CrypticGirl - Personal Account
Jay - RP Account
Saleh - RP Account


Livejournal Accounts

cryptgirl - CrypticGirl @ LJ (Personal journal)
unseenspy - Jay the Unseen @ LJ (RP journal)
mountain_sage - Saleh from Fire Emblem 8 @ LJ (RP Journal)

I hate to do this, since I'm generally turned off by F-locked journals myself, but circumstances have forced me to do it.  However, I am going to try to be more open with my entries.

UPDATED: 11/17/2010

( About me... )

( Current Mugen Roster )

Vincent, Silent Hill 3



( Monsters? They look like monsters to you? )

It just dawned on me that this weekend is Memorial Day weekend. At least I wasn't completely dreading it...until now. At least Sunday will be busy and not dragging like normal. I hate how Sunday nights drag, considering that it's my "Friday" before my two days off.

When I walked in last night, the CSM told me that they had no $5 bills. Meaning, if I ran out of fives in my drawer, that was it. I was like, "Oh shit!" It was going to be a hell of a night if I ran out of fives and couldn't get more. Thankfully, I didn't run into that problem, though. However, the registers were getting low on plastic shopping bags. I didn't bother asking/checking if there were more in the closet. Hopefully they'll have restocked when I go in tonight.

There was a little boy, maybe 4 or 5 years old, who bought a Power Rangers Samurai toy. I heard him mention something about the Avengers, so I asked him if he had seen the movie. His response was, "I can't see that movie, it's PG-13!" I thought it was interesting that a 5-year-old actually cared about movie ratings.

I finally finished the Zompoc Guide. After covering the different vehicles and modifications, listing the pros and cons and all that, it goes into a section of rebuilding after the apocalypse. That's assuming that someone we are able to contain the plague. There are several ways to rebuild, or move on. Either stay on the move, or hole up somewhere...not much different than hiding from the zombies, it looks like. I don't think I'll concern myself with that very much. I guess I'll just survive until I perish.

Now I'm reading the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. Right now it's going into a lot of detail about the behavior of the zombies and the virus itself. Pretty interesting that they'd know these things.

Uriko Nonomura, Bloody Roar



( Better not tell. )

Angela Franklin, Night of the Demons



( Where're you going? The party's just begun. )

After slacking off on my reading for far too long, I made some progress in reading the Zompoc guide again. At this point, it feels like it's getting repetitive. Not necessarily repeating the same things, but the structure seems repetitive. Like listing all the different things, and describing the pros and cons of each one. Be it weapons, vehicles, supplies, jobs, etc. One piece of info that stuck out for me is the information about shooting zombies with a pistol. It said that the bullet may ricochet from the skull rather than pierce its brain. That is...somewhat concerning for me. It says to destroy the brainstem, which is at the base of the brain. So should I aim for the zombie's mouth instead of the forehead?

I played at Allied Veteran last night, but didn't do so well. However, they had it written on the board that they were accepting applications, so I went and took one. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it looks like it would be a fun job, watching people play and win, and occasionally having drawings for prizes and stuff. On the other hand, I've nearly been falling asleep at work lately. I don't know if my body's still stuck in vacation mode or what. I've been back for over a week now, so I thought I'd be back in the nighttime groove, but maybe not? And the staff members said they have a lot of applications already. But well, I might as well go for it anyway. It'd be better to earn money this way than to gamble for it. Some of the stuff on this application doesn't make sense. Like they're asking for the applicant's prior address, even the phone number. Why is that important?

Day 5: Vicious, Cowboy Bebop



( And you will shed tears of scarlet. )

Day 4: Evil King Stan, Okage Shadow King



Oh my gawd, Stan is just fucking hilarious. An evil king who tries so hard to be evil, but no one takes him seriously. He embarks on a quest with the hero to eradicate all the "fake" evil kings out there. Who'd have thought that the objective of the game is for an evil king to be a hero? And I wonder what he does after the party goes their separate ways? Does Stan take over the world? I guess we'll never know.

Usually I can't stand turned-based RPG's, but I took the grind here because of the sheer hilarity. Just seeing Stan taunting all the villagers when the protagonist talks to them was enough to catch my interest. Especially when he tells that boy, "Cry, pee your pants!" Really, what kind of evil king says that?

( I will train her so hot...I mean, so hard! )

Day 3: Natalia Luzu-Kimlasca Lanvaldear, Tales of the Abyss



To keep it short and sweet, Natalia starts out as a mega bitch, but then she goes through a whole lot of shit. But she pulls through it and changes dramatically for the better in many ways.

Her costume is elegant and different from the typical warrior princess. She uses a bow, which is always an admirable skill. A princess with a bow? Who'd have thought it?

( Come forth O starlight! )

Day 2: Sonya Blade, Mortal Kombat



Mortal Kombat came around shortly after Street Fighter did, I believe. Back in the day, when most fighting games had only one female fighter. Sonya was the only female Kombatant in the original game. Despite being briefly horrified by the grotesque fatalities, I admired Sonya for adding the feminine touch. And she wasn't even competing because she wanted to. She had been captured by Shang Tsung and forced to fight in the tournament. I felt bad for her for that.

I really admired her in MK3, when Shao Kahn sucked all the souls from Earth, except for those few chosen warriors. Sonya was the only woman among those warriors. All the other women in the game were from the Outworld realm. Currently, Sonya is one of only three Earth women. I'm most fond of her MK3 appearance. Though some of her appearances, like in Deadly Alliance, I'm not so crazy about. Her MK 2011 appearance makes her look too much like Nina Williams.

( If I need backup, I'll radio for it. )

Okay, so I'm ganking this from sarajayechan. It's supposed to be the 100 favorite characters meme, and I'm digging through my memory to think of characters that I've obsessed with at one point or another throughout my life. And for me, it's not an easy task. I just don't have that many fandoms, do I? So I listed the characters that I did manage to come up with, and used the randomizer site to randomize it. So these characters will be rambled about in no particular order.


Day 1: Gerik, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

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Gerik...what is there not to like about this guy? As a mercenary, he's seen his fair share of death and bloodshed...likely even more than the knights of any country. And yet he still keeps a positive outlook on life, living each day as though it were his last. A fitting mindset to have, since any day could be his last day alive. Despite the bad times and the worse times, Gerik is always grateful for the good times and the better times.

What really makes him awesome is that he forgave and befriended a man who killed his friend. Not many people would have the heart to do that. So that definitely makes him uber cool in my book.

( Just try not to think about it... )</user>

Okay, I made it home safely. And smoothly, unlike last year. I was a bit worried about what my grandmother would suggest as she drove me home from the airport. So I tried to keep her occupied by telling her all about my trip. About how we saw the Avengers twice, and how Mom saw Dark Shadows, about how we went to King's Dominion, and about our failed trip to the zoo and Mimi's Café. And then I distracted her some more by talking about Thor and Loki. She offered to buy me lunch, but I politely declined. I just wanted to get home and be free. And I did. After that, I took a trip to the grocery store and bought my own burgers from Wendy's.

