The Topic of Great Randomness

[spyells]

Eric I am sixteen now. I felt that there was a need for a lot of smilies. I'm special and my mom doesn't deny it.

[EricG1793]

Originally posted by spyells:
Eric I am sixteen now. I felt that there was a need for a lot of smilies. I'm special and my mom doesn't deny it.

Oh, sixteen. Yes, that is an age to make a big deal out of.

My mom and I are going to my neighbor's today. The neighbors have their grandson over for the week. Their grandson and I always ride ATVs when he's visiting. And they have really nice ATVs. The one that I like to use is completely automatic; you push the throttle, and it moves. Push it in farther, and it goes faster. It doesn't need shifting at all. It has a speedometer, too. Usually the speed I like to is 20-25 MPH. Oh, and I almost got that ATV stuck once.... It was last Fall, either that or earlier this Spring, and it was warm and we were riding ATVs. There was still some ice left over, and we both got the ATVs stuck in the ice. So we fumbled with trying to get them to move. Then we remembered four wheel drive! We put the four wheel drive on, and they drove right off the ice. It'd be nice if my ATV had four wheel drive; I could have used it half a dozen times when it's gotten stuck on logs, stuck in mud....

My mom and the neighbors will probably play Skip-Bo, a card game, or Dominoes. We play Mexican Train dominoes.

Last night it was about sixty degrees outside. I slept SSSOOOOOO well! I could sleep in my own bed and it was nice and cool. And Reese slept with me. He HAD to sleep all night. Because there was no way he could have made it down the ladder when limping on one paw. Usually at like two in the morning he climbs down and starts knocking things over... eventually he knocks the fan off the windowsill, and when that happens it makes he loudest banging noise, because it falls on the heater and echoes in my room. So I kept him company, pet him to sleep, rubbed his good leg because it must be all tightened up from being limped on all day, and he slept on my feet, keeping them nice and toasty. I went to bed last night at about eleven, and i got up at eight thirty this morning. That isn't THAT much sleep, but I feel EXTREMELY good today. Maybe it was just the quality of sleep that really helped.

And the third dishwasher is coming today. Of course I'll post later when it's installed and we know if it's good or not.

[Sean L.]

[marina salem]

Bye Sean! *waves* Have fun, and do try not to fall off a mountain or the Great Wall or anything. I don't know what this place'd do without you.

I experienced my first leg cramp yesterday. Not fun. Not fun at all. We did a bleacher mile after volleyball yesterday, and yards away from finally finishing everything from my right calf down to my toes seized up. I've only ever had my toes or a couple fingers really cramp before. It was a new and painful experience.

Feliz cumpleaños, spyells, and may you have many more. May they also be more interesting than mine. I turned fifteen on Monday.

Eric: What's Mexican Train dominoes?

I sincerely hope my school schedule comes in soon. Most people have them already.

[Gryphon]

Night has a unique quality. It's more than just the darkness, the cooling temperature, or the incessant chorus of insects. I don't know what it is, but it's neat, and I like it, and it totally makes up for the mosquitoes.

What's life like? I've actually been hanging out with V -- a couple of times, at least. We were practically glued together last summer when we found out we had almost the entire world in common. A couple of passive girls who like music on the heavier side and simmering passions for art. Just plain hanging out is nice too. But this summer, she has a job, and when she has a few slivers of free time, she devotes to her boyfriend. He's a great guy and is perfect for her and everything, but, yeah, I tend to be evasive around him or them as a couple. Nice guy, but intimidating, and... we have very little in common, except our bands overlap every once in a while. Not exactly good enough for friend material. But hey.

Life happens. It's okay.

As for the people who set themselves on fire -- as Sean alluded to -- ehh, those would be my friends. Pyromaniacs, every last one of them. XD Actually, only a handful. First, the home made explosives, then... tweaking of fireworks. Followed by robbing all of the houses of their flammables. This includes axe, pledge, and rubbing alcohol. Bug spray (Off!) works very well, but please do not try the above. My friend R lit his entire butt on fire (bare skin). It was not a smart idea, but you have to admit, it was pretty funny. :P He was feeling the results of that. He's beau.

