tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45198214653298147392024-02-07T22:06:01.611-08:00Memoirs of Totally Normal Crazy PeopleAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-26509083970220498442014-05-21T12:04:00.001-07:002014-05-21T12:04:46.879-07:00Halloween Came Early? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Who
doesn’t want Halloween to be epic? Especially when it comes to impressing
people with your creative costumes. Well, this year, we decided to make our own
costumes. The apartment was a disaster, but the end result was totally worth
it. We decided to go with punked out versions of different fairy tale / Disney characters.
We had Punk Belle, Punk Tinkerbell (Quinn), and Punk Red Riding Hood (Alice).
And in two weekends of epicness during October, we rushed to get our costumes
ready for Halloween. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3F-583VK0MGjCYO71ioEQtGFBBGwaycqJeKRUe0AQtIsuUUShazqa0GAhGViHmka8UjR3qPGMN_d4w_DCQCC97_ugvgazarFDOm5qfNCeO50XLPxunE-5KyU25kAaXoY4IIfCOpP7Go/s1600/20131026_150635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3F-583VK0MGjCYO71ioEQtGFBBGwaycqJeKRUe0AQtIsuUUShazqa0GAhGViHmka8UjR3qPGMN_d4w_DCQCC97_ugvgazarFDOm5qfNCeO50XLPxunE-5KyU25kAaXoY4IIfCOpP7Go/s1600/20131026_150635.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
was fabric, string, and pins everywhere. We wouldn’t have recommended walking
around without shoes on, it was incredibly dangerous. Everyone kept telling us
that we weren’t going to be ready in time for all the parties, but we insisted that
with Halloween being on a Thursday, there was no way nothing would be going on
the weekend after. And thus we kept at it. Quinn discovered she was horrible
with a sewing machine. There was a lot of cussing every time she was even near
the machine. Even simple, straight lines were an issue. Alice on the other
hand, was pretty awesome at it, creating her cape from scratch. Quinn settled
for a glue gun, hot gluing all the leaves to the dress she was creating for Tinkerbell.
One day, one day Quinn will get it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixs_mSzFidjYOD8bLwwoGMhK3TQQbIZGLKrvAhIkiQNnzy1-MLtd3LuhUl4ofLxFKfeHWMEZvwiiPY0q7uBozCsLZB9oQ709AVu1XxyylQ1VTqa8T8CjfGBPC7r0euearNk9PbMS9giGA/s1600/IMG_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixs_mSzFidjYOD8bLwwoGMhK3TQQbIZGLKrvAhIkiQNnzy1-MLtd3LuhUl4ofLxFKfeHWMEZvwiiPY0q7uBozCsLZB9oQ709AVu1XxyylQ1VTqa8T8CjfGBPC7r0euearNk9PbMS9giGA/s1600/IMG_0154.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vzYU67ERlnQDBh0xhqX-sTYq8JYRh6PlGXHQ7rBGJZi8iMl7QsegbGxWnpNgVQrX_ZlYjaiABqqR_hkNN7NzpRuRQZ9PtEisX63kVbajB1QN0NbeMW1a1q93YPymSJV6cm_fFovntiA/s1600/IMG_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vzYU67ERlnQDBh0xhqX-sTYq8JYRh6PlGXHQ7rBGJZi8iMl7QsegbGxWnpNgVQrX_ZlYjaiABqqR_hkNN7NzpRuRQZ9PtEisX63kVbajB1QN0NbeMW1a1q93YPymSJV6cm_fFovntiA/s1600/IMG_0163.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As we
tore through the two weekends, with minimal thought to the fact that we still
had nowhere to go, we found ourselves pretty impressed with our costume making
skills. In fact, the idea was tossed around about become costume designers.
That quickly faded when it was pointed out you can’t hot glue everything and
call yourself a costume designer. The week before, we started looking at what
we could do, and, nothing. Niente. Apparently, the weekend before was the
weekend for all the parties, even though Halloween was on a Thursday, which is
clearly closer to the following weekend. Angered by the general population not
making sense, we were determined that all of our hard work would not go to
waste. So we went out anyway. In fact, we went out to dinner at a pretty nice
place. In our costumes. And we do have to say it was quite awesome. if you have
never been out in public in a costume before, on a day where no one else is
dressing up because you clearly missed when everyone decided to celebrate Halloween,
we say do it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the
true spirit of Red Riding Hood, Alice had a basket of cookies. Which came in
handy at the bar we went to after dinner! Not only did we get free drinks, but
someone even gave us money for the cookie we gave him!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All in
all, it was a great way to spend the month of October. We came out of it with
awesome costumes, and a great story to tell. The month we missed Halloween, but
didn’t care and went out anyway.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>Get out
of your comfort zone,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alice and Quinn</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-3973826209401618262014-03-29T11:50:00.001-07:002014-03-29T11:50:19.993-07:00Magic and RoadtripsHey Everyone!<br />
<br />
You know what's awesome (besides us... we mean, you)? Roadtrips! There's something about the open road (heavy traffic on the interstate, road rage), clear skies (sudden torrential downpours, no one turning on their lights), good tunes (probably Ke$ha), and your bestie by your side that inspires creativity. Things are infinitely more amusing when you're stuck in a metal box with no escape; and the jokes that are created turn into the best stories of your life.<br />
<br />
We were recently on our own roadtrip, just a couple hours from home. By this point exhaustion from our epic adventure was setting in and our normally totally coherent ramblings were taking on lives of their own and becoming the stories of truth in the world as we see it. <br />
<br />
The story below was inspired (and written) in the car that day. It's an enchanting tale of two best friends who overcome all odds and obstacles and prevail in the end. We know that sounds like we just gave away the whole story, but trust us, you aren't prepared for what you are about to read. We hope you enjoy.<br />
<br />
Alice Quinn Presents: Always Use Your Head<br />
<br />
Once upon a time, there was a rainstorm. The storm was relentless and created havoc on the streets below. But in the midst of disaster, a beautiful rainbow was formed and stretched fully across the sky. Each colour glimmered of magic.<br />
<br />
Two unicorns were running through the fields and saw the rainbow in the distance. They could hear the rainbow calling out to them, promising a better world of peace and happiness. For unicorns, a rainbow was a sacred gift from above, a bridge that held their fate. So the unicorns sprinted toward the rainbow, never questioning its will or power.<br />
<br />
As the fateful arch came into view, the unicorns noticed a shadowy figure lingering at its end. The shadow was roaming and confused, seemingly mindless. The unicorns ignored the figure's random shuffling and focused on the rainbow. But as they closed in on the rainbow, there was an obvious recognition in the figure's eyes. The unicorns were threat and the figure approached them with an obvious hunger. <br />
<br />
The first unicorn, Azarrah, was able to edge past the figure, instantly recognizing her luck. The figure was a zombie, and zombies have a particular interest in unicorn brains. If a zombie consumes the brain of a unicorn, it will be free to roam and eat and kill forever. Not even a shot to the head could stop it. Azarrah picked up her pace, sprinting up the rainbow.<br />
<br />
The second unicorn, Khadilsa, was not as lucky and got trapped at the bottom of the rainbow. With steady nerves and a focused mind, she took in her surroundings and her attacker. She knew the mayhem he could cause with her powers, and she could not allow that to happen to mankind. And she absolutely refused to be eaten on a rainbow. With no other option, Khadilsa lowered her head and ran full bore into the zombie, stabbing him right in the eyehole.<br />
<br />
She raised her head, but the zombie stayed with her, kicking and reaching and baring its teeth, and stuck to her horn. She knew she couldn't stop or turn back, so she continued running up the rainbow. Right as she reached the peak of the arch, she flung her head and the zombie went flying down the side of the rainbow.<br />
<br />
Azarrah watched in horror as her friend struggled with zombie and breathed a sigh of relief when it went flying through the air. But the fall would not stop the zombie. There was only one way to kill it - a double tap to the head. She lowered her head and steadied herself. As she descended the arch on the other side, she made sure to gain speed and direct her aim. Right as she reached the bottom of the rainbow she stabbed the zombie again, right through the other eyehole.<br />
<br />
Azarrah laid the zombie by the side of the rainbow and the sky opened up. The unicorns proved their worth to the rainbow and they were granted the happiness they were promised. Without pause, Azarrah and Khadilsa continued on for their adventure. And they never looked back.<br />
<br />
There you have it. This is our reminder to use every opportunity, even deadlock traffic on the highway, to fuel your dreams and creativity. Never stop being awesome.<br />
<br />
-Alice & Quinn<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-34424541734994398082014-03-28T07:49:00.001-07:002014-03-28T07:49:43.397-07:00New Product Plan: Sweet Ending Gym<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The major problem that most of us have with exercise is
instant gratification. It's a flaw of our generation. When we do something, we
want someone to acknowledge it, even if it is as trivial as going to the gym
and putting in a few sets. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And let's face it, our nation is growing... in waist size. And
the media isn't getting any nicer to anyone they don't deem
"attractive." We are constantly being told how we should look, how we
should dress, and what we should eat. Or more forcefully, what we should not
eat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But isn't that part of why we go to the gym? So we can eat
the things we love and not feel bad about them? I mean, that's why I go to the
gym. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a problem in our society. We should not have to
defend the 6 cupcakes we ate for dessert, or the loaf of bread we ate instead
of a proper meal. If I want to eat a bag of Doritos for dinner, that should be
ok. I don't owe anyone an explanation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But also, society doesn't change over night. And those
habits I detailed above are not necessarily the most healthy decisions. So what
can we do to alleviate the pain from these important social problems?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the part of the infomercial when someone busts through
the wall and exclaims "Sweet Ending Gym!"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's the idea. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the surface, the gym looks like an ordinary gym. Except
that everyone inside is working really hard and enjoying themselves instead of pretending
to do another set and considering giving up on life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every person proudly carries around an identification card
that tracks all their activity in the gym. The card is inserted into each piece
of equipment and records your movement. And it's calculating. So every time you
run a mile, that card is tracking your distance, your steps, your speed, and
the number of calories you burned during that time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That's not the exciting part.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now imagine you are at Dave and Buster's because this is
about to get crazy. At the end of your workout, you take your ID card to the
clerk. The clerk will swipe your card and tell you how many calories you burned
during your session. That number will be converted for you in any way you
choose: cookies, pizza, milkshakes, whatever you want. When you make your
conversion choice, you will receive your instant gratification, in the form of
delicious snacks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wait, you may be saying. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of
working out in the first place if you replace the number of calories burned with
calories eaten?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The short answer is, kind of. Sure, you aren't going to lose
weight that way, but are you going to feel bad that you indulged a little that
day? No. You won't. Because you worked for those cookies. You earned those
french fries. You'll eat those precious goodies with a smile on your face and a
light heart. And that's the society I want to live in. The one where people
feel good about themselves for being themselves. Not where they work hard to
achieve an ideal that doesn't exist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We aren't perfect people. We have flaws. We have vices. And
if I want to run 50 miles a day to support my Doritos habit, I think that
should be ok.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Owning It,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alice and Quinn </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-80102981463887663262014-03-27T09:10:00.000-07:002014-03-27T09:10:15.276-07:00The Guide to Being Successful : Holding Meetings<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This is us in every meeting ever:
“Man, this could be way more efficient,” “Why do they always feed us
donuts when they know that we are all going to sugar crash in 15 minutes?”
“Nothing is ever getting done. Ever. Seriously, ever.” “God, Jerry is
snoring again. Someone put a napkin under his face so he doesn’t drool
all over the table.” </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Have you ever had an experience
like that? Of course you have. It probably perfectly sums up how you spend
5 days of every week, all the while wishing something would come crashing
through the ceiling just to give you something new to mindlessly stare
at.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Well, today you are in luck! We
hold the secret to having interesting meetings where decisions will be
made and it won’t take 20 hours to do so.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">We present to you, <b><i>Alice and
Quinn Teach People How to Hold Effective and Efficient Meetings.</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><i> </i></span>
</b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><u>PART ONE – ALWAYS USE FOOD TO
YOUR ADVANTAGE</u></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><u> </u></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Using food to increase attendance
is the oldest trick in the book. This meeting conflicts with lunch? Don’t
worry; we brought you a box with an airport sandwich and a cookie inside.
