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Please keep voting...
yeah, so my PCR didn't work. Erm. Doing it again with other dna samples. faugh.
Watched a history channel special on Braveheart: 'History vs. Hollywood." So some of my illusions were shattered, but I learned some things too...for instance, did you know that a typical Scottish claymore was 5'6" long? Good grief. Taller than me.
Waiting for midnight so I can download the hi-res version of the TT trailer 
I am such a dork :look:
I forgot how good Fellowship of the Ring is. I'm rereading it, so I can have reread The Two Towers in time for December. Just so I can have something to compare. It's taken me several weeks to get to 'The Council of Elrond', where Legolas is introduced...which is weird. I used to tear through books in a few days, much less a week. Work really cuts into your reading time.
I moved up to Lothl�rien for next week in the Wizard's Quest... thank you all! Don't forget to keep voting, please!
So friday was rather hectic at work. I did most of my work by myself, cause Todd and Dr Nolta were down in New Orleans (luckily the hurricane cleared up by the time they got there--no joke!) for a conference. I was supposed to phenol-chloroform my dna samples to purify them--and anyone who was reading this over the summer remembers how I burned myself with phenol when I did that in the other lab. Ew. So, I was looking at the protocol and I found another way to repurify the samples...so I did that instead. Hopefully Todd won't mind and the PCR will actually work this time. I was going to run on Friday cause Billy was supposed to be there, but I actually got my butt up in the morning and did a short workout at the new Webster high school track. So in the grand scheme of things it's ok that I didn't run in the afternoon. It may sound shallow, but I would have liked to have seen Billy. Even if he's still going with Amy. Why are the cute ones taken?
Anyway, the protocol ran late and I missed the shuttle that would have gotten me there on time. That was probably a good thing anyway, cause luckily I remembered another thing I had to do for Monday. Hopefully it's ok that I put a little too much trypsin in, and the cells will be growing alright so we can have virus to inject in muscles... don't ask, I can't explain. And the check gel I ran actually had DNA in it (even though some of the wells didn't have enough dna cause of the ethanol), and the ladder worked, my psuedo-ladder that I concocted. So, sometimes I can make things work.
I watched the Buffy season premiere last night. Get this: the UPN affiliate is now the Home Shopping Network on friday evenings. LOL! It's funny, cause I only saw two or three Buffy eps from last season (have them all on cd though) so I was just a little bit lost. But they had a bunch of old enemies from previous seasons.. how cool was that! I just wish Angel and Buffy would get back together...it's sad that they're on different networks. No chance for a crossover! I do have to say I'm turning into a bit of a Spike fan, I mean, who can resist those cheekbones! And besides, he can sing. And supposedly he's got a soul now, so I can just see the slayer-vamp vibes coming back... I then watched two eps from last season while I was in bed. The musical ep...hilarious! I loved it, and the songs were actually really good. Did I mention how I wanted to be a singer-songwriter, like John Mayer? He rocks my world.
I also want to be a writer. I'd love to just sit down and write my story. I know, I know, I should just go and do it... but you have to be in the mood to write. As I obviously am right now, lol. But I really want to write all of the story, coherently, I want to introduce you to Faldor and Myrhysa and Risk and Rraric and Aurin. I want to tell you of the Gem of Akkaan and the plains of Iragea and Imagea. There's a place called Myropel for which I invented a mythology. May already knows about what happens to Zach, but I have to actually get there... You really should read it. What's written, anyway: The Moonstone Chronicles. And you could check out my Roswell fanfic while you're at it: (Human) Development. Both also available on my site without the ads.
If you made it through all that, I applaud you. Any ideas for my next layout? I really need a new one. Not that I don't love staring at Legolas Comments and suggestions very welcome.
Rank the Fellowship in the order (best to worst) that you like them.
Explain why.
1. Legolas. Do I really need to say any more?
2. Aragorn. The manly type, oh yeah, and he's the hero king.
3. Frodo. He's cute, and he has to bear the Ring.
4. Gandalf. yeah, he's a wizard.
5. Merry. He seems slightly more intelligent than your average hobbit...
6. Boromir. Even though he died... he's still cool. And he's got a big horn.
7. Pippin. He might not know what he's talking about, but at least he's funny.
8. Sam. Not too fond of the obsequeious "Master Frodo" thing.
9. Gimli. I hate to say it, but I just don't like dwarfs. I must have elvish blood.
Just in case you aren't an avid Lord of the Rings fan like me, I thought I'd remind you (even if it is a little late) that today is Bilbo and Frodo's birthday Yes, I know I'm obsessed. So what?
