F A I T H; T R U S T

THIS JOURNAL IS SEMI-FRIENDS ONLY.
Anything ranty, emotional, involving photographs, or that is otherwise personal will be locked to friends-only. Posts of general information, anime stuffs, memes, website updates and likewise sillyness will remain public and viewable to all.

I collect lj friends. Comment to be added. :D

Potter was good. I dressed up. We saw it at Universal. There were a lot of other people in cosplay, and it was crowded in general.

The movie itself could've used more at the end (Hogwarts battle + Dumbles' funeral) but the rest of it felt superb. The Bill and Fleur stuff as well as Tonks and Remus probably would've felt excessive with all the other relationships going on, especially since we haven't even met Bill in the movieverse. I haven't read the book in years, so there was probably more, but I felt pretty satisfied with it overall. Poor Neville had like 2 secs of screentime though lol.

Here's hopin' the next one comes out a bit quicker... that two-year wait was just... dumbtarded.

Is anyone else on my f-list even into HP anymore? xD If not, oh well... I talk to myself often enough anyway.

More about my last couple days when I have more time (and more sleep).

Today was much better than yesterday :D People are dicks, so they were either busy, not answering their phones, or failed to call me back. YES THAT IS RIGHT. All people should be at my disposal at all times :0 But they weren't, and since I now find it rather depressing to do anything alone, I stayed home, took a nap, watched TV, and did about 2/3rds of my homework. My Saturday nights are just crazy I know.

But this morning Sarah and I finally made it out to Leu Gardens. WHICH CONTARY TO ALL OTHER ATTRACTIONS ENDING IN "GARDENS" IN THIS STATE, IS ACTUALLY A GARDEN. It was very lovely and British and they even had a sekrit Chikane and Himeko rose garden :3 My favorite area was the butterfly garden, though. The butterflies had ADD I swear it THEY WOULD NOT SIT STILL FOR SHIT. And I was a hero because I rescued a butterfly from freaking out on the ground because its wings weren't dry yet. I'm a saint I know.

After about two hours there bathing in our own body salts we decided to gtfo and hit up Park Ave for some grub. Which was absolutely orgasmic I must say. Pasta with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms in a garlic basil butter sauce with a filet of fish on top. NOM plz. Then we gallivanted around the fancy shops and exfoliated the hell out of ourselves in Origins. There was this pot in a kitchen store we could not stop lol'ing over, it was like... enough to hold one noodle, maybe, and was 49$. WHAT WOULD ANYONE USE THAT FOR. Seriously it was enough to hold like a sip of water.

Sarah left for work, then I went to Aldi for delicious discount produce and later the dog park with Luca. He lost his collar yesterday, so I spent the majority of the time trying to find it. At one point I came face to face with this guy and nearly flipped my shit, but only because it startled me. Then I went Steve Irwin on it and tried to get as close as I could. Still not sure if it was a moccasin or a regular water snake but I've only seen maybe 10 wild snakes in my life so yeah. I still get very excited, possible RISK OF PAINFUL DEATH or not. I mostly know what I'm doing...? :D;;

Mission find the collar failed, unfortunately, which has me a bit miffed because I just got Luca a new collar a few weeks ago, and got him a second I.D. tag after my phone # changed. So when I get him another one it'll be his third collar/I.D. since I've had him, which has only been for five months :/

Tomorrow is Tampa day! I'm excited... and aside from touring the USF campus, I'm going to try to look at a few apartment complexes, too, and cruise through the area a bit more. Should give me a bit more peace of mind about the (possibly) impending move.

Well, poop. Sarah and I were going to go to Leu Gardens today, but right before we were about to leave, Sarah remembered that she had some online homework to do that was due tonight. She said it would take about an hour, but it took closer to two and a half. By that time (+ after she showered and ate) we would have only had an hour to spend there, so... we didn't go. We went to the dog park again like every other day, and then she left for work.

My Saturday is pretty much over now :/ The only other thing on my "list" that's either open or still worth going to is the new mini golf course.

My other idea is Sak improv theater, which starts at 8. I just need someone to go with.

