Friday, September 28, 2012

Family Reunion

We recently had a family reunion in Ames.


It's very rare that all of my mom's siblings are able to get together all at once.


My Mom's cousin Kyle was there with his triplets. Ava is just the cutest.


This is my Great Uncle Dick, her Grandpa.


Their baby limo. :)


My Parents


Our family, minus James, who had to be at police training that day.

It was a fun day of seeing family we don't often get to see. Hopefully it is not long before we have another one. :)

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Worlds and Oceans of Fun!

School takes up way too much of my time these days. I don't have time to just sit down and write any more, so this post has been in the works ever since we got back. Actually, it has been in the works since the first night of the trip, because I started writing it before I went to bed in the hotel room. It just took me forever to edit it, and edit the pictures, even though there's weren't many. So, finally, here is the full story of our trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to Worlds and Oceans of Fun.

Joel and I left for school that morning at 11. We had class at noon, it was the first day of Portfolio class. It didn’t last very long, as most first days don’t, and after class we went into Council Bluffs to buy sandals for our trip. I had bought some Vibram Five Fingers, but they did not arrive in time, so I needed sandals. Walmart was completely out of all sandals. Good grief Walmart. What were you thinking? You’re supposed to have everything! They did have a huge display of Hunger Games merchandise though. I seriously considered a tote bag. It looked like a good bag, but for some reason I did not buy it. And I regretted that decision ever since. I really should have bought that bag.

When we left Council Bluffs we went straight to Robert and Rachel’s and hung out until it was time to go pick up Alex at 5. We then went to Arby’s to drop Ariana off with her grandparents. I had a mushroom and swiss sandwich. With extra mushrooms. It was okay. I’m not a huge fast food fan. I think the others were much more enthusiastic about the place. I also had onion rings and jalapeƱo poppers. They were not very good. The sandwich was much better than the sides. I won’t be ordering those if I end up at an Arby’s again.

We drove a long time listening to music on various devices to varying degrees of success. We’re all huge Dizgeeks, and Owl City fans, so most of the time we listened to Disney soundtracks and Owl City songs. Alex and Amanda had also gotten a bunch of songs from both Julian Smith and Rhett and Link, so we listened to them as well. After a long time of listening to our laptops/cell phones/iDevices, I suggested we stop and get a cassette tape converter to connect to our devices and play them through the car stereo. So we stopped at a Wal-Mart. Alex bought a converter and I bought an extension cord so any of us could use it, no matter how far from the front we were sitting. While we were there I thought this would be the perfect time to remedy my poor decision to NOT buy the hunger games bag. Of course, they did not have a gigantic display like the Council bluffs Walmart. They only had a DVD display with some really cheap string-bag type backpack things. Not what I wanted. So disappointing.

After driving for hours and getting turned around due to our old nemesis, road construction, we finally arrived at our destination, the Embassy Suites! My only thoughts as I looked through the rooms were the lyrics to Julian Smith’s “Nice Hotel”.



Everyone wanted to go swimming, but I was way too tired, and stayed behind to get ready for bed. And write this. And I wrote this. So now I’m going to bed. :p

Fade To Black...

The Next Morning...

Rooster Crowing...

Okay, I think I just beat this joke to death. Poor thing. I promise I won’t do it again. :p

I got up in the morning at around 6:30 and got ready to go. At between 8 and 8:30 the other two started making noise in the other room. It turned out they had stayed up almost the whole night. Everyone had except for me. And even though I missed out on all they had done, I was still glad, because I was the only one who got anywhere near enough sleep. The rest were groggy and miserable for awhile until they had had enough food, caffeine and exercise to wake them up.

Rachel said breakfast would be provided by the hotel, so we all went down together. On the way I took a couple pictures, because the place was really cool looking.




I have had absolutely zero experience whatsoever with fancy hotels, so I did not know what was in store for breakfast. It was basically a huge feast, made to order eggs, omelets, meats, biscuits and gravy, cereal, fruit toast, rolls, muffins, pretty much every kind of breakfast food and I didn’t even go around and look at everything. I ordered a veggie omelet, which the server made right there while I waited. Then I had a mini Danish, and a mini cinnamon roll. With that I also had sausage and bacon. To drink, I had a glass of soy milk, and a glass of cranberry juice. Everything was amazing. After breakfast we went up to pack, which I had already done, but the others still needed to, so instead I changed into my swim clothes because we decided that we’d all wear our swim clothes all day. This would be my first time in any pool since I was about twelve, so I had just bought a swim suit and a shirt made for swimming called a rash guard, made out of a lighter material than a regular shirt.

After everyone had gotten ready to go, we all went to pose for pictures for Rachel. She had some really good ideas for pictures involving the height of the building. I gave her my camera so she could take a few for me as well.



Of course I blinked.

After that we all loaded into the minivan and headed off to the parks. They weren’t that far away, and we got there early enough that we got a good parking space. We checked in and started walking. We walked a lot. I would say at least half the day was spent walking. The terrain there is very uneven as well. None of it is flat. it’s all small hills, so we definitely got our exercise that day. The first ride we rode was the Fury of the Nile. It was not terrifying, but for someone like me who is not used to that kind of thing, it was unnerving. I got soaked, and Shaina got soaked, and Joel and Robert, who WANTED to get soaked, did not. Following that we rode what appeared to be a mild log ride. Yeah, right. It was fun for awhile, then all of a sudden we were climbing up a hill. and I knew that a drop was coming. Once again I got wet going down a waterfall. After this ride some went one way and a few went another. Shaina and I wanted to go on a ride that spun around in a circle and swung it’s arms like a sideways swing. It was the best ride all day in my opinion. The funny thing about it though was that it started raining right before we got on. It was just a mild sprinkle, but we were going so fast that we got wetter on that ride than we had on the two actual water rides! I gave Alex my camera to take some pictures of us.



If you look close you can see the rain coming down in the pictures.

