Friday, September 07, 2018

Monthly HapPENings: August

Well, well, well. We are officially two-thirds of the way through the year. Autumn is coming.


For life, a lot of it was same old, same old: working, helping out at home, nothing terribly exciting. Some of the highlights, however, involved going out with Chloe and Kaitlyn for some Friday afternoon food. The first time, we biked to a food truck in the park that turned out to be closed. So we headed across town to a local café; however, it was super warm that day, and Kaitlyn was not feeling well by the time we got there. But it was fun to eat fries and drink milkshakes together. It almost felt like something friends would do in a book or movie.

The second time was cooler (but still warm). We took a very scenic route to get to the same café, where we once again had fries and milkshakes. The third time was even nicer temperature-wise, and we got cold drinks as one last "hoorah" for the summer. Kaitlyn and I also had gone for a walk by ourselves earlier in August to buy drinks. It's definitely something we'd like to continue over the upcoming months.

Bookish HapPENings

Well, I didn't finish any books this month. It's taken a while for me to fully get into the one I'm reading right now, and for some reason, I only read it on the trips to church and back. Here's to hoping September will be at least a little better!

HapPENings on the Screen

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I saw the 2013 version of The Lone Ranger, and honestly, I have no idea why it bombed in the box office and was hated by so many. This was a fantastic movie! It had spot-on humor, excellent action sequences, a terrific cast, a phenomenal score . . . Sure, it's not really a movie that you go into expecting you'll learn something from it, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I'm very tempted to do a full review on this seriously underrated film. It deserves more than just a paragraph here.

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Infinity War was just as good on the second viewing as it was on the first. If you didn't like this film, you have to realize the fourth Avengers movie was originally going to be called Infinity War, Part 2. This movie only told half the plot. Hold on to your full judgement until you've seen both and get a picture of the immense story the Russo brothers are telling us. I, for one, am very curious to see how this all goes down.

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After finally finishing Possession, Kaitlyn, Chloe, and I have started watching S6, Skybound. And man, had I forgotten what a killer opening it was! It does a great job of setting up the rest of the season while establishing Nadakhan as a vicious and manipulative foe. Plus, it never hurts to have Jay as the central character.


Gah, the first season is getting so good! You can always tell when you're getting close to the end of a season in The Flash, because everything ramps up like crazy. I'm remembering why I love this show and its characters so much. Honestly, a lot of writers could take notes on how to properly set up characters and make us viewers fall in love with them. Not to mention the interesting plot and villains!

Gaming HapPENings


If you say that video games can't be relaxing, you have not played any Animal Crossing title. New Leaf remains my favorite in the series. Its charm is undeniable. You get to live the life of a mayor, developing your town with public works projects and ordinances. There are events to attend, villagers to talk to, a main street to peruse . . . I can't do this game justice with my simple words. You have to experience it for yourself to fully grasp the joy of Animal Crossing.

I haven't done a whole lot of gaming other than playing New Leaf, so this section is going to be shorter than it sometimes is.

Writerly HapPENings

Believe it or not, I actually wrote last month! While it was only 649 words, what matters is that I hadn't recorded any writing time since December of last year, which is insane. And while the goals I set for myself at the beginning of 2018 dictate that I write The Tournament of Convicts first, I wanted to work on something I was truly passionate about, rather than a project I want to complete for the sake of completion. Novelizing Darkened Slumber has its challenges, but it'll be fun. I'm hoping that September's word count will be much, much higher.

That concludes today's post! How was your August? What did you read, watch, play, or write? Due to these posts getting no comments lately, I tried to make this one shorter. Do you approve?

11 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a good August! And going out with your sisters sounds absolutely amazing - I'm a little jealous. :D I have not watched or played a single thing you mentioned, so I really can't comment much - except that I agree with you on Infinity War, people are definitely judging it too quickly. There's such a thing as patience . . . but apparently not for them.

    My August was actually not the greatest, unfortunately. A lot of stress, worry, and general issues, but hopefully it'll get better as I get used to my full load of credits. And it's finally getting colder, so yay! Just have to last through fall until it's finally winter. :D

    Much to my shame, I didn't read many books. Or watch many movies. Or play any video games (surprise, surprise XD). I listened to a ridiculous amount of music, though. If you have any recommendations, they'd be much appreciated - I'm running out of new music. XD

    And I'm really sorry I haven't been commenting. I ended up just taking a break from blogging and stuff, because it was too much to handle with everything else going on. I shall try to stick around from now on, though!

    Great post!

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    1. BRIANNA! YOU'RE BACK! *is unsure if I should wave, shake your hand, or give a hug* ;P

      Yes, all in all, August was pretty great. It was! We had a lot of fun laughing, chatting, and eating. I can't recall: are you an only child or not? I'm glad we share the same opinion about Infinity War. And to me, even if this was the full plot, I'd still say it's one of the best Marvel movies to date.