Problem solved. The meeting <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1445895888" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">tomorrow</span></span> is absurdly early? Don’t you worry
about that either; we covered that conference room in donuts and pastries
and washed it all down with terrible coffee.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">The basis of food as an incentive
is brilliant. People love eating and they enjoy it even more on the company’s
dime. But this can backfire on a large scale. There are a number of negative
side effects that can be avoided, but are always overlooked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Donuts
are pretty cheap and they are a crowd pleaser. But they are also super
high in sugar. While everyone is shaking in their seats for the first 10
minutes from the day-and-a-half worth of sugar they just consumed, the
rest of the meeting will look more like 15 toddlers trying to avoid naptime.</span>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">We’re
going to list delicious pastries and baked goods again, because there’s
another important point to be made. Foods high in fat and sugar immediately
segregate a room. There’s going to be a group of people who are trying
to hide the fact that they hid 3 donuts/cupcakes/whole cakes in their pockets
while washing it all down with a Mountain Dew, even if it is <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1445895889" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">8:00</span></span> in the
morning. Then there’s going to be a group of very vocal people who couldn’t
possibly eat a donut because it would ruin their very strict exercise routine,
which will be outlined in detail, and OMG, I can’t even remember the last
time I ate something that tasted good, let me just sip on my vitamin water.
That’s an uncomfortable dynamic for everyone.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Especially
for big meetings, eating causes ergonomic concerns. There is never enough
space and people are concentrating harder on how to bend their elbows in
the opposite direction to avoid hitting their neighbor (again) than what
topic is probably super important or whatever to their job.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Providing
coffee is such a cop-out for meetings. Sure, you could get complimentary
coffee whenever you want from the break room, but we have it right here
and you barely had to walk to get it. Plus, coffee makes people have to
poo, and trying to hold it can be very distracting during a meeting.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">With all of this going on, productivity
and effectiveness take a huge hit. The only reason to use food in this
way is if you aren’t prepared for your presentation and you hope the whole
audience is too sleepy or distracted to notice you are really just reading
the screenplay you wrote instead of working. </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Here are a couple of the suggestions
we have come up with to utilize food as an incentive, but also maintain
optimum productivity out of your group.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><b>
</b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">1. Save
the food for the END of the Meeting.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b> </b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Think about what we said above.
We aren’t just talking about a boring boxed lunch sitting at the back
of the room. We are thinking much bigger: Crock-pot Surprise or Panini Press.
We particularly like the crock-pot idea for large groups. Crock-pot recipes
are easy, and most importantly, THEY FILL THE ROOM WITH DELICIOUS SMELL.
You know how your parents always said, “No dessert until you eat your
vegetables. You can’t play video games until you finish your homework.”
They use those ultimatums because they work, and let’s face it; we are
all just overgrown children, especially during meetings. So we promote
the “Get this meeting done/make decisions/solve problems effectively and
efficiently and then you can eat this delicious food you smell” concept. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">2. Feed
them something messy, like spaghetti.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b> </b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This sounds like a bizarre strategy,
but hear us out. Have you ever had to hold a meeting for people you knew
were going to be jerks the whole time? Or with people who are super judgmental?
This is the perfect situation for this technique. If not strictly for your
own comedic pleasure to watch jerks struggle with pasta sauce on their
faces (or sloppy joe, whatevs. Get creative), this method will help level
the playing field. Everyone is going to struggle eating messy food, keeping
it off their faces and clothes, so the ones who are used to judging will
have to deal with the fact that they’re being judged too. And no salad
option here, ok? God, its whole wheat pasta, just indulge a little. Plus,
everyone is going to want to rush out of the conference room to make sure
they still look as flawless as they did before the spaghetti fiasco, so
work gets done faster. This is the “Everyone is a Loser so we’re All
Winners” strategy. With everyone on the same page it is more likely that
things can be done in a civilized, efficient manner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><b>
</b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><u>PART TWO – MUSIC WILL ALWAYS
SET THE RIGHT MOOD</u></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><u> </u></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Music is used everywhere to enhance
people’s feelings. Movies, TV shows, commercials, sleazy guys trying to
put the moves on, etc. Music will make you feel exactly how She-Who-Controls-the-Stereo
wants you to feel. We suggest utilizing it to your advantage. Of course,
not everyone has the same taste in music, but we have a few ideas that
should help with that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">1. Use
Disney Songs.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b> </b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Everyone loves Disney movies. Everyone.
That’s a scientifically proven fact. And the best part of Disney movies?
The music. Obviously. There are people who will try to tell you that they
don’t enjoy all the Disney magic, but those people are either:</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">a. Lying</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">b. Douchebags</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">c. Lying
Douchebags</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">d. Living
under a rock that was hurled here through space from a planet that is so
technologically inept that Disney hasn’t reached them yet. Those people
need their own special course in How to Live On Earth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">But Disney music is super relevant.
They are really good at controlling your emotions and feelings, which is
probably how they so easily took over the world. This means, of course,
that you could temporarily hold that kind of power during your meeting.
Plus, Disney songs remind people of their childhood, and will hopefully
promote the desire to get things done quickly so they can go home and play.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>2. </b> <b>Use
Pop-Punk.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b> </b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This genre as a whole isn’t for
everyone, but there are some songs that are universally loved and have
just enough edge that they will put people in the mood to accomplish their
dreams. Or rebel, you know, like punks do. It’s a fine line, tread lightly.
We suggest sticking to something people will recognize, not some super-cool,
obscure band that only toured garages and basements on the east coast.
On the flip side, we also suggest introducing music from other countries.
It probably won’t be familiar, but it may speak to someone’s lineage
and provides some diversity. It’s also a great ice-breaker and way to
get people to lighten up a little. <b>dARI</b> is a much-recommended Italian
pop-punk band that we love and listen to on a regular basis. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>3. Ke$ha,
Ke$ha, Ke$ha!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b> </b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Do we really even need to explain
this? Ke$ha has mastered the art of creating a pop song. She’s like the
McDonald’s of the music world. Even if you claim to hate it (which you
are lying because you don’t), the tunes are so damn catchy that you are
bound to be bopping and smiling along. Just keep the glitter out of reach;
that stuff doesn’t come out of anything. That’s right, we are the crazy
people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Using this guide, you are bound
to have the most effective, most exciting, and most-attended meetings in
the office. And don’t you worry your fantastic little heads people, there
is more to come.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Alice and Quinn </span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-55704372001563562222014-01-29T17:04:00.002-08:002014-01-29T17:04:33.725-08:00Buon Anno! Happy New Year! Peace out 2013!<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Ciao Fellow Awesome People!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Is it 2014 already? Holy
cow.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">We know, we know... We have
been totally (embarrassingly) slacking in terms of keeping up with
the blog. But then, if we rocked it so hard last year, we wouldn't
have such an obvious New Year's resolution to drop in the first post
of 2014. That's right, we don't vow to eat better, exercise more, be
all-around better people, or any of those other relatively normal and
boring resolutions that last only a few weeks. Nope. We have bigger
plans. To start, we are going to do a better job at regular blog
posting. And the major vision we have for this year is to finish
stage one of Project We Can Write A Novel, and get into stage two:
editing. Sober of course. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">We've also decided to take
up Kendo. Because swords are cool. And we haven't given up hope of
becoming badass samurai. Actually, we learned of a Kendo studio close
to where we live through a friend who is almost as awesome as we are.
Almost. We are super psyched to cross sword fighting off our list of
hobbies to learn and master. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">This post is dedicated to
new beginnings, but the past few months have helped shape who we are
going into 2014. Therefore, we will be doing a several-part series
recap of what we failed to post in the latter part of 2013. Overall,
it was a <i>foxtastic</i> (that's a word now, get on board) year!
Seriously. There were a lot of changes and new experiences, and the
direction and excitement for things to come has been increasing
exponentially. In 2013 we had a failed business, failed
relationships, mildly-miserable day jobs, and way more interests than
time or money allowed. And yet, it was one of the best to date. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">The failed business was a
great life lesson for us. As generally well-adjusted and blatantly
arrogant as we tend to be, its important to be reminded that not
everything we find spectacular or hilarious is going to catch on.
(But one day it will.) We haven't given up hope on our
entrepreneuring skills, and maybe with a little extra effort we can
still save CPAD (www.zazzle.com/catpicsallday*), but we know we
tried. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Failed relationships are
always tough, whether it be a friend, family member, or significant
other. And they are usually a good chance to take a step back and
really look at yourself. The failed relationship of note wasn't just
a chance to grow as a person, but an opportunity to crash through a
window, break down some walls, and find someone with a little more
pizazz. And hey, it worked! It's our general advice that there are
people out there that understand and appreciate all the crazy parts
of us, and when we find those people, we should hold on to them
because good things can happen.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">As for the jobs, if you
aren't happy, make a change. That's how we live our lives and our 9-5
isn't any different. Alice was fortunate enough to grab onto and run
with a new opportunity. Quinn has her foot in the door and is holding
on to hope. All in all, it's looking up. We want to live on our own
terms, and this is our path to get there.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">So
here’s to 2014, the year of potential, a whole new year to meet
goals, exceed our own expectations, and continue to have fun with our
current hobbies and the new ones. We hope you guys all have great
years as well and it’s never too early to start checking things off
your list of things to do and try. Life goes by fast, so keep up!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Buon Anno,</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Alice and Quinn</span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-11138643056024872702013-09-01T17:04:00.003-07:002013-09-01T17:04:47.100-07:00The Most Glorious PrizeHello, Fellow Awesome People!
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We (Alice and Quinn, duh) met about a
year ago, but as it turns out, we have been neighbors most of our
lives. Well, we grew up in neighboring states anyway. Recently, we
decided to take a road trip back to the homelands to visit with some
friends.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here's the thing about these friends:
they are all race car drivers. Seriously. That's what they do. So
the big event that weekend was going to be a kart race among some of
them. These karts go about 40 mph, which is pretty fast for what
could be considered a children's toy. They were all pretty psyched
for it. Well, it was the general consensus that the two of us would
just be in the way if we tried to drive against the “professionals”
(Weekend Warriors) so we decided (slash were requested) to sit out
the race and find other ways to occupy our time.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We hiked all the way across the street
to a Target where we found all kinds of awesome swag. Right when we
walk through the door, we are greeted with GIANT cat erasers.
Seriously, they are giant (At least three inches). And only one
dollar a piece. Two please. #StillKids #ButWithAnIncome</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisramcD4ByZNDrhZZi7wXgcZBHvj_xxpLpocFF50dWLOgGRuU9Bl-UihSxRiFOoOCOaNRK0rI_NaShLXqk8UTOh6GM0Agmev1RxLsbS87R9rnjyD0Jm5Bs8zcEdjNRzpcAYUuVueKZUHQ/s1600/Giant+Cat+Eraser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisramcD4ByZNDrhZZi7wXgcZBHvj_xxpLpocFF50dWLOgGRuU9Bl-UihSxRiFOoOCOaNRK0rI_NaShLXqk8UTOh6GM0Agmev1RxLsbS87R9rnjyD0Jm5Bs8zcEdjNRzpcAYUuVueKZUHQ/s1600/Giant+Cat+Eraser.jpg" height="320" width="313" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After wandering the store, trying on
superhero masks and checking out their sweet CD collection, we
stumbled into an aisle filled with the most glorious selection of
coloring books two grownups could hope for. Kittens, My Little Pony,
The Avengers... Heaven. We armed ourselves with some crayons
(Crayola, 24 pack) and set off to create some masterpieces.
#BestDayEver
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Right as we were leaving the store, the
guys picked us up. Apparently, their race got pushed back and we
suddenly had a couple of hours to kill. We decided that Dave and
Busters was an appropriate place for young adults to hang in the
middle of the day. What kind of shenanigans could we get into there?
