Thursday, January 27, 2011

Technologically Challenged

Ok so I was always the first one to comment or laugh when my dad would ask us how the microwave worked, how to turn on the tv, what is texting, why do you use a computer, etc... I always thought I was very much into the technological age that we are in, and fancied myself a pro in anything space age.

Boy, was I ever wrong.

I was quite content with my old cellphone, my dearly beloved and now deceased Samsung. I could call and text freely and understood every aspect of it and our bond was growing ever stronger by the day. The incessant harrasment I received to upgrade my cellphone to something more "hip" got the better of me and temptation struck when I passed in front of the Telephone Booth today.

I finally got a new cellphone and with that came shocking news. I am a newb. Yup, brand me now and box me into category, this guy is technologically challenged.

I don't know anything about cellphones anymore apparently and I am having trouble with the texting features, do not know how to change my settings and words have changed since my day. what is predictive texting? Seriously, what the heck happened to the good old T9?

With this being said, I truly must get back to my LG, which I affectionately titled Little Guy, and fix these darn settings.

*sigh*

Any funny technological incidents? Share!

Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

Monday, January 24, 2011

Chapter 3 from a Short Story

It's monday! Yes, that means another chapter from Friday the 13th. So far the story has been pretty tame. We have seen Pamela Voorhees' psychotic vengeance on her husband and his mistress and the aftermath of the situation.

Several years later, Sarah Skrzek has returned to Crystal Lake to spend the summer with her beloved and overprotective grand-mother, Krystyna. They share laughs and we learn that Sarah is seeing a guy from school, much to Krystyna's chagrin. During the evening news, Sarah learns of the macabre slayings that happened at Camp Crystal Lake. She is distraught over the news, as she knew one of the victims.

She sleeps it off and although still feels responsibility for the death of Melinda, she acts as if she wasn't angry anymore. She has breakfast with her grand-mother and then walks into town where, by chance, she meets another childhood friend, Tyh Simms. Although she doesn't remember him at first, their friendship quickly rekindles and passion erupts. They spend the day at the beach and Tyh tells Sarah about the weird circumstances that surround the Voorhees' murders: Jason Voorhees, the eldest child, dissapeared after the murders and was never seen again.

Note: This chapter is gruesome. Scenes from this chapter contain sexual content, violence, and coarse language. Reader and parental discretion is advised. (lol)



3
Dying on the Job

Sarah awoke on Friday to the smell of fried bacon. How she loved spending
summer vacations with her granny; it seemed like every day was Sunday. She
tip-toed towards the guest bathroom to wash up a little; her hair was
still dried out from the starchy lake water. In the calm silence of the
morning, she reminisced about the day before. She squeezed some body gel
into her sponge and watched it foam into a white substance. Chemistry; oh,
how I love chemistry, she thought. She smiled and hurried up her cleansing
process.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she found the place a mess. Pots and pans
were littering the counter tops, to a point where the antique brass sink
was barely visible. She could hear her granny talk outside. She moved
closer to the patio doors and discovered that Krystyna had set up a nice
table in the garden. Two plates were meeting opposite each other, and they
were garnished with fresh fruit and sizzling maple bacon. Sarah grinned
and stepped outside. The warm July breeze greeted her gently, and then the
northern wind crept in abruptly. Granny was on the phone and she was
speaking in her native tongue. Most likely to my mother, Sarah said to
herself. She sat down in front of her plate when Krystyna noticed her. She
said goodbye to the person on the line and then sat across from her
grand-daughter.

“That was your mother on the phone” Krystyna confirmed, picking up a white
grape from her plate. “She’s going to come for a visit tomorrow.” She
continued, biting down on the vulnerable fruit.

“About tomorrow…”Sarah started off, half-smiling. “I may be working up at
Camp Crystal Lake. I think it would be fun to get a summer job” She
finalized, knowing full well what her granny thought about working so
young.

“You don’t need a job, my sweet pea. Enjoy your summer” She answered,
which Sarah had expected.

“But I will be enjoying it. I’m going to be with kids my age, and it’ll
give you time for yourself as well” Sarah continued; kind of playing with
her food but not really eating it. The sun’s burning rays and bolstering
heat had stripped her of her appetite.

“Sarah, I haven’t seen you in the flesh in eight years. What makes you
think that you’re a bother to me?” Krystyna held back tears. She didn’t
know what emotion had brought them out, but it was a deep, passionate one.
She told Sarah she was going to get some lemonade and then rushed inside
the house.

Sarah was eyeing the rose bushes, admiring their true beauty: their
defense mechanism. They were considered to be the finest flowers in the
flora. Yet they had prickly thorns that ridged their stems. They were
ready to defend themselves at any moment. Sarah was about to collect a few
when her cell phone went off. A Bon Jovi song rang around the backyard,
exciting the neighbour’s dog. Sarah jumped on the phone and flipped it
open.

“Hello –“

“I’ve been trying to reach you since yesterday. Are you still mad because
of what happened at Caroline’s party?”

It was Travis. She was trying to avoid him and currently hated herself for
not checking her call display. She silently screamed and rolled her eyes
before even attempting to reply. “I’ve been really busy, Travis. I even
got a job” She lied. She didn’t even go for an interview yet. “Listen, I
have to hang up, I’m…um…going shopping with my grand-mother” Travis was
fumbling with his words and Sarah could hear him beg and ask if she was
dumping him. She shut the phone and clumsily dropped it to the ground.

Krystyna picked it up and rested it on the table. She told Sarah someone
was at the door for her, and then sat back down. Her long grey locks were
flying in the wind. They shadowed her eyes as they followed Sarah’s every
step back inside the house.


Tyh was standing outside, a dark silhouette behind the mesh-screened door.
Sarah smiled and quickened her pace. She opened the door and greeted him
inside the house. “Hey! I was just having breakfast with bapcia. Why don’t
you join us?”

“I can’t stay; I have a meeting” He said, scratching the back of his head;
displaying his anxiety openly. He grinned and then spotted Krystyna
standing at the back door. He nodded and looked back at Sarah. “I wanted
to know if you would like to come with me. You could talk to Lorne, the
camp director.”

She smiled and turned to her grand-mother. She sighed and nodded in
approval, under the condition that Sarah would be back for supper. Sarah
ran towards her and wrapped her arms around her granny.

“I love you!”

Krystyna waved them goodbye and went back to her garden.

*****

The golden chimes above the door began to sing the sound of music.  Dana Roy
smiled at the welcomed customer. “I never thought you would show up! I
need my joint for tonight” She sighed, walking over towards the door to
lock it. She checked out the window one last time then lowered the wooden
blinds. “Make this quick, I’m not supposed to close the store”.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re the one who called me here at ten in the
morning. How much you need, baby?” Dan said, slipping out a full
bag of pine green marijuana from his denim coat.

“That looks like crap weed to me” Dana tossed her blonde hair over her
shoulder, showcasing her plunging neckline. “Don’t you have something, um,
better?” She continued, moving her hand over Dan's crotch. He smiled and
dropped the bag of weed on the counter.

He slipped his hand under her purple mini skirt and cupped her ass. She
moaned and trusted her hips inwards. Her head tilted backwards and the tip
of her fair hair tickled her dealer’s hand. She gasped and bit her lower
lip. He pressed his lips against hers as he lifted her on the edge of the
counter, spreading her legs as he moved in between them. He groaned as
Dana began unfastening his belt. Her green eyes looked at him with hunger.
He slipped off her black silk thong and was about to lower between her
thighs when they heard trashing and crashing coming from the back store.