I'm a little sad about going back to work tonight, but getting back into the nightly grind will be helpful in avoiding the family. Still, I really need to get this AC compressor fixed, or at least find out where I stand in my finances and whether I can even afford it. But after my aunt's comment, I'm still inclined to avoid her for a while longer. I might even pay for a new phone card out of my own pocket.

A few people are doing a "100 Favorite Characters" meme, and I want to do it, too. So I've scrambled through my memory, trying to dig up characters I've liked over the years, new and old. And I still can't come up with 100. Some of the characters I've listed probably aren't even worth a few sentences as opposed to paragraphs of rambling about why they're so awesome. The Avengers movie helped me add a few characters, but...it's just a few. So I guess, as of this entry, it'll be a "76 Favorite Characters" meme...

Well, this is when I go home. Part of me is glad, and part of me is sad. I look forward to my privacy, my own computer, etc. But to watch more movies, etc., I’ll have to find my own way. But Megavideo was shut down along with Megaupload. Man, it was the perfect way to stream movies online for free. I’ll have to find something else, I guess. I’m not really fond of downloading movie torrents; I only do that when I feel really desperate enough. Especially with things like SOPA and PIPA and everything else that’s been popping up to threaten our internet privacy. I really hope that nothing like that passes…

Did I mention we went to see the Avengers again? Mom wanted to see the Dark Shadows movie with Johnny Depp, but the rest of us didn’t want to see it, so we figured we might as well see the Avengers again. So this marks the first time I’ve ever seen a movie in 3-D, and also the first time I’ve seen a movie twice in theaters. And twice in the same week, even. I could see it again and again. I can’t wait until it comes out on DVD. Yeah, it was that good. It’ll definitely be worth an AMV or two, and definitely a screencap dump.

I almost want to collect Avengers merchandise...but not really. I wouldn’t mind getting something with Loki on it, though. Yeah, I like Loki a lot. His actor is only 17 days younger than me. Isn’t that cool?

The theater really surprised me. This one had actual recliners now. I never expected something like that. It just goes to show how long it’s been since I’ve been to a theater.

My brother and I just went out by ourselves yesterday. We went to Walmart to buy a cheap microphone so we could do that Tales of voice meme, but when I went to the plurk where the link was posted, it was broken. So now we can’t find the link.

Then we went to the mall, where we found a massage parlor, and had us a 10-minute acupressure massage. It felt good. It was the first time I’ve had a massage by a real person. The shiatsu cushion I have at home is nice, but it’s just not the same as being massaged by a real person.

Then we had Applebee’s for lunch, because I hadn’t been there in so long. We went to Food Lion for a few things before finally going back home.

Today we tried going to the National Zoo, but the town absolutely sucked. Way too many traffic lights, narrow, cracked roads with cars parked along the side, and of course, traffic jams galore. When we finally arrived at the zoo, we couldn’t find any parking, so the traffic directors were “nice” enough to lead us back out onto the street. Afterwards, we gave up and went back home. We decided to take Mom out to lunch for Mother’s Day instead. She wants to try the National Zoo again tomorrow, but I really don’t want to anymore.

We went to King’s Dominion yesterday, and we had a lot of fun. First we went on a White Water Canyon ride. It’s a circular boat thingie that flows down a canyon thing, bouncing and spinning off the walls, and a few waterfalls and such. We almost made it without getting soaked, but just when we thought we were lucky, these water cannons sprayed water all over us, soaking us pretty good.

Then we went through the Dinosaurs Alive attraction. It’s a path with animatronic dinosaurs along the way, and they move and roar. There were plenty of other footsteps and wings flapping and such as well. It made me watch my back quite a bit during the walk. It was like walking through Jurassic Park.

Then we had a pretty boring Ferris Wheel ride, and then we had pizza for lunch. My dad and brother went on the Ricochet roller coaster ride, while I filmed it from the ground. It was pretty cool. Then Dad and I went on the Shenandoah log ride. It was kinda scary without seat belts, so we had to hold on for dear life as we dropped down those slopes.

So overall we had a good time, and I recorded plenty of videos.

Today we’re just gonna shop around some more.

So we had fun at the shooting range. My dad and I practiced with the 9mm handgun while my brother practiced his archery. Unfortunately, he only had one arrow, and he busted it up pretty bad. So afterwards, we went back to that sporting goods store and picked up some more.

Everything was simple enough. Permits were easy to obtain. All we had to do was fill out a form on an envelope, and the permit that was attached. Then we tear off the permit, deposit $5 into the envelope, and drop it off in the box. There didn’t seem to be any guards running the place, so I don’t know if it would be known if people snuck in without paying for the permit. At least this also meant that no one told me that I couldn’t use my camera. So I had my camera rolling for a good bit during our shooting practice.

As I was shooting, I had the feeling that I wasn’t really hitting the target. I didn’t see any new bullet holes appearing as I was shooting. I went through two mags of ammo before my dad explained to me how to aim the blasted thing. Afterwards I did a lot better. So now I know what it's like to handle a real gun, and it feels good. XD

We went back to the sporting goods store, and I looked at the guns again. My brother got some more arrows for his bow. He didn’t even practice with the guns with us. It was kind of disappointing, but I do think it’s cool that he’s brushing up on his archery skills. It might be useful for catching some game in a survival situation. I bought me a little keychain knife. Something I know I’ll have when I need it. I just need to remember to pack it in my suitcase when I go home, so that I don’t get busted by airport security. My dad bought a little tool that makes it easier to load ammo into the mag. Apparently it was difficult to load without it. He took a picture of it with his phone before buying it. So I decided to sneak-snap some shots of their gun selection, particularly the ones I was looking at.

( Pics beneath... )
RP Banter: I didn’t do anything with Jay during the last Luceti event, despite the little plans we’ve made. I’m kinda getting worried that I might be losing him for good. Maybe part of it is me being on vacation, but I don’t want to let that get in the way, especially with my Kindle. But this starts the “activity check” month, so I need to do something.

We got a Shirley last cycle, but she never did anything beyond her intro post, and got cut with the last AC. So the Legendia cast members were trying to decide how to handle it ICly. In the end, they decided to retcon and assume that Shirley never arrived in the first place. It was fine with me. I didn’t even tag the intro post. I noticed how long it took to reply to the people who did tag, and I just knew that she wouldn’t last very long. I also didn’t tag because I was concerned about the canon point that Shirley was pulled from. I was concerned that it would cause problems for Jay ICly because she doesn’t really know him at that point. But I’m afraid to mention it to the castmates…

I need to do something with Saleh, too. Now that his thread with Kain has ended, I can backdate a thread in the event log or something.

