A Mute?

Today was a pretty slow day at work. I mean, I made over $100 in sales, barely, but there weren't too many customers. And I had to use the bag trick to get cards to swipe twice, so I don't know if the machine was just PMSing or what.

Borders is also getting these Verifone things, and I read the pamphlet today... they sound like a lot more trouble than they're worth. Especially since we had to push the install date back since someone forgot to install the phone lines for us like we asked. Oi. Alix and I both agree that the things you see at the supermarket would be a lot easier, rather than us having to swipe the card and shit.

I just barely know the register for goodness sakes. Now I'm gonna have to learn this too. Blarg.

Anyways...

One guy though, when I was about to do the bag trick, was really pissed. He kept repeating "I don't want a bag!" before I could speak. But I calmly stated as I put his card in the bag "I know, but the bag will get your card to scan" and he just sort of laughed it off. I'm shocked I kept my cool, really. I hate being cut off mid-sentence. >(

There was one lady who asked if she could pay in Canadian money... Um, no, sorry lady... this is America. She used a debit card instead. Some people, I swear...

And then, the highlight of my day was ten minutes before my shift ended. I'm sketching, since I ran out of reading material, and there's this tap on my shoulder. Odd... I turn to see who it is, and there is a guy with a calendar standing behind me. Kind of made my heart jump. And then he started making motions with his hand, first pointing to the upper left corner of the Yankees calendar he was holding. So I looked, and asked if it was a sticker or something. And he shook his head, and motioned to his shirt, upper left shoulder/chest area if you were looking at him. I must have looked a little puzzled, because he made a motion for pen and paper... Shit, he's mute. So I got him some, and he wrote down "Pin?" So I asked if it was supposed to be a pin and he nodded, and then made a motion to his chest again. Okay...? He then wrote down "Where?" And I was like, "Where does it go?" and he shook his head no, so I asked if he wanted to know where you should wear it, and he nodded. ...Riiiight... I'm no fashion consultant, so the best thing I could come up with was "I guess where ever you want to." That did seem to satisfy him though, and he put the calendar back, waved thanks, and was on his way.

AWKWARD.

Seriously... a mute? How random is that. Kind of makes me wish I had taken sign language, because the pen and paper thing just wasn't communicating the idea very well. ^^;;;

Nothing else interesting happened though. During the day I was able to read four manga, and I read sloooooooooooow to make them last. x'D

And of course... THEY HAVE REKINDLED MY LOVE FOR RUROUNI KENSHIN. <33333333333 Seriously, now I must buy the rest of the manga (Luna-kun said she thinks there are 24 total) and get a hold of the anime (all 94 episodes for $80, YESPLZ) and OVAs ($14 for them all) to satisfy my cravings. Like... I was reading it at the kiosk and FANGIRLING on the job. x'D LMAO I'm horrible...

But I digress... my money management is gonna suck when it comes to this. What an addiction I have... x'D;;;

I shall try though, since I do have bills to pay. Augh... bills. xP

Stupid Norton

So, I was in that chat room, and decided to fill out a thing for the phone, too. Turned that 30min wait into 30sec thanks to getting a priority code, which put me ahead of everyone else.

Screw the chat, which they said had a 10min wait (BULLSHIT), and screw the hold time.

Of course, the guy was from the Middle East. No one is in America anymore. >[

He has refunded the charge though, and I should have it back in 2-3 business days. So you better believe that I'll be watching my bank account. And if it's not back by then, I will be phoning them again.

And this time, I won't be so nice.

I was very firm this time (and for god sakes, it's 12:30am), but not mean. Next time they won't be so lucky.

Apparently though it automatically sets you up for auto-renewal when you get the product to save you the hassle. That's really stupid. What's more stupid, is that it didn't detect I wasn't using it anymore.

...IT'S UNINSTALLED FROM MY SYSTEM! How the hell does it detect ANYTHING when I REMOVED it!?

Lemme tell ya what... I'm definitely not happy with Norton. Don't like the product, and apparently they have customer service to match.

Auto-Renewal WHAT!?

Okay, so I'm NOT going to bed yet. No, I went and transferred funds in my bank account, and realized I had been charged for Norton Antivirus's auto-renewal.

What?

I was never notified that I was going to be charged such a fee,and I definitely don't remember signing up for such a thing. I remember getting a one year subscription and that's it, and I dumped it about 40 days ago because I was sick of Norton and I got something else.

Well...

I was charged $50 for a service/product I am no longer using. My gas money, gone to Norton with no forewarning. None. Nothing at all. Not even a fucking email saying "HEY BITCH! WE'RE GONNA CHARGE YA!"

I. AM. LIVID.

Like, if I just don't remember hitting auto-renewal, I'd be fine with that. But the fact that I was never notified, nor given a receipt or bill before hand PISSES ME OFF.

And of course, tonight, there is a long wait. About 20 minutes ago I was number 96 in line for the live chat, which, by the way, can only be done in IE (lucky I found a way to open the damn browser that I DON'T USE anymore), or there is a 30min+ wait on the phone.

AUUUUUGH.

So... I'm going to try and get in touch with them tonight. And as soon as I know what's going on, I'll update you guys. If I don't pass out first.

But you better believe that if they don't give my $50 back, shit is going to hit the fan. It's a lot of money to a poor bastard like me. >[

Plane Craaaaaaaaaash

So today was pretty uneventful at work. I did find out that whoever tried to alphabetize the dog calendars in the drawers below for overstock doesn't know the alphabet too well though. All I could think was that said person would not be able to work at my Mom's office. LOL Oh well, I redid it and put everything away that needed to be done, so it's good. Wouldn't have done it at all, except we got some new calendars in today.

I mostly just sat and played puzzles on my graphing calculator though. So all's well that ends well.

Afterwards, I stayed and chatted with Caitlin for a while, since she is like my kindred spirit. We went from Gothic Lolita to kimono to anime to politics to home life to animals to asthma, and all over the place. Like, we share A LOT of the same views and ideas. So it's really awesome. We can chat for a good long time and not get bored of each other. It's nice. It's just too bad she works evenings and I work days, so we won't ever have a shift together unless we get lucky x'D

That's okay though, I stayed with her until about 8:30, leaving her only an hour and a half alone. LMAO The mall was DEAD today anyways, so with the severe lack of customers it was probably nice. I know I wouldn't mind that.

Mom was freaking out though, because I forgot to call and tell her I was gonna stay late. She called three times before I finally felt my bag vibrating and picked up. I'm just still not used to needing to report in after living on my own for so long. That, and I didn't leave the mall, so it never occurred to me that Mom would worry I was in a ditch somewhere. Oh well. What was funny was that my sister and her bf Cory called too. Idiots. And then my sister went and blew the 9pm state law curfew for 17yr old drivers. She's in trouble.

When Dad got home though, I found out that a plane crashed in Schenectady, not too far from where I live. Turns out it was some test flight, and it had barely gotten off the runway when it lost power and went into the trees. The media can't report much more than that the pilot was transported to Ellis hospital, and then moved to Albany med, meaning he's probably hurt pretty badly. But, they apparently got thrown off the scene, so someone must have been getting in the way of the rescue and safety operations. Stupid media, they need to back off a bit.

But yeah, there was a plane crash. That's pretty scary. It only held the pilot though, so no fatalities. Unless he has too much head trauma and dies. I hope not though, that would just suck.

