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Monday, September 22, 2014

Naps, Roses, and Hobbitses


I’ve been staring at the screen for several minutes trying to think of a clever way to open up this post, but my brain’s all, “Haha, nope. Go take a nap or something.” I tend to ignore my brain, but a nap sounds awfully nice.

Pooh Bear Nap

So Thursday my throat started feeling like murder, and then as the day progressed I slowly seeped into a state of death. Then over the weekend it all came in full force—fever, a throat that felt like a dragon was lodged inside trying to claw and burn its way out, a headache akin to a volcano ready to erupt, all that fun stuff. So yeah, if it has appeared to anyone like I’ve disappeared off the planet, I haven’t. My brain feels like it’s floating through space, but I promise I’m still here. Just been sick. Still am, actually, but I’m slowly improving. I do tend to relapse all the time though, so any prayers that I’ll get well soon and actually stay well would be such a blessing to me!Rose

Last Saturday (the 13th) I officially finished my Beauty and the Beast novella for the Rooglewood Press Contest! Writing it went surprisingly well and I’m rather happy with it, but it is going to need a fair amount of editing. I was planning on tackling said editing last week, but we were gone for the first half of the week and then I got sick the last half, resulting in zero editing. All my brain’s been good for is staring blankly at the television these past few days. Not exactly the best time to be perfecting a story. Scary thought, really.

I was really hoping to have it written and edited up for my beta-readers by the end of this month, but now I’m not sure I’m going to have time. Which also means it probably won’t be completely finished by the end of October like I was planning. My hopes were to have it done and sent off before NaNoWriMo. Ah, plans, how you do like to explode on me. Or just laugh hysterically. Ah well, if I have to send it off in November it won’t be the end of the world (I mean, it could be the end of the world, but I promise it wouldn’t be my doing). I’ve been trying to accept life as it comes and not put it on a schedule. I can get pretty stressed when my plans go kaput. I’m learning to just roll with it. Still a WIP, but I am trying.

I know I haven’t really said anything about the actual story. Since it’s for a contest I don’t want to give too much away. And since it’s short, explaining the plot would pretty much spoil the majority of it, you know? But if you’re all that curious about it, it does have a Pinterest board that you’re welcome to peruse.

Also I listened to THIS SONG while writing most of the last section of it. It’s one of the most gorgeous songs I’ve ever heard. Seriously, go take a listen. Thank you, Pandora, for hooking me up with beautiful music! I declare that site reads my mind.

I must get well soon. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is literally sitting in our house right now from Netflix and I can’t watch it. My brother and I like to watch those movies in his room with his nice TV and surround sound system but I don’t want to germinate his room, so the disc is just sitting there, tantalizing us. Being sick is so very not fun. Who cares if I technically saw it in theaters. I NEED to see it again! Because, obviously, I need my heart ripped out and torn into a million pieces again. You understand, right? RIGHT?

Captain America - A lot of feelings

Speaking of epic movies, MOCKINGJAY PART ONE TRAILER. My excitement levels are so very high.

And while we’re on the subject of movies and things. . .

Today is Bilbo’s and Frodo’s birthday!

Frodo and Bilbo

Who doesn’t love those two hobbitses? The one who was determined to stay in the comforts of his hobbit hole only to stand face to face with a dragon. And the unlikely hero to save all of Middle Earth. Both of whom remind us that however unworthy and small we may feel, we can conquer anything if we put our minds to it (and aren’t afraid to accept help, occasionally from very unlikely friends). Sometimes I need the inspiration of those two. So happy birthday, my dear hobbitses!

Bilbo's Birthday Cake

To all you Whovians, what do you think of the new season of Doctor Who and the 12th Doctor? Because I kind of instantly fell in love with 12. I am SO excited. I honestly didn’t know what to think. I wasn’t against Capaldi, but I had never seen him in anything and had no clue what type of Doctor he’d be. But. . . *incoherent squealing*

12th Doctor and Clara GIF

He’s great! Speaking of which, I haven’t watched the newest episode yet. Another thing my brother and I like to watch together but can’t right now. I need to get wellll! I need a Doctor! (See what I did there?)

