The Alchemy of My Mind

Skull Sharing

2012-02-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Very excited to share with you that my recent submission to a wonderful blog, Skull A Day, was posted!

I've mentioned this blog before in a skullicious post. Enjoy!

100 Years

2012-02-14T17:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Valentines, blah blippity blah blah.

Now on to the more important stuff. This day marks the 100th year of statehood of my very own home state, Arizona. Like many others today, I will share some interesting facts about Arizona. Let's also not forget my other blog in dedication to this state. Unfortunately I have been neglecting that blog's writing. I do have material, trust me!

Let's start by a flash back 100 years ago to the year 1912:

The US Population was 95,335,000

Unemployment was 4.6%

Average Income/Year $1,033

New Home $2,750

New Car $941

Gas/gallon 7¢

Stamp 2¢

Bacon/pound 24¢

Bread/loaf 5¢

Butter/pound 37¢

Eggs/dozen 34¢

Milk/quart 9¢

Sugar/pound 7¢

Steak/pound 23¢

How about 50 facts?!

1. Arizona is a right-to-work state. The law states no person shall be denied the opportunity to obtain or retain employment because of non-membership in a labor organization.

2. The Arizona trout is found only in the Arizona.

3. The saguaro cactus blossom is the official state flower. The white flower blooms on the tips of the saguaro cactus during May and June. The saguaro is the largest American cactus.

4. Arizona leads the nation in copper production.

5. Petrified wood is the official state fossil. Most petrified wood comes from the Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona.

6. The bola tie is the official state neckwear.

7. The Palo verde is the official state tree. Its name means green stick and it blooms a brilliant yellow-gold in April or May.

8. The cactus wren is the official state bird. It grows seven to eight inches long and likes to build nests in the protection of thorny desert plants like the arms of the giant saguaro cactus.

9. Turquoise is the official state gemstone. The blue-green stone has a somewhat waxy surface and can be found throughout the state.

10. Arizona is home of the Grand Canyon National Park.

11. The ringtail is the official state mammal. The ringtail is a small fox-like animal about two and one-half feet long and is a shy, nocturnal creature.

12. The amount of copper on the roof of the Capitol building is equivalent to 4,800,000 pennies.

13. Arizona observes Mountain Standard Time on a year round basis. The one exception is the Navajo Nation, located in the northeast corner of the state, which observes the daylight savings time change.

14. Tombstone, Ruby, Gillette, and Gunsight are among the ghost towns scattered throughout the state.

15. The battleship USS Arizona was named in honor of the state. It was commissioned in 1913 and launched in 1915 from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

16. World War II brought many military personnel to train at Luke and Thunderbird fields in Glendale.

17. The Castilian and Burgundian flags of Spain, the Mexican flag, the Confederate flag, and the flag of the United States have all flown over the land area that has become Arizona.

18. In 1926, the Southern Pacific Railroad connected Arizona with the eastern states.

19. The geographic center of Arizona is 55 miles (89 kilometers) southeast of Prescott.

20. Arizona's most abundant mineral is copper.

21. Bisbee, located in Tombstone Canyon, is known as the Queen of the Copper Mines. During its mining history the town was the largest city between Saint Louis and San Francisco.

22. The state's most popular natural wonders include the Grand Canyon, Havasu Canyon, Grand Canyon Caves, Lake Powell/Rainbow Bridge, Petrified Forest/Painted Desert, Monument Valley, Sunset Crater, Meteor Crater, Sedona Oak Creek Canyon, Salt River Canyon, Superstition Mountains, Picacho Peak State Park, Saguaro National Park, Chiricahua National Monument, and the Colorado River.

23. The Arizona tree frog is the state official amphibian. The frog is actually between three-quarter to two inches long.

24. Once a rowdy copper mining town, Jerome's population dwindled to as few as 50 people after the mines closed in 1953.

25. The original London Bridge was shipped stone-by-stone and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City.

26. The capital of the Navajo Reservation is Window Rock.

27. The state's precipitation varies. At Flagstaff the annual average is 18.31 inches; Phoenix averages 7.64 inches; and Yuma's annual average is 3.27 inches.

28. Crops include 2%; pastureland 57%; forests 24%; and other uses are 17% in land-use designation.

29. The Arizona ridge-nosed rattlesnake is perhaps the most beautiful of all eleven species of rattlesnakes found in Arizona.

30. The colors blue and gold are the official state colors.

31. Located in Fountain Hills is a fountain believed to be the tallest in the world.

32. Four Corners is noted as the spot in the United States where a person can stand in four states at the same time.

33. The age of a saguaro cactus is determined by its height.

34. The Apache trout is considered a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

35. Arizona, among all the states, has the largest percentage of its land set aside and designated as Indian lands.

36. Rising to a height of 12,643 feet, Mount Humphreys north of Flagstaff is the state's highest mountain.

37. The Hopi Indians of Arizona are noted for growing their multicolored corn.

38. Barry Goldwater, a famous public official, senator, and presidential candidate was born in Phoenix.

39. In 1939 architect Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, Taliesin West, was built near Phoenix.

40. Oraibi is the oldest Indian settlement in the United States. The Hopis Indians founded it.

41. Grand Canyon's Flaming Gorge got its name for its blazing red and orange colored, twelve-hundred-foot-high walls.

42. Grand Canyon's Disaster Falls was named to commemorate the site of a previous explorer's wreck.

43. Grand Canyon's Marble Canyon got its name from its thousand-foot-thick seam of marble and for its walls eroded to a polished glass finish.

44. Arizona became the 48th state on February 14, 1912.

45. The world's largest solar telescope is located at Kitts Peak National Observatory in the city of Sells.

46. At one time camels were used to transport goods across Arizona.

47. Between the years 1692 and 1711 Father Eusebio Kino focused on area missionary work. During the time many grain and stock farms began.

48. A person from Arizona is called an Arizonan.

49. Phoenix originated in 1866 as a hay camp to supply Camp McDowell.

50. The famous labor leader, Ceasar Estrada Chavez, was born in Yuma.

Famous Arizonans include:

Glen Campbell (country singer)

Stevie Nicks (singer of Fleetwood Mac)

Cesar Chavez (labor leader)

Cochise and Geronimo (Apache Chiefs)

Wyatt Earp (marshall)

Barry Goldwater (politician)

John McCain (politician)

Helen Hull Jacobs (tennis)

Zane Grey (novelist)

Sandra Day O'Connor (US Supreme Court)

David Spade (comedien)

Stewart Udall (Secretary of the Interior)

Steven Spielberg (film director)

Joan Ganz Cooney (producer of Sesame Street)

Bil Keane (cartoonist)

Frank Lloyd Wright (architect)

Ted Danson (actor)

Kate Walsh (actor)

Jim Adkins/Jimmy Eat World (singer/band)

Authority Zero (band)

Chester Bennington (singer of Linkin Park)

Michelle Branch (singer)

Alice Cooper (singer)

The Gin Blossoms (band)

Job for a Cowboy (band, that I partied with a few times)

Joe Jonas (singer of Jonas Brothers)

The Meat Puppets (band)

Dave Mustaine (singer of Megadeth)

Page the Village Idiot (who I've seen perform a couple times)

Jordin Sparks (singer and winner of American Idol season 6)

Percival Lowell (astronomer and founder of the Lowell Observatory)

Reggie Jackson (baseball)

Phil Mickelson (golf)

Jimmy Kimmel (talk show host)

Dave Pratt (radio host)

For a more extensive list check out the source.

Every state has weird, wacky, dumb, odd, laws. Here's some for Arizona:
In Arizona, it is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water.

Any misdemeanor committed while wearing a red mask is considered a felony.

There is a possible 25 years in prison for cutting down a cactus.

Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs.

A class 2 misdemeanor occurs if one places a mark upon a flag which is “likely to provoke physical retaliation”.

It is illegal to manufacture imitation cocaine.

When being attacked by a criminal or burglar, you may only protect yourself with the same weapon that the other person posseses.

You may not have more than two dildos in a house. (More details on this interesting one!)

In the city of Globe, cards may not be played in the street with a Native American.

In Hayden, if you bother the cottontails or bullfrogs, you will be fined.

In Maricopa County, no more than six girls may live in any house.

In Mohave County, a decree declares that anyone caught stealing soap must wash himself with it until it is all used up.

In Nogales, an ordinance prohibits the wearing of suspenders.

In Prescott, no one is permitted to ride their horse up the stairs of the county court house.

In Tucson, women may not wear pants. (Leaving them with skirts, etc.)

In Phoenix, Arizona, you can't walk through a hotel lobby with spurs on.

In Tombstone, it is illegal for men and women over the age of 18 to have less than one missing tooth visible when smiling.

For explanations behind some of these strange laws check out the source.

More facts!

Arizona has 3,928 mountain peaks and summits—more mountains than any one of the other Mountain States (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming).

