Well, I just came back from one of the most awesome weekends. :)

On Friday, my dad and I left for an almost 6 hour drive to Vermont so I could visit a certain ukulele player at camp. The beginning of our trip wasn't so bad. I worked on making my sock, and drove for a little bit. I have to say, the scenery in Vermont is beautiful. The sky is clearer than Binghamton, less clouds, and the hills were gorgeous! It seems like a place I want to live, despite having to drive for quite awhile to get anywhere.

Anyways, we made it to the hotel, had dinner at Applebee's (where I spilled a whole glass of Sprite on my pants. Real classy, huh? ;) ), and then headed off to find Camp Aloha Hive. We made it to the right town, but my dad got the directions to the wrong camp. One of the directors pointed us in the right direction, but we still had to stop and ask a few more people where to go. A trip that should've taken 30 minutes took and hour and a half. I was getting pretty frustraited, but all of it melted away when we got to the right camp, and Ross was standing in the window, waiting for me. :)

I spent that night hanging out with him, meeting his coworkers, and relaxing. He got his birthday presents from me then, and the t-shirt I made, saying "What would you do for a free t-shirt?", was a big hit not only with him, but with everyone else at camp. Ross surprised me with some funky earrings he got for me, which I enjoyed wearing that weekend.

Anyways, the next morning we met up at the camp, and went out for breakfast at a local diner. Then, we drove around for a little while, admiring the scenery, and singing to some They Might Be Giants. We stopped in the town of Hanover, the college town for Dartmouth college, and walked around the town. He picked up the third Harry Potter book, I found another pair of earrings for my collection, and we just browsed around. We saw a couple of other counselors, including his friend Loni, and then went to Molly's Restaurant for lunch. I didn't eat much, but we did have fun drawing all over the big paper they put across the tables.

After finding out that Hanover police are prejudice against New York drivers, we went searching for a mini golf course. We found one, which was like the one down by the Giant, except a little more fun, and with more water hazards. I almost won, but the king of Mini Golf still holds his crown...

Afterwards, we just drove around some more. We stopped at a fair and art gallery for a little bit, then headed down to the other camp he works at, Horizons. He showed me around, and we played a game of PIG at the basketball courts. Then, we grabbed some ice cream, and drove to another town to just walk around. We went back to Aloha Hive around the time the kids had to go to bed, and sat on the back porch behind the kitchen, watching the bats flying around and the sun set over the water. We talked, and just sat there together, enjoying each other's company. It was very peaceful, and I wished I lived there, just to be able to do that everyday. We decided to relocate after a bat nearly hit us both.

A little while later, we headed to Aloha Camp to attend something for Counselors and Alumni. We tried just parking the car at the other camp and walking it, but we decided to go back for the car later. I enjoyed the walk though. :) We stayed at the party for a little bit, and then had to leave around 11:30 so I'd be back at the hotel by 12. And that was my day.

Today was just my dad and I going home, so nothing exciting there.

I have to say, this weekend made my summer. I didn't realize just how much I would miss him when summer began, but just being able to see him again definately lifted my spirits. I was also thrilled to hear what a wonderful time he is having working at the camp, and it was very nice to see that he was doing something he's enjoying for the summer. He'll be coming back on the 19th, so I'm looking forward to being able to see him again before I leave for college.

Well, I think the Schoolies did a LOT better this week, right guys? I expect Thank-You cards for getting our original spot at the cafe back. ;)

That reminds me. I still have a couple things I need to do. This summer was supposed to be relaxing, but it's hard to relax when I've still got stuff I need to do that I've been putting off. My goal is to have stuff done by Friday. But it's late, so for now it's time to settle down, hang out, and possibly work on my latest knitting project; a scarf with three different color yarns.

I'm so happy, because yesterday I just finished knitting my first pair of socks! Aren't they pretty? The yarn for it was a nice wool that I bought from the yarn store on Washington Ave, and the woman who owns the shop even helped me get it started, and with the heel on one of them. I'm so proud of my creation, that I've been wearing them quite a bit. (Yeah, I know, it's summer. But amazingly my feet aren't too hot.) They are a little big at the cuffs, and I made the foot smaller than what the pattern said, but I like 'em!


More pics of them, modeled by yours truly:




















w00t!

To those who haven't finished reading The Half-Blood Prince, DO NOT READ THIS POST ANY FURTHER! THERE ARE BIG SPOILERS IN HERE! DO NOT COME OVER AND KICK MY ASS IF YOU CHOOSE TO READ IT AND YOU SEE THINGS THAT YOU HAVEN'T READ YET!


Got it?





