Well, I think I’m off to read or nap. Or, you know, something that allows me to ignore the world. My brain is still a little too dead to accept the fact that my inbox is exploding and I need to edit my novella and do some critiquing for other people and start on a guest blog post. Hopefully in a day or two I’ll be a bit more back on my feet and can begin tackling these things. But for now I’m just like derp.

And yes, this post has absolutely no point or order to speak of. But sometimes I like to just type and talk and let my random thoughts roam free. A dangerous thing, but it takes a lot of effort keeping them locked away inside my head all the time. Plus, between linkups and reviews and tags and whatnot I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve written about just life. Every now and again I need some random posts. I do hope you don’t mind. Hopefully next week my brain will be more functional and can work out something actually tangible.

So what kind of posts do you guys like reading in the blogsphere? Do the random, life-oriented posts interest you, or do you rather more focused articles? And what types of posts do you like writing more?

Have a hobbit-filled day! (Because hobbits make everything better.)

Frodo and Bilbo (2)

27 comments:

  1. Haha! Oh how I love your ramblings!! xD And Pooh's little quote is perfect.

    I'm so sorry you're sick! Praying for a quick recovery. :]

    Congrats on finishing your draft! I just looked at the Pinterest board, and am so intrigued. WHAT'S IT ABOUT?? Gah! I haven't even read a synopsis and I know it's gonna be good!

    OK, three things then I'll letcha go: 1. The song is beautiful! 2. Captain America (2) is AWESOME. Haha, I don't think I could wait as long as you are to watch it. I mean, yeah, I saw it in theaters (...TWICE) but, you know, there might be things you miss, right? I probably would have invaded my brother's room by now, if I were you. . . ;D and 3. "Because Hobbits make everything better." YES. I agree.

    Great post. Love the ramblings, dahling. Please don't stop! and get well soon!!!

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    1. *grins* I'm so very glad! Sometimes I fear my ridiculous posts make people reconsider following me. XD

      Thank you! That means so much to me. <3

      *beeeams* Thank you!!! Well...I hope it comes off as nice as the pinterest board makes it to look but...I don't know. I'm PRETTY happy with it but I'm just not used to writing something so short so I'm worried the pacing is choppy. But I do still like it. It was fun to write.

      Totally jelly you got to see Captain America 2 in theaters twice! I wanted to but it didn't work out. And yeah, it's killing me but I really don't want to subject my family to this horrible cold, so I'm restraining myself. XD

      Hobbits definitely make everything better. ;D

      You're too sweet, Sarah! Thank you SO much for the prayers and sweet comment. <333

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  2. Praying for you! <3

    I SERIOUSLY CANNOT WAIT TO READ IT. I hope your editing goes efficiently, for your sake and for mine. ;)

    Oh yes, TSW. May as well have had that "A Lot of Feelings" title, right? I've only seen it once, and I very much want to watch it again. So good!!!

    I too enjoy ramblings. :) I like them all, actually, the random stuff and the focused topics. So carry on.

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    1. Thank you!!! <333

      ^___^ Well, I hope you'll enjoy it. And I hope so too! Editing is a daunting task...

      Totally should have. So many feels! I've only seen it once as well. I NEEEED to watch it again!

      Awww, thanks! I think I enjoy both of them too. Normally I try to stay on specific topics, but sometimes I just gotta let my mind loose and see what happens. XD

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    2. No no no, I WILL enjoy it. I just know I will. ^_^ Eep, yes, editing. I haven't tackled that yet for my Beauty and the Beast story. Tomorrow, perhaps. Wish me luck!

      I knoooooow... *crumbles into pile of feels*

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    3. You're too sweet! But after reading your spectacular writing it's almost embarrassing letting you read MY scribbles. Meep.

      Good luuuuuck! But, seriously, I didn't even see anything that NEEDED editing in your story, you amazing writer you! If the first draft was that amazing I can't even imagine the brilliance of the final product.

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    4. *gives you The Look* I told you, girl, I'm going to love it.

      Thank you! But trust me, I see a number of flaws...

