I was about to post a journal, but then I saw this in the saved draft. I have no idea what else I was going to say, but I like to keep memories, so I'll go ahead and submit this. -laugh-

Hellooooooo everyonnneeeeee. I am in the city that never sleeps, but as I write this I am drawing very close to incapacitation. I've been running on 3 hours of sleep all day, I just realized.

My aunt from Ohio is having a week-long celebration in Vegas for her wedding, and my family have come for the extended weekend bit. We left in the early hours of the morning and got here in the afternoon. So far my sister and I did sight seeing. We just walked around inside casinos observing the theme of each resort and the pool layout. We bought whatever food we felt like eating, the deciding factor being the coupons we had with us.

Did 2011 start up with that fresh new year feel everyone tends to yearn for? The new beginning? The clean slate?

It sure didn't for me! New Year's always feels weird to me, like any normal day.. Not to mention my mom's attitude was in the pits, so it wasn't great. ^^;

I wrote a resolution for this year and pulled out last year's to compare. It's a tradition my sister and I have started doing two years ago.

So here's what my 2010 resolution said..
-Keep up w/ daily exercises (hopefully)
-Learn katakana + more JPN vocabulary
-Transfer to a 4 year university + finish up vital courses
-Improve in digital painting.
-Work w/ more traditional art
-Do well in classes!
-Work a little on personal page!
-Take more commissions; improve + raise prices
-Get better at drawing animals (and people!)
-Subtitle more videos!

Looking at this, surprisingly, I think I nailed a good number of them, though the exercises, personal page, and doing well in classes are questionable! Exercises went well.. until summer. Personal page didn't go anywhere, though my dA, LJ, and other sites and blogs sort of did. As for classes.. They got harder, so I don't know if I can keep up! What's "well" anymore?

Actually, the katakana bit is.. I mean, I studied it, but I can't recognize it very well. In regards to commissions, I guess I did improve, but I didn't try selling art again ><"

Wow, I don't know what to say. I did a lot of these, so I think I can feel proud of myself? Gosh, I hope my new list isn't too impossible! I'm debating whether or not to share the new list, since I totally did not look at my 2010 resolution at all after writing it until now, so.. The element of surprise is quite nice.

I do know, however, that I hope to post a bit more on my LJ. I'm quite inspired by avodkabottle 's regular LJ postings with art and updates on her life and felt.. I should do the same, too. ^^; Let's see how that goes.

I was going to put up some art, but I have to get to bed soon. Hahah..

The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test

Yeah, I should have better things to do than this, but I was interested. XD It was fun to take. True or not, it makes me incredibly happy~ Like, in the sense that, hey, it's all right if I prefer to be alone most of the time because the reason for that ISN'T 'cause I'm a social outcast! I kind of laughed when I read the cars bit, because automatically in my mind, I went "Koichi = dork". Though I guess the sentence that came after that bit kind of justified any nerds interested in that stuff. e_e

( Here's my result! )

I hope the tomato seeds I salvaged from the tomato I cut up yesterday grow! I put them in a sort-of plastic bottle and lined them on a paper towel pressed against the wall of the plastic bottle. It's not exactly hydroponics, but I'm hopeful... I want to grow some plants while I'm here at university. ^^;

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge
30th president of US (1872 - 1933)

I read this interesting quote on this sheet that gets handed out weekly from church. At first I didn't get it so I had to read it a second time, and when I finally got to the end, I almost teared up. (At the same time, I was like, "Why are you getting so emotional over this?"). I just felt persistent was, or rather is, a word that describes a lot of what I've been doing and having to do lately. I'm not the only one, I know, and I'm definitely not alienating anyone, but it just made me think, that's all. Success or failure, I think whatever it is that sparks or crushes a set goal, can never match up to the impressive valor of being persistent. If you reach success, that's great! You can look back at what it took to get there. If it's a failure, it's picking up where you left off or starting over that's really impressive.

That last sentence was what I really wanted to talk about. It's really hard to get up again when you fail miserably or lose everything you've worked hard on. It's one of the hardest things to do ever, but it's definitely to be admired. Oh, no, I'm not talking about anything super serious. It can apply to anything-- like this morning, I typed up a whole entry and then lost it because the submit button didn't send it entirely through. I was so angry, but then I had to decide on a choice: Should I write it again, or just forget it?

I ended up writing something completely different. Oh well! In any case, I'll be copying this entire entry, juuust in case. XD

And, a quick random rabble.--
Mass was pretty interesting today. I like that priest, though I feel terrible I don't know his name. He seems very educated, having to read the thoughts of a young saint in Latin. And during the breaking of the bread, whenever a priest changes his voice to some deep treble for singing a line or two all holy-like, I'm really moved. He was talking about how when he was young and went Trick-or-Treating, he went as St. Francis of Assisi, and his sister went as some woman (Was her name Veronica? I don't know the story) who wiped Jesus Christ's face. She carried a pillow case with Jesus' face printed on it. I couldn't help but laugh at this story. Trick-or-Treating as holy/Bible figures? That's hardcore! (Though I must admit it struck me as funny also because just yesterday I was reading some article written by a lady from some church saying that Halloween is the counter-holiday to Christmas, and that the devil was outt o get everyone through candy. It was just amusing how church people can have such contrasting thoughts regarding some things. Some will celebrate it, and some abhor it!)

Huh? What was the purpose of today's mass? It's All Saint's Day, I think! There was a moral or something about how the greatest saints are regular people just like us. I know that, but I think it's that humanity that makes them so admirable. I don't ever plan on being a saint, but they sure are good role models/pedestals of inspiration!

