Saturday, May 25, 2013

Something Amusing

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Yesterday, while I was browsing the internet, I stumbled across something that struck me as... rather funny.  I thought I'd post it here, for your enjoyment.  
I did not write this, and I do not know who did, but to whoever it was- thank you!  You provided me with a good laugh yesterday, and that's not something that happens often.   ;)

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Tune in next time for a movie review.  :)  Until then!

-Rayne Speryll

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Tagged Again!

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I suddenly remembered that I was tagged quite a while ago by Leilani Sunblade, so I thought that now is better than never to do it.  :) 
So, like the previous tag I did, I must once again state ten random things about myself, and tag several more people.  So!  That being said, I will get to the tag. 

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1)  I just finished watching the first installment of the Canadian  Anne of Green Gables mini-series.  I've seen it before, but it's nice to rewatch it.  Part II is next!

2)  I have been both homeschooled and public schooled.  Mostly, I've been homeschooled, but I started taking half-days at public school.  Altogether, I've been involved with the public school for six years, and so I feel that I've had a pretty significant taste of both worlds.  I'll do a post on that later on.  :)

3)  I have a book/movie/TV show quote for almost every single situation.  It isn't as if I watch movies or read obsessively,   it's just that I have a mind like a steel trap.  Once I see something, I can quote most of it, even if I've only seen or read it once.  

4)  I have a hand-and-a-half sword named Rastufel, which has actually made it into one of my books.  I don't know how to use it, other than what I've seen in all of the fantasy movies I watch.  Still, I like to don my medieval clothes and take up my sword, and go romping around the countryside like a roving adventurer.  :D







5)  I like coffee.  Especially when it has cream and sugar in it.

6)  I like Frappachino even better.  Mmmm!  XD

7)  I have a fanficiton for almost every story I've ever read/seen.

8)  I watch Star Trek:  TOS and love it.  Spock is undeniably my favorite characer, although Dr. McCoy is a close second.

9)  I have, on occasion, been accused of being an evil villain by my sisters.  Sometimes, I fear they are not far from the truth.... mua-hahahahah!  ;D

10)  My favorite restaurant is Pizza Ranch.  It's Christian, the food is delicious, and you can have as much as you want.  :)

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And I now tag...


-Rayne Speryll

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Sounds! That's Crazy!


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Get it?  SoundsZounds?  Ha ha... anyway, today I was thinking about the many sounds that have been embedded in my memory.  The human mind has an amazing- and yes, sometimes even crazy- way of remembering things.  A sound, a sight, a taste, or a smell, can instantly send you back to a time or place in your life that for some reason has decided to stick in your mind.  
Just the other day, I was walking down the street, and happened to see a sign that said Pig Wheels.  Now, I have no idea what Pig Wheels are, or why the word would be on a sign.  Maybe it was the name of the restaurant.  (Funny name...?)  But whatever it was, the site of those words suddenly reminded me of the words pin-wheels, and instantly my mind was thrown back to the days of my childhood, playing on an ancient Mac desktop computer.  At that time, I didn't know what the internet was, but I knew my way around the elementary learning games pretty well.  There was a game called Reader Rabbit's Ready for Letters.  Part of the game was to help Grandmother Rabbit make pin-wheels, a marshmallow-like cookie.
All of this happened in about five seconds.  I hadn't thought about that game in years, but all of a sudden, I was living back in those days.  It surprised me so much that I actually gasped out loud, which caused my family to look at me very strangely.
Fortunately, my sisters knew the game I was talking about, and for the next fifteen minutes we talked about all of our old childhood memories, crowded around that ancient Mac.

That's weird.

And cool, too, if you think about it.  :)

And, now, after I've had a few days to think about it, I've realized that there are many other sounds I associate with specific memories, and which will always stay in my mind.  I"ve decided to name a few here, and hopefully even find a few examples for you.  Some of the sounds you'll recognize, and some of them you won't have clue what I'm talking about.  Either way, if you ever get a chance to hear any of these sounds (which you probably will), you'll get the chance to share one of my memories.  :)  Enjoy!

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#1:  The sound of a Star Wars light saber.  


#2:  The sound of the TARDIS.



#3:  The sound of a Star Trek door opening.


#4:  The sound of the Wilhelm Scream.


#5:  The sound of Gunther's alarm clock, from the movie The Paper Brigade.  (This one repeats, so don't bother watching the whole thing.  :)


#6:  The sound of the paint can on the old video game program- Kid Pix.  Unfortunately, I cannot find a sample of this one, but if you know what I'm talking about, kudos!

