Put your music player on random and take the first lines of 20 songs and put them in order in a poem. The first line of the 21st song will be the title.

What ravages of spirit

I’m drivin’ a truck
With her smile as sweet as a warm wind in summer
Just a reflection
There's no time for us

What, am I to wake up suddenly and then
I am the key to the lock in your house
Gotta keep one jump ahead
Turn away

Close your eyes
In the next world war
The breath of the morning I keep forgetting
Put your head on my shoulder baby

Baby Grace is the victim
Stay away from the future
When you go
Young hearts run free

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
Funny how secrets travel
Wake up
Wake... from your sleep

I've been thinking about the past year for a number of reasons but particularly the odd parallel it had taken with my life in 1993. Several events occurred, although not at the same point in the year and not with the same outcome.

1. Full moon occurring when the moon was closest to the Earth - this happened in March of 93 and December of 08
2. Phillies in the World Series - they won this time around
3. I ended up in the hospital - different times of year and this time I didn't nearly die
4. Rat - in 1993 I bought a rat for Xmas. She was possibly the closest thing to a familiar that I've ever had. She died about a week after I got her. I met a rat in a pet shop this year that was the spitting image of her. The event left me feeling quite shaken. This time around, I did not buy the rat.
5. Pet death - in 1993/4, it was the rat mentioned above. This year it was my cat Beanie who had to be put down.
6. Finishing up my last year at a school - in 93 I was in my last year of elementary school. I am now in my last year for my Masters.

Other things happened this past year that were eventful but not related to anything in 1993, at least that I can think of.
1. Got into a car accident. Thankfully it wasn't my fault.
2. Finished Fellow Freaks and started Strange Days
3. Gen Con, as usual
4. Bob and I visited my grandfather in Washington/Vancouver
5. Played an integral part of creating and running a conference
6. Stayed in the pond side cottage with the Buffy Gang

Overall, the year was a little rough around the edges but definitely had some good highlights. 2009 holds the potential for a lot of changes. We'll have to see how it goes as it changes from potential energy to kinetic :)

An author/artist who I follow recently posted a dream she had that she wasn't sure had any meaning behind it and questioned the validity behind taking meaning from dreams. Which is all fine and dandy if you haven't had an experience that would help throw some light on the situation. I've been fortunate enough to have had some of those experiences.

In one case, it wasn't much. It involved dreaming that we were going to stop selling potato chips at the restaurant that I worked at because we had gotten the wrong brand and weren't making money off of them. A few days after having the dream, the boss comes in and pretty much says exactly that.

Another dream was a bit more useful. Before going to bed, I came across an artist who did some amazing Northwestern Native American art and commented to her that I always had liked that style and even entertained the thought of learning how to do it. That night I dreamt that my whole field of vision was taken up by this art style, writhing and changing. The art thanked me for my interest but informed me my attention was best spent reading the book "Coyote Medicine" (a book that I had purchased for my boyfriend quite some months ago). Upon waking, I decided to go ahead and read the book, which was all about healing. About a month after finishing the book and picking up some more by the same author, I ended up in the emergency room. The wisdom of the books helped me get through some trying times. Maybe just a weird coincidence but a useful one!

However, it may not be too far fetched when taking quantum theory into consideration. From what I've been reading about it so far, everything is connected and the real important thing to consider is not the individual part or person but the relationships that connect that part or person to everything else. I'm only just beginning to develop this idea for myself and am attempting to apply it to my teaching style. It seems like much of what I've been reading and have been interested in lately has been converging on to this "big idea" that seems to be just ever so slightly out of my reach. It may be that I just need to have a seat and really work on it. I might try that over the holidays.

Link to the comic.

In other news, I get to drive a rental car for the next week or so. My car had been hit so it is in the shop for repairs. I'm enjoying it except that it's an automatic. I keep wanting to shift. Ah well.

Happy Halloween!

I've posted a Halloween picture over at Strange Days here.

I've been posting comics but I haven't been posting links or commentary. I really need to get back on top of that. Hopefully I'll start it up again.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

'Allo! SD has updated. Head on over to the comic for the new page.

In other news, I'm currently in Indianapolis for GenCon which is starting on Thursday. In the mean time, we're doing a little sight seeing. We went to the state museum which has a very nice set up. We should be heading to the zoo tomorrow. Then on Wednesday we'll be helping to set up the convention. Then convention!

Link to the comic.

I will be out of town the next two Mondays. The comic should be updating but I may not be able to put the link up in LJ.

Link to the comic.

Although this is the sequel, not FF, that has been updated. I made an LJ community that will be seen on the front page with the commentary. Please feel free to add the community to hear about updates and to post any comments. Thanks!

Link to the comic.

Page 1:
* Tom ended up some place weird. And by weird, I mean a very empty desert.
* There's no name because the "angel" was an amalgamation of a couple different people. Tom doesn't actually know what name he's saying, just that it sounds like the right one.

I'm not sure if I'll be doing commentary for all of the strips since it'll be updating three times a week. Yes, I'm going to be drilling that into your heads: three times a week! For only about three weeks, though. But still. Three!

Link to the comic.

Important note: the epilogue will be updating three times a week as the pages are short; more like a strip than a page. So be sure to check back!

Cover Art:
* So this is the cover for the epilogue. I once asked Tom what he thought death looked like. This was a not uncommon outfit that I used to wear. Yeah, gotta love a character who thinks death looks like you :P (Although I'm not sure if I've even been quite that thin...)
* I've had a bit of a fascination with deserts. I've always thought them to be very mysterious and full of magic. Something that seems dead at first glance but full of life.

Anyway, please make sure to come back on Wednesdays and Fridays as well.