I hate it when my plans for having an epic weekend of epic don't work out. Especially when it's because of someone else's fumble.

/petty complaining

edit; NO ONE IS AVAILABLE TO DO ANYTHING TONIGHT/NO ONE'S PICKING UP THEIR PHONE ASDFGHJKL;

God I wish my camera was working BECAUSE RITSUKA LOOKS HILARIOUS. His body was spewing fur like a fur factory so I had him shaved like a lion. He is trying his best to look dignified and failing miserably. Also, Chikane all the sudden doesn't recognize his bald ass self and won't let him get near her. Ahaha REVENGE IS SWEET.

Yesterday was both productive and full of delicious lazing around, if that makes any sense. I took a nap, spent a few hours watching tv/on the internet, but the apartment was getting filthy so I cleaned everything + made dinner.

OH AND THIS IS COOL, I went to Sonic earlier in the day and got a free sundae for being their 100th customer 8D It's not the first time that's happened to me at a store, either... I've been 1st customer at a Barnie's and got a free lb of coffee once, too. Why am I lucky at dumb shit and have terrible luck with everything important :( idk you guys, idk.

Have no idea what I'm doing this weekend so I'm posting a poll. Plz give me your best suggestions keeping my best interests in mind ok.

Poll #1427830
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

What should Shan do for weekend goodness?

Most of these are things I haven't done in awhile that are free or low-cost (to Florida residents, anyway). Actually lol I thought of most of those just now.

Busy week next week too. I'm going to USF (finally) to tour the campus on Monday, Harry Potter is Tuesday night, I have an exam on Thursday, and my work is having a bowling party Saturday. Plus all the other usual stuff.

I'm starting to feel a lot better, anyway. Preparing for my move is still many months away.

So I've got almost everything done that I can do at this point. I've turned in my transcripts and test scores to USF and only need to wait to hear their decision. I'll take a long walk off a short cliff if they don't accept me as I have no other backup plan, but I'll deal with that when and if it happens. In the mean time, I've got to...

★ Save up at least $2000 to move (deposits, fees, moving truck, etc)
★ Get a job in Tampa... which MAY BE A BIT DIFFICULT from Orlando
★ Go apartment hunting, find an apartment, apply, set move-in date, etc
★ Go through, throw out, and organize all my stuff
★ Have a moving sale to get rid of excess items/make money
★ Get approximately 1 million boxes
★ Pack
★ Arrange a day to move with a bunch of friends (hopefully Jan. 2nd)
★ Drive to new apartment
★ Unpack
★ Start new job
★ Begin new life (YES, THAT IS A STEP)

SO MUCH OMG. And in the meantime I'll have to figure out financial aid, actually VISIT THE CAMPUS maybe once before attending, take my first four classes online (since I can't move until January '10), etc. And it was also suggested that I start job/apartment hunting around November, and APPARENTLY I have to have a job BEFORE I have the apartment... which is... what? Having a job in Tampa before I move there seems impossible, unless it would be okay to let them know on the application that I couldn't start until January. How does that work? Has anyone else been told that before? I was under the impression that I'd save up the first month's rent (or maybe two) so I'd be covered financially UNTIL I got a job... but I dunno, never done this before :x

I did sit down and do my FAFSA with my mom last night, and the good news is that since I'll be turning 24 this year, she can't claim me as a dependent anymore :DD So I can qualify for better loans and a government grant of 5000 something $. I couldn't qualify before because my mother insisted on claiming me EVEN THOUGH she does not pay more than half my support; she pays my cell phone bill and I'm on her insurance :P So not even close. Now that I'm an independent I can qualify for a lot more financial help since technically, I'm considered to be waaaay below the poverty line (I made less than $6000 last year -.-; Scary). My tax return next year should be considerably more awesome, too. But I won't be able to go forward with anything else until I know I'm accepted by USF, which I would very much like to know about soon.