Sean is bringing me back a mountain. <3

[EricG1793]

Well it's a bit too late now, but, have a great time in China! Enjoy the trip. Hope you have lots to do there and it's eventful.

marina salem: Mexican Train Dominoes is just one way to play with dominoes. (I mean intelligent playing with dominoes, not stacking a hundred of them up and knocking them all over )

START DOMINOES RULES

You start by each player grabbing twelve dominoes (fourteen dominoes if there are five or more players) out of a pile of all the dominoes face down, so you can't see the dots. Whoever has the double twelves puts them down. If nobody picks up the double twelves, you have to start picking from the pile, everybody taking turns picking one at a time, until somebody gets the twelves. Whoever gets them puts then in the middle of a little plastic thing. The person who put the double twelves down has to take the first turn. Then they have to put a tile (it's less confusing to say "tile" than "domino") that has one side that has twelve on it. The tiles go in a line going toward the person who started that "train", as it's called. Then the person to their left does the same, making a train going toward them self. If the first person put a twelve down that had a nine on the other side, they'd next put a tile that had a nine on one side. Come their turn again, let's say that the second tile they put down had a blank on the other side. Blanks are worth 25 points, which is bad. The object of the game is to get rid of points. The first person to get rid of all their dominoes wins, getting zero points added to their overall score. Everybody else counts their points on their leftover tiles, and that's the score they get. So say that you had a double blank in your pile. (So obviously double blanks are REALLY BAD- one side of blank is 25, the other side is 25, there are fifty points in that one tile) The last tile that you put down has a blank at the end. You put down the double blank. When you put down a double, you have to put down a second tile that has the number of the double one one side. So put down a blank after the double blank.

Also anybody can start a train that's open for everybody to play off of. You can only play off of your own train, or the public train that somebody started. There is one way that you can play off somebody else's train.

If you can't make any moves, on your train or the public train, you pick a tile out of the pile. If you still can't go, then you put a coin (the set that we have has little tiny train models, so we use those) on your train. Then everybody can play off of your train. You can take the coin off your train once you are able to play on it again.

And probably the most important rule: Immediately after you put your second to last domino down, you have to say "Domino!" or else you have to pick up a tile. That could completely mess up your strategy, or you could pick up the double blanks.

END DOMINOES RULES

I forgot my laptop at my aunt and uncle's house the night before last. So I'm using my sister's laptop. It's an old IBM ThinkPad 600X, and it's behaving very well right now. Heck, I think that my seven month old HP will probably die before this one, which I believe is eight years old, does.

My mom is going to the beach with one of her friends. I called up one of my own friends to see if he wanted to come with us, but he said he'd rather stay home and have me over, so we can swim in the comfort of their pool. They're going to pick me up between one and one thirty today, and my mom will pick me up around five. Then my mom and I will go to her friend's house, the same friend she went to the beach with, and have a cookout of hot dogs and hamburgers. So today's going to be a great day.

In fact, the last few days have been great days. Two days ago, Tuesday, our third and final dishwasher came. My dad is gone on a business trip until at least next Tuesday, so he wouldn't be able to install it. So I did. I had seen the first two get installed, so I knew basically what to do, and my dad told me what to do over the phone. And, surprisingly, when I plugged it in, my job of connecting the power cord to the electrical wires inside the electrical box didn't zap me! Fifteen minutes later, when I turned on the water valve, no water leaked! Then right after that, we went to our neighbors. My mom and the neighbor played a card game called Skip-Bo, and the neighbor's grandson and I rode ATVs. And after we went to the hardware store to get a hose clamp, the drain hose didn't leak! Yaaaayy! So we have done one load, on the Pots and Pans cycle, and it took FOREVER to get done. Pots and Pans on this dishwasher is FAR overkill. So we'll try the Normal cycle next time (which will probably be tonight; it's almost full right now). So the dishwasher issue is finally sorted out. That was the greatness of Tuesday.

On Wednesday, yesterday, our neighbor had to go to a meeting in the morning, so her grandson came to my house. When they came back her grandson and I rode ATVs. A lot. Practically all day. Our road itself is the perfect ATV trail, even on the "civilized" part. But farther down you can branch off the main trail and explore all of these random roads back there. And there's a river back there that we stopped at and we caught a few newts and looked at them, and then watched them swim away again. Newts are EXTREMELY fast in the water! It's amazing for their little bodies. And for dinner my mom got American chop suey at a local restaurant. I LOVE chop suey!

