Telling a Story

I am really going to do it hopefully)! About a year and half ago I had the most basic idea for a story. It mostly revolved around an image in my head teenage girl in a suit of armor and her brother riding a wolf. The basic point of the story is that the boy had originally tried to be a warrior while the girl wanted to be a magician, but they found their paths in life switched. With the boy becoming a great wizard and the girl a mighty warrior. For what ever reason I have really been thinking about the story A LOT for the past two weeks. I now know that it takes place in a hidden kingdom that lies in a valley that has been made inacessible from mountains. In this kingdom live Dwarves and humans, and while dwarves are the majority, ancient prophecy state that as long as a man holds the throne, the kingdom will never fall. However, an evil warlock who is in league with the Dark Dwarves (dwarves who live deep under the mountains, and are evil), has a plan to murder the king and place a prominent Dwarf on the throne. In his plans an inevitable civil war will erupt, but with the help of the Dark Dwarves his side will win, and he will be the pupeteer pulling the strings behind the dwarf king. He believes that he can not fail in this due to a prophecy: When the true King is dead, he who commands the wolves, will come to power, creating a New World. Yet, forfeit his crown will be to the Golden Warrior. The Warlock believes he is the one who commands the wolves, believeing the wolves to mean the Dark Dwarves, yet he knows not who the golden warrior is, and thinks that is the only person who can stop him. After his coup attempt, the heir to the throne, escapes, and the Warlock now believes him to be the Golden Warrior. The heir flees to a small Abbey where two orphans, a brother and sister live. When the Warlock's army comes the two get seperated and begin down their own paths of self discovery. The boy learns true magic and befriends wolves, while the girls learns she is a natural with a sword and posesses a tactical mind. The two get back together at the end, and defeat the Warlock. The heir is killed in the battle and the crown is given to the boy, but he willingly gives it to his sister because she is better suited to rule (and she is a blonde, hence the "golden warrior"). That is the plot in a nutshell. There is a lot more to the story obivously, but as I continue to think about it I realize that if I were to write this it would be a full-fledged novel. Chapters is the only way to tell the different aspects that are woven together into one story. The problem is that I have never even tried writing something novel like (I wrote a story once that could probably be considered a Novella, but that is about it). However, I can not get this story out of my head and I really want to write it. As soon as I get more pressing written works out of the way (like the picture book about our trip to Scotland), I want to try writing this story, because I don't think it is going to get out of my head any other way.

I don't understand people!

It must be a very pretty box. That is the only way it could possibly be worth $130. In this auction, someone probably just learned they need to carefully read before they buy. . . sucks for them, funny for everyone else.

Um, yeah so what's up?

I know I have not had a real post here for a week, and that one was probably a little weak. I don't have a whole lot to say. I am trying to get going in my new job, and it feels like a big rock rolling down a hill, things are going slow now, but I know I am picking up speed, and I have a feeling in a few weeks everything will be rolling. I also got re-certified in CPR this week, and I am not certified to use a difibulator, so go me I guess. Abigail and I saw the Brothers Grimm last night, and it was alright. The story was good, the script not so much. The plot and characters really could have gone deeper, but they just didn't. It was a beautiful movie to watch though. Also, this weekend brought an end to a year long search and I finally found a FPS controller at an EB Games in Fishers

Along with having buttons down on the handles so the thumbs stay on the sticks, it also features programmable controls, so even if a game doesn't allow me to customize my own controls, the controller will. This is good news since I prefer a slightly unusual setup, and I can now make all of my FPS games have the same control set up, which is just awesome.

I am officially a geek

Because the Internet told me so.

Modern, Cool Nerd 52 % Nerd, 60% Geek, 34% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd. Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eeked out for themselves a modicrum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)! Congratulations!

