When is it enough? What clues you in to their game? Is it the nagging feeling that you’re being used? That feeling of frustration when you try to speak and find their fleeing backs? Is it the disgust that you feel towards yourself when you realize that they just give you crumbs and a pat on your head like a special pet that they keep around for rainy days? How about the maybes, because you aren’t important enough to be an absolutely?

Or, do you realize when they runaway when you are at your lowest, not bothering to be certain that you are fine. Not asking, not caring? Do you realize then that they never think after your well being? That you are as far from their thoughts as east from west?

What do you do? Do you speak to them? Well, they didn’t care thus far, would they care if you talk to them? Perhaps in this case it’s better to just walk away. So, goodbye fair-weather friend, I wish you well …

So, a few days too late, here is a comprehensive list of things I hope to accomplish.

Learning another language:
+ Enough to read a French storybook
+ Enough to learn a French song

Lose some weight!
+ running, or some sort of exercise (2 to 3 times a week)
+ walk more
+ drink less espresso drinks
+ eat more veggies and fruits

Memorize more (poems or psalm):
+ I have several poetry books that I’ve never finished, read at least one poem a week
+ learn one sonnet a month (or a psalm)

Read 70 books this year:
+ read more non-fantasy fiction
+ read 6 (or 12) non-fiction theology books
+ read 6 non-fiction marketing books

Blog more!
+ On my personal blog
+ On my book blog
+ On my writing blog … that is currently hidden.

Journal more
+ In cursive

Wordpress.com's front page

Today, a lot of sites will be “going dark” in protest against SOPA and PIPA. (these can be viewed on Wikipedia, even though the rest of the site is on blackout)

Wikipedia's redirect page

I am fascinated with the way social media has created an avenue for protest and will be following this to see where it goes. A lot of user generated social sites will be affected if these bills get passed and I wonder what the world will be like without sites like YouTube, or Etsy or Flickr.

Google stands up to SOPA and PIPA

What are your thoughts on these bills?

I did a lot of things that I found satisfying, and a few things that were not so successful (like that expensive gym membership to go swimming and only swimming once!). But, I learned an important lesson … I’ll never get anywhere if I just sit and talk. I have to get up and do. So, I did. I also learned that failure isn’t the end of the world. I feel like I accomplished something, whereas, in 2010, I wasn’t sure what I was doing, why I was doing it and who I was doing it with!

I’ve come up with a couple of highlights and not-so-great-lights for 2011. Let’s start with the meh.

A Short List of Not-So-Great Endeavors and Experiences

Dating: I don’t talk a lot about dating on here, because I don’t date! I don’t like the act of meeting new people, it’s scary and I feel awkward. I’m not a fan of small talk; I don’t really know what to say when it comes to small talk because people have varying levels of privacy and I never know if I am asking the right questions. It’s a muddle, it’s stressful, I dislike it. Of course, I have some social skills, so it works out somehow, but when I get home, I’m so exhausted that I hole myself up in my room and watch Hulu until I fall asleep.

So, when 2011 was dubbed “dating heaven” (don’t ask, I won’t tell) I decided to go out on a limb and try online dating. I mean, meeting new people on a computer, that wouldn’t be awkward at all now, would it? *nods* Let’s just say, that will never happen again. I’d rather go through the awkwardness of meeting a person in real life than meeting them over the tubes. Though, I have to wonder if I have a tendency for self-ambush, especially since I noticed that I only hang out with guys who I know would never ask me out. Maybe that will change in 2012. Or maybe I’ll just go home and watch Hulu/Netflix until I fall asleep.

Working: Whenever someone asks me “What’s new?” I never know what to say, my life seems to consist of working and being at home and the occasional hanging out. So, in the middle of the year, when asked this question, I didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t sound like complaining or ranting. I wouldn’t get into it, but in June/July, the situation moved from meh to stifling.

Steve: Not only do I have a tendency to ambush myself. I do not have a tendency for self-preservation, something that came to the surface again after my encounter with Steve. I wouldn’t go into details here (the link says it all) but that was not something I want to experience ever again. Even now, months later, when I think of it, I just feel numb. I’m not sure what this means other than, men can sometimes be creepy. This was probably the worse experience of 2011.

hey, look! A cute dog with a monocle

Moving on to the great things in 2011! *confetti*

A Not-So-Short List of Exceptional Experiences

A New Job!: By the end of summer, I had enough. So, I decided to do what I promised myself I’d do at the beginning of the year. Take action. I made a career change. Going on my love for books and bookish things, I decided to try the publishing industry. I did something else that I hadn’t done before, I networked.

