Once again, I am left with no choice but to combine a whole bunch of stuff into one post. Because I seem to be too lazy to write up stuff as it happens these days.

So firstly, the fanfic comp is now over and finished rather smoothly. In the end we only had three ties, and none were for first place. Not bad at all. Everyone also seemed really pleased with how quickly the results were posted, so yay there as well. I was also pretty pleased with the results- a lot of my favorites won without me even having to vote for them. ^_^

Putting the hosting duties to the side, I myself was also on the ballot and was surprised to find myself watching the votes come in for me. 'Twas for the same story in two different categories- I got second place for Best Short Work and first for Best Villain.

That's... surprisingly good. The stories I was up against in both categories were like, really, really good. I went and reread mine to compare. I honestly can't see how they placed as high as they did. I mean, I don't think I sucked, but in comparison I find several fics to have been more deserving.

Seesaw was written on the spur of the moment, in the attempt to just write something and have it up in time for a goodfic flood. I like it, but I don't think it's anything special.

Not that I'm ungrateful! Because it's seriously nice to see people thought highly enough of it to vote for it. It just baffles me, I guess.

Nevertheless, yay! I wrote barely nothing and I still get recognized. I has not been forgotten. :3

Next matter of business- I watched Bolt online a couple of hours ago. OMG- I liked that movie a lot more than I thought I would. It had it's moments of total cuteness, but it also had some really developed characters. I loved all three of the animals (Bolt is the dog, obviously, and then there's Mittens the cat and Rhino the hamster). They just had so much personality. Oh, and the pigeons. Freaking hilarious. The Nemo jab was awesome. XD Really- it was totally great to watch. I may even buy it.

And because I can't talk about movies without at least one quote...

Bolt: There's a guard.
Rhino: I'll snap his neck.

And finally for something a little more serious.

Long rambling entry once again. Probably made no sense, but at least it's an entry.

I was so tired when I got up this morning. I just wanted to go back to bed, and I moped around under the covers for a little bit, debating whether or not to go to the meeting. Heh- I'm so not a morning person. And of course, it doesn't help that it's already pretty late by the time I get home, much less get some food and take a shower.

Finally though, I made myself get up and get ready to go. Grandpa picked me up and we went. By that point, I was a little more awake, thankfully. I didn't even fall asleep! In fact, during the Watchtower study, I gave a comment- which has been something I've struggled with doing for this last half of my life. It was great- and the visiting speaker was actually from my home congregation, which was nice.

By the time I got home though, I was tired. Grandpa said if I wanted to get some rest, he could take me to work later, that way I could sleep a little longer. I took advantage of this and slept pretty well for the next three hours. The whole time I was getting ready though, I couldn't help but dread going. With a 3000 piece truck and only two other co-workers? Yeah- I wasn't looking forward to it at all. I actually prayed to Jehovah that the truck wouldn't come so I wouldn't have so much to do. A desperate plea at the end: anything that would result in me not having much to do.

Well, I got to work to find out that the bad weather had delayed the truck. As a matter of fact, it wouldn't be at the store until 5:30.

Me: O.O We barely finish the 2000+ piece trucks by eight.- and that's when we start at four! We're going to be doing this all night... >.<

In the mean time, we went out and did a cart run. When the truck finally came, we waited around for twenty minutes for a manager to show up and open up the bay doors. By this time, the grocery truck had arrived and the manager said he'd unload everything off of it so we could get to work.

So we opened the door up... and it immediately became obvious that someone had messed up somewhere. Our first clue? We could take several steps inside the truck without coming into contact with any freight. O.O

It only took like two hours to unload it, giving us a fairly good idea that it wasn't even close to the number we were told to expect. Later that night, another manager came back and informed us it was only 1600 pieces. They couldn't fit everything on one truck, so they split it up into two. As a second GM truck showed up as we were finishing (which we thankfully didn't have to do), I'm going to assume that it has the other half of our freight.

So it kinda worked out. Not to mention the fact that it had me seriously thanking God. It's times like these where I feel like he's really looking out for me... Kind of like the way everything just fell into place to get me here.

Seriously- consider: The day after I get a fierce talking to from my parents about getting my life together, I get a call from Wal*Mart asking if I can come in for an interview. Few days later, my stepdad does the floor for a guy who has an apartment up for rent just a mile from where I live. Then the free furniture. I mean... it just all seems to come together so seamlessly at times. It's very comforting.

ivy_chan

Now for the things I noticed. (takes deep breath)

-Oh dear God, I sucked ass at writing when I was younger! ;_; (runs around in circles) I'm sorry! Forgive meeeee! I was fourteen- I didn't know how to properly start a sentence, much less write an actual story and make it good! (continues blubbering)
- ...For being a Leo fan, a disturbing number of my stories mention Raphael in the first sentence. O.o
- In my first year of writing, my sentences tended to start off as statements or nods to location.
- In my second year, I did a lot with sensory input.
- In my third year, I went from writing short and to-the-point sentences to long and action-wordy ones.