After we got off the ride, Alex suggested we try some Frozen Yogurt. We had never had it before, but we had heard about it on Rhett and Link’s Good Mythical Morning show on YouTube, and we wanted to try it. There was a very large selection of flavors, plus tons of different toppings, including a large variety of fresh fruits and berries. It was really good, though rather expensive. We learned right away that the prices there were much higher than if we had gone to a restaurant outside the park. I had decided earlier that I would not worry about money that day though, so I didn’t mind too much. We ate our yogurt while we waited for the others to get done with their ride. They had gone to a much more popular ride and had a very long wait.

When we got back together we ended up splitting up again, with Rachel, Alex, and Amanda going back to the vehicle for Amanda’s swimsuit, while the rest of us kept walking. And we ended up at... A roller coaster. I was under the impression from the picture on the map that it was a mild ride. It was just an itty bitty roller coaster compared to their giant roller coaster, “The Mamba.” At least, it was just an itty bitty roller coaster according to the illustrations on the map. Unfortunately the map was a big fat liar. That was one of the least mild ride I’ve ever been on in my life. I got a headache from the ride. It was not really fun at all. I wasn’t scared, I just didn’t like it. At all. I wish I did. I really want to like those kinds of rides, but as of right now, I am not a fan. I like the rides that gradually ease you into the thrill. Not ones that just drop you over an edge and cause you to get a headache.

After the roller coaster was a lot more walking. And more walking, and a lot more walking. After a ton of walking we eventually went to Oceans of Fun where we met the girls who all insisted we ride a giant water slide where you get into a really big tube and speed down to a pool. The four girls took one down, and us three guys took the other. Maybe it’s because I can’t swim, but this was the scariest ride I rode all day. I’m pretty sure I would rather ride the Mamba than that one again. I was sure the tube was going to flip over and drown us. Alex, who HATES thrill rides, and didn’t even want to ride the swinging one with Shaina and me, loved this one. I still can’t figure this out...

After that terror, I wanted to just go into a pool. Getting out of the tube ride made me want to just stay in the pool we landed in, but we couldn’t or we’d risk getting run over by the next tube that came careening down at a billion miles an hour. Nearby there was another pool that mimicked the ocean, and we decided to try that one. You waded in and the further you went, the deeper it got, and at a certain time, every ten or fifteen minutes, the tide would come in. I put on a life jacket because I wanted to go out as far as I could, but I can’t swim. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going too far, and I couldn’t get back to a depth where my feet could touch the bottom. Joel, Robert, and Rachel all ended up having to push/pull me back. After that I was fine. The tide started to come in and I rode that for awhile, but eventually I decided to go back to the shallow part. Then I realized just how strong the waves were! When you’re riding them you really don’t notice, but when you’re standing and one hits you, it’s enough that it almost knocks you over! If I’d been a little kid, I probably would have been knocked over.

After we got out of that pool we went to a smaller “Kids” pool that was only 4 feet deep, but had another tubing slide. This one was just one person at a time though. Everyone insisted it was fine, but over half the people who did it ended up flipped off the tubes under the water. I was not fine with that. If I knew how to swim maybe, but I don’t so I don’t want to be dunked under the water unless I am completely in control of the situation. I’ll dunk myself under the four foot deep water, but I don’t want the tube doing the flipping.

Shaina and I ended up staying in that pool and just relaxing for the rest of the time that Oceans of Fun was open, which wasn’t very long, sadly. I could have stayed there the rest of the day and been fine. I’ve discovered that I love being in the water. Just as long as I’m not in danger of drowning. The rest of our friends went back to the giant tube slide, while we hung out and played with some giant floating hippos. Thrill seekers would find us to be a rather boring pair, but we had more fun with those hippos than should have been allowed. :p

After Oceans of Fun closed, we went back to Worlds of Fun. Robert, Joel, Amanda and Shaina All decided to try "The Mamba," While Alex, Rachel, and I waited safely at the bottom. After they got off, Shaina wisely decided to never do that ever again. The others however, all wanted to get back on and experience the terror all over again. And that time I got pictures.




When we left there, Everyone but Shaina and me decided they wanted to go back down “The Fury of the Nile” again, so we watched them as they got on and then went to wait for them at a 50‘s themed diner.



When they got back, we went inside to order supper. And most of us promptly turned around and left. Earlier I said I had decided not to care about money, but when I went in and saw that they were charging over 8 dollars for a hamburger, I decided that I had lied to myself. My big breakfast and the frozen yogurt from a few hours earlier were still keeping me going, and I was just fine with waiting till we left the park to find a more reasonably priced restaurant.

After the ones who decided to allow themselves to be overcharged were done eating, we started walking again. We all decided to go on a “Taxi Ride” which ended up extremely popular for some reason. There were SO many people waiting in line for it. We were standing in line for a good half hour at least! And it was a rather boring, mild ride, so I can’t really figure out what made it so popular. During the time we were waiting, it started pouring. Thankfully, we were under the shelter and because of the extremely long line, by the time we got to ride the cabs, it had stopped. The ride lasted only a small fraction of the time it took to wait for it. Joel decided that he wanted it to be a thrill ride and tried to drive the thing as crazily as possible. He was not very successful, but if it had been possible I think he would have derailed it. :p

After the taxis, we again split into two groups, Robert, Joel, and Amanda, who wanted to be all extreme, and Shaina, Me, Alex, and Rachel, who did not. We rode some mild rides instead, some boat swings, and a train, with the cheesiest, most annoying tour guide who ever lived. The train ride itself was fun, but that guide... Good Gravy... Ham and cheese with extra cheese, and more cheese sauce on top! After the train, Alex and Rachel decided they wanted to go on the bumper cars, which is a ride that I do not understand its extreme popularity. It only lasts like two minutes, yet you have to wait in line for about twenty. All that waiting just to awkwardly drive around and try to plow into perfect strangers, all while the worlds most boring rave is happening. I’d do it if the ride was longer and I knew all the other drivers, but I have no desire to have pretend fender benders with strangers.

We all met up again after the bumper cars, but I’m not really sure were everyone went after that. I know some went to ride the train o’ cheese again, and Shaina and I went to try to find the Ferris Wheel. It ended up being closed because a storm was coming in, so we headed back to the diner. Eventually we all met up again and decided to leave. It was after dark, and most of us were starving and ready to get out of our swim suits.