It’s been three months since I started working at my new job, I’m so happy to be where I am right now. It’s not what I would have imagined doing while completing a Computer Science degree at university, but it is something that I enjoy, in a place I enjoy, with the company of people I enjoy and I couldn’t have asked for more.

Les Misérables: I saw a few good plays this year, but the best experience had to be Les Mis. At the beginning of the year, I bought the soundtrack and listened to it on repeat for a while. Then, wanting to see the play I did a bit of research. I had two options, go to London and see the play, or find a touring group. Luckily for me, there was a group touring the US and in October they were going to be at the Kennedy Center in DC. After asking a bunch of people, I found three others who were interested in seeing the play and we took a trip to DC. It was a wonderful experience. I don’t know how to explain it, but I was so invested in seeing this play that I was tearing up through the entire thing. I had done it, I had realized a dream and it was beautiful.

Harry Potter: Call me a fanatic, call me whatever. I will not deny that the elements in the books were not original, but you cannot say that the imagination and execution were nothing short of brilliant. That is why Harry Potter is so successful. I got the chance to attend the midnight release of the last film, but the best Harry Potter experience this year was visiting the recently opened Harry Potter section at Universal Studios, Florida. It amazes me, that someone’s imagination can be realized, not just through movie magic, but in form of a theme park. I really enjoy living in this century

Jimmy Fallon: I got the chance to attend a live taping of Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night with Jimmy, show. I’ve always admired Jimmy’s ability to be comfortable in his dorkiness, it actually works in his favor, so, I was very happy for the opportunity to attend and be in the front row at one of his tapings this year.

Bookish Year: I think 2011 was the year I came out of the library as a bookworm. A few days ago, while cooking for Christmas breakfast, my mom was commenting on the fact that I had dubbed my sister my sous-chef and had her washing the dishes and whisking eggs while I prepped. She made a comment that her older sisters use to have her do the same things but that she preferred to be in a corner reading. She also said that, when my grandma stayed by us during the births of my siblings, she’d do my chores so I could go and read if I wanted to. Yes, this is a tangent, but it’s my blog and I can go off on tangents if I want to.

In 2011, I started my book blog ireviewbooks, its companion, a twitter account, and joined a few bookish sites. I attended a lot of book signings, went to Book Expo America and read and reviewed a TON of books. I had a vision for my blog that has been tweaked and has grown and I’m very pleased at the direction it’s headed in. In 2012, I’m hoping to write a bit more and have some original pieces online, to read 10% more books (current count is 68). I also have a Jane Austen project in mind, in time I’ll see how that unfolds.

Friendships: In 2010, I decided to try to expand my “friend circle”, to be more than just friendly but to be friends with more people and make an effort to include others in my “circle”. Those who know me well, know how big a task this was. If I was honest, it  was mostly a failure. It put a strain on the friendships that I already had, to the point where I wasn’t able to handle it anymore, so I threw my hands up in the air and said, “whatever”.

In 2011, I became more selective, and I feel better. I was able to mend the strained relationships from before, to spend quality time with people who were actually interested in spending quality time with me and well, it was just a better year, friendship-wise. I formed better, more meaningful friendships and I didn’t feel thinly spread. The thing is, I had to realize that what I did before – being selective – isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are people who I will click with regardless of similarities or differences and then there are people who could be just like me but we don’t click at all, and it’s OK, not clicking, it’s OK to just be friendly. At the end of the year, as I think back on the relationships I’ve had this year and the fun times we’ve shared I have to admit, I know a lot of lovely people, and I have some of the greatest friends.

What I get when I Google Image Search "boo"

So what am I looking forward to in 2012?

Well, maybe trips to Prague and New Orleans. Maybe another round at BEA. Definitely more bookish things, but what I’m really looking forward to is keeping the momentum that has been built up in 2011. To dream dreams, to have desires, to live in a way that my life can be meaningful.

I give thanks for 2011, for the good and the bad, because they have shaped my year and made me who I am today. I don’t know what will happen in 2012, but whatever happens, may God’s will be done.

We had a lot of food, but what I thought was the most interesting was the three types of turkey.

First there was the turkey roll, which was as yummy as it looked. I mean, ground turkey rolled in a pastry and baked, what’s not to love?

Then we had the main attraction, the juicy Baked Turkey – I can tell you, it was VERY juicy.

Finally, there was Turkey Curry … yes, you read that right, that is curried turkey and it was good.

I think I’m done with eating turkey though … at least until Christmas where we’ll probably have the Turkey Roll again =D

In late September, I received my letter email inviting me to sign into Pottermore. After a bit of excitement, confetti and general happy making I sign in, for the first time, to the newest Harry Potter experience.