“What the fuck was that?” Dana shouted, pushing her dealer away from her.
She jumped off the counter as Dan fumbled to tie up his pants. “Don’t just
stand there you idiot; go take a look!”

“This is your job, man. Fuck this shit.” He grabbed his weed off the
counter, unlocked the door and bolted out. Dana rolled her eyes and
sighed.

“Pussy” She sighed aloud.

She grabbed the bat that was resting besides the cash register and made
her way towards the back. “Come out, come out wherever you are!” She
teased. She pushed the door open and examined the storage room. Mannequins
were bunched together and piles of clothes were threatening to collapse. A
warm breeze caught Dana’s attention. The back door was swaying back and
forth. It had knocked over a display of vintage hockey masks that were now
littering the floor.

“I told her not to buy those god-awful masks” She told herself, and rested
the wooden bat against one of the countless mannequins. She stepped over
the white hockey masks and closed the door shut, locking it tightly with
the brass chain.

She was about to clean up the mess when she felt a heavy breath heating
the back of her neck. She sneaked around and found herself face to face
with a man that was so big and tall, she could only compare him with an
ape. He was wearing a navy blue jumpsuit that sculpted his muscles and
barrel chest. He wore one of the vintage hockey masks and his deep
breathing sounded cruel and menacing. His eyes peered through the slits of
the mask and glowed with rage.

Kill her, boy. They’re all whores!
He swung his arm out and grabbed Dana’s blonde mane and shoved her against
one of the wall mirrors. It smashed around her and she screamed out in
pain. Her arms and legs flailed defensively as she began pounding the
man’s hands. His grip stood and he smashed her head against another
mirror.

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD – “ She chocked on her own blood, continuing her
steady stream of blows to her attackers hands. Her heel broke off as she
kicked him in the chin. Her entire body had now been carved with glass
shards, some the size of dinner plates. She cried out in agony as he
smashed her head against a third mirror.

He dropped her to the ground and just stood there over her. Dana was
chocking up blood, gasping for air as she desperately clawed her way
towards the back door. Her legs were numb and useless behind her. She
pleaded with him to stop. She pleaded for him to let her go; she promised
she wouldn’t tell anyone. “Please…Please stop.”

He walked slowly towards the wooden baseball bat. He tilted his head as he
examined it. Dana looked on through teary eyes as he grabbed the bat and
walked his slow walk back towards her. “Please…” Dana begged, raising her
arm up just as the masked man swung the bat down. She felt the bone in her
forearm snap in half.

“AAAAAAAH” The arm fell to her side and Dana shut her eyes as she heard
the –swoosh– of the bat coming back down.

*****

The streets were alive with locals today, Sarah noticed. She was sharing
company with Tyh at the Corner Café, a quaint Spanish-style coffee shop on
the main street. They were sitting on the patio outside, enjoying the
panoramic view of Crystal Lake. They were sipping on iced tea, waiting for
Lorne to arrive. He had told Tyh to be at the coffee house for eleven. “Do
I know anyone else that will be working there?” Sarah asked, wondering if
past schoolmates still lived here. “Well, maybe Dan Dubois? He was in our
second grade class with Mrs. Merrill.”

“Yeah, I remember him. Small, brown hair, had an obvious crush on Melin –“

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the name. How could she slip like
that? “It’s okay Sarah. You can talk about her” Tyh whispered, as if he
had read her mind. He went to caress her hand with his but Sarah jerked it
away instinctively.

Why am I acting like this again? She thought to herself. She looked into
his charming brown eyes and found comfort. I’m not letting this slip away.
She smiled and gently rested her hand on top of his. “You’re really sweet,
did you know that?”

“I just want you to know that you can tell me anything. I’m a great
listener.”

Tyh was leaning in for a kiss when Lorne arrived at their table. He was a
tall, lanky redhead. He wore yellow swim trunks with a white tank bearing
the words “CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE”. Sarah couldn’t stop staring at his knobby
knees. They pointed in different directions, and none the right. He sat
down and grabbed a menu from the table beside them.

“What did you kids get?” He asked, hidden behind the oversized menu.

“We both ordered iced tea” Tyh answered.

Lorne ordered the same then lit a cigarette. “So Tyh said you were
interested in a summer job?” He said, exhaling a jet of blue-grey smoke.

“Yeah, working with kids sounds like fun.” She said, smiling. She grabbed
onto Tyh’s strong hand.

“Well, there is a lot of work to do before the camp actually opens; are
you ready for hard labour?” He asked, as the waitress arrived with iced
tea.

“Of course, whatever it takes.” She answered enthusiastically.

“Good to hear. You guys start first thing in the morning tomorrow. The
cabins are filthy! So get a good night’s sleep tonight. I don’t want you
dying on the job.”

Saturday, January 22, 2011

My Work-Out Song

Hey everyone, thanks all for reading my blog. It's a nice way to share ideas for a better lifestyle and also a nice creative outlet for me. I love writing and have been doing so for ten odd years and can't picture myself NOT writing. I have way too many ideas inside my head hehe. So i began singing this song while walking up my stairs in my appartment complex and thought I'd share it with you. Here goes!!

I'm walking up and down those stairs
Doin' it like no one cares
Dancin' crazy like Astaire
It's like going forward with a dare
Da-dare, da-dare

Push-ups off the countertop
All the way and never stop
Running faster then a cop
Burning fat with this hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop

Doing crunchies on the floor
Never mind the being sore
Push myself then go for more
Don't think of it as a chore
Ch-chore, Ch-chore


So yeah, I sing this to myself when working out lol. Do you guys have jingles of motivations?! share!!

Friday, January 21, 2011

It's a Health Craze Thing

So I have been feeling blue and gloomy this past month and I couldn't figure out why. Winter has never made me feel moody and I am far from being seasonal depressed. I thought maybe it was the back to school mayhem at work that might have made my energy drop tenfolds. But then I thought back to last year when I did my daily exercises and ate healthy and thought: Whoa Nelly! I may need to get back into shape, and noooow!

So i bought a new Biggest Loser DVD to add that extra cardio into my routine. Went grocery shopping and stuck to good food (okay okay, I bought a box of Chips Ahoy! Rainbow, but only to reminisce about childhood). I prepare my lunches at night to avoid temptation like Subway (looks healthy but not the way I eat it lmao) or Shawarma's, my two biggest cravings.

In the morning, I eat my oats with strawberries, bananas, or apples: whatever fruit i feel like eating that morning. I accompany that with a cup of Twinning's earl gray instead of my usual double double coffee. It keeps me full until lunch and again, I avoid my usual bagel with cream cheese.

For lunch I bring leftovers from the previous night. I know if I bring sandwiches to work, they will stay in the fridge and my fat ass will be moving quite fast to the cafeteria for my dose of shawarma. I need a warm lunch or else I will drift towards the mega caf. I usually bring a fruit&nut bar for "dessert".

And then, here's the good part, I get home and walk up my stairs instead of using the elevator. Now this I only started two days ago and lemme tell you, It is killing my legs. When I get home (after crashing on the couch for two minutes) I prepare my supper by using the plate concept: One quarter meat, one quarter carb, one half vegetables.

My mission this time around (as compared to last year when I really needed to lose the weight) is to lose 20 lbs. No time period, no nothing, just reach back my 220lbs, which is healthy for my height. I'm doing it for health reasons, and not for any kind of outside reward. Although I do look better when my double chin stays tucked in, let me tell you!

Now where can I get a scale that lies to me???


Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Banking Institutions should be renamed Mental Institutions

So, as most have you followed my rants on Facebook, you must all know by now that I have been having trouble with my bank (which shall remain nameless. *cough* CIBC *cough*). It all happened over the holidays when a cheque I made for January's rent bounced. Yeah, one of those.

