A common facet in my life is my chronic case of writer’s block. My writing abilities may not be up to snuff, but I do enjoy the process, especially constructing plot-lines. That’s the only aspect that comes easily; actually writing the story is like pulling teeth.

I try to study successful books and screenplays for motivation. I sit in front of an empty Word document, cursor blinking, a whittled-down plot-line long completed, but whatever I end up typing out does even my silly storylines no justice. Why is it that I find essay-writing for school so enjoyable, yet I struggle so much at home?

In lieu of further complaints, I’ll wrap up this post with my typical recommendations:

Recently Watched:
- High Fidelity
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Being John Malkovich

Recently Listened:
- You Only Live Once - by The Strokes
- Blackberry Stone - by Laura Marling and Marcus Mumford
- Persephone - by Cocteau Twins
- そのぬくもりに用がある - by Sambomaster

Actually, I’ve done a good job at cutting down my computer time lately, though only because my eyes seem to be crapping out on me. I’ve got these crazy purple rings around both of them, so I’m thinking of making the most of this gauntness… zombie or vampire might be right up my alley this Halloween. I like dressing up in costumes, though the most enjoyable part for me is the yearly candy hoard. Do you have plans for the upcoming holiday?

Music rec’s:
- The Modern Age by The Strokes
- Mykonos by Fleet Foxes
- City of Delusion by Muse
- Assassin by Muse
- Skinny Love by Bon Iver

Quick note about the theme: Sometimes these blog entries load underneath the boxes on the left. I have no idea why. Just hit refresh when that happens.

We stayed at my grandma’s cozy New Albany home. The weather in Indiana was lovely - low 70’s, calm, and cloudy when we arrived. The surrounding areas are covered in thick copses and hills, spindly, unpaved roads and Victorian country houses.

Some of my relatives are very, well, “country”. Halfway through our trip, we made the hour-long drive to my great-uncle Bud and his son Chucky’s house, which is set upon a number of grassy, sprawling acres. It was so beautiful there! My dad hitched a wagon to the back of the tractor and drove a few of us up a steep, woodsy pathway. After about 5 minutes of aggressively gripping the wagon’s edge, the pathway opened onto a large hillock, encircled by Christmas firs. The view beyond the trees was breathtaking, and green, green, green.

As much as I absolutely loved the scenery out there, I am a city girl at heart, and it was nice to return to the bustle and familiarity of Phoenix. I don’t know when I’ll next visit New Albany, but it would make a lovely home-away-from-home.

A parting song:

I was having some really severe headaches and vision changes for weeks on end, so I’ve cut my computer usage dramatically (perhaps the hardest thing I’ve done in my young life :P). I was put on some meds, but they only work like 50%. I’ve just been bummin out around the house, waiting for them to kick in fully.

In a week I’m going to a family reunion in Indiana… >_< Most of these people are ones I've never met before, so it'll likely be a bit awkward. The trip is only for a week so I suppose it isn't too bad. And it's only 78 degrees there as opposed to 112 here in Arizona, so I guess that'll be pretty lovely.

I'll try to post more, but there's not much going on in my life right now that seems worth blogging about. >_<

In other news, I’m so happy to have finally finished Amadeus. I’d only seen the first 3/4, but I was really pleased with the whole thing.