All New England, plus the state of Pennsylvania would fit inside Arizona.

Arizona’s disparate climate can yield both the highest temperature across the nation and the lowest temperature across the nation in the same day.

There are more wilderness areas in Arizona than in the entire Midwest. Arizona alone has 90 wilderness areas, while the Midwest has 50.

Yuma, Arizona is the country’s highest producer of winter vegetables, especially lettuce.

Arizona is the 6th largest state in the nation, covering 113,909 square miles.

Billy the Kid killed his first man, Windy Cahill, in Bonita, Arizona.

Arizona grows enough cotton each year to make more than one pair of jeans for every person in the United States.

In 1912, President William Howard Taft was ready to make Arizona a state on February 12, but it was Lincoln’s birthday. The next day, the 13th, was considered bad luck so they waited until the following day. That’s how Arizona became known as the “Valentine State.”

When England’s famous London Bridge was replaced in the 1960s, the original was purchased, dismantled, shipped stone by stone and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where it still stands today.

The world’s largest to-scale collection of miniature airplane models is housed at the library at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.

The only place in the country where mail is delivered by mule is the village of Supai, located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

South Mountain Park/Preserve in Phoenix is the largest municipal park in the country.

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, located about 55 miles west of Phoenix, generates more electricity than any other U.S. power plant.

Built in by Del Webb in 1960, Sun City, Arizona was the first 55-plus active adult retirement community in the country.

Many of the founders of San Francisco in 1776 were Spanish colonists from Tubac, Arizona.

Rainfall averages for Arizona range from less than three inches in the deserts to more than 30 inches per year in the mountains.

The city of Phoenix was named for the mythical Egyptian phoenix bird—which burst into flame and was reborn from its ashes—because the town sprouted from the ruins of a former civilization.

Spanish Franciscan friar Marcos de Niza was the first European to explore Arizona. He entered the area in 1539 in search of the mythical Seven Cities of Gold.

The best-preserved meteor crater in the world is located near Winslow, Arizona.

The Arizona Cardinals are the oldest continuous franchise in the National Football League, dating back to 1898.

The geographic center of Arizona is 55 miles southeast of Prescott near the community of Mayer.

Nearly 5 million people visit Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park each year.

The hottest temperature recorded in Arizona was 128 degrees at Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994.

The coldest temperature recorded in Arizona was 40 degrees below zero at Hawley Lake on January 7, 1971.

A saguaro cactus can store up to nine tons of water.

The State Motto is Ditat Deus, which means “God Enriches” in Latin.

The state of Massachusetts could fit inside Maricopa County (9,922 sq. miles).

Jerome, Arizona was named for Eugene Jerome of New York City, who never visited the town.

The Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park is the only tribally-owned zoo in the U.S.

On June 6, 1936, the first barrel of tequila produced in the United States rolled off the production line in Nogales, Arizona.

The world’s tallest Kachina doll, measuring 39 feet tall and fashioned of concrete, is located in Carefree, Arizona.

The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse desert in North America.

Arizona is the only state in the nation that elects a Mine Inspector.

The 13 stripes on the Arizona flag represent the 13 original colonies of the United States.

Thirteen species of rattlesnakes live in Arizona, more species than in any other state.

Pretty cool state, huh?

What Could He Say in a Single Word, a Few Words, That Would Sear All Their Faces and Wake Them Up?

2012-02-12T18:03:00.001-07:00

Every time I read Fahrenheit 451, I love and hate the world.

Wake up
Wake up
Wake up

Wake up
Well it's nice to meet
Do you have a name?
'Cause I would like to teach you, baby
Alright
If it's unfamiliar
When the sharks are swimming
We will watch them kill ya, baby
Yeah, you
I'm a little shocked
'Cause I can see the future
Lookin' through your eyes
Tonight
Don't you fall asleep
Don't you fall
It's only gonna take a little time

Before we start to lose our minds
We're leavin' all the haters behind
Before the sun decides to hide
I know you think I'm maybe out of line
I'm scared to love what we love most
It's only gonna take a little time
Before we start to lose our minds
Wake Up

Wake up
Well it's nice to know ya
Have you learned to fly?
'Cause I would like to show ya, baby
Alright
If it's unfamiliar
When I taste your face
Then I can break the mirror, baby
Yeah, you
I'm afraid to hide
'Cause I can live today
Before I say goodbye
Tonight
Don't you fall asleep
Don't you fall
It's only gonna take a little time

Before we start to lose our minds
We're leavin' all the haters behind
Before the sun decides to hide
I know you think I'm maybe out of line
I'm scared to love what we love most
It's only gonna take a little time
Before we start to lose our minds
Wake Up

Take some time to breathe
Let's take some time to breathe
From the desert to the sea
It's the same for you and me
When you say you'd rather bleed
Is it really what you're thinking
Let's take some time to breathe
Out, yeah
It's only gonna take a little time

Before we start to lose our minds
We're leavin' all the haters behind
Before the sun decides to hide
I know you think I'm maybe out of line
I'm scared to love what we love most
It's only gonna take a little time
Before we start to lose our minds
Wake Up

It's only gonna take a little time
Before we start to lose our minds
We're leavin' all the haters behind
Before the sun decides to hide
(You got to know, you got to know)
I know you think I'm maybe out of line
I'm scared to love what we love most
It's only gonna take a little time
Wake Up
Before we start to lose our minds
Wake Up

"Wake Up" by AWOLNATION

For the Cyclists

2012-02-10T17:30:00.001-07:00

Love & Hate

2012-02-02T21:05:00.002-07:00

I hate waking up when the sun is still down.
But I hate going to bed when the sun is up.

I love listening to music while I get ready.
But I hate when I can't.

I like making an impact on the lives of children.
But I don't want children of my own.

I enjoy getting up early and having an early start of the day.
But I don't remember my dreams as often.

I feel thrilled to use sign language whenever I can.
But I get extremely nervous due to bizarre expectation of criticism [especially from the deaf, even if they're not present].

I feel like facial hair softens the feeling you get of a man.
But it also can make a man extremely creepy.

I hate gender roles.
But I see how the general existence of them is nearly impossible to avoid in my culture.

I enjoy drinking.
But I don't always enjoy being around drunks.

I am attracted to the complex.
But also have a need for simplicity.

I love being alone.
But I love being around people.

I thoroughly enjoy sleeping in.
But I hate the feeling of wasting away the day.

I'm extremely nice.
But sometimes I have very hostile thoughts in my head.

I hate any cooking show while I'm starving and stranded at home with not much food.
But I like the inspiration the shows provide.

I hate reality shows.
But I understand what it is about them that creates a large following.

I hate most horoscopes.
But I love astrology.

I instantly react in laughter when someone gets physically hurt.
But I also feel their pain.

I hate when people argue.
But I respect and admire their ability to speak their minds in a confrontational matter.

I hate not blogging enough....

Oh Australia!

2012-02-01T15:00:00.001-07:00

Beautiful red aurora over Australia. This is a triple whammy of jizztasticness for me!

Check out the article on APOD.

Below is the time lapse video of the aurora action.

Red Aurora Australis from Alex Cherney on Vimeo.

Absolutely stunning! Another continuing reason why I need to live in Australia.

2012-02-01T06:05:00.001-07:00

Happy 47th birthday to Brandon Lee.

This Goes Out to the Parents

2012-01-24T16:07:00.005-07:00

Damn You Auto Correct is one of the few sites I check daily [or nearly daily] anymore. They have a lot of sister/brother sites and they posted a special 10 Funniest Parents Texts from 2011 that were featured in the site Parents Shouldn't Text.

And this one I just decided to post from the site because it's pretty hilarious.

Photo Fest: Halloween 2011

2012-01-21T20:36:00.004-07:00

Last Halloween, my best friend threw a party and we had quite the blast. I, as said, dressed as Lola from Run Lola Run. There's plenty of photos from the party. After that are photos of my Cleopatra costume that I spontaneous decided to wear on Halloween day, since the party was the weekend prior.

Cockroach decorated living room.

Webs, webs, webs.

Vent spiders.

Webs in the bathroom.

Graveyard patio.

Noms.

Awesome color changing lights from IKEA.

Lola in running pose.

Creepy vampire.

The host, as a mermaid.

50's style girl.

Zombied out Rosie the Robot.

A ghost and Zak Bagans from the show Ghost Adventures [which he shaved his beard for]. Pretty funny costumes.

Day of the Dead girl [her and her boyfriend were inspired after seeing photos of my Fetish Ball Day of the Dead costume]

The host's husband, the pirate.

Quarter Pounder. He had a hammer and a quarter.

Some character from Naruto.

The vampires.

Meow Cat joined us.

"Gimme some ass".

She made her entire costume.

The fun amongst the cigar smoke.

We're pounding....

...pounding shots.

Hardcore creeptastic face!

