I used my tech tip this week to learn about embedding twine stories rather than just linking to them! This choose your own adventure is a retelling of Ellen C. Babbit's The Foolish, Timid Rabbit. There are three different endings, so have fun and feel free to play more than once!
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Biography: Dads Make Bad Babysitters
Write a story prompted by a personal photo. What words do you need to tell the whole story, beyond what we can see in the photo?
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| Left to Right: My brother, Andrew (Age 7) and Sean Danilko (Age 4) Summer 2009 (Personal Photo) |
The summer between 4th and 5th grade, my family went camping with the Danilko's. My brother and I were 7 and 10 respectively. Melanie and Derek had a son, Sean, who was 4 at the time. Melanie also had an older son, Tom, who was about 13. The moms decided to run into town to grab some food for that night (I think we were out of stuff for s'mores). While the ladies were gone, the dads decided it would be funny to "babysit" the kids by duct taping us all to the trees around our campsite while they drank beers by the fire. Tom, being a teenager, had a pocket knife and simply cut himself free. I was, and still am, always cold, so I just slipped out of the hoodie I had on. The two younger boys were, unfortunately, a little more stuck without adult assistance. We all had a good laugh and even got some chuckles from other campers who wandered by. The moms were less amused when they got back, but it was pretty fun!
This was also the same trip where Derek caught a HUGE fish at the campground lake... himself.
(Not graphic, I promise)
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| Whatcha got there, Derek? (Personal Photo) |
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| Showing off his newest piercing (Personal Photo) |
Author's Note:
I feel like I should say that all of us kiddos were 100% on board with the tree thing and weren't restrained against our will. Tom and I only made a run for it when it took the moms like 20 minutes longer than expected to return. The only one harmed during this trip was Derek, and it was his own fault with no permanent damage.
I've been doing my darndest to insert a little humor into this crazy world through these biographical writing assignments. I hope it's been working! I know these trips down memory lane have been a huge relief for me. There's just something about that happy nostalgic feeling. I hope everyone's doing okay! Hang in there! We're almost done!
Monday, April 27, 2020
Microfiction: Inspired by a Photo
Author's Note:
Twitterarature: Character Count 119/140
For these microfictions, I found a random picture generator online. It gave me the following photo:
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| via Pixabay |
Two-Sentence, Six-Word Story: Word Count 6
"Don't lie. Who's my real dad?"
Lionel Mouster @Fairly_Odd_Predator
So uh... I just found my birth certificate? Explains so much.
#Wild #ReallyMom #MixedKid #TruthCanBeStrangerThanFiction
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Famous Last Words: Alum Ceremony
As a member of my sorority's executive board, it has been my responsibility to help plan alternative options to our organization's functions during the Coronavirus lock down. While instructions from our national organization (read: overlords) helped to ease the burden by permitting us to wave virtually all requirements in our constitution, it still fell on us to try to keep some sense of normalcy and maintain the chapter's mental health.
We moved our weekly meetings to Zoom, and even pulled money from the budget to pay for a full subscription to avoid the forty minute time limit. One of the biggest impacts in all of this was our semesterly alum ceremony. Per national guidelines, our ceremonies are top secret and, therefore, can't be done over the internet. Supplies and documents for ceremonies aren't even allowed to be kept in our google drive. Hard copies are stored in a trunk (recently upgraded to a suitcase) that must remain locked and in the possession of the president at all times.
Luckily, the ceremony isn't technically required for a member to be granted alum status. The appropriate paperwork simply needs to be filed with the National Director of Records. So, in place of our traditional alum ceremony, we held a zoom meeting tonight to say good by to, tell stories about, and just generally honor our newest alum members. The only thing missing was our traditional post-ceremony cookie cake. To be fair, it's hard to do when we've all scattered across the country.
Among those leaving was my big, Elizabeth. Hence why I've spent the last 90 minutes fighting back tears. She's graduating in two weeks with her degree in Meteorology. Thankfully, she'll be staying in Norman with her boyfriend after graduation so I'll still get to see her. I'm just going to dump a bunch of personal photos in her honor (the one's I could find). I love you, E!
We moved our weekly meetings to Zoom, and even pulled money from the budget to pay for a full subscription to avoid the forty minute time limit. One of the biggest impacts in all of this was our semesterly alum ceremony. Per national guidelines, our ceremonies are top secret and, therefore, can't be done over the internet. Supplies and documents for ceremonies aren't even allowed to be kept in our google drive. Hard copies are stored in a trunk (recently upgraded to a suitcase) that must remain locked and in the possession of the president at all times.
Luckily, the ceremony isn't technically required for a member to be granted alum status. The appropriate paperwork simply needs to be filed with the National Director of Records. So, in place of our traditional alum ceremony, we held a zoom meeting tonight to say good by to, tell stories about, and just generally honor our newest alum members. The only thing missing was our traditional post-ceremony cookie cake. To be fair, it's hard to do when we've all scattered across the country.
Among those leaving was my big, Elizabeth. Hence why I've spent the last 90 minutes fighting back tears. She's graduating in two weeks with her degree in Meteorology. Thankfully, she'll be staying in Norman with her boyfriend after graduation so I'll still get to see her. I'm just going to dump a bunch of personal photos in her honor (the one's I could find). I love you, E!
Graduation Photos:
Meteorology (Swirl Girl!):
Joined ASK (Candidate Class):
She Gets a Little (Me):
She Gets Some G-Littles (Grandma Alert!):
She Turns 21:
Various Line Shenanigans:
Wikipedia Trail: From Goblin to the Western Apache People
If you haven't figured it out by now, I make it a personal goal to make the weirdest Wiki Trails possible.
This week I started at "Goblin" in reference to my Week 13 Story.
From there I linked to Welsh Language.
Third up was Inflection.
Last was the Western Apache People.
This week I started at "Goblin" in reference to my Week 13 Story.
From there I linked to Welsh Language.
Third up was Inflection.
Last was the Western Apache People.
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| via Pikist |
Biography: Pronunciation Matters
Share an event in your life when you later found out you had been wrong about something.
Author's Note: I received a comment on one of my previous Bio Writing posts to "Please write more biography-style stories! We need some good humor in times like these :')" (Thanks Christine! Glad you enjoyed it!). I agree that some humor is very much needed in these stressful times. So, without further ado, one of the most embarrassing moments of my life that my family still harasses me over nearly a decade later. Hopefully it will give at least a few of you a chuckle. If not, I just published this to the internet, so no takesies-backsies.
Setting: Cancun, Mexico. Circa 2011(ish). On a family vacation.
Age: 12 (I think?)
When I was in 7th grade, my family took a vacation to Cancun, Mexico. I can't remember the name of the resort we were at for the life of me, but I do know it was all-inclusive with a swim-up bar in the pool that did non-alcoholic mudslides and daiquiris for the kiddos. I was in heaven! One of the outings we went on was to an adventure park called Xplor. I went zip lining, despite being terrified of heights, and later floated on a lazy river style ride through beautiful caverns. One of the families in our "group" happened to have a daughter my age and was staying at the same hotel as us! We hung out for most of our time at the park and even had dinner with them the next night!
Now for the embarrassing part: While at the restaurant, my little brother (about nine years old at the time) decided to try ordering for himself.
Lil' Bro: "Daddy, I want this!"
Dad: "That's fine, just tell the waitress when she gets here."
Me: "What are you getting?" *has him point to what he's ordering*
My eyes get wide, and I, in my infinite 12-year-old wisdom, blurt out, "Wait, isn't that underwear? You're gonna let him order underwear???"
That, ladies and gentleman, was the day that four adults had to struggle through tear-inducing laughter to explain the difference between linguine and lingerie to me. In my defense, the words do look quite similar!
