Part 2 of catching up with what's happened the past month or so... And I suddenly have even more to cover because, once again, life and my own capability of being severely distracted got in the way, so as of now we gotta deal with writing about four flippin' weeks. We're gonna be covering about two weeks in this episode of lilaclily00's blog, and then continue covering two weeks in each entry until I finally catch up! So exciting, I say with no small amount of sarcasm!
The next stop down recent memory lane is Memorial Day, a bunch of Mondays ago. We were invited to hang out with Lala's family at the hot springs, and we ended up bringing Flower and her mom along too. We ended up having to buy new swimsuits at Walmart real fast, though, before driving to the hot springs.
It's a bit of a different experience going while it was kinda hot outside in comparison to going when it's kinda cold. Either way, though, I just don't like the hot springs as much as normal pools. Sue me.
I still tried my best to have fun, though. Us four (me, Lala, Elenita, Flower) went down the waterslides quite a bit (I took 4 turns) and hopped between different pools. Plus, I appreciated the chance to tan a little out there in the sun. This was the longest time me and my parents had ever stayed at the springs- almost 4 hours!- and at a point I just couldn't take it anymore. I needed fooooooooood. (While I was relieved to finally get out of there, Lala, Elenita, and their parents apparently stayed a lot longer than us, though, essentially spending the whole day there!)
We stopped by at a Thai restaurant on the way back with Flower and her mom, and it was really good~
The next day, I was very content to just hide away in my room all day, but two things still ended up happening: one, I got asked to give a talk at the seminary graduation the next Sunday; two, I got a message on Facebook from an old friend.
The first one is how the talk I posted just before this came about. As usual, I was super nervous to think about talking in front of a bunch of people- but this wasn't even like the talks I'd had to give before at church, and there were gonna be people there that I technically knew longer. That was a little scary.
At least, on Sunday, I sat up there with the second speaker, who was a super chill guy that I found really easy to talk to, and we did our best to ease off each other's nerves. I know I probably could've looked a little less nervous up there while talking, and looked up more often from my papers and talked a bit slower, but all in all... that's just about the best I really would've done. I hope my talk didn't suck.
Back to Tuesday, this was a friend from 9th grade, one I regretfully never mentioned here, like so many of my other friends that year and years since then... I actually read through all my posts from the time that I went to my first high school to double-check, and he didn't appear. I hadn't even mentioned him in "Mausu Portrait"- he, Gleb, and Allie (have I even mentioned either of them?!) were all there when I was coloring that drawing in (and both of the boys weren't particularly impressed by it), so I think of them when I see that picture. That was when we were all in groups to compete in a Jeopardy review game for Biology. They were my posse in that class! He was also in my Ceramics class later, along with a girl who I'd called Ai (if this helps Future Me, she was really into Homestuck back then). (There's also the three girls I hung out with in PE, and the kids in Cooking, and the girls in Sewing... guys, I left out- and continue to leave out, like a total butt- a lot of people from this blog that, though I remember them still now, maybe I won't remember them later. Heck, I've already forgotten a bunch of their names...)
This particular friend was one of those friends that you remain friends with no matter how much they like to annoy you. I remember he'd tickle me (which I can't handle gracefully at all), and for a while my choice of weapon was going limp and falling to the floor. (That didn't work for very long. Plus, it hurt a little.) I remember he'd fall asleep in class and almost got violently woken up by the teacher a few times (as in she'd planned to slam a textbook down on the desk next to his). I'm pretty sure he'd slack off a little in both classes. We often talked after Ceramics, and sometimes kept our conversation going by the short wall at the front entrance of the school while waiting for our rides home. I remember a couple times he'd have me listen to a song on his phone (and also that I'd get angry that he had such a huge phone- it was almost the size of a small tablet!) I remember how I'd think he was kinda cool, and there was something about his style I couldn't help but appreciate, though I was a little less impressed with his taste in music (which included lots of country). I remember thinking he and Allie were eventually gonna get together, and I found out on Facebook a little while later my prediction was correct. High-five, Past Me! (He also recently reminded me that he'd ask if I had any crushes on anyone. I'd decided I wouldn't have crushes on anyone, but especially him, partly because of the fact that I was pretty sure he'd date Allie! And, well, of course I'm not gonna say anything about crushes just to spite his annoying little butt.) Also, remember how, when I was saying goodbye to everyone at that school, I mentioned not getting to say bye to a few friends? He was one of them. I was a little mad that he didn't show up to school on my last day, and so was Allie.