And, as I said before, today I'm going to a friend's house and we're going to swim in their pool. We invited him to come to the beach, but he said he'd rather swim in his pool, which is fine with me, because I don't really like the beach. And my mom and I are going to the friend she went with to the beach for hot dogs and hamburgers. Yay! I am very happy. And for the past half week or so it's been very cool outside at night, so I've been sleeping very well.

And I'll probably be going to my grandfather's this Friday night until Sunday. It'll be really fun mowing his lawn; it's been two and a half weeks since I've done it last. He wasn't home this last weekend, so I couldn't have gone there and mowed it then.

What a great week!!

[Dragon Writer]

see you sean. lot of things have happened...one of my ferrets, pop, died. and i'm STILL trying to see if luna can look over my site during the week I"LL be away....(next month) visiting aunt and uncle. i would just get one of my admins to do it, but they're never actually ON the site. *mock glares at gryphon* at least luna i can have constant contact with. and i just got a book, dragon's blood, by jane yolen, that i've been wanting to read forever..well, reread, but i can't either way because i have to read the non renewable books first. *headesk* ah well. it's not that bad.

[Kessa Cirtos]

No Sean! *Snaps her fingers upon seeing that he's gone and instead yells half-way across the world.* YOU COULDN'T'VE WAITED TWO DAYS!?

*Grinning widely, she addresses everyone.* So anyhow, I got the scholarship! I'm so froody. Captain Kremer told me I'd gotten it and it was all I could do to not yell in his ear. Fortunately (for him), I just did a quiet little dance and then thanked him politely. =3 The best part is that this means I get to go to college! My best friends are syked and my boyfriend (though I won't be able to visit him before I head up to NY) agreed to pick me up from the airport.

Maybe one of the better things is that my sister-like figure, Nava, gave me a couple of poster-sized drawings of the Roma-Brasova series and told me that she couldn't finish them if I didn't come back (no pressure right?). I was upset and yet very honored to see what she'd given me and now I'm even happier to get to give them back to her to finish!

So, how does the college programer scholarship work? Well, you have four parts (I didn't know about the fourth until Thomas told me about five days before I figured out I'd gotten the scholarship): the grades (GPA: 2.87, only because I go to a really hard school), the PRT score (a physical test of push-ups, sit ups and a mile and a half run, which I didn't do nearly as well on account of nerves), recommendations (from all my superiors all of which told me they were behind me in this) and, apparently also, points! These points are awarded depending on how much work I do with the Navy. I didn't realize this, but I'd already been a part of the color guard, drill team, exhibition team, various volunteer projects, helped painted the wardroom and even began an exhibition drill team (the founder was my friend Leviton who needed support). All in all, once Thomas told me about the points, I knew I had it in a bag and didn't worry about it any longer.

On a bad note though, for those of you who actually saw my previous TMI, it came back this morning and I'm debating on whether I should go to the doctor. It didn't hurt, so I don't know what to do.

On another note, I really need to work out.

Thanks for everyone's encouraging words! I'll hopefully be on tonight!!

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Congrats, Kessa!

*hugs Kessa Cirtos*

*steps back*

*drops ice-water balloon on her head*

Hey, if you're at war with me, I ain't playing nice. :-)

And re: the TMI: I've had something like that going on and off since college, and never actually bothered getting it looked at. If your insurance is friendly, you might as well see about it...

[Gryphon]

*Grinning widely, she addresses everyone.* So anyhow, I got the scholarship! I'm so froody. Captain Kremer told me I'd gotten it and it was all I could do to not yell in his ear. Fortunately (for him), I just did a quiet little dance and then thanked him politely. =3 The best part is that this means I get to go to college! My best friends are syked and my boyfriend (though I won't be able to visit him before I head up to NY) agreed to pick me up from the airport.