#7:  The sound of my own alarm clock.... but I can't show you that one either.  At any rate, it sends shivers down my spine.  0_0

#8:  The sound of my school's bell- signaling the end of class.  It was an electric tone, a slightly sharp E flat.  It was very strange, and it annoyed me to no end because I'd be playing piano, and the bell would sound, and it would completely throw me off.

#9:  The Pac-Man sound effects!




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Couldn't quite make it to ten, but you get the point.  :)  What do you think?  Are there any sounds that you associate with certain memories?  Tell me about them in the comments, if so.  :)
Thanks!  That's all for the day.

-Rayne Speryll

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Updates!

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I have 1009 pageviews!  This is much more than I ever expected to get, so I'd like to give a big thank you to everyone who reads my blog, whether they are a member or not.  :D  THANKS!

And speaking of members, I would like to thank my nine members for A.  Joining, and B. Faithfully reading the posts.  

That is all I have to say for now, although I hope to get back into doing reviews again soon.  So, in parting, I'll post a few pictures for your entertainment.  

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Sunday, May 12, 2013

Sir Inspiration: A Writer's Best Friend

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Her chest heaving, Rayne took a step back and raised her sword in triumph.  On the ground, the once-formidable shadow known as Darth Writer's Block scrambled away, completely exhausted.
Narrowing her eyes, she pointed the sword at his neck.  "Begone, Darth.  You've lost today."
Writer's block lifted his hands slowly, acknowledging his defeat.  "Very well, Rayne.  But you know this isn't forever.  I'll be back again soon, bringing my brother Procrastination with me.  You can never be rid of us for good!"
Rayne gave a tired, but confident smile.  "You may speak true, but I know that as long as I trust in my Savior, Jesus, He will provide a way out.  It is by His strength that I have defeated you today, and by His strength that I will continue to write.  Now GO!"
The shadow rose, and melted into the shade of a tree.  A gust of wind blew past, taking him far away- Rayne knew not where.  
"Good riddance."  she muttered.  She turned back to survey the damage their fight had caused.  Their dual had ranged all over- starting in her room, then moving through the house, and finally ending outside underneath the large ash tree in her expansive back yard.  Once she had begun fighting for herself, she had known immediately that she had the strength of her Savior behind her.  It had been long and hard, and victory had not come instantaneously.  She'd had to struggle, clawing her way out of the dark shadows Writer's Block and Procrastination had kept her in.  But now, thankfully, it was all over.  Now she was free to write to her heart's content.
The sound of solo clapping drew her attention to the branches above her head.  Looking up, she spotted the lean figure of her close friend, Sir Inspiration.
"Inspire!"  she exclaimed, calling him by her favorite nickname.  "You came!"
Smiling, the young knight nodded and jumped down from the tree, extending his hand in friendship.  "Of course I did.  You know I always do."
Rayne clasped his hand, shaking it firmly.  "Yes, but I confess that I did begin to doubt."
"I know, I saw."  Inspiration said.  "Actually, I had arrived about a day ago.  But I couldn't help you because his hold was too strong.  You had sunken so far into yourself that I couldn't have reached you even though I wanted to."
Rayne hung her head.  "It's true.  I had given in to my own procrastination as well as Darth Writer's Block's influence.  I'm sorry."
Inspiration put his hand on her shoulder and cupped her chin in his hand.  "Now, little one, don't worry.  It's over now.  You've done it."
"Thank you."  Rayne said, smiling.  "Thank you for understanding."
Inspiration nodded, then drew something out from his cloak.  "Here.  I think you forgot something!"
It was her computer and writing chip.  Rayne's face lit up.  "Now?"
"Why not?  You've spent enough time in the dark.  It's time to get some writing done!"
Together, they went off, and wrote until the sun went down.

THE END

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I wrote 2,686 words yesterday.  That is all I have to say.  XD

-Rayne Speryll

(Disclaimer:  I do not own the image used in this post.  Image belongs to artist Michael Komarck. :)

Friday, May 10, 2013

MARAs- What You'll Want to Know

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Well, it's been about five weeks since my post I'm Free!... Or Am I?  In which I was finally free of my expander, and had it replaced by a simple retainer.  Here, as promised, is an update on my new appliance.... the MARA.

MARA is short for Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance, and it is meant to move a receded jaw back into the proper position.  It attaches to four teeth, two on the bottom and two on the top, with metal arms on each side that make it so that you cannot close your jaw without moving the bottom forward so that your front teeth match up correctly.  Here are a few pictures to illustrate this...




