Tag Archives: fun

And It Begins

Posted in NaNo, Progress by

NaNo is off to a roaring start this year!  I had a lot of fun at the midnight kick-off, and I was really glad that I reserved a couple tables, since it was busy at our party location! 

I’ve only worked on one novel so far, my mermaid one, and wrote for about an hour at the kick-off.  Actually, that’s what I’m doing right now…writing a blog post at the kick-off.  At least it’s NaNo-related! 

There’s not much to report right now, other than my word count is currently at 1,230 words. 

This is definitely going to be a short post, since there’s really not much to report right now, and I’ll definitely have more of an update tomorrow morning.

November feels as normal as it’ll ever be!

A Very Happy Birthday

Posted in General by

Today is a very special birthday.  Not mine.  Nope.  Not my birthday.

It is the one year anniversary of my blog!  I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for a year.  When I started my blog a year ago, I had no idea where it would take me.  I was honestly planning to blog just during NaNo, but I liked it so much that I wanted to keep blogging.

I thought I’d share some of my favorite posts of the last year, in no particular order.

  • Of course, my very first post.  A year and 300+ posts later…I still can’t believe it!  Who knew I’d still be at this?
  • My first NaNo post makes the list.  After all, if it weren’t for NaNo and my ridiculous idea of wanting to chronicle 3 novels, I probably wouldn’t be here.
  • Another NaNo post, where I write about the things that randomly ended up in my novels.
  • And one more NaNo post, with hilarious typos.
  • Actually, this is the last NaNo post I’m going to have: a general wrap-up.
  • The 100 book challenge.  I  am a mere 2 books away, and I’m sure I’ll keep reading anyway.  I wonder how many I can read next year?
  • An open letter to my muse.  It’s entertaining.
  • My finger!  How could we forget about the time that I thought it would be a good idea to stick my finger in a vegetable slicer?  Goodness, I’m never doing that again!
  • Month one of Camp NaNo.  It’s my winning post.  And month 2 of Camp NaNo.
  • Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows was a pretty big event.  My feelings, Part One And Part Two, as well as Part One And Part Two of my movie review.
  • And my final favorite post, where I talk about getting into Pottermore.

There are so many other posts I wanted to share, but I think those mentioned above are my favorites.  I skimmed over a years worth of blog posts, and I talked more about writing than I thought I did.  Hopefully I can get back into that once I start talking about NaNo again.  It’s been fun, and I’m hoping that I’ll have another great year of blogging!

Podcast Awards!!!

Posted in Podcasts by

We all know how much I love podcasts.  And it’s time for the Podcast Awards.  It’s now time for voting, and I’ve been voting almost everyday since voting opened.  Some of the podcasts I listen to didn’t get nominated but some of the ones I do listen to got nominated so I guess it all balances out.

I’ve been voting for Cocktails and Creampuffs under People’s choice, Greetings From Nowhere under General, and The History Chicks under Education.  They’re some of my favorites, and I hope they win!

One if my (new) favorite podcasts is Kevin And Ursula Eat Cheap.  They eat, rate and talk about different processed foods each week, and it’s always entertaining.  The episode titles are great too- my favorite one so far is “it should be banished to the bowels of the earth.”  It makes me giggle.

I really like the Colonial Williamsburg Podcast too.  It’s a short podcast, about 10 to 15 minutes long, and each episode focuses on a different aspect of Colonial Williamsburg.  Recent episodes include Benjamin Franklin, Blacksmiths, and Spies At Jamestown.  It’s pretty interesting, especially for people who like American History.

Another favorite, which I’ve been listening to since June, is Weird News Radio.  It’s completely dedicated to all the weird news out there, and it’s a funny, disturbing, and sometimes gross head-scratcher.

I think that’s it for the podcast talk, and thanks for reading!

Can’t Wait For Once Upon A Time

Posted in TV by

I’ve settled into my “tv watching schedule” now, and I’m really enjoying everything so far.  Once Upon A Time is being pretty heavily advertised, and I can’t wait!  Jennifer Morrison on House was okay, but I can’t really tell whether her character is similar to Dr Cameron or not.  I guess I’ll find out in a week-ish, when it premieres. 

I really liked NCIS this week.  We learned Abby was adopted, and she meets her biological brother.  It was nice learning more about her and her family, and I hope we learn more about them.  First a McGee-centric episode, then an Abby one!  I wonder who’s next…I hope it’s Ducky or Jimmy.

Everything is going okay, but I’m behind on Person of Interest and Revenge.  I’m positive I’ll catch up, since it’s only the last couple episodes for each one that I need to watch.  I have to say, this watching tv online thing is really interesting, and the great thing is that it’s not hard to catch up.  My problem is that I like to sit and watch it on a tv, and it’s a little hard sometimes getting myself to sit down and watch it.  I have no idea why, since I’m (essentially) watching it on some sort of screen.  But there’s this part of me that’s insistent tv should be on a tv, and not a computer.  I’m sure in a few months I’ll be raving about how amazing watching tv online is…or maybe not.  Who knows?

