November Recap, or the month of dozens of happenings

Goodness, another month ending? How can this be? And to think, only one more month to go before the end of the year! Wasn't 2016 just starting? *obligatory flailing over the speed of time*

Boring Stats from the blog that you will probably end up skipping over:

Ok, who is in Singapore, please raise your hand. I must know.

Happenings. What? Surprised that I put this in? Well it's in the title so:

1. We gathered with Dad's side of the family to celebrate Grampa's birthday, and guess what?SMORES!

2. I almost forgot about some assignments twenty minutes before they were due. No joke! That'll give you a huge burst of energy right before you're trying to go to sleep. It was one of those: "OH MY GOODNESS, NO!" moments.

3. I learned more swing dancing moves. I am now ambidextrous in that area. So um. Yeah. I can teach anyone if they want to learn it.

4. Gonna address the elephant in the room now: GUYS. NANOWRIMO HAPPENED! And I was in a lovely google hangout with a bunch of other bloggers who are all very encouraging and delightful to chat with (post to come if I remember).

5. Two stray dogs wiped out about half my flock (including all the roosters, both of the young hens who jump on my head, one duck, and a few layers). It was sad. I cried. We also found out that part of our fence was down, most likely the mower we had hired to mow our pasture had accidentally backed into it and either didn't know it or just didn't tell us.

6. I voted, and almost got the living daylights scared out of me when all the workers there cheered after I confirmed that it was my first time voting. Also, I was about half asleep so I was kinda out of it.

7. THIS happened.

8. Christian was able to join Debate again this year. He'll be doing Lincoln-Douglas instead of Team Policy though. Mostly because Mom and Dad don't want to have to coordinate meeting up with someone else to work on the case.

9. I tried to make brownies and it turned out to be cake. Probably too much flour.

10. Christian turned 16. LIKE WHAT?!

11. I made actual brownies.

12. We celebrated Thanksgiving with the entire side of Mom's family, which hasn't happened in soooo long bc one part lives five hours away, and another part lives up near D.C.

13. I took Christian to the Irving tournament to spectate for a few hours. It was fun. I extroverted some.

14. Gabe had his first gymnastics tournament! He did amazing!

15. I made 30 pans of cinnamon rolls. In three days. Just making six pans usually takes about 3-5 hours, so I was busy all day. And afterwards my back was so sore. But hey, the house smelled amazing and we got three pans out of it.

16. Blogger changed their dashboard and I don't like the new one. Ugh.

17. We got a new rooster to replace the ones we lost. His name is Pip-squeak, he's a big golden rooster, about the same age as the younger roosters were, and his crow sounds like a child pitching a fit. He's pretty tame, but when he eats food out of my hand, he pinches instead of pecks. And he keeps flying over the fence instead of staying put with his girls.

18. Because we had so many family members coming in, Mom and Dad decided that since Christian and I both have rooms off a hallway with a door, that we would give both of our rooms to family, and that we would sleep in a trailer borrowed from a family from church. I get one bar of wifi out there, and if we want it to be warm in there, we use a space heater, but it's nice. We figured out the sound system very quickly. Plus, we got prime hearing range to listen to the neighborhood dogs chatting.

19. We finally watched Zootopia. We all agreed that it was pretty cute.

20. We celebrated Nana's 70th while everyone was here for Thanksgiving.

21. Also, THIS happened.

22. WE GOT A TREE!

23. Apparently, Christian has a blog that I didn't know about. (link) He had been on WordPress, but I switched him over to the light side of Blogger, and the design is all courtesy of yours truly (yes, it still needs work, but I also need to teach him how to do it so I don't have to).

24. I got registered for Summit! I'll be going in May.

25. I got a computer mouse for my laptop (courtesy of my uncle).

26. While the ladies went black friday shopping and the dads took everyone else to the park, I stayed home and did school while blasting and singing along to The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

27. I wasn't able to complete my NaNo goal, but *ducks* I have written more than I have ever written in any given month! I do plan to continue writing my story without out any drastically huge breaks until either finish it or hit 50k, I haven't decided which. I did promise a person (you know who you are) that I would have it done before Summit so they could tell me what they think about it.

Awkward:

1. Listening to Christmas music two weeks before Thanksgiving. I normally wait until Thanksgiving evening, but plans change ya know.

