Finals finally over! I'm freakin' exhausted and I think over the hump of a cold. :U Just in time for the holidays! Asgthsadtsdath.

Work To Do:

HI Commissions! Closed For Now.
-RiderlessDiamond's roan Nokota mare- done, ready to post.
-Enchanter's Kaysea bust- done, also ready to post.
-DarkCard's grey Alter Real stallion.
-TouchTheSkye's bay thoroughbred bust.
-WishingOne's storyboards- waiting for script(s).

Ma's Sculpture- I'm working on it, dearie! <3

ES SEs- End's in sight. Final-freakin'-ly. Still ironing out details, but I know what's going on. As soon as I get DarkCard's commission halfway started, I'll start laying out the last of Reunion and move on to the last scene.

The OCT Issue- For the past few weeks I've been bouncing back and forth between *BurningAvalon and *sovereigncity as the next OCT to *this time actually* enter. I don't want to jinx myself by mentioning which one I'm actually shooting for at this point because the moment I say for sure I'm going to do something, I seem to never get around to it. :I But I had an absolutely massive brainstorm the other day regarding the OC I'd be using and it tipped the scales. I hope to start writing my audition on Sunday when I return- I have the first few parts of a reference sheet all drawn up, so. ;D

I anticipate a much better stab at this time around since I ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, NOW. :I

And as if I didn't have enough going on, I've decided to take part in ~manicyelowcat 's creative challenge! I do this only in hopes of getting closer to the OC I'll be using for competition, my main plot line, or creating a little something for either a portfolio or just for the hell of it. Mainly, just to prove to myself I can do it. If you have the time to spare, I urge you to try this with us and the handful of others who have expressed interest! Here's the link to her journal, with all the info: [link] .

As you can see, gonna be a busy freakin' bee over here for the next months, especially with college, SATs, and maintaining Grammy's house for Christmas. I'm excited! 8D

In more somber news, Anthem sculpture took a nosedive out of my backpack and onto the pavement on the way home today and shattered pretty bad. I thiiiiink I can fix her, but her damage includes two fingers, her poof, tail, one of her wings, parts of the cuffs on her pants, and a fractured neck. That's a lot of work. 8C

Anthem, I'm sorry, but no matter how many times you jump (or get sparta-kicked) off a cliff, your freakishly tiny sparrow wings WON'T SAVE YOU.

_{Lol. Watch it be an omen of things to come and have me die in some freak accident tomorrow. I will laugh. I will laugh so damn hard in my coffinbox.}

I've changed my mind. I like Thanksgiving. 8D

Early morning start, quick round of ranch chores, and the daily horoscopes, followed by the declared "gab-gifted geminis" (lolme) initiating the Soap Box Thankfulness Declarations. By this time a round of hot butter rum had gone out to the adults, soda pop to the two not-adults, and we were all in hysterics by the end of it, as well as filled with warm fuzzies. Much better than sneaking around like scared mongrels with our tails tucked between our legs like we did last year! It was amazing. I wound up making my declaration of thankfulness rather lame, which now I wish I hadn't done, but at the time I didn't trust myself to not be ridiculously sappy (I'm bad under pressure lD ), and besides, everyone covered practically all I had to say. I have to admit the funniest damn thing was a giddy Pinto up there on the soap box declaring she was thankful for, and I quote verbatim: " for finding another little retard to hang out with". D'aw. <3

Following this came the ride. Oh man. It was the best experience. All who showed up- wranglers and guests- went out of the yard together, and then we separated according to who had brought along guests and took off. Ever seen that footage of the space shuttle launching into outer space and then separating, firing its second thrusters? Yeah. A little like that. xD It felt really nice to just. Take off trotting along the hills. Of course, I didn't think it'd get much more exciting than that until we took a new trail near our TBone trail and Ma suddenly shouted: " The ride starts now!" and started loping up this INSANE hill. .__.

I had some flashbacks to last Saturday with Pony Boy bucking and I have to admit that when Petrie started up that incline my blood froze in my veins. But it felt so liberating. And though a healthy respect for what kind of damage a lack of restraint on the rider's part can do lingers, I hardly feel as terrified anymore. And it was so nice to be able to control your speed at your lesiure- walk, trot, and controlled canters- without someone looking at you funny. lD

Surprisingly enough too, the annual family shin-dig actually wasn't all that bad. 8D Minus the hilarious drunken members of the Friday Crew, but still!