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 43% on nerdiness You scored higher than 86% on geekosity You scored higher than 50% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating

A website I probably shouldn't go to . . .

because it will make me want to irrationaly spend lots of money. I saw an advertisment for it on the back of a Military History magazine I got in the mail today. An Axis and Allies miniatures game sounds freaking incredible. I watched the demo and the rules are ultra simple. (if you can see the enemey and are in range, shoot by rolling X amount of dice all four or higher=hit, if the number of hits > than unit defense rating, it is two hits, = to 1 hit. Three hits and a unit is dead). This is another one of Wizards of the Coast collectible miniature games, which means it is ultra expensive to get enough pieces to make strategic armies. The only thing stoping me from going and selling a kidney so I can buy a starter set and booster case (that would be 12 booster boxes) is that I won't have anyone to play with (I probably wouldn't actually sell a kidney. . .just plasma and bone marrow). It is probably for the best though I suppose (sigh). While at the website, I also viewed the online demo for Axis and Allies: D-Day. Same Axis and Allies system, only on a smaller scale. The game looks awesome, but once again I have no one to play with. They also had a game that reminded me a lot of Zombies, called Betrayal at House on the Hill. In the game you design the haunted house, just like you do in Zombies and explore it, then at some point one of the players goes crazy/gets posessed and tries to kill the others while they escape. The game sounds like mad crazy fun. Sadly, it requires three players to even get started, so there is even less chance of ever playing that one. Like I said, I should probably never go to that site, because not only do I have impulse to buy, buy, buy it is also a bit depressing.

I'll Do Whatever I Feel Like . . .Gosh!

Like Napoleon I have begun dancing. However, unlike Napolean, I am not learning this scandalous art from urban music and instructional tapes. Instead I am learning to J-Pop and the PS2. Yes, I have indeed crossed over to some sort of dark side and joined the Revolution. The Dance Dance Revolution that is. Now, while those who I spilled virtual blood with on the beaches of Wolfenstein or the the Alien soil of Halo may find this a sell out (or you may not care) the main motivator for this was how expensive the YMCA was in Indianapolis. In Corydon we never went to the YMCA like we should have, but it was cheap enough that it was not terrible if we did not get the usage out of it we really should have. However, the membership is about double and it just wasn't worth it to us, but we both decided that we needed some sort of regular excersice that we would both do, and DDR is it. Both Abigail and I are going at it for about half an hour a day, and while I would have sworn I would never own the game (actually I think I did back in January), I have to admit it is fun ( a lot more fun than the dreadfully dull excersice machines the YMCA offers anyway). Now anyone who was hoping for some picture of me on the dance pad so you could laugh hysterically, sorry you are out of luck. If you want to see that, then you will have to make your way to Indy and we can compete (since we have two pads). With just a bit more practice, I bet I could Kick your Can

Questions about the nerf war lock in

Questions You may have about the Nerf War

So Facebook does not allow notes to be posted on Event pages, so this link will attempt to answer some questions you may have about the Nerf War.

1. If I have my own gun can I bring it?
Yes you can IF it is an official Nerf gun and the ammunition it uses is micro-darts. If the nerf gun has been made in the past three years or so then it will use micro darts. If the gun you bring is a Maverick, Deploy, Recon, fury-Fire, Nite Finder, Barrel Break or Secret Strike then you will be able to use it the entire time. However, if your bring a Stampede, Vulcan, Longshot, Mag-strike, Raider, Alpha Trooper, or any other power gun then you may not necessarily get to used it as these guns will need to be assigned to teams for balance and game type.

2. If I bring my own gun do I still need to pay $35?
Not necessarily. If you bring a comparable gun such as the Recon or Maverick then you do not need to pay to have a Deploy bought for you. If your only gun is a Vulcan then you will need to pay so that you can have a regular gun. If your only gun is a secret strike or a weaker pistol like the fury fire or Nite Finder, then you will need to pay so that you are on equal footing. If you bring your own gun, you also need to provide your own ammo. Everyone who pays gets 60 shots. You do not need to have that many, but you will be at a disadvantage with less. If your bring your own gun and it is a Recon or Deploy, you may still want to buy ammo. How much you need to pay breaks down like this:

A. If you need all supplies (gun, ammo, clips) then pay $35
B. If you have a gun but need ammo and clips then pay $18
C. If you have your own gun and ammo then pay $5 (to help chip in for Vulcan)

3. Can I buy a gun AND bring my own gun?
Yes you can. As mentioned if your bring a power weapon, then you may not always get to use it, but if you pay $35 to buy a gun, and want to bring your Maverick, Nite Finder, or Secret Shot to carry as a back up weapon that is fine. In the same way, if you pay $35 for the Deploy and want to bring an extra clip from another gun you have then that is fine as well.

