I've had the worst bug to write lately. And looking at my stories, it really has been a long time since I wrote anything. So I'm using lunch at work to write and plot ideas and stuff.

There was a Yugioh fanfic which I really, really liked the idea for, which I've been playing with again. Since it's an AU, I've also been considering turning it into a completely original story. The world the story is set in is completely my own, and it's getting so complex that it's expanding beyond the bounds of a simple fanfic.

Anyway, yeah, playing with different ideas, both original and not. In fanfiction, I want to write another Naruto fic, or perhaps one for a slightly less monstrous fanbase, such as the relatively unkown Here is Greenwood, or La Corda D'oro. Or there's always Slayers, which I fall back on a lot as well... and with the new Slayers series on tv, there's a chance the fandom is a bit more lively right now. =3

Meh, we'll see. I'm flighty, and I'm distracted by things such as Tales of Vesperia, and projects for dolls, and class, and Fable II just came out, so I want to try that as well, and... yeah.

I just recently discovered a site called stickk.com. It's a site for anyone (*cough* like me *cough*) who wants to change, or make a commitment to do something, but has trouble following through without encouragement or some type of incentive.

Their role? They provide the incentive and encouragement. You commit to something - losing weight, performing exercise, writing a term paper, anything - and then you put money on the line. (This is actually optional, though - you don't have to.)

I find it an interesting concept, because incentives work really well for me. And financial incentives work really, really well, because I like keeping my money, thanks.

So yeah, debating. Oh, and it is a legally binding contract, by the by - there is no wiggling out of it later on.

In doll news, I am resisting buying this guy from Soom. >.< I'm doomed...
http://www.dollsoom.com/shop/step1.php?number=3193

I haven't updated my current weight in awhile because it spiked rather dramatically back up (although it still never reached my starting weight). So, while I worked through that, I just stopped updating.

So here's the current weight loss report:

09/22/2008: 251.8 pounds

Total Lost So Far: 8.6
Pounds Left to Lose: 71.8

On a less serious note, I leave for Yaoi-con in 2 days!! I can't wait!!

While organizing doll pics today, I suddenly realized that I had very rarely, if ever, shown two of my dolls. One is understandable - Cypress, a Breakaway version 2, is fairly new. Nyx... yeah, no excuse on that one. I've had him for over a year now. O_o And I STILL don't have many decent shots of him; just the two I'm posting here. Hmm... Will have to work on that.

So, anyway... introducing, belatedly, Nyx & Cypress!

Nyx:


Cypress:


( More under the cut. )

Cypress is probably my current favorite. I just love how he turned out. Although whenever I try to figure him out, he just gives me his little, mysterious smirk and ignores me. -_-;;

Oh, and yes, Cypress IS a guy, despite the long hair and the outfit. ^^;; He's been mistaken for a girl a lot, which honestly, isn't surprising. Most of the time these days, I just smile and nod if someone says "What a pretty girl!"

09/11/2008: 253.6 pounds

Total Lost So Far: 6.8 pounds
Pounds Left to Lose: 73.6 pounds

Tip for the Day: Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Whew! A good breakfast that fills me up really does help. If I'm still not hungry at lunch, I'm less likely to over-eat or go for the things that I know I shouldn't be eating.

And if I have enough at lunch that I'm not starving when I get home, I manage to have a reasonably proportioned dinner. And hey, suddenly I lose weight!

Just a li~~~~ittle bit more, and I'll be back at my low of 253.0 pounds. >.>

*bows*

Ugh... I woke up early, and just couldn't get my mind to shut up enough for me to go back to sleep. *smacks forehead*

09/09/2008: 254.6 pounds
09/10/2008: 254.2 pounds

Total Lost So Far: 6.2 pounds
Pounds Left to Lose: 74.2 pounds

Huh... two steps forward, and one step back, I suppose. While a little frustrating, I've still lost more than I gained back, and that's the important thing to remember. *nods* Now for two steps forward again!