So... yes. That is my news of the day. I am now off to go to sleep, because it's been a long day and I'm tired. x'D

Catching a Cold? D:

So I haven't felt too great for the past few days. I've had watery eyes, sneezing, sore throat some mornings, fatigue... you name it, I have it probably. At first I passed it off with having to do with my monthly cycle. But that's been gone and I still feel shitty. And of course my stomach has to get in on it too. So I really think I am catching or fighting off a cold, which blows. I (literally) cannot afford to be sick. So it looks like if I do get sick, I'm going to be drinking Benadryl again. Not exactly healthy, but what can ya do, right? I'm just going to try not to trip out on the meds this time like I did in Hallmark. That was really, really bad. But hey! I definitely wasn't feeling sick! In fact, I was quite happy. Giddy is probably a better word for it. Or loopy. Whatever you pick, I know I was out of my senses.

So, I'm just gonna hope that I can get rid of it, and be feeling somewhat better by Tuesday when I work next. Yeah, I thought I had Mon-Fri this week, but there was a scheduling change. Oh well. It means less hours, which sucks, but it gives me an extra day to figure this whole illness thing out and feel better, yeah? Yeah. That's what I'm gonna go with.

That being said, I'm off to try and get some sleep. Can't feel better if I'm sleep deprived. >_<;

Activities with Dad

OH YEAH! Almost forgot!

Dad went with me to the Civil War Encampment. :3

So we got to hang out there together, and had Subway for lunch. I drove though, and it's a good thing because he didn't know about the upper part of the parking garage or anything! Hell, he hadn't walked the main strip in 30 years! O_O

We visited a couple of shops too, including a tobacco one since he is looking into getting a pipe again. Not exactly what I want to hear since seeing him ruin his health bothers me, but I won't deny him his pleasures and stuff I guess. :\

He and I also walked up to this stopped 1931 Ford at a traffic light to ask where it was headed. My idea. xD Turns out there is an old car show going on in Lake George.

We thought about harassing the protesters as well, but decided against that. I don't get why they were protesting sending the soldiers to war, since it's a volunteer army. No draft, they could have said no. So like... I don't know. Protesting the war is different than sending soldiers in my eyes I guess. His too.

It was fun though. I enjoy hanging out with my Dad. :)

Civil War Encampment 2008

So today in Congress Park there was a small Civil War Encampment. This wasn't anything like the reenactments I've been to either, since they were there to speak to us and educate the public. Which was actually really, really nice. I enjoyed listening to them speak and learning.

I think what I liked the best though, was learning that Hollywood dramatized the amputations something horrible. You actually had to get five doctors to agree to it, and then they would put the guy under so he slept through it. More men died because they didn't have limbs amputated than not. I think the number was 50,000 men. But they would end up with lead poisoning or gangrene and keel over.

Of course, children's diseases killed a lot of them too, since the farmers weren't exposed to them like the city kids and then with everyone so crammed together in camp... disease spread like WILDFIRE.

I also learned that the Civil War was the origin of Rootbeer. See, when you had dysentery, the doctor would prescribe blackberry and sassafras tea to calm the stomach down. And it actually does work. So when guys went into bars, they weren't being a pansy by ordering sassafras, they actually had an upset stomach and were going to calm it down before getting plastered. So someone decided that since it was so popular, to market it. But he decided that it was too bitter for kids to enjoy, so he added some sugar to make it sweet. And then tinted it a deeper brown, so it looked hearty like beer. The name came from the fact that sassafras is a root, and the drink was the colour of beer. And thus rootbeer was invented, and it helped calm the stomach. Later on there would be Coca Cola with real cocaine to keep you awake... x'D

Doctors also started to get smart in this war, and keep logs and learn things. They went to college for medicine as well. And they figured out that Loudenum, which was basically watered down opium, was bad, even if it did kill the pain. xD GOOD JOB.

I learned that the bullets SHATTERED bones too. And that's why we have small bullets now. Safer warfare, as ironic as that is. The real purpose though, he said, is not to kill your enemy, but scare them into surrender. Which makes sense.

There was music as well. That was fun. And the drill team was enlisting the kids and letting them handle muskets. The muskets were totally safe though, no ammo in them and not able to be dry fired. These guys were smart.

The horses were beautiful as well. The mounted guy actually let me steady the horse and hold it for him while he did something too, and remounted. I felt so honoured. :3

We were also informed that the men earned between $11 and $28...

A MONTH.

GOOD MONEY BACK THEN!!! LMAO

I don't know why, but that makes me giggle.

I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff too, but I just had a ton of fun soo...

Oh, they did mention that this was NY state's war too, since we supplied the most men and had the most factories that could benefit from it. Not sure how true it is, but that's what's said. Kind of cool. ^^

On a side note, the ducks in Congress Park have serious attitude. They literally don't move out of the path until you just about step on them. Bold little bastards. But they're cute. :3

SO!

IMAGERY!

My favourites from the Civil War Encampment, and then ducks! You can view all the photos from the Civil War here. And the ducks are also on my DeviantART.



His Mount by *Saknika on deviantART


At the Ready by *Saknika on deviantART


Issuing Weapons by *Saknika on deviantART


Shattered Bones from Bullets by *Saknika on deviantART


A Doctor's Setup by *Saknika on deviantART


Old Fashioned Remedies by *Saknika on deviantART


Laundry Day by *Saknika on deviantART


Preening ::DUCKS:: by *Saknika on deviantART

The Eventful Day at Work

So, yesterday was a fairly eventful day at work. I'm not going to go into too many details, because you'd be here reading for too long if I did. x'D

So, it started off fairly slow. Kinda had a sale at 10:15am. That's... actually kind of early. x'D Mall opens at 10am so... wow.

Actually, we had fairly steady traffic all day. It was nice. I didn't get as bored, and I learned a lot more on the register. I sold close to $350 worth of calendars.

Some woman paid with a $100 bill too. o_o;

And another asked if we had a Twilight calendar... to which I had to say no without laughing. Because seriously, if there are only books and no movie yet... what imagery will they use for a calendar? x'D

The district manager for Belden Jewelers tried to hire me. He's looking for two full time employees. I turned him down. xD; So if you're looking for a job and live near the Wilton Mall!!! Belden Jewelers is hiring!!!

I helped a lot of people too. And I really think that made them want to buy stuff, because I know when I get good customer service I'm more likely to purchase the product. I felt bad though because I was having such issues scanning this one calendar that the lady opted not to buy it. I was on the phone with Bonnie and everything. Turns out I just needed to wiggle the scanner a bit. I mean, the lady still bought $67 worth of merchandise so it wasn't a horrid sale.

And holy smokes, talk about the number of immigrants that came through and only spoke English when they were ready to check out!

Not to mention all the handicapped people... mentally handicapped. I felt bad when this one set came though with four wheelchairs, because I was just staring at this one guy. He looked like he had stick legs, and I couldn't decide if they were prosthetic or not. Turns out he just had no muscle mass. And like... I really don't think the mall is the place for these people, personally. Because you could tell they were making a lot of other patrons uncomfortable. And having been in class with a kid like that before, who was actually very physically harmful to the rest of us because "he didn't know any better", it just makes me wonder...

Anyways!

I also saw a puppy in training to be a seeing eye dog! That was really cool! Actually, it's just plain cool that animals can be in the mall like that! :3

That's pretty much it though.