I am a financial freak, and my worst fear, aside from being pecked in the eyes by birds, is losing all my money and living in the streets. ( I Never Exagerate!!) So what a surprise it was to me to find out my cheque had bounced when it had clearly been taking out of my account with several hundred dollars remaining.

I decided not to fret too much about it and just rewrite another cheque. That was until I checked my banking information and saw that the money was re-inserted into my account with an additional 42$ fee for bounced cheque.

You screw me AND charge me? I am not a street worker, thank you very much!

So the next day I call my bank and they assure me it was a glitch and they will reimburse me the "bouncing" fee. I write up another cheque and give it to my landlord thinking all is fixed, all is fine.

Monday morning I check my account online and find my bank account in the red. That is negative money. That is bad. I check my statements and realise 680$ has been removed from my account. So I'm thinking they processed my bounced cheque for no reason since the money had been re-inserted into my account.

Did I ever blow a gasket. I tend to not be demanding or loud when calling for complaints (that's when I muster the courage to even call for complaints) but this time I was angry. Do not touch my precioussss money lol.

When I decide to call during my break I am greeted by S****** (I will not name her *cough* Suzanne *cough*) who doesn't really understand what i'm talking about and blames the problem on my landlord and that I should call them, not the bank.

So I call my landlord. Guess what? They didn't even have any notice of any cheques bouncing.

I call my bank again and this time Suzanne asks me very very arrogantly : "What's the problem?" Did she? Yeah, she did just ask me that. I politely ask her to talk with the supervisor and immediately get the manager on the line who is not very knowledgeable but very helpful. She doesn't know what happen and there is nothing she could at the moment.

At this point, I am furious. I want my money and I want internal manipulation of my funds to cease. She assures she will call the bank that did the withdrawal (imagine that, it isn't even MY branch that did the transfers). I stress the point that I am leaving at two and that I would like my money back into my account by that time.

She eventually calls me back, let's me know that she will refund me five months worth of bank fees ( I pay an expensive bank fee to prevent id theft...look what happens, internal manipulation) and two "bouncing fees" and that she was told what happened with my account.

It just so happens that my appartment building's bank account is with CIBC in hull and that the bank authorized a removal of 680$ to pay rent because my cheque bounced. As if they had the right to do that.

So I told the very nice manager that nobody called me to see if I had clarified the situation with the bounce cheque. Nobody contacted me to see if I had written another cheque, if I was able to pay, or whatsoever. She then assured me the money would be returned to my bank account.

Now I have to talk with my landlord. Oh bother! What a day!!

Did anything of the sort ever happened to you? I want to hear your bank horror stories!!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Chapter 2 from a Short Story

Hey guys, here is chapter 2 of Friday the 13th. So far Sarah, the protagonist, has came back to Crystal Lake after eight years of living in New-York. She got acquainted with her grand-mother (bapcia) again and also found out about the horrible murders that unfolded at Camp Crystal Lake mere months after moving away.

We find out she is having trouble with her high school sweetheart, Travis; she is shocked and saddened at the news that her childhood friend Melinda was one of the victims of Pamela Voorhees; and she is angry that her bapcia kept the details of the murders a secret.

Enjoy chapter 2!! :D

2
Travis Who?

The blazing July sun was creeping through the old silk curtains. A
particular ray had peaked through the gap between the white curtains and
was slowly burning the skin on the tip of Sarah’s nose. She yawned and
stretched her arm as she shrugged the linens off of her. Sarah got out of
bed and brushed the rebel strands of auburn hair behind her ears. She
gazed at the reflection that stared back at her from the old wooden
mirror. “Imperfect…and loving it!” She winked, smiled, twisted, and
twirled her way into the adjacent guest bathroom. She turned the taps of the dingy,
rusty bath and heard a low growling emitting from the pipes.
The water splashed out a dirty brown before flowing evenly into its clear
natural state. Sarah removed her flannel pajamas and stepped inside the
shower. She swung the black plastic curtain shut and began humming her
favourite show tune.

Krystyna was frying up some fresh hen eggs and listening to classic Johnny
Cash songs when Sarah entered the bright-lit kitchen. “I just love Ring of
Fire, bapcia!” She joined her grand-mother in chant and sneaked a kiss on
her rosy cheeks.

“How are you this morning, dziewczynka?” Her grand-mother asked, looking
over her shoulder and smiling at her precious dziewczynka, her little
girl. “I’m feeling better. I apologize for last night granny.” Sarah
replied before kissing her granny on the cheek. Krystyna flipped the eggs
and slid them on the plates. Sarah could see her place some more food
around the eggs and then she set the plates down on the table. “Enjoy, I
made it just for you, sweetie.”

A garnished plate smiled back at her; it had two yellow and white eyes;
eggs. It had a bulbous bright red button nose; half of a Roma tomato. A
brown smile just below the nose, oddly straight with a slight smirk; Crisp
bacon. And the happy face that lived on her plate had two grapefruit
segments for ears. Sarah remembered and cherished the happy face. It
greeted her every Sunday morning when she was younger. She smiled at her
grand-mother. Krystyna smiled back. “I’m happy that you are doing okay
Sarah. If you want to talk to me about what happened…” Krystyna took a
small bite of her eggs. “…I am a great listener.” She finished, laying the
fork back on the plate.

“I don’t, actually” Sarah answered, somewhat hollow. She knew she didn’t
mean what she said. She felt sad; a simple sadness no more, no less. She
grieved for her deceased friend and longed for answers about her death.
How can someone murder with no remorse. Murder a child, no less. It
disgusted her and she couldn’t think about it anymore; it made her ill.
“I’m going to go into town later. You know, shop around.” She blurted out;
rather that then vomiting.

“Why don’t I come with you, I’ll get you a lovely necklace from Rebecca’s.”

“No it’s okay, I won’t be long anyways” she answered quickly, stuffing a
grapefruit quarter in her mouth. She kissed her grand-mother on the cheek,
slung her purse over her shoulder and mumbled something before running out
the door.


The main road was actually what Sarah referred to when she said town.
Crystal Lake shared its name with the large body of water not only because
it encompassed the lake but because most of the town was actually that; a
lake. It was the colour of night surrounded by large evergreens of all
shapes and sizes. There were two beaches but a large cape in the middle
separated the beaches from view. The north winds attracted loons that sang
out gloomily across the stretch of water. Several fishermen were out near
the small rapids, hoping to catch the migrating fishes from the southern
parts of New-York. Sarah recognized one of them as being Joe Fletcher, the
local butcher. His shop was on the main road Sarah was walking along, just
beside Jonah’s Market. Some of the shops Sarah had come to enjoy had since
closed down. Other shops, less intriguing shops Sarah thought, had since
opened.

She had hoped to buy a fantasy novel from the Book Worm, but was
disappointed to learn that it had closed several years ago. The owner,
Mrs. Henderson, couldn’t handle the grieving process in the very town her
son had been murdered in. Agoraphobia had set in, and she daren’t venture
into town of fear people would ask her about her poor boy. He had been one
of many that had been murdered at the hands of Pamela Voorhees. An art
gallery of sorts had replaced the quaint bookstore.

Sarah crossed the street, attracted by a painting that hung in the window.
It was still early, the small town was sleeping; this painting however, is
well awake thought Sarah. She was so close to the window that her breath
drew fog shapes on the glass. The bright linear lines shone through the
foggy window. Ruby red, saffron yellow, plum purple, zesty orange, lime
green. Simple lines slashed from left to right, right to left. But there
was such passion behind the strokes. She could imagine lying under a
rainbow of the same colours; light as a feather and care-free. She was
lost in thought when someone nicked her shoulder with a sharp object. The
sting of the stab pulsed through Sarah’s back.