But wait! There's more! Flash forward a year or so to a vacation in Outer Banks, NC with another family that is now our neighbors. They have, of course, heard the linguine story by now. I believe it actually got brought up while we were eating that night, so it was fresh on everyone's mind. We're in the Dirty Dick's Crab Shack gift shop after dinner and my dad pulls some souvenir panties off the rack, holds them up, and goes, "Hey Jess, you want some linguine?"
Haha. Very funny. Mrs. Donna is losing it on the other side of the small store, so dad decides to launch them at her like a rubberband. What no one knew until after she caught them? On the front of this G-string was a cartoon shrimp with the words "Peel Me and Eat Me." On a pair of underwear. Yeah. Nice one, dad.
Author's Note: I received a comment on one of my previous Bio Writing posts to "Please write more biography-style stories! We need some good humor in times like these :')" (Thanks Christine! Glad you enjoyed it!). I agree that some humor is very much needed in these stressful times. So, without further ado, one of the most embarrassing moments of my life that my family still harasses me over nearly a decade later. Hopefully it will give at least a few of you a chuckle. If not, I just published this to the internet, so no takesies-backsies.
Setting: Cancun, Mexico. Circa 2011(ish). On a family vacation.
Age: 12 (I think?)
When I was in 7th grade, my family took a vacation to Cancun, Mexico. I can't remember the name of the resort we were at for the life of me, but I do know it was all-inclusive with a swim-up bar in the pool that did non-alcoholic mudslides and daiquiris for the kiddos. I was in heaven! One of the outings we went on was to an adventure park called Xplor. I went zip lining, despite being terrified of heights, and later floated on a lazy river style ride through beautiful caverns. One of the families in our "group" happened to have a daughter my age and was staying at the same hotel as us! We hung out for most of our time at the park and even had dinner with them the next night!
Now for the embarrassing part: While at the restaurant, my little brother (about nine years old at the time) decided to try ordering for himself.
Lil' Bro: "Daddy, I want this!"
Dad: "That's fine, just tell the waitress when she gets here."
Me: "What are you getting?" *has him point to what he's ordering*
My eyes get wide, and I, in my infinite 12-year-old wisdom, blurt out, "Wait, isn't that underwear? You're gonna let him order underwear???"
That, ladies and gentleman, was the day that four adults had to struggle through tear-inducing laughter to explain the difference between linguine and lingerie to me. In my defense, the words do look quite similar!
But wait! There's more! Flash forward a year or so to a vacation in Outer Banks, NC with another family that is now our neighbors. They have, of course, heard the linguine story by now. I believe it actually got brought up while we were eating that night, so it was fresh on everyone's mind. We're in the Dirty Dick's Crab Shack gift shop after dinner and my dad pulls some souvenir panties off the rack, holds them up, and goes, "Hey Jess, you want some linguine?"
Haha. Very funny. Mrs. Donna is losing it on the other side of the small store, so dad decides to launch them at her like a rubberband. What no one knew until after she caught them? On the front of this G-string was a cartoon shrimp with the words "Peel Me and Eat Me." On a pair of underwear. Yeah. Nice one, dad.
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| I remembered the name of the resort! Azul Sensatori! via Flickr |
Microfiction: The Dance of Death
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| via Flickr |
You push the door open gently and reval an old storage room. There's a layer of dust covering everything in sight. Well, almost everything... The twisted piece of metal seems innocuous enough. Even with its mysterious glow. You're not sure where the knowledge comes from, but you know it won't hurt you. It exudes a sense of peace, warmth, and comfort along with its soft, ethereal glow. You reach out and gently remove it from its place on the crumbling wooden bookshelf. As you fingers close around it, the house shakes and an eerie melody drifts in through the open door behind you. You poke your head back out into the corridor and call for your sister. She emerges from the dining room, gracefully floating down the hall like a dancer in a trance. She's muttering to herself, "Yes, Master. I'm coming to the Ballroom." She begins humming along with the haunting tune as she drifts out of sight around the corner.
Drabble: Word Count 59
You hear the spooky, unnerving sound of a fiddle start somewhere in old house. It gets louder and louder as you sense of unease grows. Then, a sense of calm passes over you as you feel the calming music reach you.. go through you... It beckons you, and you follow with no hesitation. There is nothing but the music.
Author's Note:
These two are based on the scenario of Betrayal at House on the Hill that my family and I played last night. While it's a little complicated to figure out the first few times through, I would highly recommend it! I had played it at a friend's house prior to quarantine (oh the days when I could leave the house...) and convinced my dad to order it off of Amazon. Let me know if you've played this before or end up trying it!
Monday, April 20, 2020
Tech Tip: Randomizer
Let's see if this works... Leave a comment if the randomizer gives you your favorite color!
Week 13 Story: Why the Fairy Hates the Goblins
"Goddamnit, not again," sighed the fairy as she rolled over in her bed and pulled the pillow over her head. This was the third time this week that the goblins had decided to have their meal after midnight. She wouldn't mind there odd meal times if it wasn't for the screaming. It always woke her up.
When they first moved into her island, the goblins actually weren't terrible neighbors. The helped her deal with her pest problem, since all of the little humans had gotten it into their heads that the fountain of youth was located on the island. Her protective storm charms usually blew them off course enough to keep them away.
Recently though, the fog charm had begun to fade (she really needed to get around to redoing it). This meant the sailors could actually see the island and would swim to shore if the storms wrecked their ships. She understood that the goblins couldn't eat their previous prisoners while the next group was around, but did they have to torture the poor men before eating them? Hadn't anyone ever taught them to not play with their food???
It had been about a month since the midnight feedings had begun, and the fairy was sick and tired (literally) of never being able to sleep through the night. "I need to figure out a way to teach them a lesson," she thought. "What if I rescue the next lot that comes in? A few days of hunger might teach them to treat their food better."
And so the fairy began casting her spells. When a group of sailors washed ashore, she watched them and determined which one was the leader. Later that night, while the men slept, the goblins snuck away to feast on the group before that was in the dungeons. "Wake," the fairy whispered in the captain's ear. He snapped awake and realized his wife was missing. In the distance he heard screaming, but thinking it was just a nightmare, he quickly settled back into sleep. Until his wife returned that is. Already having been shaken from a deep sleep, he heard her come in the door. She was singing about all the men she had eaten. She stepped past the window, and in the moonlight the captain saw that his wife was actually a goblin!
He pretended to be asleep and first thing in the morning called for his men. "We must leave this place! Our women are not women at all! They plan to eat us!" he cried.While the crew was doubtful, they trusted their captain. Seeing that her plan had worked, the fairy revealed herself to the group. The men were startled at first, but the capitan recognized her from the night before and reassured him.
"Thank you for heading my warning, young sailors," she said, "For far too long I have listened to the cries of the goblin's prisoners at night as they are eaten alive. I cannot stand it any longer. Meet my pegasus by the sea cliffs after your brides have snuck out to feast tonight. You will be taken home to safety." The fairy turned on her heel and vanished into thin air.
That night, the sailors all pretended to fall asleep early. When midnight struck and the she-goblins snuck out for their dinner, the men all met by the cliffs. A brilliant white pegasus appeared out of the night and by some magic fit all 12 of them on it's back. It rose into the air with two powerful beats of its wings and the next thing anyone knew, they had been dropped off at the beach outside of their village.
The fairy was awakened once more that night by the sound of frustrated cries when the goblins returned to find their meals missing. She smirked to herself and dozed off...
Author's Note: This is a story that never got posted from ALL the way back in week two. It's based on W. H. D. Rouse's Goblin City. In the original story, it is mentioned that the fairy hated the goblins. I wanted to expand on that. At the end, only half of the sailors believed their captain and went home, but I chose to save them all.