In other reality news, Jodie and Dan got married today. None of you probably know them, but they were founders of the showchoir I joined in college. Said showchoir is now I believe defunct, without the superior leadership of said couple and the glorious voice of yours truly; I am not modest and never said I was Now I have to say that I almost never tear up at things, I never cry. Even romantic movies don't move me to tears. But the ceremony did. I guess it's just that I knew them so much better than Kristi and Nathan, who invited me to the only other wedding of friends I've been to. But I really got choked up, when Jodie walked down the aisle (she looked so beautiful in her dress) and when they read their vows. There was a reverend and a rabbi, cause Dan is catholic and Jodie is jewish. They really love each other, it's amazing. A very emotional ceremony.
Makes me want to get married. Too bad I have no guy. It also makes me jealous, much as I hate to admit it, cause they've been together so long, every one knew that they'd get together in the end, and they're so in love. I'd like to be in love again. Or maybe for the first time, considering.
I miss romance in my life so much...
I've moved up from Hobbiton in the Wizard's Quest awards, I'll be in Rohan this week. So, come Monday, limber up those voting fingers! 
Tell your friends. Tell your lovers. Heck, tell your enemies. As long as they vote (preferably for me, lol) I don't care!
I perpetually come up against these seemingly unresolveable dilemmas. Maybe it's just cause I remember them more than the little choices you make every day...
so, as you probably know, I have a year of track eligibility left. This means that as long as I'm enrolled in some college, I could run on their track team for one more year. You also might know that I can get 50% off graduate school tuition if I took classes at Wash U. The great thing would be to enroll for the spring semester in some grad program and run. However, the 50% is dependent on working full time. And you have to be a full-time student to be ncaa-eligible. Full-time work + full-time class + running = very long day != Jennifer awake. It would probably be all-around bad, I'd always be sleep-deprived, I probably wouldn't do too well in classes, and I don't know if I could ever top the wonderful (and I'm not being modest here, it was wonderful) season I had last year. But I love to compete, most of the team is back, I'd get to run relays again, maybe do some hurdling, be with friends, and keep in shape.
If nothing else I will try to help the team out, run unattached at some meets, but then I can't do the relays. It's kind of sad that I would entertain the idea of going to grad school just so I could run one more year of track. But I know how much I would miss it, the whole year of eligibility thing resulting from the old coach and I having some differences about my commitment to the sport and me not running sophomore year. It galls me to have a year that I could run and not be able to do anything about it. I could run next year, I know... I have five years after I graduate to use the year. But I wouldn't get to run the relay with Val. And I think it's terrible that I have done hardly anything athletic this summer aside from some bike rides with Sarah. Coach said it well: that's sad for the former Most Outstanding performer. Sigh. So I'm soliciting opinions, but I know some people don't feel the competitive urge, and I know that I'm the one who would have to do it. I want to, but I don't know if I can. That's the crux of the matter, I suppose. The mind is willing but the body will shut down on you. Any advice? Caveat: I might not even be able to enroll in the spring. They might not let me. Still, let me know what you think.
Now that we know The Two Towers is not going to end where the book does, how would people like to see it end? And taking it perhaps a little further, how would people like to see the two individual threads end -- the Frodo/Sam and the rest of the Fellowship?
I feel a little silly, but I have absolutely no idea what this is talking about. I mean, I know there will be differences between the book and the movie (I'm reading FotR again, btw) but the biggest thing I've heard is that there's going to be more of the Aragorn-Eowyn-Arwen triangle. That doesn't bother me all that much. I could be totally uncanonical and say how I want Legolas to find his ladylove and go off into the West with her instead of Gimli, but really, I'm just interested in seeing what they do with it. I can't wait to see the battle of Helm's Deep, and I'm interested in how much they show Legolas I want to see how Merry and Pippin "grow up". As much as I love Elijah's eyes, I'd rather see the other parts of the fellowship. Erm. You can tell where my loyalties lie
you know those cryptic error messages you get when you've got that extremely important paper due tomorrow and it suddenly disappears? Too bad the computer doesn't speak haiku. Then at least you'd be in a Zen-like state when your hard drive crashes. Try these, and try not to laugh too hard:
A file that big?
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.
Yesterday it worked
Today it is not working
Windows is like that
The Web site you seek
cannot be located but
endless others exist
Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.
ABORTED effort:
Close all that you have.
You ask way too much.
First snow, then silence.
This thousand dollar screen dies
so beautifully.
With searching comes loss
and the presence of absence:
"My Novel" not found.
The Tao that is seen
Is not the true Tao, until
You bring fresh toner.
Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
Stay the patient course
Of little worth is your ire
The network is down
A crash reduces
your expensive computer
to a simple stone.
Three things are certain:
Death, taxes, and lost data.
Guess which has occurred.
You step in the stream,
but the water has moved on.