I had to stop at UCF to order my final transcript today, and I just felt... sad. Their stupid decision is forcing me to leave everything I know behind me, and all I could think about was how long I'd been associated with them, far before I started college. My first convention was there when I was 14, and I used to go there every month for their anime club meetings. It inspired me to create my own club at Timber Creek and everything. I was so excited when I'd been accepted there and just... loved it, the campus, the atmosphere, everything. And when I got kicked out, I tried so hard to do well and come back. My whole year has been focused on it. And they just... turned me away... I wasn't good enough. For something that happened five years ago, I wasn't good enough. It really hurt me. I really loved it there.

But it's not like the school itself (if I pretend it's a living entity) is responsible. Just the elitist bitches that run it. I don't want to feel bitter towards UCF. I just can't bring myself to hate it. I have too many good memories there.

Another path starts here. I'm hoping there are wonderful things waiting for me. USF looks like it has a comparable campus and I do like the Tampa area. I'm just hoping it all goes smoothly.

Cross your fingers.

1. Go to photobucket.com.
2. Type in your answer for each question into the PhotoBucket search bar.
3. Only use the first two pages. Choose your favorite photo to represent your answer.
4. Copy the html and paste it here.
5. You can only answer in picture form.

( Picture Lulz )

Won't know the results of the meeting until 2 :/

GOING CRAZY HERE

July 4th was good. Didn't get to see any ~amazing~ fireworks like I usually do, and I probably could have before going to Sam's party. But the rest of it was nice.

After my post yesterday, Sarah and I went to the Tiffany museum on Park Ave. They were having an "open house" until 4 so admission was free. I'd never been before, so that was pretty cool... there was a ton of stained glass, furniture, paintings, and a giant chapel that he'd worked on. It was all so detailed omg~ Then we checked out some of the shops and drooled over all the expensive stuff. One was a cheese store selling stuff at 20+$ a lb and another that sold spices and teas. It wasn't as bad at the latter so we got two little tea samplers (oolong and almond cookie) and a spice sampler that had lavender in it for 10ish$.

Afterward, we went to a cute little vegan cafe called Dandelion's and had an awesome salad called "Eve's Revenge" and delicious spring rolls and tea. They were having a veggie dog eating contest, but it was... hours long lol. So the contestants were taking their time eating the hotdogs instead of racing against a clock. Other patrons were being interviewed while wearing an Uncle Sam hat and there was this guy there who was drawing/painting the scene for his blog. Before we left we got a Newman-O cupcake.

Sarah had to go to work, so I set off to Sam's around 7. I was supposed to pick up Shawnee and her b/f, but they weren't picking up their phones nor were they home, so I ended up leaving without them. The party was out IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, seriously, there were a few gas stations and bars, but not even a McDonald's for MILES. It was surreal.

Shit was fun when I got there, we watched Beauty and the Beast + both Kill Bills, chilled in a jacuzzi until it became unbearable in the heat, played Ring of Fire and Apples to Apples, pigged out on cake and alcolols, made prank phone calls, set off some fireworks, all that shiz. The best part was when people started falling asleep and we drew dicks and swastikas all over their faces and stuffed icing and cheese in their gaping maws. I actually didn't see Sam too much during the course of the night and mostly hung out with her guy friends. Sarah drove up with Josie after she got off work so I was like ":D! Finally! People I know!"

We didn't get back home until almost 7am, and I was pretty much shocked that Luca hadn't crapped himself. But that was my somewhat unorthodox 4th, anyway.

Now to figure out something to do today~ :O

& Happy Birthday to my friend Sam :D

Dunno what I'm going to do today yet, but tonight is Sam's party. For some reason I slept until noon without waking up even once at a more reasonable time. Hopefully there still may be something going on during the day today.

This is one of my favorite holidays so yeah 8D I LIKE WHEN THINGS A SPLODE. Oh and Happy belated Canada day to my Canadian brethren lol.

UGH TECHNOLOGY WHY :(

The camera I've had for only six months has something wrong with it. Took it into the store, they tried it with a fresh battery, nothing. It plugs in to charge and the green light goes on for five seconds and then it turns off. Apparently the battery is fine. And apparently I can't really do anything about it except try to send it in to the manufacturer, which is a giant pain in the ass.

