Thoughts on Hope, Sites, and Lady Is A Tramp

I grew up attending church. In fact, it was common for me to attend every Wednesday and Sunday with my mom. Not to mention participate in various activities put on by different groups within the church body.

But as I got older, it became less and less a "thing" for me. It's not that I was sprinting away from the idea of a higher power. In fact, that is something I do still believe; along with the other morals I grew up with. However it's that I've been continuously losing faith in just depending on a giant spaghetti monster on the dark side of the moon that would answer my prayers. I'm not just going to sit around and wait for things to happen for me; instead, I'm much more of a do-er. I'd rather put my own effort behind what I want done than just have faith it will happen because of karma or blah blah blah.

However, the one thing I haven't lost, is hope. The idea that tomorrow will be a better day, or that things won't always be this hard financially. It's that silver lining or the light at the end of the tunnel -- and no, that's not a train. But it's seeing the glass as half-full instead of half-empty. It's all about staying optimistic and hopeful that another day will come and it will be brighter than the last.

Thoughts on The End of the World, Unexpected Letters, & Billy Joel

The rainalypse, an East Coast earthquake, Hurricane Irene, thunderstorms, floods, tsunamis, snow, melting ice caps (that's still happening, right?).

I try not to dwell on these kinds of things, but...really?

Thoughts on Mosquito Bites, Wounded Phones, and CD Collection

I'm one of those people that is unfortunately what one might say is allergic to mosquito bites. They don't just itch after I get bit, but they also welt up rather large and are often times, painful.

Thankfully, I'm not as bad as my mom, but mosquitoes are one of those creatures that everyone hates. They really seem to have no purpose except be annoying on a vacation or camping trip, and to perhaps stupidly fly into a spider's web. Ah, the circle of life.

Thoughts on Mumford & Sons, Mousse, & Going Back to School

Have you ever fallen, instantly, in love?  With music?  You only know a song or two, but you're stared in the face with a half-remember melody and the CD cover, and you say, "What the hell?" and but the whole damn album, anyway.  Sometimes, you only recognize a title, a single line, but that's all it takes.  It isn't forced; you just know.  You want to listen to the song you only vaguely remember, but you start from the beginning, to be fair - no waiting, no whining, without a fight.  Wo cares about the money?  It's natural.

By day two, you know every line.  You have your favorites.  And that album is all you need.

Thoughts on "Loud Music," Vlogging Idea, and The Wild Thornberries

Michelle Branch was and still is one of my favorite female vocal artists. She's always done things her own way and never followed the crazy crowd of those Pop Singers. Quite the role model to look up to - I can't sing, but following the beat of her own drum is what I look up to. I've been following her on Twitter.

Thoughts on Composers, Giant Woman Crush, and Cars 2

Often times, after I've seen the movie, the soundtrack is an instant buy for me. Music is vital to me in liking a movie. It sets a tone for a scene and really adds to everything in a theater. Plus, often times it helps to be great writing playlists too.

Thoughts on Interviews, Commercial Music, and Ocarina of Time

Interviews are stressful. I don't care who you are, there has to be at least some amount of nerves going into an interview that could lead to a better paying job.

It's even tougher when that interview.... is right before lunch and will last an hour. I've never been so anxious before.

Today's interview could lead to plenty of others; that and its really nerve-wracking to not know what will happen from here. :/

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Thoughts on the American Red Cross, New Music, & Dolly Parton

I will, in turns, be eternally grateful to/forever hate the ARC.  It's thanks to them I've had something to do during my summer vacations since I was about nine or ten.  They're the reason I'm currently employed (and have been for the last five summers).  It's because of the Red Cross that, when I remember I am a certified lifeguard and trained in the ways of CPR, AED, First Aid, and swim instructing, I feel like a total BAMF.

But ten-year-old me wasn't thinking that far ahead.  Ten-year-old me liked the pool and all, but getting up early for classes was not conducive to my childhood.  If not for swim lessons, I probably wouldn't have really had any friends as a kid - none that I saw outside of school, anyway.  But, come on...ten AM is early for a kid, when you factor in the carpools, the tennis lessons in the morning heat, the changing for swimming, the spending the day usually at a friend's house because both of my parents worked.  And being an instructor's aid when I was 14 royally sucked.

Without the Red Cross, I wouldn't get to see my kids every year, the closest I'll probably ever come to actually being a teacher.  I plan on having my own kids, someday, and it's nice to have the time to practice - to play, to bond, to instruct.  To discipline, unfortunately.  I want to be the cool mom, the one everyone loves and trusts, because I'll probably be the only one who thought it was important to keep up with my CPR certification.

