The Ball

I will of course be updating this after it actually happens, but there's a Masquerade Ball tomorrow. I'm pumped. Every time I told anyone about it they were really excited and would say something like, "Oh man that sounds fun! I've always wanted to go to one of those!" Then I would ask if they wanted to come and they were kinda hesitant. Wait- I thought you said you wanted to go! .... grr.

I found a date to it. She's from my ward and she's cool. I liked how excited she started getting at the end of our "planning" session. I went over to her house and she tried on all the different masks I had and we figured out which mask she was going to use, what dress she would wear, which shoes, and her hair style and make-up. I know what I'm going to do so I can hardly wait.

Out of Nowhere

Stuff totally happens when you're not looking. Out riding your bike, you look down or away for some reason, and then BAM!! you hit that parked car or trash can or whatever. On Dr. Who there are these creatures that look like angel statues when you look at them but really they exist only when nothing sees them, if anything does they turn to stone so they can't be killed. Oh, and they are super dangerous. And super fast, if you look away, too late. If you blink, too late. On nature programs which gazelle gets nailed by the lion? The one that wasn't paying attention just a split second longer than his buddies. Which flock of birds get sucked into the jet turbine of a commercial airliner? The ones that forget to check the flight paths and scheduled flights for the day.

Well, bad things aren't the only stuff that can happen when you're not paying attention, it's just more likely it seems. I almost expect crazy stuff to happen, I mean, I am a ninja. If it doesn't happen to me, I'll make it happen on accident,... or on purpose... sometimes.

I, Shinobi Jim, Ninja Master and recipient of the Certificate of Awesomeness have been snuck upon. Completely out of nowhere. Entirely unexpected. Starting Saturday... she popped up on my chat bar on facebook, and that's what we did. We chatted. Two HOURS later at 1:30am I went to bed, but not to sleep. My head was still buzzing. Our conversation had been... bold here and there... which made it pretty fun, and she gave me her number and said I could call anytime. Yeah, ANY time. But that is kinda hard for me, I don't want to bother people. Still I tried calling her and things didn't match up that next night, but we texted a bit. She finished off with saying she'd call me the next day.

Guess what she did... She called. Sweet right!? I was asleep. Not sweet. I called her back after her text woke me up (An entire ringtone playing didn't do anything..). We talked for a while but I had class, and then there was FHE later so she said I could call her afterward. ...If I wanted to. I wondered: "if I wanted to", guess who else sounds like they might want me to.. Later she texts me saying her activity is done, and is mine too? It wasn't. When it was, I called her and we started talking, and kept talking, through the ride home (in a car full of people who laughed and teased at what they were listening to), and continued past the point where I had to plug in my phone to keep it from dying. Then her phone died haha and she called back. So.. we have trouble saying goodbye, like we say goodnight, and then someone mentions one last thing and then twenty minutes later we're still talking. Yeah, kinda makes me think she doesn't mind very much. I don't mind either. That was a two and a half hour conversation + the 45 minute conversation we had earlier that day 3 hours 15 minutes.

Then I didn't call the next day. My reasoning on this is that we don't know each other very well, and we have never met, though we served in the same mission(she got there a transfer before I left), so I don't want to seem like I expect to have her attention every day for two+ hours. That seems awfully presumptuous of me. And that I don't know her schedule and don't want to just interrupt things all the time. I don't want to bug her.

Then I didn't call her the next day either. I kinda wanted to, but I didn't know how she would feel about that. I don't want to wear out my welcome before I even meet her for real. However, when I pulled out the ol' Lappy 486 she pops up again on my chat and we started talking again. During this "until 2am at which point my dad comes out and says it's time to go to bed" conversation it becomes fairly transparent that I don't bug her. I found out because she made up a few equations including this one: you= you don't bug me. That was the one at the end after the "it's okay to call whenever" and "6am= tired + not fun" equations plus others. I learned that I can push her buttons pretty good and we get into some spats of bantering that were really fun. :) This girl is fun,... and really pretty. I will be calling her tonight.