(Also, I think I might've actually forgotten to mention this last year- I'd gone to surprise Allie at her new job when I found out she started working at a store across the street from my house from back when we went to the same schools. It was a little weird to see her older and with a new haircut, but it was still an experience I was thankful I could have.)
Though we were pretty decent friends, I figured he didn't really like me very much, and figured he wouldn't talk to me ever again... but, well, I guess this proves otherwise.
Over the next few weeks, we ended up hanging out a bit. Two days after initial contact, we watched the Power Rangers movie together- since we'd both already seen it, we could focus more on just chatting together- then walked around the park and the neighborhood. That weekend, I went to hang out at his house, which we mostly spent watching Justice League vs. Teen Titans and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. We walked together at the park again the Wednesday after, then went to the local pool the Wednesday after that, and then the next day hung out with him, Ai, and their friends (going to Barnes & Noble, comic shop, mall, Wendy's, and watching a bit of the second season of RWBY). Meanwhile, I was having a lot of fun hanging out with him, and there was stuff about him I liked, but... I started getting closer to a "No, a relationship would just not work" sort of feeling. Two big factors were that, one, I've always had a looking-to-the-future sort of mentality, and both my mom and I were worried about what would happen if I tried to go into my first semester of college with a boyfriend, especially one who would live hours away; two, he had the same thing as Brandon about warming up to hugging me and putting his arm around my shoulders and all sorts of stuff that I just hadn't yet. It wasn't quite as bad, as I certainly felt more comfortable with my old friend, but I still sometimes didn't like it so much- and I certainly didn't like the implication, that I was essentially being treated like a girlfriend already. (Though I hate to make people think bad about Mormons, since some people say they look down on others, the fact that he was very inactive was a worry for me. I want to be able to marry in the temple, which requires both man and woman to be faithful, worthy members, and... I mean, I most likely wouldn't have ended up marrying him, considering the first relationship rarely works out like that, but in the case that we did end up in a serious relationship, we wouldn't be able to marry in the temple unless he decided to start going to church again, and I feel like... he probably wouldn't want to. And I'm certainly not gonna force someone to be a member, so... that would be a really hard thing for both of us to go through. I'd rather it just never happened.)
Based on the last serious conversation we had (which happened over text), it looks like we'll just be friends. I won't completely cross out anything different happening in the future if circumstances change, but... yeah, I think this is for the best. I hope we can still hang out!
(Also, when I had been working on this post a while ago- I'd written up to "this proves otherwise" on the last day I'll be writing about in this post- I asked him what he wanted me to call him in this diary. He said "Sir Hot Stuff" jokingly, but that shall now be his official codename. That's what you get when you're joking with me, sir!)
The next Thursday was really nostalgic, being the last day of school and of seminary. I managed to get almost everybody I knew in my yearbook, and then in seminary we watched Johnny Lingo and did a bit of goofing off. Me and Crazy Insane Person (I've only said anything about her twice! And I don't think I ever mentioned Diamond, either!) also got to finally perform our
I also got some final... I don't remember what these are called, but they're super cute. Crazy Insane Person had a bunch of extras, and I chose the duck, boombox, and pineapple.
So cute!~ (The stuff in the back is some of the trinkets on a ledge in my current room. I always have to display some of my favorite things somewhere.)
Also, a big accomplishment was that I finally got some inspiration to start writing actual writing for Azul and his story! I ended up starting with him being in a crazy dream, which I don't think I'll keep everything about, but there's still a lot of stuff I like from my very first attempt.
One of the movies I've been super excited to see ever since I first heard about it is Captain Underpants, and the day after, I went to see it with my dad! I loved how faithful it remained to the original material, because the book series was one of my favorite things as a kid (and was one of the kid books my mom liked, too), but it was still a new and great experience. I really want to watch it again with my mom and sis.
Later that night, I also ended up watching another movie at home, but not with my family. Lala and Flower said they wanted to watch the new Beauty and the Beast, and so we got it up and running in Flower's living room. Elenita also came along, and the funny thing is me and Elenita are the only ones that actually stayed awake the whole time! I don't know what Lala and Flower had been doing as of late, but they were half-dead and were asleep for at least half the movie... It was still fun, but I kinda wondered what the point was.
All right, now we swing back to the talk that I already posted, which I presented the next Sunday for Seminary Graduation, then my real graduation the next day. (How'd they manage to do them right next to each other for me?)
(A weirdly-shaped balloon my Young Women's president gave me and the other grad girls from my ward after seminary graduation.)
