WISDOM CHECK

Life, the universe, and everything nerdy

  • Loose leaf paper disease

    (Originally published to my Livejournal, CreamSodaAngel)

    You know, it’s amazing how many times I come up with an idea to make a somewhat interesting entry into my neglected blog. But when I get livejournal fired up, and my fingers all ready to go to make my epic posts…

    … they never come out. I get hit by a loss of words, like the attack of the white paper. And the white paper wins. I can never think of the words that I want to say.

    We’ve all been affected by it at some moment or another. The battle to over come the white paper affect is something that I often suffer. I will be hit by an amazing light bulb of thought and ingenuity, say perhaps an idea for the next Snow Pirate strip or a great thesis for a forthcoming essay. When it comes to get that idea down on paper (or, shall we say, in a word document), it vanishes out of the brain.

    I also call this my “loose leaf paper” disease. Meaning, when I have a piece of loose leaf, I can come up with things to draw and doodle with relative ease. But when it comes to drawing my sketchbook, a blanket white sheet, or a new canvas… the ideas suddenly stop. It’s as if my subconscious receives thinks this white paper has become this daunting task, a chilling challenge that it’s not sure if it can face.

    It is my goal, dear reader, to overcome this loose leaf paper disease. To adapt my creativity from the lined paper that is my university notes and apply it to more artistic avenues: my sketchbook, my blank livejournal box, a newly fired up word document.

    What is the first step to this venture? Remembering to bring my sketchbook with me wherever I go, so that if I feel the temptation I can whip it out to quickly scribble in something that has caught my imagination, to jot down the newest idea I have.

    The past month of so I have tried this, admittedly forgetting this more often than not. But it has come with it’s successes. No longer are as many ideas lost in the passing thought.

    And so I end this article, after turning the tide and ending a long streak of inactivity by using my worst enemy as it’s own cure: it’s become the topic of this entry. White paper effect, loose leaf paper disease, lose of words syndrome… you have been defeated!


    Current Mood: accomplished

  • And so the semester has begun..

    (Originally oublished to my Livejournal, Creamsodaangel).

    I realise that I’ve been slacking ish when it comes to the livejournal department. For that, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be, it’s just that lately I just haven’t felt up to making a post. It’s not that I don’t have anything to say. Heck, I’m one of those people who during the day thinks: “Ooh, I should write about that in my LJ.” Somewhat sad, I realise, but my brain likes to be thinking nonstop. So if composing an LJ post in my head when I’m no where near a computer is what keeps it occupied, then so be in.

    In other news I’m drowning in a pile of university reading. Why aren’t I doing it now? My mind isn’t alert enough. I tried for about an hour following dinner, and ended up falling asleep. Yikes. Here we are just starting week two, and I’m already falling behind. How utterly depressing is that? Oh well, I always manage to keep my head above water.

    For my free time I’ve decided that I”m really going to commit myself to trying to get things organized. My poor website has suffered over the past few years, so I want to spend some time giving it some love. I started a new layout for it earlier which is good. Then I want to rotate days between websites and drawing. Obviously Snowpirate will fall in there somewhere (but it’s gonna get a facelift as well). My top priority is still Federation Space though, since I have so much fun with it. My friend Aaron is starting up a new trek RPG, just for kicks, so I said I’d join. We’ll see how much of a life I have…


    Current Music: That’s How Love Moves – Faith Hill
    Current Mood: sleepy

  • Unimportant rambles

    Today begins the saga of Andrea’s search for a new car. Yes, I hate to say it, but my beautiful Civic just won’t last. Something is cracked and will cost me far too much to repair, and my E brake has decided to stop functioning… without the E brake, I can’t legally drive my car. Makes me very sad, as I love my car. Not much I can do though…

    Also, as a result of forgetting to renew my parking pass in July (I was in the US, forgive me), I won’t have a B lot pass anymore. Very depressing. I went and asked Campus Security if they could do anything for me, and that would be a negatory. Oh well. At least I’m only on Burnaby Campus one day a week, so it won’t really affect me too much. Just makes things a pain in the backside.

    And my shift key has decided not to function correctly.