My favorite thing was the last six minutes of the conversation :) It was awesome.
But this isn't the place for that. ;)

but this is \/\/\/

01:51J \\ ....i think you like me..

01:51girl \\ you said it, not me. \\ hahahahha \\ j/k \\ we'll see- we'll see. \\ ... \\ there is a possibility. \\ and you?

01:52J \\ ... me what?

01:53girl \\ ! \\ oh my goodness, James. Honestly. \\ Do you like me?

01:54J \\ hahahaha \\ oh man, your buttons! \\ yes i do

01:55girl \\ you push one more button, and i'm gonna break that button-pushing finger of yours. \\ :D all in good jest, of course. \\ there, was that so hard for you to just say?

01:57J \\ :) good night beautiful girl

Minor rantings

School started again. Well, it's been going for a couple weeks now, but whatever. That means less hanging out and more homework. How am I supposed to conduct a social life with a bunch of crazy things to do? Okay, so i have a pretty good social life. And no my classes aren't that bad. Actually I kinda like them. Especially the dance one.

People tell me I'm a great guy and that girls would love to spend time with me and all that, yet... no girlfriend, and no prospects. Well, not that I have tried really hard, and I'm not desperate, I know there are a couple girls that would want to date me, but really... um they're kinda creepy. So, according to the consensus I'm "...funny, smart, confident, good looking, interesting, nice, chivalrous, spiritual, talented(plays guitar, does calligraphy, etc.), goes shoe shopping," etc., but somehow, that doesn't do it. I constantly see guys, that girls I've talked to think are sub par, dating people and having a great time. So what's the difference? What makes them date-able and me not? One girl, whom I am very good friends with, told me that she felt I was the type of person she felt like she'd like to end up with, but she wouldn't want to date me if she knew she wasn't ready to get married. Someone else said something similar too. So I guess I am the goal, and I won't get a girlfriend till I get married. But wait, that's frustrating... how am I supposed to learn stuff? From NOT experience...? mmmkay.. Maybe I get to learn from all the different friendships I have and glean the appropriate knowledge from all my interpersonal relationships. Oh wait- that's what I've been doing.

I just want to surprise someone sometimes... it hasn't seemed to work in the past: Surprise. I want to talk to someone and just talk, or talk about life stuff, or just hear someone's voice for a while. I want to go shopping for fun and just look at cool shoes and pick out stuff for her to try on. That's fun. I like doing nice things and I don't get a chance other than the regular door holding or compliments.

Sorry, just a little frustrated sometimes. The only girls that like me are really young and still in high school mentally, really creepy, or really awkward. The girls I like, the smart, funny, interesting, talented, pretty ones* seem to only like jerks and showy rich guys with no real class.

Dumb.



*why yes, I do like pretty girls, you see... they are pretty, which makes them nice to look at. No I don't think that makes me shallow, you girls like your men good looking don't you? And yes, I'd like to be attracted to them in more than one way, hence the other qualifications.

Faces of Epic

I have a cousin.

He is a ninja. I know, I know awesome right? Well here is the most awesome part, I am also a ninja so naturally we hang together from time to time. What is the outcome of this event? Pure unadulterated epicness!

I have a friend, he is a ninja... see paragraph B. Sometimes, well, actually, all the time pretty much, awesome happens. here is a conversation we had today:

An epic tale:
13:27James
oh, the future! What lengths we will go to for the future. Oh the plans we have made and the dreams we create for the future.
I like that... I think I'll write a song.
13:28Matt
good luck with that
13:29James
thank you
13:29Matt
youre not welcome
13:30James
Hiya!!! your arms are mine suckah!!
13:30Matt
too bad for you i already killed you with my mind
13:31James
too bad I traveled back in time and saved myself
too bad i knew what you're going to write
ha
cuz I traveled thru time again
that's how
13:31Matt
therefore creating a paradox so those demon things from dr who could appear and destroy you
13:32James
ah ha
that's where you're wrong
I thought of that and stopped the paradox from forming
You're welcome
13:32Matt
no you didnt
13:33James
oh, and in the hub-bub I had to give you your arms back at the instant I took them so you didn't feel anything.
13:33Matt
then why are my arms sore?
13:34James
well, there was a brief moment there... sorry, i wasn't perfect, but you have to admit for the amount of damage, I did pretty good.
13:35Matt
yes, you must have time travelled because as you know, yesterday i couldn't even lift my arms