In Star Kingdom, there’s going to be an AU event. And then darkness will appear as friends or other people from the characters’ home worlds. Then Maleficent will appear to those whom she senses will give in to the darkness and try to manipulate them. I’m think I’ll have Saleh consider reaching for the darkness without actually giving in to it. Then he’ll try to learn as much as he can from Maleficent. The darkness will appear as Myrrh, so Saleh would definitely be wary of giving in, especially having been tricked by a fake Myrrh before.

So those are the things going on in RP land.

Before they finally started playing the Avengers movie, there were a hell of a lot of movie trailers shown. Most of them looked pretty interesting. The first of which was Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I’ve already mentioned that one on plurk. Yeah, I’m definitely interested in seeing that one out of sheer curiosity.

And the return of the Expendables, and it has Arnold Schwarzenegger in it. The first movie looked interesting from the previews, but I hadn’t seen it. Maybe I should see it, as Schwarzenegger was my childhood idol.

The Resident Evil: Retribution was interesting at the beginning, where different people were holding different technology gadgets and introducing themselves. Like, “My name is Kevin, and this is my world.” Then the world plunges into darkness, and Alice appears with her guns, “My name is Alice, and this is my world.” And she’s totally okay with it, too. =P

We didn’t do a whole lot. We just went shopping for some things. We shopped for some earplugs and targets for our firearm practice, so we’ll do that tomorrow. And we got zombie targets, too, both human and other animals. This’ll be fun. I had to take an online course in firearms safety and print out a certificate before I could go to the shooting range. It was simple, and there were no review quizzes or anything. But it was interesting

While looking in that sporting goods store, we saw a variety of guns for sale, with prices ranging from $250 to $1000. They had different color revolvers, too. I liked the one with the pretty pink frame, but that one was $500. XD There was a tiny red handgun, too. I think that one was $250 or so. My parents had made a comment about getting me a gun for Christmas, but I don’t know if they were serious or just joking. I doubted it with the expense, but after seeing those cheaper guns in the store, it might be possible after all. My mom says I should have one for protection, since I live alone. And those zombies could show up any day now.

I think I mentioned that Friday will be King’s Dominion day. We had lunch at Boston’s, and the parents talked about other activities, including the zoo, and the Smithsonian museum. I’m not quite sure how we’re going to fit all of this into this week, since we’re trying to avoid the weekend crowds, and I return home on Tuesday. We might have to endure the crowd for the zoo, but for the shooting range and King’s Dominion, definitely not.

Whatever we do, I’ll definitely have to use my camera. Pics and videos will be taken, for sure. XD

So we went to see the Avengers in 3-FUCKING-D! Headache and nausea aside, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Each of the Avengers were likeable in their own way…though the Hulk I didn’t care for too much. He didn’t have any outstanding qualities to me…except for the scene where he slammed Loki around.

So I liked Captain America for his cuteness (Steve Rogers, mmm…), Tony Stark for his humor, Hawkeye for his archery (and cuteness), Black Widow for her female touch, Thor for his coolness.

Admittedly, the pounding headache did keep me from enjoying the movie to the fullest. So I’ll have to see it again…maybe in the theaters when I don’t have a headache, or just wait ‘til it comes out on DVD. I’d say it’s definitely worth making an AMV or two with it.

Depending on how I feel, we might be heading for the shooting range to handle some real firearms. I’ve taken the online safety training course and printed out my certificate. So this will be interesting.

Friday is our designated King's Dominion day, so hopefully I'll feel better by then. I hate my body...

For once, the preparation for this vacation was actually smooth. I didn’t get pissed off, we weren’t scrambling at the last minute, we got there plenty of time ahead of schedule, and I made it quickly through the security screening thing. I had been concerned about the weather, as it had forecasted rain, but we took off on time.

Tomorrow we’re planning to see the Avengers. Somehow I knew Dad would suggest it. From the trailer, it definitely looks like a kickass movie. And it’s strange for me to say it, since I’ve never been a Marvel fan. I actually…hated Marvel quite a bit.

My parents got quite a bit of new stuff. They got rid of the couch in the guest room, because Mom bought some exercise equipment. They also got a brand-spanking new refrigerator.

While on the plane, I looked through a catalog, and it advertised a machine called a Sodastream. It’s a mixer that actually makes sodas! You fill this special bottle with water, and the machine will fizz it up. Then you pour some Sodastream syrup and gently mix it into the water. It turned out really good. Better than buying a bunch of sodas from the market? Perhaps, in the long run…as long as we keep my brother away from the syrup, that is. [trollface]

Last night at work I heard some gossip.

A woman bought a fish and asked for a discount because it was "dying." The supervisor gave her a 10% discount for it, after which the woman remarked, "I'm saving it from Walmart, so it doesn't have to swim in its own poop." She named it Wally and said she was going to make a Facebook page for him, so we could all see how he's doing. Well...idk how I feel about that...

Later on, as the other supervisor was shopping for lunch, she found a cart with three TV's and some other stuff left in the produce area. According to her, some shady guys had left it there, waiting for all the associates to go to lunch, so that they could sneak out the door with it. The supervisor brought it to the manager's attention, and then she scanned all the items at the register and printed a training receipt. This is how we report these things to the loss prevention team. Altogether, these guys were attempting to steal over $1600 worth of merchandise. Had the supervisor not found the cart, and the guys made out with this stuff, I wouldn't have been able to do anything, even though it would've been just me up front. I wouldn't have known what was going on. Part of me is jealous. I wish I could do something to stop theft like that. But I just stand paralyzed. Like that time I watched that guy walk out with a case of beer, and my jaw just dropped. Yeah, that's how pitiful I am...

Meanwhile, I only have tonight to work, and then I'll be on VACATION!! So that's something happy to look forward to.

So my aunt and I were e-mailing back and forth. She sent me a message, after which I went to do my daily routine thing.

Then she sent another message with the comment, "Boy, I really know how to cut off communication, don't I? I was able to get a response when you had something to gain, but when I ask something of you, it is a different story."

Well, excuse me! My first thought was, "Now that's a good way to cut off communication." It made me wish I had not responded to her at all. The family often accuses me of being unappreciative, so when shit like this comes up, it makes me want to throw away everything. Just throw away all of my blessings, because I don't deserve them, and it'd just be selfish of me to keep them. This is why I don't like to ask anything from my family if I can help it. And the only thing I asked was whether or not I would have vacation money this year. And I asked that because Grandma had fussed at me at the airport last year for not having money. "That's a lesson learned; there should have been some communication about that," she had said. Well...this was me, applying that so-called "lesson."

