All Sorts of Crazy

On Saturday we attended the wedding of our friend, Rose Beede, or as she is now called, Rose Whipple. It was a very nice wedding... I'm not entirely sure what to say otherwise. There was cheese. Good cheese too.

The big thing was when we got home. It was all casual, and I was playing piano when I heard a commotion upstairs. Daniel came downstairs and was like, "look outside." Me being me, I was just like "why" and kept playing. Turns out a large chunk of the tree behind our house fell down into our yard while we were gone. Luckily nothing seems to be damaged; it missed the chicken coop, playhouse, and even the teepee which is surprising. It really couldn't have fallen in a better spot.

A few days ago I started learning a new song on piano on accident. I didn't mean to start a new one at least until I finished In Dreams. But I failed. See, I found a song (London Calling) that I was totally hyped to start learning and was like, "gosh, that beginning looks super easy." And for the heck of it I learned the first few chords. It escalated from there. I can now play the whole song (minus one key, because my keyboard is too short!). Now I just need to practice to get a few of the transitions on time. Overall it's actually really easy, but some of the transitions will need a bit of practice before I'm smooth on the whole song. It's kinda infuriating though, cause the end get's really intense and when I play it on my keyboard all I heard it very loud clicking from the plastic keys. Oh well.

Okay so something super exciting and a little scary happened on my Thursday ride and I'm still hyper about it. So since Lacey is leaving (isn't that so sad!) Rachelle decided to get me started on another horse to help me get used to a different stride, and so I took my first ride on Gigi. Now I only learned this after the incident, but she's a very literal horse. Everything is black and white to her if you know what I mean. Honestly she was doing moves I didn't know I was telling her to, and it was kinda cool but discombobulating. So anyways, I walked, trotted, and cantered her a little even. Then one of the times I asked her to trot, she decided to canter. See, if you don't tell her what to do every second, she'll just assume you want to go fast. So I'm cantering, and unprepared for the sudden speed, so I loose my left stirrup. Okay, I'm still good, right? Not really. I lose my balance and start to fall forward, losing my other stirrup. I was so off balance by now, and I was thrown forward (a terrible thing, I know). I'm holding to Gigi around her neck, having lost all control by now. Turns out Gigi galloped around the round pen four times before Rachelle got her to stop. And I was stirrupless and didn't fall off. I'm kinda amazed at myself. 'Course that was a pretty big novice moment for me. I mean, leaning forward signals to go faster, and I was gripping too hard with my knees, which urged her forward. But Rachelle did say any other horse at the barn wouldn't slowed down. And she was impressed at my ability to stay on. Haha, so that's my big news. It was really exciting and scary. And to think, I fell off due to my saddle slipping, and not this.

Man, these last few days have been all sorts of crazy.

Okay guys, it's finally been released. The Cake Alternate. Our editor, Lilly, messed around with the footage and made an alternate, which is honestly hilarious in a kinda weird way. I'm just gonna put it here:

So yeah. That's what serious filmmakers do in their spare time. What do you think?

It's Coming

Shawn came, and he went. It was a wonderful visit with our cousin and aunt, and I couldn't have asked for more fun. We went on a grueling hike to a beach, and hung out a lot. It was just a lot of craziness and it was wonderful. While he was here, we saw Ant-Man. That movie was more amazing that I was expecting. Like, I really liked it. AND THAT END SCENE. And the mild Avengers: Age of Ultron references. Ha, it was great.

Okay so like, two days ago I think, I bought an amazing book I found on sale at University Book Store. The Time Travelers Guide to Elizabethan England. Since I've been busy I haven't been able to read much of it, but I got through the introduction and started chapter one. It's amazing. I've never actually read a complete book by Ian Mortimer, but I'd started his first book, The Time Travelers Guide to Medieval England, and what little I read was wonderful. He writes parts of it like a book, even though it's not a story. And his perspective... ahh, it's incredible. I'm seriously so in love with this book. Makes me want to dive back into Tudor history more. Lately I've been all about the Romanov's, and forgotten how much I love Elizabeth's story.