We decided to go to a Pizza Hut for supper and to change out of our swim suits. It was not a very good place to change, and it was definitely not a CLEAN place to change, but it was still much better than a gas station bathroom. That would have been a nightmare...

After we changed, we all ordered our food and talked. We all ordered different things. I ordered a large supreme pizza for Shaina and me. I would have ordered us a medium, but they didn’t offer stuffed crust in a medium, and I wanted to try the stuffed crust. I don’t think I’d tried it before then and if I had, it had been many, many years. Yes, I have led a sheltered life... :p Sadly, I was not very impressed with the stuffed crust, and I would have been perfectly happy with normal crust.

After supper it was very late. Like ten or eleven o’clock at night, late, and we still had to drive all the way back to Nebraska to pick up Ariana, and then all the way back to Iowa. I can’t remember much about the drive home. I was drifting in and out of consciousness for a good deal of the way, until we stopped at a Walmart around 2 or 3 because Robert needed to rest. At first I stayed in the vehicle. I think I slept some. I don’t remember. I do do remember thinking of the Hunger Games Tote Bag again, and I asked Alex if she could look around for it. If they had one I would come in and buy it. Eventually she came back and told me she had found some, so I went inside. I bought the bag and for good measure I bought a keychain of the Mockingjay as well. Hmmm... Am I getting too into this series? I might need to reign in my fandom... :p Well, considering how the Twilight fandom behaves... Nope, I’m definitely not too obsessed. :p

After walking around, “just looking” for maybe an hour, Alex found me and told me that they were getting ready to go. I decided then to get my very first energy drink. Yes, I have never before in my life consumed an energy drink. You know, sheltered life and all... :p I decided on a Starbucks energy drink. Not a coffee drink, or a pop-like drink with tons of HFCS fake nastiness, but one made with fruit juice and “Green Coffee” whatever that is. Supposedly it was healthy. It wasn’t bad, and it did keep me awake for the rest of the night. Sort of.

A few hours later we arrived at Rachel’s parents home. It had stormed off and on, so we were MUCH later getting there than we had planned. Robert had had to drive a lot slower than he would have otherwise. Joel got out while we waited for them to collect Ariana and get her strapped in. It looked like he fell asleep on their lawn. I’m not even sure if Rachel’s mother even noticed him. She came out and was handing out pop to everyone. Rachel’s mother will always offer you food or drink, even in the dead of night. :)

After waking Joel up, we all got back in the van and headed for home. And then we ran into fog. This of course slowed us WAY down. We drove for at least twice, if not three times as long as it should have taken to get home. By the time we pulled up to Robert and Rachel’s it was almost morning. And then their garage door wouldn’t open, and they had no key to get in. And the key to Joel’s car was inside. After trying everywhere on the house for an open spot, it was burgling time. Joel and Robert literally broke into their house. Thankfully it was still dark and no one was around to call the cops. “Help! Police! There’s a motley crew of people and a baby surrounded by luggage watching two guys cut open a screen and crawl into a house!”

Somewhere between 6:30 and 7 we finally got home. I think we had estimated that we would probably be home around 2. So, yeah. That didn’t happen. At all. Needless to say, we slept in. Way in. I think it was around 2 in the afternoon when I woke up that day.

You know the old saying, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey? That certainly held true for this trip. The parks were fun, but some of the most memorable things happened outside the theme parks. All in all, this was probably one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. I know that’s not saying much, considering I come from a very non-traveling family, and I’ve hardly been anywhere, but I had a lot of fun, and I can’t wait until our next trip. :)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Portfolio Class / School Update

So, I realized that I never did fill any of you in on my Portfolio class. The first class was held on the day we left for Worlds and Oceans of Fun, and I have not finished the post about that yet, so it completely slipped my mind to do a separate post about school.

On the first day we ended up meeting in our teacher’s office, since Joel and I are the only two students in the class. The class is basically going to help us prepare to move on to the next chapter of our lives whether that be with a job, or more education. We’ll put together a portfolio, and discuss schools. We will also have two teachers. Rob and Jesse. Since Joel and I are the only two students, we are changing the time of the class to Wednesday after our other class gets out. That way we have one less day that we have to drive to Council Bluffs. Now I have Fridays free to work on my online classes. Yay...

As of right now I am deciding on where I want to go to school next. That is so far the only for sure decision. I WILL be going on to a university somewhere. Most likely Art will not be the major focus, though I plan to keep pursuing that, just to a lesser degree. Right now I am thinking about photo-journalism. My teachers have said that I have a journalistic style to my photography, and I have really decided that I love traveling. If I could find a job that merges the two, that would be a dream job for me.

Speaking of traveling, keep a look out in the next few days, because I will be uploading a very long blog post about our trip to Kansas City. I have some editing to do, but I am nearly finished with it. School takes up so much time these days, that sometimes my writing gets put on the back burner. Most of the posts I have released recently are ones that I've been working on for a very long time. Very few blog posts come together quickly any more. Oh well, school has to come first.

I will continue to update you as I make important life decisions. That sounded too grown up. I hate that. :p

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Facebook Friends #7

Finally finished this one. I've actually been working on this post off and on for months, even from before the Olympic one. The Katie Catlover post I had pretty much done back when I posted #5, so you know how long that's been. :) My real life Facebook friends might remember that I shared that book on Facebook when I first found it, yes, that is a real book, weird as it might seem, you can find it on Amazon.com if you look.

Anyway, here's the latest, hope you enjoy them. :)


Photobucket


Joyful Exclamations
Hello world! Today is the most awesome day you've ever had! Do something amazing!
Lurking Liker Likes This


Vaguely McDramaPants
I'm interested to see who reads my posts. I realize there's only two of you :-) So, if you read this, leave me a one-word comment about me (or two, or three, the more words the better :). Then copy this to your wall so I can leave a word for you.
Izzy Illiterate Gratnesss!Assumness!!!1

Lorenzo Literate Desperate for attention.

Lorenzo Literate Izzy, what on earth is that mess? I swear, you should have flunked pre-school.

