No, this is not Luna if that's who you were expecting. Luna still has quite a bit of time before she's back. I think.
But I'm back from my lovely journey in Seattle! For those of you who have gone, you know how sad it feels to leave it. For those of you who haven't..... well you need to go to Seattle and see what it's all about!!
Other than eating myself sick everyday, and going new places every single day, I also somehow managed to write in this blog every now and then. As in once or twice. :)
Anyways, now that I'm back I shall try to write as frequently as possible, until Luna comes back and does that for me. :P
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Part Two, was a bittersweet good-bye to the most known series in the world. And I must say it went out with quite a bang!
Loved the movie, and everyone else needs to see it and love it too.
Period.
Goodbye Harry, a farewell which I don't want......
My eyes open to the familiar smell, feel, and sound of my Dallas. Yet, I close my eyes once more and my senses take a detour. Suddenly the clean, sharp smell of Dallas is replaced with the woodsy, slightly smokey smell of a new city. Seattle.
After the long, painful journey of about six hours, in all, surviving on nothing but six chicken McNuggets, and the occasional drink the airline spares to us economy class, I have reached the wonderful, green, lush state of Seattle, Washington.
I reached sometime around 2:30 Dallas time, and passed out almost instantly, only to wake up at 10:30 Seattle time. I sort of freaked out for two seconds of where I was, but relaxed once I realized I had reached my destination. I shall be gone for a while. But unlike Luna, I will have internet connection therefore I will "manage" this blog until she returns.
I have just decided to drag my butt out of bed and make myself somewhat decent, and I'm about to venture out to the mysterious world of Seattle. I shall return sometime at night, not making any promises when, and when I do I will record the adventures of the day!
Today is just another Thursday... nothing special.
But there is this quote that I wanted to share with you guys cause' it's so....inspirational.
It kinda gives you a perspective at life, you know, sort of like on the outside looking in kind of situation.
I'm not that great at really putting emotion into my posts as well as Luna can, but I can try.
So I will now stop talking, er, writing and just post the quote. :)
"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life."
Today I happen to be exceptionally happy for no apparent reason!
Hmmm......Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm going on a vacation in four days, which it partially does, or it has something to do with the most epic recipe I have ever seen. EVER.
So it's this recipe I saw in one of those Food Network magazines ,which has some pretty awesome things in it, and I came across this recipe for a Chocolate Cake. But this cake wouldn't be epic if it was JUST a chocolate cake. No, no, no. IT WAS A MICROWAVE CHOCOLATE CAKE.
It's so cool!! In fact.......
If you have these ingredients- try it out! It really works, I tested it out myself. :)
This is one of those "Baking for Dummies", kind of recipe. So if you don't own an oven, or do but honestly just shudder at the thought of having to use it, give this sucker a try! It's fool-proof.
sunrises/The Fray/chocolate/loyal friends/summer nights/stars/iced coffee/red skies/self-expression/love/colors/watermelon/fireflies/long words/E.L. Koningsburg/peppermints/the smell after it rains/family/football/Christmas/hope/fro-yo/ moonlight/scenic views/sleeping/emails/spiderwebs/talking/raisins/trust/puns/laughing/magic/dictionary.com/staying awake/Abraham Lincoln/cinnamon/secrets/midnight snacks/wishes/dreams/being scared silly/Google/roller coaster rides/awkward moments/meaningful quotes/journals/mac and cheese/House/completing something/mismatched socks/jigsaw puzzles/ink pens/music/J.K. Rowling/moving on from the past/comfort/the smell of new paper/Mom's singing/caring teachers/top lockers/fanfiction/whispers in the wind/McDonald's/small places/when someone lets you cut in line/silence/architecture/hugs/sunsets/purple/inside jokes/quiet breathing/memories/smiles/wildflowers/healing/Cake Boss/running/piano/climbing trees/scented candles/losing teeth/fireworks/birthdays/winning/being forgiven/mouthwash/pumpkin pie/writing/lemonade/new places/Niagara Falls/drawing/corn/interesting names/standing up for what you believe/trying again/equality/when someone kisses it better/hopeful times/autumn leaves/seeing your breath on a cold