Aside from dress shopping with my sister and being frustrated with Tiffany, since they wanted to meet up with guys. I was tired, and I wasn't handing the credit card over to Amelia for fear of what she'd get. But in the end we found a cute dress. ^^

So um... yeah. x'D

And in the end I did Mom's Staples shopping in FOUR MINUTES FLAT. That includes getting through checkout. xD

Quickie!

Mkay, so it's been a LOOOOOOONG day. Gotta get some sleep, and will update you on everything TOMORROW. After I go to the Civil War Encampment in Congress Park with my Dad. We leave by 8:30am if all goes to plan. Umm... so yeah. Gonna get some shut eye and will fill ya in tomorrow. Maybe with images! Depends on how fast I retouch. x'D

NIGHT.

Dirty Old Man

Man... totally did not update you about yesterday's visitor.

This guy came over and was browsing the calendars, and I asked if I could help him find anything. That's just what I do when their body language doesn't tell me that they're just browsing. Sometimes you can tell.

Anyways, he told me he was just seeing what we had, since his wife made those decisions. And from there on in he was such a chatty Kathy. Holy crapscicles. He went on about movies I needed to see, and his wife, and his jobs, and being a reenactor at Fort William Henry (which was cool, I'll admit), and doing drugs, and being an athlete... it was a good 30-45min conversation. And then he suddenly had to leave because his people were there. Said he;'d swing by later.

Okay...

I had work to do anyways. I had been hoping for someone to come buy something so that he would have to leave, but luck just wasn't with me so I had to endure until he left.

So I went about my shift, sold at least $50 worth of calendars, and about 2pm (I remember because he asked about the time) he comes back over. Now, he knew my name from my badge, and he had introduced himself as well. So Sergent Arthur Harris is forever engraved in my brain, probably due to being a reenactor. That's how I found out his name after all, aside from him greeting me and shaking my hand.

Well, he came back, and we chatted for another 10min, but he couldn't stay long because he was on duty at Sears. Shit. He works near me. D: He was going on about them cutting his hours a bit, and that the boss was shoveling shit on him [Arthur] that was being thrown at him [Boss] from upper management, blah blah blah.

And then he asked my age. And when I told him 19 he goes, and I quote, "Oh, well don't I feel like the dirty old man now." As he left, he continued to hit on me, and tell me I was a very attractive young lady. And I said it was probably just my personality, hoping that he was just attracted to conversation, but that just couldn't be it. Nope, he told me it was a lot more than that as he got the roaming eyes. DEAR GOD. DD:

Him leaving was a big relief. >.<;

I hate being hit on by creepy people. Especially when they are MARRIED AND IN THEIR 40s. OxO;

I also had a woman ask me if we had any 2008 calendars left from last year... lolwut? xD

So today wasn't very eventful compared to yesterday. Sold at least $60 worth of calendars and then had to go home sick. :<

Subway for lunch just didn't sit well, and half an hour after eating that rock in my stomach flared up my IBS. I dealt with it for as long as I could, walking it off by moving around the kiosk and stuff, but it just wasn't working and an hour after it started I called the store and asked Bonnie if Glen could come relieve me because I was going to be sick.

So it took a good 15-20min, since he had to finish something up at the store, but he relieved me, and I just had to leave. I have red marks from where I was digging my nails into my arm from the pain still, since it's a bad habit of mine when I get sick like that. I felt so bad too, because I hate not doing what I promised, but it just wasn't working. I haven't felt good after eating since last night though, and even after dinner tonight I didn't feel too great. So we'll see what happens tomorrow. I'm hoping nothing bad. D: At least I only missed 3 hours today. >_<;

In other news, I applied for a second seasonal job today to be a photographer for the Picture with Santa thing at the mall. It's part time and could pay up to $11/hr depending on experience (which I have xD) so it could be a good opportunity! :D Cross your fingers and hope for the best, yes? I know I am!

That's about it though. This weekend I have a Civil War Reenactment I want to attend in Congress Park, and I still have retouching to do from my last shoot, so expect more images later on. xD

Oh the Joy of Retouching

So... in what minor spare time I've had. AKA Sunday and Monday, I've been playing around with editing the backgrounds in photos. We learned how in Hallmark, and now I'm just refining that skill and really honing it in. And I have to say, I think I'm doing well. And at the same time, it's helping with my design skills. :D

The first image you will see is nothing but a happy accident. Some people don't like it, but I do. I like the glow and over exposure. So there was no background editing in it.

The second one was a bitch because of the parasol. End of story.

And the last ones are for a contest being held by gammyun for her comic, Juathuur: Gatecreash.

Anyways, if you want some more information behind each photo, you can click on them and it will take you to all the specs and stuff.

Enjoy what I have done so far, and expect more eventually!!! There is soooooo much work left to do. xD BUT IT'S BETTER THAN BRACES!!!!


Aristocracy by *Saknika on deviantART


Delicate like Lace by *Saknika on deviantART


Juathuur SC 01 by *Saknika on deviantART


Juathuur SC 02 by *Saknika on deviantART


Juathuur SC 03 by *Saknika on deviantART


Juathuur SC 04 by *Saknika on deviantART

Shoplifting Accusations

So today was a fairly dull day at work. Okay, more like incredibly dull. I worked with another person again (might have been a mistake on his part the way he was talking, I don't know), and I don't get along with him too well. It's not that he's a bad guy or anything, it's a personality clash. Where as I am very much into the art scene, and obscure, and anime and manga; he is into running and chess. Literally, that is what the majority of his conversation was about. And he's not too good at keeping conversation going... and he uses "like" waaaaaaay too much. At least for my taste. So there was definitely no definite connection. I mean, I don't hate him or anything, and I'd work with him again. He's not a bad person. I just don't care much for some of his mannerisms and we don't care much for the same things. LOL There are definitely other people I would prefer to work with.

Like Caitlin, who came in wearing the most adorable gothic lolita outfit EVER. Man, I wanted it. <3

And of course, couldn't escape the day without having to talk to our favourite Middle Eastern men...

There was a severe lack of people in the mall today, and as such business was slower than slow. So when Glen took the stool at the register, I wandered the calendars. Because I figured he would stay there and just keep watch, you know? I was curious as to what we had in stock, since I didn't get to stock everything, and to know what the calenders were about so that if the exact calender someone wanted wasn't in, I could direct them to something similar and try to keep sales up.

While I was doing this, I noticed a girl looking around, but that's normal, we have people come and look all the time. And I let her on her way. I mean, as far as I knew Glen was at the register so if she needed something or wanted to buy, she'd ask him. Made sense to me. She could have asked me too, it's not like I was estranging myself, but it would be hard to see my name tag with me crouched down. LOL Glen, by the way, did not have a name tag until later when Alix was able to show us where they had been stashed. She had to wait for Bonnie so that the store wasn't left unmanned.

So anyways, I continue my browsing and the next thing I know there is a Middle Eastern guy talking to me. I had to have him repeat himself three times before I understood what he said. He was asking me if a girl had bought a calendar. And I told him not that I had seen. Like I said before, I figured Glen was still at the register.

Well apparently he wasn't. Because this guy lays in about how this girl, who was right there had come into his store (ya know, the Dollar Store that is shutting down~! :D) and slipped the calendar in her bag, and was obviously shoplifting and stuff and he had caught her and on and on and on.

