to do." Yes, it's been said to me. And I won't pretend it isn't true. This campus seems to have an almost inordinate love for all things Disney. At one time I would've rather done anything else on a Saturday night, but apparently part of me falling back in love with this place (which is a story unto itself) is being willing - no, eager - to spend "party night" in front of a TV watching movies intended for children half my age.
Last night's pick was Ratatouille, which I had never seen. It was cute. I laughed. I cheered when the bad guys got miraculously and outrageously owned. But I didn't feel the same sympathy I usually do for movie characters, regardless of species or intended audience, and I couldn't figure out why. I worried I was growing up and losing my ability to suspend disbelief. Yet as a writer and reader I know I'm still capable of investing in a story.
Then I realized the problem.
The movie is all about rats. My literature class just finished reading The Plague. So some little part of my brain cringed every time a rat scampered across a kitchen counter, subconsciously crying out "BLACK DEAAAAAATH!!!"
So not only was watching this movie "a Go-Co thing to do," it was also edumacational!
But other than that it was a pretty good movie. I especially liked that the awkward skinny hero's name was Linguini.
Last night's pick was Ratatouille, which I had never seen. It was cute. I laughed. I cheered when the bad guys got miraculously and outrageously owned. But I didn't feel the same sympathy I usually do for movie characters, regardless of species or intended audience, and I couldn't figure out why. I worried I was growing up and losing my ability to suspend disbelief. Yet as a writer and reader I know I'm still capable of investing in a story.
Then I realized the problem.
The movie is all about rats. My literature class just finished reading The Plague. So some little part of my brain cringed every time a rat scampered across a kitchen counter, subconsciously crying out "BLACK DEAAAAAATH!!!"
So not only was watching this movie "a Go-Co thing to do," it was also edumacational!
But other than that it was a pretty good movie. I especially liked that the awkward skinny hero's name was Linguini.
Boss Fugly Bug
Sometimes when Taz and I are sitting around doing homework we hear loud crashes from above our room.
We live on the top floor.
The only possible explanation is that there is some kind of monster who lives in the space between the ceiling and the roof. I've popped my head through the ceiling tiles to look for him, but so far I haven't caught so much as a glimpse. However, we have strong evidence that what we are dealing with is a giant bug.
We call him the Boss Fugly Bug because he seems to be the last line of defense for all the flicky, fugly, flying insects that come to visit us when it gets warm, like the final boss that kicks your ass in video games.
We've never been sure what kind of insect our visitors actually are. When they fly, they're easy to mistake for wasps, but they're really harmless unless you squish them, in which case they emit the fugliest smell you can imagine. Hence they are "fugly bugs."
The thing we've noticed about these fugly bugs is that most of them are horribly mutilated by the time they get inside. They are supposed to have six legs, but we've found bugs missing two, three, even four legs.
Naturally this is because they had to do epic battle to get into our room. Or perhaps it's the border price. Seems it costs them an arm and a leg to come here (funny, it costs my family about that much to send me here, too).
One way or the other though, the Boss is responsible. Either the fugly pilgrims fight him to gain entry, losing legs in the process, or the Boss demands leggy payment and grants peaceful passage once the price is paid. Possibly the reason some are missing so many legs is that we bring them outside and they are forced to pay the border fee again to get back inside.
It's a fugly life for a fugly bug.
We live on the top floor.
The only possible explanation is that there is some kind of monster who lives in the space between the ceiling and the roof. I've popped my head through the ceiling tiles to look for him, but so far I haven't caught so much as a glimpse. However, we have strong evidence that what we are dealing with is a giant bug.
We call him the Boss Fugly Bug because he seems to be the last line of defense for all the flicky, fugly, flying insects that come to visit us when it gets warm, like the final boss that kicks your ass in video games.
We've never been sure what kind of insect our visitors actually are. When they fly, they're easy to mistake for wasps, but they're really harmless unless you squish them, in which case they emit the fugliest smell you can imagine. Hence they are "fugly bugs."
The thing we've noticed about these fugly bugs is that most of them are horribly mutilated by the time they get inside. They are supposed to have six legs, but we've found bugs missing two, three, even four legs.
Naturally this is because they had to do epic battle to get into our room. Or perhaps it's the border price. Seems it costs them an arm and a leg to come here (funny, it costs my family about that much to send me here, too).
One way or the other though, the Boss is responsible. Either the fugly pilgrims fight him to gain entry, losing legs in the process, or the Boss demands leggy payment and grants peaceful passage once the price is paid. Possibly the reason some are missing so many legs is that we bring them outside and they are forced to pay the border fee again to get back inside.
It's a fugly life for a fugly bug.
The Rainbow Connection
Most days I hate New England weather, but today was special. It was gorgeous and sunny all morning. Then around 4:30 there was a thunderstorm. This is a rare treat for us. We get a lot of dreary days, drizzly days, and downright downpour days, but usually we have to go to the mountains for a good thunderstorm.