day/long phone calls/Criminal Minds/books/remembering what you were going to say/popcorn/feelings/surprises/good grades/vanilla/organization/tie-dye/chocolate waffles/quiet reading places/coffee/Monday Night Football/libraries/bookstores/IKEA/feeling important/home/chasing rabbits/bubbles/yawning/new languages/success/chewing gum/helping others/the letter j/meeting someone special/lullabies/neighbors/honey/awful 70s music/someone to talk to/holding hands/creativity/caramel/dolphins/hide and seek/humor/almond butter/candles/stuffed animals/warmth/braids/snow/fairytales/the word enjambament/perfect days/meeting again/Coldplay/vegetarians/modesty/fancy dresses/photography/cursive/being unique/happy endings/standing out/good luck/humming off-tune/yelling at inanimate objects/sunflowers/feeling like an author/road trips/wondering about the future/happiness/Sprite/Sherlock/quiet brilliance/the game/finishing what you started/Twix bars/lightning/fast typing/how each scar tells a story/feeling smart/heavy rain/compliments/oranges/when cats purr/flying/fantasy worlds/escaping from problems/shiny things/hot chocolate/seashells/defending friends/crystals/telling the truth/spell check/trickling tears/sarcasm/lazy mornings/lying the grass to look at the sky/fog/being responsible/padded toilet seats/video cameras/recovery/beaches/rain on a sunny day/football/you
I have nothing culinary to talk about today, other than the fact that I will post another one of my creations on Thursday.
Well, actually maybe I do have something culinary to talk about.....
So there's this Indian snack called chaat. Pronounced like CH-AH-T. For those of you who have no earthly idea what that is it's kinda like the Indian version of nachos, get it? Chaat is not necessarily one specific dish, but rather a concept with many renditions on it. There's usually about four parts to a good chaat, a "base" or chips, such as these little Indian crackers known as papdi, or small fried hollow shells used in pani puri. The next part to a chaat are the toppings, like the veggies. Usually every chaat has potato, or chickpeas as the veggie base. The next phase to it are the chutneys. Two types are commonly used; a sweet and a spicy. To end it all off its sprinkled with some tomatoes, onions, and cilantro with a quick swirl of yogurt.
Sounds pretty good, huh?
Well it is. And if anyone has anything to say otherwise- BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID.
I am obsessed with chaat, and lucky for me there's an Indian store/restaurant nearby to my house which just so happens to make some pretty killer chaat.
Well I had a papdi chaat and dhahi puri recently, and it was kind of amazing. No not kind of, A LOT AMAZING.
So for those of you who haven't experienced it... GO RIGHT NOW AND FIND A INDIAN RESTAURANT NEAR YOU AND GET A FRIKIN CHAAT. NOW.
I end up alone in the summer heat when it's quiet outside, and the only things I can hear are the wind and curls of music from the radio, still working somehow in the sweltering weather.
Sometimes, I feel like turning around to talk to you, words skidding, slipping, before I can hold them back, searching, and I realize that you aren't there. None of you. And, yes, you guys are a phone call, an email, away.
But that's. too. freaking. far.
Maybe that's a bit weird. Because it's three months, only three months. You're gonna be there again, when we're all a year older and wiser and ready to take on the world again, or at least school, but that's even worse, isn't it.
But, for now, this is what I do.
I hang onto Facebook posts, emails, treating each one like something, something more than just little bits and pieces thrown out at attemps of building bridges through the swirls of sun, and the wisps of fireworks late at night, the sweet of watermelon and the sour of barbeque smoke, smell of chlorine and the bright of far, exotic places that I hope you had fun in, but it's back in school, around that crazy lunch table of ours that I'd like you to be at.
Yeah, so. Miss y'all, but I hope you're having a great summer. :)
Hey Everyone!
Sorry for no new posts by me, I simply couldn't figure out how to post any pictures!! So I skipped my last post and went straight to this one. :) But I did figure out how to post pictures today, so I'm happy. :D
Today started out as just another ho-hum Thursday. Since I'm out of school, and not to mention bored out of my mind, I try to do things to keep my mind preoccupied for most of the time. But as you all must have figured out, it doesn't take an Einstein to, I'm into cooking just as much as Luna is to Literature.
