Hello!

  Hey guys! It's been, like, forever, hasn't it? I'm sorry I couldn't be around much over the summer, and it's been far too long since I've been able to chat with many of you.
  Anyways, I've been nominated for the Liebster Award by Trista Vaporblade and Athelas Hale. (You should check out their blogs. ^_^ So awesome.)

So the rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you
• List 11 facts about yourself
• Answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you
• Write 11 questions for the next person
• Nominate people

Here goes 11 facts about myself...

1. I haven't had a milkshake in years
2. I like blue
3. I enjoy drawing Anime
4. I enjoy watching it even more
5. I prefer long chapter books to short ones
6. I like being in orchestras
7. I recently began to develop a fondness for coffee
8. I like sour candy
9. I love chocolate
10. We have tadpoles in one of my classrooms
11. I ran more than I ever have in my life in the last couple months

Now answers to Trista's questions:

1. If you could write one book that would be a bestseller, what type of book would it be? 

Fantasy!!
2. For inspiration for some creatures for a fantasy world, you take two animals that are native to your state and kinda cross-combine them to make these creatures for the world. What would they be called and what would they look like? 

Tene-...or something along those lines... They'd be a cross between a Beaver and a Bunny. :D
3. What's the first sentence to your first chapter in your most recent writing project? (Or, of you don't write, the book you just finished?)

*classified information* Sorry, but I can't give that away, cause it kinda gives away the plot which is secret.

4. If you could go to one country to inspire a novel, where would you go? 

New Zealand!
5. Favorite song to write to?

Past Story or Charle no kokuhaku, both from Fairy Tail
6. Largest book, in pages, you've read is..?

??? Maybe 1000(?)
7. What was a bad experience that helped you either write a character or their ordeal? 

Um... Something that happened with a friend long, long ago (like LONG ago)
8. What's your least favorite book you read this past year (2014)? 

Guns, Germs and Steel. For AP World History.
9.What was the book and/or movie you reacted the most to?

The Winter Soldier or Frozen
10. What is your biggest distraction from writing?

The internet
11. What's the oddest place you've found character inspiration at or in? 
Seeing a leaf falling from our tree.

And Athelas:

1. Why did you start blogging?

I wanted to cause it looked fun and a lot of my friends blog.2. Who are your favorite three fictional characters?

Billy Bannister, Jason Masters, Nathan Shepherd (I have lots more favorites, but these were the first three to come to mind, all guys and all Bryan Davis characters)3. What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been?

Either the Estes Park of Yellowstone.

4. If your home was going to burn to the ground and any people and animals were safe, what one thing would you grab?

My favorite stuffed horse.Do you prefer the sun or the moon?

Moon...much cooler and calmer.Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

Matthew 28:18-20 (right now, at least)Do you speak any second languages?

A little Chinese, but not really.What makes you cry in fiction? (Do you cry at fiction?)

The death of my favorite characters.Who is your favorite historical figure?

Um...history? Okay, does Peter count?(Just as a random question…) Describe your floor.

Wood. *nods* Or carpet with blue and red spots (real tiny ones)What is the skill you’re the most proud of?

My drawing.

Now questions for yousa...
1. Favorite writing music mix/genre?
2. Favorite LEGO line (if applicable)?
3. How would you respond to a fire?
4. Favorite state bird?
5. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
6. If you had three wishes, what would they be? (Besides more wishes and things along those lines)
7. What is you favorite instrument to listen to?
8. To hear?
9. What do you plan to do with your writing? (If you don't write, what's your dream career)
10. What is the proper noun name of your favorite pet? (fictional or real)
11. Favorite mythical creature?

And I nominate...
Ryebrynn
Raptor
And I don't have the time to do more. I'll try to start up blogging semi-regular again, but no guarantees right not.

Derby Results

Did anyone watch the Derby? It was awesome. A likkle colt, California Chrome, won, but I won't go through the race. Watch it for yourself cause it's only two minutes in length. Exact time was...uh, 3:03.66(?), I think.

So there.

The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is the first race in a series of races for three year-old thoroughbreds across the world (Of course, since it's obviously held in Kentucky, USA, most contestants are from the US...).

Anyways, the first five winners are as follows:

• Aristides (1875)
• Vagrant (1876)
• Baden-Baden (1877)
• Day Star (1878)
• Lord Murphy (1879)

And the last five winners:

• Mine That Bird ('09)
• Super Saver ('10)
• Animal Kingdom ('11)
• I'll Have Another ('12)
• Orb ('13) 

Only three fillies have won the Derby:

• Regret (1915)
• Genuine Risk (1970)
• Winning Colors (1978)

This year, hundreds of horses struggle for the prestigious twenty spots in the starting gate on Derby day with prep-races. These are including but not limited to: The Louisiana Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, and Florida Derby. There are a bunch of others which I'm not going to list here.

I don't really want to go over the customs at Churchill Downs (where the race is run) on Derby Day, but I will take a moment to mention a couple of the most prominent. The Mint Julep is the traditional Derby drink (although you probably wouldn't want one of those cause they're alcoholic). Then there's the singing of My Old Kentucky Home as the horses go to the post.

And finally, all the training of three years is utilized in two intense minutes of mounding hooves and plunging horseflesh. Riders straining for a stab at making history. And in the end, there's only one winner. And the rest of the field? They've lost their chance. Never again will it be the first Saturday in May while they're three years old. Never again will they race in the Kentucky Derby.

And that about wraps up this post. Sorry about the kind of abrupt ending. I have issues with endings, okay?

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"