(I forgot to weight myself on 09/08, which is why it's missing.)

Now that that's done, time to get ready for work. I also have class tonight, so I'll probably be reviewing during lunch today.

I'll have to think of snazzy subject titles for this... Anyway.

09/07/2008: 253.0 pounds

Total Lost So Far: 7.4
Pounds Left to Lose: 73.0

I was eeeevil yesterday. I went to Perkins with some friends and had milk, and 3 buttermilk pancakes, and an omelet, and breakfast potatoes. And it was good and wonderful, but oh so evil. I fully expected to go up, say, 1-2 pounds today and to have to do damage control the rest of the week.

O_o ...Wasn't expecting to lose another half a pound instead. Huh. Well, I'm not exactly complaining here.

09/06/2008: 253.6 pounds

Total Lost So Far: 6.8 pounds.
Goal Weight: 180 pounds
Pounds Left to Lose: 73.6

*bows* That is all. No particular comments today.

Okay, daily statistics time!

09/05/2008: 255.3 pounds

Total Lost So Far: 5.1 pounds.
Goal Weight: 180 pounds
Pounds Left to Lose: 75.3

Yeah... much slower loss today, but I've hit the 5 pound mark! Next is to lose 7 pounds. *nods*

I was hungry when I got home yesterday and had too much for dinner. Bah. I need to get back into the rhythm of "large breakfast, medium lunch, small dinner". Left to my own devices, I do the opposite, so it takes me awhile to adjust.

Oh well. As long as I continue to lose, instead of gain, I'm happy. =)

(The scale I'm using is super accurate, which is why I'm able to give decimal places when I report my weight.)

Well, this is the first update is a lo~~~~~~ong time, huh?

First, I should probably mention that I'm going back to school to become a nurse at Normandale Community College. *nods* It's going to take a long time - I would expect 4-5 years. I need to complete my prerequisites all over again because I need the boost in GPA, and because I'm really rusty. Then I get to apply for nursing school proper, and take those classes.

For the moment, I'm just going part-time - I'm still at work, and I'm only taking one class at a time. If I can easily handle one class, I may try and take two. Might. Right now, I'm taking Chemistry 1020, which is as basic as you can get. It's going okay so far. It's interesting learning everything from the very beginning, and getting a better base for later courses.

And for the second part of this journal entry... my weight has risen again, and I'm finally ready to try and drop it (again, bah). So! It is time to lose weight!

Time to eat healthy and cut out the junk food! Good-bye, Taco Ball! Good-bye, burgers! Good-bye, pizza! Good-bye, fries! Good-bye, donut Thursdays at work! I shall miss thee.

I'm in ultra-determined mode right now, thankfully, so I stand a good chance of losing the weight again. And to help keep me there, I'm going to try and post my progress here. Knowing others may be keeping track of one's progress is a really good motivator to stick to losing weight. ^^;;

09/02/2008: 260.4 pounds
First day. This is just the beginning weight. *cringes* Ugh...

09/03/2008: 258.0 pounds
Yay, 2 pounds lost! Of course, it helps that I've been eating nothing but junk food lately, so when I finally start eating healthy again, the pounds go away really quickly.

They won't later, though. The first week or two is always the easist and quickest time to lose weight.

09/04/2008: 255.6 pounds
O_o Wow... I was really tempted yesterday to cheat, so I'm glad now that I didn't.

Total Lost So Far: 4.8 pounds.
Goal Weight: 180 pounds
Pounds Left to Lose: 75.6

Oof... a ways to go still, but one has to start somewhere, right?

Cian has arrived, and tentatively been named Erik. I don't know if it will stick; we'll see. I did his face-up once, didn't like it, did it again... and now I'm quite happy with it. XD He just needs clothes of his own.