So I started off the day by somehow dragging my butt out of bed, and to the breakfast table. There I proceeded to eat something, but had no spark of hunger for anything, and I don't just mean food. So I dragged my butt back up my stairs and to my room to go vegetate like every other normal human on vacation.
Also, for some odd reason, my mind kept wandering to one thing. The holy savior of all female kind;
Chocolate.
But then, yes then, I had a epiphany.
The gears in my mind went to work on the billions of things, recipes, foods, etc. which had any ties to chocolate. And then "IT" was born.
The notion hit me like the bullet Watson shot at Jeff Hope did.
I was going to make Mini Chocolate Molten Cupcakes.
That was that.
I set to work digging through all my mother's old recipe books, magazines, recipes she had written, and mish-mashed into one great, fool proof recipe. So I took the basics and added to, as well as took off, some steps and ingredients.
With perseverance and curiosity on my side I began the process. I measured, then sifted, then mixed, then cracked eggs, then poured, then popped them into a well heated oven to see what the result would end up as.
After what appeared to be the longest eight minutes of my life, I finally took them out.
They were......perfect.
I was ecstatic!
But I had to try one just to be sure, because looks can deceive. So with my breath held I took my first bite.
They were amazing!!
Soft and moist on the outside and melty and chocolaty on the inside.
So today essentially was a good day despite the negative beginning it took. :)
The recipe will be available for those of you curious to try it out for yourselves.
Here are some pictures for your visual enjoyment;
Happy Wednesday. The other half of this blog's gone AWOL, and I'm not really sure what to do.
Do you know how I remembered to spell Wednesday right? It was like in 2nd grade, and I was all like, "But that's stupid, there doesn't even sound like there's an N in it, what if it's a creeper N and it's here to get in my head and my poor days of the week, OMG."
And my teacher (forgot her name, oopsies) said,
"Well, just think of a wedding. Wed. And at the wedding, because the bride and groom are allergic to rice, the guests throw Nestle's chocolate at them instead. Nes. See?"
I said no. And look at me now. Bless you, Ms. What's Her Face.
I think I had something of substance to actually share. Hm.
Only kidding. I'm so embarrassingly obssessed with this blog. Without it, I'd talk my sister's ears off.
Hahahaha. That's actually not so bad a picture.
SHERLOCK
Sherlock Holmes is on the case again in the thrilling contemporary version of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic... True to the spirit of the original books, this series plunges viewers into a fast-paced world where Holmes and Watson must navigate a maze of cryptic clues and lethal killers to solve three thrilling, action-packed, modern-day mysteries.
So, basically, this is Sherlock Holmes set in the twenty-first century, and I must tell you that this series is quite extraordinary.
The story begins with John, who, of course, has just come back from Afghanistan as a veteran, which works well with modern times. Through a mutual friend, John is introduced to the fantastic Sherlock Holmes, self-proclaimed consulting detective and high-functioning sociopath. The two are caught up in a case, and it's just like what Arthur Conan Doyle's stories would have been back during his time; cutting-edge, contemporary, and so well-done.
To start with, the lighting, the sets, the editing, it's all gorgeous. You have that sense of Victorian London, while being constantly reminded that it's a modern city that never stands still. Towering skyscrapers, cabs, metal and chrome, neon lights.
The fact that it's Sherlock Holmes updated might cause hardcore book fans to shy away, but the modern setting is blended flawlessly together with the heart of the stories. Yes, the characters text, ride cars, eat out. They call each other by the first name, use laptops, dress rather well, I must say, but it's still the detective and his doctor. It's Sherlock Holmes, stripped of the pipe, the deerstalker, the ridiculous plaid, and you still feel it's him, still see that connection between him and John, his impatience with everyone who can't keep up, his practical, quick mind.
