Beth, Doritos only has one 'i'

The week of Beach Mission, I discovered a few things about my friend Beth that some people may consider worrying. I certainly found some of them shocking. I mean, what 17 year old British girl has neither listened to Bohemian Rhapsody or played Scrabble? However, most relevant to the next question, Beth calls Doritos, Doritios.... Yes, note that extra 'i'....

What’s wrong with Doritos, anyway?

When I first read this question I didn't really think there was anything wrong with Doritos. I mean, I like them, they're a good party snack and they're good for sharing but I hadn't really thought much more about them besides 'sure, I like them.' However, now that I come to think of it, there are a number of issues with Doritos....

• You always get the flavourings all over your fingers. What is with that? Can they not flavour them in a way where you finish eating and you don't go 'ah, I should probably go wash my hands. Although I'd lick it off, but then I should still go wash my hands cause I'll have spit-covered hands...'
• The flavouring dust also means it's eat or do something else, for a snack-y type food, it makes it really hard to eat them whilst doing something else. Like playing cards...
• Why have I never seen small bags of Doritos? It's as if they only want you to eat them when you're with friends and never as a small snack by yourself.
• The dip jars are always too big compared to one bag of Doritos. One bag of Doritos should have a one bag size of branded dip to go with it.
• According to Wikipedia, the Sour Cream and Onion flavour was discontinued in the 80s. I like sour cream and onion flavour....
• 'Dorito' means 'little golden' in Spanish but most Doritos are more orange than golden..
• .... I think I'm clutching at straws now...

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 12 down, 8 to go

programs open: Steam Chat, sticky notes, windows live mail, Chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, Doritos wikipedia page)

Latest music listened to: Safety Dance...

Last film/tv watched: Heroes, season 3, episode *checks disk* 22

Latest book read: Alice in Time by Penelope Bush (This is actually a book my sister has been borrowing from the library... Quite good for a book aimed at young teenagers)

Latest edible item consumed: Crunch Cake I think.

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Blue. Very blue

Days until Roothill: 4

Summer in the City!

When I first read this question, I wasn't really sure what to answer with. It's one of those questions that when asked, my mind goes blank and I'm all "but I can't think of anything now!" However, after this weekend, I guess you could claim that in some people's opinion, it answers this question: What’s the strangest activity/project/group you’ve been involved with?

On Saturday, I headed over to London for the main day of Summer in the City. So far, if you don't know what I'm on about you probably think this is fairly normal. However, most people (especially those who don't 'get' the YouTube community) may think that my spending an afternoon in Regents Park with a bunch of people who I've never really met before, some of whom I watch on YouTube and the main thing we all have in common being YouTube, is a bit odd. Plus the crowd around one certain Charlie McDonnell would definitely confuse those who don't realise his 'internet fame' as it were.

Only at Summer in the City would you get hundreds of nerds emerging from behind their computer screens, filling Regent's Park with cries of 'DFTBA' and chants of 'Maureen Johnson, where are you?!', or so many people in the same obscure T-Shirt such as that of Sons of Admirals or a Pizza John shirt or so many people dressed up; Only at Summer in the City will you get two Eleventh Doctors, one Amy Pond, one Tenth Doctor, a monkey, and an Aperture Science test victim complete with portal gun. I think those who weren't either dressed up or wearing an obscure and/or nerdy shirt were severely outnumbered.

Oh, and then there were the cameras. Everywhere you looked on Saturday there were cameras, video cameras, people talking to cameras as they vlogged, people pointing cameras at other people as they were challenged to do silly things or asked to say something, cameras taking pictures of fangirls with their YouTube obsessions and cameras taking pictures of groups of friends who know each other over the internet but so rarely get to meet up. CDs and notebooks and my giant, almost filled scrapbook were handed over to YouTubers with a pen asking for signatures, drawings, a message, a random fact, anything to remind them of the time they actually met the person rather than just seeing their face pop up in their subscription boxes once again.