Guys I've got major story feels right now. It's about one of my own stories, and I haven't seriously worked on this one for a while. But I've been listening to Imagine Dragons and... just... oh my gosh. I think I've got sufficient story to turn this idea into a trilogy. Which I'm really happy about. But now I've got a character death planned, and some very emotional parts with another character, Kyle. The story is currently called The Shadow. Lame, I know. It's a working title, 'cause I can't think of anything better. But man, Imagine Dragons is really good at making inspirational music. Honestly super into this story idea right now. Gah, need to stay focused on HOF and Believe.

Just downloaded Part of the Pack by Adrian von Ziegler. He posted about it on Facebook, reminding everyone how he made that song as a thank you to his "Pack" (followers) and that it would always remain free. So now I own it.

Guys, guys, guys, it's getting closer. All the adds are letting everyone know that it's still coming around this year. The fifth season. Fandoms. Everywhere I look it's premiere dates for Studio C, Doctor Who, Arrow, Flash, Agents of Shield... still no Sherlock *fangirling agony* but hey, the best season of the year is right around the corner. And this time I'm actually talking about an actual season. Autumn. Seriously so ready for some colder weather.

Oh, and this is my one hundredth post. Yay.

The Neverhood & Armikrog

Welcome to my first game review! I've decided to do a review on a game that scarred me as a child is a large piece of my childhood, and then talk about it's soon to be Successor, coming out... soon... Woo hoo! But first, to get the full experience, I suggest you listen to this on repeat whilst reading the entire post. Fair warning, there are... spoilers... in this post. If you can call them that. It's not exactly one of those kinds of games.

The Neverhood is a point and click adventure game, made entirely of clay. It originally came out in 1996. Being the crazy adventurous child I was, the game interested me greatly. I found it fascinating, though rather scary. The story, puzzles, and plot are incredible. Much like the story of good and evil from the Bible. But I've never been a fan of... claymation. I mean it's amazing that the game was made piece by piece like that. No doubt that it took a lot of work and all. But when put together, and with the style of the game, it's just kinda scarry.

A more specific summary of the Neverhood goes as follows: (as taken from the IMDb)

Long ago, a mysterious being known as Hoborg created a world called the Neverhood, made entirely of an odd substance known as "Klay." However, Hoborg was lonely and, using a mystical "life seed", created a "Klay man" that he called Klogg. Klogg was evil, however, and stole Hoborg's mystical crown,which was his secret to life; without it, he fell into a deep sleep! Luckily, Willie Trombone and his pal, Big Robot Bill, used a "life seed" to create Klaymen. Now, Klaymen must journey throughout the mysterious world that is the Neverhood, solve puzzles, dethrone Klogg, revive Hoborg from his long sleep, and save the Neverhood!

Overall I really love this game. The puzzles are pretty tough, the story well put together, and the animation rather amazing. Sure, the music is beyond strange at times. There are some really tense moments, and others where you can be just confused. But it's truly an amazing game. I would now like to share some screenshots of the game I've found, and share some of my thoughts. It's a wonderful glimpse into this creepy world.

He looks so carefree and happy...

And you thought that button opened the door

Okay... this room guys. It's gonna be the death of me, I mean it's so funny and annoying at the same time! See, throughout the entire game you must collect video tapes to understand your mission. They are extremely important, and you must find them all no matter how hard they are to obtain. This screenshot depicts one of over seventy shots of the same room. I counted once, though I forgot the exact amount. I'm guessing around 93 panels to get to the end of the room for one single tape. All along the way there's the entire history of the Neverhood. How it took that much wall space, I'll never know. Then of course once you reach the end of the room, you must go back. And Klaymen is no fast mover either.

These cart things are... kinda annoying. It takes forever to get around in them. Wait... that's basically the whole game. Everything is slow.

Part of one of the video tapes you find.

This puzzle always stumped me...

This is equally creepy as it is entertaining. This is a drain at the bottom of an empty lake. And you can choose to jump down it. And die. Through the whole game Klaymen says one thing. His name. But there are two times you can make him scream. Either choose the path of darkness, and he'll do this evil scream laugh that sends chills down my spine, or jump down this drain and he'll scream as he eternally falls.