As if we weren't acting like children enough, we were suddenly armed
with some D&B's cards and given free reign of the whole place.
They even let us play without supervision! #ProbablyAMistake. We
scoped out the prize area to determine what our goal ticket count
would be for the day. Almost immediately, and simultaneously, we
spotted the most glorious prizes – Unicorns! It was fate. And
that was it. The day would not end until we each had a unicorn in
our possession.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have hinted before that we are
competitive people. We like to win. We<i> have </i>to win. And when the
prize is a unicorn, it doesn't matter how many people we have to
crush to get there. We even bartered with our friends to exchange a
few of our precious swipes on a four-person game of air hockey for
all of their tickets. I mean, the game was fun, but we didn't have
time to waste! The minutes were ticking away and we had unicorns to
save, I mean, win!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The clock struck. The karters were
anxious to get to the track. We used up all our credits. It was the
moment of truth. We took our collective winnings to the register and
weighed up our tickets. And when the total ticked across the screen,
we both lost whatever adult composure we had left. We won the
unicorns! Completely enthused, we rushed over to the rack to pick
out our new friends, nearly knocking out a 5-year-old in the process.
She was picking out a unicorn as well. #GoodTaste. As we decided
on what color to get (white with a pink or blue mane), she looked up
at us and exclaimed, “I've got a pink one, too!” We both looked
down at the little girl and laughed. She was hugging her new unicorn
and sporting a T-shirt with a cat on it. In that moment we knew
there was hope for the future, and humanity. This little girl was on
the right path. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This post might seem pretty random, and
it kind of is. But we can turn this around. We realized something
important that day. Fantasy is something you grow into, not out of.
We have a lot of dreams and ambitions, and sometimes it seems like we
are living in a fairytale. But the reality is, we are just doing
what we have to do, what we want to do, to be happy.
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sometimes dreams do come true. For
example, we now both have pet unicorns.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxrqQCQSiLfHJgkU2sWN5nMIpxUYelA_AtgHkI3ZDnokA-4qOD31PWFT1hLP1sNrKii_Yl644xBq1xFqF40ep9Ettc-Cq2hC0YyPuR5VF_x4tm2A4UNf6ZoXQQRp6R76G0NZJD1rM3MQ/s1600/Alice%2527s+Unicorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxrqQCQSiLfHJgkU2sWN5nMIpxUYelA_AtgHkI3ZDnokA-4qOD31PWFT1hLP1sNrKii_Yl644xBq1xFqF40ep9Ettc-Cq2hC0YyPuR5VF_x4tm2A4UNf6ZoXQQRp6R76G0NZJD1rM3MQ/s1600/Alice%2527s+Unicorn.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhGNfmS4g_NsjxdrOQjLEI1xUm15-OBW-Ivr7E2-F5SZrZHf7pJyeUHhKQ-gxn9NCkuLZOkf7S9ofVLzl4uJLytnee3tFFklPx_Xkj5KoII0-1TS82JlDMKfofOFYYfRFticfLYR5VhI/s1600/Quinn%2527s+Unicorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhGNfmS4g_NsjxdrOQjLEI1xUm15-OBW-Ivr7E2-F5SZrZHf7pJyeUHhKQ-gxn9NCkuLZOkf7S9ofVLzl4uJLytnee3tFFklPx_Xkj5KoII0-1TS82JlDMKfofOFYYfRFticfLYR5VhI/s1600/Quinn%2527s+Unicorn.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Keep living your daydream,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
-Alice & Quinn</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-27933328318877170842013-08-29T10:16:00.002-07:002013-08-29T10:16:41.270-07:00Holding on to Lightning<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
Hey Everyone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
It’s Quinn today. :-D <br />
<br />
I hear people have mixed feelings on horses. Apparently they are either
really scary or crazy magical, depending on your personal experience. I am going to
go with magical, that sounds way cooler. And they can totally be scary and
ferocious, but we’ll get to that later. Trust me, it becomes relevant.<br />
<br />
I used to ride horses when I was younger. I rode <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> the time, and it started from the age of three/four when my
parents rented a pony for my younger sister’s birthday party. It was great! I
was hooked, and soon I was taking my first lessons at a real stable. My sister rode
with me, and it was something we both enjoyed together. Even when we moved away
in 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> grade, we found another barn and kept
riding. Then fate stepped in and threw me a curveball. We had always borrowed
other people’s horses to show, but the barn owner started pushing my parents to
buy a horse of their own… Buying a horse, in case you are unaware, costs a ton
of money. So let me tell you, I was devastated when my mom broke the news that
we would no longer be taking lessons.<br />
<br />
At the time I didn’t realize just how expensive it was or how much space a
horse required. We tried the tactic of convincing my parents a horse could live
under the stairs in our basement, that the space was a perfect stall. (It
isn’t, but when you’re younger everything seems larger than it actually is). We
also tried the argument that my dad would never have to mow the grass again.
(Again, this was a terrible argument because we didn’t even have a half acre
lot; also, we lived in the suburbs where any farm animal is NOT allowed. This
is again a foreign concept to a kid). We still were able to go trail riding
every so often, but my time on a horse slowly faded away.<br />
<br />
At one point I decided enough was enough and I tried to create a spell to
find a Unicorn. Yup, you heard me correctly, spells find unicorns. All I needed
to do was think really hard and, boom! A unicorn would come take me on any
adventure I wanted to go. (Yes, I had friends. #NotMany #StillHadThemTho.) I
could probably find that original notebook if I tried, and all you would see is
a single word written towards the back, Lightning. (Because, imagine that, I
can’t write spells. #NotGifted #IWasReallyYoung.) At least I had managed to
name the Unicorn I had wanted to find. I also wanted it to be entirely black.
So at the age of nine or so, I had my favorite animal picked out. I did some
research a few years later, because, of course, I never really entirely grew
out of that phase, and found my favorite breed of horse, the Friesian (they are
entirely black).<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This brings us to the present.<br />
<br />
I’ve been out of college for two years and I finally realized it has been
way too long since I’ve been on a horse. So horseback riding became an instant
addition to our list of hobbies and awesome skills. Alice and I talked, and we
knew going in that it may not be feasible to ride every week, because who knew that
the price on horses wouldn’t drop over the past 10 years? But we want to be
able to talk about it, and write about it, like we are pros and not like we
read about horseback riding on Wikipedia. Plus, it’s awesome. It’s a great
workout and something you can really bond with people over. Honestly, everyone
should try it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at least</i> once in their
lives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Someday we are going to get refocused on archery (it’s been way too long),
and the connection between riding horses and shooting arrows is obvious.
#InstantBadAsses<br />
<br />
Anyway, I did some research for the area and found a local barn. The rest is
becoming our awesome history. I have been riding there now for a few months and
absolutely love the place! It’s a very chill environment, not a show barn where
everyone owns their own horses. It’s perfect for people who want to learn how
to ride, and even for those who will eventually move into showing.<br />
<br />
I am still inexperienced, considering the number of years that I have been
out of it, and there are new challenges each time I ride. Like, for example,
tacking up a horse, which is something I had never done in my entire life. I
mean, who knew that horses didn’t like having the girth tightened? #Figures.
Each horse handles situations differently too (like people), but I am slowly
beginning to figure all of this out. And one day, I will finally get Alice out
to the barn! I know she would love it, so hopefully very soon.
#TakeTheHintAlice<br />
<br />
Story time! Because the first time I rode with the main group was
interesting… I had never had to canter a circle in order to avoid catching up
to people and had no idea how to initiate that sort of movement, so instead I
tried to slow my horse down. Turns out, this was a mistake. Poor thing got a
little confused #MyBad, and turned and started cantering right down the middle
of the ring, right toward all the jumps! Luckily, I managed to keep her feet on
the ground, but I was still struggling to get her under control. After a few
unsuccessful attempts of circle cantering, the instructor finally had to get
everyone else to come to a trot so that she could pull me aside. #Embarrassed.
BUT, I learned from the experience and still love riding, even when I feel
foolish. Plus, now I'll totally be ready when my spell really does work and I have a pet unicorn living under my stairs. #HoldingOnToLightning)<br />
<br />
With each mishap you learn, and continue to move forward. You can’t be
distracted when riding, so it’s a great way to clear the head, stay focused,
and get back to reality. A lot has happened to me over these past few weeks, so
I am really thankful for all the different groups I am a part of and the
support that each one provides! Get out there and try something new! It’s worth
it, I promise. <br />
<br />
Happy Adventures,<br />
<br />
- QuinnAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-73032783691560479352013-08-28T14:10:00.000-07:002013-08-28T14:10:45.811-07:00Real LifeHey Everyone!
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's Alice here today. #NoSupervision
#PracticallyAnAdult</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I know you all are used to reading
<i>fascinating</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> stories about our
lives that are just waaay too entertaining and full of wit. That's
because we are awesome. But we are real people too, and sometimes
our lives are less than fun. And sometimes, it takes more than
sarcasm and wit to make sense of our troubles.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">I have
a few friends who are going through some hard times. They are all
facing different situations and they are all reacting and coping in
different ways. Sometimes its a little overwhelming trying to
understand how someone is feeling in a situation you have no
experience with. And then sometimes its hard to watch someone
struggle with a situation you've been through. Its easy to sit here
and say that someone should handle a problem a certain way
(especially on the internet), but the internal confusion and mindset
of someone struggling isn't always so clear. Sometimes when things
happen that we don't expect or can't explain, it becomes really easy
to lose our sense of self. Hard times always bring with them the
hardest questions, like: Who am I? Was I always this person? What
am I supposed to do now? </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">That's
a lot to take in all at once.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Here's
the thing, life is kind of hard. We all struggle with relationships,
with our bodies, with our jobs, with everything happening in the
world around us. Pretty much everything. But that's the point. We
</span><i>all</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> struggle. We are
all going through this life for the first time. We all make
mistakes. We all experience failure and heartbreak and
disappointment. But we can all get through it. Seriously, all of
us. We can do this.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Quinn
and I are lucky. We have a novel to keep us and our minds busy. We
have support systems that keep us going when we feel like falling
down. We have friends that constantly remind us that there is hope.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Because
there is hope. For all of us.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">For
those moments when you don't feel that lucky, remember that there are
people out there who care. There are people who want to hear your
story. They want to help. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Actually,
you can go ahead and put Quinn and I on that list. Seriously.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Keep
your heads up, kids. Life gets better.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">-Alice</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-39448861715593125412013-08-10T16:14:00.001-07:002013-08-10T16:14:17.041-07:00A Time of InnocenceHey Everyone!
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have been super inspired lately to
get words on the page for both our novel and the blog. We even
bought a book (The Write-Brain Workbook) to help us get started and to keep us on track. This
book is full of interesting prompts and has required us to think
about things we never would have on our own.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Today, we are going to share one of the
prompts we used with all of you. The exercise is called Not Guilty.
It was a very simple prompt:
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finish the story. Start
with: It was a time of innocence...</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xpgKpYWxGrJr2IkMWoFoUxwI5z20k728NO1rEHN4d0a-RZ6SXOlcUbNhPc_Gx8E1H8TR4mzVBCoKx9cMtGuns_xRqlT2OOfChwZ4PelLbvOEC30q1PA_RpHfhjmm3bKTAR-n3hHhmdQ/s1600/Not+Guilty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xpgKpYWxGrJr2IkMWoFoUxwI5z20k728NO1rEHN4d0a-RZ6SXOlcUbNhPc_Gx8E1H8TR4mzVBCoKx9cMtGuns_xRqlT2OOfChwZ4PelLbvOEC30q1PA_RpHfhjmm3bKTAR-n3hHhmdQ/s1600/Not+Guilty.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's Alice's turn to go
first, so here is the story that she came up with:</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>It was a time of
innocence. I laid back and looked at the sky. The clouds resembled
shapes and I was creating a story in my head. The sun was warm on my
face and arms. The field was overgrown and the smell of daisies
filled my nose. I could hear my sister calling in the distance.