I felt so bad for this poor girl. I told the guy thanks, and that I would handle it. And as soon as he walked away (he went like three steps outside of the kiosk and just eavesdropped and stuff. Jerk) I looked at her and she started apologizing.

Now, I'm not perfect, but I consider myself to have a pretty good judge of character. And the way she was acting, she wasn't a shoplifter.

First of all, like she stated, she came back. And if she really wanted to steal the calendar, I doubt she'd have gone and STOOD IN FRONT OF someone else to do it. Just doesn't make sense.

And she also made mention that she had gone to the register but no one was there and she wasn't sure who worked the kiosk, that Glen and I looked like customers. Fair enough. Like I said, I figured Glen would stay at the register while I had a look. It's what I was doing while he was browsing calendars. Oh well, I was wrong.

In the end, she paid for the calendar. My guess is that she went into the Dollar Store and slipped the calendar in her bag on instinct, and was going to ask if that guy knew who worked the kiosk. Because seriously, that's not the behavior of a shoplifter. And people make mistakes. My mom has walked out of a store without paying for something before because she just forgot she was holding it (handbag, for example) and the alarm never sounded, and the minute she realized she went back and paid for it. It happens.

But man, when she left that Middle Eastern guy came right back over and was just laying in on how he knew those types and had seen it before and he knew shoplifting when he saw it, and that we should have reported her and whatnot. Seriously... it was not his place. We thanked him, and told him the situation had been handled. He just couldn't resist making a few more remarks before he went back to his store... and continued to stare at our kiosk.

I. CANNOT. WAIT. FOR. THEM. TO. BE. GONE.

That just pissed me off. I was glad he told us, but he didn't have to accuse her of shoplifting. Seriously. If she had been, I don't think she would have followed him back over. Hell, I would have walked off. I wouldn't have even entered another store without first bagging the merch. Come on... pretty stupid.

On the flip side, had this one guy want to purchase two box calendars, only his credit card did not want to work. So Glen taught me this trick where you put it in a plastic bag and then it will, miraculously read it. COOL! So that was a good think to learn for future reference.

One down, three more days of boring to go. I really need to bring my sketchbook. Reading just isn't cutting it. And maybe a videogame... like, a puzzle. Just something to pass the time.

OR PEOPLE TO VISIT. *hinthintwinkwinknudgenudge* LOL

I can't wait for next week though. I get 35 hours, and it's all in the bookstore! :D

Diaper Man

So today I was lucky enough to work with someone else at the kiosk, rather than by myself. Because for the 30min I was alone while she took lunch... kinda... sucked. :< And I'm not for 28 hours between Tuesday and Friday next week. D: SOMEONE COME VISIT. I WILL NEED COMPANY. <3

But today... I learned two things that no one told me before hand.

The first makes me very glad that the Dollar Store right next to us is closing. I'm not racist or anything, but these guys make me wish I were so I could slam them good. Basically, the Middle Eastern people run the Dollar Store, and they'll get the kiosks around us. And when you're alone and female working the kiosk, they come over. And from what Nicole was saying, they're very nice at first, and just friendly. And you're desperate for human interaction, so it's not entirely unwanted. Until they start hitting on you. And it doesn't matter what you tell them, they will continue to do so. And no casually she said, she said that they are very forceful about this matter. That to avoid it you shouldn't smile at them or make eye contact, or they'll come over. Like, they've met and shook her husband's hand, and they STILL bother her.

Then there is infamous Diaper Man. I guess all the female department store staff knows about him. He won't hit the kiosks usually, thank god, but he goes around asking girls if they like guys who wear diapers. And that he wears a diaper. He will SHOW YOU this. And he makes up all sorts of ridiculous reasons for this. I guess he even managed to talk some workers into helping him out in the changing rooms, and then tried to get the girls to change his diaper. He's been thrown out numerous times by mall security, but keeps changing his MO so he blends right in. CREEEEEEEPY~!

So... looks like it's a good thing Joe came over and introduced himself. He is mall security, and I think I'm going to be knowing those guys quite well. D:

In other news, MY ETSY SHOP IS OPEN. AND YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNEW BUT OH WELL. GO SEEEEEEEEEE!!!! CLICK IT!

I totally want to make this work. I'm going to keep putting up prints and such to sell because it's going to be much better than DA. Much much better. So think of Christmas approaching. Tell your friends! Tell your coworkers! WHORE THAT LINK OUT.

Along with my photography. Because you love me. <3

Just one of those nights...

Ever get those randomly depressing nights? Yeah, that's what I'm having right now.

I blame part of it on an argument I had on a forum where sexuality was brought up. Stupid 15-year old Swedish boy just couldn't get it through his head that pansexuality meant not viewing gender as important in a relationship, and INSISTED that it meant you would screw anything. Apparently, he doesn't realize that wanting to screw everything is a fetish, not a sexuality. And yeah, the argument was heated, but no one swore, and no harsh stabs were made at each other. I think the worst thing I said was why he even cared about butchering the English language if he was Swedish (and seriously, no one was about this so he was wrong to begin with), and then I called him an idiot for not putting two roots together. Because it's pan, a slang for omni, meaning all or everything; and sexuality, meaning gender preference. And he was like "Yeah, ALL." and I told him, "Put it together idiot! All genders!" That's as BAD as it got.

And another girl comes in and posted an image that says "Arguing on the internet is like running in the Special Olympics: Even if you win you're still retarded." WHICH PISSES ME OFF. And I'll tell you why. I know for a FACT that this girl is not innocent of arguing online herself. She also feels like a GOD because she has so man fans in the anime community, even though her art is not that great. And this girl has passed judgment on TONS of people on the forum, made fun of them behind their backs (myself included I have found out), and yet plays the innocent girl. She'll make mean jabs and stabs at others expenses, and just not care. She can be two faced, rude, and totally hypocritical. In short, IRRI-FUCKING-TATING. And yet she has the NERVE to post that.

Not to mention the fact, that with as big a thing as the internet is, it DOES mean something. Most people get their information off of the internet, and the thing most read is the internet. The internet is a BIG DEAL when it comes to being an information highway. Same with communication. Proving your point online will sway others to believe it. It's why some of the GREATEST April Fools Jokes are played online. Because 9/10 times people will believe just about ANYTHING they read online because hey, it's the internet, and it can't POSSIBLY be controlled by ignorant masses, right? I'm not even joking when I say that. It's a proven fact that people tend to believe what they read, and since we mostly read the internet these days... I think you catch my drift.

So yeah, I'm really pissed. I HATE hypocrites. And I hate people who think they're better than others. Just because you're little webcomics are super popular online, and because people like your art is nothing. When it comes to art, getting noticed and paid and PUBLISHED is big. And she hasn't got ANY of that. She probably never will. Because she doesn't try to improve, and her colouring/shading/lighting SUCKS. I don't have to be able to draw to see that.

But she's popular because she does boys love, and her art isn't totally shitty. GAG ME.

I want to kill someone right now. How stupid can people get?

And I'd start shit with her too, but I honestly can't be bothered. I'll just watch her slowly crash and burn from the sidelines, because people like that eventually have karma come right around and kick them in the ass. And I will be the first to throw my head back, point at her, and laugh.