2. Hearing Dad say goodnight to someone and assuming that he was saying it to me, thus answering but then realising that he was talking to Gabe.

3. Looking at the calendar hung over my desk and not being able to figure out why I couldn't find the date I was looking for until I realized that it was still flipped to October.

4. Missing a phone call from a dentist office and calling them back. Them: "Hello, thank you for choosing (name of office), how can I help you today?" Me: "Umm... I was called by this number a few minutes ago, was that intentional or-" *dialtone* "well ok then."

5. Getting kicked in the shin while dancing and apologizing for having my shin there.

6. Driving home with the brights on the entire time at night because when they're on regular they shine like two exhausted lightning bugs.

7. Needing to get up in the night, but I'm in a trailer that is only hooked up to electricity, so I had to run to the house. Then coming back, I kicked the fire extinguisher that was by the door. Thank goodness it wasn't too late and Christian was still awake, otherwise I probably would have woken him up.

Awesome:

1. GUYS! I figured out how to make my Word documents scroll for me! I mean, the up and down keys did get a lot of usage, but I prefer scrolling.

2. Finding Louie (who is a female) (the duck) hiding in the front yard after the massacre.

3. I had a GOLDEN opportunity to let a little bit of my personality shine through for my Art Appreciation class, to recreate an impressionist or post-impressionist painting. The instructions were to have fun with it, but imho, mine turned out the best (#sohumble). The professor loved it!

4. Having a conversation with a deer, barking at the neighbor dogs, and howling for the fun of it, bc it's pitch-black outside and I had forgotten to put the chickens up and that's what I usually do when I'm alone outside.

5. Hearing The Hunchback of Notre Dame for the first time through the stereo. Just. Mmmm.

Urg, because we all have those moments when we just want to hit a wall. Or, wait, is that really just me? Don't answer that:

1. When my laptop battery dies in the middle of a sentence without so much as a low battery warning. Rude. Like really, we've talked about this, Clarence.

2. When we have one little internet blip and Clarence freaks out and won't connect to the internet for a full 24 hours after it blips, and then only after much begging and coercing and banging of keys.

3. When the coyotes are having choir practice at two in the morning, the neighborhood dogs are having a very loud conversation, and the owls are having a wise meeting all when you're trying to sleep.

Music, or you know, what I basically live on:

First of all, this lovely thing called Ambient Mixer and have been using it almost every day.

There we go. That's out of the way.

*opens Spotify* Goodness, I really have not listened to very many of the same songs. *scratches head* I'm gonna go find some more songs real quick.

I was introduced to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra by a few of the lovely people from the writer's hangout, and I must say Night Castle and Childhood Dreams are just mmmmmm.

Of course, the obligatory Christmas music.

More from Sinbad. I love that soundtrack, k?

The Moana soundtrack came out on spotify, then I accidentally listened to You're Welcome. Fun fact: the writer also wrote Hamilton. I knew there was a reason why it was a similar beat/pattern.

And of course! How could I not do something from my beloved Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Snippets. Hello! I did part of NaNoWriMo, of course you're gonna get 'em:

Dust and ash. Cloud. The stench of burnt-ness hovered in the stuffy air. Red was the horizon. Darkness everywhere else.

            A Queen sat on her throne. A creaky kind of crackly laugh ushered from her throat. Her eyes were watery, her hair long, loose, and dirty. Filth lined the cracks of her feet and hands. Streak marks from tears revealed pale skin. She drew her ragged cloak around her thin shoulders.

            “Master.” She hissed.

            A tall figure came from behind her throne. His eyes held fire, power fairly dripped off of him. Long cruel fingers clenched around her head. 

He smiled. And her memories were gone.

(that's what I wrote at midnight. Way to creep myself out as soon as NaNo starts *pats self on back*)

~

“You have no right to raise your voice to me.” Fauna crossed her arms. “We have been very clear with you. If you wish for your daughter to live, she must go with us and regrettably, that involves changing some of her memories. Do not go against us, I beg of you.”

            “What can, or what would you dare to do to your king?” William defied again.

            “That is a dangerous question to be asking when one is in your predicament.” Fauna calmly answered.

            “But I will ask it nonetheless!” William shouted. “Tell me, what would you do?”