*jumping up and down and screaming* Ahhhh, my childhood in a picture! This screenshot is one of the strongest pictures in my head from this game. Also a very strong childhood memory. Little Tiana and I in the computer room (which is now my bedroom), crowded around either her computer or mine. I forgot which (probably mine). We're approaching the music box. We've played the beginning of the game what feels like a million times, and we know what's coming. And we're terrified. We approach that symbol in the background, and press it. Nothing happens. We press it like a million times before we realise we need to go to the music box. Maybe we don't know this game as well as we thought. We start the music box scenario. Ahh, the memories

I don't know how many times I got stuck in this room for a long time after growing to normal size, but it was too many.

Did I mention there are teleporters in this game? That's what the machine on the left is. Also, do you know how long it took to get to this room?! How much playing time and hard work and cheating it took?! Too much! Ahahahaha, this game... this game man.

So I made this and I call it Klaymen in a nutshell. This is basically the whole game. Okay not really. But it basically outlines Klaymen.

And finally my larger collage of different parts of the game.

Now before I launch into part two, I want to say something. Sometime in the near future I am going to do a walkthrough / playthrough of this game. You will get to hear me babbling about the game, and all the memories and creepiness as I go through and try to beat the game for a second time. The only thing holding me back from doing this sooner, is I don't have the money to buy the program. But when I do, a playthrough of this game is in order.

Next stop, Armikrog!

Not much has been revealed about Armikrog, The Neverhood's spiritual successor, mostly because it's was supposed to come out today.  Due to the need of various bug fixes, the release date has been pushed back to September 8th. But here's what I do know. It follows Tommynaut and his blind alien dog Beak-Beak. They crash land in a fortress called Armikrog, and must find a way to escape. I think they might be trying to steal a powersource to save their planet, though I could be a little bit off about that.

It differs from The Neverhood in various ways, such as:

-The characters speak quite regularly
-The picture quality is better
-More detail in the game

When I finally come into possession of this game (which I suspect will happen soon after it comes out) I'm planning on doing a blind playthrough, with commentary as I go through the game. So be excited for that, cause I know I sure am.

Now let's look through some screenshots that they've released so far, shall we?






Whoa. Just whoa. I am so excited for this game. Look at the incredible design, which is all handmade. All of it's classic claymation. Everything is sporting the classic black sky, and familiar design, but it's new and fresh.

Seriously so excited for this game. Who else is excited for this game? Is anybody out there excited for my blind playthrough? Or my walkthrough? Lemme know in the comments guys.

Cake - The Short Film

Here at last people, our latest film: Cake - The Short Film

And the bloopers:

We had a lot of fun making this film. The hardest part was the script, which took many, many hours of working and reworking.

In this film my jobs were: being an extra, 2nd AC, screenwriter (sorta... it's complicated), and my job without a name. I'm sorta the person that (generally) helps keep people on track and focused. Though I usually do better at our meetings than actually filming. It's hard not to get caught up in the fun of it all. Time flies when you're filming.

This film was shot in one day, which still rather amazes me. There were very few times that people messes up their lines (opposed to me, who's messing up every other word on the occasions I do act). By the end, everyone wanted to be done really badly because the there was a pool waiting to be swam in. And of course we did go swimming. We created come intense whirlpools, and it was fun to just float along.

Looking over the film, I can definitely see room for improvement, but considering it's our second film, I've extremely impressed with what we've achieved. It's also prompting me to work harder on some compositions, because it'd be cool to have a song I composed featured in one of our films. Though I really need to work out some kinks. And avoid violins. *sad sigh* I know, violins are important. But it's almost always painfully obvious that violins (or strings in general) are computer generated.

For this film we got a new clapperboard. Hallelujah! That old chalk thing from our first film was terrible. The new one is white erase, and is a million times better.

Hopefully we'll be able to get out next film out pronto. We've already got a script, which just needs a little overview before auditions, and all that fun stuff.

Lemme know what you think in the comments!

#OficiallyNotHappyWithWindows10SoFar

I am very frustrated right now. Yesterday my computer notified me that I could get my free download of Windows 10. So far out of ten stars, I give it one. Maybe two. But mostly one. My computer barely works now! My music will not play, whatsoever, Cortana will not work whatsoever, videos on YouTube will not load, though the rest of my internet seems to be okay (perhaps a little slow). Overall I'm finding it hard to see anything good about it. Not only do I not like having to figure out a whole new layout, but having important features not work is infuriating.