Our room got really dark, and Taz and I amused ourselves counting seconds between lightning and thunder. The storm never got very close, so we got bored, she went somewhere else, and I went back to work. Then I suddenly noticed it had gotten very bright and the sunlight was bright gold on the pine trees outside. It was still pouring, which somewhat gave away the surprise, but as an avid rainbow-watcher I would have known that shade of gold anywhere. I ran to the window. There was a triple rainbow outside.
Luckily I have a fabulous new camera, so I booked it out to the quad and started snapping. While I was out there more rainbows appeared. I believe at one point there were five. Now for the record, I occasionally have random trippy dreams where I'm walking down the street and millions of rainbows appear, so after number four I started to wonder whether I was awake. Why yes I am on crack, thank you very much.
But this really happened, and I have the pictures to prove it!!
Most regrettably I do not have photo or video footage of this, but there was random spider lightning in between the two arcs at one point. It was epic on an apocalyptic scale.
For me, though, this is the best part:
Ever since the flood, the rainbow has been a sign from God, at least according to the Bible. And for a while now, I've been pleading with God to give me some concrete sign that he's paying attention and that I'm not crazy for writing him letters every day. My spirit is willing but my mind is weak. I can't seem to believe absent some miraculous, tangible evidence.
I think five rainbows is a fairly compelling sign.
Our room got really dark, and Taz and I amused ourselves counting seconds between lightning and thunder. The storm never got very close, so we got bored, she went somewhere else, and I went back to work. Then I suddenly noticed it had gotten very bright and the sunlight was bright gold on the pine trees outside. It was still pouring, which somewhat gave away the surprise, but as an avid rainbow-watcher I would have known that shade of gold anywhere. I ran to the window. There was a triple rainbow outside.
Luckily I have a fabulous new camera, so I booked it out to the quad and started snapping. While I was out there more rainbows appeared. I believe at one point there were five. Now for the record, I occasionally have random trippy dreams where I'm walking down the street and millions of rainbows appear, so after number four I started to wonder whether I was awake. Why yes I am on crack, thank you very much.
But this really happened, and I have the pictures to prove it!!
Most regrettably I do not have photo or video footage of this, but there was random spider lightning in between the two arcs at one point. It was epic on an apocalyptic scale.
For me, though, this is the best part:
Ever since the flood, the rainbow has been a sign from God, at least according to the Bible. And for a while now, I've been pleading with God to give me some concrete sign that he's paying attention and that I'm not crazy for writing him letters every day. My spirit is willing but my mind is weak. I can't seem to believe absent some miraculous, tangible evidence.
I think five rainbows is a fairly compelling sign.
Excavations of Claymore: An Orange Real
I've eaten a lot of weird stuff in my day, particularly during the 12 days I spent in the wilderness on my freshman orientation adventure. Pepperoni and honey. Tuna fish and jelly. Freak-o-butter, whatever the heck that was... I think there was milk powder and M&Ms in it and we used it for "sandwiches" like your everyday jar of Skippy. When you've been canoeing since 5 in the morning, you'll eat just about anything. Oh, and I mustn't forget - chips and salsa with M&Ms are a party must-have for my friends at home. I have a weird palate, OK? Enter the Orange Real.
No no, it's not a chai latté with an orange on the side. It's a chai latté with fresh squeezed orange juice in it.
WTF, right?
On some fateful, random night, the coffee shop gods compelled my friends Kenya and Hippie to brew this concoction. We'll leave the question of their sanity out of this review and just talk about the drink.
The Orange Real tastes like an orange dreamsicle, except liquid and hot. You can hardly tell there's chai in it at all - there's a hint of spice, but really it's just a big creamy cup of orange magic. If you think that a steaming cup of dreamsicle sounds bizarre, you're right. It definitely has a weird flavor, so if you're one of those people who can't have their food touching on the plate, it's probably not for you. But for you pioneers of taste, I'm sure you'll be quite satisfied with the unique (and organic!) appeal of the Orange Real.
I give it 4.5 stars overall, 4 for taste and 5 for creativity plus nutritional value.
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Vote for the next Claymore Drink of the Week!
Almond Joy
Cherry Cordial
Coconut Island
Cooney-Cooney
English Challenge
Fiona's Wicked Minty Apple Cider
Michelini
The Perfect Cap
Platelet's Perfection
Prickly Cactus
Rasp-LIMErry Fizz (clearly NOT coffee)
The Shortstack Chai
Thrilla in Vanilla
No no, it's not a chai latté with an orange on the side. It's a chai latté with fresh squeezed orange juice in it.
WTF, right?
On some fateful, random night, the coffee shop gods compelled my friends Kenya and Hippie to brew this concoction. We'll leave the question of their sanity out of this review and just talk about the drink.
The Orange Real tastes like an orange dreamsicle, except liquid and hot. You can hardly tell there's chai in it at all - there's a hint of spice, but really it's just a big creamy cup of orange magic. If you think that a steaming cup of dreamsicle sounds bizarre, you're right. It definitely has a weird flavor, so if you're one of those people who can't have their food touching on the plate, it's probably not for you. But for you pioneers of taste, I'm sure you'll be quite satisfied with the unique (and organic!) appeal of the Orange Real. 
I give it 4.5 stars overall, 4 for taste and 5 for creativity plus nutritional value.--------------------------
Vote for the next Claymore Drink of the Week!