When they first moved into her island, the goblins actually weren't terrible neighbors. The helped her deal with her pest problem, since all of the little humans had gotten it into their heads that the fountain of youth was located on the island. Her protective storm charms usually blew them off course enough to keep them away.
Recently though, the fog charm had begun to fade (she really needed to get around to redoing it). This meant the sailors could actually see the island and would swim to shore if the storms wrecked their ships. She understood that the goblins couldn't eat their previous prisoners while the next group was around, but did they have to torture the poor men before eating them? Hadn't anyone ever taught them to not play with their food???
It had been about a month since the midnight feedings had begun, and the fairy was sick and tired (literally) of never being able to sleep through the night. "I need to figure out a way to teach them a lesson," she thought. "What if I rescue the next lot that comes in? A few days of hunger might teach them to treat their food better."
And so the fairy began casting her spells. When a group of sailors washed ashore, she watched them and determined which one was the leader. Later that night, while the men slept, the goblins snuck away to feast on the group before that was in the dungeons. "Wake," the fairy whispered in the captain's ear. He snapped awake and realized his wife was missing. In the distance he heard screaming, but thinking it was just a nightmare, he quickly settled back into sleep. Until his wife returned that is. Already having been shaken from a deep sleep, he heard her come in the door. She was singing about all the men she had eaten. She stepped past the window, and in the moonlight the captain saw that his wife was actually a goblin!
He pretended to be asleep and first thing in the morning called for his men. "We must leave this place! Our women are not women at all! They plan to eat us!" he cried.While the crew was doubtful, they trusted their captain. Seeing that her plan had worked, the fairy revealed herself to the group. The men were startled at first, but the capitan recognized her from the night before and reassured him.
"Thank you for heading my warning, young sailors," she said, "For far too long I have listened to the cries of the goblin's prisoners at night as they are eaten alive. I cannot stand it any longer. Meet my pegasus by the sea cliffs after your brides have snuck out to feast tonight. You will be taken home to safety." The fairy turned on her heel and vanished into thin air.
That night, the sailors all pretended to fall asleep early. When midnight struck and the she-goblins snuck out for their dinner, the men all met by the cliffs. A brilliant white pegasus appeared out of the night and by some magic fit all 12 of them on it's back. It rose into the air with two powerful beats of its wings and the next thing anyone knew, they had been dropped off at the beach outside of their village.
The fairy was awakened once more that night by the sound of frustrated cries when the goblins returned to find their meals missing. She smirked to herself and dozed off...
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| via Pixnio Here's to hopefully being somewhere warm and sunny for the summer |
Author's Note: This is a story that never got posted from ALL the way back in week two. It's based on W. H. D. Rouse's Goblin City. In the original story, it is mentioned that the fairy hated the goblins. I wanted to expand on that. At the end, only half of the sailors believed their captain and went home, but I chose to save them all.
Biography: My Neighbor, Mr. John
Tell a story about a neighbor, either someone who is your neighbor now, or someone who lived in your neighborhood in the past.
8015 Admiralty Place, Frederick MD 21701. That's not my address anymore, but feel free to pull it up on google maps for some context if you want. If you drop into street view, the truck in the driveway is actually the one I got to bring out to OU this year! My family moved here when I was two years old and my mom was about ready to burst with my younger brother. We moved to the house we're in now in October of 2012. Our next door neighbors for most of that time was an elderly couple with grandsons around my brother's age. Mr. John was the sweetest man with a bit of a mischievous streak. He gave me guitar lessons when I decided I wanted to play in third grade, but also pulled out his "potato gun" on a regular basis over the summers.
This "potato gun" was a couple pieces of pvc pipe hooked up to an air compressor that all the kids on the street loved. There's just something about launching a potato 60 yards that drives 8 year olds crazy! One of the most memorable adventure with him actually didn't involve him at all.
For Halloween one year (somewhere around 2008) we were over at a family friend's house to celebrate. My father thought it would be a brilliant idea to buy way too much dry ice to play with. Aside from putting it in the bottom of the pumpkin to create fog, one of the popular things to do at the time was to drop a piece in the bottom of a plastic water bottle with a little bit of warm water, screw on the top, throw it, and wait. No one else? Yeah, I kinda figured. My family is... interesting. I would to note, before we go further, that this all happened in the middle of a bunch of farmland and no one was ever in danger. Well, except for the dumbass (drunk) adults who were choosing to participate. I was like 9, I didn't really have much influence.
Anyways, there's a group of like four families all taking turns letting the dads rig this up and try to blow their fingers off. We kids just thought it was the coolest thing because it made a loud boom.
My family got back really late that night, just like every night we went over to the Danilko's, and woke up to a newspaper article taped to our screen door. Mr. John had stopped by early that morning with the front page of the paper. The headliner? Frederick residents arrested for dry ice "bomb making". We still laugh about it all the time. Mr. John and Mrs. Diana have since moved to Georgia to be closer to their kids, but I miss them dearly and hope they're doing well.
Author's Note: I promise I tried to find the article, but the newspaper it was published in went under a few years ago. There are lots of stories I could tell about my childhood home, but when I saw the neighbor prompt this is the one that immediately popped into my head. I'll leave you all with a picture of their Yorkie I pulled off of facebook:
8015 Admiralty Place, Frederick MD 21701. That's not my address anymore, but feel free to pull it up on google maps for some context if you want. If you drop into street view, the truck in the driveway is actually the one I got to bring out to OU this year! My family moved here when I was two years old and my mom was about ready to burst with my younger brother. We moved to the house we're in now in October of 2012. Our next door neighbors for most of that time was an elderly couple with grandsons around my brother's age. Mr. John was the sweetest man with a bit of a mischievous streak. He gave me guitar lessons when I decided I wanted to play in third grade, but also pulled out his "potato gun" on a regular basis over the summers.
This "potato gun" was a couple pieces of pvc pipe hooked up to an air compressor that all the kids on the street loved. There's just something about launching a potato 60 yards that drives 8 year olds crazy! One of the most memorable adventure with him actually didn't involve him at all.
For Halloween one year (somewhere around 2008) we were over at a family friend's house to celebrate. My father thought it would be a brilliant idea to buy way too much dry ice to play with. Aside from putting it in the bottom of the pumpkin to create fog, one of the popular things to do at the time was to drop a piece in the bottom of a plastic water bottle with a little bit of warm water, screw on the top, throw it, and wait. No one else? Yeah, I kinda figured. My family is... interesting. I would to note, before we go further, that this all happened in the middle of a bunch of farmland and no one was ever in danger. Well, except for the dumbass (drunk) adults who were choosing to participate. I was like 9, I didn't really have much influence.
Anyways, there's a group of like four families all taking turns letting the dads rig this up and try to blow their fingers off. We kids just thought it was the coolest thing because it made a loud boom.
My family got back really late that night, just like every night we went over to the Danilko's, and woke up to a newspaper article taped to our screen door. Mr. John had stopped by early that morning with the front page of the paper. The headliner? Frederick residents arrested for dry ice "bomb making". We still laugh about it all the time. Mr. John and Mrs. Diana have since moved to Georgia to be closer to their kids, but I miss them dearly and hope they're doing well.