I don't care if she reads this, either. Not like she can do anything about it because I'm smart--no names have been mentioned, nor links given out. There is NO WAY to prove who exactly I'm talking about. And thusly, no legal issue.

Anyways, work tomorrow, 9:30-5. Going to be a boring day, which I'm not looking forward to, since it will probably be slow sales-wise. If ya know me, come visit me yeah? I'll be at the Day by Day calendar kiosk in the Wilton Mall. I'LL NEED COMPANY.

Man, I feel loads better getting all that off my chest.

For my final word tonight, hit up my etsy shop please! http://saknika.etsy.com

Meyers too sad to finish series... THANK GOD

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080903/lf_nm_life/books_meyer_dc

I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see that this woman is as emo and lame as the books she wrote. Seriously, I understand the copyright infringement, but don't punish your fans for it. She just sounds like she's looking for pity and sympathy.

If you can't tell, I HATE the Twilight series with a burning fury. And therefore hearing that she'll be disappointing her fans EVEN MORE brings me GREAT HAPPINESS.

First TRUE Day of Work

So Tuesday was my first real day of work, from 9:30-5. Which is what I'm working Friday as well. ^^

Basically we were setting up the Day by Day Calendar kiosk, so it was mostly hard labour. Which I found I really kind of enjoyed. o_o Probably because of just how fast it made the day go. Either way, I'd do it again. But sadly, the kiosk will be all set on Friday. :<

So what I did for the first two hours was wash the kiosk down. Yay windex and papertowels! It was interesting, too, because I was either standing on tiptoes or sitting on the floor. LOL And two hours was fairly fast considering just how many shelves there were.

After that I helped Alix haul some more heavy ass calendar boxes down to the kiosk, and she handed me a box cutter and told me to start unpacking and organizing, and that she was going to go look for the plans. When she got back with the plans a while later (they were buried! o_o;;) she let me have my lunch break.

So from 12:45-1:15 I had lunch. Hooray $5 Subway footlongs! <3 They really do make my day. OwO Other than devouring that sub, nothing interesting happened. It was a very boring lunch.

After lunch I was put to work getting the calendars on the shelves. Which, Alix was shocked with how fast I could do that when she came back. I cleaned out a little over half the boxes by myself between 1:15 and 5pm. So that would be about... 50 boxes maybe? I don't know, I wasn't keeping track. I just know that I did a lot. It helped once I had where everything went memorized. Then I could organize the box and take groups of calendars instead of making a lot of trips. Because whoever they get the calendars from does a REALLY SHITTY JOB of packing them. No order, and some boxes weren't even full! D: It was sad. No wonder we see damaged product on the shelves!!! THIS IS WHY!!! LAZY PACKAGERS! D:

I had to turn several people away as well, since we didn't officially open until Wednesday. This one couple just DID NOT want to leave though. They stood there and tried everything to get me to let them buy a calendar, so I finally lied and told them that the register wasn't on, and I didn't have authorization to turn it on, so I couldn't ring them out. And that seemed to work, they put the calendar down, and left.

WHAT PISSED ME OFF THOUGH, REALLY BADLY, WERE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE BROWSING AND SCREWING UP THE ORDER!!!

Seriously, I was trying to STOCK SHELVES. And they were making my job TWICE AS HARD. There was no way you could miss the fact that we were still setting up. And how you can screw up a tiny calendar display while you're just standing there is really sad. How hard is it to put something back where you got it from? Seriously... Damn people. *shakefist*

The old ladies were funny though, commenting how they knew Christmas was coming because the calendar kiosk was going up. xD

BUT THAT MADE ME THING OF SOMETHING. Hour and hours of Christmas music. IN NOVEMBER. *shoots self now* That... really will kill me. I'm not looking forward to that part.

I'm going to need earplugs or something... orz;

But yeah, the first day was definitely interesting. And kind of sucky in one part because any time my hair touched the sunburn on my neck from where it'd fallen out of the loose bun, HURT SO BAD. ;_; I'm so glad it's doing A LOT better today.

Though... my legs and lower back hurt a lot. x'D GOTTA GET IN SHAPE!

So yes, I am having fun in retail. Wish me luck that the fun doesn't go away!

Oh, and I have images from Fort Ti!

You can view them all here, or on my website. These are merely a few of my favourites, since there are sixty-seven total images. ^^;


Protection the Home by *Saknika on deviantART


Fortside View of the Lake by *Saknika on deviantART


Peak of the Fort by *Saknika on deviantART


He Be Using that Cannon by *Saknika on deviantART


The Lady is a bit Unsure by *Saknika on deviantART


Etching Wood by *Saknika on deviantART


March for America by *Saknika on deviantART

Sunburn BLISTERS!?

Okay, I've had bad sunburns before. I've been close to purple before. But I have NEVER blistered. Until now. And what sucks is that it's on my EARS. My ears are like two big blisters, and they hurt from it. Especially because of how I found out.

Dad told me the bits of bubbling on my arms was from where it was getting ready to peel. No big deal. So I was feeling my ears, and my one with the piercings (left if you're looking at me) felt odd... like it wasn't shaped right. So I was like "Oh! I bet it's ready to peel!" and pulled.

Well... it wasn't. It was a blister. A nasty blister that oozed. It took a bit for the stingy pain to set in too because I was staring at the liquid and wet skin on my fingers in horror. Horror because of all the people who scream "INFECTIONS!" at you, and how fragile ears are. D:

I've come to realize, after looking in the mirror, that my ears are nothing but blisters really. Especially my left one with the earrings. Hell, that whole side is burnt a lot worse than the other. I attribute it to driving, since the other side was a bit tanned as well. LOL DRIVERS TAN. But regardless, I still burnt as a whole.

And now I'm blistery. And still in a lot of pain. Mostly around my neck. Q_Q

I WANT IT GOOOOOOONE.

I can run a cash register! OwO

So today was my first day of work, technically, even though it was only to train. And fill out paperwork. I wasn't the only newbie either, well kinda, but my coworker who had also just been hired was training then too. Only difference between me and her was that she used to work there, just left for college. LOL

So I had to read up on the sexual harassment policy, and about the dress code and stuff, and it was all really simple things. Nothing major. The major part is running the cash register, which honestly, I find hella fun! LOTS OF BUTTONS! OwO Oh how I love buttons... x3

We worked in training mode at first, and then we took turns helping customers. So in the end, we really did have to work at some point in time during the three hours we were there. And it was fun! And although we were hired to run the kiosk down by Spencers, sometimes we will get to work in the store for a change of pace.

Man, I really hope I get to stay on past February!!!

One customer commented on my sunburn too. LOL

It turns out my coworker, Caitlin, is also an anime and manga lover. And a gothic lolita fan. We are gonna get along great. Hell, we already do. *w* I'M SO HAPPY.

Then I came home today, and was talking to Brendan, and jokingly went "HEY, BUY ME WAMPUM. IT'S ONLY $200+!"

And... he said he would. OO;;; I kinda feel bad because like... I was joking. Excited! But sad. x'D That kid is almost too nice. LOL THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY! :O I should have asked for the clothes... >.>;; NAH! WAMPUM IS SO MUCH COOLER!

Then when I told Kizzy about this... she goes...
"INDIANDS DONT NEED MONIES! PAY THEM IN CORN AND LIVESTOCK!!"