This page is not here.
Out of memory.
We wish to hold the whole sky,
But we never will.
Having been erased,
The document you're seeking
Must now be retyped.
Rather than a beep
Or a rude error message,
These words: "File not found."
Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
I feel like that last one sometimes...
don't forget to vote for me today!
just wanted to remind you that I now have an entry in Wizard's Quest... please vote for me. I love you!
This time last year I was still in school, hadn't started either of my blogs, hadn't started running the best track season I'd ever have, was still freaking out about Transport phenomena, and didn't know to wish Coach a happy birthday.
I'll light a candle later tonight. Never Forget was the Club 101 phrase of the day. And there's no way I ever could. I guess every generation has its "Kennedy moment" but I wish this one didn't have to be so horrific.
I have deep regret that I never got to go to New York before the towers were destroyed. But I do hope to someday make it to the memorial. I saw it on tv once, the two shining columns of light streaming up to the sky. Never Forget indeed.
life is precious and fleeting: make the most of it. much love to all of you, and my prayers and compassion for the victims and their families. God Bless.
Look at that. An unsolicited award! Whoohoo
Thank you.
btw, I got my bow and arrows and quiver last night. So now all I'd have to do is varnish the bow and maybe decorate it a little, and see what I can do about modifying the quiver. I guess we'll see what happens... and I might try to paint the arrows, being as they're orange and not green...
So... the renaissance festival.
I had a blast. Well, not a blast. A good time. I would love to work there, be paid to dress up in medieval costume and be in character all day. I'd hate the sweat though, sigh.
So we almost got killed on the way there. After I was late to meet Jess and she of course was early. Way early. I of course had a DNA isolation that didn't get done till late. Erm. My fault, again. I suck. So we hit major rush hour traffic. Then Josh her ex brought us pizza cause he works at Domino's but he had to stay and cover for someone, so we were late(r). Both Jess and I spent most of the ride sewing. I spent half, anyway. I just had to sew some snaps on my cloak, which wasn't really worth it as it was too damn hot to wear a cloak anyway. But I did it. Jess only had pieces of her bodice cut out, but not sewn together. She ended up not finishing it. She just wore what she had last year.
There was almost a dead body in the Conoco station next to the hotel. I'm kidding. The convenience store next to the pumps was empty, and the alarm went off. We didn't take anything. We were honest. So we got free sodas We were just worried that maybe someone was hurt and couldn't get up.
help, I've fallen and I can't get up!
Jess also had to do homework. She had to film two hours of video at one location, to pick up ambient noise, one hour at one time of day, the other hour at another time. So we spent a lot of time walking around with a video camera.
I didn't take nearly enough pictures. Although I can say that I was squeezed into a corset. And looked damn good too. I even got a rose.
Our hotel room had an ant problem.
They have the best shaved ice I've ever had there. Too expensive, but it actually tastes fruity.
Hammered dulcimers make some of the most beautiful music in the world.
Jess definitely gets into moods. So do I, I guess.
the guy wearing the fop makeup was probably really cute. Wish I could get a cute guy. Of course all the men on the trip were taken. Sort of.
I danced the maypole. Too bad there weren't enough guys to kiss.
There's more. Like the Human Chess match with a cameo by Harry Potter and how I didn't get to shoot any arrows. Where is my bow and arrow set anyway? Erm.
Why don't you im me or send me an email and ask me more? Hell, leave a comment.
LOTR merchandise--where do you stand? Have to buy everything? Nothing? Just
the cards, toys, jewelry... Just what relates to your favorite character(s)?
What types of merchandise do you think they are overdoing? Any they're not
doing enough of?
I don't like the fact that I'm going to end up with three editions of the same movie (the vhs that has nothing but the movie, the widescreen dvd with some cool extras, and the future special collectors edition with the bookends) because I had to (the collectors ed will have my name in the credits). I wish I could buy the Toy Biz Legolas doll, just to say I have one. I have the art book cause it's damn cool, but I most likely would only buy other stuff relating to Legolas. Like the box of trading cards I bought just because it had Legolas on it. They'd make a killing if they sold official recreations of the costumes. You know how many people would buy Legolas or Arwen costumes?
...is finished. You can read it at Fanfiction.net, hopefully soon to be at etoiline.com/dreamer. If you are only interested in reading the final part, go to Surrender to the Stars.
About the music: what is the best musical part of the film, where the music carries the plot forward or describes the mood, and what is happening on screen?
I always get chills when the "breaking of the fellowship" comes on. When that "dun..dun...dun" comes on signifying the Uruk-hai baddie with the bow...then the part in Moria, the fall of Gandalf. Actually the whole Moria music is very good. And I very much like the "In Dreams" song which plays over the credits.
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