      Aw, that's no good. If you don't mind me asking, what're some of the things that caused the stress and anxiety? Wait, are you in school? I knew you had theater, but maybe I'm really behind on the times. XD You like cold too? Yay! *high fives* I just love that crisp feeling in the autumn air.

      Well, we don't always have time for reading and movie watching. (More like no surprise there. XD) What kind of music are you looking for? I'm sure I have some album up my sleeve. :P

      No worries! I'd noticed you hadn't commented for a while, but I figured you just had a very busy summer. I'll do my best to follow your blog on a more regular basis too! Also, I tagged you back in July with the Get to Know Me Tag (Writer's Edition). So if you need an idea for a post, you're welcome. XD

      Thank you! And it's good to see you again. ^_^

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    2. I AM! *is totally up for all three* :P

      Great! That sounds so fun. No, I'm the oldest of three, and the only girl. Always outnumbered. :D Me too! Yes, it's pretty amazing, from all I've heard.

      No, not really. I'll give you the light version, but I've been fairly stressed about classes, and I've also been talking a friend through some really major issues. So it's been a little rough. And yes, I am in school. It's okay - I haven't really been around to keep up with. :P I do like cold! *high fives* It just takes me forever to warm up. XD Yes!! That's the best feeling, isn't it?

      That is true. (I wonder why that is . . . XD) I am looking for anything at all - I think I've had the same song on repeat for an hour. :D

      That is certainly true. Well, thanks! And I'll have to do that tag, then. I absolutely need an idea for a post, so thanks! XD

      It's good to be back. :D

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    3. *waves, then shakes your hand, then gives you a big hug* ^_^

      It was; you should try it sometime. :) Ah, I know the feeling, being the only guy child. Wait, you haven't seen Infinity War yet?! :O

      I'm sorry to hear that. I'll definitely be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Having a friend rely so heavily on you can get exhausting. Are you taking secondary education? I'm a bit of the opposite; I get warm really quickly. XD One of the best, yes!

      (Maybe because you don't have any gaming systems? :P) Off the top of my head, listen to the Mario & Luigi: Dream Team soundtrack. One of my favorite video game soundtracks of all time. Oh, and also Kirby's Return to Dream Land!

      You're welcome! I'm looking forward to seeing your answers to the tag. :D

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  2. Ahh, good memories! Those walks were THE best thing ever. XD (even though that one time I almost fainted, eh heh heh... it was an ADVENTUREEEEE!)

    Also, yesssssss, The Flash season 1 is gettin' good. Intense and gooooood. ^.^

    Glad you got some writing done!!! ^.^ *high fives*

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    1. So many wonderful memories . . . *sighs contentedly* They were amazing, and we must do more of them. (Well, that wasn't so good, but I suppose it could be interpreted as an adventure. ;P)

      I'm very much looking forward to S2, though. :D

      Me too! *high fives back* Didn't you do some writing as well?

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    2. Yesssss, walks in the winter will be interesting. XD Hopefully it won’t be too cold so we can go for long walks.

      Me toooooo! ^_^ I just love the whole show in general, to be honest.

      Yeah, I did, which I’m pretty happy about. XD Writers block slowed me down but now I’m writing more so yayyyy. :D

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    3. "It could be fun, though. It could be . . ." XD Yes, more snowfall, less freezing temperatures, please.

      I concur! I don't think S4 will lower my opinion of the show, even if it DOES end being not as good as the other seasons.

      Woo-hoo! Good for you. :D Nobody likes writer's block, so it should just go away and never come back. XD

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  3. Biking to a cafe with the siblings sounds like such a nice time! My town isn't really equipped for biking/walking places. Things are rather spread out annnd it's not very safe. But I've always loved the idea of being able to do that. ^_^

    The Lone Ranger movie! Oh my goodness, I don't understand why it's not loved either. I didn't think I'd like it AT ALL, and I ended up LOVING it. It's just so...bizarre. I don't know. It was a really fun movie and it makes me sad no one else seems to care for it. I'd love a review from you! It's nice to finally find someone who appreciated it!

    Infinity War! D': Feels. Too many feels! I definitely liked it and am looking forward to seeing where they take it but but but...FEEEEELLLLSSSS!!!!

    I'm so, so excited to hear you're writing again! That's wonderful! I hope you'll continue to find motivation. ^_^

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    1. It totally was! We kinda did it out of the blue, and it ended up being super fun. Aw, that's too bad--wait, not very safe? Does everyone drive bad? :P Hopefully you'll get a chance to do it someday!

      I figured I would like it, but I was a little nervous about it. Turns out everyone was just wrong. I don't know what the critics' deal was. Well, one person wanting me to do a review is good enough for me.


      Infinity War? Ha! More like Infinite Feels. XD I feel like Avengers 4 is gonna blow our minds.

      Thank you, Christine! It's been quite fun getting back to a project I'm truly passionate about. I hope the series turns out well! ^_^

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  4. Sounds like you had a great August. Good luck with everything!

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