    And I’m cranky. 😛


    Current Mood: cranky
    Current Music: TV: Will & Grace

  • Home sweet home and spring cleaning

    (Originally posted to my Livejournal, CreamSodaAngel)

    So I made it home safe and sound. Almost got paid $300 and a free night’s stay in Houston by Continental Airlines because they’d decided to overbook our flight (which is normal according to my friend Jos). But after a frantic text message from Dad saying not to, I managed to stay on my normal flight. Though my Dad didn’t realise I was being paid, of which he said I should have stayed in Houston the night. Oh wells. Home sweet home.

    Today I tackled the big project of my delayed spring cleaning of my room. I have decided it’s time to let go of a few things from my childhood, one of those being my Archie comics. I grew up reading them, probably one of the items that inspired me with my art, but I don’t think I’ve read one in at least two years. It took me a while to decide, but I finally made the choice and added them to the “get rid of” pile. Farewell Archie, you were a good friend.

    NCIS Seasons 1 – 3 are mine. MUAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh Gibbs, thou art hilarious. I know I’m still working through ALIAS, but NCIS is just too good.


    Current Music: TV: Seinfeld
    Current Mood: indescribable

  • Lack of sleep… getting sick 🙁

    (Originally posted to my Livejournal, Creamsodaangel)

    You know you’re really tired when you end up waking at 230 am, know fully that it’s 230am, but are still convinced you have to go to work in half and hour… even though you still have 4 hours. That was me. I made it to the bathroom with my towel before I realised it. Oops. Carol was still away and was probably thinking what the heck was wrong with me for sleeping 3 hours, then getting up to take a shower when I didn’t have to be at work for another 5 hours.

    Yes, that’s how sleep deprived I am. And now I’m getting sick. What horrible luck. I’m off to bed now, just had to do a bit of posting that I got behind on over the past few days.

    This morning was my last morning to do the Wave at work. I wasn’t as sad as I was yesterday, but I think because today there was way fewer people (it was morning extra magic hours). Yesterday just had so much more energy. But I am going to buy a pair of Mickey gloves. I know I’ve already spent far too much on this trip, but it’s memories, you know?

    Oh… and I hate my phone for running out of minutes in the middle of a conversation. Grrrrr. Can’t afford to buy more though, spent way too much on the darn thing as it is. 😛

    Night night.


    location: Orlando, Florida
    Current Mood: exhausted
    Current Music: Flip, Flop & Fly – Count Basie

  • Writing: Wedding Bells on the Enterprise

    (Originally posted to my Livejournal, CreamSodaAngel)

    My non-player character Marine Captain Mackenzie Annan and her fiancee Major Paul Braggins are finally getting married on the Enterprise for the Federation Space RPG. I love a little fluff and thought I’d share.

    This is made up of several posts by the players of Maj Paul Braggins, MCapt Mac Annan (me!), RAdm Matthew Thrawn, and Cdr Torgh.

    Pages: 1 2 3

  • “Step away from the surfboards Andrea, they won’t let you take them as a carryon.”

    (Originally published to my Livejournal, CreamSodaAngel)

    Oh my. Never let me near a Ron Jon Surf Shop ever again. They are a danger to me. I saw the wall of surfboards, and nearly collapsed. Stephanie had to remind me that I would have quite a bit of difficulty getting one of those home on the airplane, and so I tried to stay away from the surfboard section. I wish I could have such a beautiful place closer to home. I spent a pretty penny there, which I hate spending money, but alas I have some beautiful items that I would otherwise have to buy on their website. Oh well. The nearest Ron Jon’s is in California, so it will be a while until I’m there again.

    In other news I’m utter exhausted. I had lots of fun working inventory, but it was long. And to have to go back to work that same day and work until two am was not nice. I survived, but I realised that yesterday I spent 16/24 hours working at Mouse Gear. Wowzer. I spent the entire time during inventory sorting, cleaning out, counting, and putting back all the bulk Mr Potato Head pieces. When I came in for my evening shift that day, they put me in Kids Central 2 (where Mr Potato Head is) and it was a mess. I almost cried. Almost.

    This picture does not do the amount of potato head parts we sorted any justice. Even taken from up high (standing on the Mr Potato head display, like this one) we couldn’t get all the bags in. This is about 1/4 of them.