Pottermore choses a username for you, so I’m AsphodelPurple124 (find me; friend me) and then it takes you on an adventure through the first book in the series. Each chapter contains several sections with hidden messages, items and exclusive content from J. K. Rowling.

I love the graphics and what they did with the site. However, I’m hoping when they come out of beta there will be, well, more! I love the chapter explorations, but it would be nice if they implemented little mini-games, or more background on the characters. I was under the impression that JKR had a ton of background information on characters that never made it into the books. Short stories and such will add a lot more to the experience.

You get to walk through Diagon Alley where you can get money from Gringotts and shop in some of the shops. It’s a lot of fun, until you realize that you can only by from three or so store. Even if you couldn’t buy, it would be nice to walk through other stores.

In Diagon Alley you can go to Ollivanders to get your wand. But remember, it’s the wand that choses the wizard, so you can’t choose your own wand, but you will get to answer a few questions.

J. K. Rowling offered some descriptions of the wands; you can break down the different attributes to different personality traits that are fun to read. For example, my wand breaks down to:

Alder …

Alder is an unyielding wood, yet I have discovered that its ideal owner is not stubborn or obstinate, but often helpful, considerate and most likeable. Whereas most wand woods seek similarity in the characters of those they will best serve, alder is unusual in that it seems to desire a nature that is, if not precisely opposite to its own, then certainly of a markedly different type. When an alder wand is happily placed, it becomes a magnificent, loyal helpmate. Of all wand types, alder is best suited to non-verbal spell work, whence comes its reputation for being suitable only for the most advanced witches and wizards.

Unicorn Core …

Unicorn hair generally produces the most consistent magic, and is least subject to fluctuations and blockages. Wands with unicorn cores are generally the most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts. They are the most faithful of all wands, and usually remain strongly attached to their first owner, irrespective of whether he or she was an accomplished witch or wizard.

Minor disadvantages of unicorn hair are that they do not make the most powerful wands (although the wand wood may compensate) and that they are prone to melancholy if seriously mishandled, meaning that the hair may ‘die’ and need replacing.

After purchasing your school things and boarding the Hogwarts Express, in chapter seven you get sorted with the rest of the first years. I got sorted into Ravenclaw!

While I’ve always claimed that I’m a Gryffindor, I knew that I had more Ravenclaw-ish traits than Griffindor, so, I don’t mind. The sorting is a bit of a personality test, giving you a number of multiple choice questions and placing you into the house depending on your answer – or that’s what I think. It could also be randomly selecting since all the houses seemed to have an even number of members.

After being sorted, you gain house points as you collect items from each of the chapters. Currently, only the first book is available, but I’m curious to see what the other books will look like.

There are other things that you can do around the site, brew potions, cast spells (though, this seems a bit spotty at the moment) and duel – which, was not working when I last played. I’d like to see how they will publish the ebooks; since Sony is hosting the site, I’m hoping they don’t do sell it in Sony-only format. That would be upsetting.

I’m looking forward to seeing the site outside of it’s Beta form.

[all images are screenshots of Pottermore]

I checked the tweets I had during my Series 1 Episode 1, I was obviously not impressed:

Cheesy opening montage? Check! #DWS1E1

Not with the show and not with Jackie Tyler:

OMG this mother …. This woman …wow #DWS1E1

Or the dialogue:

I can suspend belief but this is so corny. This dialogue …. This …. #DWS1E1

I was impressed with TARDIS though … like all other humans seem to be:

“The inside’s bigger than the outside?” This TARDIS scene is unbelievable. #DWS1E1

Though, not impressed with Mickey

Also, Rose’s boyfriend is whimpy. #DWS1E1

However, the more I kept watching, the more my tweets changed and well …

I really like the historical settings for the Doctor Who episodes. Especially when we get to meet famous people from history.

I even found an episode that I could call my favourite …

I think this steampunk episode of Doctor Who is my favourite.

Well, a few actually, like this …

Enid Blyton mention! I think I might have found my fave Doctor Who episode yet! #Doctorwho

and this …

I wish I had a library as big as the on on Doctor Who: tumblr.com/xzi47kdxl1

Let’s just say I’m officially a Whovian.

While other people might find it creepy, I’m usually quite fascinated by the algorithms that provide recommends based on user activity. The one that gives me the most chuckles though is Netflix.

