Saturday, January 12, 2008

I'm blogging again from next to the cat.

How did I know that I was going to be so addicted to this blogging thing? For some odd reason I have found that it is rather amusing to be sitting in from of the computer typing something about yourself or your life that you might have never said to anyone else.

Right now Im around the corner cattsitting, and the cat decided that it wanted to sit next to me to watch me type this. I must say that Cujo (the cat) really seems to like having me here for two+ hours a day. At least this gives me a reason to get out of the house and away from my parents who really hate it when I disapear to my room to study. Lets just say that I hate studying in the kitchen when everyone is home because ther is TOO MUCH GOING ON around me to concentrate. In my room at least I can put my head phones on to tune out all of the noise downstairs.

Enough of that. I really hope my dad doesnt have any snow days/ 2hour delays this next week so I can actually get into a routine of when and where I study when nobodys home during the school week. Im not sure what my brother is going to do this next year when he goes to college. Part of me hopes he moves away and part of me wants him to go to Delta. I'm not really sure what to think yet. I think that if I can save up enough money over the summer and this winter, I might get an appartment next fall here in Midland. That would be nice. I think that might be what I do. If I don't have enough money to do it on my own, I might do it with one of my friends. That reminds me- I should e-mail her to see if she might be up for that.

I am really excited to see what happens today in the Packer football game. Yes I am a Packer fan ( a very BIG Packer fan). A couple of years ago I got AJ Halks autograph during their training camp- man is that guy BIG!!

I really need to get some studying done and send that e-mail, so I'll be back to blog again later.

Love ya all!
Erin

Friday, January 11, 2008

"Complete Peace" part three

Here's my third blog of the day. Now I am sitting at home in the kitchen on my laptop. I thought that I would share a little more about one of the characters. I am still going to focus on Jennifer (again). There is so much I haven't shared about her yet, and there are bits and peices that I will NEVER share from her. Here we go!

Jennifer has been very small since she was born. She was born five days late, but was still only five pounds six ounces. When she reached her full height, she was only four foot eleven inches. A lot of people never believed that Jennifer could do what she did when she grew up. No one every belived that Jennifer could become a singer. No one really knew what to expect when they heard that Jennifer had recorded the album with her mom. One of Jennifer's dreams as a child was to become a musician. Jennifer hated it whenever her adoptive parents told her that she would never become a musician. That is where I will end this section about Jennifer.

I finished the first draft of "Complete Peace" in Mid-November. Since then I have been editing and revising it for publishing. I have cut out several scenes and re-written a couple of more. Some of the deleted scenes will be posted here at a later date. Quite a few of these deleted scenes didn't really fit. They were about the characters in "Complete Peace", but the scenes that were deleted because they really didn't help to move the plot along. I hope you all enjoy those when I post them this next week sometime. I can't wait to see how to things work out with the publishing. It also has been interusting to see how all of the characters have developed over the past ten months.

The end result that I am aiming for is being published. I know that getting published is still a long way off.

1/11/08 part two

Okay, I am back to write my second blog for the day. I think this blogging thing has actually grown on me. I am also back at my neighbors house with the cat again since this seems to be the only place I can get a little quiet when someone is at home (my dad got a snow day today- he's a teacher.).

I wanted to do anouther quick thing about "Complete Peace". Okay maybe that will have to wait a moment- the phone just rang. Well that was some automated message for Rommney (did I spell that right??). Midland may be republican, but I am one of the few democrats here. Back to what I was going to blog about this time around. Today I'll focus on Jennifer.