Author's Note: I promise I tried to find the article, but the newspaper it was published in went under a few years ago. There are lots of stories I could tell about my childhood home, but when I saw the neighbor prompt this is the one that immediately popped into my head. I'll leave you all with a picture of their Yorkie I pulled off of facebook:
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| The Henry's Yorkie, her name is Libby (via Facebook) |
Learning Challenge: Review Your Schedule
I figured this would be an appropriate time to create a "finish it up" schedule as we approach the end of the semester. I am currently working at a week behind the class, although I seem to be slowly catching up. Here's my plan for the remaining 3 weeks (yep, that's it!):
Tuesday, April 21
9:00-10:30 - Start Project Landings w/Breakfast (Week 13)
10:30-12:00 - PChem Notes
12:00-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-2:15 - Biochem Lecture
2:30-5:00 - Biochem Notes
5:00-7:30 - Dinner
7:30-9:00 - Biochem Quiz
9:00-10:30 - Shower/Bed
Wednesday, April 22
9:00-10:30 - Project (Week 13)
10:30-11:20 - Bio Lecture
11:30-12:20 - PChem Lecture
12:30-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-3:00 - PChem Quiz
3:00-5:00 - Comments, Microfiction, and Wikitrail (Week 13)
5:00-7:30 - Dinner
7:30-10:00 - Famous Last Words (Week 13 done!), Story, and Tech Tip (Week 14)
10:30 - Bed
Thursday, April 23
9:00-12:00 - Biochem Notes
12:00-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-2:00 - Biochem Lecture
2:00-2:30 - Biochem Quiz
2:30-4:00 - Microfiction, Wikitrail (Week 14)
4:00-5:00 - Biochem Notes
5:00-9:00 - Dinner/Time with Family
9:00-10:30 - Shower/Bed
Friday, April 24
9:00-11:30 - Project (finishing touches) and Famous Last Words (Week 14 done!)
11:30-12:20 - PChem Lecture
12:30-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-5:00 - Biochem Notes
5:00-10:00 - Dinner/Time with Family
10:30 - Bed
DEAD WEEK
Saturday, April 25
Monday, April 20
9:00-10:30 - Extra Comments and Famous Last Words w/ Breakfast (Week 12 done!)
10:30-11:20 - Bio Lecture
11:30-12:20 - PChem Lecture
12:30-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-3:00 - Story and Tech Tip (Week 13)
3:00-5:00 - Bio Notes
5:00-9:00 - Dinner/Time with Family
10:30 - Bed
Tuesday, April 21
9:00-10:30 - Start Project Landings w/Breakfast (Week 13)
10:30-12:00 - PChem Notes
12:00-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-2:15 - Biochem Lecture
2:30-5:00 - Biochem Notes
5:00-7:30 - Dinner
7:30-9:00 - Biochem Quiz
9:00-10:30 - Shower/Bed
Wednesday, April 22
9:00-10:30 - Project (Week 13)
10:30-11:20 - Bio Lecture
11:30-12:20 - PChem Lecture
12:30-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-3:00 - PChem Quiz
3:00-5:00 - Comments, Microfiction, and Wikitrail (Week 13)
5:00-7:30 - Dinner
7:30-10:00 - Famous Last Words (Week 13 done!), Story, and Tech Tip (Week 14)
10:30 - Bed
Thursday, April 23
9:00-12:00 - Biochem Notes
12:00-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-2:00 - Biochem Lecture
2:00-2:30 - Biochem Quiz
2:30-4:00 - Microfiction, Wikitrail (Week 14)
4:00-5:00 - Biochem Notes
5:00-9:00 - Dinner/Time with Family
9:00-10:30 - Shower/Bed
Friday, April 24
9:00-11:30 - Project (finishing touches) and Famous Last Words (Week 14 done!)
11:30-12:20 - PChem Lecture
12:30-1:00 - Lunch
1:00-5:00 - Biochem Notes
5:00-10:00 - Dinner/Time with Family
10:30 - Bed
DEAD WEEK
Saturday, April 25
- Laundry
- Day Drink with Katie
- We're both over 21
- Gonna sit at opposite ends of my back patio (social distancing!) and get white girl schwasted
- (Please drink responsibly)
Sunday, April 26
- Bio Quiz
- Sorority Alum Event
- Can't do the official ceremony because nationals doesn't want our secrets on the internet
Monday, April 27
- Biochem
- Biochem
- Biochem
- Lunch
- Biochem
Tuesday, April 28
- PChem
- PChem
- Lunch
- PChem
- PChem
Wednesday, April 29
- Bio
- Bio
- Bio w/Food
- Bio
- Bio
Thursday, April 30
- Bio
- Bio
- Lunch
- Biochem
- Biochem
- Rachel's 21st Birthday!!!
Friday, May 1
- Biochem
- Biochem
- Biochem
- Biochem
- Founder's Day!!!
- Eat Olive Garden, or just pasta, with sisters!
FINALS WEEK (Maybe???)
Saturday, May 2
- Bio
- Bio
- Bio
- Bio
- Bio
Sunday, May 3
- Chill/Relax
- Destress
- Spa Day?
Monday, May 4
- Star Wars Day!
- Bio Final (8am CST)
- Lunch Break
- Biochem
- Biochem
- Biochem
Tuesday, May 5
- PChem Final (8am CST)
- Lunch
- Biochem
- Biochem Final (1:30pm CST)
After that, I'm FREEEEEE... to stay in the house. Send help.
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| via Pixabay |
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Growth Mindset: Wise Words from Dad
When I began my undergraduate career back in 2017, I was still riding my high of never needing to study and pulling straight A's while barely breaking a sweat. Then freshman year happened. I pulled a B in all but one of my eight classes. I was devastated (little did I know how much worse it would get...)
One of the things that my dad emphasized when I finally came home for the summer, and continues to point out on a regular basis, is that for most of our college careers a lot of the learning doesn't happen in the classroom. We are all learning who we are as individuals and how to function as adults in a world that suddenly thrusts countless responsibilities upon us as soon as we turn 18. A big help in adjusting to this new phase of life is learning to not be so hard on ourselves. There's no user manual for adulthood, and just because the grown-ups in our lives may seem to know what they're doing doesn't mean they aren't mentally screaming into the void like the rest of us. They've just had more practice at hiding it.
So I guess this is a two-for-one mantra post:
One of the things that my dad emphasized when I finally came home for the summer, and continues to point out on a regular basis, is that for most of our college careers a lot of the learning doesn't happen in the classroom. We are all learning who we are as individuals and how to function as adults in a world that suddenly thrusts countless responsibilities upon us as soon as we turn 18. A big help in adjusting to this new phase of life is learning to not be so hard on ourselves. There's no user manual for adulthood, and just because the grown-ups in our lives may seem to know what they're doing doesn't mean they aren't mentally screaming into the void like the rest of us. They've just had more practice at hiding it.
So I guess this is a two-for-one mantra post:
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| Made with Cheezburger |
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| Made with Cheezburger |
Tech Tip: Twine and OUCreate
I used this tech tip for my story this week. I was struggling to figure out how to post my twine game to my blog when I found this in the story lab notes. Who would've thought that actually reading the instructions would be helpful?
Go check out my game HERE
Go check out my game HERE
Microfiction: Don't Mess with Dragons
A Two-Sentence Dribble Story: Word Count 33
The great, green, scaly, hungry dragon with wings uses his sulphur-smelling fire breath to roast the knight attacking him with his long, sharp, shiny, metal sword. The snack is crunchy, salty, and delicious.
Twitterature: Character Count 132 /140
Squire William Smith III @Squire_Will3
OMG! @Knight_in_Shining_Armour just got roasted by a dragon! Rip bro...
#RIP #Roasted #DontMessWithDragons #Unemployed #Squire4Hire
Danny the Dragon @Hangry_Dragon
Replying to @Squire_Will3 and @Knight_in_Shining_Armour
My b dude. You know how I get when I'm hungry...
SNICKERS @SNICKERS
Replying to @Hangry_Dragon @Squire_Will3 and @Knight_in_Shining_Armour
It's okay @Hangry_Dragon, you're not you when you're hungry
Author's Note:
The original plan was to us a lot of adjectives in the first story, then write the same thing as a simplified hint fiction (no more than than 25 words). However, when I went to type it, the twitterature popped into my head. The original post is the microfiction and the replies were just because I couldn't help myself 😂. I only included the body of the tweet (not the user name and handle) in the word count, just like twitter. Hope you enjoyed!