“I am so sorry!” The guy said, resting his guitar against the window. “I
never knew this guitar could be so dangerous” He continued, attempting an
apologetic smile. He awkwardly gestured helpfully toward her shoulder but
Sarah shrunk back. “I’m okay; it’s just a small puncture” She said,
walking away. The guy grabbed his guitar and trotted behind her.

“My name is Tyh, by the way; kind of odd circumstances to meet” He said,
laughing in between. “Are you new in town?” He asked, now walking besides
her, carefully carrying his guitar on his back.

“I lived here when I was a kid. Look, I’m not in the mood for small talk
with a stranger” She answered harshly.  I need to control my emotions,
Sarah thought. Once again, the words had been spoken with venom, when in
fact she wanted to get to know this guy. She just didn’t trust herself.
She thought briefly about Travis; his cute smile, his shaggy hair. This
guy named Tyh didn’t look anything like her boyfriend. He was taller; his
features were darker, more prominent. His eyes sank deeper and casted a
shadow that Sarah found attractive. He was well-groomed and well-dressed;
for a guitar-player.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Sarah” She smiled and extended
her hand. He shook it, and Sarah felt warm at the touch of his hand. “Nice
to meet you, Sarah” He said, laughing.

“What? Why are you laughing?” She asked, unable to contain her own laughter.

“Sarah Skrzek?” He said, looking at her. Sarah stopped walking and turned
to him. “Oh my God, Tyh Simms! You we’re in Miss Merrill’s class, weren’t
you?” She said, eyeing him even more profoundly. She remembered now having
a crush on him, and even gave him a Valentine in second grade. Sarah
blushed and looked away.

“When you said your name it kind of struck me. I remember you being a
blonde though” He said, sliding his hand over her brown locks. Shivers
travelled atop her skin, creating miniature dune-like mounts. She took to
walking again, gazing out towards the lake. “Yeah I find it more mature to
have brown hair. Call me crazy” She responded gleefully. They naturally
headed towards the western shores of Crystal Lake. A family of loons was
waddling towards the water, rushing their pace as Sarah and Tyh approached
the coast.

“Where did you move to, anyways?” Tyh inquired, throwing tiny pebbles into
the dark water.

“New-York City. My dad wanted something…um…bigger.”

“Well, that’s interesting, don’t you think? Moving on to greener
pastures?” He threw another couple of pebbles, one of them ricocheting off
the water and landing a bit further away with a definite –SPLOOSH—.

“They’re divorcing. Hence my summer visit here. I wanted to come though
and kind of just get away from it all” Sarah imitated Tyh and began
throwing the rocks as well. She moved closer to the water and dipped her
feet in glimmering lake. She was ready to throw another pebble when Tyh
came running besides her, splashing and trashing in the water. Sarah let
out a scream as the cold water plastered her skin. “I didn’t want to get
wet!” She laughed out before joining Tyh in the lake. They started
play-fighting in the shallow depths of Crystal Lake. Sarah pinched her
nose and went for a dunk.

When she emerged from the dark waters, she found that Tyh had mysteriously
disappeared. “Tyh, don’t scare me!” She said, trembling. The winds had
picked up, and it was blowing cold air rather than warm. She was walking
back towards the shore when she felt a hand on her ankle. She let out a
scream and started slapping the water around her. Tyh jumped out and
grabbed her by the waist.

They stood there in silence for a few minutes; gazing into each other’s
eyes. He has such dark eyes, Sarah thought. They lingered. Why isn’t he
kissing me, she told herself. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a
row of cabins along the opposite shore. People we’re walking around like
ants. “What’s going on?” Sarah asked, breaking the silence. She inched
away and walked out of the water.

“They’re cleaning up the campsite. Someone bought it last year and they’re
opening up after eight years.” He answered sadly.

“I just found out what happened yesterday. I can’t believe Melinda is
dead. Do you know what happened? I didn’t get the full story.” Sarah
walked up towards a fir tree and sat down back against trunk. Tyh did the
same with an oak tree.

“It was gruesome. The town has never been the same. So many people died;
young people, kids. Pamela Voorhees bought the campsite along with her
husband and two kids. This was a few months before you moved. You must
have known Jason Voorhees; the freckle-faced toad that probed animals and
beat up girls. Anyways, there was a huge storm later that summer and
Pamela went looking for her husband. He hadn’t come back from a canoe
lesson with a camp councilor. She found him fucking the girl in the
forest. She smashed her broken lantern across the girl’s face and then she
bashed her husband’s brain with his oar. She returned to the campsite and
murdered everyone there, including her daughter. She surrendered to the
police but Jason, her bastard son, was never heard of again. Not a peep.”

Sarah felt chills invade her compact body. She didn’t remember Jason
Voorhees or his family. She had remembered Sammy’s Camp had been sold but
she had never met the new owners. So much terror and violence had been
shed that night. It still resonated in the small lake town.

“They’re actually looking for camp councilors for the summer. Why don’t
you apply? We could work together” He said, smirking.

“You’re actually going to work there, after what’s happened?” She said,
but was thinking about applying for a position. Why not earn extra money,
she thought. And it wouldn’t be terrible to spend more time with Tyh. “The
woman is in jail, Sarah.”

Sarah was about to tell him that she might apply for the job when her cell
phone rang inside her purse. She just noticed the sun was setting. She had
been out longer than she had anticipated. She fumbled through the melee
until she found her phone. It was her grandmother. “I got to go, but I’ll
see you around?” She said smiling.


Sarah walked inside the house and found her grand-mother sleeping in the
living room. The television was on and it was casting bright light on
Krystyna’s ageless face. Sarah turned it off and shrugged her granny
awake. “You’re going to complain about back pains. Go to bed. Up. Up” She
helped her grand-mother out of the chair and they walked up the stairs
together.

“Did you have fun today?” Krystyna asked as she parted ways with Sarah and
made her way towards her bedroom. “Travis called twice”

Sarah turned and smiled at her grand-mother. “Travis who?” She giggled and
closed her bedroom door.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Signals for What?

So every morning I limp out of bed, drag myself into the shower and slowly start getting ready for work. I must admit, I am not a morning person and I am often times drowsy when I leave my appartment complex. But if there is one thing I always make certain of, is that I am aware and alert to my surroundings.

That can't be true for everyone, unfortunately as I spot countless drivers doing whatever they want on the road, as long as no one gets hurt. What kind of driving is that? Mongol driving!

People have ceased to put on their signal lights,  or clickers as I like to call them, and they turn, pass, cut, zig-zag their way around town without this very useful tool. They figure the person behind them should notice at all times. How reckless!

And what about the three or four cars that continue going when the light is obviously yellow then RED. and you still see cars behind you following you into the intersection when they clearly should have stopped at the line.

I cannot wait to get my licenses next week (if I pass the test, cross your fingers!) to show people what driving is really all about. It's a privilege, not a right. Respect the law or get off the road!

What do you guys think? Any peeves on the road?!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Chapter 1 from a Short Story

Hey everyone, I was going to wait a week between postings for each chapter in the Friday the 13 short story, but due to "popular" demand, I will post the first chapter now AND then post the next chapter every monday.

To situate the reader, the first chapter takes place several years after the prologue and the gruesome events that unfolded at Camp Crystal Lake. Sarah, the main protagonist, returns to the small lakeside community to visit her grandmother (bapcia). Only twinge is, Sarah was never made aware of the sadistic crimes commited by Pamela Voorhees. So here it is, chapter 1 of Friday the 13th.