Saturday was a great day. Getting to know YouTubers, having others randomly come up to you and say hi, going through my whole scrapbook with Tom Ska (Hello parking meter... Hello!) while Charlie McDonnell is mere meters away getting fangirled, being able to sing along to EddPlant's music live, being able to tell YouTubers in person how much you appreciate their videos and realising that they are all just normal people. Normal people in this sub-community where they are 'internet celebrities' as some call them but ultimately so normal. Thank you everyone who was there for a great day and DFTBA!!

Twenty Questions status: 11 down, 9 to go
programs open: windows live mail, sticky notes, chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, My blog,)
Latest music listened to: Mike Lombardo: If I Say (Let go)
Last film/tv watched: How to Train Your Dragon I think because I wasn't really watching whatever was on Terrie's TV earlier and I don't think I've watched anything since...
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed:A pint of Coke
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Pink and Grey PJs! I'm ready to go to bed as soon as this is posted!
Days until Roothill: 4..... 9 posts left to do in 4 days... eek!!

Painting by Numbers

I've just finished painting an episode of Fort Paradox for Matt so I think it's rather appropriate that I answer this question next: Ink or Acrylics?

I don't actually have a straight out answer for this. When I'm doing art, it usually depends what mood I'm in as to which medium I use. If I'm in a messier mood then I'll probably pull out my acrylics but if I'm in a more monochrome mood I'd go for inks (Biros usually being my preferred type of inky pen). I'd also say that it depends what I'm planning on drawing. Something with more detail and less focus on colour will usually be done in ink while a less detailed, more colour dependant piece would be done in acrylics. Also, the larger the artwork, the more likely I will do it in acrylics. However cool it would be to do an A1 piece entirely in Biro, I don't think I'd have the patience. Maybe someday I'll do a massive Biro piece....

I have to say, I do love acrylics. Despite being fond of doing ink drawings, there is something satisfying about acrylics which blends colours in a certain way and fills in big blocks so quickly in as equally as satisfying way. Choosing between the two is hard but however easy it is to just pick up a pen and draw, usually I will choose acrylics if I have the time, space and desire to be a little more messy. :)

An interior without an exterior can hardly constitute itself as an interior - Salvador Dali

Twenty Questions status: 10 down, 10 to go
programs open: windows live mail, steam chat, sticky notes, chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, My blog,)
Latest music listened to: Journey's End by Chameleon Circuit
Last film/tv watched: How to Train Your Dragon
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed:Classic Magnum
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Black/blue/grey sort of equal amounts
Days until Roothill: 7

I'm not obsessed or anything...

When I first read the next question, I have to admit I wasn't totally sure what to answer with. I couldn't really remember what I should answer with but then last week... well, you'll see.

What’s your most recently formed life ambition?

As of about last week, to have a Doctor Who themed wedding. So most of you will think I'm crazy, others will think that's pretty cool, others will just dismiss it as me being "one of those girls who likes to plan early". However, since I found out that a couple I met on Beach Mission last week had their wedding with a slight Doctor Who theme, I've embraced the idea myself...

I've probably put way too much thought into this. Waay too much thought...

• Using Doctor Who character's names when doing the practice run through...
• Somehow materialising in a TARDIS rather than a car?
• Having the theme tune or some other part of the soundtrack play on the way out
• Bridesmaids in TARDIS blue
• TARDIS blue balloons rather than just the usual white ones
• Somehow incorporate trock? Maybe get Chameleon Circuit to play if they're still a thing...
• Tables with names after Who related characters rather than boring old numbers
• Encourage people to dress up as Who characters?
• Have a TARDIS cake like Terrie did for her birthday except BIGGER!
• Marry the Doctor... wait... stick to reality Hannah...

I think you get the idea.....

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 9 down, 11 to go
programs open: Windows media player, windows live mail, steam chat, sticky notes, chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, My blog, Facebook, Fort Paradox
Latest music listened to: Everything is Ending by Chameleon Circuit
Last film/tv watched: How to Train Your Dragon
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed:Classic Magnum
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Black/blue/grey sort of equal amounts
Days until Roothill: 8

Sssh! Don't wake me!