The great, green, scaly, hungry dragon with wings uses his sulphur-smelling fire breath to roast the knight attacking him with his long, sharp, shiny, metal sword. The snack is crunchy, salty, and delicious.
 |
| via HD Wallpaper |
Twitterature: Character Count 132 /140
Squire William Smith III @Squire_Will3
OMG! @Knight_in_Shining_Armour just got roasted by a dragon! Rip bro...
#RIP #Roasted #DontMessWithDragons #Unemployed #Squire4Hire
Danny the Dragon @Hangry_Dragon
Replying to @Squire_Will3 and @Knight_in_Shining_Armour
My b dude. You know how I get when I'm hungry...
SNICKERS @SNICKERS
Replying to @Hangry_Dragon @Squire_Will3 and @Knight_in_Shining_Armour
It's okay @Hangry_Dragon, you're not you when you're hungry
Author's Note:
The original plan was to us a lot of adjectives in the first story, then write the same thing as a simplified hint fiction (no more than than 25 words). However, when I went to type it, the twitterature popped into my head. The original post is the microfiction and the replies were just because I couldn't help myself 😂. I only included the body of the tweet (not the user name and handle) in the word count, just like twitter. Hope you enjoyed!
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Week 12 Story (Lab): Twine Game!
After completing this monstrosity of a game, I have a new appreciation for the all of the work done to create and maintain computer programs and websites. It's simple, but I hope you enjoy it!
Note: This link should open in a new window. There's no "End Game" or "Exit" option, so you'll just have to close the tab when you're done. I wouldn't recommend accessing it on your phone as the display is a little clunky.
Play Game!
Note: This link should open in a new window. There's no "End Game" or "Exit" option, so you'll just have to close the tab when you're done. I wouldn't recommend accessing it on your phone as the display is a little clunky.
Play Game!
Monday, April 13, 2020
Wikipedia Trail: From Milkfish to Microsoft
This week's wiki trail started on the Milkfish page in reference to my week 11 story that's based on it.
From there I ventured to smoked fish. Makes sense!
Third up was the European Commission, or the executive branch of the EU.
Last was Microsoft, the tech company.
From there I ventured to smoked fish. Makes sense!
Third up was the European Commission, or the executive branch of the EU.
Last was Microsoft, the tech company.
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| I love to use hiking trail pictures for my wiki posts! This one is from the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. |
Microfiction: Two Short-ish Rants (Sorry it's Political)
A Flash: Word Count 952
The most important question in all of this: how much is our humanity worth? Communism is seen as a big scary word due to its association with Russia and China. The conservative population is correct that taxes are communism, that political correctness is running rampant and interfering with daily lives, and that we have too many undocumented immigrants. What I take issue with is the disdain that always laces their comments. A change from the way of life you knew is not necessarily bad simply because it's new.
On communism: For me, an extra $20, or even $50, out of my paycheck is acceptable if it means I know a struggling family has food on the table; that the five year old I see walking to kindergarten every morning never has to worry about having a roof over her head or where her next meal will come from. Having quite a few high school friends/acquaintances whose families were stuck on welfare for a significant portion of their childhoods, I am forever thankful that the program was there to keep them on track to enter my life. Not to mention, many who are against such support networks don't realize that they themselves are dependent on them. Communism is could be wonderful if it means your fellow Americans are taken care of.
On "that PC bullshit": They call it political correctness, I call it human decency. We don't get to decide what genuinely hurts others. All we can do is apologize for the unintended harm and do our best to make up for it going forward. It costs nothing to be a kind person. I was asked by my grandmother over winter break about my feelings on being told we can't use (insert derogatory term that I'm blanking on at the moment, or possibly pronouns?). My response to her was something along the lines of "I'm not a member of this group, and therefore have no room to comment on their experiences/preferences. It costs me nothing to be a nice person, and if it makes the other party happy/more comfortable then why not?" Having a few close trans and non-binary friends personally, I was prepared for a fight fit to ruin Christmas for the next few years. However, for the first time ever, the most outspoken woman I know was left speechless and just nodded. I'd like to think she wasn't expecting such a well thought out and articulated answer from her "liberal snowflake" almost-21-year-old granddaughter, but it's more likely that the passing of her mother (my great-grandmother) just a few weeks earlier had her re-evaluating some things.
On immigration: There are two DMVs in my area. Over winter break I had the misfortune of needing to get my license renewed, but it would mean I'd have my horizontal license for my 21st birthday so I braved the crowds. The closest location had a wait slowly creeping north of two hours, so I drove the 45 minutes to Hagerstown where I was in and out in less than 30 minutes. Within 5 minutes of entering the building, the older gentleman in line behind me struck up a conversation about what each of us was doing there. He was nice enough, but being a lone female I was a bit uncomfortable chatting with a strange man. Not a huge deal as he was easily in his 60s and walked with a cane, seemingly harmless. Upon complaining about the wait in Frederick (as to why someone from Walkersville was all the way out there), he responds with, "Ya know why I don't like Frederick?" Having lived there virtually my whole life, I could think of a few reasons, mostly to do with the snotty rich kids in Urbana. I simply raised an eyebrow. "It's all those damn Mexicans." I was in absolute shock and his wife smacked him with her purse. Having witnessed a poor man attempt to get his license at the same time I was applying for my permit a mere 5 years earlier, and seen him get denied due to his lack of SSN, I knew there was a heavy immigrant population. The look of utter sadness and hopelessness on this man's face as my dad struggled to rapidly apologized in spanish for not being able to help still breaks my heart (He had asked us for assistance with the kiosks - english was clearly not his first language and Dad was in his fire department uniform. This tends to draw both respect/trust - the purpose in this situation - and requests for assistance from the general public). I had never met anyone so ballsy as to voice that type of opinion in public, and to a complete stranger no less! The ugly truth is that undocumented immigrants are a symptom, not the disease itself. Many, if not all, would gladly be fully accountable and contributing members of society if not for the near impossibility of navigating the US immigration system.
I can thankfully say that they're not all bad though. To end on a good note: A close friend of mine from high school actually immigrated to the US from Romania with her parents when she was two (legally). While working at Staples two summers ago, she was asked by a gentleman coming through her check out line, "Where are you from?" An innocent enough question. She responded with the name of the town our high school is in. He glanced at her name tag ("Ioana") and goes, "No, where are you from?"
"Oh, uh... Romania?"
This man, with the sweetest smile and most genuine tone, says, "Welcome to America! We're glad to have you!" We all still chuckle about it on occasion.
In conclusion: "Okay, Boomer" 😂
Drabble: Word Count 100
I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that:
A) Political parties aren't government institutions
B) The constitution specifically calls for a separation of church and state
C) It's okay to not associate with someone over their political views if said views show a blatant disregard for the fact that you and/or your loved ones are, in fact, human beings
D) When one is elected, their duty is to all of their constituents, not just those who voted for them or "play nice"
E) Use lower concentrations of DHA in your fake tan to avoid turning orange
Author's Note:
So this isn't technically fictional writing. I made the mistake of getting on Facebook recently and I just needed to rant a bit. This is mostly @my extended family. I basically just brain dumped and then classified them based on the final word count.
The most important question in all of this: how much is our humanity worth? Communism is seen as a big scary word due to its association with Russia and China. The conservative population is correct that taxes are communism, that political correctness is running rampant and interfering with daily lives, and that we have too many undocumented immigrants. What I take issue with is the disdain that always laces their comments. A change from the way of life you knew is not necessarily bad simply because it's new.