Needless to say, I didn't reply to that message either, as badly as I wanted to let her know that I was offended. It's easy to rant and bitch in my journal, but I really have to check myself when dealing with the family.

Then my aunt sent a follow-up, apologizing for not being "explicit" enough. Well, she was explicit enough, all right! But since she couldn't wait for an appropriate response for me, I just...spit something out. So I said the line above, "Comments like that are a good way to cut off communication." Well, that wasn't the right thing to say. Now she's wondering what it was that cut off the communication. Even now, I'm hemming and hawwing, trying to put this message together. If I don't do it carefully, both she and my grandmother will be on me for being "inconsiderate." They already do that when I genuinely don't have time to answer their messages as soon as they send them!

Times like this, I really wish I could just punt them. Now it makes me dread this vacation coming up, because they have to drive me to the airport. And they'll probably threaten not to, or cancel my flight for being "inconsiderate." Yeah, Grandma did that last year.

Ah, one more week 'til vacation. Can't wait.

I thought I was going to start packing my suitcase early so that I won't be scrambling at the last minute, but that's not going to happen. My aunt is still planning to buy me a new wardrobe (which I'm still not sure I really need). She wanted to do it with me, but said she couldn't find a time that fits both of our schedules to go out. So she's going to shop this weekend. So I'm sure I'll be packing all those new clothes for the trip. What I really need to do is take a ginormous trash bag, pack up all my worn-out old clothes and toss them. Gotta make room for all these new clothes, after all.

My aunt also wants to get started on replacing the compressor for my central AC unit. So I'm trying to straighten up the house (whenever I can tolerate the heat long enough...which isn't very long at all). So I'm not making much progress. I'm trying to find out if the technician will need to come inside and reach the thermostat, but I can't find the answer. I can't see why he'd need to, since the compressor unit is outside, but I'm not exactly sure how the AC works. Maybe he will need to get to it. I sure hope not...

All right, only two more weeks until VACATION! As usual, I'm flying up to Maryland to see the immediate family again. Previously, we had talked about going to a zoo and a shooting range. But yesterday, my dad brought up the idea of going to King's Dominion, because they now have dinosaurs. That'll be cool. I'll be glad to go there again. I just need to stay off of the hairy rides. Hopefully my dad is past the stage of pressuring me to take those rides. He's not as young as he used to be. I'll just walk around and record things with my camera. I'll gladly take the water rides, though.

My brother was concerned about me going to places like this, and he has every right to be. The last time we went out to a theme park wasn't a pleasant experience for me. We had spent one day in Colonial Williamsburg, where it was boring and scorching hot. We spent the night in a motel, then went on to Busch Gardens. I thought I would enjoy it more, but the illness was getting to me too much. I had a severe headache with nausea that I often get around "that time of the month." The last straw for me was when we went to see some sort of dance show. The music made my stomach vibrate with the beat (I think it was the bass that did it), and it only served to make me even more nauseous. When the show ended, I went into a restroom to try throwing up. I certainly felt like throwing up, and I hoped that getting out of my system would help me feel better. But I couldn't throw up, so after a while I gave up. At that moment, I decided that calling it a day was the best thing to do, especially considering we had a 2 hour drive back to the house. I tried to sleep in the car the best I could, and then popped a KO pill when we got home.

But I'm feeling okay with this upcoming trip. In early May, especially up north, the climate should be nice and cool. And again, staying off of the roller coasters and shit. The Outer Limits Flight of Fear is a cool ride, but it's absolute torture for the head and neck. Your head bounces on these cushions on either side, but they don't feel like cushions at all. You can press your head back to keep it still, but that puts a lot of strain on your neck. So yeah, both times I've been on that ride, I came out with a headache. So no more of that stuff. =(

Overall, I'll be glad to just take the week off from work and just relax, regardless of what we do. I'm getting to that point where I just don't want to go back to work after my two days off, and that's a sure sign that I need a vacation.

All right, I'm sure glad to hear that this George Zimmerman guy is being charged for murder in the Trayvon Martin case. The case has been in the local news since it happened, because...yeah, it happened here in Florida. I must say I was surprised that it actually made national news, and even the cover of People magazine.

The USA Today headline says that this is "now a murder case."  Well, duh!  It's been a murder case since the beginning, and I'm wondering what took these bastards so long to acknowledge that.  Looking at the details we've known...

- Zimmerman follows Martin to the store, claiming that he's "up to no good."  Just because Martin was wearing a hoodie. Zimmerman shoots Martin and claims self-defense.  But Martin had no weapons, just a pack of Skittles.  Riddle me this: How do you claim self-defense when you follow an unarmed person?

- George Zimmerman is a Neighborhood Watch member.  Those people are not authorized to confront suspicious individuals, or to even carry guns.  Even if Trayvon Martin really was "up to no good," Zimmerman still had no right to confront him.

So yeah...I am really failing to see how they managed to think that this was anything other than a murder.

At least now we can pray that the victim and his family gets their justice.

The good news is that my vacation has been approved. Now I'm ready to set up my flight arrangement. My aunt says I should do that myself, and that makes me nervous. I've never done it before. I guess it's about time to learn. And I should learn to drive myself to the airport as well. I remember driving home once, when my family had to drop off my car while I was gone. I really don't want to depend on my family for anything if I can help it.

Speaking of being dependent, my aunt also wants to take me shopping for clothes. I don't think I really need new clothes (except work clothes, which I can easily buy for myself). So yeah, definitely not sure if want. =(

We had something pretty dumb happen the other night. Some customers came in and reported that there was a group of kids driving a car in the parking lot while their parents were shopping. And I'm talking about kids younger than 10. According to the customers, they almost hit a pole, and they almost ran over a guy. Now what kind of dumb parent would leave the keys in the car with the kids in the middle of the night?

So there's this meme going around on plurk, and I decided to paste the answers in my journal, because it got a little too long...especially in Saleh's case.



( tl;dr is long... )

Let's see, I need to update. Well, I'm babbling through a playthrough of my FE Tales patch (combined with Darion's high difficulty patch) on plurk. Inspired by similar plurks of people playing Pokémon and Tales of Graces and other stuff. (I wonder if anyone's actually following it?)

I put another slab of corned beef and cabbage into the crock pot. When I had a sample, it wasn't quite as cooked as I like it (to the point where the meat falls apart). It should be done by now, though.

Well, I figured I'd share this on a day where I have nothing to ramble about. A video from the Gmod Idiot Box series. The only way to describe these videos is just...a bunch of random silly shit. Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead fans might enjoy these. I like the way the characters flail their arms all the time. Lol...

Well, now I have two more DW buddies on my plurk list, so I'm kind of feeling less and less of a need to keep up with DW/LJ. I'm not sure how I feel about that. DW would be my really personal stuff. My plurk stuff is more about RP and other pointless shit.