When I first had the idea for the screenplay, I didn't really know who Jennifer was. She was just this "kid" who really wanted to be accepted, who didn't know who she was, and wanted to be loved SOOO badley. Over the summer I was working full time (trust me-this has to do with what I'm talking about here!). I may have been working full time, but I also was watching people. As I would watch various visitors to the gardens interact, Jennifer would talk to me. No I'm not crazy. Jennifer just was right there next to me. She wanted to tell me her story, so I listened to her. Every day I heard a little peice of her story while I was at work. That little peice would come out because of something I saw. It is almost like I am Jennifer's body, eyes, and ears, and Jennifer's brain is in my brain. Thats the best way I can find to say it, but even that doesn't sound quite right. One day while I was watering with a hose (yay for watering by hand!!), the water mysteriously stopped running. It made no sense to me. So I started walking along the hose to see if there was a leak somewhere or if it had been disconected. I got to where I had hooked the hose up, and some little kid had discovered how to turn the water off. I never expected that to happen! I couldn't help but laugh. This young girl was curious. She wanted to understand what that funny thing sticking out of the grass did. The girl I just told you about was exactly what I imagined when I saw Jennifer as a young girl, and also was a lot like what one of Jennifer's daughters was like as a child.

As I developed the story line even more, Jennifer began hinting at getting married. I knew this could get a little sticky. Jennifer had never indicated if she was straight, bi, or gay. So I wasnt quite sure where she was going with this part of her story. After a while, I began to realize that Jennifer hadn't ever mentioned this before because she knew that I would understand where she was coming from. I'll just say that there was a defining moment during her years in college that changed the way she saw her sexuality. Jennifer is bi-sexual, and so am I. YES I AM BI-SEXUAL. Let's just say that I had a very defining moment during my first year of college. Nothing bad happened that day, I just discovered that I am bi-sexual in I way that I never thought would happen. Jennifer and I both share a very strong connection because of the fact that we had similar experiences when we really realized that we are both bi.

Enough of that for now. On to other things. I am so glad that it is Friday, but I also am not looking forward to having parents and brother home this weekend since they always seem to eaither get on my case about something that I have already done or just bug me until I go crazy. Maybe this next week will be a little more normal. This week my dad has had two snow/fog days and one two hour delay, which in turn has ment that I have had to put up with him at home more than usual. It is hard to study when you have your dad talking at you about this that and the other thing that needs to be done that there is no way that he can do despite the fact that he has had two full days off and one two hour delay. Whats up with that? (Yes I know I just wrote a run on just a moment ago. Who cares? This isn't class and this is definatly not something that is going to be in print anytime soon.)

I have no idea how I have written such a long blog. How does one do that without realizing it? Go figure.

Hopefully everyone has a good weekend. Hopefully my parents a brother stay out of my hair this weekend. I'll probobly be back tomarrow to write again.

Love ya all!
Erin

News in the cat sitting front.

I'm catsitting through the 14th, and so right now I am sitting at their house with their cat listening to the radio and writing this. It's now 9:30 AM here, and I got over here at 8 this morning. I've spent the time studying, cleaning out all the junk from the kitty litter box, adding water to the water bowl, and adding more food to the cat's food dispenser thing. I have a feeling that my dad (who somehow got a day off of school due to bad weather) is going to be over here soon to see what I've been up too. He can't completley blame me. This cat HATES being left alone for more than 24 hours. If the cat comes wandering in, I might have to stop writing for a moment.

I'm glad it's Friday. On Friday's I don't have any classes, so I have time to do homework and study. Well, maybe not all day. I think I'll write a lot of blogs on Wensdays and Fridays. It also has allowed for me to take on a part time payed position at my church that is badley needed. I get to go to church, play the piano, and play chimes and bells. I will still (on ocasion) be working in the nursery at church. I am SOOOOOOOO excited about this chance I am getting. Don't worry-my grades will still be good. I won't be working every hour of every week, and I'm not studying or in class every hour of every week, so this will give me a good break from it all.

I very well could be working at a Wisconsin camp over the summer! I just have to send the application in soon. I also could be working at Dow Gardens again. If I am working at Dow Gardens, I WILL definatly post a new blog every week about some of the interusting things that may have happened at work. Here are a few of the highlights from last summer: Libby meets a deer, Tall Laura and Short Laura both falling off of golf carts on the same day, getting sunburn on my third day of work, my brother telling me I looked like a bright red lobster, and spending three weeks straight on my own watering azealas, rhodenedrons, and newly planted trees.

Well, I need to get back to my studying/homework for my Children's lit. I have to read "Charolettes Web" by wensday evening, read "Love that Dog" by Sharon Creech, and do some writing on them both.