At least yesterday was okay. I rode Lacey again, and I cantered off the lunge line and with another rider in the round pen. It was really awesome. I'd say I'm at about the same level with cantering as I was with Lacey's trotting on day three. It's been about three months since I first cantered (four since I started going to the stable), so I'd say I'm making fairly good progress. And with trotting I've been trying to keep my legs back more, which is no easy feat.

Oooo, David! Haha, that much not make much sense. See, I've been trying to figure out a good name for the keyboard I'm gonna buy once I have all the money. But I couldn't think of anything. Then I was just thinking, "Why didn't I name Tommy after someone from Doctor Who? Like Ten... or David... wait, David!" That is a strong possibility for my keyboard name. Suggestions are welcome.

It has been thundering and raining most of today, and it's glorious. With all the heat, I've forgotten what rain feels like. Haha, kidding. But it is glorious. And it's more fitting for me to be wearing my signature flannel. Even when it's hot, I still wear it. Like at the stable. Otherwise I'd probably get burned. Granted, I'd probably have a better tan (my current tan is weird). But I don't have any t-shirts I'd wear to the barn. I'm very particular about what clothes I wear there, since I don't have a lot of clothes and replacing certain shirts would be costly or impossible. Not to say I go ruining my shirts every time I go. I'm just overly cautious. Besides, I don't want horse snot all over my favorite shirt. It's become more regular for Lacey to sneeze on me. It's kinda annoying.

You know what I haven't tried on my computer yet? Rebooting. Out of all my childhood memories, that's one of the strongest. When it doesn't work, reboot. I suppose I'll do that now. Beannachd leibh, ma-thà.

Okay, that... did little to nothing. YouTube videos are loading now. That's about it. I am now attempting to use Google Music for the first time, since Window's Media Player is supposedly supposed to be gone (maybe that's why it totally isn't working) and this Groove Music is also not working. Here's hoping.

Aaand YouTube's back to not working. Brilliant. Oh look at that, there was a problem setting up Google Play Music. Of course. This is infuriating! How am I supposed to get anything done when Tommy's down and out due to Windows Ten?! So far I'm definitely giving it one star. At least Scrivener works. Now I'm on my third try for getting Google Music to work. Arg, I'm going crazy. It still wont work. Now my Shockwave Flash has stopped working! Things are looking bleak. Stay away from Windows Ten people. It's a trap. Repeat, it is a trap.

Okay, let's be positive. Here's a list of what is working: Scrivener, some of the internet, calculator, files, and the off button.

Ahhh, finally! I thought that first reboot went wayyy too quickly. My music is working via Groove Music, and YouTube videos are working. Things are looking up. My official review is not out yet, but so far I still am not very happy with Windows Ten. We'll see how things go from here.

It's a Good Life

THANK YOU TOM HIDDLESTON.

You're probably kinda wondering what that's about. The above statement that is. There is a reason, and it's not just that he seems to be a pretty cool guy. This actually has to do with horseback riding. Haha, yeah, horses again. A little over a week ago I saw a gif of him in a historical movie (I'm guessing King Henry IV). He was cantering, and doing quite well. And something just clicked in my brain. I think seeing someone riding can help you improve a lot. When I cantered Lacey yesterday (on the lunge line because I am overly cautious XD) I was better than I ever have been. Christina said I could totally be off the lunge. See, before I was just trying too... sit. Staying in the saddle was hard when I didn't hold on, and from what little I'd seen of other riders they just seemed glued to the saddle. But in that gif I could distinctly see how you really need to roll your hips with the rocking motion. Like, a lot. Especially on Lacey. And after trying that, it worked amazingly! I'm so happy about that.

I've been working on my Romanov post, and hopefully will have that up soon. Life has gotten a tad busy. Tomorrow I'm gonna see a dollar movie (today I saw Alexander's Terrible No Good Very Bad Day, or whatever that crazy title was). Stable on Thursday, a film meeting and BBQ on Friday, then finally peace. Until next week. My cousin Shawn is coming to visit for a few days, and I'm so excited!

Also, I've started another post which is slightly top secret. It's a review post, which will not be common but I just really felt like doing it because... reasons. My deadline is posting it before the eighteenth. Something happens that day, and I want this posted on or before the eighteenth. It's kind of in honor of what's happening on that day. So if you figure out what's happening that day, then you'll have a pretty darn good idea of what my post is about. Have fun trying to figure that one out. Lemme give you something to work with here. Something is coming out on that day that is connected to a video game of my childhood. Hopefully that's not too vague / too much information.