Some of the Ninja Turtles decided to stop by.

Bacon stripper, yay!!

The V mask was out for decorations. It came from Halloween a couple years ago.

The next few photos display the now traditional creeper photos that we always HAVE to take.

The black eye is make up, just so you don't get worried.

We got a little crazy with the glow sticks.

We all decided to start dancing and singing to Queen.

Yeah....it was that part of the night

Good night!

Now are photos from Halloween day of the process of my Cleopatra make up and costume. This, overall, was a very fun and simple costume.

First! Eyeshadow, liner, and fake eyelashes.

Applying the gold.

Glitter, details, and the rest of the outfit.

I wore a gold headband and arm bands, all of which I made from a skirt.

I later met up with some friends, including Zombie Bieber.

Identity Struggles

2012-01-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

Alright, let's get some info out there while it's still fresh.

I like to read certain news and entertainment articles on Yahoo!'s main page. I often click on several a day, then tweet about the interesting ones. I usually tweet as a form of bookmarking for the future to blog about it. That usually doesn't get done, so I'm gonna do it now.

First, I stumbled across this article about a couple who finally revealed the gender of their 5 year old child, Sasha. The article is brief, but interesting nonetheless. I, particularly, am very interested in subjects like these, for I have blogged about Child X and gender identity. This is something I am passionate about, because gender roles infuriate me, especially when they're implanted in children.

That article featured a link to another story about a mother who let her son dress how he wanted for Halloween. It so happens to be the female character, Daphne, from Scooby Doo. The mother was outraged by reactions she got to her son's costume...reactions only from other mothers. The mother had blogged about her experience. Despite that this happened quite awhile ago, I'm still rooting for the kid and his mother.

And to point out another article of a whole other nature, Facebook. I still hate it and I don't have an account. But I'm always interested in what they have to say about it, especially things with negative affects. This article discusses a study that was done on various Facebook users. The study determined that Facebook tends to make their users sad. By means of the photographs that everyone puts up and involving the varying times spent on Facebook between each individual. Read the article for more details.

Mad Men Yourself

2012-01-18T17:43:00.002-07:00

Oooh yeahhh. Do it.

Strike Against SOPA & PIPA

2012-01-18T17:29:00.001-07:00

NOW.

I Want to Kiss Your Scars Tonight

2012-01-16T18:15:00.001-07:00

"Heartbeat" by The Fray. Their words still affect me.

We're on an open bed truck on the highway
Rain is coming down and we're on the run.
Think I can feel the breath in your body.
We gotta keep on running til' we see the sun.

Oh you gotta fire and it's burnin' in the rain.
Thought that it went out, but it's burnin' just the same.
And you don't look back, not for anything.
'Cause love someone, love them all the same.
If you love someone, love them all the same.

Oh I feel your heartbeat.
And oh, you're comin' around, comin' around, comin' around
If you can love somebody, love them all the same.
You gotta love somebody, love them all the same.
I'm singing, oh, I'm feeling your heartbeat.

I'm tryin' to put it all back together.
I've got a story and I'm tryin' to tell it right.
I've got the kerosene and the desire.
I'm trying to start a flame in the heart of the night
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/the_fray/heartbeat.html ]
Oh you gotta fire and it's burnin' in the rain.
Thought that it went out, but it's burnin' just the same.
And you don't look back, not for anything.
'Cause you love someone, you love them all the same.
If you love someone, you love them all the same.

Oh I feel your heartbeat.
And oh, you're comin' around, comin' around, comin' around
If you can love somebody, love them all the same.
You gotta love somebody, love them all the same.
I'm singing, oh, I feel your heartbeat.

I know the memories rushing into mind.
I want to kiss your scars tonight.
I'm laying here,
'Cause you've gotta try, you've gotta let me in, let me in

Oh I feel your heartbeat.
And oh, you're comin' around, comin' around, comin' around
You love somebody, you gotta, you gotta love somebody
You gotta, I'm singing, oh, I feel your heartbeat,
All your heartbeat, yeah, I said,
All your heartbeat, yeah,
All your heartbeat

Tebowing

2012-01-16T18:07:00.001-07:00

I thought it was another one of those things just like planking, which is getting crazier and crazier these days.

But I finally decided to expose myself to more of the Tebowing experience, and needless to say, it does put a smile on my face. Especially the original Tebowing website. It's one of those things that makes you want to be involved because of the warmth of happy feelings you get when you witness the act. But one fact I learned today that surprised me was that Tim Tebow was born the same year as I was. He's quite young and his name is all over the world. Good for him.

In other things awesome, this just made me laugh my ass off.

Speed Bumps

2012-01-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

If you remember me discussing the new events that 2012 have in store for me, involving the new job and possible moving out of the house.

Well, some of that has changed and is still up in the air. The moving situation is not going to be as planned. It should, shouuuullld still happen, but the process will be different and possibly more complicated. I do not wish to go into the long complicated details, but I will state the possibilities/differences in the plan. But you must first know that there are a few different routes that will each result in a different outcome. Which route we take depends on other factors that I can't control, thus it's a matter of time to progress as we find out more information.

So my situation could be any combination of these points:
I may not get my friend's exact apartment
I may move sooner or later than the original month in mind, being April
I may get to live in the complex while my friend still lives there
I may not get cheaper rent price due to not being the laundry room lock up person [this was originally a possibility anyways]

Despite the kind of bummer of this new information, the assuring fact is that I should still be moving. I just hate not knowing when, at least currently.

The next and only thing I can do now is apply to be put on the waiting list for the property, which I am doing on Wednesday. Since I will be available right away, I may get to move in sooner. But I could end up waiting 6 months. It's really uncertain. And that kinda sucks.

All I can do is wait and accomplish whatever I can control. I'll find out more information within a few weeks or so. I hope it works for the best, and smoothly.

Blur

2012-01-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

I've referred to the American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in two posts recently [“Armageddon Was Yesterday, Today We Have a Serious Problem.” and "Soon You'll Know Us All Too Well, with My Apologies."]. Those two have gotten a lot of traffic, mostly due to the mention of wallpaper images and the intro or title scene. To further add to the information regarding those things, here's an awesome article breaking down the making of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo intro. There's also a short video where you see most of the shots used in the intro. So gorgeous.

Dez

2012-01-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

One of my students passed away sometime in the middle of the night last night.
My thoughts are with you, and your family.

First Week

2012-01-06T18:36:00.002-07:00

Of work was a great success. There's so much to share but still a lot to process, thus I will try my best to get out as much of it as I can [and feel comfortable doing so].

To remind you, I'm an assistant in a special education class at a middle school [a little background in this post].

My reactions and experiences are going to come to me really sporadically so excuse the lack of clear flow.

I have a range of 9 kids throughout the day, a majority of them are girls. A few are only around for one or two class periods, while the rest are with us for the majority of the day. Of our main kids [the ones that are with us for most of the day] all but two of them are in 6th grade and the remaining two are in 7th grade. So they're quite young, and quite small. I'm already in love with them.

There are a total of 4 us working in the classroom all day. Me, the teacher, and two other ladies in the same position as myself. There is also a nurse who is a personal caregiver to one of the students. Two other women come in for a period with their personal students. There are various therapists [speech, physical, occupational] that come in during the week as well. Finally, each period everyday we have groups of students that come in to help with our kids. It's a good opportunity for the kids to have an elective class that allows them to interact with the children and for the children to interact with them. We are with our main kids all day long, we feed them twice a day, help them in the bathroom, etc. So it's the long haul.

First of all, to give little snippets: I love it. Loved the kids immediately. It's easy work, time goes by fairly fast. I work well with everyone, literally everyone. The downsides include the new sleep schedule which is failing me so far, and that the work can be pretty boring sometimes.

There's a lot of interaction and watching going on. Teaching, helping, coaching, and loving. It's really like being a baby sister but with daily lessons.

Sleep, not getting much of it at all. It's hard to completely flip my schedule, but I'm really good throughout the day despite my inability to sleep. The first night consisted of me laying in bed for 6-7 hours doing nothing but tossing and turning and thinking. I wasn't as nervous as I could of been, but I just could not sleep. Gradually through the week I've gotten more and more sleep. It just takes forever for me to fall asleep and I've been waking up a lot [which reminds me to write about my dreams]. I've still not gotten anything close to a full night's rest, but I'm still very functional. I cope well without much sleep, despite my longing to sleep. The job adds more exhaustion to each day which makes me a little weary than I'm used to. Just gotta get used to the grind, which shouldn't take too long and I'm not very worried. I do know, though, that weekends are going to cause a huge glitch in my attempt to normalizing my schedule.

