New hobby

So, it's been a very long time since I've last posted anything on this blog, so I figured I may as well dust the ol' thing off and send an update to those who might actually still give a damn. :P

So, I've been an ex-smoker for nearly a month. I say 'nearly' simply because I did slip up about a week ago and had a cigarette after not having one for nearly three weeks... It ended poorly. I felt horribly sick and had to take medicine to calm my suddenly raging stomach just to keep from violently ejecting shards of my pelvis into the toilet. I exaggerate, honestly, but it really made me feel wretched. That was a few weeks ago, and I try to remember that every time I feel the urge to pick up a smoke.

It's all thanks to Chantix, of course, though it gave me some rather wild dreams. Let's just say that I won't miss dreaming about pulling worms from my nose (and feeling them wriggle in my throat and sinuses as I did so), bleeding walls (I could smell the blood), or picking up the dismembered paws of my cats and trying to sew them back on (the thread kept breaking and I couldn't stop crying)... And I certainly won't miss smelling like a cigarette butt.

On that note, though, I've had to find something else to do with my hands, just to keep me from having the urge to pick up a smoke. While World of Warcraft, Portal, and Castlevania tend to fill up the time, I find that the more time I spend on the computer or playing video games, the more inclined I feel to pick up a cigarette as those nicotine sticks were my best friends while sitting in front of the old idiot boxes.

You see, I have a bucket list and have for a good number of years, now. Sure, I haven't even reached the age of 30, yet, but it's never too early to start one. There are several things to this bucket list that I'm sure are staples to everyone's bucket lists:  learning a new language, visiting a foreign country, taking over the world swimming with dolphins... You know, the usual. Well, I've got a few things on my bucket list that your average Joe (or Jane, in this case) probably wouldn't have...

... Cosplay.

Now... I know what you're thinking... You're imagining this, aren't you?

Yeah... No. By all that is holy, this is NOT what I'm going for and if it were to ever turn out like this and I actually attempted to leave the house, I'd pray that somebody would either shoot me, stop me, or shoot me to stop me.


I may be a geek, a nerd, and one helluva gamer and anime fan, but I have SOME wits about me and SOME dignity. I may have slipped up in the past and done some stupid shit, but if I looked anywhere near this girl I wouldn't attempt such a stunt, much less a stunt that involves me wearing dental floss made of cheap fur and a bubblegum pink wig.

Yeah, this is the effect I'm going for.

Which, by the way, just so happens to be the actual costume I'm making. Now, keep in mind that this girl (Akuriko, is her name) completely puts me to shame. Not only is she gorgeous, she's gorgeous dressed as a video game character (Princess Zelda from "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess"), which makes me more than just a little jealous. However, Miss Akuriko has been so very kind as to lend me a few pieces of helpful advice in regards to this costume, so I have high hopes that her wisdom, my research, and a great deal of patience will yield something just as beautiful. I certainly don't want to leave the house with my ass hanging out, because despite the fact that I might be scrawny, I certainly haven't the curves (or guts) to pull off some of the stuff those sexy Asian chicks do. I'm not sexy and I'm not Asian. So I won't even try. I can pull of pretty, though, so I'll stick with what I know.

I can honestly say that I've spent the past week covered in polymer clay, craft foam, metallic paint, and have probably killed more than a few trees with printed patterns and reference pictures (these included, of course).

Well... With one addiction gone, so comes another. I hope that if this particular costume turns out well, then I may make this a new hobby of mine. Besides, I always did love to play dress up and it's a helluva lot better than turning my lungs black, right?

Right.

Wish me luck, will you? I'll try to post some progress pictures if I can manage to find anything beneath all of these supplies.

Charleston Zombie Walk 2010 (WARNING! LOTS OF PICS AND LOTS OF BLOOD!)

So, I know I've been gone for a while and haven't posted anything in a long while... I'm sorry for that. :(  I've been a terrible blogger, but I do have some good little gems for you in this particular post! It's worth the wait, I promise!

So, there's this little thing called a "Zombie Walk", which hasn't happened in Charleston, like, EVER, so when I found out that there was a charitable walk where you can dress up like the dead, I was all for it!

My friends Joey and Holly came by early on Sunday and we all got ready. I spent a good deal of money on prosthetic pieces, blood, and face paint at the local Halloween Express. I wasn't sure how they would turn out, considering they were a little flimsy and very light in color, but...

They turned out freakin' AWESOME!!! We had a number of folks come up and ask to take our picture and I got loads of pictures of other folks' costumes, too. Here are some of the best!

Fido! For those of you who haven't seen the movie "Fido", you're not only getting what this costume is about, but you've also missed out on a funny zombie movie!

Hah! A S.T.A.R.S. Operative from Resident Evil!

S.T.A.R.S. Guy was cool enough to take some pics with us...

... But, he was kinda cute, I'll admit. :3

A zombie family! :D The zombie kid was ADORABLE!!

Along with a horde of zombies (around 300 to be exact) there were also some zombie hunters in the group to make sure we didn't eat too many brains.

One of the hunters, I realized, was my friend Aaron (a.k.a. "Aaron-san: Badass" or "Big A"), and he was more than happy to pose with Joey!