So ON TOP of this, I get back into my car and find out that my GPS is doing the exact. same. thing. Turning on for a few seconds, then turning off, and not charging. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO EITHER OF THEM. They weren't dropped, they haven't been acting testy, THEY WERE FINE. AND NOW THEY BOTH HAVE AIDS.

So the camera's just kind of frustrating, but I use my GPS to keep myself from driving around aimlessly whenever I get lost, which will be often without it. It sounds stupid and whiny, but it's something I really need as a driver. It's really fucking upsetting.

Still haven't paid for my car insurance or car payments from June because I simply don't have the money. I can't afford this bs. Can't afford life.

And my printer just ran out of ink, too.

Augghhh so bored :|

Today was spend running errands. Went to the bank, pet store, got groceries, etc. & I finally got my e-pass battery changed. It's been sounding very angry with me whenever I've gone through tolls lately.

I've been looking a lot at apartments in Tampa (online, of course). Some of them are really nice and even cheaper than the rent I'm paying now. I'm starting to get excited about moving there next year. eternitat, any nice (but affordable) areas you would recommend that are close to USF? I already know to avoid "suitcase city" or whatever, but I've been reading a lot of mixed stuff about Tampa in general. But then again, I looked up stuff about Orlando and some people said some pretty outrageous things about here, too... like that they wouldn't even bring their kids here IT IS SO DANGEROUS AND CRIME-RIDDEN. Kind of an exaggeration? D:

Watch I get in to UCF now. Guess I'd go with it if I did, but I'm getting pretty excited about going somewhere new.

Meanwhile, I randomly looked up some stuff about Anime Expo and HOLY SHIT @ their guests. Morning Musume?! Yun Kouga?! SETH GREEN?! Not a single dub voice actor... no Steve Bennet or George Lowe. Lol. Florida cons seem pitiful in comparison, and the AX volunteer package is so cool. Meals provided, possible crash space. Makes me want to aim to go next year. The only major expense would be the plane tickets to LA and back... and if I went there, I'd probably want to sightsee a bit beyond the con.

Apologies for the random post. Life is boring at the moment.

LOL OLD BUT

Yeah Michael Jackson. I was listening to the radio and heard about it as soon as it happened, and I can't say I wasn't shocked and a little sad. But I'm not devastated or anything. It's more like... one of those people you thought would always be around, and they're just... gone out of nowhere. It's surprising, and a little unsettling. Like if Canada suddenly vanished or something. You'd be like "Where the fuck did Canada go? WTF!!", but you'd get over it in like five minutes.*

I will miss the little boy and nose jokes, though :( And Thriller + moonwalking was awesome.

* Plz don't kill me Canadians, I actually hart Canada (:

WHAT
WHAT
WHAT
WHAT

WHAT IS THIS?!

They tell me about this now when I've just spent $85 in application fees on admission to another school? SPENT DAYS FREAKING THE FUCK OUT? LOST SLEEP?

MAYBE THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE COULD HAVE TOLD ME THIS EARLIER? MAYBE?

Cue super, giant facepalm.

I'm nuking UCF.

edit; I might not do it. The terms and conditions are kind of fail; I'd basically be paying for college for a year without any of it counting towards a major. BUT STILL, maybe mention it to me as a last-ditch option??

HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY TO THE LION KING!

Thanks for 15 years, TLK. The meaning and joy you have brought to my life is immeasurable, and I don't think I could ever love a piece of art as much as you.

... and gosh do I feel old. I was 8 when TLK was released >__>; STOP GOING SO FAST, TIME.

Well, I've gone ahead and formulated a Plan B in case UCF rejects me, which is pretty likely. In fact, I like the Plan B so much that at this point I don't really care about being rejected anymore :'D

This plan is to go to the University of South Florida in Tampa. I need to move next year anyway, so why not try out some place different? Not permanently, but until I finish college. I'd spend my first semester taking online classes because I certainly can't afford to up and move in less than two months, and then I'd move in January '10. They have a degree program I'm interested in that's also interdisciplinary, they're the next-closest University to Orlando, and their tuition is apparently the cheapest in the state. I still want to visit, but I'm pretty much sold at this point... there are "better" colleges in Florida, but I don't really want to move to Gainseville or Miami. I'd like to stay at least semi-close to my family and friends and Disney and all that, at least for now.

