A Poem about Not Getting Poetry

Yesterday we had this poetry workshop in Creative Writing with a professional poet.

I should mention that my poetry sucks. It always starts rhyming, doesn't really go where I want it to, and turns out exceedingly silly.

I also don't get a lot of the poetry I read. For that reason, I don't really read that much poetry. It's a vicious circle, I guess...or at least a depressing one...or something...

So even though it's awful, and a bit embarrassing, I'm putting this up with notes in between verses.

I don't understand poetry
The words just don't make sense to me
I'm not that smart, I'm only me
Perhaps I'm less than I could be
Should be
But I don't understand.

(32 words for one idea. Brilliant. :P)

I like the clarity of prose
And I just lied but no one knows
The teacher thinks I'm taking notes*
"Notes" doesn't really rhyme with "knows"
Who cares
That didn't rhyme at all.

*C'mon, it's not that bad. I'm writing poetry in a poetry class.

Poetry seems quite obtuse
It's confusing as the deuce*
Though a good outlet for abuse
I know it's a great deal of use
For a recluse**
I'm not sure I can understand.

*My friend asked me what this means. I'm saying it's confusing as heck, but "deuce" rhymes and "heck" doesn't.
**I have truly no idea why it says that except that it rhymes.

Maybe it's cause I can't write*
When I think my brain seems tight
Constricted; anything but bright
If I try hard then I just might
See light
And write or read some poems.

*Obviously I'm only talking about poetry, not other stuff.

Okay, I've tortured myself (not to mention you guys) enough. I'm stopping there.

I let my friend and fellow CW student read this, only she read it in my scribbly handwriting. "You don't have to read the whole thing," I told her. "It's stupid."

"I'm more worried about reading your handwriting." She pointed to a word in the second verse. "What's that word say?"

I looked at it. "I'm, uh...not really sure..." Then I read the line and looked again. "Oh. I think that says 'clarity'."

We had a good laugh over the pure irony there.

It's finally here! Universal Studios pt. 2

I finally got the photos! (All photo credit goes to Elizabeth "Izzy" Keeney.) So without further ado...

Left to right: Me, "Alkira," and "Izzy"

Probably the most awesome part of Universal Studios was the area where you could take photos with the characters.

They had Frankenstein's Monster, a guy with a mask and a chainsaw, a mummy, and a vampire.

Doing the Monster Mash

Does someone want a hug?

The vampire was AWESOME. I went up to talk to him twice (we walked by him a few times).

First time:
(It should be noted that I was wearing a bright red sweatshirt.)

Me: Hi.
Vampire: Hello.
Me (struggling to say something cool): Nice day.
Vampire: Bit sunny for my taste, but yes.
Me: Ah.
[Awkward pause]
Vampire: I like you jacket.
Me: Thanks!
Vampire: It's making me hungry.
Me:...Thanks...um...bye.

He had a very nice accent.
I went back to my friends. Alkira laughed hysterically at me. We walked around there some more, and I had an amusing run-in with a statue. There were two, sitting on this park bench, painted completely black. For the life of me, I could not tell if the statues were actually statues! I thought I'd check by poking one of them.

So I sneak up...Sneak sneak sneak...Within three feet now...sneak sneak...And suddenly, no warning whatsoever, the one I'm planning on poking turns and smiles at me!

I jumped about three feet in the air and skedaddled back to my friends PDQ.

OH! And we got to meet Vin Diesel! (Is that how you spell it?...not really sure...)

Us with Vin Diesel. And no, I have no idea what I'm doing with my hand.

Well, not really. But we had fun with the big, creepy wax model, anyway.

Being Sherlock Holmes fans, we were inordinately excited to see a street sign proclaiming that we were walking down BAKER STREET. Then we stopped and oohed over the sign that said MRS. HUDSON'S BOARDING HOUSE.

But what we REALLY fangirled over was the door with a 221B plaque on it...and a silhouette of Holmes! Complete with deerstalker and spyglass!

Standing in a famous shadow

Universal did most of the original 1940s movies.

My friends teased me because I kept trying to open doors that didn't open. I couldn't get into the 1920s car either. Grr.

The case of the immovable mail flap

The case of the closed phone box

I probably shouldn't have tried so hard to open it, though...

Yours truly gets arrested!

Then when we went down to ride the rides, Alkira had a couple of Egyptian deity incidents. There were these two Egyptian gods, a man and a woman, walking around outside of the Revenge of the Mummy ride. They were both on stilts, so they were what, five feet taller than us? Something like that. Anyway, Alkira goes running up to the guy and yells, "HIGH FIVE, MAN!"

He just gave her this look--you know, a proper look--and walked off. Like, I am too mighty to deign to high-fiving mortals. 