1
A Sad Welcoming
The summer air brushed the leaves around Main Street, creating miniature tornadoes of brown, gold, and greens. The bright yellow taxi from the city flew by, dissipating the vortexes of leaves. Sarah Skrzek was in the backseat, looking at the scenery as it zoomed by her in speeds that probably went over the limit established in Crystal Lake. The driver, a short and pudgy New-Yorker, was chain smoking strong American cigarettes. The blue-grey smoke was creeping its way towards the back. Sarah opened a crack in the window, and immediately the fresh July breeze blew through her dark auburn hair. It lashed every which way, slightly irritating the cabby. She closed the window just as the car began to slow and then completely come to a halt. Sarah peered out the window at the house that stood before them. It hadn’t changed a bit.
“How you gonna pay, small one?” The taxi driver said, looking over his shoulder, his cigarette dangling from his lips. “Cash or credit?” he continued, sending ashes all about.
“Um…cash, here.” She handed him some money. He looked at it and smiled. He may have expected a bigger tip. Sarah grinned and stepped out of the cab. The driver yelled something before speeding off, sending bright green leaves flying around. Sarah stood silent, gazing at the house that towered ahead. It was a Victorian era farmhouse; pearly white wood siding all around, accented by light-yellow shudders and darker, golden-like awnings over the main floor windows. It had a hand-carved wrap-around balcony that joined the two main doors. She pushed open the gate of the white picket fence and noticed someone standing behind the screen door. The woman was holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand, and she was visibly shaking. Sarah dropped her school bag and ran up the creaking wood stairs, just as the woman walked out to greet her.
“How wonderful to see you again, Sarah” her grand-mother said, handing her the bouquet of purplish-pink carnations. Sarah admired the flowers, for they were her favourite, and then wrapped her arms around her grand-mother. “I missed you so much, bapcia. I couldn’t wait to finish my exams; I aced all of them except for economics. I simply couldn’t wrap my brain around the – “
“We’ll have plenty of time to catch up; you don’t have to tell me everything now” She laughed, gesturing to Sarah to go inside. “There’s some hot soup on the stove”. Sarah was about to enter the house when she turned and gave her grand-mother another big hug. “I’m so happy to be here this summer, granny!” Krystyna smiled and embraced the warmth of her grand-daughter’s love.
*****
Sarah was just about finished brushing her teeth when a knock came at the bathroom door. She rinsed her toothbrush and opened the door. Her grand-mother peered in, smiling. “Your mother is on the phone, she wants to say goodnight to you.”
“Hi mom!” Sarah half-screamed when she took the phone from her grand-mother. Krystyna mouthed “I’ll be downstairs” and closed the bathroom door. Sarah tipped the lid to the toilet shut and slumped on it, smiling to herself. Through grin she sighed out to the phone: “I’m really happy I decided to come.”
“I’m happy too, Sarah. Just behave and be good to bapcia.” Her mother said with an authority Sarah only associated with kindness.
“I will, mom, I’m already having a blast with granny. Twice already has she mentioned that time in Poland where –“
“I refuse you speak another word of that!” Eva replied giggling. Sarah could hear her laughing in the distance.
“Ok fine. Did Travis call lately? I haven’t received a text from him in two days.”
“Yes he has, and it – “
The line went dead. Sarah called her mom’s name but she didn’t reply. “Great. Left dangling on the edge, once again.” She flashed herself a smile in the mirror and walked out of the bathroom. She turned left and made way towards her room for the summer. It was the largest of the room and had the best view of Crystal Lake during sunset. It was painted a mild taupe and had barely any furniture at all; the bed near the window, a massive oak wardrobe on the left wall and a very old secretary below the small window on the right. It smelled alright, she supposed, for an unused room. It could smell better. She dropped her used clothes in the basket besides the wardrobe and decided to join her grand-mother downstairs for some tea.
Krystyna was doing exactly that when Sarah appeared in the kitchen. Two steaming cups of fresh green tea greeted her at the table. She smiled and sat down with her beloved granny. They talked mostly about school, just as Sarah had expected. Her grand-mother rarely ventured anywhere past the basic columns of school, family, and friends. Because she believed that’s what guided someone to a good life, a healthy life. Besides, according to Krystyna, Sarah was too young to explore the fourth column; the column of love. So it came to a surprise when her grand-mother addressed the issue with such spontaneity.
“So who’s this Travis guy your mother talked to me about?” She blurted out between two sips of her home-made tisane; almost choking on the second.
“Um” She was caught off-guard. She didn’t know if she was embarrassed or just surprised. “He’s a guy in my class…” Sarah rushed the words out. “…That I like. Liked. I don’t know anymore.” She finished, looking at her granny with a slight twinge in her smile.
“You are too young for love. Wait until after high school. One more year, then you can search for your love. Then you can find a man to love. Not before. Now pass me the herbs, my tea has gone bland.”
Sarah grinned happily. Love had found her; she didn’t go searching for it. Travis had stumbled into her life. Although she wasn’t sure anymore if she wanted him to stay in it or stumble back out. She didn’t believe in the traditional behavior of dating after high school. I just turned sixteen, she thought, I’m old enough to know if I’m in love.
“Oh dear –“ Krystyna said, making her way towards the living room. A news bulletin was airing on the local station. A woman was live from a campground in Crystal Lake. As her grand-mother turned up the volume, the anchorwoman’s voice chilled the room with such monotony and clinical tone. She was talking about some murder that happened eight years ago.
“ …And this is where they found the butchered body of nine year old Melinda Stuart; One innocent life amongst many that were taken that frightful Friday the 13th, eight years ago.” She walked out of the log cabin and walked down towards the beach, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. “And just a few meters away from the cabin, detectives found the body of seventeen year old Lori Somerville. She had accidently stumbled upon the acts of carnage that were committed by famed psychopath Pamela Voorhees. In a bizarre twist of events that occurred that night, Jason Voorhees disappeared from the family home and…”
Krystyna shut off the television and cradled her frown with her hand. She tried to blink the tears away, to avoid scaring her grand-daughter. She stumbled back to the kitchen and quickly gulped the remaining tea. Sarah stood still in the hallway connecting the two rooms. Her heart was pounding heavily against her chest, threatening to break free at any given moment. She hadn’t been told about this. Nobody had ever mentioned that her childhood friend had been murdered eight years ago. Sarah leaned against the lilac-colored walls; gazing at the picture of her and Melinda as children, as companions. Emotions menaced her inside and her face twisted this way and that.
“No!” Sarah screamed at the picture, ripping it off the wall, clutching it to her chest, embracing it yet hating it. “No! No! No!” She crashed to the ceramic floor beneath her as salty tears gushed out of her cerulean-blue eyes. They slid down her porcelain smooth cheeks and tick-tocked on the glass cover of the picture, blurring Melinda’s face. Krystyna came back in the hallway. She clutched at her heart with sadness. She tried reaching out to her grand-daughter.
“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Sarah yelled, rage overcoming her. She threw the picture frame against the pantry door. It crashed hard, sending small fragments of glass flying everywhere. Krystyna gasped and cried some more. She lifted Sarah from the floor and wrapped her arms around her. She patted her hair and whispered in her ear. They both sat back down in the kitchen. Sarah felt numb, as if the world had stopped existing. She had such fond memories of playing with Melinda when she had lived here during her childhood days. She remembered saying goodbye to her best friend the day she had to move to New-York City. She hadn’t talked to her since.
“It’s my fault.” Sarah cried. She sipped her tea half-heartedly. “I shouldn’t have moved away. I should have stayed in contact.” She mumbled her words; spoke them lazily as if she couldn’t control her speech.
Krystyna poured more tea in her cup. “It’s nobody’s fault but that mad woman. I didn’t want to tell you, Sarah. You we’re too young to know.”
“And why didn’t you tell me afterwards? As if I didn’t fucking care that Melinda had died.” Sarah spat out with the venom of a snake. “I’m going to bed.” She emptied the remaining tea in the brass sink and watched it twirl down slowly into the drain.
“I’m so sorry Sarah. We can talk about this in the morning.”
“Goodnight, granny.”  Sarah said, with such finality.
Krystyna watched her grand-daughter drag herself up the stairs. She knew she did the right thing by keeping the sad truth from her at that age. After time, she just thought best not to reveal it in her letters. Maybe I should have mentioned it when she was older, thought Krystyna. Oh Lord, she resumed, such a sad welcoming.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Prologue From a Short Story

