Save the Kilowatts!

I have a pet peeve. He is cute and purple and his name is Steve. He looks like this:

Steve is a kind and caring peeve. He is adorable and I am very sad when people upset him. You see, Steve is very concious of kilowatts. It's not his fault. He self-actualized because of something I learned from my father.

You see, I grew up with a wonderful father who has the same kind of imagination I do. Only... I beat him in the insane department. But anyway. When either I or one of my siblings left lights on unnecessarily in the house my dad would cry:
And so forth. I would look up into the flourescent light and it hurt my eyes, so I stopped and looked down at the non-flourescent tile floor instead, and imagined the light in my head. Then I would imagine the microscopic insides of a lightbulb:
I thought killowatts were like blue shining amoebas. I'm pretty sure that is not the case, sadly, but whatever. I don't have to be defined by reality. And that's not the point. The point is Steve Peeve is disstressed when people go around killing them all of the time. That's actually one of the things I like about the college I am attending. They have little signs at all the lights reminding people to turn them off when they are not being used. And it makes Steve Peeve happy. And he dances. And has a party. And drinks glasses of sparkling water through an orange straw, because Steve Peeve is just that cool. So think of Steve. Don't kill the killowatts. Have a party with sparkling water and epic orange straws instead, because that is much more awesome.

Other Writers

I love, love, love meeting other writers. Whether it's online, or in "real" life, or whatever. It's fantastic. I have moved down to VA and am attending a college here. Most of my friends I have met write. The one creates worlds and languages like I do, and it's been such a joy to talk about each other's worlds. I don't know. There's just something magical about it. And my other friend is still figuring out how to write, so in the meantime she's drawing pictures of her characters and it's fantastic to listen to the ideas that will one day find their way onto paper.

And to think I was nervous about moving away from home. Sometimes I forget about the magic that exists in the writing and Geek world. It doesn't matter who you are, what you do, what you like, what you don't like, as soon as you find a fellow writer or Geek there is an instant connection, an instant bond of friendship. It's so much fun.

And it makes world building so much easier. I love writing stuff with others. There's something about the interaction that just works for me. And when I'm not writing with someone I have found it is super useful to bounce my ideas off of someone else. I have been stuck on my Haunbrinth series, just not sure where to take it. I've been unable to write anything because I haven't known the end of the series, and I have to know what the end is, what the goal is, before I can go forward.

Today I was talking with this one fellow that I met who writes. I am basing a character off of him because I like to do that (I always get permission first, of course) me. I came back to my dorm to write out a basic outline based on this new character and suddenly it all made sense to me. I know the entire arch. I know why the beginning starts the way it does. I was having issues with the beginning and now I know why.

This is why the writer community is so important to me. It's so important to have fellow writers that you can talk with. Not only to get ideas, or to get through pot tangles, but to get encouragement and to stay excited. NaNoWriMo begins in a couple of weeks and now I feel much more confident.

So thank you to writers and Geeks everywhere. You make my life beautiful.

Life = Interesting

There is something I have come to realize about life. Life doesn't really make sense most of the time. For example, some girls go to college with this mindset:

And instead of finding even one boy, they end up finding a whole lot of homework and wonderful friends instead.

Then you have other people, who are more like this:

And they are the ones who end up meeting someone before classes even officially start.

And this can sometimes seem unfair. But I think it all works out. Because those who were just looking for boys end up finding themselves. Or really good friends. Or they learn how to make pottery and they become beautiful cat people who find beautiful cat men later in life.

And the one who was against boyfriends ends up learning more about who they are, and that it's okay to trust people.
So in the end, I think life works itself out. Maybe not all of the time, but I think it happens a lot more often than we realize.

While I was in LaLa Land

So.... For lack of better things to post about I will explain the past two months of my life in Bullet Points! Yay!

- July - Go to Polaris and despite the alarms blaring in the middle of the night have an epically good time

-July - Come back from Polaris and find out Borders, where I have tried to work for years, is closing.

-July - Customers begin to lose all courtesy and repeatedly infringe on my space bubble

-August - Have a physical done for school

-August - Two customers poke me in the back. I nearly kill them

-August - Find out I might have something wrong with my thyroid

August - Get denied for a Student Loan

August - Get a denial for my query

August - Might not be able to go to school

August - Drama unfolds in my personal life like an origami swan

August - My dad co-signs and I can go to college!

August - My thyroid is fine! As far as I know.

August - Pat my friends on the head and tell them to get along

August - Leave Borders and cry on the way home

August - Almost crash twice

August - Make it home safely

August - Pack like a banshee

August - Move to VA

August - Leave phone charger at friend's house so I cannot call anyone

August - Go through the rigors of Orientation

August - Write this blog post

September - First day of classes

So. Yes. That was my past two months. How were yours???

A Not-So Happy Ending: Killing Off Main Characters

I'm working on a novel for Camp NaNoWriMo. It is an idea I've had for a long time. It's about a Princess who gets tired of waiting for her Prince to rescue her. It's about how her story is all wrong and is not going the way it's supposed to. It's about her journey to try and figure out what is wrong with her. It's about her running from a terrible choice she made. She is a Princess and is not sure exactly what that means anymore.

Woe is me! I know not what being a Princess means!

Now, some of you may be aware: I kill characters.

CrazyPants!

There are few stories where I don't kill off someone. In fact, I want to write a story where I keep killing off the narrator. But generally I don't have terrible endings. I believe in hope. I believe in happy endings. Maybe bittersweet endings. But I don't believe in Romeo and Juliet endings.