My parents and CapSis came, of course, and so did my grandparents and Broranges and his family. (I think I mentioned how his mom said she really wanted to come?) Sis did my hair, and I was so relieved that she and my mom only put a bit of eyeliner and a lipstick not very far from my natural color.
It was kinda weird because... It actually didn't feel as real as the early graduation ceremony we did back in January. I'd thought it'd be a bit of a tear-jerking event, especially considering how much I'd spent my time before it thinking about how I was going to miss all of this so badly and how I didn't want to leave high school yet. Now that it was actually happening, I was somewhere between accepting and just being there without really thinking about it too hard. And now that it's over, I feel strangely okay with my whole experience now being in the past. (I'm still hoping to get that class locket I was talking about a few months ago, though, or something like it, because I like having things with sentimental value. ...Unless I have to let them go, for whatever reason. That tends to be pretty tough.)
So I've got the last signatures I wanted (from the other grads before we walked the stage) in my yearbook, and some pictures and such from graduation (including a couple dried flowers from the single rose they gave each grad and the bouquet CapSis gifted to me), to hold onto. And, hopefully, I can still remember some of the good times I had in this school and all the schools before it.
When the ceremony was over, I took some pictures with other people, then me and my party went to our favorite Chinese restaurant. I have to admit the dinner felt kinda awkward, but at least I got to chat with Broranges next to me.
The next day felt... strangely normal, in a sense, in that me, my mom, and Sis just went to the mall together- mostly to look for a fancy dress that Sis will need later this year- then that night my dad took me to see Wonder Woman on a whim. (It's been really fun watching movies with my dad, but it was weirding me out a bit that we were going a lot more often than usual... My mom explained that it's cuz he's been getting pretty stir-crazy in the dinky basement we currently live in. Now it makes a little more sense.) I also ended up seeing the same movie this week on Tuesday with Lala and her family (and another girl from our ward). It's still awesome the second time, by the way.
Well, I suppose there was something a little more along the nostalgic route that day, as it was the day I finally backed up all my most recent stuff to both my USB and Google Drive. It took a long while, since I needed to copy a lot of things from my iPod and phone into documents in order to have everything. It was kinda nice to see everything I've been up to over the year. I hope I'll have more actual writing next time I back up my stuff, though, since there technically wasn't as much as I used to do. Considering a lot of it's just been brainstorming for my bigger stories (Azul and WFAM), then I guess I can't really complain, but still.
We've now caught up to the day I had posted my last (normal) entry, I think... Whew, this entry has been taking a long time.
That Thursday, my parents and I ended up hanging out at the mall... and, of course, they ended up buying things for me at Hot Topic, cuz apparently we just don't really buy stuff anywhere else most of the time. One was a Big Hero 6 bomber jacket I'm hoping I'll get use out of over fall and winter, and a nice plaid coat that fits me just about perfectly (so I seriously hope I don't gain much weight soon!) for fall and winter too. Afterwards, we ended up going out for sushi.
This day was also when I finally went to my first YW activity in this ward (besides that one time I came and it turned out they'd canceled the whole thing), and it was to go swimming. We used the pool for the president's apartment complex, and most of the time it'd just been our group there. It was a lot of fun! (Some of the games we played required these kid-sized inflatable lifesavers, and I found out you could use one of those to pose yourself right on the top of the water like Superman. I want to get one of those for myself now.)
That Friday (yes, we're almost to the end of this post!) my parents and I went to watch The Smurfs: The Lost Village (because I knew it'd be good and my dad wanted to get out of the basement) in the dollar theater, and I ended up doing what I haven't really done in a long while... Just gone and written a story without really planning ahead. It wasn't a fic, but rather an attempt to fulfill a 5-word prompt I'd found on Quora a long time ago ("So we meet again -Death") and finally use those characters I made earlier this year (Adelin and Merritt). It doesn't really use the sort-of background story I'd originally had in mind for them (besides Adelin's house burning down, I guess), but it felt right to give them a shot. It was kinda nice to just write without thinking too hard about it, just like I did so often a few years ago, though I was quickly reminded of why I tried to stop doing that when I got to a point where I was like, "...What now?" I'm still not entirely sure where this'll end, but I've got a couple ideas for what could happen next, and I hope I can get at least another good chunk for this story done. I won't stress about finishing it, unlike my more major projects, but it's been fun to work on. It's also reminded me that, oh yeah, I do sometimes have a darker side... This work's been coming out a little more intense than usual.