Hopefully everyone has had a good week and is going to have anouther good one!

Love ya all!
Erin

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Complete Peace blog #1

In one of my first three blogs I mentioned that I would be writing the ocastional blog about my screenplay, "Complete Peace". This is the first of many!

When I first started thinking about writing this blog, I started thinking about where to start. I know I dont want to give away all of the twists and turns that the story takes. I also don't want to give away all of my secrets quite yet. So, I am going to start with what was going on in my life when I first had the idea for "Complete Peace".

As I thought about everything that added up to me writing "Complete Peace", I realized that everything lead back to elementary school. During the year I was in Fifth Grade we had to write a few stories. I really enjoyed writing them, but most of them weren't all that great. There was one story in particular that I remember very clearly. I'm not going into details of the whole story. But, I will say that in this story the main character (I don't remember what I named her) was very lost as to who she is and who she was. In Middle School I was still working on writing that story from fifth grade, but I just couldn't seem to develop it very well. By high school I had completley given up on that story, but instead turned my attention more towards hanging out with friends and band.

From the time I graduated from High School on, three of the characters from "Complete Peace" were really beggining to take shape. I was beggining to see characteristics in quite a few people that I really liked. Part of the storyline was also beggining to develop as I missed my friends who had gone away to college more and more.

The characters that I created for "Complete Peace" came from all over the place. There are parts of all kinds of people in each character. Over the summer while I was working at Dow Gardens I would watch people while I worked. As I watched other people I would see small characteristics that I liked or didn't like so much. I watched so many people over the summer that I got to know my characters better. There were bits and peices of each character that I saw everyday.

Evita and Jeff are two of the characters in "Complete Peace" that I began to see needed to be the two people that Jennifer (the main character from "Complete Peace") would not get along with a single bit. There was also a peice of me that got put into Jennifer. Jennifer feels so alone throughout the time she lives with Evita and Jeff, so she heads to places like youtube to make some new friends.

One of the earliest scenes that I wrote for "Complete Peace" involved that lonliness and the fact that one of my all time favorite characters (Kristen) can see it. Late in that scene Jennifer and Kristen really get to know each other, and become close friends. Kristen became the character that I couldn't help but love from the beggining. She became the character that brought Jennifer new hope.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Back to School

Yesterday was the first day of classes for me. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to go back. I think I'm going to enjoy this semester so much more than I enjoyed my last semester. I'm getting ready to head to class right now since my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays (phsychology and Anatomy and Physiology) run from 11 to 4. Hopefully this phsychology teacher makes it more interusting than make last one did.

Last night I got Kristen Chenoweths CD "As I AM", which I am currently listening too. I love it!!!! Also, I am still catsitting. Hopefully tomarrow I'll have some time to make a new video for my youtube account about catsitting and my semester so far and the auful weather latley. Well, I have to leave in the next 5 minutes to get to my classes on time. I better get going and out to my car.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Looking forward

I've been looking forward to 2008 for a few weeks. I've looked forward to it mostley because I know this could be a big year for me. I know I have mentioned this in a previous blog, but I am currently working on a screenplay. Hopefully it's come far enough that I can begin to work on getting it published near the end of this year or early next year.

I will definatly post a blog every now and then about where I am with the writing of the screenplay. This could prove to be very interusting (especially if my screenplay does get published).

I'm sick and tired of calling it my screenplay now. I originally titled it "Complete Peace". Since then I have decided that I will change the title at some point, but I don't know what to change it too yet. I think that when I refer to the screenplay from now on I'll call it "Complete Peace" until I find a better title.

Over my Christmas Break I have been able to enjoy not only time away from school, but I have also enjoyed having hours on end to work on Complete Peace. I have definatly made a TON of changes since the first draft.

Hopefully I'll post anouther blog tomarrow (No class tomarrow until 2Pm. Im gonna LOVE Mondays this semester!

My next blog will definatly include more details about Complete Peace and possibly a scene or two that have been deleted between the first and second drafts.