Like, those on my plurk have already seen my Walmart story about the filthy hippies who broke the Fresh Produce sign by throwing a potato across the section. Yeah, we called the cops on them, and when they tried to return later, the managers wanted to lock the doors.

In other news, I finally put my first vacation request in the computer. The goal will be May 7th to fly up to see the family. (And hopefully I can go alone this time.) And then I have two more weeks of vacation time to use, but all of Walmart's restrictions and other staffer's vacation time makes it extremely difficult. But I should try to work it out now, because this year will be over before we know it.

I guess all I have is RP stuffs... I might do that 30 day shipping meme in one day like Meowzy did...but I don't know when.

Luceti

I tagged this entry with Jay because he just needed to be snarky to someone. I am just forever amused when he signs it with "-J" because his full name is his first initial. XD

The creepers like Isaac and Drusilla make me glad I have a character like Saleh, because he doesn't get creeped out as easily as most others. He'd be wary, of course, but at least he's not like those who go, "OMG FUCK YOU SICKO!" etc. It makes for some very interesting general interactions, wouldn't you say?

Star Kingdom

Cupid has been released, and now Hermes from Disney's Hercules has fallen for Saleh. This kind of thing would creep him out if Hermes got too close and tried touching him and stuff. I think that's where Saleh's limits lie when it comes to being creeped out. Seducing/badtouching him would definitely make him awkward and uncomfortable. Hermes' post is also funny how he's actually polling the population on whether Saleh is gay or straight. And Dante's response, omg. "It might just be that baby face he has." Hee, Saleh does kind of have a baby face, doesn't he? It looks smooth enough to touch. XD

Okay, this is day number 3 of having this gigantic headache and it will not go away. So I started reading through that Headache Cure book that I downloaded way back when. Yeah, it feels like forever ago. One thing I picked up from it was that headaches can induce nausea, too. That sure would explain why I get nauseated with the worse headaches. I'd always wondered if it was something I had eaten, but apparently it's not the case.

The book explains why we get headaches, how the body deals with the pain, and why they persist so much. Then it walks you through a natural process to relieve the pain. I haven't really tried it yet, but I need to so bad... The book says it may take several tries to get lasting relief. I don't know if I can wait that long... It makes me really want to call out of work, but I really can't do that...


And then we have a Shirley app in Luceti, and I'm really not sure how I feel about it. The mun is pulling her from the scene where Senel rejects her, so she really doesn't know Jay at that point. And Jay is going to be so disappointed. He wouldn't want to spoil what happens to her right after that. At least she'll have Fenimore there...

Check this out!

RP Love Notes! A brand-spanking new community that is the complete opposite of badrperssuck.

I rant about wank enough, so here's something positive for a change. Check it out, give a shoutout to your favorite games, your favorite RPers, your favorite mods, etc.! There's already a post with love for Star Kingdom. It's growing faster than I expected, which is a good thing.

Peace out. o/

You know, I really need to take a break from downloading e-books from that site. I have way too many books, and I still haven't taken the time to read anything lately.

I did read one about practicing self-hypnosis. It was pretty interesting, and it revealed some things I never knew about hypnosis. The main thing is that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. Whatever the hypnotist does, it's really you who is putting your mind into the trance. All the hypnotist does is feed the submliminal messages to your mind. There is no magic power involved here. Thus, a person cannot be hypnotized against his/her will, despite what you may see on TV.

The book goes on to explain how to position yourself for the self-hypnosis. Lay in your bed, rest your hands on your stomach, stare at a very specific spot on the ceiling, and start counting backwards from 100. You will feel yourself getting drowsy. That's when the trance happens...I think. I was half-asleep when I read it.

Then the book gives some scripts to follow when using the self-hypnosis to conquer certain problems like insomnia, quitting smoking, making money, getting over your past, etc. I wonder if I'll ever try it...

Well, I had lots of fun surprises yesterday. At Treasure Bay I won $21 with a $5 purchase. And then Walmart served us grilled steaks for being accident free. How cool is that?

Then I commented to the RP love meme like usual, and surprisingly got a comment from a Ewan player who threaded with Saleh at LJ's dear_mun back in September. I looked at her personal journal, and it looks like Lexi traitortoheaven knows her. Anyway, I'm just thrilled that she thinks my Saleh is amazing. =D It almost makes me wanna be buddies on DW and plurk and everything, but it feels a bit awkward for me, because I'm just socially awkward like that. Not to mention I wonder if some of my personal journal stuff is too controversial for some people...I know it is, actually, but oh well.

Now if I can just get that Ewan into one of my games. Saleh/Ewan is so adorable. Ewan is such a fangirl fanboy for Saleh, and I just love it so much. Is "fanboy" even a word? I wouldn't expect the mun to get into Luceti this cycle if she decides to join, but Star Kingdom apps are always open.


Daily free e-book download count: 1

I got this e-mail from my mom yesterday; I thought it was pretty funny.

( My mother taught me... )

And she said to go ahead and make my plans to visit. Her sister is slow to make up her mind. I need to double-check the dates at work, too. The inventory was originally set for June, but I remember the manager telling me that they had changed it, though I don't remember what they changed it to. Note to self: Ask about inventory dates.


Daily e-book download count: 7

One of the books I downloaded yesterday was "How to Stop Menstrual Cramps NOW," so I decided to check it out. It seems to be written in the same manner as the "1001 Best Ways" books, giving plenty of tips from different people on how to cope with the problem. This book refers to menstrual cramps as "MC." So I'll list the more interesting ones.

( TMI much? )


The other book I downloaded was "How to Stop Stuttering." Yeah, stuttering is a problem I've had for as long as I've been able to talk. For this book, I didn't even bother looking at the scientific or psychological crap. I just went straight to the stuttering control chapters. The most effective tip seems to be to visualize the words you want to say when you speak. I talk to myself quite a bit when no one's around, and I've gotten into the habit of reading things out loud...at least until I run out of breath. The other tip is simply to slow down. Yeah, I tend to talk too fast, which leads to stuttering. So I have to be consciously aware of it...and seemingly force myself to slow down. I don't know if that's a normal thing, if normal people can talk fluently without thinking about it. It's even more difficult when I'm mad. Just the other night I was trying to explain to the CSM how one of the maintenance guys made me mad...and it was only a mild anger. I found myself talking too fast, unable to put the words together properly. So I ended up speaking in spurts as I tried to explain the situation. As in, "There's something...out there...on the wing..." Well, that wasn't what I said, but just to give you an idea...

So...it may be normal to stammer when one is nervous or what not, but my stuttering seems to be a permanent problem...a speech disorder that I'm stuck with for all eternity... =( Even if I can control it with these tips, it won't be a cure by any means...