On communism: For me, an extra $20, or even $50, out of my paycheck is acceptable if it means I know a struggling family has food on the table; that the five year old I see walking to kindergarten every morning never has to worry about having a roof over her head or where her next meal will come from. Having quite a few high school friends/acquaintances whose families were stuck on welfare for a significant portion of their childhoods, I am forever thankful that the program was there to keep them on track to enter my life. Not to mention, many who are against such support networks don't realize that they themselves are dependent on them. Communism is could be wonderful if it means your fellow Americans are taken care of.
On "that PC bullshit": They call it political correctness, I call it human decency. We don't get to decide what genuinely hurts others. All we can do is apologize for the unintended harm and do our best to make up for it going forward. It costs nothing to be a kind person. I was asked by my grandmother over winter break about my feelings on being told we can't use (insert derogatory term that I'm blanking on at the moment, or possibly pronouns?). My response to her was something along the lines of "I'm not a member of this group, and therefore have no room to comment on their experiences/preferences. It costs me nothing to be a nice person, and if it makes the other party happy/more comfortable then why not?" Having a few close trans and non-binary friends personally, I was prepared for a fight fit to ruin Christmas for the next few years. However, for the first time ever, the most outspoken woman I know was left speechless and just nodded. I'd like to think she wasn't expecting such a well thought out and articulated answer from her "liberal snowflake" almost-21-year-old granddaughter, but it's more likely that the passing of her mother (my great-grandmother) just a few weeks earlier had her re-evaluating some things.
On immigration: There are two DMVs in my area. Over winter break I had the misfortune of needing to get my license renewed, but it would mean I'd have my horizontal license for my 21st birthday so I braved the crowds. The closest location had a wait slowly creeping north of two hours, so I drove the 45 minutes to Hagerstown where I was in and out in less than 30 minutes. Within 5 minutes of entering the building, the older gentleman in line behind me struck up a conversation about what each of us was doing there. He was nice enough, but being a lone female I was a bit uncomfortable chatting with a strange man. Not a huge deal as he was easily in his 60s and walked with a cane, seemingly harmless. Upon complaining about the wait in Frederick (as to why someone from Walkersville was all the way out there), he responds with, "Ya know why I don't like Frederick?" Having lived there virtually my whole life, I could think of a few reasons, mostly to do with the snotty rich kids in Urbana. I simply raised an eyebrow. "It's all those damn Mexicans." I was in absolute shock and his wife smacked him with her purse. Having witnessed a poor man attempt to get his license at the same time I was applying for my permit a mere 5 years earlier, and seen him get denied due to his lack of SSN, I knew there was a heavy immigrant population. The look of utter sadness and hopelessness on this man's face as my dad struggled to rapidly apologized in spanish for not being able to help still breaks my heart (He had asked us for assistance with the kiosks - english was clearly not his first language and Dad was in his fire department uniform. This tends to draw both respect/trust - the purpose in this situation - and requests for assistance from the general public). I had never met anyone so ballsy as to voice that type of opinion in public, and to a complete stranger no less! The ugly truth is that undocumented immigrants are a symptom, not the disease itself. Many, if not all, would gladly be fully accountable and contributing members of society if not for the near impossibility of navigating the US immigration system.
I can thankfully say that they're not all bad though. To end on a good note: A close friend of mine from high school actually immigrated to the US from Romania with her parents when she was two (legally). While working at Staples two summers ago, she was asked by a gentleman coming through her check out line, "Where are you from?" An innocent enough question. She responded with the name of the town our high school is in. He glanced at her name tag ("Ioana") and goes, "No, where are you from?"
"Oh, uh... Romania?"
This man, with the sweetest smile and most genuine tone, says, "Welcome to America! We're glad to have you!" We all still chuckle about it on occasion.
In conclusion: "Okay, Boomer" 😂
 |
| Group photo from our last day of Senior year, because I miss seeing everyone's beautiful faces (Personal Photo - May 25, 2017) Back Row from Left to Right: Noni Hill, Katheryn Acker, Ioana Draghici (feature in story), Brittany Doster, Kylie Andrew The absolute buffoon who decided to lay down on the cafeteria floor in a dress and heels: That would be me! :) |
Drabble: Word Count 100
I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that:
A) Political parties aren't government institutions
B) The constitution specifically calls for a separation of church and state
C) It's okay to not associate with someone over their political views if said views show a blatant disregard for the fact that you and/or your loved ones are, in fact, human beings
D) When one is elected, their duty is to all of their constituents, not just those who voted for them or "play nice"
E) Use lower concentrations of DHA in your fake tan to avoid turning orange
Author's Note:
So this isn't technically fictional writing. I made the mistake of getting on Facebook recently and I just needed to rant a bit. This is mostly @my extended family. I basically just brain dumped and then classified them based on the final word count.
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Week 11 Story: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, YOU Fish!
Author's Note:
**Trigger Warning** Panic/Anxiety attack. I don't know if it was having to think about how mine feel in order to write the scene that set it off, but I don't want anyone else to have issues. The particular paragraph will be in red if you need to skip over it.
Welcome to your life as a fish! This story is based on the Jataka tale The Three Fishes as told by Ellen C. Babbitt. Three brothers are traveling up river and hit civilization. The fish whose perspective you'll be experiencing wants to return home where it's safe, but his brothers refuse. They end up getting caught in a fisherman's net, so Very-Thoughtful (you) comes up with a plan to free them. It works! The brothers then agree to return home. I wasn't a fan of the names, so I changed them. These particular fish are based on the Chanos Chanos, or Milkfish, found in the pacific ocean. There is surprisingly little known about the Milkfish, although it is a close relative of the Salmon. The beginning of this fish's life will be expanded on in my storybook after I have time for some further research.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're in a sack. "Gotta get out. Gotta get out. Gotta get out..." This mantra plays over and over again in your head. No other thoughts can push it out. You begin wiggling as hard as you can. "Gotta get out!" You squirm and push until... "Freedom!"
You bust out into the open water. "Gotta swim. Gotta swim. Gotta swim." There's something coming. You don't know what, or even how you know, but you know that out of the millions of other clear squiggles in the water around you, only a few of you will make it.
"Come on Gillbert! I want to leave already!" your youngest brother Krilliam whines at you.
Your other brother, Sheldon, scolds him, "Oh leave him alone, Krill. Berty is just nervous... as always."
You sigh and shake your tail. "Thanks Shell. Okay, fine, but I want it noted that I think this is a TERRIBLE idea!" Krill swims in a few rapid circles in excitement. He's been talking about wanting to go to the shallow waters for a few months now, but at the ripe old age of four your need to find a mate has finally begun to kick in as well. Despite the many risks of heading towards the humans, and your extreme anxiety about them, your biological urges can't be ignored any longer. "On one condition," you say after the bubbles from Krill's celebration drift away. "You both have to listen to me since I'm the oldest."
"By a few minutes!" Sheldon and Krilliam cry in exasperation. They both hate when you bring up the age difference, but their reactions make you laugh every time.
"It's not my fault my head got stuck in the sack..." Krill mumbles to himself. They begrudgingly agree, and with that you flick your tail to shoot past the two of them and shout "Last one to the reef is a stinky sea snail!"
The three of you race to the incline that marks the beginning of the reef, but you stop just short of it, suddenly frozen in fear. The icy chill of panic sweeps through you and the blood runs from your fins. You feel your gills stop moving and your tail slow to a crawling sweep. Your head is filled with visions of nets, hooks, talons, and any number of potential ends you and your brothers could meet by venturing further. "I can't. It's too dangerous. We'll all die." Your mouth suddenly begins working again and you inhale water as fast as fishily possible. It rushes out through your gills as you desperately struggle for oxygen. "We're gonna die. We're gonna die. We're gonna die..."
Krilliam and Sheldon finally catch up to you and their presence snaps you back from the edge. The tips of your fins still tremble a bit, but you push forward with them as your breathing slowly returns to normal. Night has fallen, so you encounter no obstacles in your journey. The three of you settle down for a snooze in the sand and wait for morning.
