deviantART: by:hermitchild

deviantART: by:hermitchild http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:hermitchild&section=today deviantART RSS for by:hermitchild en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:42:50 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png Devious Journal Entry http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/28640997/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/28640997/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:07:34 PST
There's just one problem.

I can't! Too much stuff to do for drawing! I haven't posted anything better than a scrap since Halloween! And this is the first time I've updated this journal since August.

The trouble with online classes is that you do all this work and then have nothing tangible to show for it. I've been readin', writin', and researchin' for months now. I've got a few more weeks to go before the semester is over, so no time to draw.

Yet.

]]> *hermitchild The Mirror of Dorian Gray http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/26598393/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/26598393/ Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:03:58 PDT
When you look into this mirror, you see yourself at your absolute worst. Every past bad night of sleep, every extra pound, every unflattering hair-do, every stray hair that needs plucking, every time you looked at yourself under those crappy lights in store fitting rooms, every time you had to just throw something on and go and didn't realize until you were there that you looked like the Goodwill was on fire and you had to wear the entire $3 rack to safety... this mirror recreates all your past 'geez, I look like a buffalo' moments and overlays them to reveal you as you might look on the worst day of your life, no matter how well-made-up and cute you might happen to actually look.

This mirror is in the bathroom at work. You might just wander in to use the facilities and stop to wash your hands and casually glance at the mirror and suddenly realize that not only has some blind person attempted to shave a yeti, but the poor sasquatch now numbers among the undead judging by its skin tone, and is wearing something that makes it look 15 pounds overweight AND has the exact same earrings that you wore today! Then, you realize....

And feeling terrible, you slink back to your desk where your reflection in the darkened window makes you look, by comparison, a goddess of adorable. What's the difference? It has to be the mirror, because there have been plenty of times when I've looked like Death eating a cracker, but never as bad as I look in that mirror.

]]> *hermitchild Anybody Else Wake Up With An Extra Limb? http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/24295884/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/24295884/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:15:27 PDT

It appears to be a severed caribou leg. Perhaps I've been visited by the caribou fairy. Perhaps this is some kind of arctic warning. I don't know where it came from or how it got on my doorstep, but it was there as soon as I opened the door this morning. There weren't any tracks. The ones in the picture are mine. It was still there when I got home from work. I guess if it's still there in the morning, I'll have to toss it.

]]> *hermitchild conquers all http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/24062971/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/24062971/ Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:26:43 PDT I love you

]]> *hermitchild WIP http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/23574763/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/23574763/ Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:58:57 PST [link]

And I've been picking virtual apples while an adorable spotted pony looks on. Yes, I'm playing Apple-oosa. It's completely cute and addictive as Tetris and Destruct-o-match! Even the looped, vaguely Western-ish music is endearing. It's possible I need a life. (Still working on that too...)

]]> *hermitchild In Like A Lion http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/23470744/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/23470744/ Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:13:23 PST
]]> *hermitchild Devious Journal Entry http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/23423618/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/23423618/ Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:24:13 PST
I called in sick this morning and spent the rest of the day in various stages of low activity. A few times I toyed with the notion of going out to get ginger ale and maybe some sour cream, but it never happened.

]]> *hermitchild Valentine's Day Project http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/23200163/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/23200163/ Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:28:31 PST
I don't know if my drawn smooches got better over 14 days or not, but it was fun.

Day 1: Briar Patch and Poison Ivy from Charmkins
Day 2:Bane and V. OCs.
Day 3:Walter and Seras from Hellsing.
Day 4:Tanner and Sian,. OCs.
Day 5:Bits and Clancy. OCs.
Day 6:Jen and Kira from Dark Crystal.
Day 7:Naomi and Gideon. OCs.
Day 8:Snow and Bigby from Fables.
Day 9: Shade and Barsad. OCs.
Day 10:Virginia and Wolf from The 10th Kingdom.
Day 11: Smokey and the pooka. OCs.
Day 12:Edward and Kim from Edward Scissorhands.
Day 13:Dancer and Duchess from The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West.
Day 14: Anaid and Selkah. OCs.

]]> *hermitchild Valentine's Day Project http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/22934470/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/22934470/ Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:17:16 PST
My first one is from the Charmkins, which was a toy/cartoon back in the 80s. My couple isn't canon, but nearly 20 years later, I don't think it matters. I think they're cute together.

Hopefully, my drawings of the smooches will improve over the next two weeks. We shall see!
Day 1 is complete.

]]> *hermitchild Charles DeLint dreams http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/22830622/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/22830622/ Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:31:24 PST
We were barricaded into our old house in WV to keep 'something' out. There was also a bunch of bikers out in the woods and at first, I thought it was them. It wasn't. They had started a fire, and they were drinking and whooping it up, but it wasn't them we had to worry about.

There were also faeries, and I wasn't sure what they wanted, but I knew I wasn't going to let them in. Their spokesperson was an unpleasant woman. Imagine the Wicked Witch of the West all short and dumpy with really bad teeth and dressed in biker gear. She punched one of our windows and spiderwebbed it when I wouldn't let her in. She told me that she didn't have a personal beef with us, but it would only take a small thing to set off whatever bad thing it was we were hunkering down for. She had a weird creature with her that had weeds growing out of his back and great big scary donkey-dentures teeth. His name was Grass, and she warned us that he would eat our cats if he could catch them.

And so of course, I look out, and there's my cat wandering around the yard. So, I have to try and lure him back in without leaving the house myself. Even in dreams, cats don't come when called, but eventually he came close enough that I could reach out and grab him in. I slammed the door shut and felt a change in the air. I had either let something in or out when I opened the door, and I wondered if that was the small thing that would bring the whole situation down on our heads.

There was also something about a book store and arguing with someone who wanted to ban every book that was set around a war. My arguement was that we'd lose 2/3 of the best books ever, and I gathered up a big pile to prove it. I had a whole bunch, but the one on top that I remember was Gone With the Wind.

So. Books and bad teeth seem to be the recurring theme here. And heavily barred, thrice-locked doors.

]]> *hermitchild eye in the sky http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/22512139/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/22512139/ Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:45:54 PST
The moon is fantastic tonight.

Maybe the full moon pull is what has left me so dizzy today. I've had about 6 different minor dizzy spells.