Do you like mornings?

No. Well, no is usually my immediate answer to this question but seen as I need more than one word I've been thinking about this a little more. My hatred of mornings isn't really just as simple as 'no'. At least, not if you think about the different ways you could interpret this question.

The most obvious interpretation and the cause of the flat out 'no' response is the "do you like getting up in the mornings?" way of looking at it. I suck at getting out of bed. Anyone who's ever shared a room with me, or a tent, or ever seen me in the morning for any reason knows that I just don't get up. I'm too fond of staying tucked up in my duvet, snuggled down in the warmth of my bed and even when I'm in a sleeping bad on an air bed, I rarely want to get up. I'm just too fond of sleep and that warm snuggly feeling that you pretty much only get in bed.

You could also take it as "do you like the period of time pre-lunch but post dawn?" and for that, I'd have to say I do. There is something satisfying about getting stuff done in the morning and knowing, when you've finished that you've still got the whole afternoon left to do things. The weather in the morning of a hot day is winding up to the sunny climax of noon rather that winding down to the balmy evening (although I do love that, who doesn't love the smell of a cool summer evening?) and mornings give you the feeling of a fresh new day that you miss when you don't get up until 11 or 12...

Although I say that I like the time period of morning, I'm afraid to say that my hatred of getting out of bed generally overrules. Rarely do I get up earlier than I need to and more often than not I try to squeeze an extra five... ten... fifteen... thirty minutes of sleep before I actually get up. No wonder I so often set my alarm so long before I actually need to be out the door...

"Tweet tweet, time to sleep... or are you waking up?"

Twenty Questions status: 8 down, 12 to go
programs open: I'm going to try setting a schedule for this to post in the morning....
Latest music listened to: One of the songs off Chameleon Circuit's "Still got legs". 'Although I can't remember which track
Last film/tv watched: BBC 10 O'clock News. Although I have to admit not the whole thing
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed: I had a glass of milk before I went up to bed.
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey/White
Days until Roothill: 8

So… what to do when life gives you lemons?

With the title being the next question, all I can say is, "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade!" This being a quote from the highly regarded computer game, Portal 2. (Funnily enough, it's the sequel to Portal!)

Now, I would launch into how awesome this game is, how it tests your logic rather than just getting you to point and shoot, tests your reactions and captures you in a great story arc however seen as I still haven't completely finished the game, I don't quite feel qualified.

Right, before any of you who have played Portal and/or Portal 2 start telling me off for taking so long:

1. I didn't order the game until after exams had ended
2. I haven't been playing it non-stop
3. I haven't played it since I got to a point where I was having a bit of difficulty, stopped to think about it and never really got back to it because I got distracted by rereading of The Hunger Games, playing of other games, visiting friends, and being away last week.

I really want to finish it and maybe I'll find out more about Cave Johnson and most likely realise I was really close to the end when I stopped playing but for now I will leave you with this: Valve make awesome games.

DFTBA

Sorry, the stats haven't really changed since last blog, I haven't done anything much in the past 10 minutes or so!

Twenty Questions status: 7 down, 13 to go
programs open: Steam chat, sticky notes, chrome (blogger in draft: new post)
Latest music listened to: One of the songs off Chameleon Circuit's "Still got legs". 'Although I can't remember which track
Last film/tv watched: BBC 10 O'clock News. Although I have to admit not the whole thing
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed: I had a glass of milk before I came up to bed.
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey/White
Days until Roothill: 8

No, not the man with the ark

Rolling straight on to the next question: Why is your car called that?

So, for those of you who don't know, my car is called Noah. Yes, you're right to jump to conclusion that this is from the Bible but no, the name is not from the guy who built an ark when God told him to but actually, it's after a lady in the Bible.