2007 in review

Okay. I'm gonna be good at writing blog(s) and reqularly. I'm not just gonna just stop writing for no reason. I got to thinking about the past year. I haven't been very good about writing blogs in the past. This year I AM going to write at least one blog every week if not more often. Most of my blogs will be posted on a Wensday, Friday, Saturday, or a Sunday because I have those days off this semester. On to what I really wanted to write about.

2007 in review:
This past year has been amazing! During the Winter 2007 semester I met one of my friends from College. Pat was my Anatomy and Physiology teacher during the Winter 2007 semester. She was very open with us about the fact that she is gay. I still see her around school from time to time. My Comp 1 teacher gave me so much encouragement with my writing. Thanks to her I became a much better writter than I used to ever be.
Starting in Mid-March and ending in April, I was working 37 hours over a period of two weeks at Dow Gardens. During that time Dow Gardens always has their butterflies in bloom festival. This meant quite a few hours at work door guarding so that the butterflies couldn't escape the conservatory. The hours you spend door guarding (if you ever get the amazing chance to do this, take it!) will definatly test your patients with visitors who won't listen to what you told them at least two times.
On May First, I started my first full time summer job. I was working at Dow Gardens 40 hours a week. My first day of actual work (after the training was all done!) was a Monday. I was on Chuck's crew. Chuck is a horticulturist at Dow Gardens. He had me pruning the rosebushes, then getting rid of all the leaves in the rose beds, and fertilizing the roses. I get badley sunburn that day because the Rose Garden has no shade at all. That day when I got home by brother got a good laugh at how red I was. Apparently I looked like a lobster I was so red. I was so glad for ice that day! Due to the fact I had to wear pants everyday at work over the summer I only shaved my legs once the whole summer.
The Friday before the fourth of July, my parents and brother left to go to Wisconsin to visit my dad's parents. They went to my mom's parents place on Monday July 2nd. I had to stay home because I was working that Friday June 30 (I think thats the date), and Monday July 2nd. But I did have July 3rd through the 8th off from work for the family reunion.
About a week before the fourth of July, a good friend of mine died at age 59 of stomach cancer. Sunday July 1rst was her funeral. On Tuesday July 3rd I made my way to Wisconsin on my own for the Grist Family Reunion. I was taking the 8AM ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. I got up at 3AM, and drove two hours and fifteen minutes to ludington. They don't start loading the boat until 8am, but that was okay. I set my alarm on my watch for 6:45 and took a nap in the car. I sat on the ferry from 7AM until about 11:55AM when I started making my way off of the ferry in Wisconsin. My dad was running a little late with a surprise for me in Wisconsin. He had brought his parents with him so that they could eat lunch with me. That was such a good surprise to see them at the ferry! After lunch at Dairy Queen we dropped my dad's parents off at their car and drove about half an hour to my mom's parents place. Not everyone was there yet. I was so glad to finally be able to get up and move after sitting most of the time between 5AM and 2PM (Michigan Time). Going for that first swim in the lake felt SOOO good! This past fall I went back to Delta for anouther semester of classes.

Yep. That's what my past year looked like for the most part.

Here's something that I started doing this past year, and have coninued through the new year. This past May I began to write a screenplay. Very few people have gotten the chance to read it. Most people know I am writing it, but I haven't let them read it yet. I am still working on writing. It's about 95 pages long right now. I am currently still writing a few more scenes for it. I'm almost done with these new scenes and the editing. I am hoping to finish it and get it published in the next two years. My biggest problem right now is coming up with a good title for it.

I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for me and everybody else!

Am I really doing this?

I can't belive I'm doing this. I already have a myspace, facebook, and youtube account, to try to keep up. I guess this was just the next step. At some point I'll post something with the url of my myspace, facebook, and youtube profiles. I'll have to retire one of these accounts eventually, but I'm not sure which one. Before I get too far, I will have a lot of mispellings. I know it's a Sunday morning and I'm blogging, but I'm waiting for my family to get ready for church. For some odd reason it only takes me 40 minutes to get ready and it takes everyone else about an hour (Not including showers) to get ready. I must be weird.

I go back to school on Monday (the 7th). I'm not really sure what I think about this yet. Part of me really wants to go back. The other part really wants more break. This next semester I'm taking Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, Fitniss walking, and Phychology.