Hey guys! I wanted to share something with all of you from my archives of short stories. I haven't typed up most of my hand-written stories yet and all the ones that are typed are still saved in my parent's computer. I had a hardcopy of Friday the 13th and decided Hey, maybe I should start getting opinions from outside of my circle of friends, just to get a different opinion.

I am still somewhat nervous about sharing something that is really personal. I take alot from my real life, mostly inspired by my friends, and use that as the background to my storylines. The horror/suspense is  just to add that touch of "unreality". 

I don't usually write so much violence and sex into my stories but since I was writing my own version of Friday the 13th, I felt I had to keep what was so associated with that storyline which is violence and sex.

What I really wanted to showcase in this short story was mental illness and how it destroys them and people around them when not treated or accepted.

The names are those of my friends and I (in later chapters) and I took some similarities from us, but it is very much a caricature of who we are and should not be taken seriously ---- LMAO.

So here is the prologue to Friday the 13th! Please note: it is for "mature audience" lol


PROLOGUE
Extinguished
The water had been agitated all day, creating crescent like waves around the shores of Crystal Lake. The dark clouds looming overhead we’re screaming and cracking with anger. Any moment now, they would send a blistering sheet of rain down on the small community that shared the name of the lake.
The wind was howling monstrously, pushing and shoving at the treetops. The cabins near the eastern shore were creaking as the wind blew past them. All the campers from Crystal Lake Community Camp had fallen prey to the sudden uproar of Mother Nature and they had quickly run for shelter in the cabins. The doors had to be kept shut by piling furniture against them and the windows were threatening to shatter at any given time.
Pamela Voorhees, a religious zealot who managed the camp, was busy soothing a frightened camper in one of the cabins. The little girl was terrified after being left alone in the water. Her counselors had wandered off momentarily, leaving her unattended while the storm threatened overhead. Pamela sing-sung a Christian tune in the child’s ear, rocking her slowly against her chest. She was comforting the child but she was also praying to the Ultimate God above.
Her husband had taken one of the counselors out on the lake for some canoe training. He had left an hour ago with Amanda Williams and she feared the boat might have collapsed. She wrapped the blanket around the little girl and went over to one of the counselor that was gazing impatiently out of the window.
“Can I ask you to watch over Melinda” Pamela asked, with a slight tremble in her voice. “I’m going to go look for Milton”.
“Yes, of course, Mrs. Voorhees” the counselor answered, heading over to the brown plaid couch where the little girl was nestled in her blanket. 
Pamela removed the massive wood table from the door. She lit one of the kerosene lamps and opened the door to brave the storm. The lake was now raging against the sandy beach at the edge of the campground. The dock near the canoe racks was completely submerged. The main lodge was being threatened with the same fate. Pamela began screaming her beloved’s name, running towards the edge of the water. Rain was beating down on her, plastering her bleak brownish hair to her grim face. Waves we’re crashing against the forest wall on the west side of the beach. Trees had been uprooted from the sheer force of the thundering water. Pamela swung the kerosene lamp every which way, squinting through the rain to find her husband.
She edged closer to the forest when she spotted her husband’s canoe, securely attached to a massive oak tree, a few meters inside the woods. “MILTON!” she screamed, staggering her pace through the melee of branches. “MILTON!” Pamela cried out, dangling the gas lamp ahead of her, lighting her way through the muddied ground. She tripped on an exposed root and fell face first in the mud. Her kerosene lamp fell a few feet in front of her, smashing into pieces. The light went out as she screamed her husband’s name once more: “MIIIIIIILTON!” She was soon surrounded by the darkness and the invading sound of the millions of rain drops falling around her.

Inside one of the cabins, the counselor was reading a story to Melinda. It was about a little girl who had ventured too far into the woods and had stumbled onto a cabin; a cabin inhabited by a family of wise talking bears. The little girl giggled throughout the story, forgetting completely about the storm. The counselor noticed half-way through the story that her audience of one had fallen asleep. She closed the book, kissed the child on the forehead and snuffed out the kerosene lamp. She folded her nightgown around her waist and checked out the window for any sign of Pamela or Milton. All she saw was the persistent rage of the storm. She was about to join Melinda in sleep when she heard the high-pitch scream of her boss, Pamela Voorhees.
The timid and usually introverted counselor grabbed the kerosene lamp that was by the door and bolted out and into the storm. The wind was molesting her tanned skin and blond hair. It was lashing at her and groping her. The kerosene lamp only lasted a few more minutes before it went extinct. She was running towards the other cabin when she heard the screams again. This time, it came from the forest. She threw the lamp to the sand below and made a run towards the forest, her nightgown blowing on either side of her compact body, exposing her breasts to the air around her.
“PAMELA!” she shrieked, running past the melee of branches and shrubs and into the full grown forest. She paused by a beefy maple tree and took in a breath. Strands of hair were glued to her face, shadowing her blue eyes from the misty darkness ahead. “PAMELA!” she cooed again. She wrapped the nightgown back around her waist and fancied a knot with one of her socks. She heard some muffled noises followed by another scream just left of where she was. “Pamela” she whispered this time, edging closer to the clearing inside the forest. She gently pushed some shrubbery leafs to the side and found the source of the screaming. It wasn’t Pamela that had been screaming. In fact, Pamela was the cause of the yells that ran with the wind.

Inside the clearing, Pamela was smashing an oar down on her husband’s skull. She had obviously been doing so for a short while; the counselor could barely recognize Mr. Voorhees. She gasped, and then her eyes widened with horror. On the ground besides the naked mutilated corpse of Mr. Voorhees was the lifeless form of her friend and fellow counselor, Amanda. The petrified counselor let out a horrible shriek and began running towards the cabins. Branches with thorns were cutting and opening her legs. The rain was forcing itself in, burning away at the open wound. She could hear Pamela Voorhees screaming out her name from behind. She could feel her anger rushing towards her, diminishing her hope for a safe getaway.
She rushed out of the shrubs and tumbled into the sand that covered the majority of the camp. She struggled to get to her feet when she felt a pair of hands grabbing onto her hair. The pull of the gravity as she was lifted by her mane pained her tremendously. Blood trickled down her forehead and left a copper taste in her mouth. She cried and begged as she faced Pamela Voorhees. “Please don’t hurt me.” Her eyes burned as the red liquid found its way inside her sockets. She chocked up the fowl taste of the blood and gagged at its smell. “Please –“
“You’re all whores!” Pamela replied deviously through gritted teeth. Something glimmered in her hand; then the counselor felt her neck open and the sudden warmth of the liquid gushing down her chest heavily contrasted the cool touch of the rain. She felt her hair being released and the counselor collapsed on the beach, clutching at her throat. She gasped and convulsed, reaching out to an invisible hand as if asking for last minute help. A miracle. Tears glimmered in her eyes as she saw Pamela enter the cabin where Melinda was sleeping. The counselor's body twitched and shook uncontrollably as the life inside her slowly extinguished.