Good. Those who keep on reading anyways, despite not finishing the book, I hold no liability over you not listening to warnings. ;)

Now, here's some points that I found interesting through the book:

- Chapter two. As you all know, I am a fan of Severus Snape. I was practically screaming in my head for him not to make an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa. I'll admit, this chapter did raise some doubts about him, but I decided to read on before making any judgements.

- Slughorn. Definately didn't like this character. I didn't like him because he only associated with those whom he would get things out of. I was half-expecting him to be working for Voldemort, but I guess not all former-Slytherins like the Dark Side. Though, he wasn't as bad as that bitch, Umbridge, whom I was hoping was the one to die in book 5.

- Romance, romance, ROMANCE! Ginny needs to relax when it comes to dating, methinks. Ron needed to be slapped a few times. He and Hermoine need to hook up, (which looks like they did.) And poor Harry, he was like Peter Parker at the end of Spiderman; he could be with the girl he loved, but thinks he can't because his enemies will go after her. (I'm guessing Ginny will still be helping Harry in Book 7, but we'll see.)

And does anyone else think that the whole Tonks/Lupin thing came out of NOWHERE? Also, I still don't like Fleur. Bill has weird preferences, (and they're going to get even weirder from now on...poor Bill! *cries*)

- Speaking of poor Harry, once again nobody listens to the boy. Draco was up to something, so was Snape, and everyone kept on dismissing his thoughts. Haven't these people learned anything after what happened in the last book?!

- The Horcruxes. That definately wasn't something I expected. Seven parts of Lord Voldemort to destroy! The diary was already destroyed, I can't remember what the other one was, and the others... The fake locket took me by surprise, and I was disappointed that it was a fake. However, somebody posted a theory that another person made about that Horcrux, and I find it interesting.
"Dumbledore knew the locket was a fake, and that it was never the Horcrux in the cave. The Horcrux was the potion which Dumbledore drank. This makes Dumbledore's talk of things being "all my fault" when he drinks the potion all the more eerie, because Dumbledore is giving voice to the remorse which Voldemort has stripped from his soul. The plan was to make Harry feed Dumbledore the Horcrux, and then make Snape destroy the Horcrux by killing Dumbledore."
Very interesting, no? It makes a weird sort of sense, too.

- Speaking of what was mentioned above, it's time to talk about what made me grab for tissues; the death of Dumbledore, and the betrayal of Severus Snape.

(To those who haven't read the end, are spoiled now, and want my blood, come and get it. ;) )

Anyways, I knew that someone was going to end up dying in this book. It was inevitable. But I didn't think that it would be Dumbledore of all characters! After reading chapter 2, I had a sinking feeling that Snape would've been put up to do the mission for Malfoy, since he would fail in killing Harry Potter (which is what I thought the mission was), Snape would've been in a bind, he would refuse to do it, because he was on their side, and he dies heroicly. There are quite a few good points people have made in Snape's defense, too. Here's one that I found very thought provoking:

"I think JR has fooled you if you think Snape is a bad guy. I believe that Dumbledore had planned far in advance for Snape to Avada Kedavra him. Remember Hagrid saying he saw Dumbledore and Snape having a heated argument? Snape was saying that Dumbledore was asking too much of him and dumbledore replied with something along the lines of: You already agreed to it. I suspect that that arguement was Dumbledore telling Snape that Snape will have to kill him soon. Dumbledore's plan does 2 things:
1) Spares Draco having to kill Snape, making his redemption easier
2) Allows for Snape to gain more of Voldemort and The Death Eaters' trust When Dumbledore was pleading with Snape, he wasn't pleading for his life. That is not what Dumbledore does. Dumbledore was pleading for Snape to do what was agreed: Avada Kedavra Dumbledore.The look and hatred on Snape's face when he did that was hatred for what he had to do, not hatred for the only man to give him a second chance."

A very good post, and I agree with it. There wasn't really any explination about the argument between Snape and Dumbledore, so it could have been Dumbledore explaining the plan to Snape, and/or telling Snape that if keeping his secret safe meant killing Dumbledore, then he had to do it. So, the whole thing was premeditated so Snape would not only destroy Dumbledore to keep his trust among the Death Eaters, but also to destroy one of the Horcruxes. This would also explain why Snape was furious when Harry called him a coward.

You Anti-Snape people might think that I'm trying to find some light within a "bad guy" still, but poo to you all, there's still book 7 to find out his true allegence. :)

Dumbledore's death, I have to say, really affected me more than Sirius'. Not only was the murder commited by my favorite character, but it was totally unexpected. I was hoping that the curse didn't work, and Dumbledore was fine, or at least he wasn't meant to die until book 7. Right when he was killed, I started crying as I kept on reading. From his death, to the characters talking about Severus' betrayal, to the funeral, I cried. Sometimes I couldn't read the text until I dried my eyes. Then, I'd stop crying, a character says something emotional, and I cry again.