Okay, last day I'll talk about until next Sunday! Nutella had a little graduation party in the backyard on Saturday, and... it was even harder for me to be there than I thought it would be. I mean, I still kinda try to not stare at Nutella nowadays during the few moments I end up being around her, but I hadn't realized before the guests started arriving that she'd surely still be friends with a couple other girls that are my ex-friends, too... Oh, that was painful. My mom was gracious enough to let me skip out on the party and stay downstairs for a while (getting some of her delicious tinga all to myself). I ended up getting out there at some point, anyways, when Nutella came down to ask for more chairs and I helped carried them up, and my mom asked me to stick around to talk with the couple that are now our next-door neighbors. Some time after that, Elenita and Lala finally arrived, and I hung out with Elenita and some other girl on the trampoline in the backyard. That other girl ended up saying "What the cupcake?" at some point that evening, and I wanna start saying that.
When the party was finally over, I probably should've gotten ready for bed... But no, I instead had some inspiration to draw. See, just a few days prior, I'd started an RP over text with Darkrai even more random than the ones that we've done in the past... He'd said he wanted to be a gunslinger in the Wild West, and I jokingly said I wanted to be a cat. He then thought I was serious, though, and I realized I could maybe actually make that work, and so then I took it serious, and I ended up playing a cat. (See? Like I said before- that's what you get when you joke with me. Apparently, it even happens when I'm the one joking with myself.) Since that week I'd been reading a lot of Danny Phantom fics and such, I'd kinda considered doing something similar to his powers, so I decided this cat character could also go invisible and intangible at will- I dunno, it seemed fitting. And since this would be quite a bit harder if the cat couldn't talk, we agreed that she could, but only with his character. He's the only one who can understand her and communicate effectively.
So, we ended up making the strange duo of a nameless outlaw with a magic talking tuxedo cat named Sunday (in honor of Wednesday Addams).
It's actually been pretty fun, and it wasn't quite as weird as I'm guessing we both expected it to be. I haven't really seen any of the classic Wild West movies, but it seems I knew enough to do okay, and we've ended up with some funny banter between the two characters. The furthest we've gotten so far is that his character's starting to take on a whole gang that wants him dead, and he's already run out of ammo, and Sunday's been traipsing through the gang's camp to find some more weapons and bullets for him to work with. There's also some magic ring that Sunday snatched for him, but he's yet to put it on and find out what it actually does... I really want to know what he was thinking that ring could be used for...
Anyway, I was itching to draw something. Since, at the moment, I'd been texting with Sir Hot Stuff, I asked him for a word, and he came up with "Birdie". Immediately, I thought of the RP, with his nameless dude (though Sunday's called him "Trigger-Happy" before) and his cat sidekick, where he might be holding up a rifle with a smirk on his face, saying "Well, a little birdie told me...", and Sunday beside him huffs out, "Hey! Don't you mean 'kitty'?" My goal is to get that drawing finished by the end of next month, since who knows if it'll happen by the end of this month. (It sounds like it might be a lot of time, but Darkrai's currently on vacation out-of-country without his phone, so the RP's on pause, and I'm hoping it'll be enough time for me to get my act together and finish this before he comes back, or at least before we've officially run out of ideas for the RP when we resume upon his return.)
That day, I started with trying to draw his head- Darkrai'd sent me a picture of a cowboy character from a video game as a reference for what his character looks like, but that was back when we were just establishing our characters and he had no idea of my arting plans- but then ended up having to just try to figure out how to draw a freakin' cowboy hat. Geez, it was a lot harder to figure out than I thought it was gonna be. Since I didn't look at any images at first, it ended up looking more like a mini sombrero, but when I gave up and Googled "cowboy hats", I managed to do the tweaks necessary so it looked more like the right kind of hat (and like the hat in the reference picture).
Not perfect, but at least you can tell what it's supposed to be.
With that, I spent even more time trying to put the hat and the head together to somewhat match the reference, and I finally came up with this:
So, here's my first cowboy! Are you proud of me?
Oof, and I have so much work ahead of me still. Since then, I've been trying to figure out how I'll draw the body (proportions and pose) and how I'll draw Sunday, but I haven't really done either officially because I haven't got a good eraser anymore. The pink one I've kept around faithfully for pretty much all of high school (and maybe even some of middle school?) finally fell apart, and it's been smudging everything (as you can see around the two drawings above), and the white eraser on the pencil itself is almost all gone. I gotta check I have a really good eraser and such before I dive into the full drawing!
Alrighty, that's everything for now! You're now free! And so am I!... Until next week. Farewell, readers and Future Me, if you happen to be reading this!
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