Eeeee no wayyyy I'm so excited for you. If I can actually get into a good school, money is going to be the problem. I know a guy who is going to be a freshman at your school when you are too. Maybe you'll see him. :P Engineering major, I think. He was kinda upset at me because I would ruthlessly insult calculus in every way possible during lunch. Essentially, "... and who uses calculus anyway?" Engineers like him, of course. XD But I had a C in that class and a teacher I resented, and I was struggling just to keep my grade how it was. I felt so vindicated when I got a five out of five on that exam for that reason. Proved myself after all. :P

Kessa, I think you should go to a doctor. Personally, I'm terrified of going to a doctor and finding out what's wrong, but... there's not a lot of logic in avoiding help for that reason. Or any other reason. I know it sounds really cliche, but... better safe than sorry. *hugs*

My dad made an orange julius for me. XD <3

[seabiscuit1009]

Eee...my laptop's getting old. He's moving slower, and can't get the wireless internet signal when I'm up in the attic with him like he used to be able to. So I'm hoping the battery doesn't run out while I'm typing this, since I don't want to move and get the cord.

N*SYNC just came on the radio. I haven't heard them in forever...XD funny.

I went on another college visit today. It was to a school I've already seen, but Dad hadn't been with me when I last went there, and he wanted to see it, so we did. I really liked it...really. It just felt right...I don't know. I know I shouldn't get too attached to any schools right now, because there's always the possibility that they won't give me enough in financial aid, or I won't get in, or something like that...but I really like it there!

Life's been pretty boring since I got home from camp. I broke the delete key on my laptop for about two weeks, then it randomly fixed itself (another sign of its age?) OH YEAH! I got a digital camera finally. And no, I'm not one of the people who likes posting pictures of herself online, so no, you don't get to see what I look like. It's just fun to have a camera.

N*SYNC's gone. I remember in 6th grade, I went to see their concert as my 11th birthday present. I was so excited...it was my first concert. You know, that was 6 years ago. I'm a senior now. Seriously, I'm not ready to be a senior. Seniors at my school are always so...poised. And polished, and in control, and are definitely not slobs like me! They have more authority-people listen to them. I'm the girl who's cross country coach said that she'd be one of the captains, and then randomly changed his mind about her, making the 2nd year senior a captain, rather than me, the 3rd year senior. (I'm still a bit angry about this...I worked so hard last season and during track, trying to impress coach...and then he decides not to make me captain.) I'm the girl who's still never had a date/kiss/slow danced with a guy. How am I supposed to get a date for prom? Even better, how am I supposed to go to college? Yes, I'm now freaking out. Yay.

I'd respond to people's posts...but I haven't really read them, since many of them seem to be about a faulty dishwasher, and no offense, but I don't find faulty dishwashers to be very interesting or troublesome. (I'm not insulting you Eric; I just have stopped reading your posts that include the word dishwasher in them-however, I do read the rest of them, as long as they don't discuss dishwashers.)

So. I now have proof that my one maybe former best friend has been doing bad things since she stopped hanging out with me. How do I know this? She told me, and then asked if I'd want to do these bad things with her sometime. I said no. I just...can't believe she'd do this. And now I'm mad at her again for being stupid!

This is ridiculous. I'm going to go get ice cream, and remember how much fun I had on the college visit today, and not think about my friend. It's not worth it right now.

[fred22]

I just felt like I should post here. A bit overwhelming how much everyone posts. How new members shoot up in posts while I slink along, though Ive been here a while . I guess I just like to observe now more than I like to talk. Well now, but a year back I was noisy and annoying. Anywho, now that I have learned the secret of silence, I will break it! HAHAHAHA! Got back from California where I will sum up in 3 points.

1. I got licked by a deer
2. A drunk guy gave me advice about my life
3. My dad managed to make my nose bleed in the pool. (((He was trying to do a martial arts move on me and I guess it worked!)

But now Im back and suffering through a week of living with my relative. I got my permit a while back and have been driving a lot.

Dreading going back to school. Not because of the work, but because I have to deal with those stupid high school dramas. Well, I've run out of things to say, DAI!

Frazen

[Rhi]

now have proof that my one maybe former best friend has been doing bad things since she stopped hanging out with me. How do I know this? She told me, and then asked if I'd want to do these bad things with her sometime. I said no. I just...can't believe she'd do this. And now I'm mad at her again for being stupid!