]]> *hermitchild last person alive dream http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/22425592/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/22425592/ Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:32:11 PST
It was also sorta like the protean ooze in Phantoms, the book especially, but anyway, I end up running through the woods, and I have a shovel to smack the grabby tendrils and teeth away with, and THEN, I run into a scary guy with claws.

And, after all night of running from the ooze, I just didn't have any scared left for him. And I told him that. It's hard to tell a nightmare they just aren't cutting it, but I had to.

"You're gonna have to either help me this," I told him, pointing at the ooze. "Or come back some other time. "

So he left grumbling. I was hoping the ooze would be distracted by him, but it wasn't. I took my shovel and ran for it. eventually, I jumped off a dam a la Fugitive which worked pretty well since the ooze dissipates in water. good to know.

]]> *hermitchild before we hit Flat-Top Tunnel http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/21791013/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/21791013/ Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:39:38 PST
Then again, my favorite part is probably the least sappy.

You know what I love? I mean, really...? The hobo on the train. That's worth all the disturbing children. Is he a ghost? He must be or he wouldn't have brought it up! Did he die in the tunnel?? He seemed to know quite a bit about it.

And while I geek out over that, I hear that the author of the original Polar Express book met a man in a train station that he based that character on because he wasn't sure if that guy was a ghost or messenger or what. I haven't found an actual account of that (if anyone knows where it is, tell please!)

But... break is over! Back to work.

]]> *hermitchild such a card http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/21629940/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/21629940/ Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:37:02 PST

I got my cards ready to send today!
My friend Darleia works with Stampin' Up* and she had some really awesome ideas for making cards. She helped me put some nice ones together.

I went online to look up nice messages for the insides, and ended up using some Christmas carol lyrics here and there. I still think I babbled a bit, but I tried to have something upbeat, and warm/fuzzy.

Sending a heartfelt message to someone you don't know, who is suffering from something you don't know is a little awkward, but I do know that if it was me, I would appreciate being thought of, even by a stranger. Warm wishes are always welcome!

* If you've never tried Stampin' Up, it's loads of fun. It's like cut n' paste for grown ups.

]]> *hermitchild Mishaps http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/21508630/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/21508630/ Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:14:27 PST
Then, they cut to a bird nest above the water. In the nest sat a placid, yet cranky baby bird. Soon, the narrator tells us, it will be ready to attempt the perilous venture of learning to fly. Another quick cut to the same bird, now obviously dead, in the water as the pirahna approach.

"By some mishap," the narrator intones. "This baby bird has fallen in."

Right.

That bird was dead. It wasn't drowning and hadn't been touched by pirahna yet. I was pretty sure the 'mishap' was that the camera man got tired of waiting for a shot, killed the little tweeter, and tossed it in to get some feeding frenzy footage.

And just the other night, I saw another documentary, this one about wolves. The whole thing was that the camera crew was gonna follow these two wolves that had been separated back to their territory. But then! Suddenly, the older wolf who knows the way turns up dead without a mark on him and his face in a terrible snarl. You'd think a diligent camera crew would've noticed this before.

"The young wolf finds his mentor dead," the narrator says. "With so many lessons untaught, how will he find his way home? He must go on. Alone."

It is more dramatic that way, isn't it? If Disney has taught us anything, it's that orphaned animals sell. They tug the heartstrings and cloud the mind, and I've got a feeling that the senior wolf's 'mishap' was that he was doing too good a job of getting his young charge home and out of harm's way.

He had to go. That's just show biz.

]]> *hermitchild fangirling aquarium pictures http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/20676938/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/20676938/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:29:35 PDT
]]> *hermitchild Another weird dream.... http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/20642450/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/20642450/ Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:51:49 PDT
Then, I had to convince the poor thing that it was dead and it didn't have to be afraid of those crazy beagles down the road anymore.

There were four other ghosts too, a gay couple, a really skinny man, and a woman in a weird, Erte-ish outfit. They wanted their bodies found, but they were stashed in various parts of our WV property, so we had to follow supernatural clues to find the bodies and track down the murderers.

I had a tigereye lodestone on a string that would spin like crazy when a ghost wanted something. Spent a lot of time tracking potential murderers and steering clear of the sinkhole, which you'd think would be a great place to stash a body. There was something bad in there though, and we kept our distance.

I've had stranger dreams than this one, but I thought a spectral lamb locked in a shed and calling for help in a cartoon voice deserved to be shared. What it says about the nature of my mind, I really don't know.

]]> *hermitchild Arrr. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/20566402/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/20566402/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:31:55 PDT

My pirate name is:

Mad Mary Kidd

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

]]> *hermitchild New Take On an Old Nightmare http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/20446547/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/20446547/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:55:15 PDT
Usually when I dream about the door I can't hold closed, there's nothing visible blasting it open. It's like a poltergeist dream, with some invisible force pouring against the door. There's never been anyone there before. Wonder if that means anything.

And now that I think back on it, the three or four people were all identical. Wonder if that means anything. Violently telekinetic clones are every bit as creepy as poltergeists.

]]> *hermitchild Random Childhood Memory #2 http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/19707216/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/19707216/ Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:17:38 PDT
It wasn't until several years later that they got around to fixing the sign. It was, of course, a SLAUGHTER PLANT. Not guite as cheerful, and ever since I've been leery of meat advertised by maniacally grinning animals. A pig forced to advertise a BBQ place should've been angry, or at least frightened, and certainly not sporting a wide grin and waving a cleaver.

]]> *hermitchild Random Childhood Memory #1 http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/19026251/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/19026251/ Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:45:40 PDT
Finally, one day they did. I don't know what the occasion was, but I got to go in and see the statue up close. I got all googly. The thing was made out of something like porcelain and much more lifelike than a carousel. It was a gleaming, sparkly white. It had a real horse tail installed and had a big DO NOT TOUCH sign up in front of it.

I touched it anyway. I was a little disappointed that it didn't quiver to life under my fingers (I had already watched the first Rainbow Brite origin movie many a time)but it was cool and sleek and now, twenty years later, I still remember it.

]]> *hermitchild Went to see Kung Fu Panda. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/18753870/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/18753870/ Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:00:13 PDT
The character design was so cute, and the animation was pretty, and the fight scenes were pretty awesome too.