Tasks involve specific lessons to each child, singing, coloring, tons of playing, puzzles of different types [also part of lessons], feeding, wiping drool, cleaning, walking/steering wheelchair(s), etc. It's pretty fantastic and my desire to be helpful and caring in any way possible makes this an easy job for me. Which is what surprises me about the job, it's easy, laid back, and almost natural. Granted, it takes time to know each individual child to know their condition, their ways of communicating, and how to read their moods and needs. Just in 4 days, I've learned a lot about each child and already feel incredibly comfortable. But I can't say that I'm totally comfortable because this week was a really good week for each child. They were all mostly happy and very good.

One of the things I was worried about starting this job was being an outsider, a new person invading a comfortable and known space of the children. I wasn't sure if I would be a threat, invasive, discomforting, or scary. Not that I find myself to be of any of those qualities to anyone, but to be a person of authority that must take care of these kids that don't know me at all, I didn't want to frighten them. My worries were immediately eradicated the second I met the first student.

I'm going to call her Ms. T for short, it was a random idea I had, so I'll go with it. And make it a little more entertaining. In the mornings we wait for our students to arrive by bus [there's 2-3 different buses for them]. Ms. T is usually the first to arrive and she immediately decides to hug me and doesn't leave my side for about the first ten minutes, without exaggeration. She's randomly hugging me, holding on to me and my hands, cradling her face into me because she's shy, etc. I immediately take a liking to her, I've become attached already. What I love most about Ms. T is that she mostly communicates by visual means. She can hear and understands what is usually being said to her, but she cannot form words well. She definitely knows how to say "Hey!" and "No". She clearly nods when she is saying yes, and she uses sign language and points a lot. And she loves to laugh. Because she communicates mostly visually, she's is perfect for me. It takes one to read people to understand her, and that's a thing I've been doing my whole life. The others communicate somewhat similarly, however each kid is different to varying levels. Ms. T tends to be the most communicative and the most independent, thus she can do a lot on her own although she likes attention a lot. This makes her easier for me to interact with, being that I'm new to this. I've latched on to Ms. T quite a bit. But this does not, not even in the least, say that I favor her over the others. They're all different. It's just like parents...who say they love their children equally and all for different reasons. Yep, just compared my likeness for kids like those of parents.

I will, indeed, tell more stories about the other children, but Ms. T and I interacted quite a lot this week, for she latched onto me as well.

Using sign language on this job is awesome. Freaking awesome! Granted I'm not using sentences, but merely simple words/signs. It is effective nonetheless and I love it. I also love that I'm being asked by the teacher about some signs, he asked me! It feels great.

I'm noticing a lot of the effects this job is having on me already. First, I find it wonderful that I'm basically being paid to be affectionate. I get and give hugs all day long, I pat and rub backs and heads, hold hands, lay and sit near them, feed them. This is a great release for all of the affectionate energy I have! However, I'm noticing, instantly, how it is affecting me outside of work. After my second day of work I went out to dinner with two of my friends, one is a very short girl friend of mine [her size may jokingly be compared to that of a child]. I was consistently more affectionate towards her the entire night and I was realizing and verbalizing it as I did it. She didn't mind, but it was blowing my mind. That fast! It's only going to increase. I find myself wanting to reach out to everyone, even more so than I already had [which was a lot]. The difference now is, before I only wanted to touch those I knew well, now, it doesn't even seem to matter if I know them at all.
Another effect I'm noticing is the way I talk, I'm being more motherly [even in my actions]. I've already gotten used to interacting with young ones all week that being around my peers takes a little adjustment. My tone is different, and I'm offering more help than I already did. I'm constantly on the sidelines waiting for any opportunity to lend a hand. And here, are those motherly instincts all my closest friends know I have inside me. It's sprouting, and it's only the beginning.
I've also become highly alert to sounds around me. I've been known to kind of drown things out, sometimes purposely, sometimes not. Now, I react to little sounds, especially those of children so instantaneous. It's incredibly odd to me. I only realized this when I was out in public and I heard something that resembled a cough/rumble of one of my kids. I turned my head to find the source, and I realized what I was doing at once.
Those are the major ones I can think of at the moment.

I have much more to go into, but now it's time for me to get out on this lovely Friday night.

Top Tweets

2012-01-05T16:20:00.004-07:00

Of 2011...it's just as disappointing as Facebook itself. Check out the Failblog article for the stats.

Some Fathers Were Meant for the Internet

2012-01-03T16:01:00.002-07:00

Dear January

2012-01-02T18:53:00.001-07:00

So, I start my new job tomorrow. This month is gonna be a little crazy, well my life is only going to begin to be more hectic. Lots of changes, drastic changes. I've been so busy doing all sorts of stuff and sometimes nothing that I'm still not blogging much. I've just got a lot on my mind and I barely sit in front of the computer unless it's to listen to music or finally take a break and watch some Netflix. All in all, I'm very excited and nervous, naturally. I'm also sad to announce that I will be missing an upcoming Tool concert. They come to Tucson just before I get my first paycheck. I'm still broke as a damn joke, so it's a sacrifice I'll make.

My sleeping schedule is immediately of my utmost worries. It's been further messed up due that I was sick, again, this last week. So tonight I will need to jump into bed extra extra extra early and hope that I will fall asleep and get at least 4 or 5 hours of sleep. That's all I ask for now.

I've also had some difficulties, with my extremely limited funds to find clothing that will be appropriate. I believe I found enough to get me through the first two weeks until I get paid. Today my friend and I went and bought a bunch of make up [concealer and powder] to cover the tattoo on my chest. It's a cheaper alternative for now. I'm actually wearing the make up on my chest now, so far it is holding up well.

So now I just need to manage my money for gas to travel to work and back. And sleep.

It's pretty funny, I usually hate January. It's never been a good time for me. Some reasons are lost on me at the moment, but other reasons involve the cold weather and the fact that I've typically gone through break ups around this time. I am also not a person of "New Year's Resolutions" but all in all, I'm welcoming this year more than I have any other year. So far my "horoscopes" and a shallow tarot reading are making this year a very welcoming and life changing one for me.

To elaborate, my career and romantic horoscope for the year 2012 seem quite relevant to me. I am not going to get into the details to remind you that I don't personally like horoscopes, but some very little ones can be intriguing/relevant/spot on/etc. The Scorpio career overview discusses my being "pushed to new grounds" which definitely stands true since I will be starting a new job. It discusses that I may have felt that I "was all over the map the past few years," this is definitely true, unfortunately. The last line refers to my friends being the ones to further my career goals, to never underestimate the power of who I know. For starters, I got this job from a new friend I've acquired months ago.

The Scorpio romantic overview discusses that the ability to have a deep soulful connection with someone determines my getting into relationships from now on. It centers on a theme of what I will stop "putting up with". This is a long running issue of mine, putting up with stuff I really shouldn't or necessarily want to. I'm still working on it and am being more conscious of it. I am currently dating someone and we'll see how that goes!

Next, I had a friend do this almost rip-off version of a tarot reading. It was used with a regular deck of cards instead of tarot cards. My friend had this done to him a night prior so he tried it on me. It's very brief, not nearly in depth because he didn't know all the rules, but relied on his friend to tell him the meanings of my cards over the phone. I took 3 random cards from the deck. My first card was the 10 of spades, the second was the 8 of diamonds, and the third was the 8 of hearts. What was described to me followed the lines that this last year was not a very lucky year for me [absolutely true]. My life will be very hectic and I will want to spend some time with myself but I won't really be able to. And finally, this year will be full of celebrations and parties [also true because I've been imagining/planning it already].

So that is all that's brewing in my head at the moment. Gotta go get some things done before my early bedtime. Hope all is well with all of you, welcome to 2012!

"Soon You'll Know Us All Too Well, with My Apologies."

2012-01-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

More gorgeous photos/wallpapers from the little intro of the American The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from their website, Mouth Taped Shut.

One of the Worst Things I've Read

2011-12-28T17:42:00.001-07:00

Found this on Failbook. A girl, Danielle, has a very thought out plan of what she will do if she was President. Her grammar and spelling truly reveals her intelligence... It may be long, but the more you read, the more you'll be surprised. Click on above link for original Failbook article. Click on image for full screen so you can read it.

“Armageddon Was Yesterday, Today We Have a Serious Problem.”

2011-12-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, this post is all about the American film version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, thus it will be full of SPOILER ALERTS!!!!

To start off, the score/soundtrack is fantastic. Just as I expected. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross collaborate yet again to create beautiful music that suits and creates the mood so well. It made me quite excited. The theme/introduction to the film includes a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" by Reznor, Ross, and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which I've put off hearing until I saw the film today. There's a whole video, much like a music video [as the director David Fincher has done before], that seems unrelated and kind of surprising but if you know the story you'll notice a ton of symbolism that is represented throughout the whole introduction. Below is the video of the "Immigrant Song" that was posted on the Dragon Tattoo site, Mouth Taped Shut. The site is wonderful for intimate updates, if you're interested. The visuals in this video resemble another version of what you'll see in the movie, remember it IS NOT THE SAME.