Soon she would join me and the circus in the sky would continue and
we could play along. We would be the dancers, soaring through the
air like we had wings. We would walk the tightropes high above the
crowd, daring gravity to pull us down. And we would tame the lions,
pacing the cage and exciting the crowd. The world was ours, and we
could be anything we wanted.</b></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> I heard Elizabeth's
voice from far away. Soon, it dragged me back to reality. The
fields and clouds and daisies are gone. They are a time of the past.
The time we all tried to hold on to, the time we all desperately
missed. We knew there was no going back. We could only relive it in
our heads. But now that so much time has passed, its hard to figure
out what was real and what we just need to believe. I ran through my
stats like I did every morning: My name is Kristen Hall. I am 5'7”,
120 pounds. Brown hair, green eyes. As of yesterday, I have 127
kills, 150 assists. I imagine my face on a trading card and kids
excited to have mine in their deck. Somehow, that makes the world
seem less bleak. I get out of bed and scratch another line in my
notebook; one more day survived. </b>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> Elizabeth is already
geared up for battle. She hands me my bow and we step outside. The
world is different now, but it is going to be ours. </b>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And here's Quinn's story:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>It was a time of innocence before
they had become fully aware of what was going on. While the intent of
their job was hidden from them, they went about their business,
believing that their research was in fact being used to help people.
In fact though, everything that had been done was done for motives
that were not so pure, and their ignorance on this matter made them
accomplices. Trying to create a fail-safe once they had discovered
what they were helping to develop, the girls began the day with large
cups of coffee. “I can’t believe we are about to do this,” one
of the girls looked over at the other, who was bent over a computer
screen on the lab bench. She looked up, “Me either, let’s just
pray that they don’t catch it right away. We need to be long gone
before that happens.” They both nodded silently. They both knew
what was at stake, yet somehow this didn’t seem like enough to
completely redeem them just yet. They still had no idea what it was
going to be used for, so their next course of action was vague. </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> “It’s almost done.” The door
to the lab opened just as one of the researchers finished speaking.
It was their boss. Both girls froze, not knowing what to do next.
They couldn’t shut everything down, that would be suspicious, but
they needed to hide it somehow. Their boss walked through the lab to
where they both sat at a bench, working with some of the lab
equipment. One of the girls had quickly changed the computer screen
to show a microscope image of the Petri dish she was looking at. “How
is everything going?” The boss looked at both girls. “Good,
moving along. Should be finished in the next day or so.” “Good.”
He walked back out of the lab, not having found anything suspicious
like he had originally thought. He had thought catching them off
guard would present him with concrete evidence, but it didn’t.
Satisfied, he went back to his office. Both girls took a huge sigh of
relief, and went back to what they were doing to complete their
project, and prevent anyone from being able to replicate what they
had created. </b>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>#</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">NailedIt
#PracticallyProfessionals</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">As
usual, we really enjoyed this writing exercise. And we (of course)
recommend that any of you writers out there give it a try and see
what happens. Who knows? It might be the start to a best-seller!
We would love to hear what you guys have to say, so feel free to
message us with your own attempts!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Until
some later date,</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">-Alice
& Quinn</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Peace.
</span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-85348557832419175332013-08-08T16:17:00.003-07:002013-08-08T16:17:57.748-07:00Imagery for Inspiration<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey Everyone! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The good news is, we have been doing A LOT of writing lately! The bad news is, most of it has been focused on the novel and not so much on the blog. #BallDrop. So, to make things up to our blog, we have decided to post one of the exercises we use to help our writing. <br />
<br />
A while ago, Quinn went on an adventure and took some awesome pictures. This sparked the idea of looking at a picture and writing any story that came to mind. The scenes could be for our novel, or just for fun. Anything to get the creative juices flowing. It is also great practice for writing from different perspectives and developing new characters. <br />
<br />
The first picture we decided to use is this: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRW9Rm-ao13l4WX9-KNcFpZ-fT1kjOcVVEti94wEbhyphenhyphenVvMIQzX1Iv9BYgN6Pb158S77JwFiHqFKpjbUHaA3WTV1jV9DZ4hI452ObiuuGTzLKCOK5e_RDGzQw3YiS-_Wu5F8Bbf270rDk/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRW9Rm-ao13l4WX9-KNcFpZ-fT1kjOcVVEti94wEbhyphenhyphenVvMIQzX1Iv9BYgN6Pb158S77JwFiHqFKpjbUHaA3WTV1jV9DZ4hI452ObiuuGTzLKCOK5e_RDGzQw3YiS-_Wu5F8Bbf270rDk/s400/IMG_0073.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Using this picture as inspiration, we both set to work writing anything that came to mind. We didn't go into this exercise with a direct focus. Instead, we wanted to see where the picture would take us. We didn't write for a terribly long time, but we both came up with totally different scenarios! It is pretty cool actually, what you can pull from a picture if you use your imagination, and how different people can see the same image. <br />
<br />
To avoid an <i>incredibly</i> long post, we have pulled the first paragraph (or so) from each story to share with you guys. Keep in mind, these are totally raw, unedited, and may not lead to anything relevant. But if you are writing and come to a roadblock, or need some new inspiration, this is a really cool idea to get things started.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The following is the beginning part of Quinn’s story:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b> It was an overcast day, ensuring that the night would be even darker.
The large mansion loomed upward in the midst of the mountains, but the guests
didn’t seem to notice as they rode up the long drive to the entrance. The steep
pitch of the different peaks in the roof made it nearly impossible to walk out
on them, but if you looked closely, the frame of a person could be seen sitting
on the west end. Without moving, the person was barely noticeable, but one of
the young girls in tow caught a glimpse of the figure and started to imagine
what he (assumed to be a boy) was doing. As it turns out, this assumption wasn’t
totally incorrect. There was a boy who sat on the roof, and with his impeccable
vision, noticed the young girl in the car and registered that she had indeed
spotted him. With the rain seeming to be on the way, and the cars being emptied
by the butlers as the guests were welcomed into the home, the young boy slowly
moved from his position and slid down to one of the flatter areas near the
window he had crawled out of. He would find the girl, as he knew she would be
looking for him.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The next excerpt is from Alice:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>She used to make up stories for herself
when she was alone or scared. And they always started the same way:
Once upon a time, in a place far, far away... Inevitably in the
story, the princess would be saved, the hero would defeat the evil,
they would find love and live happily ever after together. Now, as
she looked out from the balcony of the castle in this land the boys
call home, she couldn't believe that this is how the fairy tale was
going to play out. </b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>
</b><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b>
</div>
<b> The view from her room was misleading.
You couldn't tell from here that the world, and other worlds she
thought, were crashing around them. From here you could only see the
castle, standing tall and strong, surrounded by the forest that
promised to protect them. The sky was expansive, and even though it
was overcast and gray, it gave her a sense of peace. From here, she
wouldn't mind being the princess in one of her stories. She probably
wouldn't even mind one of the boys being her prince.
</b><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b>
</div>
<b>
</b><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> But fairy tales are for children, she
thought. We aren't children. Not anymore. All the innocence they
could have had in the beginning of this war was taken from them. Now
they were warriors, and worse than that, they were believed to be the
villains. “It's not our fault,” she said out loud to herself.
This was forced on them; they were pawns in a bigger, more
destructive game. Maybe if she keeps repeating it, she will start to
believe it.
</b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those are the beginnings of... something. Or nothing. Who knows? We do know we had a lot of fun doing this and it was a great exercise to get us writing. All of you writers out there should give it a shot, its a great new perspective! <br />
<br />
We will try harder to keep you all updated. But until next time, keep being awesome. #WeWill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Alice & Quinn</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-36569501339362270052013-07-31T12:11:00.002-07:002013-07-31T12:11:52.677-07:00We Have More Hobbies Than You Do!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSkEhHuRhiFyf6bAzg2ntXXCIbvUpmhPb7eM8zIGB5QCImB52QgCct6jyf2-Qn-h0qFsO9SIo5QN-BnYnthIzsCXQTTbR_pF4tUjfQurxAyhutYu3VQLV-cZZx2AP-39cSGKC1sbEJac/s1600/IMG_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSkEhHuRhiFyf6bAzg2ntXXCIbvUpmhPb7eM8zIGB5QCImB52QgCct6jyf2-Qn-h0qFsO9SIo5QN-BnYnthIzsCXQTTbR_pF4tUjfQurxAyhutYu3VQLV-cZZx2AP-39cSGKC1sbEJac/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our original list when deciding on hobbies / things to try.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />I know we have been totally slacking in
at least catching everyone up on what we have been doing, so here goes.
Well we have an agenda of hobbies; so far it looks like this:<br />
<br />
Mondays* – Kickboxing<br />
Tuesdays* – Yoga or Horseback Riding<br />
Wednesday* – Kickboxing or Yoga or Horseback Riding<br />
Thursday* – Blank<br />
Friday* – Sometimes Kickboxing, or Traveling<br />
Saturday* – Blank or Traveling<br />
Sunday* – Blank or Traveling<br />
*Marks days in which we are awesome. Also marks days in which we try to keep up with writing. (Usually at Panera)<br />
<br />
Things we are looking to add:<br />
<ul>
<li>Horseback Riding (Alice)</li>
<li>Archery (Quinn bought a bow, so now we just need to work on getting that in the schedule more often)</li>
<li>Sword Fighting</li>
<li>Aikido or some other form of martial arts... suggestions?</li>
<li>Rock Climbing</li>
<li>Synchronized Swimming (WHAT?! Who put that in there?)</li>
<li>Dancing (Just kidding - we are humans)</li>
</ul>
<div>
Keeping in mind that we have a budget, some of these things may have to be rotated around. Plus, we need to do the whole job thing to pay for all these hobbies, and that takes away time from trying new things and adding to our schedules. It sure is a great time though! So far we haven't tried something we don't like, so stay posted for more experiences!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
~Alice & Quinn</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-78447362523265626732013-07-21T15:23:00.004-07:002013-07-22T06:22:37.776-07:00Poetry Slammed<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }A:link { }</style>Oh the joys and sorrows that poetry
can bring to a person's life... If you can understand it, that is.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
Poetry is widely reguarded as one of
the most intimate forms of writing, a medium to express feelings and
emotions that we couldn't normally convey. Poetry provides truth and
meaning allthewhile coloring it in metaphor and exagerated language.
Plus, you have to be super cool and deep to appreciate it. #That'sUs<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
In our efforts to expand our writing
experience, we decided to try out some poetry. We figured it would
be a good way to practice our writing skills and force us to use more
descriptive and creative language. #LetTheCreativeJuicesFlow. Our
goals for writing poetry are (for the moment) purely academic. We
truly want to push ourselves as writers and give ourselves a starting
platform. Maybe one day we will publish everything, but for now,
it's just for your amusement.<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
We have documented our first attempt
at writing poetry (of course). And since it is supposed to be
creative and we usually hand-write all of our posts anyway (using
only the best pens in the coolest colors), we decided to lay out this
post a little differently. #TakeAllThePictures!<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
We perused the internet for a starting
point and guidence in our poem writing and found a great exercise!
We recommend it for anyone who has never written poetry before and
needs a basic place to start. So, read on and enjoy!<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
How to Write a Good Poem:</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02UmUQXU4ZvyI1Dwh8Dm9VahiHRk0wWf_OtMNK0TzAD17De8IZcKeq6tfkZ-0i-4SoOjMDst745vgAke6FOrJZ_OQeqqq6JWQCvl0K994eOqL_MK1UQKwHpGNKqfwCaNdelOh0PLj4Bc/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02UmUQXU4ZvyI1Dwh8Dm9VahiHRk0wWf_OtMNK0TzAD17De8IZcKeq6tfkZ-0i-4SoOjMDst745vgAke6FOrJZ_OQeqqq6JWQCvl0K994eOqL_MK1UQKwHpGNKqfwCaNdelOh0PLj4Bc/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+1.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxO8hpaAlFnAx-7fKWeaQVx8cJIqSCducDppTEfjn4etaCuei2u00l-ut7o_aGNpV8ykjZzU-nYPQ4eFlfjjOWhKnbitowu1C8utDCzRTNc71xjTZ6PlpIW0s1vQ11-uOrM7CC93hDFQ/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxO8hpaAlFnAx-7fKWeaQVx8cJIqSCducDppTEfjn4etaCuei2u00l-ut7o_aGNpV8ykjZzU-nYPQ4eFlfjjOWhKnbitowu1C8utDCzRTNc71xjTZ6PlpIW0s1vQ11-uOrM7CC93hDFQ/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+2.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
This is an important note everyone!
