Done with X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble! And I really can't wait to start the next book; they really leave you hanging, although I have a basic idea of what happens since I know how things are 18 years later in the series :P I'm not sure what the next one is called, but I know it's downstairs on the bookcase almost fully dedicated to Star Wars novels. Only the bottom shelf has a few intruders from different series, but soon...yes soon...those will move to make way for the EMPIRE MWAHA HA HA....okay, maybe not. But it will be a fully Star Wars case, thanks to my brother, me, and a few random other people. ahh, I see--the next book is called...X-Wing: Krytos Trap. :) And I get 4 hours in a bus tomorrow to get a good start on it, so I'm pretty happy about that. I just hope the IMAX show we go to is better than the Dolphin one from last year. Even if it's not, there's few things better than a long bus ride and then watching a movie with the kids.....why? cuz it doesn't require running my butt off, that's why! Not that I don't mind playing with them, but sometimes it's nice to just chill--besides, we're supposed to go swimming later anyway. As far as FFX goes....man I suck at Blitzball...I lost the first one they let you play, and I've lost 2 games since--the first of those 2 optional games I scored no points...the second game I got one so it was 1-4 :( I've gotta practice or something. I know a lot of it's cuz I really suck as sports--both in real life and in video games, mostly cuz I just don't play much (mostly cuz I suck and I'm not much of a fan of them)...Point being, if I'm going to get anywhere in the blitzball tournaments, I had better sit down and just keep playing game after game cuz right now I stink at it. The rest of the game seems to be going alright--it's kinda like playing an interactive movie...a LONG movie, but it's pretty darn cool. Better wrap it up for the night--c ya!

I picked a bad time to pause my FFX game--right in the middle of a blitzball game which I have a really hard time figuring out how to deal with :P I get overwhelmed with the controls and all the commotion going on and how I can still play with things on Auto but I can use Manual if I like, but then what should I do--pass, dribble, break, shoot :P grrrr...I do like complicated games, but geez. But then I was like, well, it's after 10, maybe I should check email so I can chat with the usual suspects online. That and I felt rather antisocial sitting downstairs while my fam was upstairs--PLUS the game was frustrating me :P In other news, getting close to the end of the X-Wing book, which I must say is pretty good. I'm glad I've finally gotten around to reading those, but it makes me want to reread the books that will be coming inbetween this series too--like the Zahn trilogy, the Jedi Academy trilogy and so forth. MAYBE even Truce at Bakura and The Courtship of Princess Leia....But the thing is, there's so many books I haven't read yet, that it seems rather silly to be rereading books I have already reread. Not that I'm REQUIRED to read certain books, but I WAS hoping to get to some others on my list. Of course, I haven't gotten too far on that--haven't left the Star Wars list...::sigh:: such is the way of things, the way of the Katie ;) Yeah, I know...I like Star Wars too much...pop culture is engrained in me--1 in 10 sentences I utter can be related to a movie as a direct quote or a paraphrase :P And when I hear certain key phrases from people I can pick out what movie or show it makes me think of. Ah well, to quote a movie "check ya later" ;)

Yep Tricia, the weekend was pretty damn cool :) Now it's back to the hum drum of daily work :P As far as X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble goes, I'm about.....12 chapters in, so I haven't really gotten too far. And I haven't had much time to play FFX either--I know, it's all very sad :( Perhaps after I get done helping with Chris and Beth's house later tonight I'll have the time to chill...one can only hope for a LITTLE free time. Grrr...maybe I'll just go for an hour, yeah. Anyway, considering how diverse the topics of this blog tend to be, I wonder if it's still wise to advertise it as a "literary website" when books are just a small portion of what I blab about on here. Oh well, if you who find the time to read this don't mind, then neither do I. Besides, the description makes the site sound all smart and academic like ;) Gotta go for now, later dudes ;)

What can I say? How about, I'm really psyched about my trip to EC and MN this weekend--it'll be such a nice change of pace AND I'll have time to just chill in my car driving AND I get to hang out with some good friends :) On a literary note, I'm almost done with X-Wing: Rogue Squadron--so far I'm actually really liking the X-wing series. Maybe it just took getting to know the characters better or something. At the time in the series a few years ago, when I would have read them to be in the right sequence, I didn't feel like it cuz I wanted to know more about Han, Leia, and most of all, Luke. I really wasn't interested in some guy Micahel Stackpole made up (aka Corran Horn) and not even that much in Wedge, even though he is a cool guy. The funny thing is though, that the books I just read that come 20 some years later in the series are very much related to the X-Wing series in plot and characters, so I guess I'm doing it backwards--getting the jokes and allusions the opposite way I should have. But it's alright, I don't mind doing it the hard way. I tell you one thing though, there's nothing more frustratingly difficult than trying to explain to a 9 year old what X-Wing: Rogue Squadron has to do with the movies:

