Drawing William Wallace (a.k.a Mel Gibson) Part One

The photo above, as you can clearly see, shows an original screencap from Braveheart, on the front insert of the film score, on the right, and my attempt to recreate the image on the left. My version is laughable. I overcompensated for the lighting, which resulted in what my dad described as 'a pile of dirt' on Wallace's head. And man is that sunburn bad!:D Anyway, I'm going to be doing similar tracings as often as I can... so does my image look very much like the original, somewhat like it, or is it just bad (in politespeak, 'it could be better'):)

Movies+ Pool

Yesterday, a friend of mine came over to hang out, more or less. The stated reason was so we could watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. So we loaded it in, and contrary to our original expectations, watched the whole thing in one sitting. I know some of you might beg to differ, but I did not really enjoy it. My suspicions that Jack Sparrow and the score would really be the only worthwhile elements were confirmed. It was a relief to discover that Jack still acts like a bad pirate half the time (Holds grudges, fights and argues unfairly, drinks a lot). Anyway, I won't say the movie was more than moderately entertaining.
Later, we played chess (My friend is an excellent chess player and I am awful, so of course I eventually resigned). Next we played Perudo, which is a surprisingly fun dice game in which every player in turn guesses the quantity of a certain number on the dice of those on the table, until somebody doubts the previous bet. The dice are revealed, and the mistaken player loses a die. In the final game, due to a sudden attack of vertigo, I neglected to look at my last die before doubting my brother's bet. As a result, I discovered that I had been rolled in the back by my own die, which showed the number in question. I could not have won anyway, but why is too long to explain here.
Last, we played pool. Out of five games, my friend won four times. I won only when he pocketed the '8' ball four shots after the break.
Also, my mom surprised me with an Irish songbook containing music and lyrics to 75 different songs. Nearly all of which were arranged, adapted, written, and/or sung by the Clancy Brothers, my favorite folk singers.

Title And Synopsis

I just 30 seconds ago released the title and synopsis of my next, biggest, and best, work on JT's Tales. Please go follow 'Tales' if you aren't already and spread that post around. (I know, my constant repetitions that I need help getting followers is not the done thing, but I'm pretty desperate.) Thanks anyway.

Home Alone

Yes, we're home alone. Yesterday evening, my parents left for the weekend. They drove up to San Francisco so my mom could take lessons on how to bake bread (as if she's not good enough already...:D). Meanwhile, I, my sister, and my two younger brothers are, as you might have guessed... NOT partying! :D. We're maintaining our usual itinerary, which is... nothing. My mom did say I was allowed to invite friends over, though, so I will try, but I doubt that they will come. Last night, each of us ate most of a new personal pint of ice cream.:D We've done that three times now.... I am going to do nothing all weekend except work on the stories that I post on JT's Tales. Did I tell you I'm going to start posting a new one soon? It is frustrating that there is some confusion over whether we will get to Mass on Sunday, because no-one we know has four seats to spare, but believe me, I tried. I am currently working on a tracing of a picture of William Wallace from the Braveheart soundtrack. When it's complete, I'll post it. That's all for now.

The World's Weirdest Brother (Besides me)

Today is my youngest brother's 10th birthday (I think... Darn not being able to count...:D). This particular brother is an extreme  green-living radical, who insists, at ten years old, that he's not going to college. The only thing he really pays any attention to is his album full of old American coins which he shoves in the face of every visitor who comes by. Compared to most of our family, he's freakishly athletic. This includes being strong enough to carry his older brother who is the same size, and do somersaults on our trampoline, which the rest of us don't even think of trying. At one time, he was capable of balancing himself on his hands and doing 300 push-ups in less than ten minutes, which I'm sure isn't bad. He does dangerous things just because we tell him not to, because he's 'a rebel who plays by his own rules'.
A couple (or three, or a few) funny quotes from him:

1. On the making of Jurrasic Park: "Did they put frog DNA in the camera?"

 Ok, I can only remember one, but there's where that came from, eventually...
He also harbors some pretty strange theories. Such as the idea that FDR, LBJ, and possibly JFK, are often named by their initials because they favored melting down silver coinage.
His life ambition? To build a rocket to Mars entirely out of lithium, powered entirely by paper-based biomass. Or at least it was until recently. As soon as I can, i will post you an image of tonight's garishly decorated cake. gotta go.

Family Tree

At the moment, my grandma is working on a huge, poster-size chart that covers my ancestors six generations back. Why am I telling you this? Because it's something to talk about, and I enjoy talking! It's really pretty cool. we think we won't be able to finish it all, but we'll give it our best shot. We're starting on the third generation now. Anyway, that's a bit of news. I said I would google some names, so I gotta run. Does anybody else out there enjoy knowing the names of the 200 people who came before them?

Guess What?

Believe it or not, I'm doing it again. No, not what you probably think. In fact, there are probably about four or five different possibilities running through your mind at this moment. I won't say any of them are wrong, because of course I don't even know if you're going to read this post...:D I'm posting... drum toll, please,... because it's someone's birthday again! My grandma, who lives on our property in her own little house, has reached yet another birthday. Tell you what, just keep trying to combine 8 and 7. Eventually, you'll get it. Yes, I shout about everybody's birthdays here on my blog, even my dog's...(nervous laugh). Well, that's about it for today. If anything else out of ordinary occurs anytime soon, you'll find out about that too, because that's what bloggers blog about... haha very funny... not... I've got nothing more to say at the moment, so now I'll leave.

Rescue Me!

I am stuck. I am stuck in Summer vacation with nothing worth reading at hand. So, seeing as I find myself unable to determine what I should read this year,  I put the question to my brilliant nobles of Corridane, who I am sure have some suggestions. I will find and read just about anything you put out there to pass the time. Just don't suggest Moby Dick, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea,the Three Musketeers trilogy, The Deerslayer, The Pathfinder, The Pioneers, The Last Of the Mohicans, The Prairie, any of the 20 Master & Commander books, or anything by Mark Twain. I want to see some new stuff. The above list has carried me through since I was 15, and now I'm stuck. (p.s. besides the above, I have also read, believe or not, Pride & Prejudice).
 And now, I will include two questions from the book tag that I found on the blog all that is gold.

1. (2.) What was your favorite book at the age of 9 or 13, whichever one you remember best? My answer would have to be Brian Jacques's Redwall series, at both ages.
2. (3.) What's your earliest memory of reading or being read to? as far back as i can remember is when my dad read The Hobbit to us when I was about seven or eight.
3. I will answer question no. 1 when I determine what my answer is.