4. What else do I need?
While it is not required, you may find it helpful to bring a bag to carry all of your extra ammo. While not fashionable, a fanny pack works best (call it a Combat Depolyment pack if you want), any bag would work but the smaller the better so that the bag does not make you a bigger target.

All about Star Wars

It might have been my brother watching all six Star Wars movies or it might have been the weekly playings of Star Wars Battlefront. It could even have been finally unpacking all of my Star Wars stuff (pictures are coming!), but I have been on a larger than average Star Wars kick for the past two to three weeks. This was made even stronger on Staurday when Abigail and I went to Barnes and Noble to hang out and I read Star Wars: Visionaries


This graphic novel is absolutly incredible! Seriously, one of the stories in there is the best Star Wars short story I have ever read (yes comics can count as short stories as far as I am concerned) if you love reading Star Wars materials (and especially if you love comics on top of that) you need to check this one.

Another part of this kick has been wanting to play a lot of Star Wars Attacktix. If you attended college with me (and most likely if you are reading this you did or you are related to me) then you know I love games, especially complicated strategic ones. Sadly, my beautiful wife does not really care for these types of games. However, Attacktix is a collectible minatures game she wil play with me.

Unlike most tabletop games there is no dice ruling, no tedious measuring, and there are not as many complex choices. You just make your team and then start attacking each other .. litereally as you can see by the picture the guns really fire and the lightsabers really swing. It is easy, simple, quick, and very fun. There is also just enough stategy involved in which pieces are used and how they are moved to make satisfy my strategy game urges.

Pests Problems

We have squirrels. I am fairly confident they are squirrels, because I have heard mice running around inside walls, and these sound a LOT bigger. The first time Abigail heard them she freaked out. There are suppose to be some animal control guys coming out sometime to get rid of the little buggers.
The bigger pest problem is that I may or may not have killed one of thse:

That is a Brown Recluse Spider. I killed a butt ugly spider in the basement that looks a lot like that. In fact, when I first saw it I thought Brown Recluse and after I killed it I immediatly went up stairs and looked up a picture for comparison. If what I killed was a Brown Recluse let's hope it keeps to it's namesake and the spider I killed was a single reclusive spider.

In completely unrelated news, our goal is to have the house in complete unpacked working order by tomorrow (riight) because Stephen and Amanda will be here.

One of the better Internet survey things

Thieved from Mel, who ganked from Ruke, who permanatly borrowed from someone else.

1) Using your Current Initials, choose a different name for yourself.
Simon Mikhail Luther Jordan

2) If you were born outside of your era, when would you want to be born and why?
If I have to give up luxuries like Internet and AC, then put me back in early first century Jerusleum so I can take part in the original church as described in Acts.

3) If you ran a store, what would you sell/have?
My store would be a combination of a Steak and shake (serving good food, with a specialtiy in Milk Shakes), Gamestop (sell new and used games), an internet cafe (lots of computers to be used for LANs), and an arcade (lots of video game systems and big TVs to be used for massive in store matches and trying out used games before you bought them. )

4) What part in a movie would you love to play?
I would be the sacrifical Hero (think Obi-Wan Kenobi)

5) In your opinion, why do people suck?
Because they are fallen being in a fallen world with the choice to make sucky decisions.



6) If you had your own state, what would you put on your new quarter?
I would put the celtic Trinity symbol

7)What's the oldest article of clothing you own?
Pair of Cotton White Sox shorts that I still sleep in. I beleive I got them in 6th grade.