    Today I am imitating Abby from NCIS. Kelsey and I went to the Sev across the street in search of slushies to quench the thirst and a top up card so I could phone Paul. While I managed to get the top up card (Paul didn’t answer his phone, the jerk. Though it was 10pm his time, so he may have been sleeping… he’s forgiven), their slushie machine was… BUSTED! The horror THE HORROR! Deciding I still needing some thirst quenching done, I opted for the Double Gulp. Let me just say, oh my goodness! That thing is deceptively large. Kelsey and I have decided that’s one of the reason why Americans have high rates of diabetes and obesity in their country: the Double Gulp is to blame! I didn’t realise it was two litres of pop. Two freaking litres! Honestly, I only grabbed the cup because it looks like Abby Sciuto’s Caf-Pow drink from NCIS, not because the cup is AS BIG AS MY HEAD.

    Home in 7 days. Sleep in my own bed in 7 days.

    I guess I ought to start packing…


    Current Mood: bouncy
    location: Orlando, Florida
    Current Music: Shadow of a Man – Bedouin Soundclash

  • Angst

    (Originally posted to my Livejournal, Creamsodaa=ngel).

    I just found out that my fineliner decided to start leaking. I just got the darn thing before I came to the US. Means I have to go get a new one when I go home, or put up with having black marks on my hands (and on my lips.. I have the tendency of putting my writing utensils in my mouth for a moment if I need to free up my hands). Boo.

    My stomach is giving me lots of pain. I had planned to go to bed at 10 (right now), but I’m not sure I’ll get a restful sleep until it passes. It was either the “asian” food, as the store called it (not a specific region, like China, or Vietnam, or Japan, just generally) or the 1/4 of the Big Gulp. I hope it was the former, because I still have 3/4’s of the Big Gulp left to go. ** shakes fist at American cuisine and it’s ill effects **

    Got a hold of Paul earlier. He was “frunk”. It was cute. 🙂

    …please make the pain stop…


    location: Orlando, Florida
    Current Mood: sick
    Current Music: The Coconut Pudding Vendor – Xavier Cugat

  • recent ponderings of a geeky one

    (Originally published to my Livejournal, CreamSodaAngel)

    So I managed to do what I thought was impossible: I actually filled up my camera’s memory card! I have this massive memory card, which I’ve never in the 2 years that I’ve own it filled it… and I take a lot of pictures! Anyway, last night I took my camera in to work with me so I could get some pics of my coworkers before I go. Maria and I were posing for a pic, when my camera wouldn’t go off! I looked and it said “No Memory”. I was quite shocked to say the least. Of course, having pictures from before I left to come here plus a 25 minute ride through video of Spaceship Earth probably doesn’t help.

    The coolest thing ever! Carol, myself, and Kelsey infront of Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Centre, where less than 24 hours before Space Shuttle Endeavor was launched.

    Over the past few days I have really been considering a few things. One is how much I’d like to get a surfboard (was just looking up the selection on Ron Jon’s website, however I think it will be easier to look up for one closer to home.) Trying to recall what kind of surfboard I learned on (I believe it was a longboard… though I could be quite wrong, and my surfing knowledge is quite minute).

    The second thing I have been pondering is where I want to go with my comicking. I have a few ideas swirling in my head that I would love to get down on paper. However the one thing that has really been holding me back in my fear of my skill. I don’t think I could do any of the stories I have brewing any justice. One of the stories I’ve had in this brain of mine for, oh about 8 years now. Back at the end of my senior year in highschool, my friend Heather got wind of the story and volunteered her AMAZING art skills (she’s going to be an animator) to the story. More work developed, but eventually the two of us got busy with school. I’m hoping to revive that one, because I have developed it so much over the years… but I guess only time will tell.

    Oh. And I’d like to invest in getting internets down at our cottage when I get home. TV I can live without (have for three months), but internets I need! … How sad it that?
    Current Mood: hungry
    location: Orlando, Florida
    Current Music: Me and My Gang – Rascal Flatts

  • In your arms

    Now that I’m home, it’s back to the art time!

    Yay art!

    More coming soon, I swear!

CHARACTER SHEET

Hi! I’m Andrea (she/her). Welcome to my little corner of the internet.

Conduit for nonsense and delight. Mama, storyteller, RPGer, board gamer, bibliophile, writer, tea drinker, introvert, hybrid Jeep owner, living with cancer. Pan and Ace. Boss lady at Adventure Dice and (on leave) Terminal City Tabletop Convention.

Here you’ll find some of my fiction, slice of life stuff, TTRPG and community building insights, and life with stage 4 cancer.

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All the writing you find here you’re welcome to read free of charge! I just want to get my words out in the wild. But, if you enjoyed my work and you’d like to buy me a cuppa tea… here’s a few ways you can support me.