We did not come up with these steps! Step 1 through Step 6 came from
various websites: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-poetry">http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-write-poetry</a>,
<a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Poem">http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Poem</a>,
<a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_6675600_write-quick-poem.html">http://www.ehow.com/how_6675600_write-quick-poem.html</a>.
#CredibleResources
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
Notice at Step 7 we decided we needed
more direction. As stated, we consulted Oprah
(<a href="http://www.oprah.com/spirit/12-Ways-to-Write-a-Poem">http://www.oprah.com/spirit/12-Ways-to-Write-a-Poem</a>)
to help us out. #OprahKnowsEverything. </div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
The 12 steps are designed to
get you on the right track and make you think about what you know and
what you want to say. Listed at the end are some suggestions on how
to get your poem started. These suggestions worked for us. This is
by no means the only way to write a poem! But like we said, if you
are new at this (like us) or are just stuck and need a little push,
this may be a good place to start.<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkC03c6G4ToxPkXx0doia1-p_dfdDUhkxtgxm8Zi_m8OWCvPRxgjFTdJieZO17vMKcX4yj7mqRArv4uyt7tl1c5SPywohn-iFqYfWXkZZ5e59krzo2hQafKZNR9RBNzDIhscKfDvOIX_0/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkC03c6G4ToxPkXx0doia1-p_dfdDUhkxtgxm8Zi_m8OWCvPRxgjFTdJieZO17vMKcX4yj7mqRArv4uyt7tl1c5SPywohn-iFqYfWXkZZ5e59krzo2hQafKZNR9RBNzDIhscKfDvOIX_0/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+3.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf168euX82BEaAN-Hj30jAh9T5h5-aPdPOTn_F6ZfoybPIpldG7nCMuNC_63hMivIqF-q8UhGZzRR3FnxL6O47uNW5tIlE1nUche-wgqHmh662bVfQ9xIuu7BV2dLLp6JQ4pD3TXTEBvY/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf168euX82BEaAN-Hj30jAh9T5h5-aPdPOTn_F6ZfoybPIpldG7nCMuNC_63hMivIqF-q8UhGZzRR3FnxL6O47uNW5tIlE1nUche-wgqHmh662bVfQ9xIuu7BV2dLLp6JQ4pD3TXTEBvY/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+4.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
Using the 12 Questions and
the Helpful Tips, we both attempted to write our own (coherent)
poems. Here are the results!! First up: Quinn.<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvRcOFw60x_VPiNq7JW_nQTpI2YwGUATVX3Z4dGNhXIuqVeCdfPb5LwGH4i9Z-GXzYlLKc5X50jbqvUaac_sZ42K5pkWaCAGNBVMyGGFpNp-wj6PBgV3Duxrs8vrrozhZKhmZN9MABkE/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvRcOFw60x_VPiNq7JW_nQTpI2YwGUATVX3Z4dGNhXIuqVeCdfPb5LwGH4i9Z-GXzYlLKc5X50jbqvUaac_sZ42K5pkWaCAGNBVMyGGFpNp-wj6PBgV3Duxrs8vrrozhZKhmZN9MABkE/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+5.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
Quinn's Masterpiece:<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OJWUb0RnIcADORHRZiUNCquTig9_bCm-BQQLVFioGSGC6SIkF9VeEd5uCo3J_E9EEy1rErfBRxFpVvAD5-XQ7EYSOMAjAMX8lBHPVvfHW-uBltI08Ili3n3bdV4Elxn61sGxRR_q4QI/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OJWUb0RnIcADORHRZiUNCquTig9_bCm-BQQLVFioGSGC6SIkF9VeEd5uCo3J_E9EEy1rErfBRxFpVvAD5-XQ7EYSOMAjAMX8lBHPVvfHW-uBltI08Ili3n3bdV4Elxn61sGxRR_q4QI/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+6.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
Alice's Turn!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhounJSIcWwgrPgFF7VAlhyT2gIqdwalSPDAwyMAa0Z0sdRfCO1w2gE8VGf2M9mnpHz8WQcbMWj7BshJz57izsgXQjU2ZKA71KFNaWXFuV-p-W7KmRfDkwtVzs4AlkJwK6DmXi7nc7qn6s/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhounJSIcWwgrPgFF7VAlhyT2gIqdwalSPDAwyMAa0Z0sdRfCO1w2gE8VGf2M9mnpHz8WQcbMWj7BshJz57izsgXQjU2ZKA71KFNaWXFuV-p-W7KmRfDkwtVzs4AlkJwK6DmXi7nc7qn6s/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+7.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTfAjtIgTWaINiiV3OyirZ6X7FR6EuKpZgTxBlQFkayjETOxJftK7xxV2dCqnNkGw7M-dXbLgDRBeLasEfLYtsT1F9ynUrOGaRC7q8QxHxVP5Ay_GdvhaQc2PZlTrIgDDJn83rwIWjyw/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTfAjtIgTWaINiiV3OyirZ6X7FR6EuKpZgTxBlQFkayjETOxJftK7xxV2dCqnNkGw7M-dXbLgDRBeLasEfLYtsT1F9ynUrOGaRC7q8QxHxVP5Ay_GdvhaQc2PZlTrIgDDJn83rwIWjyw/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+8.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMXX6c-xTG7PBIMT2S7zzL1lj3m7T2zrqXnSAAJpYqU3ecF_zBxEOZb4VCHglvbPvdOrnelNyQqAI3GBJBaIMtk6KHjXXVeqabhgGEv0Ys1FdDmeGJoeZW2KoAs6YhoA2pGg10Oaqpg0/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMXX6c-xTG7PBIMT2S7zzL1lj3m7T2zrqXnSAAJpYqU3ecF_zBxEOZb4VCHglvbPvdOrnelNyQqAI3GBJBaIMtk6KHjXXVeqabhgGEv0Ys1FdDmeGJoeZW2KoAs6YhoA2pGg10Oaqpg0/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+9.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
Behold: Alice's Work of
Art:<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihl92n7l-VkNrQnUMcFU-xIsUNMkrYxL3StO34jH6rw4_Ql4XwK6oyTmbH8fsg-6b-br9Y0HmSkJnoQcnT2D4S3m-QiFSZ1bGVZ7XLMCwp04KWVV2O2aLJBz4rcZkbT_BvvU-FgxvP7Ts/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihl92n7l-VkNrQnUMcFU-xIsUNMkrYxL3StO34jH6rw4_Ql4XwK6oyTmbH8fsg-6b-br9Y0HmSkJnoQcnT2D4S3m-QiFSZ1bGVZ7XLMCwp04KWVV2O2aLJBz4rcZkbT_BvvU-FgxvP7Ts/s1600/Poetry+-+Page+10.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
#NailedIt #BothOfUs</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
So there they are, our
first attempts at poetry. I don't think it's too early to say that
we have promising futures ahead. Look for us at a poetry slam near
you. (That's what it's called, right?) #Whatevs.<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
Until Next Time,<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal;">
Alice & Quinn</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-58032110523885443082013-07-02T14:25:00.001-07:002013-07-02T14:25:08.940-07:00Why We Want to Write... Because Fiction!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">We want to write a novel for the
following reasons:</span></b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> <span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">The
characters can do anything that we dream of. Their reality can be anything.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> <span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">We
can create technologies that don’t exist, or that we would never be able to
make work otherwise.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">We
can combine any genre into one book, and it will work because it’s fiction.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">We
want to inspire people, encourage them to try new things.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">We
want to escape “real life” for at least an hour or so a day. Writing is a good
release.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"> <span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">We
don’t want to have any regrets.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">We
want to get all the thoughts and ideas, no matter how weird, bizarre, or crazy,
out of our heads.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Shadows Into Light";">To
take a risk, to start a project that will take a lot of time and effort to
complete and not quit. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Shadows Into Light';"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Shadows Into Light';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYbdQUbnGFkcQkCXOL1cgT-ohONUzuR8eR0KA3zam1XfgyAMOLZKH7GY5HDv7tws1O3gaNb_swwjdyoo3KOdqx0KH811s9Cm4F7yBeEemrejpoIojyigIEQ-FjPPE7zzU2FayKxfWd8E/s1600/IMG_0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYbdQUbnGFkcQkCXOL1cgT-ohONUzuR8eR0KA3zam1XfgyAMOLZKH7GY5HDv7tws1O3gaNb_swwjdyoo3KOdqx0KH811s9Cm4F7yBeEemrejpoIojyigIEQ-FjPPE7zzU2FayKxfWd8E/s400/IMG_0089.JPG" width="327" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Shadows Into Light';">-Alice & Quinn</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-35601603261216201302013-07-02T08:20:00.002-07:002013-07-07T14:23:52.138-07:00What A Novel Idea Part One - Memoirs of Our Imaginations<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="">
Hey Friends! (You guys are our friends, right?)<br />
</div>
<div class="">
We have a confession to make to you all right here on the
internet. Are you ready? We are total and completely
undeniable nerds. Whew, we said it. We always have
been. More to that point, we love to lose ourselves in books and the
worlds that they create for us. We are going to assume that a lot of
you feel the same way and that you too spend countless hours on the internet
reading threads about your favorite books in-between actually reading and rereading
all your favorite books.<br />
</div>
<div class="">
But, dear reader, have you ever thought about writing a book
for yourself? Have you ever created an idea so meaningful and
influential (at least to yourself) that you had to share it with the
world? Have you tried to write it down?</div>
<div class="">
<br /></div>
<div class="">
Here’s the deal. It’s a lot of work to write a
book. Forget coming up with a noteworthy idea and writing and
rewriting until it resembles something coherent. There’s publishing
to think about, editing, marketing, all the boring stuff (to some) that has to
be done for the book to be successful. And then, after all that
work, people might not like it. And so, we have another confession
to make: We (both of us) have let these things prevent us from writing a book. It has always been in the back of our minds, even
before we met each other. </div>
<div class="">
<br /></div>
<div class="">
We are going to guess that this is the case for at least some
of you guys, too (we are doing a lot of assuming today, but hey, all of the
most complicated engineering problems can be solved if you have enough
assumptions). And that’s completely fair. There are a lot
of questions to be asked when writing a book and sometimes the answers are
scary. We are both engineers and in the engineering spirit, we
question everything. We approach every situation with the same
logical, stepwise manner, and we ask questions, a lot of questions. How
much time will it take to write the novel? What are the steps to get
it published? What is the cost? Is the idea
marketable? What are the risks? What steps can be taken
to mitigate the risk? What is the chance for failure? How
large will the failure be? Where will the failure be, with the
equipment, with the customer, with the quality of the writing, with the
marketing? And the list goes on… </div>
<div class="">
<br /></div>
<div class="">
Today we are announcing to the world that we are throwing
all the risk analysis out the window. We are going for something
big. Something bigger than <a href="https://bay171.mail.live.com/m/messages.m/openurl/?mid=m52197097-e279-11e2-8b70-00215ad6e23e&mts=2013-07-01T18:09:15.430Z&fid=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&iru=%2fm%2ffolders.m%2f&nmid=m3da96992-e271-11e2-935a-00237de49bda&nmts=2013-07-01T17:11:25.697Z&rt=true&link=http%3a%2f%2fwww.zazzle.com%2fCatpicsallday%252a">www.zazzle.com/Catpicsallday*</a>
. We are going to co-write a novel (because everything is more
manageable when you have an awesome team). There will be no risk analysis, no mitigation,
and we may fail. This could be the biggest failure of our
lives. But we are going to write the novel we’ve always wanted to
give to the world (and wanted to read). The customer might not like it,
a publisher might not see any worth, an editor might tell us to scrap the idea
and go in a different direction. These are all things that can
happen, but we are going for it anyway. We will be having many fun
and entertaining discussions with each other about the direction, the
characters, and the plot points that move the novel forward. There will be
plenty of erasing and starting over by our own accord. One of the
perks with being in a great team, we don’t get offended when the other says an
idea sucks in so many words :D. Instead,
it can become the theme for comical blog-posts. Lucky for us, the engineering
side of our brain helps out with that! I mean, we’ve written like 6 blog posts so far, so we
clearly know what we are doing. </div>
<div class="">
<br />
So in addition to all the other random things we decide are blog-worthy, we are
now going to provide insight into our book-writing process. We’ll be
sure to share with you all our inspirations, our writing techniques, resources
we’ve found helpful, all our frustrations, personal successes, and hopefully
some self-discovery along the way. And then with some insight,
hopefully some of you will choose to do the same and follow your creative
dreams. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzMFSJwB6-AWBFKfrDjuIXDE1UEBEYrQLdeeDuTpHw95G3ZsYyf8QlN2AgyFMxjfvDaukkNufUp6SqpT9NftoVMvheFdaFOC6Hv1YP7JaBh3deJDI1-rg8jw_y3yCchP-EvZ75wdof8k/s1600/IMG_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzMFSJwB6-AWBFKfrDjuIXDE1UEBEYrQLdeeDuTpHw95G3ZsYyf8QlN2AgyFMxjfvDaukkNufUp6SqpT9NftoVMvheFdaFOC6Hv1YP7JaBh3deJDI1-rg8jw_y3yCchP-EvZ75wdof8k/s320/IMG_0029.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Possible hint at our theme for the novel. That and Quinn likes the night vision feature.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
So, here we are in another moment of clarity. Our
lives are (once again) taking a new turn that hopefully won’t end with us
bruised and battered along the road (although that is very possible considering
we may develop over-confidence due to our kickboxing skillz). We
hope you enjoy our adventure through the process of discovery and our
engineering mindset, mixed with our bizarre imaginations, of how to write a