My reaction to this little intro was at first a little unenthusiastic. I thought it was kind of silly, granted sharing the theater with only 2-3 other groups of much older individuals probably tainted that reaction more so. But as the song and the effects continued on, I started to lose myself in it. I thought it was severely gorgeous, crazy, and highly symbolic. In fact, I'd like to see it again.

Next, despite this was an American film, to be setting in Sweden with some American/English actors, they all had accents. This pleased me, otherwise it would of just been annoying and even more unrealistic. I actually really liked Rooney Mara's voice/accent in this film. Which is severely important given that the character Lisbeth Salander actually has fewer lines than other characters. Her personality, her essence is most represented in her facial expressions [those of which the Swedish actress Noomi Rapace portrayed perfectly].

To cut to some chase, they definitely cut out some stuff in the movie, especially compared to the Swedish film. Which is interesting because both movies are just about the same length, the American one being 6 minutes longer. I'm guessing this was done due to differences in style, other reasons obvious and not, but also to pick up the pace for our ADD ridden American population.That's my opinion, of course. This goes to say that the Swedish film is a bit slow, as is the first book. There is a ton of information and background history that must be known. The author delved deeper than any I've ever read before. Of the handful of cut outs, I will say I'm most disappointed that they didn't dive much into the relationship between Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. I don't necessarily mean this in a love story way, but it is significant to the story. Particularly to getting to know Lisbeth's character as well as Mikael. It is significant also because this is something that pertains to the next 2 books/films.

Above is a photo of the character Plague. The added some little hints of Nine Inch Nails which made me happy. I'm sure, with it being a David Fincher film that there are tons of subtle hints that have either left my mind and even those I haven't caught. But I will say, the actor [Tony Way] pictured above has had a couple small roles in some British sitcoms, 2 of which I've seen recently such as Black Books and Spaced.

In the handful of instances, the film was realistically gory. The first film doesn't have nearly as much action or blood as the others, but so far I am pleased with the blood, bruises, and cuts they've created. Also the homicide evidence photos were great too. I'm also glad the injuries stayed with the individual for a realistic time frame. I realize this could sound minor, but it's one of those things that often comes into films that may or may not irritate you throughout the entire duration. This is definitely one of those things that irritates me.

So, the rape scene. Done really well, despite the fact that I was wholly expecting it, it still made me tense. There was, however, something more morbid about the original version though. Regardless, I definitely give praise for everyone involved in that scene on and off camera for both of the films. That's pretty rough.

Yes, Rooney Mara is a great actress and I absolutely loved her in the 2010 Nightmare on Elm Street. But I will be stubborn and honest to admit that I absolutely loved Noomi Rapace in the Swedish version. I don't know if it was because she's an 'unknown' and foreign, but she intrigues the hell out of me. I also most definitely feel that she embodies Lisbeth's character so completely. I should remind you that I saw all three Swedish films in a couple days and then read all the books. Once Lisbeth started to become more and more introduced to the story I couldn't get it out of my mind how perfect Noomi was for the part. [Speaking of which, her 33rd birthday is tomorrow] To illustrate a minor, more external example would be their eyes. Rooney has these beautiful green/blue eyes, while Noomi has light brown eyes that are sometimes very dark. Just the color seems to make a difference to me. The dark eyes of Noomi give her a darker feel, there's more depth to her that is hidden from you, it could even scare you. For Rooney, in comparison to Noomi, she showed far more emotion, particularly in her eyes. This isn't usually a bad thing, but I really liked the restraint that Noomi portrayed so well. I feel like you can reach into Rooney's Lisbeth more, which shouldn't be the case, you should technically be afraid of her while she is utterly detached from you. I also almost feel like she was too pretty, Rooney, but I'm not saying Noomi is ugly. In fact I think Noomi more gorgeous and I found her more and more attractive through the films. Noomi had a harder edge that worked for the character. Plus, I hated that they bleached Rooney's eyebrows. However, I'm glad they still included all the piercings, nipple included. After all this writing, I still would like to let you know that I actually wasn't as hard or critical on Rooney as I expected to be. I still think she did a good job, it's not like I can think of a better person for the role off the top of my head.

Now to a minor thing that luckily wasn't too big a deal this time. Since I've seen the original version twice and read the book, I already knew what was going on and what was going to happen. However, because of the fake accents and some of the low voices, I actually couldn't catch a lot of what was said, mostly the words of Rooney. I could also say that the music and visuals were enchanting that it distracted me [which can happen often to me with good films].

I'm done with this for now. I wanted to get it all out before the experience would fade. After all has been said, I do plan to watch both versions [2009 and 2011] for many more times to come. Surely, when I think of more to say, I will.

Oh! And that reminds me! If my hair is still black towards the end of next year, I may dress up as Lisbeth for Halloween. May be a little difficult considering I have the opposite body type...but it'll be fun!

Harass Me

2011-12-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

Either yesterday morning or the day before I had this mildly disturbing, yet intriguing dream. It was disturbing because it was somewhat realistic and definitely not an escape from reality. It was intriguing because it was also fantasy-like.

Allow me to elaborate.

It was setting in the Middle Ages, some sort of Renaissance feel. There were lay people everywhere, trading posts, stands, all of that you would notice in a small village. I really have no idea if I was visiting from the future or if I genuinely lived there. I will say at least two things I'm sure of. I had the knowledge as I do now [thus from the present], and I have no idea what I was wearing. My cousin was with me in this little village. I don't know if I was looking for something to trade/purchase, but we were walking around the village. The interesting and creepy part of the dream involved the fact that just about every man I passed by was giving me highly sexed looks, words, or even touches. I was being hit on by almost everyone. Women even. I remember thinking at some point that this never ends, even in my dreams. I cannot recall if I got involved with any of the men, but I do know something happened with a woman. The whole dream itself wasn't very long. But I do know at some point a woman took me aside, but then it got really complicated when another woman was trying to get my attention and steal me from the other girl. I didn't want to anger anyone.

The part, however, that stands out to me the most is one particular man. He looked identical to the actor and comedian, Bill Bailey, whom I've had a dream of once before. Imagine Bill, with Middle Ages attire, as a layman, covered in dirt with messy hair and more weight. His eyes were also larger and more pronounced than they already are, just about popping out of their sockets. They were the creepiest thing about him. This man, I instantly recognized, but I knew he wasn't really Bill Bailey. This is where my present, waking knowledge exists in this dream. I determined that this layman was a Bill Bailey rip-off, a fraud. He was making the most intense advances towards me. Leaning his large belly against mine, angling his head backwards slightly and staring at me with this wide opened eyes. I don't recall the words he said to me, but he was rather persistent. The man also tried to convince my cousin he was the real Bill Bailey. But every instant he tried I immediately and confidently attacked his claim.

The weirdest thing about this dream was all the advances. This was a highly concentrated version of my waking life.

365 Days

2011-12-26T21:01:00.001-07:00

Today my brother has been sober in Alcoholics Anonymous for one year. Today I'm attending one of his A.A. meetings for the first time. I'm handing him his 1 year chip. I couldn't be more thrilled and emotional.

And finally a sober picture of us together...

Birth

2011-12-25T02:29:00.000-07:00

It is officially Christmas. And officially exactly a year since my brother's overdose. He has been sober, also for a year. Now with this amount of time that has passed, I soon, will illustrate you the horrid, yet life changing, experience I had of that night and all those afterwards. Not now of course. But I will tell you, it's never far from my mind, ever....

Merry Christmas.......

Growing Up

2011-12-22T02:49:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been a whole lot of blogging. Partly because I'm hardly home. When I am home, I'm doing a lot of cleaning and organization and sleeping. Also, I'm drafting an EPIC post of a wishlist for news I will share with you shortly.

Ok, I officially got the job [as elusively mentioned here]. But I don't start til January, so I have some massive free time currently. Now, what is the job? Well it's something super exciting. I will be a teacher's assistant for a special education class for middle school students. It will be full time work with benefits. This is my first really professional job, which is wholly new, exciting, awesome, and a wee bit nerve wrecking. I wish I had more to stay about it now, but like I said, I haven't started the job yet. This is something that I've actually wanted to do at some point in my life. My mom did this for years and it's always had a soft spot in my heart. Now it's finally happening!! I get to be back in the school environment that so much is a part of my life!

Next incredible news is, so long as this job stuff pans out and other procedures I need to do, I will finally be moving out into a place of my own. I will take over a nice little townhouse that my best friend and her husband currently live in. So far, this is the most perfect situation I could ever get my hands on. This potentially will happen in April/May and I am sooooooo eagerly waiting for it to be April already. This aspect is what's been on my mind every day. I'm obsessing over it completely. I really can't express how much this means to me. I've come to tears a few times already. The great thing is, I'll have this place all to myself. No roommates, no family. Me. Me. Me! Ideally, I've always wanted my first place to be just mine, but I know with most rent costs that it would probably be very difficult to come by. But it's gonna happen!! And rent will be super cheap.

