A Lot of Ten-Year-Olds Hate Me Right Now

And long day was long. Let me walk you through.

I went to the Sertoma Butterfly House today. I now have butterfly book darts. Also, I was being brave and getting close to the small spider enclosures they have along one wall. The first one had a Mexican Red Velvet Tarantula in it. There were a few other species and then one of them had these Madagascar hissing cockroaches. They’re kind of cool-looking.

Also, a butterfly walked on me. Not just walked on me but stood on me, tasted me for about a solid minute and then continued to stand on me. And it continued to stand on me until my mother got him to stand on her long enough to put him on a nearby plant. So that was awesome. There were so many of these bright blue butterflies in there. Every time I’d see one, I’d think ‘Hello, Absolum’ because I am a geek.

It’s not just a butterfly house, though. They have a small aquarium attached. With a touch tank. And lionfish – I love lionfish. I couldn’t pet the lionfish but I did get to pet the stingrays and one of those little algae-cleaner fish – I’m not sure what they’re called. (I know they have an actual name but I can’t look it up because the internet at the hotel is down. Again. So, if you’re reading this, either it came back up or I posted it from a Barns and Noble. Or possibly a McDonald's.)

Then we popped into World Market again. I now have two more bottles of Blood Orange Soda and I am happy about that. I also found these little square violet mints that I used to get from my father. I haven’t had them in years and I’d completely forgotten about them.

Since it was getting on toward noon, we decided we would stop for lunch at Cracker Barrel, which is a nice place, really. It’s country but not annoyingly western. It’s more like old-world, out on the plains kind of country. We both just got an egg sandwich with tomato and fired apples in a little dish on the side. Just good, cozy food.

But this is the part most ten-year-olds would hate me for.

We went to Cold Stone Creamery, a place which neither of us had ever been to. Guys. I can’t even … I had a small scoop of Oatmeal Cookie Batter. It was rich enough that I was feeling slightly ill by the end of it but it was good enough that I didn’t care about that.

Then we went up to the Great Plains Zoo. It was hot and sticky outside but they have Amur Tigers there. Also, it’s connected to a museum (which is awesome and much cooler than outside) so we wandered around there for a while before we walked out into the actual zoo.

A man named Bill walked up to us in said museum (while we were looking at eggs, if I remember rightly) and mentioned that he saw we had some tattoo work. We do – both I and my mother have full sleeves – and we get asked about them quite a bit. He put a hand on each of our shoulders and said ‘You know what I think about tattoos?’ We shook our heads. ‘I think they’re a beautiful artistic expression. And you are beautiful people.’* Then he hugged us both.

So that was new.

We walked around outside and stared at a giant anteater and a tiger for a while, hanging out in the shade, before we ventured out into the rest of the zoo. We managed to catch the train around the one side of it and then walked around the rest. I really wish I’d thought to bring my camera (it’s usually in the car, not in the room so I spaced on it) because there were giraffes. And giraffes are huge in person.

There were also geese – gaggles of them – waddling around the zoo so we fed them. Then Mum goosed one. Not really, but we touched them without getting pinched, at least.

I managed to bruise my knees crawling through the ‘Turtle Tunnel’. (Yes, I am almost twenty and no, I don’t care.) But that’s all fine because I got to ride a camel. His name was Cletus and they let me pet his head. *squee* Unfortunately, it made me miss riding horses. I haven’t been riding in forever and I really want to go again.

So that was my day. I am tired, I need a shower, and I’m stupidly hungry even though nothing sounds good.

I’m going to go and maybe try to write for JulNoWriMo a little bit until it’s time for dinner. I have so many ideas, guys, I just don’t know what to do with half of them. I’m bouncing back and forth between something original and a fan story right now – actually, several fan stories right now.

I wonder if it’s something to do with all the stress lately? I mean, I’m going to college and I really want to do the study abroad thing and that’s stressful for a girl who’s never been out of his parent’s sight… I just mixed my pronouns there. Huh. Well, I’m not fixing it. Welcome to my brain.

Really, I’m gonna go. This thing is about a thousand words now and I really don’t need to talk that much.

Bye for now guys.

*This is somewhat paraphrased as I can’t remember exactly what he said. I was something along those lines. We’ve since dubbed him ‘Crazy Bill’. But, hey, if I have to be around crazy people, I’d rather them be crazy like him. :)

W00T~!

is the word I use to describe this.

That, my friends, is the AugNoWriMo 2011 Anthology up for sale on CreateSpace. And I'm in it.

So, as I said before, W00T~! (And it should also be up on Amazon in 1-2 weeks.)

I am insanely nervous. I know it's not really that big of a deal but it's still awesome so I'm still going to spazz about it. A lot. In my head so I don't annoy you all.

*spazz dance*

I did it... I did it! *insane laughter*

And here is the reason I've been MIA for a few days: I just wrote 100,000 words in thirty-one days. And I get to be in Milestone this year. *squee!*

As such I'm a little insane at the moment. That should clear up to tolerable levels within the next few days, though. I'm also really ADD right now so this post is probably going to take me a few hours to get through.

I think I broke my ear buds...again. I need to just stop using them since I can never keep them intact for some reason. I need to write (or at least edit) but I keep getting sidetracked by anime and Slenderman stuff. It's sparking all kinds of ideas in my little caffeine-addled brain.

Also, Maureen Johnson is on my list of authors to read now.

And I'm totally rambling when I need to be working. Oh, well. To my renamed version of Word! *runs away*

For now you may sleep the sleep of the just and the caught-up

And yea, for we are insane, endeavorth we will to complete this challenge yet again in all it's many incarnations. Those who cannot remain steadfast and strong of heart in the coming months will fall by the wayside. And our muses shall strike down our inner editors and cast them into the fiery pit. Distractions shall not be welcomed to the fold as they tweet and scream with abandon to the rafters. Thou gleeking dread-bolted popinjay! Yet again, thou enter my chamber with thine chirps and warbles, pulling me from my studies! Off with you! Off, I say! That thou may in fact be a blessing in disguise, I've no doubt. Yet I cannot allow thy music within my domain. Thy song disarms my actions and I can no longer move. Thou speak an infinite deal of nothing. Who is the muse between us? Not I, Madame. Not I.


...


I've lost my mind, haven't I? 0.o What was that? That was like a little Shakespearean rant.


BUT. I totally won WriDaNoJu, And that rocks. I pulled a 10k day and got done at about 1 in the AM. I still don't think I've fully recovered, if the above rant was any indication. Now I'm all high and geared up so I'm trying to plan out JulNo before it hits ('cause believe me, it's coming like a freight train). I also have the Clarion Write-A-Thon to do (which I lost the link to my page but it's a few entries back if you want to help out - and please help out if you can 'cause it's a really good organisation) so that just adds to the stress. And I love it.


I'm starting to think it is kind of an addiction. But a good addiction. ^^ In fact that was the main theme of the story I started to make up the word count after 'Praying for Death' came in at only 37,446.


I'll post up the 'WriMo Anatomy' steps for this month pretty soon but for now, I'll see you all later.