EPIC QUOTE IS EPIC. Oh god, I laughed so hard when she said that. x3 And she's not being mean, we both love Indians. It's just funny. LOLOLOLOLOL

And by Indians, we're talking Native Americans for those of you who don't remember history and wampum and are thinking something else.

But yes, I am really happy with my job. Not with my sunburn, that my own body decided to aggravate by raising my arms over my head while I slept and pinching and rubbing the burn on my neck. ;_; STUPID BODY.

God... I can't wait for the burn to be gone. x_x

Anywho, gotta go edit some more photos and whatnot. Cause I know you want to see!!! ^^

Burning it Up at the Fort

So today I went to Fort Ticonderoga, and I had the time of my life! Of course, I burnt to a crisp in the process too. x'D My calves are wicked sore, and my arms and face are just radiating heat while my stomach is upset and I'm freezing. Yikes. D: Hell, even my EARS and the backs of my HANDS are burnt. OTL And the lines from it... are ridiculous. I'll have (bad) photos of that up later.

I'm still working on editing through the photos from today as well, so I won't have any for you yet. I shot 489 photos throughout my time there, and the initial inspection has narrowed it down to 134. Now, you definitely won't see all 134 for two reasons.
1) They have to pass the quality inspection now, as I go through and actually check focus and stuff.
2) Some of these are just detail shots and stuff for Lora Innes of The Dreamer to use as reference for her comic.

The work is slow moving, since Lightroom doesn't want to behave that well. I don't think it has anything to do with just adding 8gb of photos to it... >.>;;;

SO ANYWAYS! ON THE BETTER HALF OF SOCIETY! MY DAY AT TICONDEROGA!

It started off at 6:45am. That's when I woke up. And I was out the door by 7, because I was smart and packed the night before. Even running on about 3-4 hours of sleep, I was cruising.

I hit Stewarts since I needed to withdraw a little cash, and get a drink. I wanted to get a bagel too, but they only had two made and they were both nasty. Who the hell wants a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese? Lets be realistic folks... plain will sell the best. And at 7am, no one gives a shit about sandwiches, which they had plenty off. GIVE ME THE BAGELS!!!!!

Anyways...

So after that quick stop I was completely on my way. There was like... no traffic. It was WONDERFUL. So I was hot shit on the Northway doing 70mph. I passed EVERYONE, even though there weren't many others. xD The only thing that sucked was that once you got a bit north of Warrensburg, you were between mountains and it became a wind tunnel that literally blew you all over the road. I actually made a pitstop at the nearest rest stop (which are rare on the Northway) and cracked both my windows, because that's the only way you can battle it. And it sucked, because the morning air was COLD. If you're wondering, even though my car is an '04, for some reason they thought it'd be clever to go back to CRANK WINDOWS... so no nice power windows or locks for me. :<

By 9am I was at the Fort. After having watched the person following me down Rt74 and fall behind due to a "rough road" (seriously... it was pretty damn smooth LMAO) and getting stuck behind someone who couldn't tow a teeny-tiny trailer, of course. There was no line this time either, and I was in the first parking lot. I was proud of myself.

I'm about to go alllll over the place with what I remember from the day, so let me just post a list of generally how it went.

-Explored the camps
-Explored the fort
-Watched the bateau launch
-Chatted with another photographer
-Explored suters row
-Ogled stuff in suters row
-Watched the battle reenactment

There weren't as many camps this time as at Carillon, nor as many visitors. Most blame yesterday's weather, which is probably what kept people from visiting. But there was still a good turnout.

The fort looks AMAZING. I am sad though, because they took out the dungeons and stuff to put in a modern museum. Which really ruins the feel of the fort to me. I'd rather see all the stuff in the rooms as they were when the soldiers occupied Ticonderoga. And they do have a good portion like that... but it's still a shame. Don't get me wrong, the museum is GORGEOUS, but I feel it cheapened it a bit. :\ Oh well.

I also was talking to the parking attendant a lot, and he gave me lots of tips and stuff. Super nice guy. He tried to help me get to stay down below for the reenactment, but it didn't work out. I left too soon it turns out though, because they did end up letting the photographers stay below. Everyone else was told to go up on the hill though, because they had brought the canon down and were afraid one might explode. It's a bigger risk than you think. It was a missed opportunity, but that's okay. He was so nice, he told me "If I had known how to reach you, I would have gotten you back down here in a heartbeat."

Then there was this other photographer and his wife (I think) who talked to me a lot. she even got me a drink out of the blue. She set it down and was like "That one is yours dear" and I was like "Me?" and she said yeah. I was shocked. I had already gotten a drink, but I was thankful nonetheless. That was a really nice gesture, considering I'd known them for all of an hour. O_O; For some reason he seemed to think I liked to paint though, and that I was good at it. I have no idea why. But he had this AWESOME shot of a Benedict Arnold reenactor on horseback, so when that comes back in five years I will be ALL OVER IT.

This other photographer though was just arrogant. He kept forcing stock photography down my throat, and that you couldn't market yourself to sell photos as art. It got to the point that I just smiled and nodded because I honestly have no interest in stock photography. And I was MASSIVELY jealous of him, because he had the Nikon D700... and had GIVEN AWAY the D200 to his son. HOW MUCH MONEY DID THAT GUY HAVE!? Good god.... o_o;

There were also these five kids playing war, 3 boys and 2 girls, and they were adorable. They were all in period clothing and had toy wooden guns, and they KNEW the commands. Like... as good as the 50 year old men. And I stopped to take their photos and the one boy was like "Attack the girl with the camera!" which made me laugh. I had to change CF cards though because the one I was using was full, and as I did the one little girl said "No!" and the boy protested, asking why not, and she hit him and goes "Because dummy! She's taking OUR photo!!!" and then they all turned and looked at me as I took another. Kids can be so cute. xD

This other little boy, about the same age who was there with his grandfather was just a hyper ball of excitement. He was running all through suters row telling the vendors all these facts about the war and the things they were selling that they definitely already knew. But it was cute, and damn, it's good to see at least some kid is paying attention in school--which I did tell his grandfather who laughed and we had a brief conversation about it.

I also spoke with two of the vendors, one who was selling these bright necklaces that were made of Chekhovian glass beads, and I was explaining how they were made since I at least knew that and he was curious. I had never realized there were such things back then. It was cool. And then this other vendor, a female, I bought from. And she was giving me business tips and explaining her products and stuff. Wicked nice woman. She looked a bit like a pirate though because she had full period clothes on and then a man's hat. LMAO

The bateau launch was also great! It really worked! And we cleared away the bass tourney fishers for the fifteen minutes we needed for the launch and photos too, which was funny. I wanted to ride but it wasn't an option. xDD I also found out who I can send photos to for the Fort Ticonderoga website too, which is awesome. And she took my business card! WHOO! The stairs to get down to the lake though were hella steep and hella scary. I thought I was gonna die climbing back up, and when I got up I sat down. simply because the picnic table was closer than the vending machine, so the drink could wait. xD

Of course, to get down to the launch site I needed directions, so I asked some reenactors, and the one lady told me to follow the yellow brick road. And I asked if there would be dancing little people, and we all had a good laugh. But they did point me in the right direction, which is all that mattered. :3 FOR ONCE I DID NOT GET LOST! OwO;

I was also discussing the photographing of artwork and stuff in the museum with a photographer, and how I wouldn't do it out of respect. And he thought himself great enough that he had to, in case something happened to the originals and they were lost forever. Camera flashes destroy the artworks. And also, that's what copy photographers are for. They know how to properly light and photograph the art in a non destructive manner to preserve it. Some people just amaze me sometimes.