Daily free e-book download count: 2

Last night I noticed that we now have the PS Vita in stock. I thought I had gotten over my desire for it...but then I saw Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 for it. And it's the Ultimate Edition with the extra shit not included in the original release. And now I waaaannnt it...

I obviously can't save money to save my soul. The only way is to hide it from myself to the point where I forget that I even have it. And that won't do me any good if I think I don't have the money. So I guess I'll have to hope that I win a big jackpot of some kind...

I've been downloading books every day for my Kindle, and I wonder if I'll ever get to them all. What I really need to do is organize these things, and store some on my computer. It feels like I have a million books now, and that's not even counting the huge collection that my co-worker gave me. Yeah, he transferred his e-books onto a thumb drive and gave it to me, so I transferred them to my computer.

So yeah...hopefully a little organization will help me get some of these books under control.

And on a completely unrelated note, I bought some ninja stars at a yard sale. I don't know how I'd use 'em, but they'd look good in my survival kit.



Daily free e-book download count: 2

I read some more of the Zompoc Guide, and it covered the topic of environments. There are lots of things to consider when you choose the ideal environment. Such as the types of environments you're most familiar with, the number of enemies prowling about, having an easy escape route, or a route to supplies, etc. Generally, somewhere above ground where the zombies can't climb would be an ideal place. While somewhere underground wouldn't be so great an idea. There were some ideas that I hadn't thought of, like banks and prisons. Banks may have security, but no real weapons or supplies readily available. You might find yourself trapped more likely than not. So I don't think I'd like that idea. The prison may be more suitable for shelter, provided we shoot the criminals inside first. And blow off their heads to make sure they don't turn into zombies. Sorry, but I wouldn't trust an inmate for anything. We'd have no idea what those inmates are in for.

But here was a surprise. This guide actually recommended the malls as a good place to hole up in a zombie apocalypse. While the other guides I've read have said the exact opposite. I tend to agree with the latter. Sure, it's a big area with maybe weapons and food and such, but there's too many entrances to defend. So we can probably hit the mall and get what we can from there, but then we'd better GTFO as soon as possible.


Welp, I'm trying to settle on the dates for my yearly visit to Maryland. Apparently, my mom's sister and her boyfriend are planning to visit up there, too. So my mom's trying to find out if I can visit at the same time. This aunt is one I haven't seen since I was 4 years old, according to Mom. This is going to make for one crowded house...

All right, I've got sad news.

I thought some people may remember when I talked about the time when I called 911 for the old lady with the dog back then, but after searching LJ, the entry was made in October of 2009, before I joined Luceti. But here's the entry for reference. The old lady had to be rushed to the emergency room, and I ended up taking care of her dog for a few days, because no one else could do so.

Well, I found out that the lady had passed away on Monday. It makes me sad. I wonder what will happen with the dog. I assume that her relatives will take him in, now that they can actually plan for it. I took the dog home that morning on a spur of the moment decision. If I didn't have such a nitpicky family, I wouldn't mind taking him in again. I enjoyed having him last time, though my grandmother gave me a fit about it. She had tried to tell me to take the dog to the pound, but I told her that I couldn't do that, and that he belonged to someone.

The dog was so sweet. I remember when I went to bed. I had the black and white cat inside, too. So while I was sleeping in the bed, the dog and the cat were sleeping on either side of me. We were so cozy. I brought the dog to work at night and left him in the car. I would bring him out to walk and relieve himself during my breaks, and I let him sit outside with me at lunchtime. Several other associates sat out there with me. They talked about how I was a good pet sitter and how they could see the dog's love for me in his eyes.

The lady used to come in regularly, though I hadn't seen her recently. One time she had lost her wallet. A cart pusher turned it in, and then we gave it back to her. But she came back to me a few minutes later, saying that her cash was missing from it. So we suspected that the cart pusher had taken the cash before turning in the wallet. I called the manager to talk to her, and she mentioned how she saw me all the time, and that I was always so sweet to her. It was pretty sweet of her to say. I'm gonna miss her, and her dog, too. I'm gonna keep my eye out for funeral arrangements and stuff. Hopefully it won't be too far out of my way to get to...

Well, it was another boring day yesterday. Except I tried to wash clothes, and the machine filled up with the water, and then it just...died. I knew it felt weird when I didn't feel the machine shaking the whole house. I looked online for tips and such, and the only relevant suggestion I could find said to press down on the lid switch long enough for the cycle to finish on its own. So I went to the store to get a screwdriver to reach down into the hole. But it ended up not working. So I had to fish out my clothes and wring the water out of them. And now I have a washing machine full of water, with no way to drain it. Yay...

Looks like it's off to the laundromat with me...

Meanwhile, I uploaded this. I realized that I've never recorded an NPC video for my FE/Tales patch. So these are the unlockable units in the Creature Campaign. Remiel, Yuan, Martel, Kvar, Stella, Solon, Melanie, and Asch. Quite a motley crew, eh?






Daily free e-book download count: 2

Okay, so there's been an investigation going on in the Florida Times Union, right? Back in October, a bus passenger was run over and killed by the bus only seconds after getting off. So the Times Union began an investigation and checked the backgrounds of all the bus drivers for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), and found that 75% of them had multiple criminal and traffic violations on their record. Some of them had charges and arrests for domestic battery, child abuse, etc., and a lot of them had habits of driving with suspended, revoked, or invalid licenses.

Isn't that just...stunning? You'd think that these companies would perform background checks when it comes to public transportation jobs. It's not exactly the safest job out there. One customer at work said that the same thing was happening for school buses, that they were hiring people with criminal backgrounds. That's even worse, I think.

It'd be one thing if a person got arrested for something maybe thirty years ago and paid their debt to society, and then tried to make a living again. But to have multiple violations like this? Just...no. Some of those people had as many as 20 offenses on their record. The JTA bosses said they'll fix their hiring process. They had fucking better!

Kinda makes you think twice about using public transportation, doesn't it?


Daily free e-book download count: 4

There's been an interesting discussion in Luceti lately. I do kind of miss the early times, when characters were just prisoners being subjected to horrible experiments. And I miss seeing interactions with John (which ironically sort of stopped right when I joined). But I can appreciate the game having evolved as things are unveiled. I'm not sure if it's really *bad* that the Malnosso don't seem like captors anymore. I kinda wonder if there was a way to "move forward" with the game and still keep the Malnosso's position as "captors" rather than overlords who now actually *want* to get everyone home. I remember seeing when the game first began, the Malnosso were like, "You belong to us now, HAHAHAHAHA!!" They're obviously...not like that anymore. Some characters are actually *happy* in Luceti now. Of course, that's just the direction that some players have taken their characters. For the drafts lacking in danger...I'm not sure about that either. We have had the drafts where fighting the general *guaranteed* the character's death, and the jungle one with very dangerous conditions and the draftees lost... But regardless of how dangerous the battle and the setting is, it's ultimately the players' decision on how badly their characters get hurt. So I don't know if there's anything the mods can do to raise the "danger level" of the drafts. A lot of players will likely have their characters returning unscathed anyhow. I'm not sure if I should say this on the mod crit thread, because every time I do add my two cents, it always ends badly.

