"Live long and prosper."

As I'm sure most of you know, Leonard Nimoy passed away on Friday.

I grew up watching the original "Star Trek" series and movies. I knew who Mr. Spock was from the time I was four. I knew him from a small part in the classic horror film "Them".

This year, a student and I share a "secret" handshake. We do the Vulcan "live long and prosper" hand sign.

Needless to say, I was rather sad at his passing. I had to find a few moments to myself at work to shed a few tears.

Rest in peace, Mr. Nimoy. You lived long, you prospered, and you inspired the many.

Reflection Blog Post

3/1/15

I have been contemplating how to complete this assignment all week. I have many feelings on the subject of such a reflection, and have finally settled on this.

This assignment, while it has been different, has not inspired me or built my confidence as a writer. If I had to narrow down the slim lessons learned and sum them up in one sentence, it would be this: Do what you are supposed to do, even if it seems fruitless and frustrating.

I am certain that if there had been feedback, a guiding hand to lead me down the road to what this assignment was supposed to achieve, I would have enjoyed it more. As it stands, I find myself uncertain and insecure about my abilities as a writer, which is something I have never experienced before. I do not know if I am doing this in a satisfactory manner, I do not know if I have met the assignment parameters. I do not know, I do not know. I do not like not knowing. It goes against my grain.

I am hoping for a better second half to this semester. I am hoping to learn and grow as a writer, to learn more abilities and improve my style. I hope to receive the feedback I need to make these things happen. Above all else, I suppose...I want to know.

Namarie,
~K~

Free Writing Post 26 (last one!)

2/28/15

We might get three to five inches of snow today. I know a lot of people here are sick of the winter weather, but I'm loving it. Tomorrow is March 1st, and so I know I probably won't be getting much more snow this year...I have to enjoy it while I can!

I am not a summer person. I don't like being hot, I don't like feeling as though my skin is going to melt off. Give me a cold winter's day anytime. I would much rather bundle up in blankets, sip coffee, and read than go outside and sweat.

In other news, I saw an article about a Middle Earth theme park being considered in Spain. I was way more excited than I probably should have been, but who cares? Maybe a trip over there will be my gift to myself on my 35th birthday.

If you haven't seen Gandalf the Grey parody video for "Fifty Shades", you should go watch it. No, seriously. Hop over to YouTube now. It made me laugh a lot!

On today's agenda: Finishing homework for this week, cleaning the house, and hanging out with one of my best friends (weather permitting, haha). I'm still struggling with how to do my reflection post tomorrow...but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Namarie, Snow Bugs
~K~

Free Writing Post 25

2/27/15

In Memoriam

I really struggled with what to write tonight. I've been sitting here with blogger.com open for two hours, and kept putting it off, because I was so uninspired.

While talking with a classmate (by the way, the six degrees of separation thing is SO true!), I was thinking about the young people I know who have passed away too soon. She and I have a mutual friend, a girl named Haley. She passed away from ALS almost six years ago. Wow. As I'm typing this, I can't believe it's been that long. Wow, wow, wow. She was an amazingly sweet young woman, who was spunky and full of life. She and I became friends, and I am still friends with her mom...she was taken away far too soon.

Another young lady I had the privilege to work with was J.J. Johal. She had MS, and I was able to become her friend as well through my job. We stayed in touch until her death a couple of years ago.

The biggest loss has definitely been my baby brother. He passed away from complications of Crohn's Disease in November 2010. I know how the families of those girls must feel. I know the pain and devastation that kind of death brings. You think you have all the time in the world, and then...they're gone. Grief makes you an island, and it casts a shadow on everything. It can strike in an instant. You think you're doing ok, and then BAM! You're overwhelmed with memories.

So, in closing...take the time to tell your family and friends that you love them. Give them a hug whenever you see them, because you never know.

Namarie,
~K~

Free Writing Post 24

2/26/15

What do you mean, "Elementary" won't be on tonight because of the Victoria's Secret Show? What is this heresy?

This makes me really upset, and not just because I have to miss a Sherlock story. The whole campaign bothers me. Sickly skinny women parading around in lingerie, and it's advertised almost like it's a huge sporting event. Endless commercials, and an announcer who tells me it's "guaranteed to raise your temperature". Well, I've got news for you, buddy...the only reason my temperature is rising is because you're taking the place of my show!

I'm not saying I only watch things that are considered "nerdy", because I don't. I have binge-watched "America's Next Top Model" and "Sex and the City", and I love them both. I will say that SatC at least shows women working, living "normal" lives, etc, etc, and ANTM is just fun. But come on...don't take away my Sherlock to plaster TV screens with scantily clad women. Sheesh.

So now, I have an extra hour of time tonight. I may watch some "Doctor Who" or "The Borgias". I don't know. Yes, I could use the time to study, read ahead, whatever...but I want my relax time!

Namarie,
~K~

Free Writing Post 23

2/25/15

Tonight, I'm working on my Commemorative Speech assignment for my Public Speaking class. I chose to pay tribute to my brother, William.

I plan to talk about how selfless he was, how loving he was, and how he influenced me, even though he was five years younger.

My brother was (and is) an amazing person. He would give you the shirt off his back. I know that's a cliche saying, but it's true. We had a friend of his who stayed with us for a long time to escape a horrible home life, and my brother let him wear whatever he wanted after his mom refused to give him access to his own clothes.

This same friend turned around and lashed out at my brother, time and time again. He would abandon my brother in favor of "better" or "more exciting" plans...but my brother was always there to pick up the pieces. Even when this friend sent an email full of hate, my brother forgave him almost instantly, and wanted to fix things. In churches where he was persecuted-- yes, persecuted-- for being a public school kid or for not belonging to the same denomination his whole life, he still reached out to anyone and everyone, striving to make sure they were included and felt loved.

These two things affected me, even though I'm the older sibling. I tend to be more harsh, and less forgiving of people who wrong my family. He showed me what it is to be forgiving, and since his death, I've worked really hard to forgive the aforementioned friend, and those who hurt him.

I wish he could have been around for many more years, to teach me more. And to make me laugh.

Free Writing Post 22

2/25/15

Benedict Cumberbatch is an amazing person. No, sorry, it's not up for debate. Here's why.

He is goofy, and doesn't care what the "norm" is in Hollywood. Here he is, doing a couple of photo bombs:

He is also deeply grateful to his fans, and is immensely kind to them. He sent a letter to the friends and family of a fan who passed away from cancer, expressing his sadness at being unable to attend. How amazing is that? He poses for endless "selfies" and signs autographs with smiles and kind words.

Benedict recently married Sophie Turner. On Valentine's Day. You know what that is? It's a romance overload. A friend of mine shared an article on Facebook tonight about the happy couple. Mr. Cumberbatch always takes the time to ask his pregnant wife if she's okay. While they were at the Oscar's the other night, he leaned over and asked this question, then gave her a kiss on the cheek. At the BAFTAs, when cameras were going nuts, he stopped to ask her if she was alright, and when he was being pulled away for interviews, he stopped in the middle of a crowd to ask her if she was...you guessed it...going to be okay. WOW.

So there you have it. Not only is Benedict Cumberbatch an amazing actor (voicing Smaug, playing Khan, and portraying Alan Turing, not to mention SHERLOCK...I mean, come on!), he's also a pretty amazing person. And he's gorgeous. I'll just leave this here for you.

Namarie, CumberCollective

http://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/cumbercute-klaxon?bffb&utm_term=4ldqpgp#.stlnoRROP

http://m.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/11811944.Benedict_Cumberbatch_pays_tribute_to_super_fan_following_death/?ref=twtrec