Almond Joy
Cherry Cordial
Coconut Island
Cooney-Cooney
English Challenge
Fiona's Wicked Minty Apple Cider
Michelini
The Perfect Cap
Platelet's Perfection
Prickly Cactus
Rasp-LIMErry Fizz (clearly NOT coffee)
The Shortstack Chai
Thrilla in Vanilla
New Camera!
The word Casio might bring to mind a few things. If you're a musician, you might think of a keyboard. If you're a well-dressed businessperson, you might think of a watch. As a matter of fact, it turns out that Casio makes cameras too. Good ones.
My old point and shoot died a couple months ago - right after the pictures I took the night the power went out - and I was in need of a new one for general use and for my trip to Italy next month. So I got this. It's the closest to what they call a "crossover" camera you can get in a point and shoot, as far as I can tell. You can manually adjust things like ISO settings. With the next model up you can even change shutter speed and shoot in RAW format, but I only have so much moolah growing on my money tree right now.
So I took the new guy out for a shoot on Friday. Here are some of the results. I am quite pleased, although it's gonna be a while before I really have any clue how to work this thing ^_^
Peace, love, and pictoors,
Miss Rex
My old point and shoot died a couple months ago - right after the pictures I took the night the power went out - and I was in need of a new one for general use and for my trip to Italy next month. So I got this. It's the closest to what they call a "crossover" camera you can get in a point and shoot, as far as I can tell. You can manually adjust things like ISO settings. With the next model up you can even change shutter speed and shoot in RAW format, but I only have so much moolah growing on my money tree right now.
So I took the new guy out for a shoot on Friday. Here are some of the results. I am quite pleased, although it's gonna be a while before I really have any clue how to work this thing ^_^
Peace, love, and pictoors,
Miss Rex
Fives!
Why yes, I do still yell "FIVES!" when I leave the room so no one will take my seat. But that's not the Fives we're talking about today. Miss Marsha of Marsha's Musings invited me to play a game of Fives! The rules are: Give five different answers to five different questions (for a total of 25 answers), and then tag five people you want to see do the same. Pretty basic I'd say.
I admit I answered most of these yesterday while I was hyped up on coffee after doing the Claymore review, but I wanted to space out my posts a little... so sue me ^_^
Question 1: Where were you five years ago?
1. Still a teenager.
2. Writing emo poetry in Mr. Leary's sophomore English class.
3. Getting killed in a mosh pit at my first Vans Warped Tour.
4. Attending youth group religiously (by that I mean both that I went without fail and that I was really into being a Christian).
5. Trying to be a rock star (that didn't turn out so well, but I still have the guitar... It's never too late, right? Just don't hand me the mic.)
Question 2: Where would you like to be five years from now?
1. Not in school.
2. Not in New England.
3. Done with my current novel, Before the Empty Moon.
4. In a happy relationship (but probably not married yet; I don't see myself meeting anyone in the foreseeable future and I don't want to marry someone I've only known for a year or two).
5. Debt free and independent (thaaaaat's a long shot).
Question 3: What is (was) on your to-do list today? (What, I only get five slots? Well, it's for the best I suppose; no one really wants to know how many things were ACTUALLY on this list today. And no one really wants to know how many of them didn't happen.)
1. Interview about eight different people for an article on our school's production of Godspell.
2. Claymore drink of the week!
3. Go to chapel. (How am I still fourteen chapel credits short of the 30 I need this semester?? I thought going once a week was pretty consistent but apparently not.)
4. Mail application for financial aid to my old church. Try to convince them I'm still Christian enough to deserve their money.
5. Write scene 3 (or 4, depending on how you count) of my one-act play for playwriting class.
Question 4: What five snacks do you enjoy?
1. Pretzels and hummus
2. Onion rings
3. Cereals with naners (or just one or the other)
4. Anything you can put Nutella on, such as graham crackers and strawberries.
5. Yogurt (preferably frozen)
Question 5: What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
1. Pay Go-Co the bajillion and a half dollars I will owe them when I graduate.
2. Book tickets on the next plane flying around the world. Or heck, buy my own plane so I don't have to deal with all those sniveling swine flu factories that fly public airlines.
3. Move to the jungle, where I will study endangered frogs, monkeys and mosses and write epic fantasy novels while sitting in tree houses.
4. Put my sister through college so my parents can retire/work at their leisure.
5. I guess I should use number five to do something nice for people, so I'd probably put it towards ending human trafficking and sex slavery.
And now, I choose you, Pikach-- I mean, Ravin! The Bathrobe Guy! Mr. C! Isaac! and, yes, my journalism professor!
I'm not sure all these people will want to play, but I'm dying to know their answers. Jo, I know you probably won't post it on your blog, but you should still play in my comments section ^_^
Peace, love, and randomosity,
Miss Rex
I admit I answered most of these yesterday while I was hyped up on coffee after doing the Claymore review, but I wanted to space out my posts a little... so sue me ^_^
Question 1: Where were you five years ago?
1. Still a teenager.
2. Writing emo poetry in Mr. Leary's sophomore English class.
3. Getting killed in a mosh pit at my first Vans Warped Tour.
4. Attending youth group religiously (by that I mean both that I went without fail and that I was really into being a Christian).