The whole thing reminded me of when I was little and wanted my stuffed toys to be alive. The way the characters looked, not quite too cute, not quite too realistic, was how I imagined my fuzzies would've looked if they were alive.

It was also fun to try to recognize all the voices.

]]> *hermitchild Ten Thousand Hits and I Didn't Even Know it.. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/18187431/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/18187431/ Mon, 05 May 2008 19:47:50 PDT
I should probably do something.. some art to celebrate or at least to gloat over it. But I am entirely too full and lazy right now. Maybe I'll hold out for 100,000, if that should ever happen. It gives me plenty of time to think about it anyway!

]]> *hermitchild My Scanner Returned from the Dead! http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/17598186/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/17598186/ Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:24:01 PDT

]]> *hermitchild Came From the Same Place the Last One Did... http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/17001900/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/17001900/ Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:41:20 PST 1) Answer the questions below
2) Take each answer and type it into dA search box
3) Take a deviation from the first page of results (may use ' popular' or 'newest' ) and post thumb (for subscribers) or link (non-subscribers)
4) You can't copy the persons answers who posted this before you

1. The age you will be on your next birthday:

2. A place you'd like to travel:

3. Your favorite place:

4. Your favorite object: (this is the only image that came up...)

5. Favorite food:

6. Your favorite animal: I have several...

7. Your favorite color:

8. The town/state/etc in which you live:

9. Name of past pet:

10. A dream come true:

11. Your nickname/screenname:

12. Middle name:

13. Favorite Smell:

14. Bad habit of yours:

15. Your first job:

http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16955175/ Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:50:19 PST

12 Character Meme:
The Rules: Pick 12 of your characters, don't look at the questions beforehand, then answer the questions.

1. V.
2. Bane
3. Shade
4. Esme Zephyr
5. Lorelei Zephyr
6. Tanner
7. Maddy
8. Kevis Tzarminoz
9. Tommy ÂSlickÂ McCallister
10. Switch
11. Dolph
12. Kovaz the Black

1) Who would make a better college professor: 6 (Tanner), or 11 (Dolph)?

TheyÂre both werewolves. Tanner works better with an audience because he has nothing that even remotely resembles self-consciousness. HeÂd be the type of teacher that would go off into tangents that are 100 times more interesting than the actual lesson and then send someone to run down to the home ec room to bum some baked goods off that teacher.

2) Do you think 2 (Bane) is hot? How hot?

She can be. She seems hotter until you get to know her. Her natural goofiness tends to cancel out her sexiness.

3) 12 (Kovaz) sends 8 (Kevis) on a mission. What is it, and does it succeed?

Hm. If Kovaz had to be sure that no one suspected he was involved, he would send Kevis to rescue a certain virgin before she can be impregnated with what will be an incarnation of the twilight spirit, which is a demon with aspirations of godhood. Kevis will wade in, smite the demonÂs possessed host body with a scary spear/mace thing and carry the girl back to her family.

4) What is, or would be, 9 (Tommy)'s favorite book?

How To Win Friends Among Mechanical Spirits and Infuse Them Into Your Mechanical Projects

5) Would it make more sense for 2 (Bane) to swear fealty to 6 (Tanner), or the other way around?

It would have to be Bane. Perhaps in a sugar-crazed madness, she misplaced her keys and Tanner had mercy on her after the fifth search through the room and handed them to her, and overcome by her gratitude, she could pledge her loyalty to him or his family. He would just pat her on the head and aim her at the door.

6) For some reason, 5 (Lorelei) is looking for a roommate. Should they share a studio apartment with 9 (Tommy), or 10 (Switch)?

Lorelei and Switch would get along great. Lorelei is well-brought up, and SwitchÂs motto could very well be ÂYou wonÂt even know IÂm here.Â Tommy, on the other hand, would be reassembling a Charger engine on the coffee table and have various Umbral spirits coming in and out at all hours.

7) 2 (Bane) 7 (Maddy) and 12 (Kovaz) have dinner together. Where do they go, and what do they discuss?

Bane and Maddy would be hard-pressed to keep Kovaz from taking a nip off their life-forces. Maddy would be especially delicious. They would have to discuss a truce first.

8) 3 (Shade) challenges 10 (Switch) to a duel. What happens?

Shade throws a knife into SwitchÂs neck, but the second before it hits, Switch ÂswitchesÂ with someone farther away. They end up dead, and Switch ends up far away. Shade retrieves her knife, probably feeling confused and sheepish.

9) If 1 (V.) stole 8's (Kevis) most precious possession, how would they get it back?

He would don his black armor, shoulder his scary spear/mace thing, stomp into the swamp, and say a courtly version of ÂIÂm gonna need that back. Badly. Almost as bad as youÂre gonna need your head in just about another minute.Â

10) Suggest a title for a story in which 7 (Maddy) and 12 (Kovaz) both attain what they most desire.

Imaginary Fiends

11) What kind of plot device would you use if you wanted 4(Esme) and 1(V.) to work together?

Vampires. Esme has a grudge against the undead. The undead would dearly love to get their teeth in V. because of the power they suspect might be in his blood.

12) If 7 (Maddy) visited you for the weekend, how would you get along?

IÂd be thoroughly intimidated. IÂm taller than her, but she could kill me without spilling her drink. Or putting it down. Or worse, she could try to improve my lovelife. Gah.

13) If you could command 3 (Shade) to perform any one task or service for you, what would it be?

To let me have a tressym kitten or one of the baby griffins! TheyÂre soooo cute!

14) Does anyone on your friends list resemble 11 (Dolph)?

Sadly, no.

15) If 2 (Bane) had to choose sides between 4 (Esme) and 5 (Lorelei) which would it be?

As goofy as she behaves, Bane isnÂt an idiot. SheÂd side... ]]> *hermitchild Curses! http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16891119/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16891119/ Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:00:52 PST
Hopefully, the inclination will still be in place tomorrow. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day, everybody.

]]> *hermitchild First Glimmer of Daylight. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16542750/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16542750/ Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:43:32 PST

]]> *hermitchild Overheard on the Muppet Show http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16363576/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16363576/ Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:27:48 PST I'm very very relaxed indeed.

On the outside...
but on the inside...