Izzy Illiterate shutup yourso meen1!!
Whiney McDramaPants You're so nice, V!
Whiney McDramaPants And you're not, Lorenzo!
Roxy Repost Very Thoughtful.
Vaguely McDramaPants ima doodoo!!!!! ahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

Whiney McDramaPants
I'm interested to see who reads my posts. I realize there's only two of you :-) So, if you read this, leave me a one-word comment about me (or two, or three, the more words the better :). Then copy this to your wall so I can leave a word for you.
Lorenzo Literate Insecure.
Izzy Illiterate stuf it lorezno. your fun winey!!
Roxy Repost Dramatic! :D
Vaguely McDramaPants doodoo
Vaguely McDramaPants fart
Vaguely McDramaPants fartfartfartfartfart
Vaguely McDramaPants GAVIN!!! STAY OFF MY FACEBOOK!!!!
Vauguely McDramaPants When I find that little status destroyer, I will pulverize him. 
Vauguely McDramaPants And if you were still in school, Lorenzo, I'd hire a football player to stuff you into a hamper full of dirty jockstraps in the boy's locker room.

Ferdie Foodie
Bacon Popsicles. I am a genius. That is all.
Lorenzo Literate You hear that? That was the sound of Facebook, throwing up.
Ferdie Foodie Why? That sounds awesome! It wouldn't be like, frozen raw meat, it would be like, gravy, with tons of bacon bits!!!! :D
Lorenzo Literate Worst idea since chocolate coated crickets.
Ferdie Foodie Making them now. Prepare to be shamed when they turn out to be epic deliciousness.

T.M. Info
AH! The beautiful sounds of relief! Thanks, Mr. Burrito!
Mrs. Info I should just abandon Facebook altogether. Then I would no longer have to read the horrific status updates from my son. I think I’ll go read some poetry and look at some Thomas Kinkaid paintings before I say something I‘ll regret.
Lurking Liker Likes This

Crazy Uncle
I saw the cutest baby raccoon by the side of the road today! I named him Scraps! :D
BB Tween That sounds Totes adorbes! I love baby raccoons!

Izzy Illiterate i luv rackoonns to!!!!11

Aunty Uncle Knowing my husband, I get the feeling there's more to this story.

Crazy Uncle I named him Scraps because that's all that was left of him! :D MWA HA HA HA!!!!! :D

BB Tween That's the worst thing I've ever heard. Poor thing. :'(

Marty McMacho That was awesome! HA HA HA!!!!!

BB Tween Stuff it, Marty. >:( 
Amy Aminal This is the single cruelest joke I have ever heard in my entire life.
Aunty Uncle You're never going to grow up are you, Craig?

Crazy Uncle Not planning on it! :D

Ima Bean
Do This.
Lurking Liker Likes This
Lorenzo Literate No.
Izzy Illiterate I DID!! YAY pretsals!!!

Mitch Morebuff
Pumpin' Iron!!!! YEAH!!!! I'm so much awesomer than everyone reading this!
Gareth GreatGlutes Likes This


Lorie Luvvie
My Schmoopie-Pie Lovin’ Lump Never called this week! I am so distressed! Long distance relationships are the worst!!!
David Duvvie Wooglie Woogums! I told you my cell phone died! And it’s not like I’m away at sea, I just work at the deodorant factory in the next state! I’ll see you next weekend!
Lorie Luvvie But Snugglie-Hugglie! That is SOOOOO FAR AWAY! What if you get killed in an on-the job accident and I never saw you again?! I’d just die!
David Duvvie That is highly unlikely, Sugar-Dumplie! There’s only ever been one fatality, and they had no business hiring Nauseous Norm in the first place! Some people just don’t have what it takes to be a professional armpit sniffer.
Lorenzo Literate Your nicknames, or your job description. Hmmmm… I really can’t decide which one makes me feel more like losing my lunch.
Lurking Liker Likes This

Ima Bean
Gunk Biscuits!
Lurking Liker Likes This 
Lorenzo Literate You are a sad, strange little woman, and you have my pity. 

Ima Bean Ominous eyeballs… m >_> m

Roxy Repost
I'm interested to see who reads my posts. I realize there's only two of you :-) So, if you read this, leave me a one-word comment about me (or two, or three, the more words the better :). Then copy this to your wall so I can leave a word for you.
Izzy Illiterate cooil aussum, fuyn!!!
Ima Bean Glink.
Joyful Exclamations DUDE! :D
Rainbow Sunshine Sweet. :)
Lorenzo Literate Copycat, Can't write her own status, Reposts nonsense.
Izzy Illiterate stop beeng meean lerenzo ill repost roxxy. ;)

Izzy Illiterate
I'm interested to see who reads my posts. I realize there's only two of you :-) So, if you read this, leave me a one-word comment about me (or two, or three, the more words the better :). Then copy this to your wall so I can leave a word for you.
Roxy Repost Super nice and supportive. Don't let the H8ers get you down! :)
Lorenzo Literate Wow! Roxy actually made a post that wasn't a copy-cat post from someone else? This has to be the single most shocking thing I've ever seen in my entire life!
Roxy Repost Wow. Someone overdid it on the sarcasm flakes this morning. Why don't you eat a couple dozen bran muffins. It'll flush that attitude right outa ya.
Lorenzo Literate Ooooh! All of a sudden she's a big talker! Why don't you post you're own stuff if you think you can match wits with me?
Roxy Repost You're not worth it. And you spelled your wrong. Bye!
Izzy Illiterate baahahhahaha buurrnnnnnnnnnn!!!!111
Lorenzo Literate Shut up.

Katie Catlover
EEEP! I MUST HAVE THIS BOOK!!!

Untitled
Lorenzo Literate Words fail me.
Ima Bean Sweaters...
Joyful Exclamations Sorry, Katie. Even I can’t get excited over that book…
BB Tween EEEEEEEEEEEWWWW!!! Please tell me you’re joking!
Betsy Etsy You people should keep a more open mind! I love the idea of using upcycled cat hair! You could make a fortune with that book if you tried selling your creations!
Gloom Lyrical And people say I’M weird…
Ima Bean SWEATERS.......
Izzy Illiterate well,, at lest it’s a craetiv book…….
T.M. Info BAHAHA!!! Nasty! What’s next? Litter-time sculpture class with Professor Fluffykins?
Amy Aminal How dare the authors of this book exploit the poor cats for their fur. Animals have rights too you know! I only use organically grown hemp in all of my crafting endeavors.
Lorenzo Literate “Translated from the Japanese.” This explains everything.
Ima Bean WANT SWEATERS!!!!!