5. Trying to be a rock star (that didn't turn out so well, but I still have the guitar... It's never too late, right? Just don't hand me the mic.)
Question 2: Where would you like to be five years from now?
1. Not in school.
2. Not in New England.
3. Done with my current novel, Before the Empty Moon.
4. In a happy relationship (but probably not married yet; I don't see myself meeting anyone in the foreseeable future and I don't want to marry someone I've only known for a year or two).
5. Debt free and independent (thaaaaat's a long shot).
Question 3: What is (was) on your to-do list today? (What, I only get five slots? Well, it's for the best I suppose; no one really wants to know how many things were ACTUALLY on this list today. And no one really wants to know how many of them didn't happen.)
1. Interview about eight different people for an article on our school's production of Godspell.
2. Claymore drink of the week!
3. Go to chapel. (How am I still fourteen chapel credits short of the 30 I need this semester?? I thought going once a week was pretty consistent but apparently not.)
4. Mail application for financial aid to my old church. Try to convince them I'm still Christian enough to deserve their money.
5. Write scene 3 (or 4, depending on how you count) of my one-act play for playwriting class.
Question 4: What five snacks do you enjoy?
1. Pretzels and hummus
2. Onion rings
3. Cereals with naners (or just one or the other)
4. Anything you can put Nutella on, such as graham crackers and strawberries.
5. Yogurt (preferably frozen)
Question 5: What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
1. Pay Go-Co the bajillion and a half dollars I will owe them when I graduate.
2. Book tickets on the next plane flying around the world. Or heck, buy my own plane so I don't have to deal with all those sniveling swine flu factories that fly public airlines.
3. Move to the jungle, where I will study endangered frogs, monkeys and mosses and write epic fantasy novels while sitting in tree houses.
4. Put my sister through college so my parents can retire/work at their leisure.
5. I guess I should use number five to do something nice for people, so I'd probably put it towards ending human trafficking and sex slavery.
And now, I choose you, Pikach-- I mean, Ravin! The Bathrobe Guy! Mr. C! Isaac! and, yes, my journalism professor!
I'm not sure all these people will want to play, but I'm dying to know their answers. Jo, I know you probably won't post it on your blog, but you should still play in my comments section ^_^
Peace, love, and randomosity,
Miss Rex
Excavations of Claymore: The Kyle Lincoln
As you can see in this picture, Mr. Lincoln put his best foot forward with the yellow tux, stripey tie and backwards "K." By no stretch of the imagination am I being facetious. The Kyle Lincoln is truly the coffee of yellow-tuxedoed super heroes everywhere, and if it's not, well, that would explain why we haven't heard much from the masked men of the skies lately.
You all know that I don't hand out five-star ratings like free t-shirts at Go-Co, but for the second week in a row, I am totally floored by the Claymore drink of the week. My figurative jaw is on the ground (but I made sure to keep my literal jaw shut so the delicious coffee wouldn't spill out. 'Twould have been most uncouth).
It's hard to put my taste buds on what was so extraordinary about this blend of chocolate, English toffee and Irish creme, and I think that's why it was so good. They say the human eye prefers an average face - that is, one of perfect symmetry, balance and proportion. The same must be true of flavors.
You may, in some vaguely recalled high school science class, have seen a diagram of the tongue delineating the different taste regions. This theory was actually debunked before any of us were in high school, even my "grown-up" readers - it's based on a mis-translation of something originally written in German and was corrected early last century. However, I have noticed that different parts of my tongue taste different kinds of flavor more strongly. One of the amazingly average features of the Kyle Lincoln... wow, how to make this not awkward since the drink has a person's name... well, scientifically speaking, it stimulates all of the taste regions, which makes my tongue (non-scientifically) very happy.
There was no one overwhelming element. The drink was not too sweet, not too bitter, not too fruity or too dark or too artificial. I believe I said the same for the Irish Dream, which leads me to believe that Irish creme must simply be the perfect mate to coffee. The Sam Gamgee or Robin or Ron Weasley of flavor shots. You think Frodo or Batman or Harry Potter would've been anyone without their sidekicks? Heck to the no. They would've been effed. We would live in a world ruled collectively by Sauron, the Joker and Lord Voldemort if not for these unsung heroes.
The moral of the story is that you should definitely give this drink a try. I think it will please all kinds of coffee-lovers, whether their preference is sweet or earthy... and it may also give you superpowers.
--------------------------
Next week I'll be sampling the Orange Real courtesy of my barista friend Kenya, author of the Orange Real experience. After that, I'll only be here three more weeks before summer starts! I shall truly miss my Claymore reviews. I may even go into withdrawal. The sad truth is that this experiment seems to have developed into an addiction. I drink coffee like three times a week now and it's the first thing I want when I start yawning. I mean, thank goodness it was just coffee and not cocaine, but a summer off will probably do me good.... me, and my wallet.