Oh yeah, that stock photographer also was afraid of the Indians, which I found amusing. The Indians are my favourite part, though there was definitely a shortage of them this time. :<

During the reenactment I met an old couple from Ti who brought their grandson. They were very pleasant folks. And I also spoke with some of the females, and now know that there will be another reenactment day in Johnstown next weekend. So guess where I'll be? LMAO And we get to see Great Aunt Ruth afterwards, and seeing how she's a riot, it will be great!

There was SO MUCH I wanted to buy though! Because I saw REAL WAMPUM AND BONE KNIVES, but that was $200+, and then there were the expensive period costumes and hats. It was all so pretty! But I ended up getting two ribbon necklaces and this decorative hot plate. Sooooo pretty. :3 Some day I'll have the money for wampum! God I want some so bad. And a period dress. Oh man... I'd kill for some. owo~♥

Sadly, my view of the battle sucked.

So at about 3:15pm, when I forgot about getting baked goods and my ink well, I headed home. Traffic on the Northway was a bit backed up due to a breakdown of a horse trailer in the middle lane, and I had to pee badly at one point plus I called home to let them know I was on my way, so I was a bit late getting home. But I arrived back here at about 5pm, and I took a nap. Because my skin hurts really bad from the burn. And I'm about to go back to sleep, and worry about the photos after my work training tomorrow.

God... I don't want to go to work. And yet I do. OTL

But yes, look forward to massive amounts of photos soon!

My Legs and Skin Hurt... ;_;

So I went to the reenactment today and it was amazing! I have nearly 500 images to upload off of three CF cards, I'm burnt to a rather stunning shade of red, and my legs are killing me. I think I need a nap.

Anyways, I will give you a proper update later, after I get to go through the images. For now though, I need to lay down or something. I am in pain. >.<;;

New Images

Don't really have anything else to tell you, but before I go and take massive amounts of photos tomorrow I figured I'd post my two latest from hanging out with Z and Sarah on the fly.

Enjoy!


Upon the Guardrail by *Saknika on deviantART


A Soft Gaze by *Saknika on deviantART

Dad isn't going...

So my Dad isn't gonna go with me tomorrow, which really sucks. Half the fun was going with him, because we both share a love for this kind of stuff. But instead he's going to be doing the Trap Shoot at the Gunclub. Because a lot of people want to do it and he couldn't get in contact with Chuck. And of course because next weekend he goes to the hunting camp.

I'm wicked bummed. It looks like I'm going it alone tomorrow instead.

I totally understand Dad having a responsibility to the Gun Club, but there are enough members that he and Chuck shouldn't be the only ones who run trap. And even so, Chuck took a whole month off once according to my brother, so why can't Dad take another two weeks? It just doesn't seem fair.

And you watch, Chuck will be there tomorrow and Dad totally could have gone with me.

I'd rather go with him than have the $50 he gave me to buy stuff with. The memories are more important to me than the material objects.

Stupid Dad. D':

FORT TICONDEROGA HERE I COME

SO TOMORROW I AM GOING TO FORT TICONDEROGA FOR THE REENACTMENT AND I'M WICKED EXCITED.

I wanna get there early, too, because at 11am they're launching a battaeu that they made themselves! OwO JUST LIKE DURING THE WAR!!! ASGFKLJAFGJAFG;FJGA;L And the reenactors! And the battle reenactment! And going in to see the fort again! AND THE CANNONS. GOD I LOVE CANNONS AND MUSKETS. <333

In fact, I think I'm gonna spend the day refreshing myself on the Revolutionary War history. It's like... my favourite war. OwO And I am such a history junkie... xD Man, maybe I should be a history teacher instead. LMAO

But I'll definitely be turning in early tonight, because if I want to get there and get parked in time for the battaeu launch, I gotta be out of the house by 7am at the latest!!! xDDD It takes an hour and a half to get there, and then it can take an hour to get parked!!!! O_O;;; So I gotta get up and get my ass moving! LMAO

I'm still trying to talk my Dad into going, too. He keeps saying that he needs to do the Trap tomorrow at the gunclub, but it's like... he can miss a Sunday. Seriously. All the other guys miss days too and Dad always fills in for them. He deserves to miss a day too. So I keep harping on it and bringing up the fact that we never get to do that much stuff, and that this isn't something that happens every day to hope he goes. xD I think it will work. ^w^d

OH! AND I ALMOST FORGOT. FIFE AND DRUM CORE PERFORMS TOO. <3333333333

And I think there will be more naked Indians. LMAO

God, I can't wait. I gotta go find more CF cards and start that history refreshment. LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO GO!!!!! alfg;alfgj'aljg;ag;akjgf;lajglfal OwO!!!

PS: Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny opposed to today's rain, too. SUPER WIN.

Walden Books

So I had my interview today at 2, and I guess it went well. I mean... I GOT THE JOB. 8D It's only seasonal until February running their calendar kiosk, but there is a chance that I'll be able to work in the store afterward. So I'm crossing my fingers!

The job pays $7.50/hour, which isn't bad. Not what I'd optimally like, but hey, it's money. And I've got to start somewhere. Plus! I now get a 33% discount on books, 20% on DVDs, and 25% on CDs! I CAN LIVE WITH THAT. Feeding my addiction to manga and anime JUST GOT EASIER. OwO

I go on Monday for training from 1-4pm, and then I start on Tuesday from 9:30-5. I AM STOAKED. I'll be on my feet a lot, but Alix said it would be okay to sit for a bit if needed. And I'm good at entertaining myself, so it's all good. So long as I pay attention to the customers, it should go well. :3

I can't wait! PAYCHECKS. 8D

A New Interview

So tomorrow at 2pm I have an interview at Walden Books. They originally gave my sister the callback, but since they're looking for someone to work days and she has school, she dropped my name and I'm in. :D I am sooooooooooooooooo happy. Seriously. Out of all the places I applied, this is where I want to be.

DISCOUNTS. ON. MANGA. 8D

I am a shallow, shallow person. xD But seriously, how awesome will that be!? I really hope I get the job!

Of course, the reason WHY we were in 'toga at all is fun too. Tiff and Mia needed to go, and I needed ink, so I offered to drive. And we went to Staples, PetSmart, Target, Walden Books, Hot Topic, American Eagle, Rue21, Aeropostle, FYE, and the food court. It was fun! And I played DDR, but the bastards have dropped it down to two rounds. :< LAME I could understand down to three, but two!? So not cool.

And Tiffany was ogling the guys, but my sister was the only one out of the two of them with the balls to go talk to them. It seriously was a cliche moment out of Hollywood Highschool. I'm not even kidding here. It was hysterical.

On the way back there was an AMAZING sunset. With a big red sun and everything. So I hit the gas and we raced back to catch it. Like, I was FLYING down 50 to catch all the lights green, which I did. :D And when we had to stop for a red light, I warned them first, and when I hit that gas the tires squealed. I WAS MOVING.

Saddly, we didn't make it in time to a spot where we could see it and not get in trouble to photograph it. D:

But it was fun nonetheless.