~

“Not invited?” the Queen drummed her fingers on the armrest of her throne. “Not invited?” A burning sensation filled her core. “He knows the tradition. It is not an honest mistake!” She seethed.

            “Are you going to just sit there and contradict what he said, or are you going to do something about it?” Darkness goaded.

            “Away from me, you have no power over me!” The Queen declared.

            “Oh but darling,” Darkness chuckled, “you gave yourself to me.”

            “I paid.”

            “And you will do my bidding for as long as I tell you. You are Mine.” Darkness faded out.

            “What are you going to do?” Uan crept from the shadows when Darkness left.

            “Feel like crashing a banquet?” The Queen had a sickly smile on her face.

            “It’s a terrible idea, but let’s do it anyways.” Uan’s eyes glittered.

~

“Really, this is all most unnecessary!” William declared. “Will you not take a heart felt apology and a place in our home instead?” He tried to reason. 

            “Tell me this, why should I accept an apology and a roof over my head when I can take that roof and hold your precious Queen in assurance that you will not question me?” The lady spread her arms wide. “You really are lucky that I do not take every life in this room instead.”

~

"I hate it when he visits." He shook his head. "So impolite. He needs a lesson in manners." He sniffed.

"And you would be the one to teach him? Last I checked, you were cursed because of your lack thereof." Millicent tried to laugh, but it only came out as a cough. 

~

To my lord and Master, Abrom Hood. From his loyal advisor and friend, John L. Gaerry.

The plan has had the desired effect upon your son. At first, he was distraught, as you had predicted, then he became determined to search the entire ocean for Contessa. I have advised him to stay at Locksley Hall, and have threatened to keep him here under lock and key.

However, in order for the plan to go according to your wishes, I was made to promise to send word to every town, port, and harbor along the coast to keep an eye out for the Contessa. You understand, of course, that such letters that I send to each town will not have those exact instructions; ‘to keep a weather eye out for the ship, Contessa,’ but rather; ‘disregard this message entirely’ written up top, and then, of course, to appease your son, his words ‘keep a weather eye out for Contessa.’ You understand me, don’t you?

~

"Well, how about lying just now?" Aurora put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Lying? What part of what I said was a lie?" He tried to look innocent.

"How about all of it?" She was quite angry by now. "First, I am not your guest, and I never will be, because I am a prisoner and that's all there is to it. Second, Millicent wouldn't care a whit if something happened to me or my family. And third, there is no way that this Darkness you speak of can't take the kingdom, because, if you haven't noticed, if there isn't Light, Darkness reigns without anyone or anything to bar its way." She finished. "How's that?" She smiled smugly.

~

Doran trudged out to the garden as slowly as he could get away with. Aria was calmly sitting on the grass waiting for him, he assumed. Well, calmly as in she was scowling, but not yelling. So calmly could technically be the opposite, Doran decided. Girls. He crossed his arms and walked over to her.

~

Aria’s face turned red. He was mocking her! She ran at him, yelling and screaming. Oh what a satisfying sound- the sound of a well-aimed fist hitting a nose right on target.

~

William bowed his head, the nodded, accepting his fate. “One small question,” he looked back up, “when will I wake up again?”

            “That is yet to be determined. It depends on many factors.” Fauna said a little sheepishly.

            “You mean to say that you just put me into an enchanted sleep, which is essentially a glorified time-out, and you don’t know when I get to wake up again?!”

~

"Well, we could put you completely to sleep for all eternity, never to wake again. This would result in never seeing your daughter or wife, or kingdom for that matter, again. Is that what you would prefer us to do? Because at this point, that plan is looking mighty tempting at the moment." Fauna reminded the king, who was starting to get on her nerves. "Now roll over and go to sleep." She laughed a little. "Or, if you would like to go with us, kindly shut your trap and walk up the gangplank now."

"Forgive me," William bowed his head again. "You must admit, that being told you are under an enchanted sleep is quite unnerving at first. Can you agree?" Without waiting for an answer, he trudged up the gangplank and boarded the ship. "Will I need anything while we are gone?" He paused, turned and asked. "After all, I've never been able to sleep walk before."

Florence rolled her eyes. "It's an enchanted sleep!" She shouted up at him. "Enchanted! All your needs will be taken care of, just go find a place to sit where you won't be in the way."