I don't normally pull religion out like that, but I just thought today had a good lesson to it and I felt like reminiscing over it. (X

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge
30th president of US (1872 - 1933)

I read this interesting quote on this sheet that gets handed out weekly from church. At first I didn't get it so I had to read it a second time, and when I finally got to the end, I almost teared up. (At the same time, I was like, "Why are you getting so emotional over this?"). I just felt persistent was, or rather is, a word that describes a lot of what I've been doing and having to do lately. I'm not the only one, I know, and I'm definitely not alienating anyone, but it just made me think, that's all. Success or failure, I think whatever it is that sparks or crushes a set goal, can never match up to the impressive valor of being persistent. If you reach success, that's great! You can look back at what it took to get there. If it's a failure, it's picking up where you left off or starting over that's really impressive.

That last sentence was what I really wanted to talk about. It's really hard to get up again when you fail miserably or lose everything you've worked hard on. It's one of the hardest things to do ever, but it's definitely to be admired. Oh, no, I'm not talking about anything super serious. It can apply to anything-- like this morning, I typed up a whole entry and then lost it because the submit button didn't send it entirely through. I was so angry, but then I had to decide on a choice: Should I write it again, or just forget it?

I ended up writing something completely different. Oh well! In any case, I'll be copying this entire entry, juuust in case. XD

And, a quick random rabble.--
Mass was pretty interesting today. I like that priest, though I feel terrible I don't know his name. He seems very educated, having to read the thoughts of a young saint in Latin. And during the breaking of the bread, whenever a priest changes his voice to some deep treble for singing a line or two all holy-like, I'm really moved. He was talking about how when he was young and went Trick-or-Treating, he went as St. Francis of Assisi, and his sister went as some woman (Was her name Veronica? I don't know the story) who wiped Jesus Christ's face. She carried a pillow case with Jesus' face printed on it. I couldn't help but laugh at this story. Trick-or-Treating as holy/Bible figures? That's hardcore! (Though I must admit it struck me as funny also because just yesterday I was reading some article written by a lady from some church saying that Halloween is the counter-holiday to Christmas, and that the devil was outt o get everyone through candy. It was just amusing how church people can have such contrasting thoughts regarding some things. Some will celebrate it, and some abhor it!)

Huh? What was the purpose of today's mass? It's All Saint's Day, I think! There was a moral or something about how the greatest saints are regular people just like us. I know that, but I think it's that humanity that makes them so admirable. I don't ever plan on being a saint, but they sure are good role models/pedestals of inspiration!

I don't normally pull religion out like that, but I just thought today had a good lesson to it and I felt like reminiscing over it. (X

Sometimes I look at my journal and look at the last post I made, which happened to be the colorgenics one. I've been fond of my results for that one, because at the time, I thought it reflected me perfectly. It said everything I liked about myself at the time, and hoped it wouldn't change too much. I'm throwing in the past tense here because, well, I don't think it's gone. I still like it even now, and was partially afraid that if I took it again, it wouldn't say that about be anymore. I took it again, anyway, because my demeanor now is different from then because of some things I'm going through (Generally, I mean. There's nothing tragic or anything that's angering me specifically right now. Everybody goes through things!), and I was curious what Colorgenics would say about me now and if it would brighten up my spirits again.

Again, the link is www.goldinuniverse.com

( So, let's take a look at what it said this time! )
Though I must admit I never wished for winning a lottery. It's close though. I did wish problems would just go away, or rather, disappear. I'm not talking about problems like for math, but financial ones, or family ones. That is to say, I'm not totally depressed right now. I'm just stating the truth. XD

I like that "charming" "leader" continues to be there. XD That's reassuring! I think, technically, it restates some of the things from last time, but matches it with how I'm feeling right now, so I feel that's accurate enough. Hurrah for being the same, even if I could use some work to become a better person. n_n

Sometimes I look at my journal and look at the last post I made, which happened to be the colorgenics one. I've been fond of my results for that one, because at the time, I thought it reflected me perfectly. It said everything I liked about myself at the time, and hoped it wouldn't change too much. I'm throwing in the past tense here because, well, I don't think it's gone. I still like it even now, and was partially afraid that if I took it again, it wouldn't say that about be anymore. I took it again, anyway, because my demeanor now is different from then because of some things I'm going through (Generally, I mean. There's nothing tragic or anything that's angering me specifically right now. Everybody goes through things!), and I was curious what Colorgenics would say about me now and if it would brighten up my spirits again.

Again, the link is www.goldinuniverse.com

( So, let's take a look at what it said this time! )
Though I must admit I never wished for winning a lottery. It's close though. I did wish problems would just go away, or rather, disappear. I'm not talking about problems like for math, but financial ones, or family ones. That is to say, I'm not totally depressed right now. I'm just stating the truth. XD

I like that "charming" "leader" continues to be there. XD That's reassuring! I think, technically, it restates some of the things from last time, but matches it with how I'm feeling right now, so I feel that's accurate enough. Hurrah for being the same, even if I could use some work to become a better person. n_n

This is sooooo cool. I'm not trying to link anyone to an unsafe site. It's just a simple color picking thing that will evaluate your personality according to the colors you choose. I normally don't post quiz or meme things, but this is so amusing and I like how accurate it was for me. XD

http://www.goldinuniverse.com/

( Here's my results! )

This is sooooo cool. I'm not trying to link anyone to an unsafe site. It's just a simple color picking thing that will evaluate your personality according to the colors you choose. I normally don't post quiz or meme things, but this is so amusing and I like how accurate it was for me. XD

http://www.goldinuniverse.com/

( Here's my results! )