You all know that I don't hand out five-star ratings like free t-shirts at Go-Co, but for the second week in a row, I am totally floored by the Claymore drink of the week. My figurative jaw is on the ground (but I made sure to keep my literal jaw shut so the delicious coffee wouldn't spill out. 'Twould have been most uncouth). It's hard to put my taste buds on what was so extraordinary about this blend of chocolate, English toffee and Irish creme, and I think that's why it was so good. They say the human eye prefers an average face - that is, one of perfect symmetry, balance and proportion. The same must be true of flavors.
You may, in some vaguely recalled high school science class, have seen a diagram of the tongue delineating the different taste regions. This theory was actually debunked before any of us were in high school, even my "grown-up" readers - it's based on a mis-translation of something originally written in German and was corrected early last century. However, I have noticed that different parts of my tongue taste different kinds of flavor more strongly. One of the amazingly average features of the Kyle Lincoln... wow, how to make this not awkward since the drink has a person's name... well, scientifically speaking, it stimulates all of the taste regions, which makes my tongue (non-scientifically) very happy.
There was no one overwhelming element. The drink was not too sweet, not too bitter, not too fruity or too dark or too artificial. I believe I said the same for the Irish Dream, which leads me to believe that Irish creme must simply be the perfect mate to coffee. The Sam Gamgee or Robin or Ron Weasley of flavor shots. You think Frodo or Batman or Harry Potter would've been anyone without their sidekicks? Heck to the no. They would've been effed. We would live in a world ruled collectively by Sauron, the Joker and Lord Voldemort if not for these unsung heroes.
The moral of the story is that you should definitely give this drink a try. I think it will please all kinds of coffee-lovers, whether their preference is sweet or earthy... and it may also give you superpowers.
--------------------------
Next week I'll be sampling the Orange Real courtesy of my barista friend Kenya, author of the Orange Real experience. After that, I'll only be here three more weeks before summer starts! I shall truly miss my Claymore reviews. I may even go into withdrawal. The sad truth is that this experiment seems to have developed into an addiction. I drink coffee like three times a week now and it's the first thing I want when I start yawning. I mean, thank goodness it was just coffee and not cocaine, but a summer off will probably do me good.... me, and my wallet.
Tales of the Kiros
I got back to my room at 3:36 this morning after One Awesome Night. My friend the Spontaneous Concert Enthusiast took me and his girlfriend to see Kiros in Maine. I didn't have very high hopes for the show after hearing it was at a church, because let's face it, have you EVER seen a GOOD concert in a church? No. You haven't. They don't happen. But this thing was legit for three important reasons.
1. People were lined up across the parking lot in the pouring rain in hopes of getting decent spots.
2. They had epic security. The guys outside the show seemed determined not to let the three of us be the first ones in, but we got there at 3:30 in the afternoon and we DESERVED to be the first ones in, darn it, so we shoved our way to the front of every new line they tried to stick us at the end of. Then we finally get in only to find that there are tall, grumpy looking men stationed every few feet in front of the stage and that made seeing the show a wee bit problematic. But SCE danced his face off, which the guards near us apparently found endearing, and they chilled out a little after that.
3. There were lights. Big, bright, flashing lights of many colors and in great numbers that made me very happy in spite of probably costing an obscene amount of money.
Kiros sadly had a very short set, I think about five songs, which was such a bummer after that long ride, but it was still worth it because they played "As Long as You Love Me" by the Backstreet Boys and SCE got to go up on stage and dance like a BSB. Also, Ryan told me to stand at his end of the stage so he could steal my heart-shaped sunglasses for the last song. It was priceless (and me without a camera, for mine decided to fail last month).
The second band, DecembeRadio, really got the crowd excited and their set was in general a lot of fun even though I didn't know any of their songs. But I did not like Seventh Day Slumber, the third band. Their music wasn't terrible, but between the hard rock hymns and the liquid nitrogen shooters, I got this icky feeling they were trying way too hard to prove that Jesus can be cool.
Then the singer spent about an hour giving his story of faith. I couldn't not respect the guy after hearing all he went through, but all the same, I didn't drive to Maine for a sermon. If you want to read my whole rant, be my guest. For now, back to tales of the Kiros!
Picture this (I giggle every time I do). Tyler, the drummer, borrowed my brand new pink paisley umbrella to go outside before the show and introduce himself to the kids. Now this guy has long hair, facial piercings, a full sleeve on one arm as well as tats on his feet and possibly elsewhere that I don't know about, and gauge piercings in his ears. Furthermore, after meeting a kid who said he was a rapper, Tyler proceeded to rap with the kid, still holding my pretty pink umbrella. Again, where is my camera when I need it?
Barry convinced SCE to pretend to break up with his girlfriend after Barry asked her why she loves Jesus and she only gave him the "Sunday School answer." Luckily Barry and I were laughing in the background so she knew SCE wasn't serious.
After everything was packed up, we all went to Wendy's, crossing our fingers that it would still be open since it was 12:50 and they close at 1. There was a guy in a pickup truck right in front of us and we watched him get his food, but the Wendy's workers totally ignored us. So we pulled up to the pick-up window and tried to reason with them, but they wouldn't hear it, so instead we went to a gas station.