I've been doing a lot of research on dancing lately. Particularly contra dancing. I just love it so much, and my friend Mary has really been getting into dancing as well. We've learned the Landler (the real Landler), though it needs some polishing. Now I've got a video playlist with some dances I want to learn next. Specifically Mairi's Wedding (I love that song), Reel of the Royal Scots, Nothingham Lace, Cumberland Reel, and the Duke of Kent's Waltz. I also realised there's actually a step when doing most, if not all, Scottish dances that... refine the dance. I think with just a group of people walking/skipping is fine, but with those who really want to learn the dance I shall teach them. It's beyond easy to do.

Also, I found a fabulous dance that I want to learn. Except it requires a lot of people. Like, a lot. If I had to guess I'd say... thirty or so? Give or take a few. But it looks like so much fun!

The Liebster Award

I've been tagged! Also, sorry for taking so long to post. Life happened... and I forgot... sorry...

This is the Liebster Award, and apparently this one has no rules. But I can't help but link back to the blogger who tagged me. Evangeline!

Do you have a favorite mug or teacup?

Yes, in fact I do. Out of all the cups in our cupboard, there is one that I always grab for. A light blue cup my mom got in Yellowstone years ago. It's the perfect size, and a pretty color of blue.

Are you an adventurous eater? (Do you try "strange" foods?)

I'm probably the least adventurous eater out there. I like all my food plain, so eating at restaurants isn't my idea of a jolly good time. The strangest thing I've eaten is swordfish. To be honest, it tasted like chicken. But it was cooked in a particular way, and had sauce, so I'm sure without that it would have tasted quite different.

What fandoms are you into?

*cough* Oh dear. Off that top of my head we have:

Harry Potter

Doctor Who

Sherlock

Disney

DC Comics

Marvel CU

Psych

Studio C

Heartland (books)

Percy Jackson (books)

Arrow

Flash

Wicked

Phantom of the Opera

Agents of Shield

Star Wars

Once Upon a Time

Heroes

Lord of the Rings

Pirates of the Caribbean
Phantom of the Opera
Wicked

I'm probably missing a bunch. But that's what I could think of for starters. That doesn't even include a bunch of book fandoms that I'm probably the only person in.

What famous author/book do you not really care for?

Stephanie Meyer, John Green, and Suzanne Collins. I think of lot of people know why I don't care for Stephenie Meyer. Sure, Vampire's and werewolves have some promise. But romance in it all? Weird shallow Bella as the main character? The creepy guy that I don't know his name, but I know he was creepy. Yeah, just overall not a book series I'd read. 

As for John Green, well; I'm already not into the romance side of books. I started The Fault in Our Stars, but just couldn't get into it. Just not really on my list of favorite authors.

As for Suzanne Collins, I just wasn't a fan of Hunger Games. Don't attack me here people, but I didn't find Katniss to be a character to look up to or admire at all. The books were all a series of events that defined her, rather than some of her own actions that shaped her future. And frankly, in the end, I feel like Katniss became so dead inside, almost like she couldn't function properly anymore. It just seemed like a book series aimed to depress the reader. I couldn't get into any of the deaths, because they were so obviously inevitable. I could go on... but I shouldn't... So yeah, I just didn't care for that series.

What obscure author/book are you nuts about?

Scott O'Dell. I love his works of historical fiction. Honestly, I could read a longer version of Sarah Bishop or Island of the Blue Dolphins all day. He manages to make everyday survival into something really fun to read. I love his books so much.

What's the oldest movie you've ever watched?
Um, I don't actually know. But once on TV Tiana and I stumbled on a black and white silent movie and watched a few minutes. It was weird and made no sense.

What did you have for breakfast today?
A piece of bread with jelly... that's all I remember eating. Come to think of it, that might be all I've eaten today. Not sure.

When did you first see your favorite movie?
First off, how on earth am I supposed to pick a favorite movie to talk about?! I'm going to choose a random movie that I love, and I want to clarify that it might not exactly be my all time favorite, cause I honestly can't choose.

