The Spam Thread!

[Stella Grapes]

We were so happy around this time last year. Maybe we should make a last-minute trip to Gatlinburg this weekend, because that was a very good vacation. Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me.

I'll have to ask the others who were there how wonderful it really was. I do remember being disappointed at the repetition and tourist trap status of the place. There seemed to be a million of the same three things (pancake restaurants, 1800s photo booths, and whatever those places are called where there are miniature race cars on the wooden tracks). The traffic was incredibly slow, to the point that it was faster to walk around Gatlinburg's tourist attractions, because a lot of other people also had the idea to go there on the weekend before Labor Day. We had to drive, though, because the house where we were staying was driving distance from the inner city.

Something else I remember as annoying is that upside-down mansion with the rides none of us could ride on. That was a ripoff. The people selling tickets could have warned us before we bought from them. I don't understand the rules that place had, anyway. It seemed like they were making up rules just to be mean to our group. To ride anything, you had to be between certain heights and weights, and you had to ride everything with a partner of the same height and weight as yourself. While I forget the exact criteria, I recall that this meant none of us could ride anything except for Dee if she found a stranger built like her to ride with. She was too loyal to do that. So we left the upside-down mansion, having spent money on all-day passes with no refunds and getting nothing out of it. Also, that mansion had badly lit flashing lights that would have given Ben and I seizures had we not gone outside in time.

If we went back now, Dee and Nell could ride in the upside-down mansion together. Benita and Brooklyn could ride together now that Benita has grown more. The rest of us wouldn't bother again! I really don't understand how they keep in business, if they have kept in business. Most men are too tall for the height limit and I think more than enough would get angry at being cheated by now. I also think that enough people affected by seizures must have gotten upset. If that business closed, I wouldn't be surprised.

So, the vacation was not perfect. Still, I remember so many good things about the trip. Even the annoying things lead to good things. Outside the ripoff mansion, we found better attractions that were a lot of fun. Once we found a place to park in the city, walking proved to lead us to a lot of fun. Getting lost for hours at night, this time outside the city looking for a certain restaurant, I can't count as a negative because we laughed so much during that time.

The best part of the vacation was us, and the lovely old house in the woods we stayed in. Parts of the log cabin's floor plans have since been modeled based on this house. The best part of the vacation was really us. There were lots of very fun things to do in Gatlinburg, and listing them all would take too much time to explain. But it was our humor and indeed our love for each other that made the experience so memorable. Since the best part of the vacation was us, we don't need to go back there. What we need to do is bring back the feelings we had then. Well, maybe we shouldn't bring back all of the feelings. It's thanks to this vacation that my niece exists, and we've decided we can't afford more people for at least a few more years! (Let's see how well we hold up to that decision.)

Now I am more awake since I started writing this. My memory of last year is clearer. I'll still ask the others about their thoughts on Gatlinburg.

[RAMChYLD]

Is Twilight's expression supposed to look scary?

I still haven't figured out the face poser tool

See PM

Yeah, got it. Problem's that the simulator hosted on SFN's still under planning stage.

Worth searching around I guess. Those videos on Youtube suggests otherwise.

[Stella Grapes]

If the reign of a Berry Princess lasts until some time into said reign's twelfth year, then that means that some ultimate things are met and fulfilled in less than four years after the visited future year.

It's also interesting because this means that when a Berry Princess is crowned, her successor is always either an infant or not yet in existence given the nature of the berry world.

[cpd2009]

Well, my second attempt with Dakota State University is off to a great start. Not only did I get an air conditioned dorm, I'm also going to take part in some rather fun classes such as Stagecraft and Media Studies. Stagecraft is what it is, and Media Studies is where I and the class have to take extensive look at movies in order to uncover hidden bits of symbolism or allusions that a regular viewer would miss. My other two classes are basic...Intro to Digital Storytelling and Team Building. For some reason, the Stagecraft class is a require part of my new major, but seeing how you create things with your hands (like backgrounds for a play or props), I think I will enjoy it.