"What? There's a female Noah in the Bible?" is probably what you're saying if you haven't heard this story before. The answer is most certainly yes. In fact, she's mentioned in two separate places. I can't remember who said this or when it got said but it came about that I relayed this fact (I believe the original claim was that there are more female Noahs than male in the Bible but it comes to pass that this actually isn't strictly speaking true) to a friend which led to a long time on Easter Camp trawling through the Bible to back up our facts. Eventually, and a long time later, two accounts came up separately in my bible readings (Numbers 26v33/36v11 being in effect one account and Joshua 17v3 being the other). If you read it, you find that Noah is one of the daughters of Zelophehad and her and her sisters had no brothers so asked for their father's land to be passed on through them in the Numbers account and in Joshua we see it being given to them.

Now what has this got to do with the name of my car? Well, when we got the car, we (well mainly me) decided it should be named. My mum suggested Alfie due to my Grandma giving me a chocolate car called Alfie rather than a chocolate egg for Easter and I suggested Noah just because it would be a good reason to tell the story of the above. Plus only a car can get away with being female and called Noah. So for a while Noah Alfie Newcombe was the car's name (NAN for short) however only the Noah bit seems to have stuck until this day to leave you with this rather bizarre anecdote...

DFTBA


Twenty Questions status: 6 down, 14 to go
programs open: Steam chat, sticky notes, chrome (blogger in draft: new post)
Latest music listened to: One of the songs off Chameleon Circuit's "Still got legs". 'Although I can't remember which track
Last film/tv watched: BBC 10 O'clock News. Although I have to admit not the whole thing
Latest book read: If you could see me now
Latest edible item consumed: I had a glass of milk before I came up to bed.
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey/White
Days until Roothill: 8

Did you have to ask?

The next question, I really don't know why Matt had to ask this, surely the answer is obvious? Beethoven or Bieber?

Beethoven hands down. Even if you're talking about the dog! I have to admit, that I'm not generally the sort of person who listens to Beethoven in the car or chooses classic FM. Generally the playing of Beethoven's music is reserved for when I get my flute out but any day I'd choose Beethoven over Bieber. 

Now, my music theory knowledge is a bit sparse (I only just got the pass mark in grade 5 music theory!) but Beethoven has so many positives making his music sound so much better. Plus, there is something magical about listening to a complete orchestra playing together in harmony, something beautiful. When you think about Bieber in comparison, the pop-y music with limited chords just doesn't really match up.

Bieber also has the disadvantage of lyrics. I don't like the lyrics of most pop songs, but when they're sung by someone younger than me, they loose any sort of meaning they had. Also, I can't take seriously any artist who uses "like" in the wrong way so many times in one chorus:

And I was like...


Baby, baby, baby oooh
Like baby, baby, baby nooo
Like baby, baby, baby oooh
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)


Baby, baby, baby oooh
Like baby, baby, baby nooo
Like baby, baby, baby oooh
I thought you'd always be mine (mine)

Do I need to explain my answer of "Beethoven" any more?

Twenty Questions status: 5 down 15 to go!

programs open: Steam, Sticky Notes, Windows Live mail, Chrome (Blogger in draft: new post, Justin Bieber Lyrics.... iPlayer)

Latest music listened to: Something on my DFTBA playlist on the way to the allotment...

Last film/tv watched: A documentary about a girl with a sleeping disorder which means she ends up sleeping for up to two weeks.

Latest book read: If you could see me now

Latest edible item consumed: Oooh, I finished off with crunch cake again!

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey/white, once again in my pjs :)

Days until Roothill: 10

"Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground."

How big are your feet?

You know, this is not actually as straight forward as you would thing. You probably thought I'd give you an integer and then fill up the rest of the blog with rambling but actually, it's just not that easy. I mean, I know I'm roughly around a size 7 but I can never guarantee that a size 7 will fit. Sometimes they're too big and I have to get a size 6, sometimes they're even too small and I have to get a size 8. Sizes seem to vary from make to make and a size 6 in one style of shoe will be just the same size as a size 8 in another!