meaningful story. If, nay, when, we get to the stage of being edited
and preparing to submit to publishers, you all will be the first to get
information about the actual story. In the meantime, we’ll be
dropping hints and pieces of the book for you all to sample (we do want this to
be somewhat a surprise). This is our new beginning, writing the
Memoirs of Our Imaginations.<img alt="Description: https://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif" border="0" height="1" src="https://a.gfx.ms/i_safe.gif" width="1" /><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZ0psIr-jRdhy7xTy17cmWiGLbKYzUrLzqXNC5c8GnwGTjQI3EwFem9dd76MR49QIPfO-1Hwdzap_y-bq2nIrfGZUGTCPKipppOrYX6vcavgaOg3s3KCSCYlwHUmG9oCcJSj1t8L7kZQ/s1600/IMG_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZ0psIr-jRdhy7xTy17cmWiGLbKYzUrLzqXNC5c8GnwGTjQI3EwFem9dd76MR49QIPfO-1Hwdzap_y-bq2nIrfGZUGTCPKipppOrYX6vcavgaOg3s3KCSCYlwHUmG9oCcJSj1t8L7kZQ/s320/IMG_0085.JPG" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Until
then,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Alice
& Quinn</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-29515456689379237642013-07-01T11:18:00.000-07:002013-07-01T11:18:11.307-07:00A Glorious Battle<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey Everyone!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve said before that the purpose of this blog was to find
new directions for our lives, to try new things, and welcome new hobbies (not
that we would ask too much out of an internet forum).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a firm believer that you can always
learn new things about yourself if you give yourself the chance to look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, I have been kickboxing for a few
months now (our first experience was detailed in a different post), and even
though I knew before that I was a competitive person, there was no way for me
to know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> competitive I really am
until I signed up for those kickboxing classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s the story:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was standing at my usual bag wrapping my hands before
class (that’s right, gloves and wrap; my life is pretty hardcore), getting my
head in the zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The usual 7:00 pm
class people were there, chatting, stretching, and doing the same mental
preparation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when a new girl
walked into class and took up camp at the bag right in front of me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to step away from the story to detail a few
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gym is set up with rows of
bags in front of each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two
rows are connected to the same framework.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Therefore, the boxers face each other when working out at the bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So even though we don’t have any actual
contact with the person in front of us, it gives the illusion that we are
punching the same bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, to fully
appreciate the story and my attitude about the situation, I’ll have to describe
myself for you all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stand about 5’7”,
about 120 pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, I’m tallish
and lanky, and not surprisingly, pretty clumsy as a result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By appearances I don’t look super
athletic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like maybe I could pass for a (slow)
runner, but I’m certainly not going to be bench pressing any impressive amount
of weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while I’m proud to say I
can make it through most of the class before feeling like falling on the floor
and giving up on everything, I still get that feeling of falling on the floor
and giving up on everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now back to the girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This girl was about 5’9” or 5’10”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I couldn’t guess her weight, but her abs looked like they were trying to
jump out of her tank top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her hair was
in a perfect ponytail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, she
was kickboxing Barbie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She walked
straight up to the bag in front of me and got out her gear (This is an
important note: She was new, but had her gear readily available).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had this bored expression on her face and
wasn’t particularly interested in any of the chatting going on around her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, while we are all lounging around and
stretching, she just starts doing pushups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when people
started taking note of her presence, and she was aware of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She got up from her pre-warm up-warm up and
looked straight at me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even think she
did one of those menacing I’m-going-to-destroy-everyone half-smiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we both knew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was a battle, and only one of us could
walk away victorious.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then class started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
it turned out, we were pretty evenly matched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were punching at about the same speed, kicking at about the same
height.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was killing me in pushups,
but I definitely had her beat in squats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All was going well, until there were only about 15 minutes left in
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of us were pretty worn
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We expended all the energy we could
up to that point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were punching and
kicking so hard the bags threatened to fly right off the hooks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We recognized the fatigue in each other and
were starting to call a truce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then,
the instructor called for an attack round (a round where you do anything you
want, any kicks, any punches, whatever you can throw in the time allowed) and
neither one of us wanted to be one to back down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stepped up to our respective bags and the
fight began anew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She came out of the
box much stronger than I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
a wave of fury beaming out of her face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was in this to win. And right when I thought she had, her legs
betrayed her and she started feeling weak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the last 10 seconds of the attack round she slowed down to break and
I knew that was my moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave
everything I had left knowing it was only 10 more seconds to victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I punched harder than I had ever punched,
kicked higher than I have ever kicked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And when she paused and stepped away from the bag, I knew than I had
won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with that victory I threw one
last glorious punch… missed the bag and uppercut myself right in the face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess you could say we both won that one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now I know, I will literally punch myself in the face
before stepping away from a battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
seems pretty ridiculous (and embarrassing), but it did help me realize that I
can push past limits that I thought existed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So many of the things we tell ourselves to keep from failing are
completely made up in our heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes
we just need a punch in the face to get some peace of mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lesson learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course, I encourage all of you to go
out there and challenge yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Push
past your limits and learn something new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s totally worth it, I promise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, try kickboxing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It makes you seem so badass.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Alice</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-29157848189388518512013-06-23T15:57:00.001-07:002013-06-23T15:57:38.490-07:00Cat Pics All Day – Is It a Good Business Model?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, in our earlier post, we went through how the business
was started. Now it’s time to stay current, and let everyone know how it’s been
going for the last few months. Which, unfortunately, has not been great. Far
from it in fact. The complete opposite of how it was going to go in our heads.
Within a few weeks, we had made ourselves business cards, started a Facebook
page, and started posting in the Zazzle forums to try and get our name out
there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyMVdHWD-31KnGk0u7a7hRlqAehy8Jclph1S1YrFr3Kx1JfcPbbT9eKmNvCpzic88UMVX0rcGlBQy9JGzM1xLjDH54l3TOcPKvwVmkQUUkHYGg_sZVEGAR72F_gUpndIYdlFM7U3Bi8U/s1600/mail.google.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyMVdHWD-31KnGk0u7a7hRlqAehy8Jclph1S1YrFr3Kx1JfcPbbT9eKmNvCpzic88UMVX0rcGlBQy9JGzM1xLjDH54l3TOcPKvwVmkQUUkHYGg_sZVEGAR72F_gUpndIYdlFM7U3Bi8U/s1600/mail.google.com.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It worked! People had provided positive feedback in our
comments section, we seemed to be getting a decent amount of traffic to our
page, and we are now up to 41 likes on the Zazzle page! If that was our only
measure of success, we would be saying were doing quite well for ourselves.
But, like most businesses, profits do factor in there somewhere, and right now
we have none. Zilch. Nada. A big fat goose egg in the sales department. What is going wrong? We have yet to figure that out. I know we aren’t
professional graphic designers or anything. AND we didn’t go to school for
business management, marketing, sales, etc. But come on, its cats! We even have
a few designs made by a guest contributor (Quinn’s sister), and still nothing. These
designs are super cute, and one has a unique vintage feel. If you’d like to see
it on more products, let us know!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsguv9GIlhJzIMx0l1EVzH1A8Jbd9n7bFfZSEHhnttavht5xR7Hf3PmQU6u-r3Afphm4VfDygB84gYUiBcOm3Np-y8gFZloiXPcHip8IvDRSdRIc6YnPhk3mvV-5L4HsMajuJGO6b28c/s1600/designall.dll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsguv9GIlhJzIMx0l1EVzH1A8Jbd9n7bFfZSEHhnttavht5xR7Hf3PmQU6u-r3Afphm4VfDygB84gYUiBcOm3Np-y8gFZloiXPcHip8IvDRSdRIc6YnPhk3mvV-5L4HsMajuJGO6b28c/s1600/designall.dll.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_cat_mug-168613235865782001</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmc1EALiByC7k9j7hhIPpiVbvessVv8AI07YpTWFMPy1yDAXUsmi_EwxJ195dFk-K_1K26B_BqeIWa7wFUu9ms4-fcB70Q2MtxNNzDvU77NkDN_hEXJaxulqIeUpu0HbtKWKg0enHzId8/s1600/designall.dll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmc1EALiByC7k9j7hhIPpiVbvessVv8AI07YpTWFMPy1yDAXUsmi_EwxJ195dFk-K_1K26B_BqeIWa7wFUu9ms4-fcB70Q2MtxNNzDvU77NkDN_hEXJaxulqIeUpu0HbtKWKg0enHzId8/s1600/designall.dll.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.zazzle.com/vintage_cat_bag_wristlet_purses-223080300913630781</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We definitely could use some constructive feedback, because
we do want this to be successful and create cool designs that people enjoy. It’s
not just about the money. It never was with this site, we just wanted to get
out there and put our creative side of our brains to the test. Generally people
have the “Oh, I could have done that” mentality, and we are guilty of that too,
so instead of saying/thinking “We could have done that” we decided to change
our attitude to “We did do that, we tried, we put ourselves out there”. Well,
here we are. And we’d like to think some
of the stuff we have created is cute and fun. Granted, not everything is going
to be purrfect, there is a learning curve after all, but without the sales
letting us know which design style to go with, we are floating out there in Zazzle
Limbo. And it is not a great feeling. So, if you’re a Zazzler, or a consumer,
or both, if you like cats, or if you don’t like cats, please take a look at
what we have and comment on our blog (Not the Zazzle page please). If you like
what you see, letting us know by purchasing is even better!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once we get established, we are hoping to get some different
promotional ideas started. One idea that
we have tossed around is to have donations made to different animal foundations
using the funds from the sales for a specific month or from a certain product.