( See dolly pics here. )

Well, it's the first time I've posted in forever, and what do I want to talk about? Dolls. ^^;;

( Dolly Spam! )

I'll try and talk about something other than dolls in another post. ~.^

I went to the Renaissance Festival yesterday with Neiru. As usual, it was quite fun. I'll report the minorly bad first, then the fun stuff. =3

THE BAD:

I managed to trip on the way in and my ankle gave out. My ankle is fine, so no worries; I walked on it the rest of the day with no pain, and it's perfectly fine today. But I managed to skin my opposite knee when I landed on it. Oh well... I cleaned and bandaged it when I got home, and it was just a minor irritation.

I also managed to get stung by a bee on my right middle finger. I was reaching for a water bottle I'd just bought, a bee landed and I didn't notice, I grabbed the water bottle *and* the bee, and the bee protested the rough treatment. That sucked. It's been so long since I last got stung that I forgot how much it friggin' hurts. >.< But my finger isn't swollen today and the pain did *eventually* leave, so I guess it doesn't matter too much.

THE GOOD:

I made sure I remembered to wear sunscreen this time. (I'm still getting rid of the burn the last time I forgot to wear it. ^^;;) So I'm not as red as a tomato today, which I'm grateful for.

Neiru and I watched men on horseback in full armor try to run each other down with long, pointy sticks (jousting), then beat each other over the head repeatedly with swords (dueling). Fun, fun.

A guy was doing a rather nice cosplay of Jack Sparrow. He had the walk and the manner down, and he didn't seem to mind getting glomped by hordes of adoring fangirls or having his picture taken. *amused*

The battered cheese curds booth still sells the best cheese curds in the entire world. =) They always serve them piping hot using fresh cheese and fresh batter, and a side of marinara sauce if you get the large. Mm... Yummy. My favorite food at the fair by far.

Neiru and I caught a few minutes of the act Puke and Snot, and chuckled at that. They've got a funny skit, although I wasn't ready to buy their DVD (sold at a booth nearby). ^^;;

There was an artist booth with very pretty animal pictures. Wolves, foxes, lions, griffins, unicorns, dragons, eagles, bears... some were just straight animals, some had been "humanized" a little (very little in most cases). Either way, they were very pretty.

Near the latter end of the day, when my energy was gone, I sat around on a small, grassy stage/hill and watched the people go by. It's always suprisingly fun to do this. I saw Jack Sparrow, Link and another cosplay elf I couldn't immediately identify wander by. I noticed a lot of people were dressing as pirates this year. A troop of 6 or 7 children all in costume toddled through as well. At first they didn't appear to have any parental supervision, so it was just this small troop of kids and it was so cute... (Never fear, the mom/parental figure was nearby.)

As Neiru and I headed home, we discussed the complexities of relationships and the odd, societal viewpoint that finding a significant other will fix all your problems.

Overall, I had a good time. ^_^

Just a few pics. Finally. ^^;;


Sebastian got a new face-up and now he's a bit more mischevious and smirky. I'm still not 100% happy with his face-up, but I like it more than I did. I'm starting to get an idea of his personality.


His name was supposed to be Wilfred (below), but the two switched names on me. >.< Now he's Elliot. He's way too cute.


Wilfred. *lol* He hates his name! He's a little rebelious. I need to find him a fur wig in dark brown or black at some point, but this will do for a little while. (Thanks to ChiByakko for letting me borrow it. ^_^)

Still getting the hang of this. But I'm having fun, so whatever. It's a little longer, a bit cheesy, and definitely more angsty. ^^;; Minimally edited, because otherwise I edit to death. And these are just for fun, so it doesn't matter if it's perfect.

( Another Kingdom Hearts drabble, using the word CHOICES as a prompt. )

My love of the game Tales of the Abyss has been slowly creeping back to the forefront of my interest. Not that it's ever really gone away; it just kind of simmered in the background for awhile.