The ending of the book heavily hinted at what's going on next, (and I read in the newspaper this morning that it would.) No seventh year at Hogwarts? Well, that's a neat change, and probably better, because then we'd be sick of the same thing.

- Lastly, the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. When Hermoine found the picture of the girl with the last name "Prince," I was like "Okay, that's unexpected..." I was figuring it'd be someone we already knew, but I never thought it'd be Snape! I actually like that idea. Made sense how he knew where Harry learned Sectumsempra immediately, and where James had learned Levicorpus, too. Also makes sense when he questioned Harry about his potions book quite a bit, even with Roonil Wezezlby written on it.

Well, that's all I could think of now. To those who finished the book, I wanna hear YOUR theories and stuff. To those who haven't, why are you reading this? ;)

I just watched something on Law and Order that amused me, and will amuse you RENT fans.

RENT was based off of an opera called La Bohem. Detective Green is played by Jesse L. Martin, who was the original Tom Collins in the broadway show, and is in the movie. In the episode of Law and Order I was watching, Detectives Green and Briscoe are searching the apartment of a murdered director of admissions to a prestigious elementary school. They walk in, and opera music is playing. As they search, Briscoe mentions how she seemed to like opera, and picks up the playbill of, you guessed it, La Bohem. Green then makes some weird comment about that opera, but I forgot what it was.

I hope that amused you other RENT fans, too. :)

Heheh, I know, this wasn't posted long after the last one. But this deserves it's own post.

Your Geek Profile:

Fashion Geekiness: High

Gamer Geekiness: High

SciFi Geekiness: High

Geekiness in Love: Moderate

Music Geekiness: Moderate

Academic Geekiness: Low

Internet Geekiness: Low

Movie Geekiness: Low

General Geekiness: None

Viva la Geeks!

Your Birthdate: March 19

Your birth on the 19th day of the month adds a tone of independence and extra energy to your life path. But at the same time, it poses a number of obstacles to overcome before you are able to be as independent as you would like. The number 1 energy suggests more executive ability and leadership qualities than your path may have indicated. A birthday on the 19th of any month gives greater will power and self-confidence, and very often a rather original approach. However, a somewhat self-centered approach to life that may be in conflict with some of the other influences in your life. This 1 energy may diminish your ability and desire to handle details, preferring instead to paint with a broad brush. You are sensitive, but your feeling stay somewhat repressed. You have a compelling manner that can be dominating in many situations. You do not tend to follow convention or take advice very well. Consequently, you tend to learn through experience; sometimes hard experiences. The 19/1 is a loner number and you may experience feelings of being alone even if you are married. You may take on a tendency to be nervous and angry.

Know the Andy Milonakis show that just premired? How it looks like it's a 12 year old doing it? Well, turns out he's not a 12 year old...he was born in 1976. Here's the proof: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Milonakis

WTF?!

That doesn't make the show any better. I still think it's dumb.

Here's the scarf! The way I have it stretched width wise is how it's supposed to look, but it came out like the round tube it is around my neck. Hopefully when I block it it'll come out flat. I like the colors, though. Plus it still needs the tassels put on. I'll probably make a Slytherin scarf to go along with it (I have the colors), or make a hat to wear with it since I have enough leftover yarn. I wouldn't be able to make it in time for the Harry Potter party, though, so I'll just wait on it.

Well, I just finished my Gryffindor scarf today! The pattern calls for it to be about 60 inches long, but I knitted it to 52 inches, which is just fine for a small person like me to wear. The sides still do curl on it, which makes it look like a round scarf. It doesn't look bad, actually, but I want to try and flatten it out to look like the scarves in the movies. If you've read the post before, you'll know that I don't want to end up with a melted wreck.

My solution is to knit up a "swatch", which is a small sample of a yarn which knitters make to check the "gauge," or how many stiches are within an inch, or usually 4 inches. I'm going to use an iron to steam that first to see the limits of the yarn. Once I figure that out, I'll try it on the scarf. There's going to be tassels at the ends, but I'm going to wait until it's flat before I put them on.

I'll put a picture of my scarf up later.

Here's an update on my WIP's so far.