Written by the Doctor Who team, the scripts are perfection. Really. Fast-paced when they should be, intriguing, witty, and sometimes bitter. The Moriarty lines are especially something, unhinged and primal, in such a way that he goes from that sixty-something math professor in the books, to a young, mentally-unstable genius. On the complete other end of the scale, Sherlock/John banter is fast, funny, and totally quotable. Much love.
The real focus of the show are the actors, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Benedict is an exotic, primal force as an actor. He has this extraordinary on-screen presence, and you kind of automatically think, "Oh, he looks like a Sherlock Holmes." And he does. He's dashing, extremely good-looking, and brilliant with his lines. He's got the fascinating ability to take quotes, deductions, whatever, and pump them with emotion, pulling faces, inflicting tones, body language. Benedict is the only person the creators saw for the role. So FRICK YEAH.
However, it's really Martin Freeman as John Watson that brings heart into the role. Creator Stephen Moffat said, "He (Martin) finds this sort of poetry in the average, every-day man." And he does. Martin's take on the good doctor is not that bumbling, overweight sidekick. He is an ordinary man, haunted by his memories of the war, fascinated by Sherlock Holmes, and rather infatuated with danger. Martin's performance balances out Benedict's, which is always too-much-at-once kind of thing, while Martin is a subtle act, the quietly loyal friend who steps in at the most unlikely times.
And there we hit the heart of the matter. I hate to do this, but this is going to be a spoiler.
In the first episode, John shoots a man to save Sherlock's life, a man who he's known for less than an hour. And it really was Sherlock's own fault.
In Arthur Conan Doyle's canon, Holmes was a mystery. You felt that he was the grade A hero, you know, all-knowing, captivating protagonist. But sometimes, it was undecided. Holmes performed outrageous experiments, talked cruelly at times, shamelessly manipulated people. In one short story, he allowed a murder to take place, purely because he was tired of a man. We weren't really sure what he was, and that was captivating.
Not in this series.
Sherlock is cold, slightly autistic, and extremely sociopathic. He is rude, has no use for normality, quite cruel, and utterly brilliant. He needs constant stimulation, needs that high he gets from solving puzzles, mysteries, and he honestly doesn't give a flying toss about anyone involved. He avoids stupidity like it's a disease, constantly demeans Scotland Yard, and plays dark little games with John, manipulating and corrupting him. This Sherlock is inhumane in his experiments, disrespectful, and at times, unhinged. He hates his brother, uses Lestrade only to steal his cases, and pretty much wrecks John's social life.
And it's kind of sick that we all still idolize him. You just feel that he's the hero, even if he's basically a rotten person with a brilliant mind. We kind of just overlook his faults, glaze them over, saying that it's alright, there are excuses, it's not his fault. We want him to be that hero, that savior that he is remembered as in classical literature.
But he's not.
He's not a good person, and the way he's living will probably end up killing both him and John.
I still believe him to be a fascinating character, and yes, he still is my hero, and will always be. I'm just saying that we can't make some of the things he does okay, because faults are what build the character. His flaws, secrets, thoughts. They're wrong, and not something charming or whatever. Kind of like House. We love him, but he's basically a freaking criminal with what he does.
Now on the matter of John. He has a danger addiction.
I was really amazed by how they played that angle out. They translated Dr. Watson's friendship with Holmes to his missing the war in the modern times. Mycroft, Sherlock's older brother, deduces this about him, telling John, "When you walk with Sherlock Holmes, you see the battlefield. Welcome back."
John, this John, goes into black cars when strangers tell him to, shoots a man across two buildings for Sherlock, runs through alleys at night, and puts up Sherlock's madness and insane experiments. I don't think it's bravery, and it's certainly not stupidity. It's that need to be teetering on the edge of death, of sanity, and making it away, breathless, blood and adrenaline rush. That. Nothing at all like the good doctor who found mystery interesting, but not anything more.
And while this is fascinating to go in depth about the characters and their flaws, at the end of the day, it equals a brilliant update. Because this is modern, this mental, fantastic duo. We see their mistakes early on the series, and then, the two of them, start to get over it, to make each other better, instead of sinking into the maddening spiral, making each other worse than ever, as predicted by Mycroft.
