A Quick Note

An addition to that How to Write protags thing (found here):

While perfection can be rather annoying, I believe we still need that type of character. In the midst of the messages we receive from the world (I believe you know what I mean), they're characters we can look up to they're role models, and they have a place in writing. Just as long as they're not overdone or too plentiful.

And there. *slinks back into oblivion*

Triple Crown!

You guys have no idea how long I've waited to make a post on this subject. *happysquealybounceoffwall*

Okay, first, what is the Triple Crown? It is a series of prestigious races, known around the world, for three year-old thoroughbred horses: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, abbreviated to the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont.

Only eleven of the horses who ran in the Derbies since 1875 have been given this honor:

• Sir Barton (1919)
• Gallant Fox (1930)
• Omaha (1935)
• War Admiral (1937)
• Whirlaway (1941)
• Count Fleet (1943)
• Assault (1946)
• Citation (1948)
• Secretariat (1973)
• Seattle Slew (1977)
• Affirmed (1978)

And I've been waiting in desperate hope for one a Triple Crown winner to make history in my lifetime...but alas, as of yet, no such luck.

There have been a number of horses who have won the Derby and Preakness only to come up short in the Belmont-the hardest, longest, most grueling leg of the races at 1 1/2 miles. And here is the list of horses who have done just that:

• Pensive (1944): second to Bounding Home
• Tim Tam (1958): second to Cavan
• Carry Back (1961): seventh to Sherluck
• Northern Dancer (1964): third to Quadrangle
• Kauai King (1966): fourth to Amberoid
• Forward Pass (1968): second to Stage Door Johnny
• Majestic Prince (1969): second to Arts and Letters
• Canonero II (1971): fourth to Pass Catcher
• Spectacular Bid (1979): third to Coastal
• Pleasant Colony (1980): third to Summing
• Alysheba (1987): fourth to Bet Twice
• Sunday Silence (1989): second to Easy Goer
• Silver Charm (1997): second to Touch Gold
• Real Quiet (1998): second to Victory Gallop
• Charismatic (1999): third to Lemon Drop Kid
• War Emblem (2002): eighth to Sarava
• Funny Cide (2003): third to Empire Maker
• Smarty Jones (2004): second to Birdstone
• Big Brown (2008): Did Not Finish to Da' Tara
• I'll Have Another (2012): Did Not Start to Union Rags

Perhaps the most devastating one of these for me was the 2012 run for the crown. The world watched as I'll Have Another overtook Bodemeister in the final lengths of the Derby to make history, than again in the Preakness. I'm usually quiet and reserved (Hard to believe, eh?), but after the Preakness, I was screaming with joy. For the first time since I'd started following thoroughbred racing, the Crown was still in sight.

Then, on the day of the Belmont, my friend was coming over to watch it with me, and her Dad comes up and says, "It's too bad that horse was scratched." (Insert sniff here.) Turns out, he had a hoof/lower leg problem, and his racing career ended. Too bad.

So this year, starting that first Saturday in May, I'll be watching again. Waiting again. Hoping again.

Well, that's a long post. Thanks for reading. Poke me if I need to cut down on the information amount...I didn't think there was too much, but...

Information from Two Minutes to Glory, Top 10 Kentucky Derbies, and Wikipedia: The Thoroughbred Triple Crown

Personality Test

As of April 14 (today) I'm an INTJ Personality type. It's evidently one of the rarest personality types, and it is the rarest among females. Special me! (Just kidding!)

But anyway, here be ze stats:

• Strong preference of Introversion over Extroversion (100%)
• Moderate preference of Intuition over Sensing (38%)
• Moderate preference of Thinking over Feeling (25%)
• Slight preference of Judging over Perceiving (11%)

We'll see what happens in a year. *thinks all of you should take one too*

[**NOTE**] That test was for me...Kya - the side of me you know - is ENFP. Funny that. They're pretty much opposites.[/**NOTE**]

Camp NaNo Update: The First!

Go there. To that tab that says "Writing Blog"