I'm like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel.
I'm never ending nor beginning, on an ever-spinning reel.
Just like a snowball down a mountain or a carnival balloon,
Or like a carousel that's turning, running rings around the moon.

'Cause like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face,
See that the world is like an apple whirling silently in space.
Just like the circles that you find, they're in the windmills of your mind.

Just like a tunnel that you follow to a tunnel of its own,
Way down a hollow to a cavern where the sun is never shown.
Just like a door that keeps revolving in a half-forgotten dream,
Or like the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream.

'Cause like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face,
See that the world is like an apple whirling silently in space.
Just like the circles that you find, they're in the windmills of your mind.

There's a jingle in your pocket, there's a jingle in your head,
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
See lovers walk along the shore and leave their footprints in the sand,
Or is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?

See people streaming in the hallway, see the fragment of a song,
Half-remembered names and faces but to whom do they belong?
'Cause when you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
Then that the Autumn leaves were turning to the colour of her hair.

Just like a circle in a spiral like a wheel within a wheel,
Never ending nor beginning on an ever-spinning reel,
It's just these images of mind, just like the circles that you find,
They're in the windmills of your mind.

But on the outside I'm very calm....

Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!

]]> *hermitchild Yar. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16223143/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16223143/ Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:48:55 PST

My pirate name is:

Bloody Mary Roberts

Every pirate lives for something different. For some, it's the open sea. For others (the masochists), it's the food. For you, it's definitely the fighting. Two things complete your pirate persona: style and swagger. Maybe a little too much swagger sometimes -- but who really cares? Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

]]> *hermitchild Getting the Most Out of a Vacation http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16004003/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/16004003/ Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:15:49 PST Mary Sue Test all morning. Because I can! So I made a list of 10 characters off the top of my head and tested em all.

Esme - 27 Borderline
Lorelei - 36 Mary-Sue
Bane - 21 Borderline
Anaid - 16 non-Sue
Tanner - 19 non-Sue
Naomi - 10 anti-Sue
Gideon - 18 non-Sue
Shade - 42 Mary Sue
Maddy - 30 Mary Sue
Dolph - 32 Borderline

I've noticed that the one I am most guilty of is the eye-color factor. Even when my characters have a normal eye color, I tend to mention it often. Maybe it's because I think my own eyes are my best feature. I dunno.

It seems like the older the character or the more I've done with it, the Mary-Sue-ier it gets. Maybe they just tend to pick up romanticized traits as they go along. ]]> *hermitchild I like the part about smelling like a cookie. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/15771744/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/15771744/ Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:26:35 PST Quote of the Day

I've got to learn to think for myself. To stand on my own two foot-like appendages. Seize the day. Yes. Think globally, act locally. Yes, by God, I can do it! Why, I could start a letter-writing campaign, yeah, that would help. And, uh, I could organize a bake sale. Or, uh, hey! We could ALL help! Come on friends, run to your window and shout, "I'm really cheesed and I'm not gonna hang around 'til this thing gets better!" Uh, why organize a, uh, improv group and do gorilla theater at the food court in your mall. Dress a little differently. Make it more exciting for you and your spouse.

Or here's an idea: toss a little cajun spice into the party mix and watch the fun. Put on a one-man show and talk about your true inner feelings in an emotionally-charged, gut-wrenching, autobiographical account of your warped adolescence, and then watch the grant money come in. Whoop!

But don't snap judge me. And then, watch that - uh, uh, I know! Put a drop of vanilla behind each ear and you'll smell like a cookie all day! Or, eat an apple: nature's toothbrush. Ask Mr. Owl how many licks it takes to get to the tootsie center. Have you met everyone on your block? Now would be a nice time to start, donÂt you think? Hmm. In a classroom, slide your desks together and create an ecology symbol.

Police the lives of those around you and get your sensibilities way the heck out of whack! Parade up and down the street in your underwear. Impose your ideas on others! It's easy! Crush someone with an emotional word or an enigmatic look. You decide. You do it! I'm sick of this! I can't make a decision! I'm no good at this sort of thing! It's up to you. I'm passing the buck to you. Now I've got commercial sign.

Oh, the pain. The pain.

--Crow T. Robot, MST3K

]]> *hermitchild Singing like Billy Joel. Sort of. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/15350432/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/15350432/ Sat, 03 Nov 2007 18:26:45 PDT
In other news,

As I understand it, you pick some of your own original characters and have them answer the 30 questions.

Characters Chosen:
1. Bane
2. Naomi #6
3. Tanner the Red
4. Anaid Dumanios

---

1. How old are you?

1. Bane: Immortal! It doesnÂt even matter.
2. Naomi: 14
3. Tanner: Older than I look.
4. Anaid: 326

2. Height?

1. Bane: 5Â7 with my boots on!
2. Naomi: 5Â9 right now. I might hit 6 feet when IÂm through growing.
3. Tanner: Oh, I should remember this. Somewhere between 6 and 6Â4.
4. Anaid: 5Â4, in this form. About twice that in the other one.

3. You got any bad habits?

1. Bane: Interfering with history.
2. Naomi: Entirely too tolerant of idiots.
3. Tanner: Um. Several. Hygiene is the one most remarked upon.
4. Anaid: IÂm a messy eater. *grins*

4. Who's your mate?

1. Bane: V. The Swamp god of Old Orleans
2. Naomi: Psh. Yeah, right. *mutter*
3. Tanner: Ooh! I know who I want!
4. Anaid: The one whoÂll sire the worthiest cubs.

5. Have any kids?

1. Bane: Namaste doesnÂt really count. Does he? She? It?
2. Naomi: IÂm told IÂve had three. I donÂt remember.
3. Tanner: Think of it and shudder! More of ME!
4. Anaid: Someday. Soon.

6. Favorite food?

1. Bane: Nachos.
2. Naomi: Whatever.
3. Tanner: Any and all.
4. Anaid: Meat

6. Favorite drink?

1. Bane: Cherry Coke with vanilla rum
2. Naomi: Whatever.
3. Tanner: Dr. Pepper. Or moonshine.
4. Anaid: Water.

8. Favorite ice cream flavor?

1. Bane: Chocolate Fudge Brownie
2. Naomi: Hm. Chocolate Mint.
3. Tanner: Cherry Garcia
4. Anaid: Strawberry

9. Killed anyone?

1. Bane: Badly. Yes.
2. Naomi: Seemed a shame to waste the government assassin-training.
3. Tanner: Yep.
4. Anaid: Of course.

