yep, guilty as charged

a lifelong goal accomplished

After literally YEARS of effort, I finally won Minesweeper on Advanced! (Yes, I am way too excited about this…)

What? Of course I took screenshots!

Check out those awesome stats... lol. And that's just on this computer!

stressful things

Lately I’ve been surrounded by Stressful Things. I’m trying to roll with it and take things as they come – bendy not breaky, that kind of thing – and I’m doing a pretty good job so far, I think. Or maybe that’s the Celexa talking. Either way, as long as I avoid Major Freakout I’m okay.

One of the Stressful Things (not the most stressful, but pretty upsetting) is my laptop. Namely, it’s inability to function for more than 24 hours at a time. When I turn it off, there’s a 50/50 chance that it’s going to work again when I turn it back on. Sometimes it’ll turn on and immediately freeze. One time I turned it on and my screen looked like Windows 95 – all sharp edges and boxes. Another time it somehow deleted EVERYTHING in my Photos and Documents folder (which was okay, since I have everything on my external hard drive, but still. Weird.) I’ve restored my computer to the beginning of the month (the earliest date I have) more times than I can count in the past week or two.

I’ve kind of resigned myself to my computer’s eventual death, but I don’t like it. I really love this laptop, despite its many problems. The screen’s the perfect size (ie a bit longer than normal), the keyboard is set up perfectly and is more solid than the crappy-ass keyboards they have on laptops now, and the mouse area is smooth (Dan’s is bumpy, which is annoying) and the perfect sensitivity. I would rather pay a few hundred to fix my laptop than get a brand new computer… unless the brand new one was exactly the same, that is. (I have a Compaq, and though Best Buy doesn’t carry them I think they’ll order you one… at least, I heard that at one point.)

Anywho. This is really low on my worries list in the grand scheme of things, but I will feel much better about Life In General if my computer stops acting up.

bad bunlet

So, I have a very silly habit of rewriting the lyrics to songs – mostly about my pets, but occasionally about other things too (in high school, for example, I had a Descent Song, which I sang during Computer Lit class LAN parties. Nerd much?) When I brought Leo home, I made up a song called “You’re A Bunlet” (the title encompasses all the lyrics) which I sang to him the entire drive back to our apartment. Because Dan is weird like me, he contributes little snippets of song which I serenade our furry family with (“All the Single Ladies” becomes “All the Little Birdets”, “Bad Boys” = “Bad Buns”, etc.)

And speaking of bad buns – ever since Bad Girlfriend started playing incessantly on the radio, Dan and I have sang the chorus as “she’s a bad, bad bunlet”. Now, the rest of the song is pretty nasty, and I’m not a fan of the Explicit & Degrading Sexual Rock Song Phenomena (Always Sang from a Douche-y Perspective) so clearly this isn’t my favorite tune. But I listen to rock radio while driving, and I used to spend a LOT of time in the car, so after hearing it far too many times I started coming up with alternate lyrics for the rest of the song. (Dan helped with this part, too, especially the chorus.)

Without further ado, I present to you: BAD BUNLET.

My bunlet had bad habits
My bunlet is a rabbit
Running all around the room
Getting angry at the broom
Gives a kiss then off she runs
She is the ficklest of buns

Hiding underneath the bed
Getting food stuck on her head
Growling when she’s really mad
The strangest pet we’ve ever had

No one really knows
If she’ll chew up all your clothes
When she’s hopping in your laundry tonight

She likes to shake her tail
And stomp her little feet
She’ll bite you on the hand
And still expect a treat
She gets out of her cage
She’s such a naughty pet
Know what she is, no doubt about it
She’s a bad, bad bunlet

Chewing up computer cords
She ruins things we can’t afford
She’s so cute but deep inside
She couldn’t be good if she tried

No one really knows
If she’ll chew up all your clothes
When she’s hopping in your laundry tonight

She likes to shake her tail
And stomp her little feet
She’ll bite you on the hand
And still expect a treat
She gets out of her cage
She’s such a naughty pet
Know what she is, no doubt about it
She’s a bad, bad bunlet

(There is no bridge, because that would just be too many words!)

The inspiration:

Trying to hop on my keyboard... See the external harddrive? Yeah, she chewed through that cord today. Bad Bad Bunlet.

ho. lee. crap.

I can’t believe they’re making this.

I’m conflicted: looking forward to it, and yet… the author hasn’t written a new book in forever (get on that!) And also, spoiler? EVERYONE YOU LOVE DIES.

But I still think the dominant emotion is excited.

two things that made me REALLY excited just now:

1. LAW & ORDER VALENTINES!!!!! Holy crap, am I ever printing these out and sending them next year.

My favorites:

Surprised there was no nasty play on 'Munch'

Best. Valentine. EVER.

2. The rediscovery of this:

On the internet; sadly, I don't have a real one

This prompted another HOLY CRAP WAS THAT EVER AWESOME (seriously, I loved that thing) and a query to Dan if he remembered them. He did, but had no idea why I was so excited… so apparently only I felt passion for this device. (It’s by Texas Instruments, so I guess it’s ultimately educational, but I only remember the Fun. Maybe that’s because I’m a nerd?)

nerd alert

I’m starting season six of the X-Files on Netflix – woo! Ever since instant streaming really took off on Netflix I’ve been watching TV shows from the ’90s that I missed the first time around. (To my credit, in the ’90s I was a] young (3-13), b] forced to share my TV with younger siblings, so that cut down on my choice of shows.) Since the beginning of last summer I watched every single X-Files episode through season six, where I am now, almost every single episode of Law & Order: SVU (I skipped ones I’d already seen a million times), and two seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (oh, how I miss the days when vampires and zombies were scary, and not, you know, EVERYWHERE.)