Harry Potter Scarf: Got about 27 inches knitted, but there's a problem. The scarf curls in on itself, so instead of looking flat like in the movies, it looks like a semi-round tube. There's a technique that can be done called blocking, which would flatten it out. The problem is that almost every knitting site I've been to said that it would only work on natural yarns, and the yarn I'm doing is acrylic (AKA: Man-made and AKA: plastic). Some sites say that if I pin it flat, then use the steam setting on an iron, and, without touching it, blast it, it'll flatten out. But there's a risk that if I do it too hot or hard, the fabric will melt (no joking.). We'll see how this goes. If I finish it soon enough, and it ends up melting, I could knit another one out in a different stitch where it wouldn't curl. I would've used natural yarn to begin with, but all AcMoore had in the colors I needed were the acrylic yarns.

Ross's Present: Got the supplies, and just began working on it. It's looking good so far.

Rainbow bag: Knitted only a few inches of it, and that took me a couple days because there's so many stitches to it! I have to do two pieces of what I'm working on, then make the sides, straps...this will take awhile.

Drawings in general: I just did some sketches tonight, including a picture I've had in my head for a few days. Reading some "Squee!" and other Jhonen Vasquez comics got me in a drawing mood.

In other news, I saw War of the Worlds...twice! Once on opening night with Man, and again the next day with other Man and Nessa. I loved this movie! The CGI was awesome, and Spielburg knows how to show destruction. There were some things I thought were bad, (how did the kid survive, and how was that guy recording the tripod coming out of the ground?!), but other than that, awesome! I'm even going to see it again when Mom and Dad go. :)

I was looking through some knitting sites when I found this questionare on someone's knitting blog. I thought it'd be fun to answer it, even though some of the questions you people will have no idea what I'm talking about. ;)

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
Right now, I'm just learning how to knit, so I buy the cheaper acrylic yarns. Once I get into it more, and have a bigger budget, I'll get some of the nicer stuff.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I tried crocheting when I was little, but I couldn't get it. Maybe I'll learn sometime, but for now knitting is just fine.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Pets, some perfumes, pollen, ragweed.

4. How long have you been knitting?
Since Jan 2005 I think.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Raspberry, though I do love these hot cocoa scented candles my mom bought me.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Not really. I do like sweet things once in awhile, but most of the time I prefer real food, and not something with a lot of sugar. A lot of Easter and Halloween candy goes uneaten because of that.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I'm very much an artist. My favorite things to do include drawing with pencil and micron pens, and painting with acrylics. I used to do some crafts with my mom, but not so much anymore.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I have a variety of tastes, and can generally find something I like in just about every category of music. What I listen to the most is heavy metal, hard rock stuff, like System of a Down, and Static-X. However, I also listen to Kelly Clarkson, Weird Al Yankovic, and just recently I've been listening to They Might Be Giants. And yes, my computer can play MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
The two colors I like the most are black and pink. My preferences for the moment tends to change a lot. When I worked on a self-portrait, I was into the color purple, so that was what I used. When I began my first purse project, I wanted a natural color, so I chose green. Right now, the purse I'm knitting is rainbow colored.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I currently live at home with my family (until August, when I head off for college), and I have one pet; a Shih Tzu/Laso Apso mix named Paddy.

12. What are your life dreams?
To be successful with my artwork, find a nice place for me to live with someone I love, have a great job in an art-related field, and be able to afford my hobbies.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I'm still new to the craft, so I just use the acrylic yarns I bought. Once I get into it more, I'd like to knit with some of the fancier stuff.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
No sure yet.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Purses. I've been knitting purses and headbands for pratice before I begin something bigger.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Don't have a favorite one yet.

17. What are you knitting right now?
A bag from a pattern I found in the book "Stitch 'N Bitch" that is big enough for a sketchbook.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
Tried one on once, and found it weird to wear.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Straight, because I haven't tried the circular ones yet.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Aluminum. One of my plastic needles broke on me yesterday, (because I was listening to TMBG, and I was waving the needle in beat with the song. It snapped at the top.)

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Have not tried yet, but will after these projects are complete, and when I get the appropriate needles for it.

22. How did you learn to knit?
I saw an ad for a knitting kit, and bought it. Couldn't figure it out at first, but my mom showed me how to do one basic knit, and I taught myself from there.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
I just finished my UFO, but it was about 2 months old, because I was too busy with school stuff to work on it at the time.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Starscream is my fav animated character, and my favorite animal is the cougar.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween for the costumes, and Christmas because I like how everything feels so calm at that time of year (except during gift shopping o.O)

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Transformers toys. I've got over 100 to 200+ so far.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I've got it preordered, and am going to the midnight madness at Barnes and Noble with my friends to pick it up. I might even knit a scarf just for that. ;)