10. Hate anyone?

1. Bane: Fate. Tobilla.
2. Naomi: Yes.
3. Tanner: Define hate.
4. Anaid: No.

11. Love anyone?

1. Bane: Sigh. Unfortunately.
2. Naomi: AinÂt tellinÂ.
3. Tanner: Anymany.
4. Anaid: Define love.

12. Ever slept in all day?

1. Bane: Nopenopenope. Gotta get up and do stuff.
2. Naomi: I have whole months I canÂt account for.
3. Tanner: Only when I was healing up from nasty injuries.
4. Anaid: My record is 300 years.

13. Favorite show?

1. Bane: Mythbusters
2. Naomi: I only watch when I'm babysitting. So cartoons, I guess.
3. Tanner: The Red Green Show
4. Anaid: TV Bad!

14. Eye color?

1. Bane: Blue.
2. Naomi: uh. Too yellow to be brown. Kind of orangey.
3. Tanner: One blue, one gold.
4. Anaid: Silver.

15. Skin?

1. Bane: Tattooed
2. Naomi: Less hairy than it couldÂve been.
3. Tanner: Still attached! Thank goodnessÂ.
4. Anaid: Depends on what phase IÂm under.

16. Shoe size?

1. Bane: 8
2. Naomi: 10
3. Tanner: DonÂt wear the things.
4. Anaid: ThereÂs only two sizes. Fits, and DonÂt Fits.

17. Fat/Average/Slim?

1. Bane: Average, I guess.
2. Naomi: Kinda puny right now. Compared to, yÂknow, DAD.
3. Tanner: Skin and bones.
4. Anaid: Finally filling out again! No more Toothpick-girl!

18. Rain, Sunshine?

1. Bane: Sun.
2. Naomi: Rain.
3. Tanner: Yes, please.
4. Anaid: What, no moon?

19. Pool, Beach?

1. Bane: Pool. Less things to bite and sting in a pool. Unless itÂs the soul poolÂ ItÂs not is it?
2. Naomi: Beach. DonÂt have to share the same water with everybody.
3. Tanner: Beach. More to eat there.
4. Anaid: Beach. CanÂt stand the chlorine/sunscreen stink.

20. Camping, stay home?

1. Bane: Stay home.
2. Naomi: Camping.
3. Tanner: ItÂs all good.
4. Anaid: I donÂt... ]]> *hermitchild Quote for the Day http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/14401442/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/14401442/ Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:02:00 PDT they are mine!

I have a duty!

---Terry Pratchett, 'The Wee Free Men' ]]> *hermitchild there and back again http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/13939815/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/13939815/ Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:39:20 PDT
Wouldn't it just figure that the week I was there would have coincided with the worst flooding in 1000 years? If I believed in coincidence, that is.

My camping experience leads me to believe that I am at least partially responsible. Whole weather patterns have rearranged to rain on me when I go camping. So it seems likely that it was either flooding because I was there, or I was there because it was flooding.

Hopefully now that I'm gone, things will be back to normal.

]]> *hermitchild Quote for the Day http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/13711845/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/13711845/ Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:52:24 PDT
- Lemony Snicket

]]> *hermitchild Home again, home again http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/13461267/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/13461267/ Sat, 23 Jun 2007 14:59:05 PDT
Back from the beach!

I am only slightly sunburned, (read: the worst exposed spots are practically flesh-tone) and I escaped the usual beach injuries as well. Woo!

I had a great time. We went to Atalaya and got to tour that. It must be nice to be filthy, mindlessly rich enough to buy your ailing spouse a mansion by the sea, plus her own zoo, to spend the winters at. We came back after for the ghost walk, which was fun. Also, if you shine a flashlight out over the lagoon, you can see the alligators' eyes glowing in the dark. Fun! Mom was seriously considering camping there until then.

I ate way too much at the seafood buffet, which I should't be allowed near at the best of times. I also ate too much coconut cream pie. It was fantastic.

We also went to the Legends show. It was fun. The Blues Brothers stole the whole show.

Other good news: We found shark teeth on the beach again! We used to find handfuls of them when we were little, but lately there's hardly been any. I didn't find a single one last year. This year I found three. So, yay!

]]> *hermitchild I'll be singing this for awhile... http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/13091549/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/13091549/ Fri, 25 May 2007 17:08:01 PDT

The king and his men
stole the queen from her bed
and bound her in her bones
The seas be ours and by the powers
Where we will, we'll roam

Yo, ho, haul together
hoist the colors high
heave ho, thieves and beggars
never shall we die

Some men have died and some are alive
And others sail on the sea
with the keys to the cage
and the Devil to pay
we lay to Fiddler's Green

The bell has been raised
from it's watery grave
do you hear it's sepulchral tone
We are a call to all,
pay head the squall
and turn your sail toward home

Yo, ho, haul together
hoist the colors high
heave ho, thieves and beggars
never shall we die

]]> *hermitchild A Question That Haunts Me http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/12707832/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/12707832/ Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:15:31 PDT
Is it better to see something reflected in the mirror that isn't in the room, or to see something in the room that isn't reflected in the mirror?

]]> *hermitchild C.S. Lewis said so. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/12588303/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/12588303/ Sat, 14 Apr 2007 01:17:01 PDT
]]> *hermitchild Smile and the World just sort of grimaces. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/12315697/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/12315697/ Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:41:28 PDT
So I tried sympathy. No good. Seems I cant possibly understand.

I tried to help think of solutions. Nope. If they wanted advice theyd call their moms. Okay...

Then, I tried to cheer them up. Bad idea all around. Nothing infuriates some people like being cheered up. The fact that I would even try means I obviously dont care how fragile their feelings are and that Im completely oblivious to the seriousness of their problems.

So, then I backed down, because I didnt want to fight, and getting mad right back wasnt going to help anything. I said something about being there if they needed anything which was the final yank on the grenade pin. KABOOM. That offer was a cop-out and if I was a real friend Id know that.