Ferdie Foodie 
Lorenzo Literate, I'm sorry I doubted you. >Gag<
Lurking Liker Likes This
Lorenzo Literate I hate to say I told you so, but... Wait... No I don't. I told you so!

Lorenzo Literate
I'm very insecure and have an unnatural desire to see who reads my posts. I know everyone reads them, but I really want people to reply to something I write and validate my existence. So, if you read this, leave me a one-word comment about me. (It doesn't really have to be one word, you could write a whole blog post about me if you want, just make sure to link it here so all my friends can see it. If I have to link it myself, it might make me look shallow.) You don't have to copy this to your own wall, All I want is some attention, I don't really want to have to leave you a message too.
Izzy Illiterate meean
Vaguely McDramaPants Sarcastic
Roxy Repost Sad. In the pathetic sense of the word.
Lorenzo Literate I didn't mean to actually do it! This is supposed to be ironic!

Whiney McDramaPants Clueless.

Lorenzo Literate I said stop it!

Roxy Repost Completely full of himself.

Izzy Illiterate ariggent
Lorenzo Literate That means the same thing! And that's arrogant! Learn to spell!
Roxy Repost And thus their point was proven.
Lorenzo Literate That proves nothing! Stop posting stuff!!!
Roxy Repost And here we have a classic example of one who can dish it out, but can't take it.
Izzy Illiterate hes probaly cryig under hi sbed now. he dos that wen he cant winn a argumnt.
Lorenzo Literate SHUT UP! I AM NOT!!!
Lurking Liker I wish I could like this entire conversation.
Lurking Liker Yeah, you saw right. Roxy's not the only one who can post her own stuff.
Izzy Illiterate mind blownn.....

Joy Lyrical
Cheerfulness will destroy the frownies - MissCutsiePieSinger
Rainbow Sunshine That's so sweet, Joy. :)

Mamma Frazzled
Well, that's the end of that couch. 
Grammie Happy Oh dear! What happened this time? 

Mamma Frazzled I didn't lock all of my children in their bedrooms during my two minute bathroom break, that's what happened. 

Grammie Happy I'm sure the little darlings couldn't have done too much damage in just two minutes. 

Mamma Frazzled I think they'd been planning this one. There's no other explanation for how fast the destruction was executed! I completely forgot that my husband left a screwdriver on our dresser, and a gallon of house paint in the garage. You do the math. 

Mamma Frazzled And people wonder why we only buy second hand furniture. 

Gladys Grizzle The hickory switch is nature's gift to mothers. Just sayin'. 

Rabid Liberal I'd have sicced the CPS on you if it were around back in dinosaur times. 

Gladys Grizzle Don't make me hunt you down and flip you over my knee, little boy. I work out, and I ain't afeared to prove it to your backside!

BB Tween 
I just got my Deathmatch Games DVD! Gabe is so dreamy!!!! 
Joy Lyrical You like Gabe?!? I'm Team Wheeta all the way! No one could ever love Catness more!!!! 

BB Tween No way! And shut up! Catness would never choose him over Gabe! He's such a dream-hottie! :D 

Marty McMacho Leave it to a couple of girls to turn a movie about teens fighting to the death into a chick flick! This conversation is making me sick! Must. Go. Punch. Stuff!!! 

Winston Q. Eyeglasses Apparently none of you read the books, or this conversation wouldn't even be taking place. 

BB Tween Mind your own bwees-nass Winston. Don't go bringing READING into my dream-girl fantasies. I'll pretend she ends up with Gabe if I want to! 

Lefty T. Parrot 
I just watched the new Matt Bromney 2016 movie! It was so factual! This country will go down in flames if he get's elected! 
R.W. Republicrazy No it wasn't you loon! The only TRUTHFUL movie is the new Brock O'Malley's America! THAT is 100% FACTUAL! If he's reelected we are all doomed!
Indie Pendant How can either of you claim that a speculative movie is "Factual?" Unless you are both psychic, no one knows what anything will be like in four years. The best either of you can do is guess.

Lefty T. Parrot Shut up, Indie. You're a mindless little sheep RW! You're just saying that because those idiots on FoxBlogTV told you so. 

G. O. Pachyderm I'm sorry, Lefty, but really, you mustn't be such a hypocrite. You only think that the Bromney movie is "Factual" because MSMTV told YOU that it was. 

R.W. Republicrazy YEAH! YOU TELL 'EM GRANDY! 

G. O. Pachyderm Please don't call me that. And as much as I hate to admit it, Indie does have a point. Though I tend to side with Matt Bromney, no one really can know what the future holds. 

Lefty T. Parrot You're all brainwashed. MSMTV is the only UNBIASED news source out there, so if they say something I can OBVIOUSLY accept it is truth! 

R.W. Republicrazy I thought you liberal types LOVED the phrase "Question Everything." Obviously you think it means "Question everything I don't agree with!" 

Lefty T. Parrot You retarded er!!!!!! 

R.W. Republicrazy Wow! You must not be a true liberal! Since when is "Retard" an acceptable word in your circles? Shouldn't you have called me a mentally handicapable er instead? Your party will be so ashamed of you. 

Lefty T. Parrot YOU!!!! 

Indie Pendant Once again, the voice of reason is squashed by the braying of a Jacka- Oh, excuse me. Please pardon my language, "Donkey." 

Lefty T. Parrot !!!!!!!!

Rainbow Sunshine
If everyone in the world would hug more, there would be peace.
Joyful Exclamations A lovely thought, Rainbow. :)

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

U Spel bad 3

I have been finding so many of these lately that I already had enough for another post! I think it's because I started actively looking for misspellings, it's now just become a subconscious thing. I see a misspelling, and it leaps out at me. If it's bad enough, it goes in the post.