I could just measure my feet I guess.. Hang on... *grabs ruler from nearby desk* my right foot is.... *measures foot* roughly 26 cm long or about 10.2 inches (ironically less that a foot long) and my left foot is.... *measures foot* 25 cm long about 9.8 inches give or take. Well, that centimetre differences certainly explains why I tend to find shoes never fit both feet equally well.... Then again, I may have measured my feet wrong.. I was trying to use a plastic ruler I got for art in year seven. As you do...

DFTBA

Twenty Questions status: 4 down, 16 to go!

programs open: Steam, Sticky notes, windows live mail, windows media player, chrome (blogger in draft: new post)

Latest music listened to: Eddplant's "Less Than Three"

Last film/tv watched: Still Top Gear!

Latest book read: Still "If you could see me now"

Latest edible item consumed: Still crunch cake!

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Still haven't changed...

Days until Roothill: 11 (I still have more blogs left than days left....)

Baaalmy obsessions

So now I'm going to answer the big question. The one that so many of you must have been asking as you raise your eyebrows at my blog's name or (if you know me IRL) as you see me sitting next to you complete with sheep t-shirt, socks and shoes with sheep drawn on: Where did the sheep obsession come from?

You know, I think the obsession is something that has sort of crept up on me. I've always loved animals but when I was younger, it was always dolphins I obsessed over. I have a ton of little dolphin ornaments, my lampshade has dolphins stencilled over it, part of my room has a dolphin border round it (where it's not covered by posters) and you can also see the occasional stencilled dolphin peek out from under the things covering the wall around my noticeboard. Everything had to be dolphin related. Once, through school, I met the author of the Roman Mysteries series and my obsession meant I bought the dolphin related book for her to sign rather than starting at the beginning like any normal person. However, this doesn't explain the sheep obsession really does it? But in some ways it's important. Somewhere along the line, my dolphin obsession started to fade and a sheep obsession started to kick it. Maybe something to do with the sheep in the field at the end of our garden, possibly something somewhere harking back to the nightmares I used to have as a very little girl of sheep jumping over the fence and swarming our garden. (Which apparently actually used to happen in a less drastic way before we put in a new fence but it's funny how I remember the dream but not the actual sheep. Then again, I would have been only about 18 months old.)

This may have all been building up but I think the turning point came on Easter Camp one year. We were doing some high ropes and in the field next to where we were, there were some sheep. I said, as illogical me would, something along the lines of: "Those sheep must be feeling left out, seeing so many people do high ropes right next to them. I wonder if we could make a sheep harness so they could join in? Ooh! How about a sheep zipwire!" and then for a lot of the rest of the week, I was talking about sheep, saying 'sheep' as the answer to any questions that I didn't know the answer to and sheep seemed to take over....

So really, the sheep obsession partly snook up on me and partly was the result of a rather obscure and random comment...

Alons-y...

Twenty Questions status: 3 down, 17 to go...

programs open: Steam chat, sticky notes, windows live mail, windows media player, chrome (blogger in draft: new post)

Latest music listened to: Driftless Pony Club's American Princes is currently playing

Last film/tv watched: Still Top Gear

Latest book read: Cecelia Ahern's If you could see me now.

Latest edible item consumed: Still the awesomeness that is crunch cake. Unless you count toothpaste but I didn't really eat that...

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: still grey/white, I'm not going to change out of my pyjamas now am I?!

Days until Roothill: 11

Returning to those all important questions...

I’m back!

So, after an extended week away, I am ready to return with vengeance in order to scrape back the lead that Matt has so kindly given himself. I had an amazing week at beach mission with full days on the beach sharing God’s word, playing games, singing songs, sharing memory verses, playing Zonko and all manner of other things whilst gently browning myself, finished off with an extra day or so with Beth and Josh mainly. However, I’m not quite sure how to use one of Matt’s questions to tell you about Beach Mission in great detail so I’m just going to jump straight back into answering questions!