Hooo-kay. The backing down stopped, and the backing away began. I didnt exactly bolt like a squirrel but I did inch out the door and walk calmly down the hall before I broke into a run.

What I should have done was to wonder aloud about where those real friends could be and what could be keeping them, then sweep out grandly. But I didnt. I actually apologized for trying to help and left sheepishly.

And I truly wish that was the end of it. But I spent way too long worrying about what they were worrying about, sad because they were sad, and upset because they had been so upset. Empathy isnt much fun when you only pick up the bad stuff. Sigh.

But its gonna be a fun day if I have to grab it by the day neck and shake it til its day teeth rattle. Downers beware!

Quote of the Day
It is spring.
Tadpoles swim in a stagnant pond, surrounded by floating lilies and water snakes.
You're tempted to destroy their world with men and equipment, to dry up the swamp and kill the animals.
But what the heck?
You don't go down in the basement that often anyway.
-Red Green ]]> *hermitchild Orlando Bloo said if funniest. http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/11875135/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/11875135/ Sun, 18 Feb 2007 23:10:57 PST "If you were a laser, you'd be set on STUNNING!"

It's just a commercial on Cartoon Network, but it makes me cackle everytime. I think it's the goofy Orlando Bloo voice. ]]> *hermitchild Quote for the Day http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/11497158/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/11497158/ Fri, 19 Jan 2007 18:03:04 PST May the road be free for the journey,
May it lead where it promised it would,
May the stars that gave ancient bearings
Be seen, still be understood
May every aircraft fly safely,
May every traveler be found,
May sailors in crossing the ocean
Not hear the cries of the drowned
May gardens be wild, like jungles,
May nature never be tamed,
May dangers create of us heroes,
May fears always have names,
May the mountains stand to remind us,
Of what it mean to be young
May we be outlived by our daughters,
May we be outlived by our sons
May the bombs rust away in the bunkers,
And the doomsday clock not be rewound
May the solitary scientists, working
Remember the holes in the ground
May the knife remain in the holder,
May the bullet stay in the gun,
May those who live in the shadows
Be seen by those in the sun

John Marsden - Prayer for the 21st century

]]> *hermitchild Drama Du Jour http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/11368271/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/11368271/ Mon, 08 Jan 2007 20:50:06 PST
At work, the first thing I had to do was deliver some shoes. On the way back from the kindergarten wing, I was flagged down by one of the teachers I work with. She had called a kid's house for some reason or another. No one was home EXCEPT for a two year old boy who woke up to find everyone gone and was crying his eyes out.She couldn't put the phone down to go get help for him.

So I took the over talking to him for a little while. Basic comforting stuff. I tried to calm him down and find out his name and how old he was. I didn't have much luck. We all took turns talking to the kid until we could track down who he was and where he lived and send a PSO over. He was crying so hard we couldn't understand anything but that he wanted his mom and she wasn't there.

I have something of a morbid nature, so I was worried that his Mom was dead somewhere in the house. It seemed more likely than a two-year old being left home alone long enough to work himself into a state where only dolphins could make out what he was saying. Turns out that she was at work. Turns out this happens EVERY morning. Little Buzz (the two-year old) stays home alone until Alexia (a four-year old) comes home from preschool. She watches him until the next oldest sister (age 12-13) comes home from middle school. Or at least that's the story I was told.

Later, I heard that Mom showed up at school loaded for bear and yelling that she had SO been at home. Was she just sitting in another room while her baby wailed for her to strangers on the phone? What the hell??

I guess I should be relieved that someone was having a worse day than I was. I almost forgot about the -30 degree thing until I lost the skin off my pinky on a very cold gas pump. Then I was nearly in a car wreck with my boss in the post office parking lot. He had stopped at the front door to let someone out and appeared to be taking his time, so I went around him. He waited until I was back in front of him to pull out and scared us both. Then he grinned and waved and cut ahead of me again. Since he has a history of hit and run incidents, I let him go. Grrrr.

Tomorrow HAS GOT to be better.

Quote for the Day

I know you teenagers watch a whole lot of television and you get kind of a mixed-up view of what the world is really like. The worst thing is that TV makes crime look good, where actually crime is bad.

First of all, there's no such thing as a criminal mastermind, okay? The prison population is not a brain trust. If you ever skimmed through the mugshots down at the police station, you know you're not looking at the MIT graduating class. And if you're a criminal, one of these guys is going to be your roommates for the next 20 years.

Also, if you get into the criminal line of work, you got to work a lot of nights, there are zero benefits and no one will come to your patio dinner party because they're afraid there's going to be a drive-by shooting. Despite what you see on television, most criminals either get caught or killed or they have to change their identity and move to a country where there's nothing worth stealing. So I'm asking you to just say no to assault, break-and-enter, arson, murder, theft, drug trafficking, and, oh yeah, real estate sales.
--Red Green, The Red Green Show ]]> *hermitchild But Who to Play Me? http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/11018034/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/11018034/ Sun, 10 Dec 2006 13:50:23 PST If Your Life Was A Movie, What Would The Soundtrack Be?

1. Put your music on Shuffle.
2. List the song that comes up for every category.
3. No skipping around to make it fit better!

Opening Credits:
Vampire Heart by HIM

Waking Up:
I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today by Gretchen Wilson

First Day at School:
Crazy by Gnarles Barkley

Making Your New Best Friend:
Boom by Trinket

Falling In Love:
Seashores of Old Mexico by George Strait

Breaking Up:
Shine on Me from Fraggle Rock

Prom:
Older Men by The Floating Men

Graduation:
Out of my Head by Fastball

Life's Okay:
Stretched on Your Grave by Dead Can Dance

Death Of A Close Friend:
Raglan Road by Joan Osborne

Mental Breakdown:
When You Wish Upon a Star by Billy Joel

Driving:
Leap of Faith by Big & Rich

Flashback:
Gothic Girl by 69 Eyes

Getting Back Together:
When You're Evil by Voltaire

Birth of Child:
Oh, What a Thrill by The Mavericks

Wedding Scene:
What Was I Thinking? by Christine Lavin

Car Accident:
Hurt by Johnny Cash

Final Battle:
The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny by Lemon Demon

Death Scene:
I Take My Chances by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Funeral Song:
Another Lover by Tricky

End Credits:
Soldier Side by System of a Down

Some of these were appropriate. Some reeeeally weren't. That's what makes it fun! I was amazed at how well the Fraggle Rock song would fit a break-up scenario. More proof that Jim Henson was a higher being. ]]> *hermitchild Woohoo! http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10709580/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10709580/ Mon, 13 Nov 2006 08:23:59 PST
School's been cancelled today due to a little something called 0 visibility. I took a peek out the window to see it's true. It is. I can see lights out in the driving wind and snow, but not across the street.