Most of the intended words have been capitalized in bold. And if you happen to recognize your own misspelling, don't feel bad. I've probably made errors that are just as bad. (I'm such a hypocrite. :p)

As usual, these come from all over the internet. Facebook, YouTube’s comment sections, anywhere that poor spellers and worse proofreaders lurk, I'm there with my haughty, judgmental gaze, ready to pounce on them with my sarcasm. All in good fun of course. :p


Becase

It's BECAUSE of errors like this that I advocate proofreading so much.


Empoium

You should visit the Eyeglass EMPORIUM, where you should buy some glasses. You obviously need a pair if you missed that glaring error before you posted.


Instrment

This example is especially sad because they didn't type fast and skip a letter. They openly admitted in their comment that they didn't know how to spell INSTRUMENT, and this was their best guess.


Awseome

This is not AWESOME.


Chikfila

This is not one word. And you forgot a C. Please stay away from keyboards. You might hurt yourself.


Quikest

The QUICKEST way to look like an idiot is to post something without making sure you know how to spell everything you typed.


Episod

It's called a silent E. Not an optional E.


Peeta

If you seriously think this is how to spell PITA bread, then you need to stop reading the Hunger Games.


Mabay

MAYBE you should have paid attention in school.


Theoretical

You can tell that someone relies on spell check too much, and is really, really dumb, when they intended to write THEATRICAL, but ended up with theoretical instead.


transducer... made my iq up 20%

Wow! You actually spelled transducer right! Now, considering this was the entirety of your comment, and you seem to think that just the use of a large word in a video caused your IQ to increase by 20%, I hope you can find a few more big words. You must have been monosyllabic before hearing this one.


Acely

ACTUALLY, I think you need some professional help. Seek out the nearest Kindergarten and enroll immediately.


Cuttie

People may call you a CUTIE, but your spelling is quite the opposite.


Squeeters

When abbreviating the word "Mosquitoes", it is very important that you replace the "QU" with a "K," or it just sounds disturbing. Like, are you squirting out squees, or what?


Bestttttttt

If you REALLY need to emphasize a word, CAPITALIZE it, or you look you're an intoxicated chimp who passed out on the keyboard.


Exlusive

The sad thing about this, aside from the missing "C", was that it was on an actual "Professional" website. Just shameful.


Amazzing

It's AMAZING that you passed the first grade.


Reali

Really? REALLY? Really.


Agre

Everyone I ask will AGREE: you need help.


Fextin

Wow. You managed to misspell a made up word. Congratulations.
(FREXTING A word from a Rhett and Link sketch, the definition of which, is to play Frisbee and text at the same time.)

Monday, September 10, 2012

Conspiracy Falls

You probably recall recently that I wrote about my new favorite TV show, Gravity Falls. Well, according to conspiracy theorists, I am now being influenced by the Illuminati.

When I really like something like a Movie, or a TV show, I like to learn about what goes into creating it, so I was researching Gravity Falls. As I searched, I came across a conspiracy theory website that claims that the Illuminati is brainwashing children into accepting their control by planting subliminal messages in Gravity Falls so that they will accept them when they take over the world. The person who wrote the article had gone over the opening credits and the first episode frame by frame and found a bunch of Illuminati and Masonic symbols. Mainly the All-Seeing-Eye, from the back of the US one dollar bill.

They claim that Grunkle Stan is a Mason because he wears a Fez like the Shriners. This may actually be true, because in one episode he claims that "The boys at the lodge" wouldn't go fishing with him because "They don't 'like' or 'trust' me." But even if "The Lodge" is a Masonic Lodge, and he is supposed to be a Mason, that doesn't mean that the Illuminati are using his character to send subliminal messages to children. In fact, if they really are, they are doing their own cult a whole lot more harm than good.

Grunkle Stan is a terrible role-model. He's usually portrayed as a buffoon, and he could even be considered a criminal for a variety of less than legal things he has done. Fleecing tourists, counterfeiting money, robbing a garage sale, forging safety inspection certificates. Not someone you would want as an ambassador of your organization.

He is also extremely lazy, to the point that in one episode he wouldn't even get off the couch to change the channel. The TV announced that he was watching the "Black-And-White-Period-Piece-Old-Lady-Boring-Movie-Channel." and he just sat there, screaming in horror for Dipper and Mable to change the channel because he couldn't find the remote. The kids weren't even home, so when they didn't come, he ended up watching the movie anyway, sobbing loudly over the romantic drama that he had so desperately wanted to avoid.

If anyone who is the least bit familiar with the Illuminati watched the show, they would be able to tell that it is not promoting them, but that it's completely lampooning them. Saying this show is a tool of the New World Order, is like saying that South Park is a tool of churches to convert new followers.

It got worse as I started reading the comments section under the article. (Yeah I know, comments section, big mistake) None of these people had ever watched a single episode for themselves, and they based their conclusions on the 10 or so screen-shots provided by the Cuckoo-Clock that wrote the article. One terrified reader said "Oh. No! My cousin loves this show! I'm gonna go tell her the creator is a Satan worshiper!"

One of the commenters claimed that Grunkle Stan's name probably came from Satan. Apparently, because some ancient languages leave out the vowels, Stan actually is SA-tan. This made me laugh, because I know where the name Stan came from. Unless Alex Hirsch's Grandpa was named for Satan, that argument falls flat on its face.

In the show Mable always wears a different crazy sweater in every episode. Cat sweaters, star sweaters, mushroom sweaters, heart sweaters, nothing most normal people would wear. In the opening credits she is seen plugging in an electric sweater decorated with her name, stars, and a rainbow that all light up. The conspiracy theorists claim that she is using, and I quote, "Over the rainbow elecroshock mind control programming." End Quote.

One person thought that seeing a sign for $20 and the number 15 on another sign soon after, meant that something big would happen (In real life) in the year 2015, while another thought that the $ Dollar sign shaped like an S, an Eyeball shaped like an O, and the first letter of the word Sale, stood for SOS and that stood for Synagogue of Satan. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!