12. If you had to choose between your eyes and your ears…?

This is a hard question. I mean, genuinely hard. It’s like being told to choose between children. I guess the best way to decide is to see which I can least live without…

• ·         Ears give you music. I very rarely go a day without listening to or singing some kind of music whether it’s my mp3 or singing at church or singing on the beach on beach mission. I'm always humming tunes. I can’t imagine life without music pulsating around me. It would just be so quiet.
• ·         Ears mean you can hear what people are saying to you. You can talk over Skype and on the phone, it makes communicating so much easier and quicker and it means everyone else don’t have to learn sign language!
• ·         Ears mean I can listen to audio books, particularly Doctor Who audio books read by David Tennant…. (Although I have to admit I prefer reading books. Which requires eyes…)
• ·         Ears mean I can appreciate wonderful regional accents…
• ·         Eyes mean I can see the beauty of creation, appreciate beautiful butterflies, pretty flowers, awesome animals and stunning scenery.
• ·         Eyes mean I can do art. Sure, you can technically make art without eyesight but I wouldn't be able to paint and draw like I love to.
• ·         Eyes mean I can read and watch TV programs. Audio books and audio description only compensates so much.
• ·         A person with no eyes is more obviously different than a person with no ears. Well, girls at least with their hair down.
• ·         My eyes are already slightly malfunctioning… I need glasses but not hearing aids…
• ·         I could get glass eyes so I don’t look so silly…. Then again I could also get prosthetic ears.

In conclusion… am I ready to come to a conclusion? In conclusion, I think I’d rather keep my ears over my eyes. I love music just that bit too much. I’m just going to have to teach myself to play music by ear if I can’t read the music for playing my flute…

Twenty Questions status: 2 down, 18 to go...

programs open: Steam, Windows Live mail, windows media player, postit notes, word, Chrome (blogger in draft and Alex Day's Blog)

Latest music listened to: Again playing through my DFTBA playlist with the demo version of "Exterminate, Regenerate" by Chameleon Circuit currently playing.

Last film/tv watched: Top Gear. I've been catching up but I think I may have missed an episode... not sure...

Latest book read: Cecelia Ahern's "If you could see me now"

Latest edible item consumed: Crunch cake!! A chocolaty, biscuity, very sweet piece of yummyness made by my sister.

Predominant colour of clothes wearing: grey/white. I'm actually already in my pyjamas...

Days until Roothill: 11

Is this the last question?

No! Of course this isn't the last question! In fact, this is the beginning of "Twenty Questions". Do you remember back at the beginning of the year when Matt Colclough challenged me to "First 11 for '11"? Well this is the sequel. And I'm heading off to Beach Mission tomorrow so he has some what of an advantage...

Matt and I have set each other twenty questions which we each have to answer before we head off to Roothill camp on the 20th August. That would be pretty much one a day if I weren't going on Beach Mission but just because I'll be busy next week doesn't mean I'm going to let Matt win! Even if it requires five blogs in one day or working out a way to blog from my phone, I will not give up and rest assured, this will not be the last question.

Obviously, this challenge has a few rules. The main one being that each blog should be at least 100 words long however I'm now thinking that this may be a little short. I've already completed this quota and yet this blog seems a little short and pathetic. Then again, it may make it easier to catch up...

I've begun at the end, making the last question the first question and now I just have 19 more questions to complete. I think most of these I could come up with a post fairly easily and if anything, I'm going to have trouble deciding which order to do the posts in! I could have been all OCD about it and just done them in order but what's the fun in that? The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Oh, I've just realised, I could fulfil my need for order by just doing them backwards... Oh well, we'll see.

And of course, no challenge blog is complete without some stats:


Twenty Questions status: 1/20
programs open: Steam chat, too many postit notes, windows live mail and Chrome: facebook, blogger draft, A White Horizon, and instructions to make the black lotus from Sherlock that I've pinned and keep meaning to print.
Latest music listened to: Whatever was last on from my playlist of DFTBA artists
Last film/tv watched: an episode of Miranda on iPlayer that I was only half watching
Latest book read: A UBM book called "Holidays of a Lifetime!"
Latest edible item consumed: A chocolate biscuit I believe
Predominant colour of clothes wearing: Grey. Surprisingly not blue for once
Days until Roothill: 21

-----------------------------------

On Two Truths, One Lie, I'll put the whole thing on hold for a bit seen as a blog challenge has commenced however I will give you the answer to last time:

3 is the lie. This may disappoint people seen as it's the two highly esteemed films that I haven't seen and the other, rather standard film that I have... Well, if anyone wishes to lend me the DVDs....