Yipes, that stinks *gives seabiscuit a hug* Sometimes people do stupid things for stupid reasons, but that doesn't make it any easier to bear. One day she'll come around

I should probably go to bed right now, but I'm to tired to get up from the chair, and I had coffee for a headache so it's that tired-but-then-again-not-tired buzzy feeling. I hate that feeling

So, anybody been attacked by aliens recently? (Hey, it is the Topic of Great Randomness, I might as well ask!) Yes, I am crazy

[spyells]

Well, I know it's too late but thanks Sean. I didn't know people liked my quote. I've never been out of the country. I have traveled within the country I went to New Jersey for a family reunion when I was a baby. My mom said I cried a lot. She said I slept on the plane ride to and back (after I calmed down that is ) . So I don't remember much. Well at least someone's doing something interesting this summer.

[EricG1793]

I can't believe this.... OK I'll just tell you all the complete story....

Last Tuesday night, my mom and I went to my aunt and uncle's house along with all my mom's siblings and also one of my cousins to discuss plans for my grandmother's birthday in September (she'll be 80, so it's going to be special). I brought my laptop. I ended up not using it. When we left, I picked up and was standing there waiting for my mom to stop talking with everybody. The computer got heavy in my arms. I put it down on the dining room table. When my mom was at last done talking, we left, and I forgot my computer there. So I was using my sister's laptop, the one I had been using before I bought my own (like she misses it ), for the Internet and my other usual computer stuff. So then I went to my grandfather's on Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday I only had a couple minutes to briefly look at my E-mail. I had 15 then. So I left then all unread while I was at my grandfather's. I still didn't have my own laptop back. My sister's laptop doesn't have wireless Internet, which is how my computer gets it Internet connection while I'm there, a faint one from a neighbor's house. So I have no Internet access from ten Friday morning to about six thirty this (Sunday) evening. Before my mom picked me up at my grandfather's, she picked up my laptop too. So I'm using it now. But anyway, the point of this story... I couldn't access my e-mail for like three and a half days. I just checked it and there were fifty. I know that fifty isn't too much, but for me it's a ton. Because I have Gmail, I get absolutely NNNOO junk. I have had not ONE piece of junk mail come in to that account, and I have had it for five months now. This is the opposite of AIM mail . It was full of notifications from the three forum sites, and one random outlier from Roxio. So this is the third E-mail that
I've opened. I had to delete repeat notifications for threads when I've already gotten an E-mail that someone had posted here. That's annoying sometimes; it's not as bad when I'm not gone for three and a half days. So I deleted the duplicates and I had about forty total... now about thirty-nine more to look at. Sigh.... I think I participate too much in forums.

But anyway.... On a happier note...

CONTRATS KESSA! I'm really proud of you! Now all this waiting and worrying is finally over, with good news! *Cue confetti to fly all across everyone's computer screens* Good luck with the college.

Uuummmm... I forgot who I wanted to reply to... whoever was talking about the nosebleed, that sounds like it really hurts. I hope it feels better! Maybe your dad won't try to do any more fancy tricks in the pool.

Oh, I might as well tell about how my time at my grandfather's was. I was there Friday and Saturday nights. We got a ton done; mowed the lawn, cleaned the floor and dusted his bedroom, cleaned the floor in his bathroom, vacuumed the upstairs hallway and stairs, vacuumed the rug in the screen porch and cleaned the furniture on the porch, vacuumed the den carpet, cleaned all three toilets, and vacuumed and washed the kitchen floor, in that order. So all the boring, routine stuff is done this weekend... next time I go there, which is usually at least every Saturday night (for church on Sunday), we can do the more interesting stuff, such as straighten the basement (half of the stuff in the basement had to be moved in to the area where the pool table is because of the large amount of water leaking in back from this spring) so we can play billiards again. Interesting stuff like that.

EDIT: *Comes back from world changing thread*

Well the topic about the world ending got out of hand while I was gone.... I wish I could have done something to turn things around, to make things better.... Ah, well. The subject of the world changing had pretty much been discussed to its limits, anyway.

Although Garrett did say that he was freezing it to cool down, so I guess that means he'll open it again in time. So things will have settled down and we can talk about the world ending again, a much more uplifting, happy subject.

End edit

That's all for now. *Sigh* Now off to the waiting thirty-eight E-mails.