My renewal of interest doesn't surprise me, really, since I adore the characters, the possible pairings, the plot, and the battle system. I love it all. =3

What sparked it is the fact that I'm making a costume for Yaoi-con based on the character Tear from the game. She's not my favorite, but she looks more like me than the others and I can act like her. I'm also going to be making costumes of Asch & Luke for two of my dolls. Fun, fun. =3

I've also been researching the game, downloading anime clips from the game, and tentatively thinking of writing for it. What, I'm not exactly sure, but I want to write SOMETHING for it. Something I can finish, which means keeping it from being epic-length. It would probably be an Asch x Luke pairing. As much as I would love to write a Jade x Guy piece, I just am not able to get in Jade's head, so my representation of him is really off.

Time to go home. Ramble done.

The 4 pounds I gained at the Renaissance Festival doesn't seem to have been a fluke, because I've spent all week trying to get it off again. =P Oh well. It IS coming off pretty fast, and I've learned my lesson.

Otherwise, I've been working at story stuff. I miss writing, but I feel as if I've been away from it for so long that I need some serious practice before attempting anything major. So without further ado, a piece of practice. *shrug*

( A little Kingdom Hearts drabble, using the word SECONDS as a prompt. )

-_- Boy, am I out of practice. I've gotta do more short writing prompts.

I went to the Renaissance Festival on Sunday with my parents, and ate foods I shouldn't have, including cheese curds, a corn dog, cheesy fries, and a rice krispie kabob. But they were so good that I can't regret it. Besides, I'm back to being good today. ^^

I managed to keep myself from buying much, although I did get my hair done up in braids while I was there. According to the women who run the booth, their hair styles can last up to four days, providing you take precautions at night when you sleep. And judging from how my hair looked this morning, they're right (even though I didn't take any precautions). My braids look exactly the same as they did yesterday. They'll be taken out today, though. I wanna wash my hair tonight, darn it.

Unfortunately, all the food I ate the Renfest seems to have gained me back an additional 4 pounds in 1 day. O.o Which is abnormally high for me. I'm hoping it has something to do with my braids, because honestly, they're heavy. At worst, I should be able to lose it again pretty quickly. *shrug* I'll be able to tell tomorrow morning.

In other news, my creativity is stirring. For the first time in a long time, I have the urge to write stories. To that end, I've been developing magic for a fanfic alternate universe. A friend has been helping me brainstorm and contributing enormously with her ideas and suggestions. I'm having fun. =3

I've lost another .7 pounds this morning, according to my scale. ^_^ This makes me happy. And I'm looking forward to walking at lunch again today. I'm planning on going 3 times around the building, if I allow myself enough time. I forgot my walking shoes, though. =P

In other news, I had a weird dream this morning. Not related to the weight loss. I dreamed that I... got a boyfriend. He confesses to me during the dream, and after a little bit of discussion with him (which amounted to "wait, what?") that's about when it ended. O_O This is VERY weird for me. I just don't dream about that stuff! I cannot recall once in my life ever dreaming about gaining a significant other.

I guess now I know what kind of guy I secretly want. The dream guy had apparently admired me from afar for awhile, he wasn't handsome but just kind of cute, and was devoted, sweet and caring.

I'm both amused and horrified I dreamed this. I mean, honestly speaking, I'm happy single. I can spend my money how I want, do what I want whenever I feel like it, and I have a freedom I wouldn't if I had a significant other. I like this, especially since I'm an introvert. But... I guess I have to acknowledge that as much as I enjoy being single, I also kind of want a significant other. *facepalm*

Well, it's not a revelation or anything. I've known that was my feeling for a long time. I've just never had it so clearly and concisely pointed out to me.

I have 2 minutes before lunch ends, so this'll be short and random. ^^;;

I began dieting again. Or rather "eating better and exercising" since diet implies starving oneself. I ate a healthy breakfast and lunch, and today I walked 2 times around my company building during lunch as well. I'm going to try and make this into a habit.

My first day on the diet, I gained .5 pounds. -_-;; My second day I lost 2.6. So we'll see how it goes now that I'm getting back in the groove of things. *shrug*

3 minutes. Ack! Back to work.
--Ashvolt