This device, I will say, is much easier to tolerate than the expander ever was. As can be expected, it causes some stress to the lower jaw when it moves forward, but the pain subsides after a while.  My biggest concern was the fact that I actually couldn't close my teeth at all.  Because my deep bite, my teeth made no contact with each other for the entire first day.  Which in turn means that I couldn't chew, and had to swallow almost any food I ate whole.  
Needless to say, this was rather distressing, and coupled with the aches from the device itself, I wanted to take it off immediately.  However, after a good night's sleep, my jaw had moved forward enough so that I could once again close my mouth, and- amazingly- move my bottom teeth in front of my top teeth.  I'd never been able to do that before, and I hadn't even been aware that you were supposed to be able to do that.  At any rate, I'd say that the MARA is doing its job credibly, and I am impressed with its speed.  
The orthodontists tell me that in a year, my jaw will be exactly where it's supposed to be, and I'll be left with only a few months of braces to go.  :D

For any of you who might be getting MARAs, I will give you a word of encouragement;  it doesn't last forever, and it's not bad at all when you get used to it.  It will probably give you a temporary lisp, and you won't be able to chew quite right, but you'll figure out the system pretty fast.  :)  
In the mean time, I will start marking the calendar until the day I am really... truly... free.  
*Marks calendar*  *363 days to go*

-Rayne Speryll

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Rayne's Comedy Hour: Entertainment Just for You!

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Just some funny pictures I've found for you.  :D  I hope you enjoy it!  
(Disclaimer:  None of these pictures are mine.)











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-Rayne Speryll

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Book Review: The Guardians Series


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I'm sure that many of you are familiar with the new movie Rise of the Guardians. It is now a very popular children's movie, and rightly so. After watching it I was so impressed that my sister Aarathyn and I looked up the original book series off of which it was based.
William Joyce's The Guardians is a series of three books so far, but the next book, Sandman and the War of Dreams, will be released in September. Although written for young audiences, it is extremely entertaining for even older teens, such as myself.

The Guardians starts out telling the story of two main characters, a little girl named Katherine who lives in a magical village under the protection of the Wizard Omrbic, and Nicholas St. North, a dashing young bandit from Russia.
When North has a mysterious dream about a hidden village filled with treasure beyond imagination, he immediately sets out with his men to find it. However, at the same time, the dark and evil menace known as Pitch (or the Boogeyman) has reawakened and is now threatening to destroy that very village.
Faced with a choice between gaining infinite riches, or defending the innocent children from Pitch, Nicholas proves himself honorable and makes the right decision. And, after he has temporarily warded off Pitch, the people of Santoff Claussen (as the village is called) welcome him to their community, where he does indeed find treasure- but not the kind he had first imagined. He finds the treasure of friendship with the girl Katherine and the Wizard Ombric. And, when the world is once again threatened by Pitch, Nicholas St. North and his new friends make a brave stand to defeat him.

The next two books tell similar stories, but each time, Pitch has a new plan, and each time, a new member is added to the original group of friends. So far, we have Nicholas, Ombric, Katherine, E. Aster Bunnymund, and Toothiana. In the next book, we expect to see not only Sandman, but a particularly wayward young boy named Jackson Overland Frost. ( XD )

The Guardians series is an excellent series of books for children and teens alike. There is almost no violence, and certainly nothing graphic. The positive views of friendship, family, innocence and wisdom are represented well, and the classic struggle between Good and Evil plays out again and again.
While they do not go into the story of the Creation of the universe, it is implied that it either evolved, or that certain planets were constructed by other finite beings. (As an example, Bunnymund claims to not only have helped shape the Earth, but also made the continent of Australia.)
The latter example, of course, is perfectly ridiculous, and is mainly meant for comedy. The implied evolution of the universe is certainly not uncommon in today's society. We as Christians know the truth, that God created the world in six days, and since this book series is presented as a work of complete fiction, I don't think this is a problem. I just thought I'd mention it for the sake of anyone who would.

I recommend this series to any and all readers out there. It doesn't matter whether you like fantasy, or steampunk, or not, this series is a great and entertaining piece of literature. If yo do read it, I would also suggest reading the short children's storybooks that go with it- including Sanderson Man Snoozie and The Man in the Moon. These colorfully illustrated storybooks have surprising depth for bed-time stories, and they provide interesting background stories for the characters. The artwork is absolutely beautiful.
I anxiously look forward to the publication of Sandman and the War of Dreams, but until then, I'll content myself with writing this book review... then re-reading the books I already have!

-Rayne Speryl