kid: Oh Star Wars! I saw the movies!
me: Oh, did you? cool--the old ones and the new ones too?
kid: yep, I saw the one with Jar Jar. He's in that book, right? (pointing to X-Wing: Rogue Squadron)
me: oh, no, this book happens waaay after that movie--called Episode 1--that you saw. It takes place a couple years after the laaast movie, you know, the old ones made about 25 years ago, that you can see on tape.
kid: so it has Jar Jar in it right?
me: no, this book is yeeeeears after that movie, so Jar Jar would probably be dead at this time
kid: is he in that book? (she points to the other book in my hand--I had both X-Wing: Rogue Squadron which I just finished today and X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble (since I just started it) in my hands)
me: no, this is the next book in the same series--it takes place right after the other book. See? (points to the label "Book 1 of the X-Wing Series" on the top of one and the label "Book 2 of the X-Wing Series" on the other book
kid: Yeah--see? it says 1 right there, so Episode 1, and then Episode 2, right?
me: no, these books aren't based on those movies, they just have some of the characters from the movies--like Princess Leia, Wedge--
kid: and Jar Jar Binks, right?
me: ::sigh::

Another night, another entry. Not a whole lot to say in the news department. Haven't read anything lately since I haven't had much time. As far as movies and shows go, I got my DBZ fix this afternoon--I love Sat. afternoons when they play 4 episodes in a row...that way some actual plot transpires. And now I'm watching Yu Yu Hakusho(I think that's how you spell it) which I'm starting to really get into. It's by the same makers as DBZ, but it's a lot different as far as animation and plot line, but it's pretty nifty. I think I might be hooked on a new series ;) ::sigh:: just what I need, hm? ;) Ah well, series are fun and it gives me something to look forward to since I don't have a hell of a lot else to do lately. The voice of this one guy is annoying though....cuz he sounds like one of the guys on DBZ...I can't place who....kinda like Dende. I could always check www.imdb.com and check, if they have this show on there.............(to be continued)

Continuing.....yeah, I was too tired to finish this entry last night, so I saved it to finish it later, so now I'm working on finishing it. Tonight we had dinner here for my brother Scott's 27th bday, which was nice seeing him and also having a GREAT feast ;) What made it extra great was that he was thoughtful enough to drop the PS2 here for me since he hasn't been playing it much! It really surprised me and I'm pretty psyched about it. I had started a game of FFX back in March during spring break and now I'll finally get to work on it. Considering my lack of social options this summer, having the PS2 will be super sweet. It's nice to know that even if Scott isn't around much, he still thinks of his little sis. He also invited me to go camping with him and his fiance Jennifer one of these weekends. Don't know if I'll take him up on that with so few weekends left free this summer, but I feel good that he offered. Overall it's been a pretty good weekend for not really going much of anywhere. Maybe I'm finally adjusting to this summer's situation...you never know ;)

Well Tricia, as far as the Rogue Squadron book/game goes I'm not sure what specific scenes in the book are in the game but I'm thinking that most of the major engagements in the book as far as flying goes are at least basically the source of the missions in the game. I'm about halfway through that book now--I finished Rebel Stand today :) and am continuing with X-Wing: Rogue Squadron. I'm done watching the DBZ videos...which is kind of sad :( The worst part is that I think they really flopped on some of the plot. They could have done so much more with certain parts but they just skipped ahead. Oh well, it's just a cartoon after all--but I like it anyway. The point is, now I have the time and inclination to read, so I am. I'm just not sure how soon I'm going to get to those literary classics I insisted that I'd be reading :P Don't get me wrong, I'll bet they're great books; it's just that when I'm into a series (like SW) I just want to keep going with it and don't like throwing in another book world to contend with the one already established, if you know what I mean. It's like going from one fantasy realm to another and having all the "rules" of the first realm be different from or conflicting from the first one--it just gets on my nerves. For example, goblins in the Tolkien and the D&D fantasy realms are primarily evil, not too bright ugly looking creatures related to orcs VS. goblins in the Harry Potter realm aren't exactly very friendly, but they are intelligent and law abiding. Since Tolkien's views are the dominant ones on most fantasy creatures, it was the Harry Potter ones that got on my nerves. When it comes to things like that, I know an author is free to do whatever he/she wants with the story, but of course there are expectations when using "known" creatures and phenomena. Well, I'd love to babble more on this topic, but I gotta jet. later ;)

Haven't written for a while--sorry bout that, but I haven't read much either. I'm into the next book, Rebel Stand now, (I put the X-wing book on hold) but I'm not that far in it. Lately I've been watching the DBZ videos I borrowed or doing other stuff, and I haven't had time to read at work. I'll finish it eventually. I'll think of something cool to say eventually too....eventually.......;)