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  3. Aww! D: I'm soooo sorry you're not feeling well! :( *uber huggles* I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOOOON!! *sends hugs and balloons*

    Also you are officially NOT allowed to reply to my email until you feel well! Y'know, just in case you were going to. *wink* NO STRESS. CHILL. WATCH STUFF AND BE LAZY AND GET BETTER. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE EMAILS AND THE EDITING AND CRITIQUING! THEY WILL ALL BE WAITING FOR YOU AFTERWARD, BUT YOU NEED TO RELAX. Just get well and don't stress, okay? Celti's orders. *nods nods*

    CONGRATULATIONS (again; because y'know, this never gets old) ON FINISHING BURNING THORNS!!! ^__________^ YOU ARE SUPER WONDERFULLY FANTASTICALLY AWESOME.

    And... my goodness. DAT SONG. *compulsively bookmarks it so I can listen forever* (I'm seriously playing it on repeat while I read and reply to this post. SO PRETTY. <3)

    And oooh you haz Pandora! That's awesome. My brothers do and I don't know what's WRONG with me that I don't yet. O.o I need to get on there! Because musiiiiiic. ^__^ (Except that my internet is intermittent enough it would probably drive me nuts to be breaking all the time in the middle of the song, which is the main reason I haven't yet... ;))

    YESH Bilbo and Frodo! ^_^ And I'm glad you like the new Doctor! :D *still hasn't seen Eleven so is kinda... behind* *cough*

    (Also *whispers* I kinda-sorta saw both Captain America movies in the last couple days....... O________O Meep. I'm kind of trying to figure out what to do with myself now...)

    SO SORRY YOU DON'T FEEL WELL! GET BETTER! PRAYING FOR YOU! LOVE YOU LAURI! ^_^ *cuddles you and wraps you in special warm blankets and gives you tea*

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    1. (Aaand that came across as long, rambling, unfeeling, and bossy. -_-)

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    2. *takes hugs and balloons gratefully* THANK YOU. I'm starting to improve, so hopefully I'll be semi back to normal in a couple of days.

      *salutes* Yes, ma'am! You'll be proud to know that's exactly what I've been doing. I have improved a good bit today so I miiight tackle some emails...perhaps. But I have just been focusing on being lazy and trying to get well.

      THANK YOOOUUU!!!!

      Isn't it though? I'm kind of obsessed. All the songs by that lady, Helen Jane Long, are BEAUTIMOUS, but so far that's my favorite.

      Indeedy I do! Pandora is kind of magical. o.o I have found SO much music on there that is just AMAAAZING. I don't think I would have made it through Fallen Matter without Pandora. I realized when I was writing it that I have no music that fits that kind of setting. All my writing music is all fantasy-ish and such. Nothing for a weird, sci-fi story. o.o So my Pandora is kind of full of weird sounding music right now because I was using it so heavily for Fallen Matter. XD But yes, YOU SHOULD USE IT. You won't regret it! But I understand that. Sometimes our internet freaks it out too. >.> I think it loads each song all at once though (I THINK), so it probably won't stop in the middle of a song, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

      Hehehe. That's okay. The main reason to watch Doctor Who is for David Tennant. ;D Okay, okay. I love them all but...you know...

      YOU SAW THE CAPTAIN AMERICA MOVIES. *SQUEALS*

      I LOVE YOU TOO. THANK YOU SWEET, CELTI!!! <3333

      (Uh, EXCUSE me??? Unfeeling and bossy? YOU WERE SO NICE AND I WAS LITERALLY SMILING THE WHOLE TIME I WAS READING YOUR COMMENT. Don't be ridiculous! You're a precious human being! <3)

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  4. *sneaks in and whispers* What do you mean by kinda-sorta watched them?