Ryan dared me to hit on a couple of drunk ladies in there, but I wasn't entirely sure I could even pull of hitting on a dude, so he took it upon himself to make sure these gals got hit on. It was great.
Then we all did these weird little espresso shots we found next to the creamer, and the guys stole a bunch of them to put in the glove compartment for long drives.
Then we just sat around in their short bus for a while. Yes, they tour in a short bus. Their van blew up in Washington state or thereabouts and now they have this. It's pretty sexcellent.
Around 3ish, the band decided they should probably go to the house they were staying at that night (my parents would murder if a band showed up at our house at 3 in the morning), and there ends the tale of the Kiros.
Peace, love, and fog machines,
Miss Rex
1. People were lined up across the parking lot in the pouring rain in hopes of getting decent spots.
2. They had epic security. The guys outside the show seemed determined not to let the three of us be the first ones in, but we got there at 3:30 in the afternoon and we DESERVED to be the first ones in, darn it, so we shoved our way to the front of every new line they tried to stick us at the end of. Then we finally get in only to find that there are tall, grumpy looking men stationed every few feet in front of the stage and that made seeing the show a wee bit problematic. But SCE danced his face off, which the guards near us apparently found endearing, and they chilled out a little after that.
3. There were lights. Big, bright, flashing lights of many colors and in great numbers that made me very happy in spite of probably costing an obscene amount of money.
Kiros sadly had a very short set, I think about five songs, which was such a bummer after that long ride, but it was still worth it because they played "As Long as You Love Me" by the Backstreet Boys and SCE got to go up on stage and dance like a BSB. Also, Ryan told me to stand at his end of the stage so he could steal my heart-shaped sunglasses for the last song. It was priceless (and me without a camera, for mine decided to fail last month).
The second band, DecembeRadio, really got the crowd excited and their set was in general a lot of fun even though I didn't know any of their songs. But I did not like Seventh Day Slumber, the third band. Their music wasn't terrible, but between the hard rock hymns and the liquid nitrogen shooters, I got this icky feeling they were trying way too hard to prove that Jesus can be cool.
Then the singer spent about an hour giving his story of faith. I couldn't not respect the guy after hearing all he went through, but all the same, I didn't drive to Maine for a sermon. If you want to read my whole rant, be my guest. For now, back to tales of the Kiros!
Picture this (I giggle every time I do). Tyler, the drummer, borrowed my brand new pink paisley umbrella to go outside before the show and introduce himself to the kids. Now this guy has long hair, facial piercings, a full sleeve on one arm as well as tats on his feet and possibly elsewhere that I don't know about, and gauge piercings in his ears. Furthermore, after meeting a kid who said he was a rapper, Tyler proceeded to rap with the kid, still holding my pretty pink umbrella. Again, where is my camera when I need it?
Barry convinced SCE to pretend to break up with his girlfriend after Barry asked her why she loves Jesus and she only gave him the "Sunday School answer." Luckily Barry and I were laughing in the background so she knew SCE wasn't serious.
After everything was packed up, we all went to Wendy's, crossing our fingers that it would still be open since it was 12:50 and they close at 1. There was a guy in a pickup truck right in front of us and we watched him get his food, but the Wendy's workers totally ignored us. So we pulled up to the pick-up window and tried to reason with them, but they wouldn't hear it, so instead we went to a gas station.
Ryan dared me to hit on a couple of drunk ladies in there, but I wasn't entirely sure I could even pull of hitting on a dude, so he took it upon himself to make sure these gals got hit on. It was great.
Then we all did these weird little espresso shots we found next to the creamer, and the guys stole a bunch of them to put in the glove compartment for long drives.
Then we just sat around in their short bus for a while. Yes, they tour in a short bus. Their van blew up in Washington state or thereabouts and now they have this. It's pretty sexcellent.
Around 3ish, the band decided they should probably go to the house they were staying at that night (my parents would murder if a band showed up at our house at 3 in the morning), and there ends the tale of the Kiros.
Peace, love, and fog machines,
Miss Rex
Hello, my name is: Energizer Bunny
So today. Was a very, very good day. Very little was accomplished school-wise or internship-wise or anything-really-wise, although I did finally bully myself into writing some new material for the novel. It's been slow going. Even though writing and creating are what I love to do, once I'm out of practice getting back to it is excruciating. But write I did, and I also finished a series of maps last night showing the expansion of my imaginary world from creation to the present. In all that's about 6-8 maps of varying sizes and complexity. I'm somewhat elated from all that, but depressed thinking about the other things I'm neglecting in order to make progress with the thing I love.
But that wasn't the reason today was so good, or at least, not the only reason. I ate lunch outside with Taz (my roomie), Misty (a girl who lives on my floor and shares my unabashed love for Pokémon), and the guy I played private eye with the night the power went out, who shall henceforth be known as Cripple, even when his foot gets better and he ditches the crutches he has acquired since our first meeting. Cripple squished a spider that was crawling on me and I squealed like a little girl because he got icky spider guts all over my foot. He thought it was the funniest thing ever. I didn't. Then Cripple and I went to the beach for like 20 minutes and talked randomly about relationships (more specifically, his success at having one and my failure to do so), but we had to rush back because I had class.