As for now, I'm trying to get a normal sleep schedule, which isn't working out all that great. I'm estimating that I will have to wake up around 6am for work. Which is only 2 hours after when I usually go to sleep. So that definitely needs work. I'm also cleaning out my room and my house to make room and organize all my stuff to make the move easier. [See how much I'm already obsessing?!] I am also slowly acquiring professional attire with my extremely limited funds. I'm planning an entire list/blog post towards all the things I need and want for my new place. I'm also keeping open ears and eyes for anything that anyone is getting rid of and things I could possibly take from my home. Almost every day I'm calculating and recalculating what my financial situation will be like and what I need to spend on what, how much I'll have left, and anticipating the possibility of finding work during summers. I'm drooling over IKEA catalogs. I'm scanning Target for work clothes. I'm having daydreams of how I'll decorate the place.

What I'm most proud of, is that of the major, yet broad goals I've made in my life have been accomplished. For instance, I wanted to go to college, I was going to go to college. And what did I do? I graduated college with a bachelors. I wanted to learn American Sign Language in college. I did just that. And in the past couple years I've made this goal/promise to myself that I must leave my home before I turn 25. Which gives me a year, and I'm making that happen also. God, I'm so happy!!

Needless to say, when I'm not busy preparing for all the awesomeness, I'll be blogging a lot about this stuff. And yes, once I do get into the grind of work, I will still be blogging. I imagine I'll have lots of interesting and emotional stories to tell.

12/21/2011

2011-12-20T11:44:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is the day the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is released. I'm so excited that I'm actually nervous. More so nervous that it'll be awhile til I'll be able to get into the theater without it being so packed. I'd usually go to a morning showtime to avoid the rush, but it is winter break which means there are still more people out and about. We'll see.

Either way, I'll most likely see it multiple times in theater because I know for a fact the first viewing will consist of me analyzing and comparing every aspect of it to the Swedish version. Analyzing Rooney Mara, listening closely to the musical works of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, looking for similarities, for differences. Let it be said, this film, as excited as I am for it, does have a great deal of pressure and expectations put upon it.

Not to mention that the release date is the same date, one year prior, to the Apocalypse.

And I Wonder If I Ever Cross Your Mind

2011-12-16T22:28:00.002-07:00

Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor.
Reaching for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?
For me it happens all the time.

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I've lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without.
I just need you now.

Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door.
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?
For me it happens all the time.

It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I've lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without.
I just need you now.

Oh whoa
Yes I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all.

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
Well I don't know how I can do without.
I just need you nowI just need you now.
Oh baby I need you now.

"Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum

Shelter

2011-12-14T00:09:00.001-07:00

I'm still dreaming about young boys. But god, why does the phrase "young boy" always have to sound out of context. I am being serious. Any time, more often than not, when I dream of a child or children they tend to be males. And even a percentage of those dreams of children involve the children being special or deaf. I dreamt of a young boy the other day. He was deaf, extremely fluent in sign language, and I later discovered he still retained his immaculate ability to speak. If I remember/understood correctly, he lost his hearing later on, not at birth. But he was so young...5 or 6. He was incredibly intelligent for I had a very mature conversation with him about deafness and sign language. It was warming...

Yet still very interesting.

Photo Fest: Fetish Ball 2011

2011-12-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

On October 8th I attended the final fetish/ Horns & Halos event of the year, Fetish Ball. It was a blast, but before I talk about the event, I must tell you about my 5 plus hour preparation.

For about the whole month or so prior to the event I had been planning on creating some sort of elaborate get up/attire. I wanted to make use of a lot of make up and perhaps feathers. Eventually I got the idea that I wanted to be bloody. But then I got the idea that I wanted to paint my face Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead style. I decided to put them together, half and half on my face. Because I wanted to do something different. After I decided that, I was having a hard time deciding on the costume itself. I wanted to wear something different, that I hadn't worn to the events before, and I still wanted to incorporate blood. After more time and discussing it with my friend, the plan gradually changed.

We looked through some photos, my clothes collection, and considered what I owned that it would be perfect to go all out Day of the Dead style. And I mean, to go ALL OUT.

The weekend prior to the event, I tried on some clothes to see what looked best together. Next we practiced some make up and hair styles. This was the unfinished results of our test.

We were very grateful to have at least practice once before the event because it allowed us to approach make up in the most long lasting and best looking way possible.

I should also mention the ultimate inspiration for the make up style. Sylvia Ji is an amazing painter who does a lot of Day of the Dead girls. If you were around for the old days of Alchemy, you would of noticed a lot of her art set in the templates of this blog, or even just in some posts.

Now, below are pictures of the whole epic process for the day and night of the event. My best friend helped me while we took turns taking photos.

Only a portion of the make up collection.

Raccoon face...

Hamburglar?!

We're friends for a reason.

I eventually became a "patient" as we started to make me more comfortable with office desk chairs and towels for my neck.

This photo looks pretty cool. I'm applying my fake eyelashes.

The glitter around the eyes made it look really fantastic.

Awesome spider web.

More detailing.

Creeper face.

Spade on the nose.

Jawline.

Completed details.

Finished hair and costume.

A TON of feathers.

I look like a Mayan Goddess or something.

Finally arrived to the event.

Suspension show that was really awesome, more details on that another time.

These next few photos are from when I got home after the event. This goes to show that the make up held up really well. It only got messed up on my cheek where my friend continued to kiss me.

I thought this looked kinda spooky/cool.

This was a photo taken by a professional photographer at the event.

This is a photo taken by another professional photographer and acquaintance of mine. He took about a hundred photos of me that night, but this was the only one that released online.

Christmas Wish List

2011-12-08T14:16:00.001-07:00

I'm writing this as a reminder of what I want, and in case any of my friends are reading this. I have this bad habit of drawing a blank the second someone asks me what I want for my birthday/Christmas/whatever, so I want to take some preventive measures.

IKEA giftcard to buy furniture and decor for when I get my own place
Target, Savers, Goodwill, Old Navy, Forever 21 etc. giftcards for CLOTHES!
Whose Line is it Anyways DVD series [American version]
A reallllly good FM transmitter for playing my iPod in my car
JoAnns or Michael's craft store giftcards
Harkins giftcards
LOVE!!!

That's what I can come up with so far, which really encompasses more of my 'needs' rather than wants. With this new job, I really need new professional clothes...and with this job, I plan to move out!! More on that soon.

Also, my friend showed me this awesome stuffed animal/sleeping bag that I'm sure there's not a single person that wouldn't want it! [The Chumbuddy is a whopping 200 bucks at Patchtogether.com]

DYAC Reactions

2011-12-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

Today, I was wasting time in the A.M. checking out one of my favorite sites, Damn You, Auto Correct! Whilst exploring, I found out about the many people that have uploaded videos of them reading DYAC and laughing. I skimmed through all the videos that were posted there and remembered that this new laptop I own has a webcam. I have only used it once but didn't record anything, so I wanted to change that. Decided to record my own reaction in this amateur fashion just for the hell of it. Now you guys can hear and see me laughing!

Dear Luna

2011-12-07T11:14:00.001-07:00

Total Lunar Eclipse on December 10th, luckily visible to Arizona inhabitants.

For those that understand these charts and maps, here's the info from NASA.

For those that have no idea what those charts and maps mean, here's a good quick video to inform you when to look out for the eclipse.

To narrow it down, those on the west coast of the United States may want to get up at 3:30am Pacific time. That will be the beginning of the process and the epicity will be around 6a.m. PST. Also this will be the last TOTAL lunar eclipse for those in America to see for the next three years, so check it out before you have to wait for the next!!

Bennett

2011-12-04T23:22:00.001-07:00

I wanted to inform you guys of a new and hilarious website. Texts from Bennett on tumblr. My old coworker/friend informed me of this because the site reminds her of a guy that used to hang around our work at the time. He was white, had a stutter, and thought he was black. So, check out the site because it'll automatically warm up to you.

Overwhelm

2011-12-04T14:23:00.001-07:00

to overcome completely in mind or feeling: overwhelm by beauty.

"Young Moon Meets Evening Star" from APOD.

"As Above, So Below" from APOD. A gorgeous photo taken in Croatia.

It's Only the Beginning

2011-12-02T15:45:00.001-07:00

I. GOT. THE. JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another Earth

2011-11-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

On August 15th, this year, I decided to ride my bike a few miles away to a movie theater. My car was in the shop and I've been killing myself with the fact that I really need to incorporate more physical activity into my life. My dad offered me a ride but I knew that if I didn't get on the bike that moment, I wouldn't do it at all. So I rode my heart and lungs out just to see Another Earth. I saw the preview for this film at my local independent film theater as I mentioned here. And I never got around to writing about the film itself because I really wanted to make it special. Unfortunately time has passed since I've seen it so my responses/reactions aren't as strong but I will try.