"We Love John Green"

My local Waterstones is awesome. Or maybe I should say it has become awesome. My local Waterstones has discovered Nerdfighteria. OK, maybe they're unaware that by stocking all of John Green's books and one of Maureen Johnson's books they've discovered Nerdfighteria but they sure have made me and my Nerdfighting friends happy.

Of course, this branch haven't always remembered to be awesome and they still have a way to go. When my friend Terrie first went in to try order Looking for Alaska for my birthday she got a reply along the lines of "Who on earth is John Green?" and it literally wasn't until about a week or so ago that they recognised the existence of Maureen Johnson. Furthermore, they only stock "Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes" so are unable to fulfil my Johnson cravings to the extent I would like.

Nevertheless, Waterstones has gone John Green mad. For quite a while, his books have been dominating the "teen" section with little hand written reviews for some of his books, praising them like nobody's business. Being the bookaholic I am, I can't go past Waterstones without popping in and every time I go to the back of the store to check the teen section. I've seen the abundance of awesome grow and grow from a few lone copies of "Looking for Alaska" all the way to all four of John Green's books. It's so great to see John Green's books flourish outside the world of Nerdfighteria and it also gives my friends and I an excuse to leave Nerdfighter notes...

However, I think the most awesome thing I've seen when I've popped in for one of my "check ups" on the section is this:

We'll ignore the fact that (in my opinion) "Looking for Alaska" has the wrong cover and that "will grayson, will grayson" is (also in my opinion) weird in paperback form (is this me being bias against copies that are unlike my own?) and focus on what has been written underneath. Oh. My. GOODNESS. Waterstones is awesome. Well, I guess it's the staff more than the big chain but still, EPIC. Who would have thought that a branch of a mainstream UK book store would get so hyped up about an American Nerdfighting author? Well I'm not complaining. :)

DFTBA

------------------

(I'm not going to do Two Truths, One Lie this post seen as I posted so recently but don't fear! I will blog again with the answer soon! I hope!)

Every proverbial cloud...

You know you haven't blogged in a while when:

1) You keep getting bugged on Formspring to blog
2) The format of blogger has changed so you don't recognise how to use it
3) Matt starts suggesting blog challenges to get us both blogging more!

I have no idea why I haven't been blogging, I mean, I love blogging and I've run out of excuses such as "exams" and "school" and "work". Re-reading The Hunger Games trilogy is hardly a valid excuse and that didn't use up the almost month since I last blogged; The Hunger Games is too good to read that slowly!

On the plus side, not blogging for so long has given me many things to write about. I've had plenty of ideas, read enough books to review, played enough Portal 2 to at least begin to review it (I still haven't quite finished the whole thing but when gives you lemons, I'm not just going to sit back and make lemonade... ok, that only makes sense as a reference...) and I've got plenty of free time to rustle up some random drawings, moan about various things and just generally bore you readers to the brink of destruction. (Then again, I hope I'm not quite that boring...)

Also, I've realised that you're probably wondering what the answer to "Two Truths, One Lie" is seen as I've left you swinging for so long. However, it has given you longer to guess. The handful of you who read... See, every cloud has a silver lining and all that :)

So, welcome back! Have a happy summer and I hope to see you here again soon! Alons-y!

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Two Truths, One Lie:

Last time, number one was the lie. Surprisingly, I haven't got a toy sheep named Wooly but if anyone wishes to fix that gaping hole, my address is: [You really thought I'd be that stupid?]

Now for this time's....

1) I've never seen Jurassic Park

2) I've never seen Toy Story 3

3) I've never seen Cars