After class I sat under a cherry tree and wrote some more until it was time to go to Zumba, which, coupled with the 82º weather and humidity, inspired me to try my first iced coffee (it was goooooood) and I have been totally out there ever since. Taz and I went for a walk around the quad and I frolicked and sang and laughed at things that weren't funny and threw my shoes in the air. I also pointed out that the side of one of the buildings we passed had a sort of cross on it and marveled that I had never noticed it before.
"It's more of a double cross, really," said Taz.
To which I ever-so-logically replied, "It's for a double Jesus!"
Coming back into Ferrin, I ran into another friend of mine and convinced him to come with me on another walk. I was still doing the Energizer Bunny thing (that is, going and going and going). I felt bad because I couldn't stop babbling about random stuff that only crazies like me would find interesting.
I decided I felt like going out to Gull Pond even though we didn't have a flashlight (you have to go through the woods to get there, which is kinda spooky at night on account of its being pitch black). Well, okay, I'll admit I'd been wanting to go out to the pond since Zumba ended because swimming would have felt really nice after that, but I think I freaked out Taz by announcing that I wanted to go skinny dipping so there went that plan. (For the record, skinny dipping was no longer "the plan;" I just wanted to go wading and have a random adventure walking in the woods at night, for it had been far too long since my last flight from the mysterious monsters of the woods. But the monsters didn't show up. They must not have been hungry for kids tonight. Or they only swim in AIDS-infested Coy Pond, which seems likely since Taz and I got chased by one near there once.)
So instead we just went swimming. The water was really nice from sitting in the sun all day, but I still got cold really fast so we headed back through the woods, at which point I remembered why people don't usually swim with pants on: It's squelchy.
Peace, love and skinny dipping,
Miss Rex
But that wasn't the reason today was so good, or at least, not the only reason. I ate lunch outside with Taz (my roomie), Misty (a girl who lives on my floor and shares my unabashed love for Pokémon), and the guy I played private eye with the night the power went out, who shall henceforth be known as Cripple, even when his foot gets better and he ditches the crutches he has acquired since our first meeting. Cripple squished a spider that was crawling on me and I squealed like a little girl because he got icky spider guts all over my foot. He thought it was the funniest thing ever. I didn't. Then Cripple and I went to the beach for like 20 minutes and talked randomly about relationships (more specifically, his success at having one and my failure to do so), but we had to rush back because I had class.
After class I sat under a cherry tree and wrote some more until it was time to go to Zumba, which, coupled with the 82º weather and humidity, inspired me to try my first iced coffee (it was goooooood) and I have been totally out there ever since. Taz and I went for a walk around the quad and I frolicked and sang and laughed at things that weren't funny and threw my shoes in the air. I also pointed out that the side of one of the buildings we passed had a sort of cross on it and marveled that I had never noticed it before.
"It's more of a double cross, really," said Taz.
To which I ever-so-logically replied, "It's for a double Jesus!"
Coming back into Ferrin, I ran into another friend of mine and convinced him to come with me on another walk. I was still doing the Energizer Bunny thing (that is, going and going and going). I felt bad because I couldn't stop babbling about random stuff that only crazies like me would find interesting.
I decided I felt like going out to Gull Pond even though we didn't have a flashlight (you have to go through the woods to get there, which is kinda spooky at night on account of its being pitch black). Well, okay, I'll admit I'd been wanting to go out to the pond since Zumba ended because swimming would have felt really nice after that, but I think I freaked out Taz by announcing that I wanted to go skinny dipping so there went that plan. (For the record, skinny dipping was no longer "the plan;" I just wanted to go wading and have a random adventure walking in the woods at night, for it had been far too long since my last flight from the mysterious monsters of the woods. But the monsters didn't show up. They must not have been hungry for kids tonight. Or they only swim in AIDS-infested Coy Pond, which seems likely since Taz and I got chased by one near there once.)
So instead we just went swimming. The water was really nice from sitting in the sun all day, but I still got cold really fast so we headed back through the woods, at which point I remembered why people don't usually swim with pants on: It's squelchy.
Peace, love and skinny dipping,
Miss Rex
Team Rocket Zombies
I had a busy night of dreaming last night, which hasn't happened in a while. Sometimes I remember whole story lines but today I only have a couple small snippets left over.
Jessie from Team Rocket was in my room with a little self-propelled flying machine. It was single-seating and wide open to the air, with a propellor in front and two in the back like a flying tricycle (but the propellors were parallel to the ground - think Avatar aircraft for one). I can't remember why Jessie was there, but as seems to happen frequently in the old Pokémon episodes, I turned the tables on her and stole the machine. I pedaled it around the Fishbowl for a minute while she chased me, but I was too high in the air to reach (apparently my room is even bigger in dreams than in real life, which is considerable since my roommate and I live in what used to be a lounge). I was going to take the craft outside, but for some reason I never made it out. I think the machine broke, whether because it was poorly made (likely, since it came from Team Rocket) or because Jessie caught hold of it and busted something (also likely, since she came from Team Rocket).