I think the best part was passing this car who was doing 40 in the 55. I rode their ass, and as soon as that passing lane came up I pulled out and floored it. They hit the brakes and the look on their faces... AHAHAHA, you'd think I was flying in a space-age hovercraft or something! OMG... priceless. xD I'm sure at least one of them shit themselves. Seriously. And we did 60 the rest of the way. LMAO

I can tolerate people doing the speed limit. And to an extent, under by a few mph. But 15 under is INTOLERABLE. I don't even use "just learning" as an excuse in this area because of the number of backroads. If my Dad can teach me on backroads to get me ready for highways so can other parents. Seriously, start small and work your way up. You've got the opportunity.

So yes, it was an adventure. And Tiff and Mia had a lot of fun, and so did I.

Sweet. :D

Collabing it up with Kizzy-chan!

So *Kizzy-chan and I have decided to do a collab together. Yes, a photographer and an anime artist are going to do a collab together. Employing those very talents.

Confused yet?

Of course you are. Hehe~

*Kizzy-chan and I have known each other for a year now, and over the past few months have bonded pretty close. So we chat A LOT, and are a constant support for each other through the rough times of art. Among other things.

So we were chatting late last night, and as usual, BOREDOM STRUCK. Like a big ol' mallet on the head. And what happens why you're bored at 1am? Why, you come up with crazy ideas!

Which is how the birth of this idea came around.

*Kizzy-chan and I have decided to combine our talents thusly:

I have sent her photos of some of the clothes and props I have. Together, we're going to create an outfit and style both of us like. Then, I am going to find a victim model, and shoot photograph them against a white background. Then, I send the photo to *Kizzy-chan, and she's going to design a background based on the photo I send her. Lastly, I will combine the photo and background by deleting out the white background and inserting what *Kizzy-chan has created. waBAM, we have collaborated skills!

HOW COOL IS THAT!? 8D

I can't wait to see what we come up with. It's sure to be awesome though! No doubt about it! So totally look forward to this!

And who knows, maybe we can market these skills someday. ;D

My Hearing

Just a follow-up post from this morning. As of about... 9:30pm my hearing is BACK. I can hear again and it's so nice. ;w;

The Ring of Fire

So last night, before my hearing went lol, I went up to Sacandaga Lake at the Providence Beach to see the Ring of Fire. Every year on Labour Day weekend, usually Sunday, all the people and businesses with beach front property have HUGE bonfires. So the whole lake is lit up. And when I say HUGE, I mean, 20ft high or more huge. OwO

I did take some photos, so I have them to share. It was amazing, and full of illegal fireworks. Due to poor planning on my part, I was not able to capture said fireworks on camera. I forgot my spare battery on the charger at home and the one I was using died on me. Oi. But I did get my first panorama, and let me tell you, stitching it together didn't go as smoothly as I wanted... I don't think I'll be doing many other panoramas, kthnx. lol But it was a good time anyways.

The fire they did on the beach though, holy shit... it FELL OVER. I was like, a good 50ft or more away and could feel the heat from this thing, and it lit the whole beach up like a sunset. But when it fell... I think my heart stopped. LMAO So lucky that no one was hurt, lemme tell ya.

What I would love to do, is get photos from the air during this. But sadly, the plane would be going too fast... unless we buzzed the lake of course >.> I'm sure I could find a pilot crazy enough to do that. Hehe

So we'll see. Still a really fun event!


Sunset on the Boats by *Saknika on deviantART


Before Lighting Up... by *Saknika on deviantART


After Lighting Up by *Saknika on deviantART


Ring of Fire 2008 by *Saknika on deviantART

Political Standpoint

Two things to mention before I go into this.
1) I am an independent and look at what facts I can find to be closest to the truth.
2) I hate both the candidates and wish we could get new ones.

Oh, and I have no intentions of arguing these points. This is just how I feel right now.

So here we go.

I really don't want to vote, but I know that as it being my right now that I've reached the age of majority, that I will go out and vote.

And when I vote, it will probably be for McCain.

I have several reasons why.

Obama wants us to learn Spanish to accommodate immigrants, be them legal or illegal. As an American, I cannot support this at all. Here in America, we speak English. And if you don't like that, don't come here. If you went to Japan or Malaysia to live, they would not learn English to help your sorry American ass. No, you would learn their language so that you could function in their society. Here in America, you learn English to function. Not the other way around.

There is also the fact that Obama replaced the American flag on his jet with his own symbol. I'm sorry, but no President or future President is so high-and-mighty that he's greater than his own country. And that, right there, is what he's telling me by doing that.

His wife said she might finally be able to get behind America with him in power. I'm sorry, what? You didn't support the country you lived in before? That's sad.

Meanwhile there's McCain, who is a crazy fuck that was tortured in war prisoner camps and stuff. He also has little political learning, and is most likely going to continue this forsaken war with Iraq. A war I really, really hate.

But dammit, considering how offensive Obama's ideals are to me, I lean towards McCain more and more. Because the number one priority in my mind with this country is security. And knocking out Iraq's ability to come after us again like they did in 9/11 seems good to me.

I do want us to pull out, and I do feel the war has gone on long enough. But in the end we've lost more people to car accidents than the war, and if the war is going to keep American soil safe and with its freedoms, then so be it.

And I'm very much aware that some people believe 9/11 was a government scam. But the government is always going to scam us, and there are always things that aren't going to be to our liking.

But I do support my country, and as many issues as I have in it, I know that not all of it is the governments fault.

I'm also aware, that we have life pretty freaking good, for all the bitching we do.

In the end, I'm proud to be an American, and I'm thankful for the easier life it allots me.

A lot of people, my fellow countrymen included, hate America. But I think they're foolish to think so, because what country allows for more freedoms? Has cheaper prices? Gives a better opportunity to all its citizens to make something of their life?

We have free public schools. While health care isn't the greatest, we're still able to provide medicade to those that need it. And like it or not, if you try, you will eventually succeed in getting income. Even me, who bitches about it, knows this.

So yes, as far right wing as McCain is, he's who I'll go with because in my eyes he best supports American values.

We're Americans. We're proud. And we speak English. We'll fight for our country, and for our freedoms. And this must be true, considering we've only sent volunteers over thus far.

And with that, I'm going to end this. As stated, I don't want to argue. Feel free to post opposing views if you must, but going into election season this is where I stand. And I hope every day that we get better candidates the next go-around.

One Problem for Another

So Saturday I woke up with the muscle in my right arm above the elbow all in knots. Hurt like a bitch and I actually took some pain meds. That's rare for me, but damn was it annoying.

Had to kneed and work the muscle to get it to go away, and I think I left some bruises. I also got advice on SSD, and found that hotpacking it helped too.

So finally, finally I woke up with full use of my arm again.

But as of last night when I was cleaning my ears, I can no longer hear out of my left ear.

I tried peroxide, I tried plugging my nose and blowing to pop it, I've tried massaging it, and this morning I tried a hot shower. So far, nothing has worked.

This happened once before, and it took like... three days or something to get my hearing back. Same ear.

So... I think I'm going to take a nap, lay on that side again like I tried to do last night before I woke up with a bad stomach, and hope it drains.

Worst case scenario, I have to go to the doctor and get it flushed. And I don't want to do that because the insurance company doesn't like kids over 18 who aren't full-time students. AKA, I have no health insurance, and so going to the doctor would be VERY costly.

Oi... this blows.