But importantly, the visuals of this film alone were enough to make me cry.

The main character, played by Brit Marling, did such an incredible job. She was also one of the writers, which I love as well. Her emotions, which were wide-ranging, were so apparent on her face. She was simple and plain yet very gorgeous. There was nothing extraordinary about her, nor luxurious. She was a loner. She had this deep rooted passion for space, staring at photos of nebulae before going to sleep at night. She had done something wrong, regretting it, paying time for it. She never was the same afterwards, and you could see it in her face, her eyes. Her beautiful eyes.

She found a way to help the one she ruined. She fell in love with the man whose family she took away from him. She wanted to go to Earth number two so she could start over, where possibly her mistake never happened. It's so emotional, saddening, yet completely hopeful. You feel her, you feel her the whole damn time.

You feel her through her depression, through her hope. You feel her on her walks through town. You feel her through the beauty of the skies. You feel her isolation.

It was a great film that deserves more attention. I want to see it again...and again...

Northwards

2011-11-28T14:45:00.001-07:00

Got my interview rescheduled for this week. I apologize for leaving you in the dark about it, but for privacy and jinxing, I'd rather tell you all about the job after the interview, or perhaps even after I find out if I get it or not.

I will say that it's different from anything I've done, and it's something I've been interested in doing for quite some time [if not my entire life], regardless if I've shared that information or not. It's also very professional/conservative, another feature that is new for me. Not impossible, though.

I just finished my drive up to the location, to make sure how long it would take to drive there and to make sure I won't get lost on the first time. I definitely don't want to be late, that's for sure. The drive was easier than I thought it would be, granted if I got the job, I'd be doing that drive in morning rush hour. But this side of town is nice and I'm familiar with it luckily due to my cousin living nearby.

Enough about that for now. There's various other things I wish to talk about but in separate posts. So here they will come!

Quinto Coming Out

2011-11-28T00:59:00.001-07:00

Just the other night in my random trailing Internet wanderings [Thank you Wikipedia] I discovered that the beloved new Spock-er, um.. Zachary Quinto finally came out . Last month he publicly came out as gay. I'm so excited for him. If you search through this blog you'll notice I have a little obsession with the guy. I think he's great at what he does, and have been particularly excited about his role as a gay character in the new show American Horror Story.

On his website [link provided above], he makes a public statement of his orientation and to recognize the suicides of some gay youths:

10.16.11. nyc...

when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself - i felt deeply troubled. but when i found out that jamey rodemeyer had made an it gets better video only months before taking his own life - i felt indescribable despair. i also made an it gets better video last year - in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time. but in light of jamey's death - it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it - is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality. our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country. gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying. parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance. we are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world. we are at the precipice of great transformation within our culture and government. i believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society - and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action. jamey rodemeyer's life changed mine. and while his death only makes me wish that i had done this sooner - i am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me. now i can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world. that - i believe - is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other.

zq.

I love the guy so much more.

Black Days

2011-11-24T01:20:00.001-07:00

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving.

I just wanted to wish you guys that, and to show you the new black hair before I end up delaying it much longer.

Information Overload II

2011-11-22T16:56:00.001-07:00

Here's some random facts, information, trivia I've been hanging onto that I felt like sharing. This is also a continuation of Information Overload part I.

Ferdinand Porsche, who later went on to build the famous sports cars bearing his own name, designed the original 1936 Volkswagen.
More than 100,000 family dogs are killed each year in car accidents. As a result, a manufacturer in the eastern United States has developed a car restraint designed specifically for dogs riding in the car.
Phobia: allodoxaphobia Fear of: opinions.
The world’s first electric traffic light signal was installed 75 years ago in Cleveland, Ohio, at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East 105th St.
The Mitsubishi Eclipse, also sold as the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser, was named after an English racehorse from the 1700s that won 26 races.
In June 1974 the mystery of Jack Nicholson's birth came to light. Jack's "sister" June was in fact Jack's mother. Jack, born on 22 April 1937, had been the illegitimate child of 17-year-old June Nicholson. Nicholson had spent his life up to age 37 assuming that his biological mother, June, was his sister, and that his maternal grandmother, Ethel May, was his mother. Even on their deathbeds, neither June nor Ethel May had offered up the truth.
The arctic Lion's Mane Jellyfish is considered to be the longest known living animal; the biggest specimen discovered had a bell (body) with a diameter of 2.3 m (7 feet 6 inches) and the tentacles reached 36.5 m (120 feet).
During the reign of the Roman emperor Nero, sausages were associated with the Lupercalia festival. The early Catholic Church outlawed the Lupercalia Festival and made eating sausage a sin. For this reason, the Roman emperor Constantine banned the eating of sausages.
Human fingers do not contain any muscles other than the small muscles attached to each hair follicle, which contract to make the hairs stand on end, causing goose bumps. The muscles that move the finger joints are in the palm and forearm. The long tendons that deliver motion from the forearm muscles may be observed to move underneath the skin at the wrist and on the back of the hand.
>Ghosts appear in 4 Shakespearian plays; Julius Caesar, Richard III, Hamlet and Macbeth.
John Milton used 8,000 different words in his poem, "Paradise Lost."
A Hindu temple dedicated to the rat goddess Karni Mata in Deshnoke, India, houses more than 20,000 rats.
Hoover Dam is 726 feet tall and 660 feet thick at its base. Enough rock was excavated in its construction to build the Great Wall of China. Contrary to old wives' tales, no workers were buried in the dam's concrete.
There are 1,792 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Banana plants are the largest plants on earth without a woody stem. They are actually giant herbs of the same family as lilies, orchids and palms.
>Bilbo Baggins was born on September 22 1290.
Cinderella's slippers were originally made out of fur. The story was changed in the 1600s by a translator. It was the left shoe that Aschenputtel (Cinderella) lost at the stairway, when the prince tried to follow her.
Almonds and pistachios are the only nuts mentioned in the Bible.
Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer are the three angels mentioned by name in the Bible.
You're more likely to be a target for mosquitoes if you consume bananas.
A recent study indicates when men crave food, they tend to crave fat and salt. When women crave food, they tend to desire chocolate.
Chocolate syrup was used for blood in the famous 45 second shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's movie, Psycho, which actually took 7 days to shoot.
More than 100 years ago, the felt hat makers of England used mercury to stabilize wool. Most of them eventually became poisoned by the fumes, as demonstrated by the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Breathing mercury's fumes over a long period of time will cause erethism, a disorder characterized by nervousness, irritability, and strange personality changes.
Frank Baum named "Oz" after a file cabinet in his office. One cabinet was labeled "A to N," and the second was labeled "O to Z."
"Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson was the first video to air on MTV by a black artist.
C3P0 is the first character to speak in Star Wars.
A cough releases an explosive charge of air that moves at speeds up to 60 mph.
A fingernail or toenail takes about 6 months to grow from base to tip.
After spending hours working at a computer display, look at a blank piece of white paper. It will probably appear pink.
About one-tenth of the earth's surface is permanently covered with ice.
Australia is the only country that is also a continent.
Canada is an Indian word meaning 'Big Village'.
Europe has no deserts - it is the only continent without one.
A poem written to celebrate a wedding is called an epithalamium.
Cannibalism, eating human flesh, is also called anthropophagy.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, and purple.
The air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21.5% oxygen, .5% argon and other gases.
All the moons of the Solar System are named after Greek and Roman mythology, except the moons of Uranus, which are named after Shakespearean characters.
Astronauts brought back about 800 pounds of lunar rock to Earth. Most of it has not been analyzed.
Only 55% of all Americans know that the sun is a star.
What we call the sky is merely the limit of our vision into the atmosphere. The sky, like the horizon, is always as far away as one can see.
According to the Kinsey Institute, the biggest erect penis on record measures 13 inches. The smallest tops off at 1 3/4 inches.
An average person uses the bathroom 6 times per day.
Blondes have more hair than dark-haired people.
A Saudi Arabian woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn't give her coffee.
Barbers at one time combined shaving and haircutting with bloodletting and pulling teeth. The white stripes on a field of red that spiral down a barber pole represent the bandages used in the bloodletting.
Catholic Popes who died during sex: Leo VII (936-9) died of a heart attack, John VII (955-64) was bludgeoned to death by the husband of the woman he was with at the time, John XIII (965-72) was also murdered by a jealous husband, Pope Paul II (1467-71) allegedly died while being sodomized by a page boy.
Forty-six US federal agencies have officers with the authority to carry firearms and arrest people.
Hans Christian Andersen, Cher, Tom Cruise, Albert Einstein, Whoopie Goldberg, Greg Louganis, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Gen. George S. Patton, are (were) all dyslexics.
A pineapple is a berry.
Almonds are the oldest, most widely cultivated and extensively used nuts in the world.
Ginger has been clinically demonstrated to work twice as well as Dramamine for fighting motion sickness, with no side effects.
Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
The most abundant metal in the Earth's crust is aluminum.
On a clear night in the Northern Hemisphere the naked eye can discern some 5000 stars.
Seven suicides are recorded in the Bible.
The seven virtues are prudence, courage, temperance, justice, faith, hope and charity.