The second dream I remember is completely unrelated, and again I only have one specific snippet. I know that I had spent the rest of the dream fleeing something with a few companions, and now we were in a gigantic warehouse. It had a skeletal structure that had once held hundreds upon hundreds of huge cargo boxes, with an aisle down the middle for huge lifters to travel, but it was abandoned now. We were climbing the skeleton because someone had opened a little door on the opposite side and they were letting in zombies whose job it was to kill us. Our side of the warehouse was completely open, but the cargo slots on their side had doors in front of them, so that half of the place was just filling up with zombies piled on top of each other trying to get through those doors to us. We made it to the top but realized that we were no safer up higher (I think the original theory was that zombies couldn't climb). So then we needed to get out of the warehouse before they figured out those doors, which wouldn't take long even for a rotting brain because most of the latches were too old to hold. One of my companions said we would have to dive out the window, and I was the lucky escapee who got to go first and break the glass. So I took a running start (as much as one can on a metal bar) and dove at the window. I was terrified I'd make it halfway through and get my hips stuck, but in the end I got out safely. I don't remember reaching the ground, but I think I fell slowly, which must mean I was unhurt, and I think there were dunes outside, which would hopefully make my landing soft. But that may just be my instincts calling me to spend another gorgeous faux-summer day at the beach!
Peace, love, and the thrill of writing a novel based entirely on cracked out dreams I have had,
Miss Rex
Jessie from Team Rocket was in my room with a little self-propelled flying machine. It was single-seating and wide open to the air, with a propellor in front and two in the back like a flying tricycle (but the propellors were parallel to the ground - think Avatar aircraft for one). I can't remember why Jessie was there, but as seems to happen frequently in the old Pokémon episodes, I turned the tables on her and stole the machine. I pedaled it around the Fishbowl for a minute while she chased me, but I was too high in the air to reach (apparently my room is even bigger in dreams than in real life, which is considerable since my roommate and I live in what used to be a lounge). I was going to take the craft outside, but for some reason I never made it out. I think the machine broke, whether because it was poorly made (likely, since it came from Team Rocket) or because Jessie caught hold of it and busted something (also likely, since she came from Team Rocket).
The second dream I remember is completely unrelated, and again I only have one specific snippet. I know that I had spent the rest of the dream fleeing something with a few companions, and now we were in a gigantic warehouse. It had a skeletal structure that had once held hundreds upon hundreds of huge cargo boxes, with an aisle down the middle for huge lifters to travel, but it was abandoned now. We were climbing the skeleton because someone had opened a little door on the opposite side and they were letting in zombies whose job it was to kill us. Our side of the warehouse was completely open, but the cargo slots on their side had doors in front of them, so that half of the place was just filling up with zombies piled on top of each other trying to get through those doors to us. We made it to the top but realized that we were no safer up higher (I think the original theory was that zombies couldn't climb). So then we needed to get out of the warehouse before they figured out those doors, which wouldn't take long even for a rotting brain because most of the latches were too old to hold. One of my companions said we would have to dive out the window, and I was the lucky escapee who got to go first and break the glass. So I took a running start (as much as one can on a metal bar) and dove at the window. I was terrified I'd make it halfway through and get my hips stuck, but in the end I got out safely. I don't remember reaching the ground, but I think I fell slowly, which must mean I was unhurt, and I think there were dunes outside, which would hopefully make my landing soft. But that may just be my instincts calling me to spend another gorgeous faux-summer day at the beach!
Peace, love, and the thrill of writing a novel based entirely on cracked out dreams I have had,
Miss Rex
Excavations of Claymore: Caramello
After a fortnight of coffee overkill, I opted for the caffeine-free caramel steamer this week. I was pleasantly - no, fabulously - surprised. I expected it to taste rather bland (as hot milk tends to after much nomming of espresso), but at the suggestion of the bar-dude I got like five flavor shots in it and it was anything but bland, while simultaneously keeping its distance from that sketchy realm of sickly-sweet.
It was a happy drink. You can create any number of complicated flavor ratios at a ghetto basement coffee joint like Claymore, but in the end sometimes the pure and simple things are the most delicious.
The Caramello was like a flashback to the best Halloween you ever had without actually containing small children as an ingredient (which new Hershey's commercials unmask as the secret to Hershey's goodness. Yes, you've seen them on TV. The chocolate bar melts to reveal small children dancing while singing "I'll stop the world and melt with you..." And then they turn back into a solid chocolate bar, which viewers are now expected to leave the comfort of their sofas to go purchase. Sick, I tell you.)
So, back to the Caramello. Five stars, hands down. Go try one today.
It was a happy drink. You can create any number of complicated flavor ratios at a ghetto basement coffee joint like Claymore, but in the end sometimes the pure and simple things are the most delicious.
The Caramello was like a flashback to the best Halloween you ever had without actually containing small children as an ingredient (which new Hershey's commercials unmask as the secret to Hershey's goodness. Yes, you've seen them on TV. The chocolate bar melts to reveal small children dancing while singing "I'll stop the world and melt with you..." And then they turn back into a solid chocolate bar, which viewers are now expected to leave the comfort of their sofas to go purchase. Sick, I tell you.)
So, back to the Caramello. Five stars, hands down. Go try one today.