A new surprise to me is that the college dining service changed the way they serve their meals. You now only have to pay once to get in the cafeteria and it's all you can eat. Previously, it was like a fast food restaurant where you paid for every single thing you ordered. Unfortunately, they ended up removing some of the menu choices I liked during my initial four years at the college, mostly breakfast items like French Toast flavored Taqitos and breakfast croissants and muffins. But hey, at least I don't have to pay $3.99 for one slice of cheesecake.

Photos of the DSU campus coming tomorrow sometime.

Oh, in other news, I found a Sega Genesis game based on Tiny Toon Adventures..."Buster's Treasure Hunt". RAMChYLD has suggested the game to me before since I told him I had the other two TTA games for the old game systems. It's rather fun and challenging, but the gameplay mechanics seem to mimic Sonic the Hedgehog somewhat when it comes to running. Definitely not a coincidence since the game IS on the Genesis.

[Stella Grapes]

Well, if things had been different, we would be on our way to Italy right now or perhaps already there. Oh well. That's not something to remind anyone about. I have to say I am not looking forward to hearing too much about the tenth anniversary of 9/11/01. If we had gone to Italy and stayed through Ben and Benita's birthdays, we could have avoided this for the most part.

"I feel the most normal I've ever been. It must be the father instincts taking over. My life is so normal now that it's hard to believe it was just last year I was starting to ride a euphoric wave of something."
- Ben

You know you'll never be normal, Ben. I do understand what you're saying. "Euphoric wave of something", even you cannot describe what that something was. We were so happy this time last year and that changed to such chaos not long after. I do worry about the upcoming anniversary of that chaos.

[Blackberry Bun]

David and Blake, if I may ask, what was your major in college?

[huckleberrypie]

David and Blake, if I may ask, what was your major in college?

I took up a two-year computer technician course.

[Stella Grapes]

Even though I wasn't asked, I'll tell you anyway. :lol:

My original major was business management, with a minor in performing arts. I never really managed a business. At best, I've been co-owner of small stores. I went back to school and majored in P-6 (preschool through sixth grade) education, with a minor in child psychology, though I've yet to fully complete the psychology courses and don't know when I'll get around to finishing them.

Did I mention James paid off my college loans that I thought would never be fully paid, and paid off Ben's loans as well? ❤

With the exception of my half-sister, my siblings and I have had to pay for college ourselves. This was impossible and threw us into decades of debt that would have probably lasted a lifetime had luck not changed. Despite this, I took more college courses because I figured that if I was going to spend my life in debt, I might as well get the tools to spend my life doing something I actually enjoyed. It is very rare that one can make a whole career out of performing.

[huckleberrypie]

So, in other words, you originally took up an entrepreneurial course, right?

[Stella Grapes]

So, in other words, you originally took up an entrepreneurial course, right?

Yes, following the footsteps of two of my three brothers.

My oldest brother ran away by hitchhiking off to Utah with friends of his, on midnight of his eighteenth birthday, and it was in Utah that he converted to Mormonism and began his career in Mormon ministries. From there, he met the love of his life, and they had a son and a daughter. I was only ten years old when he left. While I wish he hadn't deserted his younger siblings, and it is especially upsetting that he abandoned the second brother who used to adore him, I can't say I blame him for escaping the life we were in. He felt like he had no choice. Although I also don't agree with the Mormon doctrine, I wish there wasn't so much misunderstanding of Mormons. It's a common misconception that Mormon men are polygamists and abusive. Adam's two children have the same mother, Adam has only one wife and expects the same from his son, and Adam is not abusive. He ran away to escape abuse!

When someone is talking about Mormons like they are all evil people, I bring up this brother of mine and the people talking act like it is impossible for a Mormon to be normal. It's so annoying and pointless for anyone to judge based on religion. There are bad people who claim all religions, and bad people who claim none. Likewise, it annoys me that Muslims are so very discriminated against in my country. Here, Muslims have the same reputations as Mormons, added to a reputation of being terrorist murderers. It is just so sad and wrong. Why is the unknown so feared? Why do people not simply get to know the people they are badmouthing instead of badmouthing them based on scary things in the news? Why do people stand around talking badly about people without realizing they could be talking about someone's family, or talking about a person listening himself or herself?

My nephew is currently doing mission work for the Mormon Church. I do worry about him. He is working outside of Utah, and there is no other state where Mormons are as accepted as they are in Utah.