See anything else I missed? Point it out! Oh- and clicky on the dragon, please. :3

Heheh... Yeah, I know I said I'd be back with pictures of my collection. But we ran into some troubles.... Namely that I refuse to take said picture when my NECA Raph had a broken sai ;_;. I was trying to move it, and the handle broke off. But my stepdad is going to epoxy it for me soon.

Wal*Mart actually surprised me today. I got my Avatar DVD around ten in the morning. Look! They're not made of fail! XD

My family and I were a bit busy today, so we really couldn't watch it all. When we came back from Bookstudy though, we watched The Southern Raiders and The Ember Island Players. Cartoons do what very few other things can do for my family- be happy around each other while having a good time. Can't wait to watch the finale on the nice TV we have. ^_^

Well, things are still are still up in the air in regardsto whether or not they're moving. My stepdad isn't optimistic- says he thinks that guy is shopping around or something. If they do go, now it seems they won't be leaving until October.

Why October? Well, for our religion, we have two circuit assemblies and one district convention each year. They're all held in various places, but it just so happens that where our circuit usually meats for the assembly is in Idaho, so we don't travel far for those. There's one in May and one in October. At all of these events, there's usually a handful of people who get baptized. I've seen three of my younger cousins get baptized at one or the other, and now my sister has expressed desire to do so as well. My stepdad would like her to do it here in Idaho where so many of our family are. 

A part of me is happy. After all, this gives me more time to get my life together and all. But another side of me is just sighing and going back to that envious sibling routine.

For this sister has been a thorn in my side for a long time. I can remember when I was six and mom was pregnant, and I came out crying because I thought that once the baby was born, everyone would love it more than me. And though I was promised that wouldn't be the case, it sure seemed like it. Everyone loved that kid- she's get passed around the Kingdom Hall and people would feed her at gatherings. I didn't really mind thugh until she got a little older.

I didn't start hating her in that sibling sort of way until she was one and I was seven. Mom had taken us grocery shopping and we had just gotten home. Back then, our car was a bit old. The backseat doors would get stuck a lot, so someone would always have to open mine for me for me to get out. Mom came and got the baby and said she'd be back for me. I waited for over an hour in that car and no one came. 

Luckily, it was only Spring, so it wasn't like I was cooking. It was warm though, and I was getting annoyed with being in the car. I couldn't get out the passenger door because it wouldn't open far enough in that little garage. And I couldn't get the lock to the driver's door up with my fingers. So after sulking for a bit, I figured out I could roll down the windows and I climbed out through there.

I was so not happy when I got in there and found my mother and the baby playing. Mom had forgotten me- she thought I was outside playing. I yelled at her and screamed and was furious for most of the day. Partly at mom, but mostly at the baby. Because my mother remembered her... just not me.

Why do I tell you this story? Well, from this point on I couldn't stand my sister for the most part. She was cute, I wasn't all that much anymore. She was sweet and I could be a brat. She had both of her parents, and I kept on having to go back and forth.

As we got older, more things just came up. She got all of the attention. When my brother was born, he loved her more, even though I'd been the one to want a brother. She'd get noticed more for her hobbies while no one seemed to care about mine.

And she has a genuine drive for things concerning our religion. Whereas I just barely manage to hold on to what little willpower I have to continue with it.

It's not that I don't like being a Jehovah's Witness- because I actually do quite a bit. It's just I don't care much for religious practices. They don't interest me, even if I want them to. Talking to people about it makes me nervous, because I don't really care if they know. Studying confuses me, because these are concepts I'm just not in to. And once my dad got disfellowshipped for doing something wrong, I didn't want to get baptized anymore. Not if it meant it could happen to me if I did something wrong myself. Not that I thought I would... I just didn't want there to be a way for it to happen.

Over the years, that fear has gone. But I still have been reluctant to get baptized. Even though my stepdad pushes me, and other members of my family would pester me, I don't think I'm ready. Getting baptized means dedicating one's life to God, and I'm not ready to make that comittment. I love Jehovah... so I feel like if I decided not to follow his teachings, I'd be betraying him far worse after getting baptized than I would by staying where I am.

Yet here my sister is, with this noble goal. And I should be proud, because this is a good thing. But I don't like it at all. Petty envy has always plagued me in matters concerning her. Blinded by it, all I can see is The Golden Child doing something else to pride in her and shame in me. 

At least I have until October though.