False Alarm

2011-11-22T10:52:00.001-07:00

That interview I spoke of, well I have to reschedule it now because the interviewer is ill today. It's unfortunate really. The funny thing, however, was that I was afraid I would have to do the same thing. I feel fine now, but someone I know is really sick. I'll probably be sick again, soon. Anyhow, I really wanted to get this interview over with, but for some reasons that thoughts "It just wasn't meant to be, today" keep popping into my head. I hope that's the case. I apologize for being vague about the interview itself, but I will surely discuss it once it actually happens.

Interview

2011-11-21T23:18:00.001-07:00

I have the biggest interview of my life, thus far, tomorrow. I'm nervous and thrilled all at the same time. So far, everyone I've talked to about the job/interview thinks I'm perfect for it, that I'll do great, and I'll definitely get the job. That's incredibly lifting, so if you're one of those people, thank you. Sincerely, I mean it. That really gets my confidence up. I've noticed I have a issue with putting myself down sometimes. It's once I hold a position or am doing a job, whether it be actual work related, hobby related, or relationship related, I feel my best. That's when I realize I'm awesome at what I do and I take pride in my accomplishments, no matter how little. But when I'm entering a new ground, that's when I get a little nervous and very intimidated. Plus I haven't had an interview in over 4 years, which should be longer considering that that job was practically handed over to me on the spot. It's all very interesting, and I'm looking forward to finally be sitting in that chair across from my interviewer. It's time to kick ass!

Wash Me

2011-11-16T16:59:00.001-07:00

It's only halfway through the week and I've got most of the necessities/to do's done.

Just finished "tiding" up my dreads. Which I will never do again. The process itself is fine and fairly quick, but the aftermath is quite simply, a bitch. I used clippers to shave off the surface fuzzies each individual dreadlock. I did it quite cleanly, but I didn't realize how much hair I was freeing in the process. I got in the shower to wash out the black hair dye and there's literally millions of small pieces of hair getting absolutely everywhere. And I'm a type of person that doesn't really like getting hair on me, particularly small, hard to get rid of hair. More about the black hair color later.

But that crosses off two things:
~~Tidy up dreads~~
~~Dye dreads~~

I accomplished others too:
~~Printed and brought resume to CC~~
~~Laundry~~

I should make digital to do lists like this more often!

Back to Basics

2011-11-15T17:10:00.001-07:00

Everyone say goodbye to my red hair, because it'll be black within the next few days!!
I know I'm gonna be sad, and panic just a little. But on the other hand, I've always loved black dreads and am really curious how I'm gonna look. I have an interview in a week, and it's for a more conservative environment, so I rather skip the bad impression on the interview and just do it now before I have to do it later anyways. I'm gonna miss it, that's for sure.

Little Accomplishments

2011-11-15T11:43:00.001-07:00

I'm feeling better and better about myself. I've done a lot of productive things in the last week or so.

From the To Do List, I've accomplished now:
~~Washing dreads~~
~~Rewrite cover letter~~
~~Send cover letter and resume to museum~~
~~Applied for general volunteering at museum~~
~~Set to receive 2 free motorcycle bumper stickers~~
~~And I guess I'm sorta blogging in the process~~

VNV Nation just rescheduled their Arizona tour date all the way until March, so that is out of the picture for this upcoming week.

I'm most likely going to the Faerie Festival, just gotta find out when my friends go on stage to dance.

Today I am going to do laundry.
I could still print a resume and bring it to CC

Dying dreads is still up in the air for now.
I can bring stuff to Bookmans anytime.
And I'm not going to make a doctors appointment.

This makes me feel quite nice, plus I got a call back for an interview from an application I finished two days ago!!

Solar/Personal Minimum

2011-11-15T01:32:00.001-07:00

Unlike others...I find more comfort in the fact that something this big, makes me feel small.

I'd rather it that way any day.

Do Do

2011-11-14T00:56:00.001-07:00

My to do list for this week:
Wash dreads
Dye dreads?
Tidy up dreads
Laundry
Rewrite cover letter
Print resume to take to CC
Send cover letter and resume to museum
Apply for volunteer position
Make a doctors appointment?
Order motorcyclist bumper sticker
Take box of stuff to Bookmans
Blog!
Prepare for VNV Nation awesomeness
Decide on whether going to the Faerie Festival or not.

Ok, that's kinda awesome and kinda horrible.

The list keeps changing...

Dread Passion

2011-11-13T16:42:00.001-07:00

Every now and then, I like to take a break from whatever I'm working on online and check out dreadlock photos. I found some sexy dread action on this site. Just a bunch of photos of mostly girls with fantastic dreads. Mmmmmmm.

This sparked out of recent conversations and contemplation of dying my hair a completely different color. I want to really badly, which I will have to do one way or another depending what job I get soon.

That reminds me, I should take more photos again.

Good Morning

2011-11-13T12:50:00.001-07:00

And the PostSecret of the day that makes me cry...

La La La La La La

2011-11-10T16:07:00.001-07:00

To sing in your dream represents happiness, harmony and joy in some situation or relationship. You are uplifting others with your positive attitude and cheerful disposition. Singing is a way to celebrate, communicate, embrace and express your feelings.

Interesting.

Motivate Me

2011-11-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

It's been quite quiet here for about 3 combined reasons: Birthday celebrations, stress and pressure at the home/family front, and I've been putting more effort into applying for jobs the past few days.

Birthday celebrations aside, it's been a stressful weekend...week. That's probably not going to go away til I find a decent job. I need something. So bad. It's driving me out of my head.

Every single member in this household is extremely unhappy. And we've all kinda been stuck here. I'm trying to dig myself back out of this hole. I hope the motivation stays with me this time. To get me out of this comfortable hole I've created.

I certainly don't want to be here by the time I'm 25.

Twenty-Four

2011-11-04T13:33:00.001-07:00

TODAY IS MY 24th BIRTHDAY! WOO!!

Last night I went to see Blue Man Group for the second time and it was fantastic and hilarious in all its awesomeness.

Tonight I will see AWOLNATION in concert, which I'm thoroughly looking forward to.

My November

2011-11-01T17:21:00.001-07:00

Oh sweet November. Let's see. This week I have 2 concerts, The Blue Man Group and AWOLNATION. Both of which I'm extremely excited for, although I have not come even close to processing the fact that it is this week and so is my birthday. 24. 24? 24!

Each week after my birthday is one close friend's birthday as well, so it'll be another busy month.

Such a gorgeous aurora over Ontario, from APOD.

Nothing

2011-10-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to The Script's "Nothing" constantly since yesterday...

Am I better off dead?
Am I better off a quitter?
They say I'm better off now
Then I ever was with her
As they take me to my local down the street
I'm smiling but I'm dying trying not to drag my feet

They say a few drinks will help me to forget her
But after one too many I know that I'll never
Only they can see where this is gonna end
But they all think I'm crazy but to me it's perfect sense

And my mates are all there trying to calm me down
'Cause I'm shouting your name all over town
I'm swearing if I go there now
I can change her mind turn it all around

And I know that I'm drunk but I'll say the words
If she'll listen this time even though they're slurred
So I'll dial her number and confess to her
I'm still in love but all I heard was nothing

So I stumble there, along the railings and the fences
I know with her face to face, that she'll come to her senses
Every drunk step I take leads me to her door
If she sees how much I'm hurting, she'll take me back for sure

And my mates are all there trying to calm me down
'Cause I'm shouting your name all over town
I'm swearing if I go there now
I can change her mind turn it all around

And I know that I'm drunk but I'll say the words
If she'll listen this time even though they're slurred
So I'll dial her number and confess to her
I'm still in love but all I heard was nothing

She said nothing
Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing
Oh, I got nothing
I got nothing
Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing

Ohh, sometimes love's intoxicating
Ohh, you're coming down your hands are shaking
When you realize there's no one waiting

Am I better off dead?
Am I better off a quitter?
They say I'm better off now
Then I ever was with her

And my mates are all there trying to calm me down
'Cause I'm shouting your name all over town
I'm swearing if I go there now
I can change her mind turn it all around

And I know that I'm drunk but I'll say the words
If she'll listen this time even though they're slurred
So I'll dial her number and confess to her
I'm still in love but all I heard was nothing

She said nothing
Oh, I wanted words but all I heard was nothing
Oh, I got nothing
I got nothing
I wanted words but all I heard was nothing
Ohh I got nothing

I got nothing