I would take a picture, but there's really no point!

Quote for the Day

Be proud of your flippers
And the flies that you catch
And the logs that you leap
And the eggs you will hatch
We're under the stars
And we're smaller than men
But I'm proud to be one of the frogs in the glen.
-Kermit the Frog ]]> *hermitchild A Fraggle Quote http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10642723/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10642723/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 22:55:56 PST Wembley: "Maybe its a gift... a special talent that I alone possess."
Red: "Maybe its a curse. A special weeeeeirdness you alone are stuck with."

]]> *hermitchild They Say These Things Happen in Threes... http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10568867/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10568867/ Tue, 31 Oct 2006 09:17:23 PST
Just for grins I'm doing an all-call for The Three Things That Scared You. I picked three things that scared me when I was a kid. (At least one of them still scares me though)

-------------------------------------------------------------

1. The Headless Horseman. I used to wander far afield back when we lived in the foothills and I sometimes had a long way to run to get home when the sun started to go down. Hurrying through the darkening woods, it was easy to imagine the sound of hooves on the trail behind me. It made me hurry a little more. By the time I made it home, I would usually be at a full sprint.

2. The "I'm Coming Up" story they used to tell me as a kid... Y'know, the one where you're in bed and you hear a voice whispering "I'm coming up..." "I'm on the stairs..." "I'm in the hall..." "I'm at your door..." "I'm by your bed..." and so on. Freaked me out at the time.

3. My Grandmother's basement. Ho-ly cats... That place gave me the creeps, even as an adult. It was separated into three rooms with open stairs. No matter where you were down there, you were sure that if you looked up, there would be someone standing there watching.

When I was really little, I wasn't allowed down there because Raw Head and Bloody Bones would reach through the stairs and pull me under. (Or so I was told.) When I was big enough to go down there by myself, I was afraid of a man in the coal bin. Nobody told me about him. I was just sure he was there. He wore a red shirt and had messy hair and a bushy beard. I was terrified of him.

Mom tells me she was always afraid of that basement too, so I dont feel too bad about that one. She grew up in that house, and shes afraid of the basement to this day. She doesnt know anything about the hairy man, though.

-------------------------------------------------------------

If youve got three things you want to share, let me know! ]]> *hermitchild 10 is a nice, even number http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10334604/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10334604/ Mon, 09 Oct 2006 09:20:02 PDT

The first 10 people to respond to this journal will get to request some artwork. The condition is that to get your picture, you will have to post this in your journal as well and do 10 pics (or poems or whatever your specialty happens to be) for the first 10 to comment on yours. So, no asking for art and then not doing any. This will be checked!

And since Im following

s lead on this, I will add the condition that requests must be feasible and tasteful. Should be fun!

All right I have five so far! They are as follows:

1. From Nitrofieja ---The Chris/Lorey pics (finished)
2. From RavenRising -- the werewolf comic (finished)
3. From Homiebear -- Polar Halloween. (finished)
4. From dr-evil99 -- chess game (finished)
5. From Faeryfae -- Personification of Irony (finished)

I'm halfway to the end. Still five more left if anyone is interested. I'm having fun thinking up weird requests too!

]]> *hermitchild It's ALIVE! http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10330404/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10330404/ Sun, 08 Oct 2006 21:21:10 PDT
I scanned a bunch of stuff. The first thing I cleaned up was some Hellsing fanart I did over the summer.

Time for more!

]]> *hermitchild And it's only Tuesday! http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10276001/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10276001/ Tue, 03 Oct 2006 20:17:00 PDT
It's the kind of day when you stagger home, collapse on the couch, put your feet up on the coffee table, take a nice, deep breath and suddenly say, "CRAP... How long have my pants been unzipped??"

Yep. That kind of day.

And I'm not really stunned. It's just that the mood section refuses to let me change it.

]]> *hermitchild What is WRONG with people????? http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10265487/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10265487/ Mon, 02 Oct 2006 21:36:00 PDT How crazy do you have to be to shoot Amish schoolgirls????

HOW can you have a 20 year grudge when you're in your 30s??? That means he had to be about 12 when it happened! Why the Amish?? How could be ANYone be offended by the Amish?? Did he trip over a butterchurn or something??? How can a man with children of his own kill someone else's?? Ages 6 to 12??? They were just babies!!

I've spent half the day sputtering over it.

I haven't seen the news in awhile so maybe there's an update. And I've used up my question mark quota for one post.

Sigh.

]]> *hermitchild A Small World After All http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10242823/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10242823/ Sun, 01 Oct 2006 01:16:00 PDT
The other night at the DEWLine, I ended up sitting next to a bush pilot who happened to be from the next town over from where I used to live in WV. Who'd've thunk it??
And while we were reeling from that, another girl piped up and it turns out that she was from WV too, about an hour in the other direction. There I sat at the bar between the Brigadoon and Valhalla signs, and West Virginians just started turning up.
What are the odds?

Quote of the Day
Fire. Its a living thing, Brian. It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it. To know that this flame will spread this way across the door and up across the ceiling, not because of the physics of flammable liquids, but because it WANTS to. -Backdraft ]]> *hermitchild Fuzzy Lumpkins would have been Proud... http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10175224/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10175224/ Sun, 24 Sep 2006 17:37:38 PDT
But it turns out that the people moving in are people we know.
We won't have to deal with strangers, outsiders, or any riffraff like that. Us clannish hillbillies get along just fine, as long as there's a few acres (preferably miles) between us. So the shotguns, pitchforks, and torches can wait until the power company comes up with another great idea to run a massive power-tower straight through town.