I'm sorry... But I find their story so pathetic :(

This story I'm working on could have two possible endings. There is the bittersweet ending or there is the Romeo and Juliet ending. And you know what? I really, really want to go with the terrible, terrible, kill off the main character ending.

I told my mom this and she said, "That would be a bold choice." I know that bold can just be a synonym for suicidal, so I was curious.

What do you think of terribly sad endings? How do you feel about writers killing off the main character at the end? I mean, it's not an easy choice. This is the character you've made your reader character about. This is the person they've cheered for, cried for, cared for. Killing them off? Such an action can kill writer's and their careers.

Thus I came here, curious about what you guys think about killing characters. Should only minor characters die, or would you be okay with a main character being killed off at the end??

I May Fall Asleep Half-Way Through This...

So. Yes. The liquidation process has begun at Borders and now we get to come in at 6 o'clock in the morning! Yay! Not. Really. You see, I do not normally function until 9 in the morning. That means my poor co-workers have to be around me for three hours while I stare blankly and refuse to speak with them. And then I work for 8-9 hours. By then I am sleep deprived and loopy. Yesterday I started throwing gift cards at one of my co-workers but instead of being mad he just asked if I could kill him so he didn't have to be on register anymore. Yeah. It's been a bit hard.

He should get this shirt. As long as he is merely

being metaphorical. I don't want him to really

die because he is tall and cool.

BUT. I get along with everyone I work with so we manage to keep each other afloat which is dreadfully needed. And so, I'll take advantage of these end times and post about my highlights.

1) After I'm done with every customer I shout out "I can help the next customer." but the one time I shouted "Have a Good Day!" instead. E, who was standing next to me, bent over in half she was laughing so hard.

Only she has red hair. And is a girl.

2) It is 3pm. I am supposed to be leaving. I wait for back up and am helping this lady. Her total is $15.57. She hands me a twenty and says, "I have the change so you can ring it up."

Uh. Yeah. No. I've had customers try this before. After I open the drawer they suddenly don't have the change and I have to try to figure out their change. I don't have math skills of any kind. So I say, "That's okay. I'll just wait."

She: "But why not? I have the change. It will save time." (she continues to dig in her purse for change and I try not to point out that she is actually wasting time by talking to me instead of just finding her change and moving on.)

Me: "It won't make a big difference so I'll just wait."

She: (pausing) "Why not?"

Me: (not really caring anymore) "Because I'm weird."

She: (stares) "Excuse me?"

Me: "I'm weird."

She: "Why are you weird?"

Me: "I have to do things in a specific way. Just let me do it."

Finally she hands me the change and I give her a five and she walks away clearly very confused.

this was her brain

OH. MY. GOODPOTATOES. People. Just let me be a cashier. You can be a customer. Don't tell me how to do my job. I've been a cashier for a few years now. I know what I'm doing. Just move on.

3) After the crazy change lady leaves I deal with an uber slow person who is so slow it makes my skin feel like it is burning (or maybe I feel that way since there is no air conditioning and it is close to 90 degrees up by the registers. So much fun!) but once the uber slow lady is gone I run away and grab my bag from the back. I also grab a marshmallow rice thing because it is filled with sugar.

love it!

Then I have to get a bag check so that the managers know we aren't stealing things. As my manager, JP, checks my bag a group of teens come in.

1st Teen: "I wonder if the chairs are for sale?"

Me: (in a singsong voice) "Yes, but not for you."

2nd Teen: "Uh. Okay then."

Me: (extremely embarrassed and calling after them) "I'm sorry! I've been awake since five! I'm really tired and I'm leaving."

I run out of the store as fast as I can while JP turns around and covers her face with her hands as she tries to muffle her laughter.

Yeah. This whole liquidation thing is going to be so much fun on my brain.

Have fun my peeps! I'm going to go spend the entire day doing absolutely nothing. it is going to be EPICally fun.

And Sometimes Life Isn't As Cool

As most of you probably know, Borders is dying. They call it - in official terms - liquidating. It is sadness.

Awwww... :(

It's not as bad for me because I'm leaving for school in the fall (more on that later) but I know in December I'm going to come back and it's going to hit me like a brick falling out of a speeding dumpster.

I'll probably cry. Just a little bit.

I'm kinda' hoping Barnes & Nobles will put in a bookstore after we leave. There are not many bookstores in our area. The closest one is close to forty-five minutes away from me. Not cool.

Annnnnnnd... You learn that there are two kinds of people in the world.

1) The kind that are sad for you, and wish you luck. They thank you for always helping you and make you love life. They share with you the books they love and encourage you to expand your interests and learn more, even if you end up losing your job. And it is amazing. And you love people. And you want to give customers hugs, except for the scary men that stare at you through windows...

And you know that it's going to be okay. Until...

2) The people who call as soon as they find out your closing and want to know what's on sale. The people who ask if they can buy it now and return it later for the sale price. And you say no. And you wonder if they're on drugs. And there is the one customer that snickers at you because you are losing your job. Or they scream at you across the store to ask when you're closing. And you want to hit everyone and scream at them and you wonder what on earth people are thinking. Maybe they all starting sniffing glue and just aren't in their right minds.

CRAZIEST THING IN THE WORLD

(according to Google)

This is what my customers were like, apparently.

But life will go on and God will provide and we'll find our way from here. So we just have to remember to hold onto the number one customers and disregard the others. (And here I would normally say, Shas La Na, but as it is in a language that does not exist I will instead just run away and leave now.)