Saturday, January 08, 2011

Funniest Parody Videos Found on YouTube

So when I'm bored or sometimes intoxicated, I tend to checkout parody videos on Youtube for a laugh or two. Here are what I find, the funniest parodies found on Youtube. Enjoy!


Glitter Puke by Key of Awesome (parody of Tik Tok by Ke$ha)


Blame it (on the economy) by Alphacat (Parody of Barack Obama)


PlayDough by Peter Coffin (Parody of Alejandro by Lady GaGa)


Oprah State of Mind by Non Juan (Parody of Empire State of Mind by Jay Z and Alicia Keys)



Single Ladies by Double Take (Parody of Single Ladies by Beyoncé)



Telephone Parody by Key of Awesome (Parody of Telephone by Lady GaGa and Beyoncé)



Dead Wrong by Alphacat (Parody of Dead and Gone by T.I and Justin Timberlake)



What parody video has you Laughing Out Loud? Share!

Candles are out,
Eleven's ink

Thursday, January 06, 2011

TOP 10 SCARIEST HORROR MOVIES

10. The Ring - Gore Verbinski

This remake of the Japanese horror movie Ringu is downright terrifying. I remember walking out of the theatre with my friends and being psychologically traumatized. Everything around me seemed ready to jump and attack. This movie still makes me cringe to this day.



9. The Shining - Stanley Kubrick

It's almost become a cliché to include this movie in Top Ten lists of horror movies, but it really is scary. The creepy child, the demonic visions, the frigging man in a dog suit. Everything about this movie screams scary. Jack Nicholson is completly believable in the role of a crazed psychopath. If you haven't watched this movie...watch it!


8. Child's Play II - John Lafia

This freak of nature doll scared the living crap out of me when I was a kid. Asked me then if I ever would be a fan of horror movies, and I'd probably have cried. My sister had some strawberry doll with red hair. What do you think I dreamed of at night....yeah, murdering doll in the next room!


7. The Exorcism of Emily Rose - Scott Derrickson

This movie made my skin crawl. And then to learn that Jennifer Carpenter, who portrays Emily Rose brilliantly, did all the stunts herself just blew my mind away. What really solidified this as a classic is the way the story weaves between science and supernatural. What really happened?


6. 1408 -  Mikael Hafström

I don't recommend you watch this movie alone. Watch it in daylight, with loads of people around you. I am not a big fan of hauntings and possession. It scares the living f*** out of me. Ignore the worst actress ever a.k.a the girl that plays his daughter.


5. The Strangers - Bryan Bertino

What makes this movie so scary is the subtle terror that goes on around the Hoyt residence. The agressors toy with the couple and the tension rises up until the tragic ending. Watch for Liv Tyler who is unbelievably convincing in the role of Kristen Mckay.


4. Haute Tension - Alexandre Aja

The title describes the feel of this movie perfectly. From start to finish you are left cringing at the horror unfolding before you. The narrative is brilliant and it unwinds all the way down to a terrific (yet confusing) ending. If you like indie french horror films like I do, then watch this!


3. The Descent - Neil Marshall

Even people who don't suffer from claustrophobia will be left breathless while watching this movie. The Descent centres around Sarah and June and their fight to survive in uncharted caves. What makes this one stand out from the rest is the reality of the situation. The performance by all of the actresses are remarkable and Neil Marshall really goes deep with this one. If you liked Dog Soldiers, you will like The Descent.



2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) - Marcus Nispel

I was skeptic at first when I heard they were remaking the movie because I actually didn't like the original. But then they came out with the trailer and I was sold. It's one of those movies you have to watch in theatres to really appreciate the scares and the psychological trauma. The remake surpasses the original tenfolds; from the storyline, to the devellopment of the Hewitt clan, to the cinematography, and most certainly the acting. The entire cast, protagonists and antagonists alike, really commit to their character from start to finish and R. Lee Ermey steals the show as Sheriff Hoyt.


1. Martyrs - Pascal Laugier

If you want to live the complete WTF factor, you have to watch this movie by french director Pascal Laugier. It starts off as a revenge movie, turns into a monster flick, then switches around into a psychological thriller all without losing consistency and continuity.


You think the trailer was crazy? Wait until you watch the mobie. sorry, i'm sick right now. ;)

Other Scare Flicks that are worth watching:
Paranormal Activity - Oren Peli
À L'intérieur - Alexandre Bustillo
The Hills have Eyes - Alexandre Aja
Poltergeist - Tobe Hooper
Dead End - Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Agree or disagree? What was your favourite horror movie? Post a comment!

Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

My Obsession with Nights in White Satin

EARLY CHILDHOOD.

I got up every morning to the sound of Majic 100, Oldies 1310, or Chez 106. Even to this day, when I hear songs that greeted me in the morning, it brings an instant sense of nostalgia. I call them morning songs. One of them that played often, as it was on playlists from all three channels, was Nights in White Satin.


It was the perfect song to wake you up slowly but surely. A slow, melodic start swith somewhat of a crescendo towards the middle. By the time I was done my Frosted Flakes or my toast with PB&J, I was wide awake and ready to start my day.

My mom is a passionate singer and when we we're younger she would often invent songs with words my siblings and I would randomly shout or one word remarks. And she liked NiWS and sang along each time it played.


ADULTHOOD.

Not too long ago I was with my sister and we were driving around and I had the "Cause I love you" part in my head and I could not remember the name of the song. My sister couldn't remember either and it was driving me bonkers. I told her about the Morning Songs, and she agreed: it was almost the song of our childhood.

I couldn't get the song out of my head and so I asked my cousin Katie if she knew of the song. Trying to find a song with so little lyrics was difficult and I didn't remember the obvious lyrics: the title. lmao. I searched on youtube while we continued sharing songs that we liked and then by chance I found it.

I listened to it obsessively for approximately an hour. It reminded me of a simpler time when responsabilities weren't even a shadow and thoughts of "my future" weren't even shaped. I had finally found the song that I kept humming for a week.

Time passed and the song kinda slipped out of my mind until I watched Rob Zombie's Halloween II. Although the movie is kinda dissapointing and the ending is ambigous (did she or didn't she?), the placement of NiWS in the opening sequence is brilliant. I am positif the song also inspired the white horse and Mrs. Myers' white outfit.

So after viewing the movie and it renewing my wanting to hear NiWS, I searched YouTube for a more modern version, a cover. And I found a good one by Declan Galbraith. Here it is:



Everyone has a favourite song, what's yours?

Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

Sunday, January 02, 2011

The Last Night of 2010

Almost all of my New-Year's Eve (NYE) parties have been amazing but this year topped them all. My sister hosted yet another great party, with this year's them being Champagne & Chocolate. Although I had none of those colours in my clothes, I think I looked quite spiffy in classic grey and black.

The party was once again a mixture of friends from everyone, including the Halloween Mummy. I finally saw the person beneath the wrapping. You have to love the holidays for that reason, seeing everyone dressed up and pimped out.

I was introduced to sangria this holiday season and was happily drinking it again during NYE. Although my bottle of wine and O.J emptied out early, there was plenty more on the counter. Hope they don't read this blog ;)

The funniest part of the night was probably me attempting to play air hockey WITH a drink in hand. That or my sister's boyfriend trying to clean the top of the air hockey table with a dry cloth. Hilarious! There was games and prizes during the night. The first one was a competitive game of Kinect for Xbox. It was followed by the usual gift unwrapping with gloves and scarves. If you don't know that game you must try it at your next party. Here are the rules.