8) What piece of furniture have you replaced the most?
We replaced a couch once. . .so I guess that is it.

9) What instrument do you wish you could be more than great at?
Any of them, since I have no musical ability. Though personally I think I would prefer drums.

10) Record, Tape or Cd?
CD

11) What do you think would be the best concert ever? (max: 5 bands)

Casting Crowns
Thousand Foot Krutch (how is that for a band transistion?)
Pillar
O.C. Supertones
and the main event, a special reunion show by Five Iron Frenzy.

12) What's the best part of your favorite movie(s)?
The best part from every Star Wars movie
Episode I: Obi-wan vs. Darth Maul
Episode II: Yoda vs. Count Dooku
Episode III: The opening Space Battle. Best. Movie. Opening. Ever.
Episode IV: When Obi Wan sacrafices himself
Episode V: There are to many. It would either be when Yoda first shows up or when Captian Needa "apologizes", or when Leia says "I love you" and Han responds "I know"

13) What do you think is the most over-rated candy ever?
Jolly Rancher


14) If you were writing out your will, who would you give your CD collection to?
I don't think anyone I know would really want it.

15) If you could only debate two topics the rest of your life, what would they be?
I'll say the first would be "relevant life issues" that should cover everything important and the second topic would be Who would win, Batman or Spiderman?

16) Out of your friends, who would you say you are most jealous of, artistically?
No one?

17) Most jealous of....intellectually?
um .. . no one again?

18) What do you collect?
Star Wars toys and depending on how you define collect you could probably say video games

19) What is broken that you have, that you wish was fixed?
I don't think I have anything broken right now

20)What do you do when you're home sick?
I don't really get homesick



22) Story behind your username?
SeanXor: Juinor year of college, I spent a lot of time playing Legend of Zelda: A link to the Past. It must have been fascinating because people would watch me play, and one of my room mates started saying "SeanXor Roxors" , and then suddenly a lot of people started calling me that.



23) Current Favorite Article of Clothing?
T-shirt that says "I Make Stuff Up"

24) Line from the last thing you wrote for someone?
Well technically the last thing I wrote for someone was a parent letter, but a line from the last thing that I really wrote for somone is:

You have a really wonderful name.

25) A famous person you have met?
I met a professional bowler once. . . and I got the autograph of NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip

26) Favorite way to waste time?
video games

27) Last thing you bought yourself?
A Star Wars figure

I believe the word I am looking for is Brilliant

I need that word in order to describe the Clone Wars Vol 1. I did not watch the mini-series (with an emphesis on mini since each of the 20 episodes is close to three minutes long). However, on the DVD the series flows together and tells a great story, usually without words. The amount of animated action packed into this thing is truly remarkable. I also enjoyed the fact that units from Star Wars Battlefront (such as the Assasian Droid, heavy weapons droid and rocket launching ARC trooper) were present. Lucasarts did an absolutly incredible job at synergy with the all of the Clone Wars material (this includes the books and comics). If you are a Star wars fan you MUST check out this DVD.

The Crazy Summer Ends

Yes I know summer does not officially end until September, but as far as I am concerned summer is over because tomorrow morning I will really begin in full out speed at my new job. I also consider it an end to the summer, becaue the hecticness of the past 2 1/2 months is now over. It ended with a bang though. Dispite the fact I had not officially started I went with the youth group to Cedar Point. I got to ride the Millenium Force,
but missed out on the Dragester (highest roller coaster in the world. However, I think that for pure fun value though I got to go with the Magnum XL, even though it is slower and not as tall as the Millenium Force, it is full of steep hills that really create that feeling of weightlessness. It was also good to have the long van wide to and from to meet and get to know the youth. I was then home from that trip for about an hour before I took off to direct a church camp. The week of camp was HOT, but really good. However, the camp make up was 20 boys and 5 girls, so there was a TON of drama. Despite all of that the week went well, and a positive spiritual impact was made in multiple campers. It would have been nice to end the summer with attending the Brickyard 400 wtih my family, but this was my first official Sunday at Epworth so I really kind of had to be there.