"You suck!" yelled Alkira.

She fumed about it for the next few minutes, until we ran into him again. Then she ran up and wanted a high five again. She raised her hand over her head.

He gave her another look--and then raised his hand over HIS head. Come and get it, mortal.

Remember that he was like five feet taller?

High five, man! Uh...

Izzy and Hannah and I were laughing hysterically in the background. But I think Alkira got her high five.

(As a side note, the woman was willing to give out high fives. Egyptian goddesses are apparently nicer than Egyptian gods.)

Egyptian goddesses are friendlier than Egyptian gods

A bit later we headed back to the photo area. Alkira wanted to have a go with the vampire. I should mention that we are NOT Twilight fans.

So we wait for the other tourists to finish taking pictures of him biting their wrists and the occasional neck and then walk up.

Alkira: Hi!
Vampire: Hello.
Alkira: I notice, sir, that you do not sparkle.
Vampire: Well, that's because I'm a REAL vampire, no?
Alkira, Izzy and Me: !!!!
Me: *I love you.* (But only in my head.)
Alkira: So what do you think of vampires who DO sparkle?
Vampire: Well, they're not real vampires, are they? They're more like...elves. I mean, I can drink blood, be out in the daytime...
Alkira: Dude. You're awesome.

Count Dracula, who does not sparkle,  enjoys his snack

Then we took some photos, reaffirmed how truly and utterly amazing that vampire was, and stopped bothering him.

I seem to have some pictures left over, so here they are!

Jaws enjoys his snack. I do not.

...? Who turned out the lights?

Alkira and I cheer on the Dodgers.

One of the original DeLoreans from Back to the Future. It was on the behind-the-scenes tour.

Izzy loses her mind...to a fish.

What I was really doing when I got "arrested."

Izzy with the Universal fountain thing

So Proud :)

I am so proud of myself right now.

I just came up with my best villain name yet!

I’m writing this Harry Potter fan fiction. It’s about Dudley’s daughter, Violet Dursley, going to Hogwarts.

For a fanfic it’s okay. I’m having fun, and that’s what important. I’m pretty sure that J.K. Rowling never thought of some of the plot I’ve come up with.

In my story, Violet is friends with Scorpius Malfoy, who’s very shy, insecure, and not brave enough to defend himself from James and Albus Potter's teasing. Violet, who’s essentially good if a bit obstinate, sarcastic and prone to solving things with her fists, defends him. And then he meets a mysterious being in the halls of Hogwarts…

I needed an additional villain, a Slytherin, so I just now came up with a name. There’s a lot of pressure with HP fanfic to write good names, what with J.K. Rowling’s being so great.

Here’s mine: Tarquin Thyestus.

Here’s the etymology:

In ancient Rome, there was a run of particularly nasty emperors of the Tarquin family. They tended to get a bit stabby-stabby, as we Latin scholars say. Everyone was relieved when someone else took over.

Thyestus also comes from Latin class. Last year we read this story called The Curse of Atreus. Here’s a quick summary:

Atreus and his brother Thyestes were Tantalus’s descendants. Remember, Tantalus was the guy who fried up his kids and served them to the gods. (You see where this is going…)

Even though Thyestes was married with kids, he liked having affairs. But he really shouldn’t have had one with his brother’s wife. Atreus found out about it, and he did what any reasonable man in his position would do: He invited Thyestes—and Thyestes’  kids—over for dinner.

Well, the kids mysteriously disappeared before the main course, presumably to eat at the kiddie table. Thyestes commented on how tasty the meat was, before wondering where the kids had got to.

You can probably guess where the kids had got to.

Suffice it to say that family reunions probably got a bit awkward after that…

So both names have wonderfully evil negative connotations—just what you want in a villain!

I realize that J.K. Rowling has rights to all the Harry Potter stuff, but that name? That name is mine. I am SO using it again for another story. I might even think of something different for the fanfic and save good old Tarquin for something else…

Happy birthday to my mom! I got her an awesome gift, but I'm not telling what it is in case she reads this before tonight... :D 

Universal Pt. 2 is written and I'm waiting on pictures. 

Universal Studios, Part 1

I meant to post earlier, I really did. Like a week ago.

But it's hard to find the energy to do anything when you have strep throat, all right? I missed four days of school and watched waaay more TV than I usually do. Well, actually not TV so much as videos. My mom got the BBC Pride and Prejudice from the library. That was fun.

Anyway, exactly a week ago I got to go to Universal with my best friends from Waldorf! It was Izzy's birthday and her aunt, who works in the business, got tickets AND fastpasses! THANK YOU, KATHY!!!