But I really like everything so far, and it’s keeping me entertained.  Go good tv!

Draco And The Malfoys

Posted in Music by

I’ve been listening to Wrock a lot lately, and I have no clue why.  But I’m just going to go with it.  I have Draco And The Malfoys (a self-titled album) and Party Like You’re Evil.  I like both pretty equally, but how you can not like songs titles like Tom Felton’s Kinda Hot, Disembodied Head, and Why Won’t You Shake My Hand?  Seriously, song titles are one reason why I love wizard rock so much.

I think they have a few more albums and some songs that can be found on a multitude of compilation and charity albums, but I’m not completely sure about that.

As for favorite songs, I like Potions Yesterday and 99 Death Eaters from their self-titled album and Party Like You’re Evil! from the album of the same name.  Other good songs from Party Like You’re Evil are Slytherin Pride and We’re Freakin’ Awesome.  I think the thing I like the most about Draco And The Malfoys is the fact that all of their songs are told from the perspective of Draco And The Malfoys.  Actually, that can apply to wizard rock in general, but since this post is (allegedly) about Draco And The Malfoys, maybe I should try to stay on topic.

I honestly don’t listen to them as much as I’d like, which is pretty representative of my music collection in general.  But they’re still one of my favorite bands to listen to, and their songs are always entertaining and fun to listen to.

My To-Read List Is Out Of Control

Posted in Books by

I love Goodreads.  I really do.  With all the reading I’ve done this year, it’s come in handy.  I love reading, but as much as I love reading, I decided that next year, I would set a lower goal for myself in terms of reading.  Like 50 to 75 books. 

And then I started exploring their recommendation section.  It reccomends books based on what you’ve added and based on similar books that other people have added.  I had a handful of books on my to-read list…like 4 books, so literally, a handful of books. 

Now I have over 200!  226 to be exact.  It’s ridiculous!  But I’m always looking for new books to read, and considering that it’s based on books I’ve added and rated, I’m sure that I’ve found a bunch of books that I’ll really like.  I’m definitely going to start working on that list, since some of the books I’ve requested having a long waiting list, and I’m going to need books to read while waiting for them. 

I definitely have 2 years of reading material, and that’s if I stick with the 100 book per year goal.  And now, I’m considering it just to make it through that list. 

I mainly use Goodreads to keep track of what I’ve read, am reading, and want t0 (or going to) read, and what I’ve rated it.  And it keeps tracks of when I’ve read something too, provided I add in the dates.  But I really like the recommendation feature, and it refreshes as you add books, so I’m sure I’ll find even more books to read. 

They have all kinds of lists of books, and in answer to the question you may be asking yourself, I found some books there too!  I haven’t looked it all too much, because it’s a little overwhelming, and I pretty much ignore the groups, quizzes, and trivia sections, but I find the giveaway section really cool.

Seriously, I love the giveaway area.  Let me tell you why I love this part of the website.  Publishers list books that they give away for free.  You can enter to win a copy of these books.  I entered a few, because those books look really interesting, and if I can potentially win a free copy of it…

So a couple days, I was checking my email…and to my surprise, I won a free copy of a book called Wildflower Hill!  It’ll arrive in the next 4 to 6 weeks, but I’m really excited, since I don’t win anything.  I’m looking foward to it’s arrival, that’s for sure. 

But 226 books!  226!  That’s a lot of books to read!  But there is a good thing about having such a long list.  I’ll always have something to read, since, you know, I have a really long list of books to choose from.

More TV Talk!

Posted in TV by

Grey’s Anatomy and Person Of Interest are next up on my season premiere recap.

First off, Grey’s Anatomy.  It was a 2-hour premiere, and Meredith loses her job, the board at the hospital deciding a suspension wasn’t good enough.  She sticks around the hospital though.  Kepner is chief resident, but no one listens to her, and Bailey tries to find a gunther, which a patient used as a team-building activity to get the residents to work together.  Everybody’s made at Alex because he ratted on Meredith.  Let’s see…there’s a giant sinkhole in Seattle, so all the injuries go to Seattle Grace or Mercy West, or whatever the hospital’s called now.  Christina ends up getting an abortion and Owen supports her decision, which is a big change from the end of last season.  And with Meredith getting fired, the separation from Derek, and the “red flags” raised by the interview with the social services lady, the baby Meredith and Derek adopted is taken away, and will be placed with another family while they re-evaluate the life Derek and Meredith could provide for Zola.  Richard covers for Meredith, saying it was him who switched the results instead of Meredith, and so she gets her job back.  I have no idea if he’ll still be working there but not as chief, or if he’ll be gone completely.  He did hand off his clinical trial to Bailey, but we’ll find out next week.

I didn’t see Richard stepping down, but considering how much Meredith gets away with, and his relationship with her mom, I really shouldn’t be surprised.  And that is why I love Grey’s Anatomy.  It is dramatic, and over the top, and in general, it’s fairly predictable, with an occasional twist thrown in.  I’ll be tuning in next week, that’s for sure.