Eventually I had to quit reading. I could almost feel my IQ dropping as I read their ridiculous theories about the show. These poor people are so paranoid and delusional! They obviously can't think for themselves, and they rely on fear-mongers to do their thinking for them. How they function in the real world without collapsing into a quivering ball of terror is beyond me.

This show is all about the weird and unexplained, and the Illuminati definitely fit into that category. If everyone who believed in conspiracy theories would learn how to think for themselves, they would see just how funny this show is and how well it spoofs everything they're afraid of. But if conspiracy theorists could think for themselves, they probably wouldn't be conspiracy theorists any more, would they? :p

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

An Epic "Rap"it Trail

Sorry about the title. That was SO cheesy. I promise never to do it again. Probably. Maybe. :p

This video from Lindsey Stirling was what inspired me to write yesterday's Rabbit Trail post in the first place, but as happens to me a lot these days, I start writing about one thing, "Rabbit Trail" onto another, and then I end up splitting the posts up.

If you are like me, and watch more YouTube than TV, you will notice a LOT of familiar faces in this video. Most notably to me was Joe Penna, AKA MysteryGuitarMan. That was an unexpected and very welcome surprise. :)

This video is a collaboration with >Gasp of Horror< a Rapper! Shock! Boo! Hiss! Yay? I really can't believe I'm saying this about a rapper, but the guy is pretty awesome.



Over the last year or so, thanks to YouTube, I have come to realize that what is out there as "Main-Stream" rap, is not indicative of all rap as a genre. When people talk about rappers, they are usually referring to the "Thugs" who cuss up a storm, yell about all the perversions of their lives, defame women, and yammer on and on about their >Gag< "Bling". This is not always the case, and the rappers of YouTube are so much different and better than the ones of the radio. The world would be so much better if artists like this guy were what came to mind when someone said "Rapper."

To illustrate "Tolerable" even "Good" rap I found some more great collaboration videos that feature in at least one part a rap verse. First up is a collaboration between Peter Hollens and Eppic on Ellie Goulding's "Lights." It is not a rap song, but Eppic is a rapper, so they added a rap verse. Peter's version, in my opinion, is better than the original.



Another one is this collaboration between MysteryGuitarMan and DeStorm.



And this one.



Sometimes I like finding out that what I thought I knew was wrong. I've always "Known" how evil rap was, but I am really glad to know now that rap itself is not evil, some people just use it for, >Ahem< Less than pure purposes.

To end this post I will share the very first "Rap" song I ever liked. This could be the first time I ever gave any thought to the fact that what I've always "Known" about rap might be wrong. Is it any surprise that it's an Owl City song? :p

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

An Epic Rabbit Trail

YouTube is the "New TV". At least for me. I don't watch TV anymore, but I do watch YouTube. And in most cases it it so much better than TV, especially since everything is artist driven. It's not big studios determining what gets produced. It actual people, who want to be creative, just doing their thing with no one telling them what they can and can not do.

The one bad thing, or good, depending on how much time you have to spend, is that YouTube videos lead you on long rabbit trails, this is especially true when one YouTuber you like collaborates with another YouTuber that you've never heard of, and you end up liking them as well. That is how I got to know about almost every musician I currently follow.

Aside from MysteryGuitarMan, who is in a whole different class of video, The Piano Guys started my current love of YouTube music. I can't remember how I found them, probably someone on Facebook posted a video, which led to me subscribing and later watching everything they had. One of their videos was filmed by someone named Devin Graham.



His cinematography was amazing, so I checked out his channel. He didn't have very many videos, but the ones he had were so amazing! His videos are not focused on music, like the rest of these, but it's worth noting that he only uses original music in all of his videos. He has many musician friends who lend him music for his videos. Free publicity for them!



I subscribed almost immediately. He had a video called "Epic Violin Girl." It was awesome and it was "Celebrity Crush" at first sight. :p (Does it count as a celebrity crush, if she wasn't really a celebrity yet?) :p I've since found out that she and Devin are "An Item," so it wouldn't work out between us. So sad. :p



I had never been exposed to much actual Hip-Hop music before Lindsey. Most stuff with this kind of a beat that I had liked before had been classified as dance music. I always just assumed that Hip-Hop was some kind of Rap. (I've lead a sheltered life. :p) But thanks to her, I now know it's completely different.

After I watched the video, I followed his link to her channel and I discovered she had been on America's Got Talent, but had lost. The judges didn't think she was good enough for a live show, which was what the prize for winning was.



Little did those judges know that she would go on to find fame all on her own thanks to YouTube. I just looked up who won that season of America's Got Talent, and I can honestly say that before today, I have never heard of "Soul Singer, Micheal Grimm" the winner of that season. I have, however, heard of the little girl that he beat, Jackie Evancho, who is quite a lot more famous than he is, and is most likely more famous than he ever will be.



I was a little disappointed as I continued to look at Lindsey's channel. She only had a few videos, and none of them were anywhere near as good as the one Devin had made. I still subscribed to her channel because despite her lack of content she was still amazing. My hope was that eventually she make some more, and eventually my hope paid off. Within a few months she started regularly putting out quality music videos, mainly filmed by Devin Graham. I have since gone back to her channel and I think she's taken down the early videos. The only ones left are the good quality ones that she is now releasing. Such as her recent EPIC take on the Phantom of the Opera.



I love the electric instruments in the rock band scene. Especially her purple violin! :D I also love the transitions from Rock to Classical. The quiet moments in the snow are just beautiful. :)

Recently Lindsey did a collaboration with a guy named Peter Hollens. The subject of the music video is a video game that I have never heard of, but the guy's voice is amazing.



Peter Hollens does A Cappella videos. Of course there was the violin in his duet with Lindsey, but usually he uses only the human voice. And he does a lot of collaborations as well. One of his most frequent collaborators is his wife, Evynne.



He has since become one of my favorite YouTubers. I've loved A Cappella music since I was a kid and Rockapella did the theme song to one of my favorite PBS shows "Where In The World is Carmen Sandiego?"