Now speaking on a personal level, one person mentioned the homesickness factor. That's pretty much what's been driving Jay this whole time, but I feel like I'm just being repetitive sometimes. I also feel like he should be more involved in the main plot, but I can't figure out how to pull that off. Partly because Jay wouldn't want to work with half of the "idiots" in the village. And OOCly, I feel awkward signing up Jay to be with characters that he's never interacted with. But that's just my personal thing...

Jay's threads with the Malnosso NPC's have been pretty damn lame lately. But there are several reasons for this. One, is that I am so late getting to the Malnosso posts, and most of the questions Jay would ask are already asked by other characters. And I seem to be getting stuck on the threads, and can't think of a suitable response. So it's pretty much my fault that the threads are getting dropped so soon.

One of the points brought up in the Luceti discussion was the lack of plot progress/IC information. I guess I've kinda noticed, but I always assumed that the mods were working on it behind the scenes. My biggest problem was not being able to play Jay as an information gatherer like he should be. But I always figured that it was my problem alone. I'm always late getting to the Malnosso posts, and as I mentioned, Jay is very upstaged by the older Luceti veterans, namely Albert Silverberg and Raine. It's forced me to throw away Jay's info-gathering thing, which is a huge part of his character.

But now that this discussion is happening, I'll just have to see what comes from it in the future. I did like the suggestion of giving different characters different pieces of the puzzle, so that they'd be forced to work together and trade information. As it stands now, there's no information that Jay can learn that hasn't already been covered. So I'm really hoping there'll be a remedy for this soon (or later).


Daily free e-book download count: 1

Best ways to be happy – Be alone. I do this a lot. When I'm alone, I don't have to worry about other people bugging me, and I can do whatever I want. Yeah, I can't stand getting phone calls or visitors. That's why I never answer my landline phone (it's usually a telemarketer anyway). I prefer taking cell phone calls because it has caller ID. If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer it. So yeah, my home life is very private. And if you come a-knockin' on my door? Don't expect an answer. My doors are locked tight.

Best ways to cope with family – Avoid politics. Well, my family is very much Republican, and I am too, so political diversity is not an issue here. However, it does seem to be an issue with my f-list. Most (if not all) of my f-list appears to be Democratic atheists for whatever reason. =/ But when I discuss politics or religion on my journal, I am really not looking for a debate. There's no way we'll come to an agreement, and will more than likely cause one or more parties to be upset. So perhaps it'll be best for me to start disabling comments for entries discussing these subjects.

Best ways to master computers – Google. I'm fairly good with computers, but not exactly an expert, per se. Whenever I have computer troubles, I search for the problem on Google, where you can find that many other people have experienced the same problem, and have received advice on how to fix it.

Best ways to have fun – Video games with bro. Yes, yes, yes! My brother and I played through Tales of Symphonia together, and we had a blast. I recorded all the boss battles, and saved my favorite ones. Favorites include Gnome, Kratos, Yuan/Botta, Yggdrasill.

Taking a cruise, another big yes. We went on a cruise back on 2004, and it was loads of fun. I enjoyed just being on the ship more than I did on the shore excursions. We watched various shows at certain times, or we could eat whenever we wanted. There was an internet room, but I never used it. I just went on and played card games with my brother. And we could hear people singing "Margaritaville" in the next room. Or I'd just sit in that room and type on my Quickpad. Yeah, it was definitely one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I'd like to go on another cruise, but I don't know if it'll ever happen.


And that concludes the first volume of 1001 Best Ways. I did glance at the other volumes, figuring that they would cover different topics, but they don't. All of them have the same subjects. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see new tips for them, to be sure. For now, though, I should get back to the Zompoc Guide.

Daily free e-book download count: 4

Well, I didn't get any reading done on the 1001 Best Ways yesterday. Instead I went to another internet café, Amelia Bay Sweepstakes. Yeah, like I need another one, eh? But this place was having a Grand Opening, and they served fish dinners and had prize drawings. Of course I didn't win any drawings, and I kept playing back my prize points while waiting for the next drawing. I only walked out with $10.

But this place has an advantage over the other ones; they're open 24 hours (except on Sunday). So if I feel like playing after work, I can go straight there instead of waiting around for two hours for the other places to open.

On an unrelated note, it's so amusing how firmly Jay has planted into Yotsuba's brain that bandits are stupid. XD


Daily free e-book download count: 2

I even skimmed through the Best Ways to Raise Kids section of the e-book, even though I have no plans to raise kids at all. The most commonly mentioned tip is to listen to the kids. Yeah...

Best ways to cook – A tip for fat removal from a soup, stew, etc. is to wrap an ice cube in a paper towel and skim the surface of it. For those who are allergic to eggs, a tablespoon of corn starch and a little water makes a good replacement. Use herbs and spices to add flavor to foods instead of sauces.

Best ways to be creative – Daydream. Ha ha...I do this all the time, as I'm sure you can tell. Where else would all my dorky rambling come from? And all the fanfics I've written over the years; they all came from daydreams as well. On the downside, I have the tendency to overdo it. Sometimes I do it at the wrong times, or I may daydream about the wrong things. Like when I daydream about my childhood, it's like I'm actually reliving it, when I really just want to forget about it.

Best ways to be beautiful. One tip mentioned that it all comes down to personality, no matter how you look, and I totally agree with this. I never wear makeup (that shit's too expensive), and I'm not exactly playboy model material, but I don't care. A bitch or an asshole is not going to be beautiful, no matter how gorgeous they look on the outside. Another tips says that patience and understanding can be far more attractive than physical beauty. Amen to that!

I had a rather upsetting discussion with an online friend way back. We were discussing fashion and how to attract guys and all that. He suggested that I wear sexy jeans to show off to guys. I used to wear jeans, but I stopped because they only made me itch between my legs. I choose my clothes more for comfort than for looks. He was still insisting that I wear the sexy jeans despite my discomfort. But I didn't see the point of it. I'd want a guy to see me and not just my sexy jeans.

Apple cider vinegar – Mix two ounces with a glass of ice water and drink it. It's supposed to help keep your skin clear, it helps your digestion and lowers blood sugars and cholesterol. Maybe I'll try it, but ehhh...it doesn't sound very pleasant.

Another tip mentioned a tendency to naturally frown, which is a problem I have. I get a lot of customers commenting that I look upset or tired at the beginning of my shift, even when I'm not. But I don't want to force a smile either. It's just not as attractive as a real smile, and it certainly doesn't feel as good.