I don't entirely remember going through this series the first time. But at the time I was a very crazy kid. Always asking questions mid movie and desperately wanting to see what Vader looked like underneath the mask. I was so excited when it came off in six. All I know is, I love Star Wars and have since I was really little. Though these days I can hardly get myself to watch the movies, because I've seen them literally hundreds of times. I know those movies by heart.

Do you prefer fantasy or sci-fi?
Definately Fantasy. Until recently I never actually watched or read anything Fantasy. I thought it was "bad," mostly because I'm basically the only person in my house who likes fantasy, and dragons and stuff. That is to say, while some of my family members may mildly enjoy Fantasy, I pursue it vigorously. I've grown up watching Star Trek and Sci-Fi stuff, so while I don't dislike it, I really prefer Fantasy.

What did you expect your blog to be like when you started it?
I pretty much expected it to be how it is. An online journal. I detest hand writing because my brain is ten times faster than my hand. So writing journal like posts on the internet seemed a good choice.

Has it changed? If so, how?

Yes, it has changed. It's only been recently that I decided to try and write stuff about my Gaelic, and history research. But I still don't make those posts as often as I like. So it has changed to some extent, but at the same time not that much.

It's Coming

Both my rides this week were on trail, and it was glorious! Ah, I got to take Lacey on trail on Monday. She's not exactly spooky on trail, just anxious to get wherever she's going, even if she doesn't know where that is. Then today I took Joey with Anna (who rode Portia, who's back!). The forest is so peaceful, and the weather was perfect for riding. Now that I've been deemed worthy of trail riding I want to try and go as much as possibly before the weather turns foul.

Some of you will be happy to know that I'm working on another Romanov history post. This one will focus more on Maria Nikolaevna, and that's all I'll say for the time being.

This week I've been doing moderately well with school. I have started a new piano piece, which is coming along nicely. I'm leaning In Dreams from Lord of the Rings. Or maybe Hobbit... I get the two confused, what with me being a newbie fan n' all. It's a lot harder than it looks when watching the video. The first chords on the left hand are humanly impossible. At least, I sure as heck can't do it. So I have to stretch my right hand rather far. It's awkward, but at least that parts pretty slow. Also, playing piano on my Yamaha just invigorates me in wanting that Casio PX150 BK. In time, it shall be mine... *evil laughter*

And a quick note here. 841 Films latest projects should be up pretty soon here folks, and I can't wait to see what you think.

What a Day

So I've had a rather exciting morning. It started all casual, until I was getting the cat some wet food. I opened the can, being kind of careless and holding it strangely, and I sliced my finger. Course I instantly put it under water, trying to keep pressure on it. I mean, it hurt! I tried to look at it. And I know from experience not to. But I did. And of all the things, I got dizzy and light headed and passed out. That's not exactly the first time that's happened either. I cut my finger while cutting food once, and I got really dizzy and almost passed out. I'm surprised I did too. I don't think it was the blood that made me pass out. Honestly I've got no problem with blood. Cut's have always bugged me out though. Like, seeing inside yourself like that. A flab of skin hanging off where it so obviously shouldn't. And I can deal with scratches fine. The number of times I've been scratched by the cats, or chickens, or other various reasons is numerable. I mean, at the stable I tore off a bit of skin on my thumb and I was fine. No faintness.

After I was sitting down for a bit after passing out, all I could think about was something a friend had once told Sereina. It was some time ago, and I don't remember if she texted her or what. But her brother, Matt, had gotten a cut or something, and was like "ow, ow, ow, ow, ow... I would be very bad in battle." And all I could really think was, "nah, I'd be really bad in battle."

Last night I finally saw Wolverine's Origins. We're watching the X-Men movies for the first time, and a bit out of order 'cause apparently it makes more sense that way. But honestly after River's timeline, I think I couldn't have taken it. The movie was... okay. It helped that I recognized most of the characters. Like Emma Frost, Cyclops... and Wade! It wasn't until he's taken out all the guards with his mad sword skills, and someone addressed him as Wade that I was like... "wait, Daniel... Wade? As in Wade? WADE?!" I'm kind of a huge Deadpool fan, and all of a sudden it made sense. Him running his mouth. His preference to swords. I wish he was in it more, and you saw his better side.