Ha! One of the funniest costumes I saw that day! The SNL Spartan Cheerleaders as zombies was hilarious! ... I just wish the guy wasn't derping so hardcore in this picture. lol

This couple (who apparently run a tattoo parlor from what's on his shirt) had a pretty nifty getup going, so I had to snag a pic! They were so kind to let me take pictures!

Even zombies need some love! I don't think Big A would shoot me if I were a zombie; he loves me too much! :3

Squee! Shaun from "Shaun of the Dead"!! No, it wasn't really Simon Pegg (though he looks a bit like him)!

Hellboy and his little entourage was there, too! He did a great job on the costume!

Holly, looking particularly disgusting after makeup application, courtesy of me! :P

Another picture of Fido! He was a really cool guy!

Ick! Looks like I'm having some zit issues. Should I go see a doctor?

Joey, looking eyeless and creepy. I really like how his makeup turned out and he kinda stole the show, so I was really proud of the work I did. :D

Another picture of Holly, again looking a little on the gross side with her "facial additions". lol

This is possibly one of the most disgusting pictures of my "flesh wound" that was taken. It looks really gross, but I was stoke at how well it all turned out!

And, yes, before you ask, I did do all of the makeup for me, Joey, and Holly. I'm pretty proud of myself, considering I've never done makeup with prosthetics, spirit gum, or fake blood and I think it all turned out particularly disgusting. I'm not Tom Savini, but with this "first time" and how well it turned out, I could give him a run for his money if given enough practice. Maybe I've found a new calling? :3

We'll see!

Anyway, the Zombie Walk was a charity walk for Pulmonary Hypertension. It was the first time this walk was brought to Charleston and everyone was very surprised at how many folks showed up and how much money was raised; there were approximately 350 zombies/hunters and the walk raised over $3,000 for the charity. I will definitely be going next year; I had a blast!

The walk was good; with a line of 350+ zombies and hunters walking around downtown, we drew a lot of attention. A lot of folks came out of their businesses, wondering what was going on. We scared a few folks, made a good number of them laugh, and the sound of moaning and "brrraaaaaiiiiiinnnnnnssssss" could be heard for miles around... That's not an exaggeration, either.

It was a wave of "brrrrraaaaaiiiiinnnnnnssssss!!!" from the start of the line all the way to the back! No worries, though! No hunters, zombies, or bystanders were harmed in the walk, but there was plenty of brain-flavored pizza had at the afterparty, I'm sure!

Perhaps, next year, even more people will show up and donate for a good cause! If you're in the Charleston area, Google "Charleston Zombie Walk" for more information on when it might be coming around again. Come, have fun, be a zombie, moan, and eat some brains for a great cause!

Just for Amber

So, I always remembered that Sissy would tell me about her favorite clip from The Muppets... "Letter B" by "The Beetles". I tried so hard to find it one day and I couldn't, but now that I have, I hope that she enjoys it.

As for the rest of my blog followers, I really do promise to get back to blogging soon. It's been very hectic at work and I've been trying to find time to blog, but really haven't been able to. I'll be back soon! Promise! Until then, enjoy "The Beetles" and "Letter B"! :P

Hell on buggy-wheels.

So, it's getting to be that time of year again: Hell for all who work retail.

So, I haven't been posting for the past week-or-so because of the whole break-up (see previous post) and trying to find my center (or sanity, whichever will come first), but also because it's starting to get to that time of the year in which every cashier, repair technician, and sales associate in a major retail chain DREADS.

This month, it's tax-free weekend, and even though it's the last day in which I'm posting this, it's still ONE DAY of tax-free weekend. This means that everybody and their dog is going to pour into electronics stores, clothing retailers, and other back-to-school chains for their 6-8% "discount" on product. I don't get it, but whatever, I'm just the chick that rings you up this weekend while repeating over and over "No, this television/CD/iPod/etc. isn't tax-free because it's not considered a school supply" to every dingbat customer who asks.

I say "customer" because half of the people who come to shop at these places for tax-free ONLY come for tax-free and aren't repeat customers, so they aren't "clients" yet.

But, anyway. I promise that after tax-free is over, I'll get back to posting with my regular stuff.

Hang in there! And all of you who work retail during this end-of-year Hell have my deepest and utmost prayers and sympathy!

Breaking up is hard to do

Nothing could be closer to the truth!

So, I just broke up with my boyfriend of three years (or close to it). It was rough, but surprisingly uneventful. Then again, this is the third (and last) time I've broken up with him. And, before you even ask, yes, this is exactly what I want.

Let's just say that my relationship has been rocky from the get-go; I've made a lot of mistakes with it because, well, I'm a little flaky and I'm STILL not sure what I want in life as far as romance goes. Let's just say that my boyfriend didn't make the cut and I didn't really either. We were both unhappy and our personalities really clashed so it was pretty much like two rams locking horns. He was pretty upset when he left, but he was leaving little smiley faces in his text messages in regards to the stuff he's left over at my place over the years.

Either way, I'm a free woman, now, and happy to be so. I think I'll stay this way for awhile, enjoy the single life, and try to discover who I am again before even entertaining the idea of going on the dating scene again.

Of course, now that I think of it, I haven't done this month's set of movie reviews. My life's been a little topsy-turvy, what with back-to-school sales and personal life. I promise I'll get to it soon along with some other posts once my mind clears up a bit. Wish me luck!