Daily free e-book download count: 4

I bumped into three sweet little girls at the grocery store yesterday. They were sitting in the cart checking out as I walked in, and one of them waved at me. She asked for my name, and I told her, and then I asked for her name. She gave the names for all three of them, and the other girl said, "I can do my name by myself!" Then the second one offered me one of the stickers she got, so I took it. The first girl asked about the hipsack I was wearing, and what it was for. The second girl asked to see the inside of it, and if it was big. Then the first girl asked about the cell phone holder clipped to my hipsack. So I showed them my phone. The second girl asked, "How come you have a little phone?" I said, "Just in case I get in trouble, and I can call for help." Then the first girl asked if she could put my phone into the case, so I let her do that. And then the second girl asked the same thing, so I handed her my phone so she could slip it into the case. But when I closed the case, she exclaimed that she wanted to close it. So I opened up the case and let her close it. The third girl was pretty quiet during the whole conversation. At that point, the checking out was finished, and they left the store.

I went to the thrift store as well, and talked with the owner for a bit. I found a 2000 edition miniature Keepsake Memories bear from Walmart, so I bought it for $2. Yeah, the Keepsake Memories bears were another chain of Christmas bears that I had collected in my earlier years at Walmart until they were apparently discontinued. Anyway, the owner said he gets the Walmart Christmas bears in all the time, and he offered to start setting them aside for me. This'll be awesome. I can keep an eye out for the 2010 edition female bear with the pink dress that I missed. I was so disappointed when I couldn't find that one when I was ready to buy it. So the male pink bear was all alone...

The owner also offered to set aside any other items that I may request. He's a really, really nice guy. And he's strong in the Lord, and it shows.

And then I went to Wendy's to get a vanilla milkshake, and I found a $10 bill in the parking lot, so I picked that up.

( 1001 Best Ways – My Favorites )

More tips to come, for sure.


Daily free e-book download count: 4. One of them was a Pokémon Gold/Silver Walkthroughs and Cheats. Not that I need it, but it's free, so I might as well, right?

Well, my "break" from the Zompoc Guide was amazingly short. That book I mentioned, the Secrets of Fast Learning and a Love of Reading was that short. And...I wasn't too impressed with it. It's probably something we've all known or figured out when we were little. It just talked about how amazing the human mind is, and you really learn from the books when you actually visualize what you're reading. That's how you make the most of it. And...that was pretty much it.

Luckily a lot of the e-books I've downloaded are short like that. Maybe I should get those out of the way to lighten my e-book load.


In Luceti, there's an opportunity to own a Pokémon. I'm hoping for Jay to get a Pichu. It would bring out his otter-protective instincts, and the Pichu would best resemble an Oresoren. And then he could do interesting things and such.

And...I totally have to stalk Yotsuba and Naoi now. It's all because Yotsuba tried to sell Naoi to Jay for information. Poor Yotsuba. I actually had no idea who Naoi (or "Nowy") was. And I didn't even see Naoi's threadjack in Jay's thread until much later. So now Jay's forming CR with Yotsuba, and he's trying to give her ideas on how to win her eternal battle with Naoi. So Jay might have a new person to troll in the near future, too. And also, Jay could always use more happy little lolis in his life.


Daily free e-book download count: 4 (Including a pre-order of the next Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith book. Yay!)

Well, life was pretty boring yesterday. Just watched MUGEN battles. I even plurked all of the characters in my roster, ranking their AI levels. They're either Low, Medium, High, Cheap, or Godly (or any combination). For example, Sephiroth is the Cheap/Godly level.

Meanwhile, I think Jay and Yotsuba are going to be a pretty mischievous pair. He just has to teach Yotsuba not to be so ashamed of the mischief. Hee hee. And Jay might begin trolling Naoi pretty soon. Somehow he wants to teach Yotsuba how to deal with Naoi when he's mean to her.

One of the free Kindle books I've downloaded was something about a love of reading. I don't know if it's the same as a speed reading course, but I think I'll take a break from my Zompoc Guide and read this one. Perhaps it'll help me get the most out of these books (and reading in general).

Daily free e-book download count: 10. Sob...

So...fucking...cold... It got down to 23 degrees last night, and the store wasn't much warmer. Especially in the break room, which was about as cold as it was outside. You'd think they had the AC on instead of the heater.


Zompoc Guide: What I learned today...

Groups of people to look for: Motorcycle gangs, sports athletes, vehicle collectors, re-enactment people, martial artists, just to name a few. My dad was one of those re-enactment people. He volunteers at the Manassas battlefield, re-enacting the battles of the Civil War. ...Hey, I can't believe it didn't mention hunters.

And I read about the home and how to better fortify it for zombie invasions. I don't know how well my walls will hold up. Most of my windows have two layers of glass. But my glass sliding door is still a problem, and it'll even be hard to board it up. Even if I did, it wouldn't last very long.

Fortifying the home: Yeah, the book even mentioned that boarding up the windows haphazardly doesn't work in the movies, so it wouldn't work in real life. And trailers, like the one I live in, make for poor zombie defense. So I'm sticking with my original plan, to pack my shit and leave.

Different vehicles: The convoy part was the most interesting, as it recommended different types of convoys, and each role the different vehicles would play. I don't know if we'd have those kind of vehicles. I'd just have my Ford Focus to carry my stuff in, while my aunt/uncle/cousins have the trucks. Unless we abandon our own vehicles and snag better ones that are left by the now dead population.


Luceti: Valentine's Day event has started. Jay is paired up with Subway Boss Ingo via RNG. And Saleh gets Isaac. This should be fun. /evil face.


Daily Kindle book download count: 4

Zompoc Guide – What did I learn?

First the priorities and responsibilities. The first responsibility is to ensure your own survival, and then your family/close friends, co-workers, pets, and then total strangers. I'm not sure I'd want to use dogs to chew up zombies, though. They might spread the infection more, and that's the very last thing we need.

It also goes into short, medium, and long term survival plans, outlining the pros and cons of each lifestyle. It would partly depend on where you are when the outbreak occurs, and your resources, knowledge, and experience. It's a pretty good read so far. I kind of like the nomadic lifestyle for the short and medium term, but when the gas runs out, I'll have to settle down somewhere. The island option is interesting, too, depending on the type of zombies we're dealing with. If I go the nomadic route, I'm definitely hijacking an RV.


And of course, the biggest news story for the day is the death of Whitney Houston. I was surprised when I first saw it, but after thinking about what she's been doing lately, then not so much. It's still sad, though. It's sad that she wasn't quite as strong as her songs made her out to be.


Daily e-book download count: 1. Whew...I do need something of a break. I've got enough shit as it is.