When the sun rose, the hunt began. After two nights at the reef all three of you have managed to find females preparing to lay their eggs. On the third day, a large shadow approaches. It's the fishermen! While there have been a few boats out in the open ocean during your life, they were very infrequent and there was only ever one at a time. As a second shadow arrives from the opposite direction, you realize your worst fears are coming true.
Thankfully the fishermen don't stay long, as a storm began right after they dropped their nets. "Alright, we've all had our fun. I think it's time we went home," you desperately plead with your brothers. "There is danger here!"
"Just two more days!" Krill begs.
"Or even one more night! We can leave tomorrow morning!" Shell adds. You reluctantly agree and remind the two that they agreed to listen to you.
You stay for an extra three days, and on the morning of the fourth the fishermen return. Krilliam and Sheldon are too busy chasing each other around the reef in a game of tag to even notice the net that's been dropped right in front of them! You try to shout a warning, but they crash right into it. You feel the panic begin to set in, but shake it off. "Not now! I can freak out about this later! I need to save them, but how?" An idea pops into your head. You swim to the surface just beside the net and start splashing around to make it look like a fish has broken through. Then you dive back back down and go to the other side to do the same thing, making it look like there are now two holes in the net.
Assuming there were no fish left, the fisherman pulled it in by only one corner to inspect the damage. Your brothers race out of the trap towards you. Through panicked gulps, they both get out that they are finally ready to listen to you and return home. The three of you head back to the open ocean. For the next five years, you only return to the reef for two nights at a time and there are no further incidents.
When the disease starts to spread, you think nothing of it. Surely it won't reach you. Then the red spot appears. It isn't bad at first, but as the sore quickly grows you know your time is coming. You send your brothers away in the hopes that they will be safe. Your vision begins to blur. You feel yourself sinking. Unable to stop it, the water gets colder and darker. Then everything goes black.
**Trigger Warning** Panic/Anxiety attack. I don't know if it was having to think about how mine feel in order to write the scene that set it off, but I don't want anyone else to have issues. The particular paragraph will be in red if you need to skip over it.
Welcome to your life as a fish! This story is based on the Jataka tale The Three Fishes as told by Ellen C. Babbitt. Three brothers are traveling up river and hit civilization. The fish whose perspective you'll be experiencing wants to return home where it's safe, but his brothers refuse. They end up getting caught in a fisherman's net, so Very-Thoughtful (you) comes up with a plan to free them. It works! The brothers then agree to return home. I wasn't a fan of the names, so I changed them. These particular fish are based on the Chanos Chanos, or Milkfish, found in the pacific ocean. There is surprisingly little known about the Milkfish, although it is a close relative of the Salmon. The beginning of this fish's life will be expanded on in my storybook after I have time for some further research.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're in a sack. "Gotta get out. Gotta get out. Gotta get out..." This mantra plays over and over again in your head. No other thoughts can push it out. You begin wiggling as hard as you can. "Gotta get out!" You squirm and push until... "Freedom!"
You bust out into the open water. "Gotta swim. Gotta swim. Gotta swim." There's something coming. You don't know what, or even how you know, but you know that out of the millions of other clear squiggles in the water around you, only a few of you will make it.
 |
| via Wikimedia Commons |
"Come on Gillbert! I want to leave already!" your youngest brother Krilliam whines at you.
Your other brother, Sheldon, scolds him, "Oh leave him alone, Krill. Berty is just nervous... as always."
You sigh and shake your tail. "Thanks Shell. Okay, fine, but I want it noted that I think this is a TERRIBLE idea!" Krill swims in a few rapid circles in excitement. He's been talking about wanting to go to the shallow waters for a few months now, but at the ripe old age of four your need to find a mate has finally begun to kick in as well. Despite the many risks of heading towards the humans, and your extreme anxiety about them, your biological urges can't be ignored any longer. "On one condition," you say after the bubbles from Krill's celebration drift away. "You both have to listen to me since I'm the oldest."
"By a few minutes!" Sheldon and Krilliam cry in exasperation. They both hate when you bring up the age difference, but their reactions make you laugh every time.
"It's not my fault my head got stuck in the sack..." Krill mumbles to himself. They begrudgingly agree, and with that you flick your tail to shoot past the two of them and shout "Last one to the reef is a stinky sea snail!"
The three of you race to the incline that marks the beginning of the reef, but you stop just short of it, suddenly frozen in fear. The icy chill of panic sweeps through you and the blood runs from your fins. You feel your gills stop moving and your tail slow to a crawling sweep. Your head is filled with visions of nets, hooks, talons, and any number of potential ends you and your brothers could meet by venturing further. "I can't. It's too dangerous. We'll all die." Your mouth suddenly begins working again and you inhale water as fast as fishily possible. It rushes out through your gills as you desperately struggle for oxygen. "We're gonna die. We're gonna die. We're gonna die..."
Krilliam and Sheldon finally catch up to you and their presence snaps you back from the edge. The tips of your fins still tremble a bit, but you push forward with them as your breathing slowly returns to normal. Night has fallen, so you encounter no obstacles in your journey. The three of you settle down for a snooze in the sand and wait for morning.
When the sun rose, the hunt began. After two nights at the reef all three of you have managed to find females preparing to lay their eggs. On the third day, a large shadow approaches. It's the fishermen! While there have been a few boats out in the open ocean during your life, they were very infrequent and there was only ever one at a time. As a second shadow arrives from the opposite direction, you realize your worst fears are coming true.
Thankfully the fishermen don't stay long, as a storm began right after they dropped their nets. "Alright, we've all had our fun. I think it's time we went home," you desperately plead with your brothers. "There is danger here!"
"Just two more days!" Krill begs.
"Or even one more night! We can leave tomorrow morning!" Shell adds. You reluctantly agree and remind the two that they agreed to listen to you.
You stay for an extra three days, and on the morning of the fourth the fishermen return. Krilliam and Sheldon are too busy chasing each other around the reef in a game of tag to even notice the net that's been dropped right in front of them! You try to shout a warning, but they crash right into it. You feel the panic begin to set in, but shake it off. "Not now! I can freak out about this later! I need to save them, but how?" An idea pops into your head. You swim to the surface just beside the net and start splashing around to make it look like a fish has broken through. Then you dive back back down and go to the other side to do the same thing, making it look like there are now two holes in the net.
Assuming there were no fish left, the fisherman pulled it in by only one corner to inspect the damage. Your brothers race out of the trap towards you. Through panicked gulps, they both get out that they are finally ready to listen to you and return home. The three of you head back to the open ocean. For the next five years, you only return to the reef for two nights at a time and there are no further incidents.
When the disease starts to spread, you think nothing of it. Surely it won't reach you. Then the red spot appears. It isn't bad at first, but as the sore quickly grows you know your time is coming. You send your brothers away in the hopes that they will be safe. Your vision begins to blur. You feel yourself sinking. Unable to stop it, the water gets colder and darker. Then everything goes black.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Wiki Trails: from "Indian Epic Poetry" to "Informant"
Todays Wikipedia trail was completed with the help of my friend Shea since we're both trapped with our parents and decided to zoom chat with each other.
We began with Indian Epic Poetry and then went to canon. Which is different from a cannon! This type, spelled with only one "n", is a type of classical music. Pachelbel's Canon in D is a very commonly known one. A comedian named Rob Paravonian actually did a piece on this and I find it hysterical. It's called Pachelbel's Rant!
Next from there was ear. Yep! Like the human body part.
After ear, we finished up with informant. Apparently ear is a slang term for a police informant!