I have a Netflix account that my family uses, so sometimes it has a lot of recommendations that don’t apply to me. During a four-day break I went on a Netflix marathon and won back my recommendations, the Wordle above gives you an idea of my taste …

I’m more of a Hulu kind of girl, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see my favourite shows and hopefully discover a few more!

First and foremost, Bones on Fox. I love the way this show developed through the years. Yes, there is the relationship story-lines, but first and foremost if focuses on solving the mystery – which is what I love. The relationships that do develop are endearing and fun, but they don’t overtake the forensic anthropology and investigating. (3rd November)

Fringe, also on Fox, concentrates just a little more on relationships than Bones does, but it deals largely with fringe science. It’s a crazy and fun trip into alternate universes, mad scientist’s labs and an imaginative story that keeps you coming back for more. (16th September)

Castle, on ABC, has more relationship with some detecting. I wish there was more detective work – I might be the only one that doesn’t think that Castle and Beckett should have a romantic relationship. Castle is a mystery writer who follows Beckett (a detective) in the name of research. He also helps with the crime solving. I wish they made it a bit more Sherlock-like rather than the mushy way they are taking the story, hopefully there will be more focus on detecting than romancing. (19th September)

Those were more my “serious” shows, every now and then I like the light and comedic.

Parks and Recreation, on NBC,  was something I found by accident – a very happy accident. It’s shot like a documentary – cinéma vérité-style - and follows the Parks and Recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana. Each character is funny and unique and they all work together to make a humourous show. (22nd September)

Modern Family, on ABC, is another hilarious show. This modern family usually ends up in some strange and hilarious situations. Personally, I think the kids are the ones who makes this show. (21st September)

Another NBC show, Community, follows a study group at a local community college. They range vastly in age and end up in the most hilarious situations. Abed and Troy are the ones who make this show, make sure to stick around, their little side show in the end is pretty funny. (22nd September)

From Fox, Raising Hope is a show about family. A young dad, raising a baby with his parents, while they all live in his grandmother’s house. A pretty simple show, but a whole lot of laughs as everything is just so unfortunately funny. (20th September)

Finally, these are the new shows. Not sure if they will be great, but they look interesting to me.

Grimm is a new NBC show.

“Grimm” is a new drama series inspired by the classic Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Portland homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he is descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as “Grimms,” charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world.
As he tries to hide the dangers of his new found calling from his fiancé, Juliette Silverton, and his partner, Hank Griffin, he becomes ever more entrenched in the ancient rivalries and alliances of the Grimm world.
With help from his confidant, Monroe, a reformed Grimm creature himself, Nick must navigate through the forces of a larger-than-life mythology, facing off with Hexenbiests, Blutbads and all manner of ancient evils, including royal lines dating back to the original profilers themselves, The Grimm Brothers.

I’m always a fan of modern day retelling of the Grimm fairytales (or even those adapting the family into the tales) so this might be interesting. I’m hoping it deals more with fantasy and detective work rather than romantic/mushy things. (21st October)

ABC, on the other hand, is planning their own fairytale show, Once Upon A Time.

And they all lived happily ever after – or so everyone was led to believe. Emma Swan knows how to take care of herself. She’s a 28-year-old bail bonds collector who’s been on her own ever since she was abandoned as a baby. But when the son she gave up years ago finds her, everything starts to change. Henry is now 10 years old and in desperate need of Emma’s help. He believes that Emma actually comes from an alternate world and is Snow White and Prince Charming’s missing daughter. According to his book of fairytales, they sent her away to protect her from the Evil Queen’s curse, which trapped the fairytale world forever, frozen in time, and brought them into our modern world. Of course Emma doesn’t believe a word, but when she brings Henry back to Storybrooke, she finds herself drawn to this unusual boy and his strange New England town. Concerned for Henry, she decides to stay for a while, but she soon suspects that Storybrooke is more than it seems. It’s a place where magic has been forgotten, but is still powerfully close… where fairytale characters are alive, even though they don’t remember who they once were. The epic battle for the future of all worlds is beginning, but for good to win, Emma will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell.

This could be either really good, or else really bad. I really am hoping that it’s really good, more mysterious than mushy. (23rd October)

Then CW is pulling their book series to show move with The Secret Circle – based on a trilogy of the same name by L.J. Smith.