If I do get back into UCF, it would avoid the hassle of moving. But it would also mean I'd be very stressed about my grades and would have to deal with limited enrollment until I can drag my old, unhappy GPA above a 2.0, and if any of my semester GPAs happen to dip below that (getting anything less than an A or a B), I'd be thrown out for good. Even though I haven't had a C in ages, this still worries me. If I went to USF, I wouldn't have to deal with that at all. I'd be granted full enrollment and my GPA would start anew. Knowing this, I almost WANT them to reject me. Then I won't be pressured to go to UCF if I decide after the decision is made that HEY, maybe I don't want this after all. Because limited enrollment and stress absolutely suck, and I'm kind of tired of dealing with it based on one fucked-up year I had in '03-'04.

I'll know for sure on the 7th of July when I speak to the admissions committee. I will still make a decent effort of presenting my case to them. But if I do get in by some miracle, is it really the best choice for me? It could take me a year or two extra to graduate, and I ain't gettin' any younger :/

Sarah already said she'd consider going with me and transferring over there, too. Her dad (who we stayed with for MetroCon) lives right near their St. Pete campus, and he kept trying to convince her to move in with him and go there. So, we'll see. I don't want to make her do anything she really doesn't want to, but it may be a deal-breaker if she wants to stay here. Then I'll have to think of Plan C...

At least I have some sort of back up. Being at the crossroads is better than being in the dark.

Ohhh maannn. MetroCon was great. A lot of really unique events like usual, like a Dr. Horrible showing with a shadow cast (ala Rocky Horror Picture Show), their yearly fire show, a battlebots type fighting contest, and more. There was never really a moment where I felt like there was nothing going on, and I have to say I'm glad I have I con I like this much to ease the pain of JACON's passing.

Of course the highlight of the con for Sarah and I was getting to meet the Demyx Time girls. It was the #1 topic all weekend, and I have truly not been that excited about something in a long, long time. I pick strange things to fangirl... >__> But we certainly weren't alone as their panel on Saturday was so packed that they had to move it out into the hallway! They were exhausted by the end of it, and such good sports, and so nice, and so FUNNY! None of what they said was scripted, and all of it was hilarious.

A lot of the other fans got them gifts, so Sarah and I didn't feel so awkward about giving them ours eventually... some Dancing Waters body wash for "Demyx" and some spicy cinnamon room spray for "Axel" ;P They seemed amused and happy to receive them. We wanted to hang around them and stuff but didn't want to seem pretentious, so we left them alone for the most part. There was always a huge crowd of people around them every time we spotted them afterwards anyway. But we got hugs, so :DDD If no one knows what the hell I'm talking about, Demyx Time is a web show put on by some English cosplayers about the daily hijinks of Organization XIII, with Demyx and Axel as the hosts. It's hilarious and cute, and Sarah and I really love it :3 If you like Kingdom Hearts and stupid humor, I recommend it!

I didn't get anything from the Dealer's room this year except an Italy figurine that me and Sarah split the cost of because it was freakin' $20, and really tiny. They had ones of Germany, Japan, and the allies, too (America, Russia, and England sold out within hours o__O), but they refused to haggle on a Germany/Italy deal, so we just got Italy. That particular stand had a bunch of other rare figures too, like a MariMite set I was really temped to get... but I held myself back D:

Some other highlights were an Ouran Host Club mystery panel (Ouran panels never fail to be adorable and entertaining), a panel with five of the Gundam Wing VAs, the rave, and a few WTF moments in the Chess Match and AMV contest. We missed the Cosplay Contest because the Demyx Time panel on Saturday ran overtime, but that was fine with me. On Friday night, we also wandered into a room where a bunch of very friendly furries were watching an Indian cartoon about anthro dogs that was sort of good, sort of not and... it was mostly just really weird, 'cause every other sentence of the movie was in English. Sarah and I also walked out to nearby Ybor city on Saturday to get liquor, and that was kind of cool, too.