They tried that once. There was a big presentation on how much more electricity it would produce, and how much it would save the locals on their power bills, and how a row of 80 foot electrical towers through pastures, gardens, and yards was like having giant silver trees that hummed! Who would want that? And no one could prove that all those people dying of various cancers in the last town they did this in had anything to do with the towers. People die of cancer all the time! It's genetic! And animals are always having deformed offspring and birds have known to just drop dead out of the sky. It's just coincidence that all that tripled in the course of a year or two in a small town in the path of the electrical company.

My mountain kin were not pleased. Lives were threatened. Firearms were brandished. 300 year old feuds were forgotten in the face of a common enemy. I've gone on this tangent too long already, but the point is that I come from a culture of people who don't like their property being messed with. It makes us mean.

Thankfully, it won't come to that in this case. Or at least, it hasn't yet.

Quote of the Day
The dictate of the light says: Know yourself and what you are. The dark replies, By all means, but then become afraid.
-Tanith Lee ]]> *hermitchild Lightly Frosted http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10147527/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10147527/ Thu, 21 Sep 2006 21:43:14 PDT
Not much, I'll admit, but there's something nice about the first real noticable snow. Especially when its covering up a lot of dirt, gravel, and dead animals. Not to knock my place of residence, but it looks so much better under a few inches of snow. Fortunately, that's the way it is most of the time.

]]> *hermitchild Only If You Dance With Me! http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10004339/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/10004339/ Thu, 07 Sep 2006 22:48:24 PDT
Today though, after a four year old's shoe had mysteriously untied itself for the millionth time, he beamed at me cherubically and asked me to tie it yet again. So I got to say "Only if you dance with me!"

And he did. So I tied his shoe.

Then I was tackled by another young man, who is a born mosher. Luckily, he was only tall enough that the head butt got me in the hip.

]]> *hermitchild His Time to Go http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/9963959/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/9963959/ Mon, 04 Sep 2006 11:49:18 PDT
The argument came from those who said that it would only have been freaky if an animal HADN'T killed poor Steve. There are those who saw this coming. Chief among them is my Grandma, who couldn't watch his show because she couldn't bear to see him killed right there on TV.

I haven't seen anything from his wife yet. It's completely understandable, of course. I can't imagine how stricken she must be to get news like that. I guess I just want to see if she's OK, but it will probably be awhile before she is.

Steve was always so fearless, and it seemed to be well-founded. Even when they did manage to hurt him, it was never bad enough to stop him from going in again. It was like he was invincible as far as animals were concerned. He believed it, and managed to convince me of it, too. All I can figure is that it must've been his Time.

Quote for the Day
"That poor, crazy man... He loves those things, but he's got no sense!"

-my Grandma, watching The Crocodile Hunter a few years ago. ]]> *hermitchild Of all the times to be without a nazi outfit... http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/9854622/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/9854622/ Fri, 25 Aug 2006 19:26:44 PDT
My next thought was to go all in black and be the Plague.

But it turns out that I have a plague of my own. It's called the Bus Duty Crud. It's what I catch every year when I can't weasel out of bus duty.

Something happens to my immune system when I hop in and out of an overheated school bus into an Alaskan morning because germ-ridden elementary children can't be trusted to walk up the steps or cross a street by themselves.

So now I've got a fever, a stuffy nose, fever blisters, a really sore throat, and that overall 'sick' feeling. Bleahhh. Hopefully I can beat it before Monday.

Quote for the Day

The only time I feel the pain
Is in the sunshine or the rain
And I dont feel no hurt at all
Unless you count when teardrops fall
I tell the truth cept when I lie
It only hurts me when I cry
-Dwight Yoakam ]]> *hermitchild Lady in the Water http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/9471191/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/9471191/ Sun, 23 Jul 2006 18:58:10 PDT
We went to see Lady in the Water.
I loved it! The beastie was so creepy! There were several scenes where all three of us jumped out of our skins at the same time! And at the same time it was sad and sweet and melancholy and hopeful.

There was something very beautiful about the story. It had the resonation of an old story about better times. And it tells that old story!

I'm a sucker for folklore, fairy tales, ghost stories, and the "Y'all won't believe this, BUT-" yarns, and the movie had a thread of all of those. The movies I like best usually have an element of otherworldliness to them. One of the reasons I loved Spirited Away so much was that it reminded me of something I might've heard or dreamed once upon a time. Lady in the Water felt like that, too. Like there was something there that I had heard or known before and that whatever it was had been true because now I was looking at it!

I liked the building full of characters. I can't help but think it would be a fun place to live... I thought that about DeLint's Tamson House too. I liked all the wacky people living in The Cove.

I thought the scrunt was terrifying! When it rose up out of the grass and faced him? Augh! Primal fears of swift things with teeth came welling up! Delirium! Impergium! Aieee! That's the sort of thing you're afraid of as a child... the beast what merges out of the grass or carpet or lineoleum or whatever. The monster that flattens out and sneaks up invisible. *shudder* The slow-closing door scene scared me out of the seat for a second.

I liked that The Lady's name was Story, and that she was as scared and confused as anyone.

I liked that there was a price to be paid.

Another thing I liked: The pins and needle feeling got when Inspired? I get that all the time! Usually when the wind hits just right.

And maybe that's all crazy, but I like it anyway. I've read some of the critic's review about it and they don't seem too thrilled with it. But then again, I hardly ever like critically acclaimed movies. Dances with Wolves? Bored to Tears. But Waterworld? Yay for gills and catamarans! Wee! I may not have any taste, but I know what I like.

Quote for the Day

The tortoise has survived while the rest of evolution flowed past it by being, on the whole, no threat to anyone and too much trouble to eat.
Small Gods, Terry Pratchett ]]> *hermitchild Cats are Monsters! http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/9419689/ http://hermitchild.deviantart.com/journal/9419689/ Tue, 18 Jul 2006 19:17:24 PDT
This morning there were little clumps of bright feathers laying in chewed-upon heaps. Cats are not pets for the squeamish...

It used to be luna moths, and those big brown moths that I can't recall the name of right off. All shredded to bits. Now we don't see those around here anymore. Then it was little red-brown field mice, found with their heads chewed off and their little pink feet all curled up. Horrible.

Now it's sweet little hummingbirds! Forget about the fog! It's DEATH that walks on little cat feet!

Quote for the Day ]]> *hermitchild