amguynes

What's been my biggest influence? I'd have to say it's all of the like-minded writer friends I've made through Elfwood. If not for the encouragement from all of those who have gone to my Library shelf in Wyvern's Library, I'd probably have stopped writing years ago. Their suggestions on how to improve my stories has helped me grow in leaps and bounds, and has shown me where both my strongest and my weakest points are.

Many of the people on my flist have come from my associations at Elfwood. The writers on my flist and I share stories of the pain and frustration of finishing that first draft, reworking it until you're so sick of it you want to burn it, and the bittersweet joy of finishing what we all hope is the final draft. Then, of course, there's the finger nail biting moments when you send your manuscript off to the magazines or the agents, hoping for a positive response from someone other than your usual fan base. When the inevitable rejections come, we console each other and encourage each other to get back to work.

Imagine you are on your deathbed. Recommend to those who remain in your life...

1) One book to read.
A Little Princess

2) One movie to watch.
The Dark Crystal

3) One food to eat.
Spinach! (You would not believe how many people I've met who have never tried it. It's my favorite veggie...other than dill pickles, of course.)

4) One place to go.
The shoreline along the Pacific Ocean, specifically either in Oregon or Washington.

5) One life lesson to leave behind.
The love of your family is worth more than material objects or millions of dollars.

...Wow. And these are all living, real people!

Check out this video: Amazing Choreographed Samsung Stadium Dance



Add to My Profile | More Videos

I'm alive.

More later.

Elder Clean Soap by *ursulav on deviantART

Right. For the all of 2-3 of you on my flist that don't have ursulav on YOUR flist, here's one of her latest creations. And it looks like there might actually be homemade soap to go with the label some time in the future.

I wonder what Cthulu soap would smell like?

1 What was the best gift you received?
The best gift I received? It all depends on how old I was. When I was little, the best gifts were the ones in big boxes wrapped in shiny paper. As a teenager, the "best gift" was always money. Now? The best gifts I've ever received? Kathleen, Jessica, and Mikael. My kids are the best gifts any mother could want. Even if they do drive me nuts a lot of the time.

2 What was the worst gift you received?
Having my husband (who was only my fiance at that point) and our roommates get drunk and completely forget me on my 24th birthday.

3 What gift did you wish for, but never got?
Lots of things. I don't know anyone who's gotten every gift they ever wanted.

4 What was the best present you gave?
That's such a subjective question. I can't really answer it. Everyone has their idea of a "best present", so what I think is mediocre someone else might treasure. And what I think is fantastic others might think is mediocre.

5 What was the worst present you gave?
See my answer to the previous question.

1. If you were going to remake a movie, what would it be and who would you cast in the roles?
Any of the Little Women movies. I don't know who I'd cast. I'd also remake the 4th Harry Potter movie. I'd keep the cast the same, but I'd actually make it follow the book rather than act like a travelogue of some of the points in the book.

2. If you could turn a book into a movie, what would it be and who would you cast in the roles?
I'd like to see the Pern books turned into movies. I don't know who I'd cast, though. Or maybe some of the Velgarth novels by Mercedes Lackey - Owlsight, Owlflight, and Owlknight or her Gryphon books, to be precise. And I wouldn't want to see too many big names in the movies. I'd like to see some new faces. Although seeing Viggo Mortensen as a Pernese dragon rider might be kind of fun. *grin* Or maybe see Gerard Butler in a more dramatic role like Silverfox or maybe one of the Tayledras scouts out of the Owl books.

3. If you were going to turn a video game into a movie, what would it be? Would it be animated or live-action?
They already made one of my favorite video games into a movie - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. And Parasite Eve was a movie first and a game second. The only other game I really enjoy that I might want to see as a movie is Valkyrie Profile Live action would work (the LOTR movies were MOSTLY live action), but I think if they did a VP movie it would have to be a CG animated movie.

4. You're going to turn a book into a TV series. What is it? Why would it make a good TV show?
I can't think of anything I read that would translate well into a TV series. Maybe a two or three part mini-series to tell the whole story, but that's it. And even then way too much would get lost in the translation.

5. Do you generally prefer the movie versions or the novel versions of works?
Novel.

I looked up Nightwish on YouTube.

All I can say is...

DAMN IT I WANT TO SEE THEM IN CONCERT!

That is all.

1. Do you download music not from the popular genres of Top 40, pop, rock, rap, dance, R&B, or country?
When I still downloaded, yes. Show tunes and world music, a lot of Celtic and Japanese stuff that's never hit the states. Usually through Rhapsody or http://music.download.com/ - free music downloads from artists just starting out or artists that are trying to get their work known outside their own country.

2. Are there any musicians for whom you've downloaded a significant amount of their material yet own few or none of their albums?
Not really. I tend to download a few songs at random from the album. If I like it, I'll then go out and try to buy the album. Unless I can't find someplace to buy the album, at which point I just keep my eyes peeled for the artists.

3. Have you ever enjoyed a downloaded album so much that you went and bought the physical album?
I love supporting my favorite artists by buying their music.

4. How many different ways of playing music do you own (such as radio, stereo system, computer, Walkman/Discman, mp3 player, mp3-ready phone, etc.)?
Stereo, generic brand Discman, computer, mp3 player, cassette player, CD player in the car...that makes six.