And with that I think I'll end this rabbit trail. That was such a random ending to such a YouTube musician focused post that it just seems right. :) I surprised even myself with that one. I was not planning it, the memory just came to me out of the blue. For those of you all misty eyed with nostalgia, you're welcome. :) Oh, it's just me? Ok then. :p

Monday, September 3, 2012

Dear YouTube

As much as I love YouTube, it has one flaw that really annoys me. Ads. Not one video it has ever forced me to watch has ever caused me to buy the product, support the cause, or even like that person, thing, or company the slightest bit more. In fact, it might actually have the opposite effect.
Trolling all their videos will do me about as much good as whining about it in a nursery full of screaming babies, so I thought I'd write about it here instead. What's the use of having a blog if you can't vent for other people's entertainment once in awhile? :p

Dear YouTube,

You have some weird friends, and I have something to say to a lot of them.

I don't care if you're a Mormon.

Your body spray stinks, not just because its wearers use way too much, but because it's basically a noxious blend of artificial chemicals. It will not increase my chances with women. More likely it will repel them. So put your clothes back on.

Holy Bloomin' &^%$# Oogieloves?!?!??!
BLEEEEEAAAAAAGGGHHHAAAARRRGGH!!!!!!!
In case I was being too subtle, that was me, vomiting.
The Oogieloves make me desperately miss Barney and Friends. Words cannot even begin to describe the waves of disgust and nausea that swept over my entire body when my eyes were first forced to look upon the horror that is "The Oogieloves." If I was to make one prediction regarding this revolting mess of a film that I will never subject myself or ANY small child to, it is this: The Oogieloves is sure to go down in history as the worst movie ever made in the entire history of cinema. I would rather watch ten thousand political commercials than be forced to sit through one of those nauseating trailers ever again.

Seriously people, why do you all keep telling me you're a Mormon? I don't care!

I don't drink, so stop talking about how great your booze is.

Candidate 1, I already know Candidate 2 is a lousy good for nothing liar, so stop telling me about it every two minutes.

No one even REMOTELY cares about your "Smooth Musings," Keith Stone. In fact, they make me want to pukemyguts at their complete and utter retardedness. Yes, I know that pukemyguts, and retardedness are not real words, they were invented just for you, because, given your apparent IQ, I didn't think you'd understand what disgorge or fatuousness meant.

Candidate 2, I already know Candidate 1 is a lousy good for nothing liar, so stop telling me about it every two minutes.

Are you deaf? I really, TRULY do not care that you are a Mormon, and the more you keep telling me about it, the more likely I am to start caring, and definitely NOT in a good way!

That's all for now, YouTube. Sorry to sound so harsh, I don't hate you, I just think you need to choose your friends better.

Sincerely,
Jonathan North

U Spel bad 2

Facebook, YouTube’s comment sections, and just texting in general, bring out the worst spellers.

In this blog post I am continuing to collect actual examples of grammar destruction that I found all over the internet.

Most of the intended words have been capitalized in bold, otherwise you'd never know what they had tried to spell.


Olimpics

Maybe this isn't a misspelling. Maybe this is a heretofore unknown competition, where people with disabilities hobble around a track and try not to fall over.
(No disrespect intended for actual Paralympic competitors, this misspelling just gave me an amusing mental image, and I felt the need to share. :p)


Peopple

PEOPLE who know how to use spell check probably mock you behind your back.


Tekillya

Written on a picture from someone's 21st birthday party to explain what was in the young woman's glass. Actually, perhaps this misspelling was deliberate... The person in the photo didn't exactly look like she was the picture of health...


Ponny

I'll give you a PONY if you go back to Kindergarten.


Trader

Your spelling teacher thinks you are a TRAITOR for skipping out on every one of her her classes.


stuped

Whoever wrote it must be pretty STUPID. This was all that was left as a comment. No capitalization, no punctuation, no sentence, nothing. Quite sad. Pretty soon comments will consist of people just grunting and pounding a fist on their keyboards once before hitting reply.


Lightening

Your spell check may have told you this was correct, but that is not what shoots out of they sky during a storm...


Boolseye

Sometimes I wonder if people just spell things this idiotically on purpose...


Unicors

What is that? Half Unicorn, half Manticore? Please spell-check.


Saftey

If there is SAFETY in numbers, you should find the rest of the people who helped make this list and stick with them.


Boardom

What the...? Is this supposed to be about a kingdom of male pigs, or do you really not know how to spell BOREDOM?


Proobably
I'd PROBABLY make fun of this word more if the sound of it didn't make me laugh so much. :D


Continueum

If you have no idea how to spell CONTINUUM, then you shouldn't pretend you do. Look it up, or you look like a 7 year-old.


Miss Leading

Quit MISLEADING people. There is no pageant for a typography queen.


Grate Grandmother

You Monster!!! Why would you do such a sick, horrible thing to your own Grandma?!


Rist

I'd rite how rong what you rote was, but you recked my brain with your dumb.


Wold

Proofreading WOULD have saved you from looking like a dingus.


Vain

I'm sorry, but just because spell check lets you get by with it, doesn't mean you spelled Blood VEIN correctly.


Terarded

You have no right to call anyone RETARDED when you can't even spell it correctly.


Woofed

I think you meant to say you WOLFED down your food. Spell it that way and you just sound terarded.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Irony

At Hy-Vee, there is a group of old men that come in almost every afternoon and buy tons of lottery tickets and sit around a table in the cafeteria talking and scratching their tickets. Occasionally one of them will happily show the others that he won 50 cents, or even more rarely a dollar or two, but usually it is a rather boring conversation. Every few minutes one will go back to customer service to buy more tickets, or turn in some winners.

If I buy my lunch at work, I can usually hear them talking. Mostly they talk about politics, and how terrible Obama is. Today their conversation was more of the same. Complaining about gas prices, Obama, and whatever else they had to be sour about. For the most part today though, they were complaining about how much money Michelle Obama wastes.

I'm not going to argue with them, it does seem as though she loves her parties and traveling, but I still had to laugh to myself over the irony of the group complaining about how wasteful she is, all while they made several trips to and from the lottery machines spending more and more money, and getting nothing in return except for pieces of paper that ended up in the trash.