As far as Person Of Interest goes, I watched the pilot, and I really like the premise of the show.  It was interesting, but I’m not sure about it.  I think I’ll keep watching it online to see if it’ll keep me interested.  It was definitely hyped up, but I don’t know if the show actually lived up to all the hype.  Maybe it’s one of those shows that takes a while to get into, like The Event, which was weird at first, and then I got into it.  So maybe the same will happen with Person Of Interest.  For the moment, I’m glad that that Grey’s Anatomy was higher up on the priority list of tv shows to watch.

So, I’m not at all done talking about tv yet, so I’ll be back with a few more season premiere recaps!

In My Headphones

Posted in Music by

I feel like talking about music, so that’s what I’m going to talk about.  I have some new music I’ve been listening to, so I’m sharing some of the songs I’ve been playing on repeat. 

  • Just A Kiss by Lady Antebellum: I’ve become obsessed with this song over the weekend!  I heard on the radio, and even though I missed part of the song, I still fell in love with the song.  I was hoping the dj would have mentioned who the artist was, since I didn’t know who it was.  It didn’t matter, though, since I guessed (correctly) that it was Lady Antebellum. 
  • Mischief Managed by Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls: I love this song, and I love listening to it over and over.  It’s all about the Marauder’s Map, and I like Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls because it’s not obvious that the songs are about Harry Potter!  It’s a really fun song.
  • Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix Soundtrack: I checked it out from the library, and I like it.  It’s a mix of really dramatic and really fun, but Fireworks and Dumbledore’s Army are my 2 favorite songs. 
  • May It Be: It’s from the Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring soundtrack, which I checked out from the library just so I could listen to this song.  I haven’t listened to the rest of it yet, but I’m definitely going to do that.
  • Wrock: I’ve been listening to it a lot lately…I’ve been in a wizard rock kind of mood.  Gred and Forge, Draco and The Malfoys, and The Whomping Willows have been in heavy rotation.  And of course, Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls.  I definitely need to work in Harry And The Potters, since it’s been a while since I’ve listened to them.  I’ve been listening to Accio-Potter Wizard Radio too, to get my fix.  According to their website, though, they’re not going to be doing any more episodes, which makes me sad.  At least I can listen to the episodes they did do, over and over again.

With all the podcast listening I’ve been doing, it’s a wonder I manage to listen to any music…maybe I need to find some music podcasts to listen to.

More Podcast Talk

Posted in Podcasts by

I went look for some more podcasts over the weekend.  I got caught up on the one’s I listening to, and found a ton of new podcasts to listen to.  Some I found at iTunes, but there were a bunch I found over at Pride48, which had their 48 hour marathon event.  I guess they have it every year, and since some of the podcasts I listen to were participating, I thought I’d listen this year.

I had heard of some of the podcasts before, but never listened to, so I downloaded those.  And there were a bunch I downloaded that I had never heard of.  I’ve listened to a few of them, and I’ve definitely found some new podcasts to listen to.  There are definitely a few that I tried listening to months ago but couldn’t get into.  I think I’m going to give them another listen, because I definitely have a few podcasts that I tried listening to, deleted, and then listened again…and liked them.

Back to Pride48, though.  It was really fun listening, especially since all of the Vegas shows were live, in front of an audience.  There were quite a few shows that weren’t broadcast from Vegas, but overall, it was really fun.  It made me wish I was there, but that really wasn’t an option this year.  And I don’t know if a non-podcaster can attend anyway….maybe if I start podcasting, I’ll be able to go next year, even if I don’t do the live show thing.  And hanging out in the chatroom was really fun!  I mostly lurked, but every once in a while, I commented on something.  I can’t wait for next year!

Anyway, I have lots of potential new podcasts to try out, and maybe some of them will stick.  I’ll probably post some kind of podcast update when I get through everything.

Day Of The Video

Posted in Harry Potter by

Okay, since I have no clue what to write about today, I have some videos to share.  I’ve found them in random places, but they’re really entertaining.

First, we have the Crazy Honey Badger video.  I recommend having the sound ON while watching this, because the narration is really what makes the video great.  And if you have the sound off, it’s just a bunch of nature footage.

Next is the Original Badger Song.  I never knew this video existed until I saw it posted on Facebook.  As a proud Hufflepuff, I bow down to the Badger.

The next video is the Potter Rock Anthem (Now I’m HufflePufflin).  Is it weird that I started singing along?  I think it’s one of my favorite parodies.

We R Slytherins is a parody of We R Who We R by Ke$ha.  I think I found it while watching the video above, but I can’t remember for sure.

And the final video for today is Harry Potter in 99 Seconds.  I found it over at The Last Muggle, and it’s one of my favorites.  I’m amazed they managed to condense 7 books into 99 seconds!

I hope you enjoyed the videos, I may post a few more another day.