We’ve also watched a crapload of bad horror movies, many of which I’d be embarrassed to list here. I have documentaries, ‘classic’ movies, and all kinds of genres in my queue, but I always seem to be in the mood for brainless and bloody (brainless meaning I don’t have to think, but it could be literal too I guess), so back to the more-stupid-than-scary we go.

In addition to bad movies and 90s TV, I dedicate this week to Damn You Autocorrect. I read all kinds of silly and stupid on the internet but skipped this site, mostly because I don’t have a nice enough phone to autocorrect me and I’m overly sensitive about my poorness. And maybe that’s okay, because Dan and I have been laughing pretty much for the past 24 hours straight. And when Dan left the room, I laughed all by myself, looking absolutely crazy in the process I’m sure. And then we had to put the computer away because it was late at night and our laughing would keep other people up. Maybe it’s because we’re 12-year-old boys (yup, both of us), but seriously, that is some hilarious stuff.

i has things:

TV: I’m watching Baby B.D. Wong (aka 20-something) on X-Files. He is adorable with long floppy hair. I love him. Also: I love X-Files. (And Netflix; see below.) And hold the phone, Baby Lucy Liu as well? Will the cuteness never stop?

I discovered something amazing: Mythbusters is on Netflix. Needless to say, ever since this discovery, if the TV is on Mythbusters is most likely on it. We already own the first and second collection, have watched the fourth and fifth on Netflix, which leaves the third and sixth collection to watch (and we’re making a good start on the third.)

Games: I won’t, however, be watching TV nonstop anymore, because today Dan and I bought All the Video Games Ever. Though this is not the most convenient or auspicious time for such a task, being less than a month before Christmas and all, we were forced (FORCED I say!) into it by amazing sales at Game Stop. The games were ‘buy two get one free’ and we walked away with… seven. (If you take into account I traded in two games, and one of the games is going to be a Christmas present from Dan to me… well, it still sounds overboard. But, eh.)

Games include: CSI: Deadly Intent and Rune Factory (for DS), Darksiders, Alone in the Dark and Silent Hill: Homecoming (for PS3), and The Suffering (for PS2). Unlike a usual game-acquiring trip, three of the seven were actually for me! Hooray! (And I’ll play Silent Hill eventually, too… when I beat 3. And also 4, 5 and 7.)

Christmas: I am actually quite excited about Christmas this year, and I have no idea why. With no house, privacy, steady source of income, and hope for things improving for our little family, I should be depressed about a famously depressing holiday – and yet I’m not. I think my brain just decided I need a happy, and looking forward to something makes me happy, so I’m going to be excited about Christmas. I also love any chance to Give People Stuff, whether I can afford it or not, and whether it’s Awesome Stuff or Small But Hopefully Fun Stuff.

I made a list of all the presents I need to make/acquire/buy, and I’ve started on several of them. The list is about 15 people long, if the definition of ‘people’ includes pets. (I’m going to try to make homemade pet treats – wish me luck!) Dan and I also picked a kid from a Giving Tree in Safeway today. It’s a two-year-old boy who needs clothes and wants Zhu Zhu Pets; I’ll be sure to find cute and fun items to fit both categories.

Books: just finished Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (a satisfying ending to the trilogy, I think,) almost done with John Sandford’s The Night Crew (which started out great but went rapidly downhill…) My next start will either be Blood on the Table by Colin Evans, or the newest Wheel of Time, Towers of Midnight. (I lost my library card AND left my books out too long and acquired quite a debt, so I won’t be using the library for awhile… maybe after Christmas I’ll have extra cash to pay my bill.) :P

Food: I need it. This episode is almost over (Bad B.D. became a hero after all, albeit a dead one) and it’s the middle of the night, but my tummy hurts from emptiness. Cereal time! But before I go…

Pets: My dog is freaking weird.

Granted, I did put her in a raincoat - but still. Ridiculous.

(And for the record, I’m not holding her down, I’m tickling her tummy. She actually rolled over like that on her own, and stayed for about five minutes – until I took the darn pink thing off.)

should-be-sleeping things

The Dog-A-Thon is in four days. We still have a lot to do, but I think we’ll pull it off. I’m sure I’ll get more stressed as the days go on, but right now I’m busy stressing about…

Subbing 5th and 6th grade. It’s not so much that the age is hard – actually, I really like it – but I have them all day for three days straight, and that’s a bit scary. :P Still, this is a classroom where I think “I could see myself teaching this full-time.”

I am completely addicted to Harvest Moon: DS… again. In fact, I spent so much time playing it last night, I strained a muscle in my arm (really? REALLY?) And, wait, it gets worse – I couldn’t SLEEP because my arm hurt so bad. That’s just embarrassing. (But seriously. Couldn’t they have made the DS a little more ergonomically pleasing?)

I really, really, really miss my laptop. It’s been gone for almost two weeks, meaning it should be here soon… and also meaning I’m pretty much going crazy without it. Right now I’m staying up far too late when I have school at 7:45am tomorrow, but this was my little window opportunity to use my mom’s computer… I’ve even tried to use the internet on my phone, and if you have or have used a Chocolate, you’ll understand how desperate that is.

My dog just did a front flip off the couch. This is what she calls ‘resting quietly’. I love that dumb smelly thing to bits. :D

Now: sleeps.

I’m a PC, and Blockbreaker was MY IDEA

Dan, taunting: Look what I’m playing!

plays Blockbreaker

Laeci, jealous: Heeey, I play that!!

more Blockbreaker

Laeci: …Where’d you get it?

Dan: It came with my new computer.

Laeci: *gasp* I LOVE WINDOWS 7!!

Yep, that’s me. Could care less about the OS, but give me old school video games? OH HELL YES.

(And if it came with Tetris, or *double gasp* COMPUTER SNAKE, I just might faint.)