1. You must wrap a small gift in multiple boxes with LOADS of tape. Makes it harder to unwrap and funnier.

2. Have everyone sit in a circle with the multi-wrapped gift in the middle.

3. One person puts a scarf and gloves on while the person to the right rolls a pair of dices. The person with the winter accessories has to open the gift. If the person to the right rolls the pre-determined winning number (let's say 12), he puts the gloves and scarf on while the person on their right rolls the dice and tries to get 12.

4. Repeat until someone opens the final gift!

I don't know what the prizes were though. I had won some the previous years and thought it would be nice to let someone else win a prize. But then I didn't follow through to learn what the actual prizes were.

When the time struck and the we all shouted HAPPY NEW-YEAR, i obviously drunk-called my mother to wish her the best for the year to come ( I shwish shyou the besht Mom, I love you Shappy New-Ear!) and apparently did the same to my friend Janelle. I have no recollection of this but was reminded of it the following day. Oh God!

I did well on the hors-d'oeuvres that were handed out and I believe I only had some pigs in a blanket and crackers. That may well be corrected later on!

Me and my friend Liane had bet earlier on that we had to stay spiffy no matter how intoxicated we got and it worked wonders. Neither of us looked facially-challenged when I finally left around 3h00 in the morning. Which is an accomplishment in itself!

As usual the taxi times were tough. We waited for something like one hour when me and my neighbour, Dan, decided to walk to the Brass bar to wait for the cab. Upon arriving there (HAHAHAHAHAHA) some crackhead woman came rushing towards us asking us for protection in our car and she looked distraught. Obviously, as we were both on foot with no apparent car belonging to us.

I obviously said F*** this shit, and turned around and suggested we go to the pizza place to wait instead. Thank the good Lord above. Mere minutes after walking to the 1 for 1 pizza, six cop cars came speeding in the parking lot and towards the bar. Yeah, it was like a movie. And we were the token drunk guys. I felt like Jonah Hill for a split-second.

So we obviously ordered pizza (yessiry, it was still open at that time). Some girl asked why we had back-packs on and I just called her a grenade, which is not like me at all but i blame the alcohol. Blame it on the a-a-a-alcohol!! We went out to wait for the cab and I chowed down my slice of pizza and was still hungry so I go back inside to order another one and the guy gives me 5 for the price of one. Bacon, too!!

That bacon on the pizza was gone in two seconds. Didn't even want the rest, just the baaaaacon. MMM.

Cab came, had to close my eyes and zone out cause the driver was faster then a freakin' jetplane doing roundabouts at 70 miles per hour. Imagine what that did to my intoxicated body.

Got home safe, locked my door behind me and fell asleep instantaneously. Thank God I was too drunk to dream about the Starwars Crackhead. lol.

Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

Saturday, January 01, 2011

2010: A year in review

Ok so maybe writing this hungover with shaky hands is not the best of ideas, but it's worth a shot. I mean, 2010 was anything but shaky, and it's a new year so let's reverse it. Makes sense to me this morning :D

JANUARY 2010
So at this time last year I was just about ready to start my co-op placement at the Financial Aid Office of the University of Ottawa. I was nervous, I did not know what to expect as I had only clerk work before. I was surprised to find that an office setting is actually a vivacious environment. The people were so nice to me and everyone wanted to show me around and really make me feel at ease. I loved my month long placement and was really anticipating a job offer. It unfortunately did not come and my placement was over by January 28th.

FEBRUARY 2010
I GRADUATED!! I completed my accounting course and succesfully passed my work placement. This was also the month of Liane and Dana's birthday bash!! We partied it up in the countryside and the pictures speak for themselves. I was looking for clerical work and was in no mood of going back to a minimum wage job. A whole month without revenue makes life kinda boring. Thankfully, February is the shortest month.

MARCH 2010
The job search was fruitless and I decided to go back to my job at Shell's gas station. The peeps I worked with were amazing and Julie was nice enough to talk with the new owner to get my job back. I also went to my first indoor english concert to watch Billy Talent rock Scotiabank Place. We finished the night partying it up for Sarah's 24th birthday. What a night!

APRIL 2010
Springtime!! Also the month with the most birthdays, including mine. We had a nice party to celebrate mine and Jessica's birthdays at my parents place and that is the night I learned maybe I shouldn't be playing poker in such a drunken state. Thankfully we just played with 5$. phew!

MAY 2010
I was offered a contract position at the University. I was stoked to start working again at the Financial Aid Office. I also decided to start saving up money. VEHICLE!!

SUMMER 2010 (JUNE-AUGUST)
As I spent the entire summer working full time and putting money aside, I didn't do as much as I would have liked. I did go to the new waterpark Calypso. We had a blast, that waterpark is SiiCK!! Most def not for people who suffer from vertigo hehe. I went to the cottage and of course the time i decide to go is the time we find out we were robbed. Joy! We celebrated another St-Jean-Bapstite in style at the marina in Aylmer. Three days of drinking and watching live performances by the river. Pure fun!!

SEPTEMBER 2010
My friend Dan moved into a new appartment and when I went to check out his new digs, I decided the building in question would be ideal for my first place. I called the number, fixed a meeting and two days later i signed the contract. It was a busy time at work, what with the Prep Week for students and all, and combined with the packing and the stress of moving out I took it quiet for the last two weeks of september. Very Quiet!

OCTOBER 2010
I moved out of my parents house for the first time and into my new appartment. It was sooo empty at first and I felt inside a hollow shell. So i went out to Ikea with the sister and bought a ton of furniture and stuff to make the place my own. It was also my sister's birthday and my niece's. We had a great halloween party at the sister's place and the theme was "character/persona" and I was dressed as a chief indian tribe which I secretly named Arrow. I learned my contract would be renewed until January 2011.

NOVEMBER 2010
We started the month off by celebrating my brother and my sister-in law's birthdays. I got settled even more in my place by finally assembling all the Ikea crap I bought. Not much happened other then that in November. I will adress the Movember campaign and the laughs it created when students came in with the ugliest moustaches evaaaaaaaa. Great cause though!!

DECEMBER 2010
The last month of the year! I had amazing times with my co-workers. We closed early one day and all went to an organized lunch for the administrative employees. I won rechargeable batteries which bummed me out at first but then thought: Hey, these will be perfect for my camera and my Wii remotes! We followed that up with a breakfast the following week at Father and Sons. This time it was just financial aid employees. That was our last day of work until January 4th!!

I spent christmas eve's at Liane's parents house. We laughed, drank, and had a good time! They opened their gifts and I got to witness Liane's reaction to getting her Wii Fit. Joy! I slept at my parents house, an entire three hours and then we had breakfast and opened the gifts with my precious nieces. My sister and her boyfriend arrived later and then we opened our exchange gifts. My mom got me the most awesome elephant candleholders. I love elephants, by the way. We visited my grand-mother then had supper as a family. There was a Dorion family party at my cousin's and we went for a few beers. My sister went back home and i went back to my parents and continued the party and played cards.

I visited a school friend on the 26th. My friends from work came over on the 28th for supper and drinks. I ended up at the casino and ordering Mcdonald's from a taxi and drunk called my friend Jessica while laughing hysterically...at 2 in the morning.

And then we finished the year with another great party with great people and great food. By great food I mean pig in a blanket and crackers. Perfect party food! I should give a shout-out to the Star Wars CrackHead but she probably doesn't own a computer...but shoutout anyway! That girl had class! haha

What was your notable moments of 2010 and what do you anticipate for this year? Post a comment!

Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink
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