5. Do you still have and/or play a favorite vinyl album, cassette tape, or 8-track tape?
Yes, I still play my old cassettes, though I've pretty much purchased all of the albums on CDs. Except for the compilations I made from selections from either the radio or my older sister's CDs.

When Graphic Artists get bored...it gets moderately amusing.



When I saw this, it just blew me away. The Blue Man Group has always interested me - in a weird, kind of frightening way. This is their tribute to 9/11.

1. Remember the scene with Molly Ringwald putting lipstick on by holding it in her cleavage? Name one really bizarre thing you know how to do. No matter how small.
Uhhh...I have no clue if anything I do would be considered all that bizarre.

2. What's your favourite way to pass the time? Playing with my kids, reading, knitting and writing.

3. What's your favourite restaurant and why? My favorite restaurant? Hoo boy, that's a tough one. Depends on my mood, really. If I'm in a carnivorous mood, the Texas Roadhouse is my favorite. Their steaks are awesome. If I'm in a Chinese mood, Dynasty Chinese here and Golden Wheel in Boise are my favorites. If I'm in an Italian mood, either Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill. If I'm in a Japanese mood, Kyoto Steakhouse or Fujiyama's, both in Boise. (Kyoto Steakhouse is Teppanyaki - I THINK that's what you call it when you sit around the grill and they come cook it for you in front of you, and Fujiyama's is Sushi...YUM!) Burgers? Frugals.

4. Which TV/Radio show did you like that's not aired any more? A lot of the old school 80's cartoons.

5. if you had a choice of learning another new language, what would you choose? what do you think that reflects about you? Japanese, German, Spanish, Italian, French...ok, ok. I'd try to learn lots of languages. I'm always interested in learning about other places and the best way to do that is to be able to speak their languages. I don't know what that reflects about me other than I'm either a sucker for punishment (LOL) or that I'm always willing to learn something new.

( This one was stolen from my SIL )

( I tried a few variations of my names and I liked this one the best... )

Especially considering that this one, the new Creme Brulee and the new Cinnamon Buns ice creams are my favorite flavors? LOL

( Roses! )

I'm glad I married my best friend...even if he DOES drive me up the wall from time to time. LOL

( I'm not an artist, but I like pretty pictures! )

He was one of my mom's favorite artists.

( I never kiss and tell! )

Well, he seems to appreciate them, so that makes me happy.

( 1977 was a good year....mostly )

Wow...Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom are both 30? I knew Orly wasn't all that old, but I figured Liv to be in her mid 30's. LOL

( 1981 was also an interesting year )

I was talking to my husband on the phone and he asked me what it said about him. So I decided to post that here too. *grin*

1. Your holding a dinner party and can invite three famous people from the past or present who would they be? Mary (as in Jesus' mother Mary), Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth I

2. You have the opportunity question someone about something you've always wanted to know and receive a truthful answer, what would your question be? I suppose it all depends on the person.

3. If you could change one thing in your life what would it be? My lack of stable finances.

4. If you could save other peoples lives by an completing an act that would lead to your own death would you do it? Yes, if it were my husband and kids. Not sure for anyone else.

5. Would you commit murder if you knew you could get away with it? No

I don't know if all of you have heard of her before, but Carolyn Hax is a syndicated columnist. Her column shows up in the Idaho Statesman twice a week. My dad cut one out of his paper last week and sent it along to me. I thought I'd share the question and her response.

( This is fairly long )

All I can say is, AMEN, CAROLYN. AMEN.

(cross-posted a lot of places)

1. What is your favorite board game?
Scattergories. Hands down. A close second is Scrabble.

2. What is your favorite card game?
Pinochle. Gin Rummy. Hand and Foot.

3. Do you like to play games on the computer or on a gaming system?
I prefer the PC, though I will play on the PS2 from time to time.

4. If so, what is your favorite game to play?
On the PC? Sims 2.

5. Do you like to play games with people or to play them alone?
Either way works. I love playing games by myself, but since my favorite games require at least one other player (or in the case of the card games MULTIPLE players) I will quite happily play with other people too.

( #13 )

( #14 )

( #15 )

You know...if I wasn't trying to find a job, I might just dye my hair purple for the heck of it.

(And I'm done with these for today. I promise!)

1. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping? No

2. When you're home alone, do you strip down to get comfortable? Do you ever go out without underwear (bra and/or panties) because it's more comfortable? I wear at home what I wear out in public, though I've been known to ditch the bra unless I have to go out. I never go out in public without the bra on, though. It's just too uncomfortable.

3. Have you ever/Do you use the bathroom with the door open? Are you comfortable using public facilities?
I have to use the bathroom with the door open unless my husband is home. I have three small children who freak out if they can't see mommy. I don't mind using public facilities so long as I can close the stall doors or lock the bathroom door because I don't like strangers walking in on me while I'm doing my business.

4. When getting intimate with your significant other, lights on or off? Doesn't matter, so long as the kids are asleep.

5. How comfortable are you with body exposure/nudity of others? Group shower rooms?, topless/nude beaches?, breastfeeding in public? Group shower rooms? I tend to ignore it. Topless/nude beaches? Never been, never want to go. Breastfeeding in public? I don't care if a woman feeds her kid in public as long as it's age appropriate (babies are fine...5-7 year olds NOT fine, at least in my book). Also I would prefer if she used a cover up of some kind like a light blanket or a baby carrier. I always covered myself when I fed my kids out in public. I just think it's common courtesy.