Soul Silver

I am many things. To name a few, I am an artist, I am a daughter, I am a sister in Christ, I am a pirate. The list may go on for pages (theoretically speaking, of course, since I don't believe blogs really have pages). But when it comes to pokemon, I may be simply the biggest geek that anyone will ever come across. I have Red, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red (two, in fact), Leaf Green, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, and of course all the minor games a well; Pokemon Pinball, Pokemon Pinball the Ruby/Sapphire version, Pokemon Dash, Pokemon Ranger, Pokemon Ranger; Shadows of Almia, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Darkness, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time, and of course no one can ever forget the game that I got with my first Nintendo DS, Pokemon Trozei. To be honest, I could probably go on for a couple more hours about all the pokemon merch I have stored up in my black hole of a room, but I guess it would color me impressed if anyone even got through the above list without at least stifling a yawn or two. The point is, pokemon is my secret passion, my post secret, and my eight-year-long mini-obsession.
It started back in fourth grade, in fact, thanks to a very lazy child by the name of Drew McDaniel (whom I can also blame for my love of anime, manga, and probably simply all things Japanese). Mrs. Beard was giving a lesson on economics the way an eight year old could understand it; by buying and selling the products ourselves. I don't remember exactly what I was selling, although I believe I was in a group with Alexandra and Amy, and I seem to remember that we didn't do so well. The point is, Drew, being the die-hard Pokemon fan that he was, had created a small package of three cards; Dark Vaporeon, Dark Flareon, and Dark Jolteon. The Flareon and the Jolteon were cute, yes, but that Vaporeon. That wonderful little water sprite of a Pokemon, with its big black eyes, funny little fins, and long shiney blue tail, that little creature had me hooked for a lifetime. To this day, my very favorite Pokemon from all of my Pokemon games is the Vaporeon on my Leaf Green which I nicknamed Jing (named after Jing, the king of bandits, of course). It wasn't long after that fourth grade economics assignment, I believe, that I got my very first Gameboy Advance, and along with it, my very first Pokemon game, my Pokemon Silver. This game has lasted through so much with me (even now it's right next to me, fitted neatly into my SP), I even went so far last summer as to replace the battery inside the cartridge once it could no longer save my game properly. It is because of this very game that I am excited about what is coming tomorrow. Yes that's right. Tomorrow. March fourteenth. It's finally here. Pokemon Heart Gold and Pokemon Soul Silver are coming. The remakes of the now ten year old games are just around the corner, and I can say with a clean conscience that I have never been so excited for anything Pokemon as I am right now. I've been scanning my Pokemon news sites at least twice a day, looking at the footage of the new games, the updates, the similarities, and of course the new Pokewalkers! I'm still not sure quite what they are, but I'm pretty sure they're going to be my favorite part of the new games. I've been reveling in the nostalgia that the games bring me back to. All those summers at that Buckeye summer camp, where all we did was sit around, play our Pokemon games, and trade the cards, those times in middle school where I would find random kids on the bus that would come prepared with the link cable and trade their Pokemon with me (I've been sure to keep all of them, too). It's amazing the memories I have associated with these games. The best part is, I know that these new games coming out will soon have similar memories and nostalgia associated with them. I know who my friends are. I know I'm not the only one who pre-ordered these games. I know I'm not alone. I cant wait.

Golden Fleecie Sheepie

Sheep are adorable. Seriously, there's no denying it. Whether they're cartoony or realistic or whatever else, sheep are the most huggable, squeezable, adorable animals ever created.
I've been reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series lately. In fact, I just started the second book today. Oh, and I also finished the second book today... Moving on.
The second book refers to an ancient Greek tale about the "golden fleece," which was the fleece of a golden ram that Poseidon had created for some reason I cant quite remember (but I do remember it involved the sheep flying and someone falling off its back and dying, oops). The whole time I was reading about the little sheep I was thinking oh, so cute so cute so cute! Until I read that when the sheep finished flying the other kid, Phrixus - the one that didn't drown - across the sea, Phrixus turned around and sacrificed the poor sheep to the sea god, Poseidon. To this I respond; What the heck is wrong with these stupid Greeks? First of all, why would they sacrifice to Poseidon something that Poseidon gave to them in the first place? It's like, "Oh, you gave me this birthday present? Well that's cool! Here, have this birthday present you just gave me, to show my thanks!" Why not just accept the gift and be done with it? Also, the guy Phrixus, after sacrificing the sheep, keeps its golden fleece for himself. So now he's killed the sheep to sacrifice to Poseidon, then he keeps the good part to himself, all the gold, which negates the point of sacrificing it. Plus, if he had never sacrificed the sheep, he would have more gold all the time, growing from the little sheepie, and then he could sacrifice the gold once in a while to Poseidon and keep some for himself and the sheep would get to live, for heaven's sake! I mean, the little guy was talking to Phrixus encouraging him their whole flight together and when they touch down, Phrixus goes, "Well that was nice, now I will kill you. Goodbye." Puh-leez! Those Ancient Greeks have no sense of hospitality.
I still love the sheep, though. It's adorable and cuddly (well, as cuddly as a sheep made of gold can be), and just all full of luviness.

The Life and Times of an Almost College Student

Well, not even almost, really. It's just a near/distant/future/never-to-be-realized dream at this point. Of course the colleges don't agree with me about that, because tonight I just spent about an hour opening mail from every college known to man, and a couple known to goldfish (for about three seconds, that is). It's exhausting and at times confusing work, since some colleges don't seem to really know where they are actually located. Example - University of Washington in St. Louis. But it's all good, really. And I'm starting to learn which colleges really want me, seeing as how Depaw has sent me two e-mails and three packages.
Then there's also poor Butler University. I could only read half their letter because my letter opener went homicidal and decided to rip straight through their letter and return envelope, but not the envelope it came in. Why, dear dear letter opener? Why?
In other news, throwing pennies at cats is apparently a good way to pass the time, so says my father.