We began with Indian Epic Poetry and then went to canon. Which is different from a cannon! This type, spelled with only one "n", is a type of classical music. Pachelbel's Canon in D is a very commonly known one. A comedian named Rob Paravonian actually did a piece on this and I find it hysterical. It's called Pachelbel's Rant!
Next from there was ear. Yep! Like the human body part.
After ear, we finished up with informant. Apparently ear is a slang term for a police informant!
 |
| via Wikimedia Commons |
Reading Notes: Epified Krishna (Part B)
14. The Savior of Dharma
- Did the bull buck?
- World's first rodeo!
- What did the battle with the elephant look like
- More detail!
- Combine with Previous for one long scene
- What if the brothers returned home?
 |
| via Wikimedia Commons |
Reading Notes: Epified Krishna (Part A)
3. Kamsa
- Why did she keep having children? How is she even getting pregnant?
- The king keeps husband and wife in two different cells
- Boom! Problem solved.
- What if Vasudev argues with the voice in his head?
- Could be a comedy
5. Putana
- What if the threat of mortality gave him a change of heart and he accepted his death?
- Normal family dynamic + sacrifice
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| via Pexel |
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Reading Notes: More Jataka Tales (Part B)
All stories in the collection are retold by Ellen C. Babbitt
13. The Hawks and Their Friends
13. The Hawks and Their Friends
- Papa Hawk's POV
Reading Notes: More Jataka Tales (Part A)
All stories in this collection are retold by Ellen C. Babbitt
2. The Three Fishes
2. The Three Fishes
- Very-Thoughtful POV
- Obv new name
- Lean into the anxiety for more feeling
- Snaps into "clinical mode"
- The goose returns after the mom dies
- The daughters take care of him
- They are friends
- Their love brings back his golden feathers
- They live happily ever after
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| via Need Pix |
Monday, April 6, 2020
Famous Last Words: Pink Elephants!
White elephants tend to be featured heavily in ancient folklore, but do they actually exist? Sort of. When looking for pictures of white elephants, my first instinct was to search for albino elephants. That's how this whole spiral started. As it turns out, albino elephants are actually pink!
While low pigment patches aren't uncommon among elephants, full albinism is. However, in 2016 there was an albino elephant born in Kruger National Park located in South Africa. It is the third documented albino calf spotted in the area after one in 2005 and another in 2006. Unfortunately, most wild albino animals won't make it to adulthood. Their lack of pigment leaves them without protection against the harsh african sun. There is currently a fourth albino calf, born this year, that is in the care of specialists after being found caught in a poachers snare in the Kapama game reserve. She has been named Khanysia, meaning light.
So if "white" elephants are pink, where do the white elephants come from. The short answer: mud!
Namibia's national park is the home of "The Ghosts of Etosha". Etosha meaning "Great white place". To keep cool during the day, elephants play in watering holes and cover themselves in mud. The high salt concentrations left in the ground in this area from melting during the last ice age leave the clay a brilliant white color when it dries. So the elephants aren't actually white, they're just dirty!
So there you have it! No white elephants. Although I am tempted to drop the $500 to go on an african safari now... I need to stop researching national parks! Especially ones that offer spa packages. Anyways, feel free to click on the links and do some reading on your own. I personally find elephants adorable and fascinating! Enjoy!
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| via Wikimedia Commons |
So if "white" elephants are pink, where do the white elephants come from. The short answer: mud!
Namibia's national park is the home of "The Ghosts of Etosha". Etosha meaning "Great white place". To keep cool during the day, elephants play in watering holes and cover themselves in mud. The high salt concentrations left in the ground in this area from melting during the last ice age leave the clay a brilliant white color when it dries. So the elephants aren't actually white, they're just dirty!
So there you have it! No white elephants. Although I am tempted to drop the $500 to go on an african safari now... I need to stop researching national parks! Especially ones that offer spa packages. Anyways, feel free to click on the links and do some reading on your own. I personally find elephants adorable and fascinating! Enjoy!
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Week 10 Story: Life as an Elephant
Author's Note: I've been having way too much fun researching the birthing processes for different animals. The miracle of life is just so beautiful! I'm a little afraid of what my YouTube recommendations will look like after this class is over though... This story is written in 2nd person perspective to give the reader the experience of living as an elephant. All of the events in this story are based on Ellen C. Babbitt's Jatakas Tales (in order of appearance) The King's White Elephant, Grannie's Blackie, and The Elephant Girly-Face. See if you can recognize the individual stories!
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"I have to stand up! I have to stand up now!"
You don't know where the thought comes from, but as soon as it enters your head you begin struggling to get your legs under you. You manage to roll onto your stomach. It takes all of your might to push up onto you front legs. You feel someone's trunk slide under your rear end and lift you onto all fours. You wrap your trunk around your mother's for support and balance, and you take your first unsteady steps...
The first twenty years of your life pass by without incident. Lately however, there have been some minor mishaps. the most recent one leaving your father with a large splinter in his front left foot. It had swollen to the point that he was left limping around on three legs. Then one day he returned from the forest walking on his injured foot again. Apparently some humans had helped him by removing the splinter and washing his wound. For the next few years, your father would always return to the forest to help the humans pull trees out of the ground. One day he came to you and said, "son I'm getting old. The humans in the forest have done me a great service and ultimately saved my life. However, I am unable to continue to carry their trees as fast or as far as I used to. It is time you take my place."
You have always wanted to meet these forest humans, so you agree and follow your father into the forest the next day. You assume your father's duties and even play in the river with the little humans each night. They enjoy climbing on you and their giggles and shrieks bring you such joy! One day however, a new human appears on the bank and watches while you work to pull up trees. At the end of the day, one of the forest humans takes your trunk in his hands and gently leads you to the shiny man. He takes your trunk and begins to gently lead you away from the group. You glance back at all of your tiny human friends splashing in the water. You hesitate, but the forest humans have given you no reason to not trust them so you turn and follow the man.
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| via Need Pix |
The next few years aren't unpleasant, but you are very lonely. Sensing this, the shiny man takes you to a new village and leaves you with an older lady. She is just the sweetest and lets you play with the village children everyday while she works! "She works very hard," you think to yourself one day. "I wonder what I can do to help?" You notice that she brings home little shiny pieces of metal everyday after work.
As luck would have it, a man and his oxen were stuck in the river the next day. You wade into the cool water and slowly drag all of his carts out. When you finish, the man pulls a bunch of that shiny metal out! As you wonder how you should carry the metal back home, one of the children yells at the man. She seems upset so you stay to make sure she is alright. The two argue back and forth for a bit before you see the man pull out even more metal! He puts it in a bag and ties it to your neck. The little girls smiles at you and holds your trunk as the two of you walk back home.
The look on your older lady's face when she opens the bag made it worth all the hard work you did, so you go back out and help the villagers everyday from then on out.
Life is good going forward. One night you are snoozing by the fence when you hear men talking. You can't understand them, but something about the tone in their voices sets you on edge. You open your eyes, but hold still so it will seem like you're still asleep. Suddenly the men climb over the wall and walk right past you. They're all carrying shiny objects look sharp. You slowly get to your feet, extend your trunk so that it's right behind their heads, and let out the loudest trumpet you can muster. The group immediately drops to the ground covering their ears as lights come on in the house. Your instincts must have been right, because the old lady gives you the biggest treat you've ever seen the next morning!
The rest of you life is peaceful and pleasant. The children grow up and soon you have new tiny humans to play with. As time passes, it gets harder and harder to stand up in the mornings. One day, you know your time has come. You lay down and let out a small trumpet to get your family's attention. The old lady had passed a while ago, but her children had stayed with you. They come out and give you lots of hugs. They seem to know what you do, there isn't much time left. They all lay on you in a big group hug as you close your eyes and slowly drift off into nothingness, feeling the love of your humans in your final moments...
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