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    1. *whispers back* Kinda-sorta means that I did watch them but am beating around the bush about it because it's such a momentous happening. O_O

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    2. O___O
      You watched it. You watched The Winter Soldier.
      SQUEEEEE! What'd you think? Sometimes a movie can fall flat for me if everyone's built it up too much, but thankfully this one blew my expectations out of the water. ;)

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    3. *pops into conversation*

      CAPTAIN AMERICA!!! <333

      I was expecting it to be amazing, actually. Because it's Marvel, and if Marvel tried to make a bad movie I firmly believe it'd still turn out epic. But...wow. Even with my high expectations it still blew my mind. Then again, Captain America is one of my favorite Avengers, so I might be a bit biased. ;)

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    4. Oh yeah, I totally had high expectations too -- I just had the passing concern that it might not be *quite* as good as everyone said it was. But I had no need to worry!
      Marvel is amazing. (But I'm not too sure about Guardians of the Galaxy. I kinda doubt I'll even watch it, unless by some chance I hear it's actually good.) Anyway. I love the whole Avengers side of things, and Cap definitely ranks as number one hero for me! ;)

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    5. You...you might not watch Guardians of the Galaxy...? Let me tell you a thing.

      *crack knuckles*

      YOU NEED TO WATCH IT. See, when I first saw commercials I was highly skeptical. I mean, there was a TREE and a talking RACCOON. What even was this? It just looked kind of ridiculous, to be honest. But then I saw it, and all my skepticism got shoved right back down my throat.

      IT. WAS. AMAZING.

      I mean, it's Marvel. I should have known it'd blown my mind. But...wow.

      Basically it was The Avengers: Awkward Edition. XD It was a team of superheroes but they're all a bit...unlikely. And I loved that! One of my favorite types of plots is when a motley group of people are thrust together and end up becoming a family, and that's exactly what this movie was. It was both touching and utterly hilarious. They took all the superhero movie cliches, turned them on their heads, and just made it downright funny while still being epic somehow. I don't know how Marvel even does it. The characters were fantastic, the plot was epic, and the movie all around was both action-packed and hilarious.

      If you like the other Marvel movies, you'll like this one. I promise. It was so worth giving a chance!

      Ahem.

      Okay, I'm done. I promise. Sorry, just had to get that in there. You're of course not obligated to watch it at all, I just wanted to let you know I was super skeptical about it too but now it's one of my favorite movies. I'll hush now! Really!

      I THINK Iron Man is my top fave of the Avengers, but Cap is suuuch a close second. And Hawkeye goes somewhere in there too. They're ALL fantastic.

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    6. You have successfully nudged by perspective into the green maybe-I-really-should-watch-this zone. ;) Because that's exactly what I thought when I saw the preview. I just COULDN'T take a talking, gun-blasting raccoon seriously (because after all, this is NOT Narnia, people). And the tree kinda had an Ent-ish feel (although I only say that based on the books -- I have yet to watch the LOTR movies!). Anyway. So.

      I really respect your opinion on book and movie related stuff. And, seeing as we've already had a number of brain twins moments, I am inclined to believe you about this. XD

      So if I wind up watching it someday -- and the chances of that happening are now significantly higher -- I shall let you know. :D I have a sneaking suspicion now that it's going to pleasantly surprise me.

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    7. *fistpump* I feel accomplished!

      Okay, actually, I feel like I was being pushy. I didn't mean to! All I meant to do was tell you how much I loved it, even though I thought it looked silly at first. (Gun blasting raccoon... I mean seriously?) Who knows, you may not even like it. But if you do give it a chance I'd love to know what you thought of it. ^_^

      But...um...am I reading this right? You've...you've never seen the LotR movies? O_O My favorite movies of all time ever? *alarms start blaring* GIRL. STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WATCH THEM THIS INSTANT. IT'S AN EMERGENCY. And yes, I AM being pushy now. This is LotR we're talking about!!!

      Hehehe. Okay, okay. I'm going to leave you alone, I am. Butseriouslythey'reamazing.

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    8. No no, I didn't feel pushed around at all! And I'll let you know what my thoughts are if/when I watch it. ;)

      Yes. You read that right. Isn't it a crime?? I've read the books -- once, but I'll definitely read them again sometime. And I've watched the two Hobbit movies that are out. But the actual LotR movies...not yet. D: And the crazy thing is, I HAVE THEM. I got a beautiful boxed set, EXTENDED EDITION, for Christmas last year! And I haven't been able to watch them because my parents didn't realize they were Blu-Ray. We currently own a Blu-Ray player, but our TV is too old to connect to it. So here I am. So close and yet so far. (Actually, I have an aunt and uncle who offered to have me come over and watch them at their place. Maybe someday soon I'll fix this emergency!)