SPOILER- In the last episode, Moriarty tells Sherlock that if he doesn't stop prying, "I will burn you. I will burn, the heart, out of you."
Sherlock replies, in a perfect deadpan, "I have been reliable informed that I don't. Have. One."
"But I think we both know that's not true." And Moriarty does this little nod thing, behind him, where John is
strapped up in bombs and pointed at by snipers.
D'AWWWWW. JOHN IS SHERLOCK'S HEART. D'AAWWWW. ♥♥♥
Sorry. Carried away. AGAIN.
Yeah, so that's about it. Hope this nonsensical ramble didn't put you off, because you HAVE TO SEE THIS.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO BRITAIN. GO FORTH. YOU CANNOT NOT SEE THIS.
This is real short post, partly because I'm half-asleep, you know, as people are at midnight, and partly because I'm horrible at following through on things, and I just can't be bothered. Mmhmm.
Here's a quote from the lovely enjambament on Livejournal:
"Moon, pregnant, golden apple, and full, heavy in his eyes, and he howls, his own voice is joined inseparably, irrevocably with another, the wine dark night wraps around him, wind ruffled, summer sweet, and the blood of small things he drinks down, it is ambrosia. They will run this way forever, and the silver-grey fur of pack-mate shines bright like the pinpoint stars. The night is young and always theirs for the taking."
AND THAT. THAT IS HOW YOU WRITE WEREWOLVES, STEPHANIE MEYER. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT HIS SHIRT. AT ALL.
Okay, that's about it. But, hey, who doesn't love Twilight bashing?
To make up for my lack of dedication, have pretty music. Just ignore the creepy little girl.
I was going to celebrate with a House M.D. marathon, cos I'm such a nerd that it's not even funny, but I kind of ruined that by watching it till I passed out on the couch last night. And I'm left with two episodes. And Foreman has hair, which is really off-putting.
Yeah, so, looking forward to a summer of physical therapy, vaccinations, SAT prep, and polluting the internet with this cr-
Stuff. Yeah.
Also, another matter of business:
Dear Unnamed School Staff Member,
Thanks for making me walk around half the campus with a broken ankle to move home a full-sized pedal harp. It was a great way to kick off the summer. Brilliant. Really.
Yeah, so I'd like to know. How are y'all spending summer?
Well....for those of you who don't know......SCHOOL'S OUT, FOR THE SUMMER!!(bass tune) SCHOOL'S OUT FOR-EVER!!(more music in background)
WHAT NOW?!?!?!
Ahem, sorry. Got a little carried away.... but yes, another horrible, torturous, year of school survi- I mean... Boohoo?
Not really.
So since summer has begun Luna and I will certainly have more time on our hands then we could possibly need. We will most likely write a new post everyday now. :)
Luna will post some of her excerpts which she will be writing, and I'll put up some pictures of my creations along with the recipe.
Luna and I will alternate on posts and occasionally write one together.
That's pretty much it for today.... gotta go watch the BBC series ,"Sherlock" which just-so-happens to be the most brilliant series in ALL of man (and woman) kind. <3 it!!
*Scorpio
PS- Do we have any readers out there? Other than our friends and family?
So this is our window to the world of blogging. If you haven't fallen asleep yet or have just yet to be bored to extinction by our awkwardness, it would probably be a good time to tell you what we do.
I, Luna, wish to be a writer, and will spend the majority of my time having nerdy literary fits and frequently dropping excerpts. My friend Scorpio obviously is brilliant in the kitchen and will post often about her creations which are also brilliant.
S: STOP!!
L: NOOOO!!!
S: Fine. My turn now.
I, Scorpio, do indeed wish to be a chef, but my dear friend Luna here has made me appear as some genius in the kitchen- which I OBVIOUSLY am not. Yes, I will occasionally post my creations, at least the ones that haven't gone too horribly wrong. I have extreme temper tantrums when hungry and am a good person when I feel like it. Now, about Luna. Well, no words can describe how amazingly awesome she is. Enjoy reading her quirky passages, and her easy-going attitude.
We will occasionally wrestle over the keyboard, have brain farts, and may have terrifying mood swings.