So off I went with Izzy, our other best friend Alkira, and Izzy's older cousin Anna! (Please note that all names are fake.) It was fun. And exhausting. And...whoof.

We got there at about 10 or so, had a bit of trouble getting in (I don't remember the exact problem) and then ON TO THE RIDES! And stuff.

Rowan's Review of Select Universal Rides:

The Backstage Tour: Awesome. I love seeing the sets. It was like going through deserted cities sometimes. And we got to see the clock tower from Back to the Future! Granted, they'd painted over it, but still...Oh! We saw one of the original DeLoreans too!

The Simpsons Ride: Same as last time I went on it. That is, fun! I'm not a fan of The Simpsons, but I enjoy the ride. Favorite line: "Maggie, spit those tourists out! You don't know where they've been!"

Jurassic Park: Never doing that again. The robots had the shakes and I hate hate HATE 84 foot drops. Alkira doesn't like that one either, but she had some fun. It's hard to be scared of robot dinosaurs when your friend is next to you going "He just wants a hug! But his arms are too short!"

Revenge of the Mummy: Loved this one. We went on it twice. Once again, it's hard to be scared of mummies when your best friend is reaching for the hands dangling from the ceiling and yelling "HIGH FIVE, MAN!" My only problem: It was way too short!

The Transformers: Visual. Overload. I had NO IDEA what was supposed to be going on. Stuff like that makes me dizzy, and I was just like, "Huh? Mission? Explosion? Whaa! Explosion! Again!" Seriously, there were WAY too many explosions on that ride. Izzy and I both had to sit down for a while afterwards.

I can't remember if we went on any rides besides that, but we did do other amazing stuff. The most awesome part of the day? The vampire. But since it's getting late, I'll save that for later.

Spirit Week Days 3&4

Spirit Week was a 4-day week, so there won't be a day 5.

Day 3 was retro stuff. I wore last year's Spirit Shirt, which says We just got here and we're already awesome/ Freshman class 2011/2012 or something like that. I also had a hat with A League of Their Own (it's a really good 90's movie) written on it and a vintage jacket from a defunct Disney attraction. And I carried Uglydolls. I love Uglydolls, don't you? I have Wedgehead and Icebat.

Day 4 was Heroes and Sidekicks. My friend and I went as Glinda/Galinda and Elphaba from Wicked. Our other friends kicked butt as Merlin and Arthur from Merlin. XD It was awesome.

Then Friday we had the semi-formal dance. That was...loud. And tiring. I probably wouldn't have gone, but the sophomores were putting it on and I had to do coat check. You know something really, really stupid? Even though the sophomores are required to go, we still have to buy tickets.

I was up till 2 in the morning. The dance ended at 11, but I had to be at a friend's house by 8:30 the next morning, so I made her a birthday present. It was her birthday and we were going to Universal Studios.

More on that later!

Spirit Week days 1&2

Spirit Week is a week at my school where every day we have a theme and we dress up. It's a lot of fun. Today the theme is Dreams, so I'm writing this at school in my pajamas. Soo comfy...

Yesterday was Letter Day. Our mascot is the Cubs, so freshmen had the letter C, sophomores U, juniors B, and seniors S. As a sophomore, I had U.

My favorite freshman costume: carpet. She wore beige-y floral patterned stuff.

My favorite junior costume: three girls went as Bed, Bath and Beyond.

My favorite senior costume: My big sister Ellie was Sherlock!!! She looked AMAZING (especially since she borrowed my deerstalker.)

Slight topic change:

On Valentine's Day my mom gave me the best hat EVER.
It's a beanie with Viking horns and braids. She knitted it herself. It looks like an awesome Viking helmet!

I just had to wear it to school, so I searched through Norse mythology for a goddess whose name starts with U.

I wound up going as Uta, Goddess of Vigilance, who patrols the borders between Asgard and Jotunheim on her polar bear. (Interesting story about how she got the bear. I'll tell you later.)

And I won a candy bar for having the most imaginative costume!

Little did they know how apt that was...

You see, Uta does not exist.

I made her up.

Yay!

MY FIRST BOOK TRAILER PUBLISHED!!!

I finally got around to uploading it!! YAAAY!!!!

Please watch!!

Thank you!!

Digital editing by me (images mostly off Google)
Music from a 1920s movie serial
Voiceover by Rupert Degas, narrator of the audiobook.

Basically I got the images, added the music, and carefully cut out little snippets of audiobook, a trick I haven't yet been able to duplicate for other book trailers.

One thing I'm not happy about was that I was learning to use iMovie when I made this, so the images don't move as much as I'd like since I didn't know how to make them move at the time. Then I uploaded it to iTunes and I couldn't edit it anymore. >:(

But it's still pretty cool. :D