The donations would be made based on voting done right here on our blog!
Unfortunately, we can’t start ideas like that yet without any money. And we don’t
want to do something like that without getting an idea of what people would be
happy purchasing. So, the dilemma continues. In the meantime, we are just
continuing with the development of new designs in the hope that something
eventually clicks, and we get out to the right audience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To everyone who works hard and tries out their new ideas, we
wish you the best of luck! Feel free to share your stories, we would love to
hear them!<br />
<br />
- Alice & Quinn </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-65908033042132432542013-06-01T09:25:00.000-07:002013-06-01T09:25:30.073-07:00 Cat Pics All Day – The Beginning<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif][if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
Well, here it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This shall be our
first discussion about the Zazzle business we started a couple of months
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was one of those crazy evenings
where you are in the right state of mind, eating nachos, and ideas just come to
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our meeting originally started off
by discussing the algae oil business, you know, something smart and sciencey,
and something that would make a difference in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we actually started coming up with some
pretty good ideas to be tested for the extraction of oil from algae.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think one idea involved a Ninja, but hey,
we were trying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(We will leave what type
of Ninja up to your imagination.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After,
you know, 15 minutes, we were pretty sure we were on to something, and it
sounded a heck of a lot better than what we do now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we decided, this was it, our golden
ticket, and we would be “saving” the world in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, of course, if the world was smart
enough to listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is still in
debate.<br />
<br />
The algae idea had been brewing with us for a couple of weeks at the point
of meeting up for nachos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even bought
a couple of books on entrepreneurship, the first step being “learning how to
spell and pronounce entrepreneurship without using Google.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Spell check in Word wasn’t giving a correction
option, we had spelled it so badly.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
there we were with a couple of (brilliant) ideas in the bag for algae
extraction, and no way to fund the ideas for small scale feasibility before
going to investors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AND that’s where we
hit our first road bump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, it
was more like the road had been torn in half and our little car couldn’t even
pretend to attempt to get to the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was amidst this huge moment of crappy realization that we would never
be able to afford to start a business when we had our next brilliant idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Let’s fund our business by starting ANOTHER
business!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See, Quinn had already been
working with Zazzle and designing shirts, and she made a WHOPPING $100 in the
last couple of months of 2012, so that seemed like the perfect starting
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what kind of shirts could we
possibly design that would afford us this great opportunity, one might ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cat Shirts!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grumpy Cat is so in
right now, and people love the hilarious little creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, there’s like a 50/50 chance people will
like cats, and the other 50% love their obvious indifference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, why not?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBNTWzCChMPQajPi6OWIw9cUQai2_9UPSxrtl-oIrCywsVuj3x0WbYKwBPVdsMzsFKQMzyYeo4Mi1xbskmGt1ggxhNHIdnUf2D10PwWbG44PaU2MnZxSz55LvbhktV6tUfrqZIbPHyog/s1600/IMG_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBNTWzCChMPQajPi6OWIw9cUQai2_9UPSxrtl-oIrCywsVuj3x0WbYKwBPVdsMzsFKQMzyYeo4Mi1xbskmGt1ggxhNHIdnUf2D10PwWbG44PaU2MnZxSz55LvbhktV6tUfrqZIbPHyog/s200/IMG_0056.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#Cat #Model</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
We started furiously writing down our shirt ideas immediately, and in
between the writing, we were laughing (and probably sounded like mental
patients to anyone remotely near us) because this idea is brilliant and there
was no way it could fail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really guys, right?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Using Zazzle, there was no overhead cost to us, which was great, so
everything we sold would automatically put us in the positives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/catpicsallday*">www.zazzle.com/catpicsallday*</a>
was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the beginning of our
run of “Best Day EVER,” completely based on the ideas we came up with, and the
immediate follow through of those ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(The second idea came later after Quinn’s archery lesson where, over
froyo, we decided we could totally turn archery into a profitable profession by
being awesome and entering competitions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HA. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously though.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We digress.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About a week later, we had the site
up and running with two pretty hilarious and awesome designs posted based on
the evolution of species sequence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
sure we couldn’t go wrong with this, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, that sequence of pictures is pretty popular and we were
reinventing it with cats and funny catch phrases at the bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did we mention the cats?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See those designs here and let us know what
you think (because we still haven’t sold a single one):<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/evolution_level_purrfect_shirt-235986738466496108">http://www.zazzle.com/<wbr></wbr>evolution_level_purrfect_<wbr></wbr>shirt-235986738466496108</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/purrect_no_evolution_required_t_shirt-235302733763493578">http://www.zazzle.com/purrect_<wbr></wbr>no_evolution_required_t_shirt-<wbr></wbr>235302733763493578</a><br />
<br />
And, there it is folks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beginning
of our business (Cat Pics All Day) created to fund our other business (Oil
Extraction From Algae… We may need a better name) which is currently and
indefinitely on hold until we actually get some decent funds (from CPAD).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our fund is currently sitting steady at
$0.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BUT we may even use the money to
fund something else entirely! Who knows, we are kind of creative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, this is how it all started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We still have faith though, and will continue
to update with all the different approaches we take in our business ventures to
grow and get our name out there!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVl8Kn084AxWqg0yM9ttmStdPw8uDLmElfM4zaGWAy_Jx8SL6AFiCtZu0tzNsqbB9aOsNuiTPN10q1i0eAbXv2KLXfj5iEXktxToFUtxpPCa9yf3VXw-3mVJULPelXrhPlRW4W6-GKw6s/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVl8Kn084AxWqg0yM9ttmStdPw8uDLmElfM4zaGWAy_Jx8SL6AFiCtZu0tzNsqbB9aOsNuiTPN10q1i0eAbXv2KLXfj5iEXktxToFUtxpPCa9yf3VXw-3mVJULPelXrhPlRW4W6-GKw6s/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
#PleaseSupport<br />
<br />
-Alice & QuinnAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-25253863092869577092013-05-31T09:35:00.002-07:002013-05-31T09:40:31.746-07:00Kickboxing Round 1Hey Everyone!<br />
In our internet absence, Quinn and I have been doing some interesting things. I know she already brought you up to speed on the archery. I can’t wait to get to the range with her! But, we’ve been doing some other things too! Here is the latest that we have:<br />
<br />
Our personal favorite: Kickboxing. #That’sRight<br />
<br />When people look at us, they aren’t exactly shaking in their boots. Even though we are well into our second year post-college, we could still pass for high school kids most of the time. Our combined weight is somewhere in the 215 pound range. We’re not exactly intimidating monsters… At least not on the outside… Bwahahaha<br />
<br />
Anyway, it’s kind of one of our goals to become badass ninja superstars one day, so we took up the hobby of kickboxing to get us started. #DreamsCanComeTrue<br />
<br />
The first day of kickboxing was kind of intimidating for both of us. It was kind of like when you change schools or jobs and you feel like everyone is just staring at you, waiting for you to fall flat on your face. The gym is just a big room full of heavy bags that hang pretty much from floor to ceiling. There were people warming up that look like they could be on the covers of fitness magazines. The instructors were super enthusiastic, too. They immediately (as in immediately after we signed a GIANT packet of waivers) pulled us over to the bags to show us basic punches and kicks. (Apparently a lot of people are intimidated when they first walk into the gym, because the instructor later told us that they attack people right away so they don’t have a chance to change their minds a leave. Good tactic.) And that was it. A 5 minute introduction and we were released to join the other kickboxing regulars.<br />
<br />Putting on our gloves was a defining moment in our kickboxing debut. As soon as the gloves are on, you feel like you can accomplish so much. They really give you a sense of purpose and attitude, and they make you look super badass. Plus, if you aren’t wearing the gloves, the whole thing looks super awkward, and we were awkward enough as it is. Anyway, as soon as the gloves were on, we knew this was going to be the hobby for us.<br />
<br />We knew that until we started working out, at least. See, in our heads we knew that we could rock this kickboxing thing. But, as it turns out, we're both super awkward and clumsy. I’m sure watching us try to kick and punch and keep up with the calls and everyone else was pretty entertaining for the first 5-10 minutes. But after that initial awkwardness, we settled in a rhythm. <br />
<br />
And then we became all-stars! There we were, punching away, being swallowed up by the insanely loud dance music and the thumping sound the bags made with each punch and kick. It was like Insanity, mixed with boxing, mixed with a dance club hidden in some random alley. I mean, Alice even thought she was going to collapse and die by the end of it (but in a good way). Basically, it was the thing of dreams. Our dreams, anyway. #NailedIt<br />
<br />
Our new found kickboxing gym is a great setting for staying motivated for exercise, and really, changing our lives. As corny as it sounds, every time we step in that place we learn new things about ourselves and we are able to clear our minds enough to come up with better, even crazier (and more awesome) ideas. Kickboxing is something that has become part of our regular routine, and we do our best not to bail out on a class. Probably because we are so awesome, and so is kickboxing. So, if you’re reading this and have never tried kickboxing, Google yourself a kickboxing specific gym in your area and give it a shot! It’s cool if you don’t like it, but give it an honest-to-goodness effort. It really is one of the best things we have ever done.<br />
<br />
-Alice & QuinnAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-50311238207269257122013-05-30T12:05:00.003-07:002013-05-30T12:05:34.895-07:00Shooting Arrows... In the Dark?Hobby Update Weekend One -<br />
I (Quinn) really liked the lesson I took with a bow, and thus am now the proud owner of a Genesis Compound Bow. A blue one to be exact, which is pretty sweet. I decided to bring it on one of my trips home, and thus the ideas began to flow. The first weekend I brought it home, my sister really wanted to make a milk jug filled with water explode. So we set about filling the milk jug and just setting it on the ground. We had started the day with it set on a metal deck chair, but someone (naming no names because you know who you are), hit the chair and snapped the arrow clean in half! Having a limited number of arrows, we opted for the safer route, but this resulted in the arrows being buried in the ground. Luckily we were always able to find them though. Back to the milk jug explosion... sounds pretty epic right? That's what we thought at first. Since it was my sisters idea, she was first up. It takes a couple "warm-up" shots, but she had it! And... nothing. No explosion, no water flying everywhere, nothing. She was super bummed, but no one anticipated that the arrow wouldn't actually go ALL the way through the jug. Instead, it just got stuck in the jug, so when we pulled it out the water, in a very unexciting way, just sort of trickled out of the jug. With that myth busted, we just continued as usual, because hey, even if it didn't explode in a fountain of water it was still satisfying to finally hit the jug!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NGTi_-xpFLnHzhyphenhyphenyaynb2uF__S5npzIDc37BYk4GpMJNEQzNtNbl850g2hQlygLCOHNnhWtQtIHYvv6sED2l2yZiRhs9iddxDon3NSnDVD4-MQw4rzv8LL9Iz56BOe8m9BBbJizuj3c/s1600/Arrow+Take+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NGTi_-xpFLnHzhyphenhyphenyaynb2uF__S5npzIDc37BYk4GpMJNEQzNtNbl850g2hQlygLCOHNnhWtQtIHYvv6sED2l2yZiRhs9iddxDon3NSnDVD4-MQw4rzv8LL9Iz56BOe8m9BBbJizuj3c/s1600/Arrow+Take+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Hobby Update Weekend Two -<br />
It's Memorial Day weekend, and what better way to show your patriotism than once again shooting a bow in your backyard at a target? This weekends target was a lot more exciting than the first one, and not only did it sound exciting, it stayed exciting until the very last moment.We didn't get the idea until about 8:30 in the evening, but finally we decided on shooting more arrows, and this time we were set on getting the explosion effect. That was it... balloons filled with confetti! What could be a better target? Since it was a Saturday night, we thought we had until 9pm to shop at Hobby Lobby, so off we went. And... it was closed. Apparently it had closed at 8, so we had to re-group and develop a plan B... and that would be Wal-Mart. By this time, the sun was setting, so we had to revise our original plan and by the time we got to the store we were on the hunt for anything that glowed in the dark. And boy did we luck out! Not only did we find glow in the dark balloons, we grabbed a couple glow-sticks to use the insides. We also found glow in the dark sand that would be a prefect balloon filler instead of the confetti, which we probably wouldn't be able to see at this point.Back to the house we drove, super excited about the epicness of most current adventure. What could possibly go wrong with shooting arrows in pitch black at glow in the dark balloons? Nothing. Niente. And so we proceeded with building the target. Good thing my mom had just bought a grill. The balloons were thus attached to "the box the grill was in", which quickly became a catch phrase for the evening. We realized that the glow in the dark balloons actually contained LED lights, which was perfect because we could transfer them to the other, cheaper balloons, and thus keep the supply of glow balloons alive for the next 15 hours of battery life. Not that we would be shooting for 15 hours, but if we had wanted to, the option was there. #15Hours. #BetterThan5Hr.<br />
And thus the target was built.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJngl7GX-KsTDOBxA1c2ckfHG3VUe0KePO6MU7cTbKgxl3-cZpENkBE200n9qM08RVRjWdIVrGBEd9IimJMxAnytY0FxRMU-5xP-2okRBdfwPsU6X6QffvZXgc9EIC-1Z5ZNSlmsa6Is/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJngl7GX-KsTDOBxA1c2ckfHG3VUe0KePO6MU7cTbKgxl3-cZpENkBE200n9qM08RVRjWdIVrGBEd9IimJMxAnytY0FxRMU-5xP-2okRBdfwPsU6X6QffvZXgc9EIC-1Z5ZNSlmsa6Is/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our make-shift target. Yes that is another glow balloon hanging from a tree in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Pretty sweet, huh? We all took turns shooting until popping at least one of the balloons, and it was GREAT! It was pretty difficult, because let's face it, it was dark out, we didn't use any lights, because that wouldn't have been fun. Everyone made their shots, and then it was my turn. I was the last to go, and multiple shots in I was getting a little irritated. All of my shots were hitting along the outside edge of the freaking white glow balloon and it was starting to really tick me off. And then I did it, I lost my arrow. Everyone was down by the box looking for it, and couldn't find it. We even shuffled the box around. And then it was felt, a rain drop. Looks like I would be walking in the house a failure. A failure and it was MY bow! WHAT?! We were about to give up looking for the arrow when it was found, directly behind where the box the grill came in was. My sister looked at me and I knew. "Go for the Hail Mary shot! It's all or nothing!" She exclaimed as we hurriedly put the box back in place and I jogged to the distance we had been shooting from. My heart pounding, I knocked the arrow, drew, semi-aimed because it was really dark and hard to see, and then... I released. I held my breath for a split second, and BOOM! The balloon was done, finished, exploded!! I had done it, right before the rain, right after finding the arrow had almost been a lost cause, the last shot of the night! A success, and everyone burst out hollering. So all in all, it was pretty epic. Now my sister and her boyfriend have found an outdoor archery course by them, and my friend was thinking about getting into it as well. It's addicting, and what can I say, totally satisfying when you hit your makeshift target of glow in the dark balloons attached to the box the grill was in.<br />
<br />
#NeverQuit,<br />
<br />
QuinnAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-45542401742632931212013-05-29T17:09:00.000-07:002013-05-29T17:09:04.553-07:00Archery Anyone? <style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s late February, still way to cold
to really get out and do much. One day, I woke up and decided it was
time to try something new, something that I was able to do indoors
and, when the weather gets nicer, outdoors as well. Got it! Archery!