And so I'll say it now: I'm thankful for the soundness of good horses, the company of amazing friends, and the love of the best family I could imagine. <3 Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Stress! It's so weird. Have you ever been to the point where everyone has just been pressuring you so much and making so many plans that your fortitude finally snaps and you just don't care about jack crap anymore? Yeaaaaaah. It's not that pleasant, and I think I'd rather be stark raving mad.

Turns out I'm running both Cookie Day and Christmas Eve- the first of which is actually kinda fun and the second of which is always hell to put together, over too quickly, and followed by at least a week of disappointment. And then, right after Christmas, comes... dun dun DUUUUUN, wait fooooor itttttt... Hell Week.

Shizz, it ain't even December yet and I'm already depressed over that little bit. lD At least it's only three days of cookouts this year, 'cause being at the stable without even getting to pet a pony is just plain wrong. Actually, being back in Box Three and working with the horses wouldn't even make me feel better, 'cause after this weekend I'm even more terrified of having to work not only in an unfamiliar environment but also doing two brand-new things on horseback, both of which I apparently fail at, as Saturday showed. Actually, I'm sure I could buckle down and do my work without any gloom clouds hovering over my head if it weren't for the fact that I've lost the awesomesauce perk of the "midnight ride" on New Year's. >>

But you know, the funny thing about stress is that now I have a wonderful little outlet named Dakota. <3 Despite the fact we had bucking funtimes and I sprained my ankle a little bit, it's just so damn hard to stay mad at that horse when he gives you the cutest little OMGDERPHI faces in the morning and comes prancing over to you without you having to bribe him with carrots. I love my boy. C:

Of course, I'm terrified of falling off now. .________. I do have to admit, however, that those were probably the funniest damn faces I've ever made in my life and I really wish I had pictures of it.

Anyway. I'm a little depressed because drawing classes are really starting to annoy me - including Life Drawing, but that's a whole journal in itself, loooool- but at least we've moved on to sculpting in 2D-3D and I don't seem to be failing too hard at that quite yet. I hope that trend continues. I'm in a little bit of a rut right now that I'm attempting to scrabble out of so I could reaaaaaaally use a nice finished product. 'Course, I might just be pissy 'cause it's really damn cold outside. Yeah. That might be it too.

Speaking of, I have two days off this week and I hope to use them to finish up some ES stuff. \o/ Oh. And it might be nice to actually finish a comic for Comic Club this time, huh. lD _{No rest for the wicked, I suppose~}

Back early! Apparently I looked super-duper extra-specially sad just sitting in front of my dark and broken television doing nothing for two hours straight last night, 'cause I have my computer back.

Of course, cleaning my grandma's entire house yesterday can't have hurt my chances either, despite the fact this isn't what I had in mind as a thank-you present. ;D

Uh, few things I have to fix on this smartbox of mine that went haywire from having the plug randomly pulled out and a whopping 147 deviations to sift through over the next few days. I did absolutely no notable artsy things over the last two weeks. DERP. I've been feeling kinda dead in that way recently but now that I have the other half of my WIPs back there may be somethin' coming your way in the next few days.

Also, belated welcome back, ! I missed you a bunch, girly, and you better be here to stay for a while! 8D

Oh-ohhhhhhh! I called it.

Anyway. Came home yesterday to find a very pissy dad who had taken away my computer cord. Initially it was for a week for staying out after curfew (even though I distinctly remember a conversation we had in the truck where I told him exactly what was going on and HE AGREED), but I'm not sure what the FOUR OTHER CONSECUTIVE WEEKS were tacked on for.

So. I'll be gone for quite a while.

Since I don't have my computer at all, I can't work on some of the SEs I was planning, nor can I finish that project I wanted to post on Halloween, nor can I post at all. I may be able to get on at some points at school but the only computers that support DA are the teacher computers, which are extremely difficult to secure.

Oh! And the best part is, he is threatening taking away the stable from me.

Well, shizz, I have to go now. Anyway.

Ojay, well, this kinda makes it hard to collaborate... if anything, at least these circumstances make it a little easier to break it up than to decide for ourselves. I'm sorry, girlie.

Bye guys! See you in a month, maybe a little sooner. Be good!