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    9. Okay, I have to sneak into this conversation again, so much awesomeness being discussed. XD

      1. The Winter Soldier was AH-MAY-ZING, yes. *flaiiiiil* But feels. OW. All the feels. *takes shock blanket from Sherlock and cuddles in it* All the brokenness...

      2. It appears I must see Guardians of the Galaxy at some point... It DID look silly and I haven't even seen a trailer. XD But YAY MARVEL. You're right, they are usually amazing... Thanks for your opinion, Lauri!

      3. HAWKEYE IS THE BEST. NOBODY COMES CLOSE. I love allll the Marvel heroes, ALL of them, just... to bits. But Hawkeye is still on top. <3

      4. I'm just happy you've read the LotR books, Michelle! XD So many people I know have seen the movies and not watched the books... The books are much better, believe me, but the movies are indeed incredible! Some of my fave movies as well! Especially the extended editions. Although... there are a few scenes that would've been better left out. -_- BUT TOTALLY YOU MUST WATCH THEM. And I understand the Blu-Ray problem and incompatible technology. :-/ UGH. That is no fun. I hope you get that sorted out!

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    10. 1. Agreed. :'(

      3. Hawkeye is pretty awesome! But Cap still beats them all, IMHO. ;) Hey, Hawkeye should get his own movie, whaddaya think? :D

      4. Yeah, books generally are better than their movie counterparts... But I have a feeling the movies are going to be pretty much on par with the books when I finally get around to watching them! (Scenes better left out...do I dare ask why?) Thanks! I hope so too.

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  5. Aaaaah!!! That cold sounds NASTY. I'm sorry you're sick, Lauri! Feel better soon! I'll be praying for you.

    Am I on your list of beta readers? If not, and if you are still taking beta readers, I'd love to beta your entry for you.

    I HAVEN'T SEEN 12 YET!!!! *mourns* I want to see it badly, but so far, it just hasn't worked, and I haven't seen if there is a place I can watch it online. ):

    *hugs* Rest up, and feel better SOON!!!

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    1. Haha, yes. It's been quite a doozy! But I'm starting to get over it. Thank you so much!!

      Actually, when I was finished with it I was going to send an email to the Pack asking who all wanted to beta it. I'm so thrilled you want to!!! I'm honored! :D

      AAAGGGHHH!!! That's awful! You muuust. He's spectacular! But I understand. I'm woefully behind on so many TV shows and can never find the time or means to watch them.

      Thank you! <333

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  6. I'm sorry you aren't feeling well! I hope you get better soon!

    And I just have to say that song is lovely! And yes, The Winter Soldier was so sad; I just re-watched it with my sisters.

    Rambling posts are fun to read, but they are harder for me to write, for some reason, so I usually just enjoy reading these kinds of posts by other people!

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    1. Thank you! Thankfully, I'm finally seeing signs of recovery.

      Isn't it though? Pandora is magical at finding the best songs.

      All the Bucky feels! D:

      I enjoy reading them too. But I think I'm the opposite, I'm pretty good at going on and on about absolutely nothing. Not sure if to call that a talent, but... XD

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  7. I AM SO EXCITED YOU GOT YOUR STORY DONE! But so sad to hear you're sick. That is very rotten, especially when you would rather edit or watch The Winter Soldier which is much more important then sicknesses. (Don't flus and colds understand?!)

    I hope you get better soon so you can edit and do important things like cry over Bucky and watch Doctor Who

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    1. THANK YOU. I AM TOO! :D

      Ah, yes. Being sick is definitely an unfortunate thing. Flus and colds are so very rude, aren't they? I'm finally starting to feel a bit better though, so maybe I'll be over it soon.

      You understand me. Very important things. *nods*

      Thank you, Jack! You're the best. <3

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