So in case you're wondering, this kind of thing happens a lot, and of course when you're in the room you get to be part of the spontaneity. If you hang out with us, you will pee your pants, but luckily there are usually bathrooms nearby.

Epic things
Ninjas are epic.
And dragons are too
Swords you say? Yes,
Your statement is true.

Clowns? No,
Sorry you're wrong.
I guess you're not epic
You silly ding-dong.

Masquerades, cheese,
Christmas and mountains
Wells made for wishing
And Greek Goddess Fountains

Puppies with rail guns
Ion particle beam cannons
Link with the Master Sword
Chopping guts of one Gannon

A trillion watt stereo
Decimating a planet
And a moonwalking Michael
Though not that freak Janet

Legos? fuh real
Matt's such a smart friend
Mech warriors and starships
Ninja battles without end.

I wrote a Costanza
Wait-- now I'm confused...
OH! Stanza that's right
That's what I shoulda mused

Muse, now that's epic
If you've heard them you know
You feel indestructibly beautiful
Like you's a vampire fo sho

S'there's a template of epic.
So now go and find
Epic things all around you
And the ones in your mind.

Masquerade!

The other day I had the "Phantom of the Opera" song 'Masquerade' going through my head, I guess I was just really excited about the new masks I had bought, and I couldn't think of what the words were. This is what was going thru my head: "MASQUERADE!! Bluh-muh-muh-muh-uh-pleh-puh. Masquerade..." The real words are: "MASQUERADE!! Pretty faces on parade. Masquerade, hide your face so the world will never find you..."

Speaking of masks though, I won the contest. :) I'm okay with that. If you look below you'll see all the mask ideas I came up with and the 'Fleur de Lis' was the voted winner. Kenn actually made one as well, though I think it would look better with some contrast like gold/silver plumes on dark (but bold) blue. As is it's two tones of gold. Still looks pretty cool.

A friend of mine and I were talking about getting some people involved in having a masquerade party, and I like the idea. Like, a lot. I am trying to figure out how and when to do it and I think having a more simple party the first time would be great, and a way to spark a little interest in a group. Yeah, you should be a part of the greatness. I told my cousin's wife and she starts getting that look in her eyes, you know that one that looks like Brain from "Pinky and the Brain" when he talks about some great idea. Yeah, that one. Only not evil, just plotting. Before long she has this plan coagulating in the neural pathways and I get a little nervous. She is a fantastic planner, it's just that she can sometimes get a little carried away, so we came up with a word we can use in case of emergencies. It's "Dominion". I like that word.

I'm listening to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. I didn't realize that till just now, it's been going for several minutes now. You're welcome.

I got three new masks. I don't think I would have done that, but with winning the contest I got $100 and though I could have used the money in a lot of different ways, I pumped it all into masks. Hahaha, oh boy... yeah I may have a problem. I'll get help. They are pretty sweet though, and now I have four masks.

Swords

Swords are awesome. I like them.

That's the one I want. I want it for my character Akos Amun Semajj.

I had a mask custom made for him too, you can see it in the first picture of the previous post.

These are the swords I have, well, the good ones.

So this is my sword I got first. It's from Musashi Swords.

And this is what my Oniyuri looks like. It's a smaller blade in a normal sized saya so as to be sneaky and trick other swordsmen. These would be carried by ninja assassins so they would look like normal samurai and walk unnoticed through a town, and then when the time came to strike, they could draw their sword faster than anyone else.

I like these things. Metal and sharpness in a beautiful form.