I'm gonna go play Spider-Man 3. The graphics are terrible. But I'm having wayyy to much fun with that game. I'm addicted to the black suit. So much power!

YouTubers & Sleep Issues

A few days ago, while watching Studio C as usual, Sereina decided to change YouTubers to Stuart Edge. It took about two videos for me to be completely hooked. Granted, I had actually seen a few of his videos a while back, but I didn't know who he was and all that. Now I do, and I prompt you to watch one of his videos. Here, lemme recommend this one. It's a trick I'm seriously wanting to know.

So that was the video. It pretty much sums up his channel, though he does other stuff that I really admire. Such as pampering mothers and fathers on Mother's or Father's day. Or just letting them know that they appreciate them at random. He's done magic to largely tip pizza delivery guys, given money to homeless people via street performing music with them, and overall he just seems like a really great person. Also, he's done collabs with Peter Hollens, Lindsey Sterling, Studio C, and lots of other people I don't know of.

Yesterday was our filming day for our newest project. We were able to shoot the whole thing in a day, though I had to get up at five in the morning, and didn't get to bed until midnight. That might just be the longest I've ever stayed up, though I'm not certain. I can't wait to see the finished film. When Tiana and Lilly edit, Mary and I are going to do some baking again. We've got an awesome idea of what to make, and while it's cooking, or after, we're going to learn some new dances. Mary really wants to learn all the dances from Pride & Prejudice, so that's what we'll start with. Maybe we could start learning the Cinderella dance together too. I've been meaning to do that, but things have been busy.

Okay, so I was going to be dog sitting a friend's (well, a little more like co-worker for me) dog. She brought Gus, a Maltese, to see how things would go with Kokopelli. Well let me tell you, it was intense. First of all, Koko wasn't taking no nonsense from that dog. Sarah brought him in, and was holding Gus most of the time. Koko was puffed up, and for a while seemed to be calming down. He was sitting on a kitchen chair. He seemed to be okay if Gus stayed at the opposite end of the room. Until Sarah set him down. In a flash he was off of that chair, puffed up, and attacking. There was a bustle of people as I grabbed Koko and Sarah grabbed Gus. After a while we tried again, and Koko went crazy, chasing Gus around the room while everyone scrambled to grab one of them to keep Koko from pulverizing the poor dog. Needless to say, Gus will not be staying with us.

We think we've found out why I can never wake up in the morning! I'm not actually sleeping at night. That is, not getting an actually restful sleep. I'm just... sleeping. Last night was a terrible night for me. First off, I'd been awake since five in the morning (as stated above). Secondly, for the past month or so, my neck and shoulders have been hurting ever so slightly when I lay down to sleep (I can only hope this is not from horseback riding / my fall). It was the most intense it's ever been last night (even then it really wasn't that bad. Just enough to make it extremely hard to get comfortable and fall asleep). After some late night research, I finally ended up getting a towel and rolling it up to support my neck, and propping my legs up under the knees with my second pillow. After that I was finally able to sleep. Now we're looking into getting be a different, and much better pillow for me to sleep with. Eventually I would like to get a new mattress. I mean, I love mine. It's nice and firm. But I think for the sake of my health, a squishier one would be better.

Because of this discovery I will hopefully be able to actually wake up at a reasonable time. Lately I've woken between nine and ten, which I do not like at all. I like being up early. I used to be so good at it too. Before our cruise I could easily get out of bed when my alarm went off at seven. After the cruise, and me getting sick (or really our whole family) for those few months, I couldn't do it. I tried to get up early, but there was and is this sick feeling in my chest like my body needs more sleep to properly function. It's like after getting sick something didn't quite go back to normal.

Hopefully once I can wake up earlier, I can set in a new schedule I've made up, so I can actually get back to school. I've really been missing it lately. I want to be back to my Gaelic studies, and learning recorder, and progressing in my piano playing skills. As much as my little Yamaha frustrates me, what with it's tiny 61 key size, noisy plastic non weighted keys, and how it rocks on it's stand, I've been missing it. In between shooting yesterday I got to use the Allman's upright piano, as well as keyboard. I can feel a distinct difference between fully and partially weighted keys. But the thing is, the whole time I barely remembered any songs I know due to lack of practice. So I'm determined to get back to my studies. I mean, I love school.