Something I’ve always wanted to try, and totally awesome looking.
This is definitely one of those things that says #WeRule. No doubt
shooting bows has that attitude. So there it was, my #Awesome moment
being put into action. Time to tell Alice! Unfortunately there was a
scheduling conflict, so off to the indoor range I went for the first
lesson on my own, #Awkward #OHwell.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To start the trip, I left with just
barely enough time to make the lesson. Normally, I try to leave a
little early if I am going somewhere I have never been before, but
alas that was not the case this time. My GPS quit working, of course,
as soon as I got off the highway!! I had a vague idea how far off the
highway the place was supposed to be, but I still had to turn around
several times. The second time, I called the place. Apparently the
GIANT arrow out front wasn’t a good enough clue for me… !
#NotObservant.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now that I am officially 15 minutes
late, I walk in and greet the first person I see behind the counter.
She doesn’t say much, but points me in the direction of the indoor
range area. I introduce myself and get a quick lesson on the history
of bows. I almost have to ask what to do next but luckily my
instructor comes by and says we can begin. Phew! I was getting a
little worried. So, “Are you going to be hunting?” my instructor
asks me. What? Me? I tell him no, that I just wanted to give it a try
and see how if I liked it. Well, I guess I can chalk up the hunting
question to the area I live in. #NotFromHere. Well, here goes
nothing!! After getting a quick lesson in the proper way to hold a
bow, draw, etc. it's time to start shooting! This is awesome! As it
turns out, I ended up being pretty alright for my first go at it.
They were even able to move the target back to 30 meters and I was
still shooting consistently and hitting the center portion of the
target. I know it's not a super far distance, but I was feeling
pretty good about myself at this point. Since I was using a compound
bow, I asked if I could try a recurve for the last 4 arrows of my
lesson. I can totally do this.... 20 lb draw weight..... and off it
goes! Wait, what?! I watch, saddened, as the arrow archs right over
the target and hits the back wall. Second try, I get a few pointers,
and release – this time I hit the target! Too bad it is in the very
top corner and not in the actual target portion... Much closer this
time! Well, the last two arrows were pretty much an exact replica of
the situation. So two arrows missed the target completely, the other
two hit the very top right corner of the target. Ehhh... could be a
lot worse! I had a great time though, that's for sure. Shooting a
compound was easier, but the recurve offered the challenge dynamic
which is something I enjoy. As of this post I haven't made it back to
the range, but I have already picked out a few bows I am interested
in looking at to purchase. Looks like I will be making this into a
real hobby and sharing my bow with Alice! If any of you guys have
tried out things you've always wanted to do, we would love to hear
your comments about what it was and how it turned out for you! :D</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
~Quinn</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-40451737923588560892013-04-25T17:21:00.001-07:002013-04-25T17:21:35.943-07:00Fashionably Late Is An Understatement... <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; </style>Hello Everyone!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For anyone who read our first post and
were dying to see what we could come up with next (and who wasn't?),
we apologize for our absense. It was a tad longer than “fashionably
late,” but who's counting? Who knew that when you decided to start
a blog, it meant you had to write and update on a regular (or any)
basis? Well, we realize now that this is our responsibility and we
need to make it a bigger priority. We would say we are going to take
it seriously, but we are not serious people, so that would be lying.
It will be a bigger priority though! (Promise!) On the plus side, the
reason we weren't writing is because we were so busy doing awesome
stuff! Awesome stuff that we are going to tell you guys all about.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hold on to your hats, ladies and
gentlemen, because its about to get fantastic up in here. (Up in
where?) That's what's up.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alright, so here's the scoop. We are
just (awesomely) average people living practical, normal (awesome)
lives. We have jobs, friends, and responsibilities, just like
everyone else. And sometimes (all the time), like normal people, we
find ourselves wondering what kind of crazy lives we would lead if we
had chosen a different path. For example, if we had been more
serious about aikido, horseback riding, and archery when we were
younger, would we be kickass arrow-shooting, horse riding, ninjas
today? (High five, Yes!)
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is our chance to find out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have decided to try all the things
we ever thought interesting, frightening, or exciting. Because just
like most of you, we are still trying to figure out what exactly
being a grown up is supposed to feel like. (Is it suppose to be so
exhausting?) And what better way to act grown up than to do
everything we have ever wanted to do as children and blog about it on
the internet? In the last few weeks we have acquired several new
hobbies, and they are all awesome (how many times can I say awesome
in a post before it becomes redundant?). Not to spoil the surprise
or anything, but we may really become kickass arrow-shooting ninjas
someday.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So (we promise this time) we will be
updating you with individual accounts of all of our adventures. Some
of them are total successes, but I promise some of them will be
embarassing failures. We know you don't want to miss out on that.
We even have a few drafts in the works, getting ready to be posted!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is also a really good opportunity
for all of you guys! In our attempts to try awesome things, we are
going to need ideas of awesome things to try. If there is something
you've ever wanted to try but don't want to for fear of ridicule,
failure, or dismemberment, pass it on to us. Maybe we can test drive
that idea for you. We'll be objective, count on that. #Not
#ItMaySuckInWhichCaseWeWillSaySo.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So stayed tuned, all of you. Life is
about to be a bit (a lot) more interesting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alice & Quinn</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519821465329814739.post-30699933468839082802013-03-02T18:58:00.004-08:002013-03-02T19:00:03.206-08:00The Beginning<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Day One of
blogging brought us to a setting so perfect that it could have come
from a movie. We wanted this to be as legit as possible, so we drove
ourselves all the way (10 minutes) downtown to the coolest, most
underground coffee shop in the city. It had wi-fi and everything. We
were finally on our way to becoming real bloggers. Armed with a
MacBook and coffee (black, obviously), we attempted as best as we
could to blend in with the hipsters. We asked the waitress what
hipsters ate, but she told us it was so obscure, we never could have
heard of it. #Posers. We settled for nachos, instead. Then, the blog
preparations began. A few photos snapped with an iPhone, edited with
Instagram, and boom! Totally legit blog. And that's where all this
began...</span></span><style type="text/css"><!--
@page { margin: 0.79in }
P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }
--</style></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLcreS2PXvyzvQBbKe_yaYmaztbEkb0g_YvwSFakRXkxulaprvnLEEdTc6J52VZih3Ap3TZJ6Erv-xTpmDf2GNYSXX26sRG_i67El0MKdR-1GCEhuIPSzJS3GCWQBDI3vxlzT8OUVwZ8/s1600/Untitled+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLcreS2PXvyzvQBbKe_yaYmaztbEkb0g_YvwSFakRXkxulaprvnLEEdTc6J52VZih3Ap3TZJ6Erv-xTpmDf2GNYSXX26sRG_i67El0MKdR-1GCEhuIPSzJS3GCWQBDI3vxlzT8OUVwZ8/s1600/Untitled+4.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkccmWj6JHh9Fi6zTRqlDA-rjghrX-Gwo0MllSc0aWbi9bvSa7oJXEb7RPR9Qj4Njaub8G4rq0EYf4o9ovgNukWULJQsLE8zmdR0jp381JweDKoSXuQjt60fGy35NFDpmQEN231279M50/s1600/NachoCheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkccmWj6JHh9Fi6zTRqlDA-rjghrX-Gwo0MllSc0aWbi9bvSa7oJXEb7RPR9Qj4Njaub8G4rq0EYf4o9ovgNukWULJQsLE8zmdR0jp381JweDKoSXuQjt60fGy35NFDpmQEN231279M50/s1600/NachoCheese.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">We tried to
observe our surroundings for the most inspiration possible. After a
few hours, several dozen hipsters, loud conversations about jazz and
modern art, we realized that we really needed to leave. It's a shame
though, we bought our shirts at PacSun and everything. Besides,
something started to smell funny. Coffee fart? #WhoFarted #Leaving</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Nothing against
the area, the coffee, or the characters, but the coffee shop just
wasn't the setting we needed. Conclusion: You don't have to be a
hipster to blog. But, being at that coffee shop (where everyone has
a laptop or a book) gave us the push we needed to get this blog
going. Now that everything is set up, we sit on a comfy couch,
watching Castle, eating popcorn, and chugging water to remove the
taste of that coffee. Much better... and it smells better, too.
Turns out we are unlegit (hipsters), therefore we must quit (blogging
at coffee houses).</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Now that Day One
is out of the way, we can move on to better, funnier, and more
entertaining topics. There's a lot to catch you up on, so prepare
yourselves for a few posts of flashbacks (it will be like you were
really there). So stay tuned, you'll thank us later.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Alice & Quinn</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04005049205857312343noreply@blogger.com0