I'm sad it's over, but happy to be back home... sort of (Still dreading the final decision on the UCF thing, and my week is packed with work and school, including another exam). I have plenty of pictures to post, including ones of us at Sarah's dad's house, where we stayed... but I'll get those up tomorrow or Tuesday.

Still a bundle of nerves, but...

Anyway, I'm off to MetroCon, hopefully to take my mind off of things. Maybe I'll see a few of you there.

Adieu.

( That yes/no survey )

THE MAGIC LOST :( I don't think any of you guys follow Basketball, and this is the first time I have been since I was a little kid. But at one time long long ago, the Orlando Magic KICKED ASS because we had Shaq. THEN HE BETRAYED US. It was srs bizniz back then; PEOPLE WENT CRAZY. And the Magic have been kind of meh for the last 14 years. And this year, for some reason... WE KICKED ASS AGAIN. AND MADE IT TO THE FINALS. But the Lakers massacred us... so, it's back to square one. It'll be interesting to see how the Magic does next year. But MAN, that was exciting for awhile. I haven't seen my hometown so proud of our team since the old days :')

Sarah and I saw Land of the Lost today... was so lulzy. It got terrible reviews, but I thought it was hysterical (yet I hated Up, which I saw a week or two ago, which got stellar reviews... yeah, my brain is different). Afterwards I went online like I usually do to look up stuff about it and almost immediately realized that the Land of the Lost series I watched as a kid was not, in fact, the original 1974 one, but the 1990s remake. The 1974 one looked SO. BAD. The special effects were ridiculous! So I watched a bunch of that and uh... god, my life is so boring lately. :P BUT I LOL'D.

And omg, Sarah... she's been making me crack up. We were talking about what would happen if there were a movie that was completely G-rated until the last 5 seconds, where something insanely offensive would appear; we were trying to think of excuses for asking for a refund for a movie you didn't like even if you watched almost the whole thing. So she was like, "What could possibly be that offensive right at the end? A big black penis appearing that said 'Fuck Jesus' on it? Or maybe the penis comes in Jesus's face?" AND I LOST IT OMG. Also today I threw my giant ice water on her AND IT WAS SO SATISFYING because I was itching to do it all day. And of course she got me back instantly but still.

... and that's it :| That had no coherency at all, I apologize.

I wish I had something even remotely interesting to update with, but I do this compulsively, so yeah :D I don't.

I've been lazy as fuck the past few days, doing nothing but watching animu. Fushigi Yuugi is such lulz after all these years; the animation is just... so bad. I think they might have done one minute of actual animation per episode, the rest are just still drawings and cels moving up and down and shit. I thought it had to be from the early 90s but it was actually made in '95, so it's about as old as Eva and CCS... both of which didn't look half as hysterical, even with Eva's... many bizarre shortcuts lol. Man I remember when I could watch bad animation like that and completely ignore it, I just can't any more. But I will force myself to finish the series for the sake of nostalgia, at least D:

Gurren Lagann did get way more interesting after the timeskip, which I finally got to. But damn it all, now I have to buy set 03... and I really want to avoid downloading it because I want to buy it eventually, and I know I'll put it off if I do, but the cliffhangers :(. Woe. Sarah also spotted all this animu on YouTube, like... officially on there, similar to Hulu, and we watched the first episode of Code Geass, too. EVENTUALLY I SHALL BE ALL CAUGHT UP ON THE LATEST SHIT OR WHATEVER. Because that's what trendy amine kids do :>

Otherwise, the only noteworthy thing I've done in the past few days is help Sarah make sushi, which turned out okay, and took my second math exam yesterday morning. I shall see the results tomorrow :0

ALSO U GUYS, CAPTION CONTEST (WITH NO PRIZES LOL)!!!



What is going on here

OK GAME TIME.

1) Comment with a strange sexual fetish
2) I go into an aim chat room, begin to fake!cyber w/ someone, and slowly reveal this fetish
3) I post the resulting convos in my next entry
4) You lol

GO GO GO