Cassie Blake was a happy, normal teenage girl – until her mother Amelia dies in what appears to be a tragic accidental fire. Orphaned and deeply saddened, Cassie moves in with her warm and loving grandmother Jane in the beautiful small town of Chance Harbor, Washington – the town her mother left so many years before – where the residents seem to know more about Cassie than she does about herself. As Cassie gets to know her high school classmates, including sweet-natured Diana and her handsome boyfriend Adam, brooding loner Nick, mean-girl Faye and her sidekick Melissa, strange and frightening things begin to happen. When her new friends explain that they are all descended from powerful witches, and they’ve been waiting for Cassie to join them and complete a new generation of the Secret Circle, Cassie refuses to believe them – until Adam shows her how to unlock her incredible magical powers. But it’s not until Cassie discovers a message from her mother in an old leather-bound book of spells hidden in her mother’s childhood bedroom, that she understands her true and dangerous destiny. What Cassie and the others don’t yet know is that darker powers are at play, powers that might be linked to the adults in the town, including Diana’s father and Faye’s mother – and that Cassie’s mother’s death might not have been an accident.

I’m a little skeptical about this one; it’s the CW after-all. I can only imagine them turning it into a soap opera. However, I do want to give it a chance and, if all else fails, I’ll read the books! (26th September)

Finally, Pan Am – an ABC show – looks nice enough.

Welcome to 1963: a time when only a lucky few could take flight, experience a global adventure or gain a front-row seat to history. Those lucky few flew Pan Am, the largest, most prestigious airline in the world. More than Coca-Cola, Elvis Presley or the transistor, Pan Am exported American culture to the world abroad and brought that world back to American shores.
The jet age has arrived and Pan Am’s Clipper Majestic is about to embark on its inaugural flight with Captain Dean Lowrey at the helm. Dean, who has recently been made captain wouldn’t trade this moment for anything in the world. Step by step, Maggie Ryan has climbed her way up to a better life, to greater opportunity. As Purser of Pan Am’s new Clipper Majestic, she’s at last riding high; determined not to fall. Kate Cameron left her sheltered life in East Granby, Connecticut to brave the intrigue of a wide new world. Now, she must brave even more intrigue in becoming an international agent for the CIA.
In running off on her wedding day, Kate’s sister, Laura Cameron, left her past and future, following her older sibling to the skies of Pan Am; a bold move, but one with serious personal consequences. Born and raised in France, Colette Valois has an innate understanding of international affairs. But in affairs of the heart, she’s still a wanderer, a searcher, a soul traveling a confused sea. First Officer and Co-Pilot Ted Vanderway, a former Navy test pilot, finds the commercial skies every bit as turbulent as he struggles to overcome past mistakes and prove his worth as an aviator.
Join our crew as they travel to intoxicating cities such as Paris, Berlin, Monte Carlo and Rome and bump into history along the way. Through their eyes we revisit an era nearly half a century ago.
So, buckle up; adventure calls. And thank you for choosing Pan Am.

It looks like it could be fun. I’m not entirely sure it will be something I like, I guess time will tell. (25th September)

Those are my picks, what’s yours?

We boarded the Amtrak in New York’s Penn Station early on Friday morning. Four hours later we were pulling into Union Station, Washington D. C.

I’ve been to D.C. once before, and it was quite a whirlwind adventure, but this time I had a plan. And a map.

Before the trip, a few of us listed the things that looked interesting, our choices were placed on the map, with colour-coded pushpins. Icons were agreed upon things and landmarks. Yeah, I’m a bit over-organized at times.

After checking in to the hotel, we had lunch at The Founding Farmers, a really great restaurant with really great food. Then we walked to the pier, a 2.5 mile trek from the hotel, taking in the sights.

We took a boat tour down the harbour, passing under bridges, seeing tiny light houses and boats that looked like houses.

Dinner that evening was at District Chophouse and Brewery, where I ate more meat, but good meat. We passed through their Chinatown on our way back to the hotel.

The next day a few of us visited the Spy Museum, which filled with so much information, I think you need more than one day to take it all in.

After the museum, we ate at Good Stuff Eatery, where the water contains water and the burgers were good. I don’t watch Top Chef, but, the restaurant was owned by one of the Top Chefs, and I was definitely impressed with the burger – and the line to get the burger.

Afterwards, we took a peek in the Library of Congress – an impressive building – and walked down to Ebenezers Coffeehouse where we attended a National Community Church service in the basement.

After service we headed down to Georgetown Cupcakes – featured in D. C. Cupcakes – and stood in a very impressive line for some extremely impressive cupcakes.

On our final day we had brunch at The Madhatter, which had the best business card I’ve seen! Where can I get one of these? Brunch was yummy!

An after-brunch walk from the National Mall, to the Lincoln Monument, to the Korean War Veteran’s Memorial and back to the National Mall brought our time in D.C. to an end.

We took the Amtrak back to New York City, the end of a capital weekend.

{view more pic from the trip}

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