So, a million and one thanks to the American Red Cross.  But, also...I hate you.

Thoughts on Rubber Ducks, Character Dialogue Research, and Music

I have a pretty extensive collection of rubber ducks, which continues to grow every year.

This collection started during my first WriMo in 2008 when I found out Seattle was known as the hydrophobic ducks. As our mascot dubbed by NaNoWriMo creator, Chris Baty, the locals took up the idea and have hence forth, been able to recognize each other via the duck placed on a table at write-ins. Each writer has their own or borrow from someone like myself, to be their totem.

There's really one duck I keep with me when I do write at Tully's. He's a black, ninja devil duck. Certainly my favorite - though I don't remember where I acquired him, but I think he was a gift - and he's been with me for the past three years. Like lucky socks for an athlete, he's my lucky charm for when I need to get some progress done. And perhaps that explains why I haven't been able to complete anything.

As of late, I haven't had him sitting next to me on my desk, or where I lounge on the couch upstairs. A part of it is because I don't want my dog to kidnap him and shred him, and the other is that I'm lazy. For the past few months, he's been hanging on the shelf above my bed, opposite my pirate duck. Cause really, what's a ninja without a pirate?

It's time to get into the zone and get some writing done with my sidekick duck.

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Thoughts on Daft Punk, Old Teachers, and Sushi

There's something magical about Daft Punk. The French duo really knows how to create some fantastic beats and catch techno tunes.

Their finest work is most certainly the Tron Legacy soundtrack. Yeah, I'm a big fan of lots of major composers - a thought for another day - but there was something superb about the mix Daft Punk did for the movie. Every song was just... wow. I have songs I definitely prefer more over others on the track list, but if I have to pick my top five soundtracks overall to listen to forever, Tron Legacy is definitely there.

All of the music just fit so well with the movie. And some movies, the background music feels out of place, or is boring. But as I listen to it, I can picture every scene and all the characters.

I can see Sam fighting Rinzler in the Games; the battle in End of Line, and Quorra taking herself out of the equation. Not to mention Quorra and Sam riding on his Ducati, with her snuggling into his shoulder. SQUEEEE~!!

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Thoughts on Flip Flops, Losing My Religion, and MP3 Players

Being Japanese and Hawaiian, people would expect me to be completely comfortable with flip flops. In truth, I actually only started wearing them about two and half years ago. Strange right? I would use shoes basically wherever I went, and since I rarely go swimming, I had no need for them when at a pool or beach.

Truthfully, I desperately hate things between my toes. My mom used to tease me when I was little by putting a finger between any of my toes, and I would freak out. So I was desperate to stay away from them and stick to corny sandals - but no socks, thanks.

What changed my outlook on the idea? Well, for the most part, I wanted to be able to actually wear them. My irrational freak outs needed to be tamed. But I couldn't wear just any kind of flip flops. The cheap pairs that are basically foam and rubber wouldn't work. Knowing my luck, I'd probably be allergic to the material, or something disastrous would happen and I'd never be able to wear them. So I went in search of flip flops of a higher quality. To ease my woes, I was willing to spend some extra cash for comfort.

After wandering a few stores and only finding the cheap pairs, or something slightly more expensive than them - but still with a rubber tongue between your toes - I was about ready to give up. But then one store was carrying exactly what I was looking for, which was unexpected. I was looking for cloth or some kind of soft material that would go between your toes, and that's exactly what I found. And they have the added benefit of being made of 100% post consumer material, so they're super eco-friendly. Not to mention, I like the design on the cloth straps. So over all, it was a win-win and I'm not used to wearing flip flops.

Thoughts On Silence, iTunes, & the Center of the Universe

It's so quiet here.  Even at midday, you can pause your music, shut off the TV, and get completely lost in the stillness.  I live on a relatively "busy" street, and you still only hear the occasional car speeding down towards the Great South Bay.  On weekend, sometimes, you hear laughing children, parents chattering, something delicious sizzling on a barbecue.

At night, you can see the orange glow of the streetlights, sometimes the flaring red of parked taillights, sometimes the light on the side of my house is triggered by leaves in the breeze or raccoons rummaging for leftovers, and it's enough to keep you up for hours.  But the quiet . . . it puts you to sleep.  You can be wide away, typing away, listening to music, the TV on for background noise, lights on and mind racing.  But, then, you pause.  And the moment the typing stops,, the music does, too.  The wind falls silent around the house.  You imagine hearing the lightbulbs hum, you analyze every tiny noise - because you can hear them all.

This is the terror of silence.  It is both a gift and a curse.